The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook {Giveaway Contest}

There’s nothing like going out with your girlfriends and watching a good rom-com or chick flick at the movie theater! But what if you could invite them over to your home, cook up some delicious foods inspired by those movies, and then binge-watch a couple of ‘em? Then you’re going to need “The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook” which contains over 60 mouthwatering recipes created in the spirit of the iconic romantic comedies that we all know and love!

Having flipped through the book, I just know that you’ll adore the creative food and cocktail pairings inspired from films like My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Devil Wears Prada, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Legally Blonde, and more!

The recipes in “The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook” are fun and easy to make! In the book you’ll find tasty appetizers, entrées, desserts, and cocktails, such as:

Recipes include:

• Ah Ma’s Special Dumplings (Crazy Rich Asians)
• Baby’s Leftover Pot Roast (Dirty Dancing)
• The Post-It cocktail (Sex and the City)
• Lonely Chicago Pie (Waitress)
• Wind Beneath My Cauliflower Wings (Beaches)
• Black Tea Hot Toddy (Little Women)
• Brewski Beer Cheesecake (Barbie)
• Cosmo Girl (Legally Blonde)
• Kalteen Bars (Mean Girls)
• And so much more!

The cookbook author, Richard S. Sargent, is an award-winning actor, filmmaker, and culinary enthusiast. Recently I had the opportunity to interview Richard and find out what is his favorite recipe in “The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook.”

I love a good rom-com! Did you watch or rewatch any of these chick flicks to get inspiration for the recipes?

Richard: Oh yes! I love all of these chick flicks, and even though I already had an idea of what I wanted to create for many of them, I had to rewatch all of them several times just to make sure everything was just right, from the titles to the ingredients to the drinking games. It was a lot of fun!

What is your favorite dish to make from this cookbook and why?

Richard: I’d have to go with the Just Grapefruit Him po-boy from “Girls Trip.” It has some surprising flavors that on first glance shouldn’t work, but the dish is delicious and refreshing – a little spicy, a little sweet. It’s perfect for a light summer brunch or dinner. My guests still rave about that one.

I understand that you had a booth at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Was that your first time there and how was the experience?

Richard: It was! I shared a booth with memoir author and playwright Rodney Rhoda Taylor. I had a blast meeting new fans and chatting with other authors. I received a lot of positive feedback on my cookbooks, and that’s always nice to hear, especially from peers. I hope to do it again next year – with even more books!

What’s next for you? Any plans for another book or are you touring with your alt-rock band, The Green Winter?

Richard: I’m putting the finishing touches on my next cookbook (The Queer Movie Cookbook) as we speak, and then I’m going to shop it around to publishers. I’m really excited about that one. Some great recipes and films. I’m also putting an anthology of my short plays together for publishing, which I will shop around as well. My band won’t be touring this year unfortunately, but we will be releasing our next EP soon, inspired by the horror films we grew up loving. It’s pretty fun. So I guess you could say I’m keeping busy.

Like any good girlfriend would do, I’m sharing a food recipe so that you can host your own girls movie night! Please see below for a recipe excerpted from “The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook” by Richard S. Sargent. Copyright © 2025 RSargent Publishing. Reprinted with permission from Richard S. Sargent. Palm Springs, CA. All rights reserved.

Just Grapefruit Him

Sometimes, a great movie teaches us how to live our lives for the better. Other times a movie teaches us how to ‘grapefruit’ a guy. In this hilarious flick we learn what to do when it’s ”not his arm,” and damn, that’s got to burn. Just remember, no pineapple!

Difficulty – Slightly easier than performing the ‘grapefruit’
Servings – 6
Prep – 15 mins
Cook – 25 mins

For the grapefruit shrimp:
2 pounds large shrimp, deveined and shelled, tails removed
1 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons Cajun spice seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 more
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons grapefruit zest
4 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce

For the caramelized banana:
1⁄4 cup salted butter
1⁄4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne powder
2 firm bananas, peeled and roughly sliced
2 tablespoons rum

For the shrimp po’boys:
6 po’boy buns, sliced lengthwise
grapefruit shrimp, 6 equal servings
caramelized banana, mashed
12 large romaine leaves
2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced into 18 slices
3 jalapeños, sliced
fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Directions:
1. In a colander, rinse your defrosted shrimp and set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together grapefruit juice, Cajun seasoning, olive oil, honey and grapefruit zest. Bring to boil, lower heat and let simmer until thickened. Stir occasionally.

2. In a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil and chili-garlic sauce over medium-high until just starting to bubble. Add shrimp and sauté for 7-9 minutes, until shrimp has turned pink and sauce is mostly gone. Add thickened grapefruit sauce, stir to evenly coat and simmer for 2-3 more minutes.

3. While the sauce is simmering, add the butter, sugar, cinnamon and cayenne to another large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until butter is melted and the dry ingredients are combined. Add the bananas chopped side down and leave them for 90 seconds. Flip and repeat.

4. When the bananas are finished, remove from heat and roughly hand mash with a masher or fork. Stir it all together, making sure you incorporate the sugary bits left on the pan.

5. On the topside of each po’boy bun, spread equal amounts of the mashed bananas. On the bottom side, place 2 leaves of romaine and 3 thin slices of tomato. Spoon equal servings of grapefruit shrimp on top of the tomato, then sprinkle on some slices of jalapeño and cilantro.

6. Serve hot with your favorite southern side from the Waiting to Exhale recipe!

To celebrate the release of this book, I am partnering with RSargent Publishing on a giveaway contest. How would you like to win a copy of “The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook”? One Real Mom of SFV reader will win this prize! Please enter below for a chance to win.

**Winner will be chosen May 20, 2025.**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules: United States Residents ONLY. One prize per household. One winner will be randomly selected via RaffleCopter and notified via email. Winner must respond within 48 hours to claim the prize or a new winner will be chosen via RaffleCopter. The prize will be fulfilled directly by the sponsor. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to send me an email to realmomofsfv@gmail.com.

So tell me, what is your favorite chick flick?

Published by RSargent Publishing, the book is available now for purchase on Amazon, and makes a great Mother’s Day gift!

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. I received a complimentary book which helped facilitate this review. The images shown in this post are used with permission. As always, my opinions are 100% my own.