The Shop Around The Corner

movie stills found here and here and here

Who knew that "You've Got Mail" starring Tom Hanks was actually based on this adorable little 1940 gem: "The Shop Around The Corner"? Ok, so maybe some of you knew it, but Barb and I had no idea! Basically, in almost the exact same plot line, Alfred Kralik (Jimmy Stewart) and Klara Novak (Margaret Sullivan) find themselves working at the same retail shop (and incessantly bickering of course) not knowing that all the while they were falling in love with each other through anonymous love letters. I would highly recommend adding this movie to your Christmas Movie list if only to change up the same old selection. It was a great little story then as it was in "You've Got Mail" (Only I have to say, that the ending in the Tom Hanks version where he meets her in the park with the dog sent my heart a little more aflutter than the ending in this 1940's version).

Movie Rating: 

Plot: 4.5 stars

Cinematography: 3.5 stars

Acting: 3.5 stars 

Average: 3.83 stars

Hungarian Goulash

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1/2" pieces

Salt, Pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed

1 pound Polish sausage or kielbasa, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups slices button mushrooms

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds 1 1/2 quarts chicken broth, divided

1 cup flour

3/4 cup water

1 bunch parsley, chopped

2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Place the pork pieces in a large bowl and season with 1 teaspoon salt and one-fourth teaspoon pepper, tossing the pork so that it is evenly coated.

In a 4-quart, heavy-bottom pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the pork and sauté, stirring frequently, until all the pieces are browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. This may need to be done in batches. Remove the pork to a bowl and set aside.

Add the sausage to the pot ans sauté until the pieces are lightly browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain and set aside with the sauteéd pork.

Add the onions and mushrooms to the pot, along with a little extra oil if needed. Sauté the vegetables until the onions are lightly colored, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic, caraway seeds and paprika and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic and spices become fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, coating the vegetables evenly, and cook for a minute or two until the paste begins to darken in color.

Stir in 2 cups of broth and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring the contents of the pot and scraping any flavorings from the bottom of the pot, until the mixture coms to a good simmer. Add the pork and sausage back into the pot, along with the rest of the stock.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and water to form a slurry, making sure there are no lumps. Whisk the slurry into the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a strong simmer and cook until the meat is tender and the pork almost falls apart, about 30 minutes. Stir frequently, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so the flour does not burn.

This goulash was mighty tasty! and sticks right to the ribs for a great winter meal. The only thing I would suggest would be to reduce the slurry by half as well as substituting the kielbasa for bacon or pork belly!

Dinner Rating: 

Movie Relevance: 4 stars

Taste: 3 stars

Average: 3.5 stars

Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot (2000) was a great, wholesome movie about a boy who simply preferred ballet to boxing. Growing up in a blue-collar household and without a mother, Billy struggled to fit the mold his father had in mind. Jamie Bell plays an adorable Billy... it's too bad he didn't mature a little better, he had such potential...


The soundtrack (heavy on T-Rex and also including the Clash) and overall plot of the movie are wonderful, a definite must-see!

Movie Rating
Plot: 5
Cinematography: 4.375
Acting:4.5
Average: 4.625

For dinner, classic Fish & Chips with a new-to-us side of Mushy Peas.

Fish & Chips
Makes 4–6 servings

INGREDIENTS
For the chips:
2L vegetable oil
2 lb flour potatoes, like russets, peeled and cut into large chips

For the batter:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup beer
2 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks
Salt
4 cod fillets (around 6 oz each)

DIRECTIONS
Pour all of the vegetable oil into a deep pan or deep fat fryer and heat to 300 degrees F. Blanch the cut potatoes in the heated oil until soft, but not colored, about 4 minutes. Remove potatoes from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Mix together the flour and beer, then fold in the whipped egg whites.


Turn up the heat of the oil to 350 degrees F. Dip the fish in the batter and fry for a few minutes, adding the potatoes back in to finish up to a nice golden brown.

Remove all the food from the oil and drain on paper towels or kitchen paper. Serve with cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Minty Mushy Peas
Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS
2 TB olive oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 handful fresh mint, leaves picked
1 lb frozen peas
2 large knobs butter
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped onions, mint, and peas.


Cover and leave for a few minutes to steam. Mash with a potato masher. You can do this in a food processor instead, just pulse it until smooth. When finished, add the butter and season carefully to taste.

*Note: We mashed the peas in the pan with a fork, but I think I would have liked them better processed into a more uniform consistency.


Dinner Rating
Movie Relevance: 5
Taste: 4
Average: 4.5

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

movie stills found here and here

This movie was highly recommended by surprising sources: dudes. Shockingly, this seemingly romantic comedy is in fact not like the others in its category. Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is a middle-aged guy whose wife has an affair and is scooped up while at a bar wallowing in his misery, not by a woman, but instead by Jacob (Ryan Gosling) who helps him man up, dress up, and get back in the dating game. Its a nice story about the many different types of love and is one of those rare movies that you can watch again and again.

And now, for some great quotes from the movie:

Emily to Cal: "You know, last week, you know when I told you that I had to work late. I really went to see the new 'Twilight' movie by myself, I don't know why I did that, and it was so bad, Cal."

Jacob: "The war between the sexes is over. We won the second women started doing pole dancing for exercise."

Jacob to Cal: "Lets talk about how many women you've been with."
Cal: "Sexually?"
Jacob: "Yeah, no. I mean break-dance fighting."

Movie Rating: 

Plot: 4.375 stars

Cinematography: 4.25 stars

Acting: 4.5 stars 

Average: 4.375 stars

Peanut Butter and Bacon Burgers with Zucchini Fries: A dish we were hoping would be so "Crazy" that we would "Love It"

BURGERS

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 lbs ground sirloin
1 teaspoon (about 6 sprigs) fresh thyme
1 small shallot, very finely minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (we just went with some S & P)
4 hamburger buns
4 tablespoons of peanut butter
4 slices of thick-cut bacon, cooked until crispy

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine all the sirloin, thyme, shallot, worcestershire sauce, paprika, and seasoning until well mixed. Form into 4 patties. Cook the burgers on a pre-heated grill approximately 3-4 minutes per side until desired doneness. Top each burger with one tablespoon peanut butter and a slice of bacon.

FRIES

INGREDIENTS
Tomato coulis
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and diced
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon minced shallot or onion
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Fries
1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
3 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into 2-inch long and 1/4 inch thick pieces (peel first)

DIRECTIONS
Combine all the coulis ingredients in a blender and purée. Transfer to a sauté pan and cook over medium heat until fragrant and warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Place the flour in another medium bowl and the beaten eggs in a smaller bowl.
Dip the zucchini sticks first in the flour and then in the beaten eggs. Roll them in the breadcrumb mixture until well covered.
Transfer the zucchini sticks to a nonstick baking sheet and bake until the zucchini is tender, but the coating is crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve with the coulis.

PLEASE NOTE: These fries were NOT good. Please do not make them, or if you do, try a different recipe? They were kind of soggy and bitter. Alas, I hate when my side dish choices bring down the ratings of the entire meal, because the burger was quite tasty!!

Dinner Rating: 

Movie Relevance: 3.5 stars

Taste: 3 stars

Average: 3.25 stars

Tree of Life

movie stills found here and here

I dont think I will spend too much time reliving this movie.

To describe it, here is some loose word association:
Brad Pitt; amoebas; volcanoes; Brad Pitt; Sean Penn; dinosaurs; cosmos; Brad Pitt's kid is angry.

What? Did that make any sense to you? It didn't make any sense to us either.
Although this movie was VERY beautiful, we were so close to turning the movie off half-way through–which would have been a Movie Night and Dinner Too! first... but we stayed the course to make sure we would give it an accurate review. And here it is: Dont watch this movie it was TERRIBLE. 

Movie Rating: 

Plot: 0 stars

Cinematography: 3 stars

Acting: 2.5 stars 

Average: 2.75 stars

However, the dinner was AMAZING! Must make soup for the holidays.

Celery Root Bisque

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped shallots (about 3 large)
2 pounds celery roots (celeriac), peeled, woody parts trimmed and discarded, cut into 1/2" cubes (about 5 1/2 cups)
1 10-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1/4 cup whipping cream
Additional chopped fresh thyme

DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add celery; cover and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add shallots; sauté uncovered 3 minutes. Stir in celery root cubes and potato, then broth and 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme. Increase heat to high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.
Working in batched, transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate.)
Stir cream into soup and bring to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with additional chopped thyme and serve.

Dinner Rating: 

Movie Relevance: 3.5 stars

Taste: 5 stars

Average: 4.25 stars

King Kong (1933)

Thought we'd take a trip in the way-way-back machine and watch the original King Kong for a change of pace. Turns out, the action and special effects are astonishing—I was blown away, especially considering the movie was released in 1933!

(movie stills found here)

King Kong tells the story of director Carl Denham's (Robert Armstrong) daring journey to the mysterious Skull Island where he knows he'll find something worth shooting to finish his latest movie with a bang. His newest cast member, Ann Darrow (Fay Wray), is the strikingly blond leading lady he's been seeking—he finds her the very night before their ship leaves the harbor. Denham witnesses Ann trying to steal an apple and saves her from being arrested, taking her into a café to see whether she'll join him on the project.

As they approach Skull Island (which is supposedly near Sumatra), the captain and first mate consult a map which shows a tiny peninsula where the village is while the bulk of the island remains walled off for some unknown reason. A thick, dense fog engulfs the ship, and one of the crew wishes aloud that the ship's cook's soup was as thick as the fog... a fitting alternative meal plan.

They arrive at last, and we realize soon enough why the wall exists: KONG. What a powerful beast! Unfortunately for Ann, Kong takes a real liking to her and once he's captured her, he insists on carrying her around with him wherever he goes. Fortunately, though, he does manage to keep her safe, all while fighting off a stegosaurus, a seemingly carnivorous brontosaurus, a t-rex (whose mouth he rips open—gory!), a stubby-legged swampy snake creature, and a pterodactyl.

Denham captures Kong and brings him back to New York to show everyone the "Eighth Wonder of the World". The scenes of Times Square and the Empire State building in New York are awesome, and the movie really is a must-see.

Movie Rating

Plot: 4.5 stars

Cinematography: 4.25 stars

Acting: 3 stars

Average: 3.91 stars

I found our recipe after searching food sites for the word "King". Couldn't resist the play on the title of this classic dish—apparently developed before anyone had heard of cholesterol, and very, very tasty!

Chicken à la King Kong

(Slightly adapted from this recipe)

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups chicken broth (14 fl. oz.)

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

5 TB butter

1/2 each yellow, red, and orange bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)

1 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 TB all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 lb white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

3 large egg yolks

1 TB fresh lemon juice, or to taste

2 TB dry Sherry, or to taste

1/2 tsp paprika (not hot)

6 (1/2-inch-thick) slices firm white sandwich bread, toasted

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS

Put broth and chicken in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan and bring just to a simmer over moderate heat, uncovered. Gently poach at a bare simmer for 5 minutes, then turn chicken over and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil. Pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof 2-cup measure and reserve for sauce.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in the saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then cook peppers, stirring, until softened (do not brown), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer peppers to a bowl and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Add onion and remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the pot and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add flour, remaining teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and reduce heat to low, then cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in 3/4 cup of reserved broth, then all of the heavy cream and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together yolks, lemon juice, Sherry, and paprika in a small bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup of sauce from the saucepan into the bowl with the yolks, then add the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and stir together, cooking over low heat until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Do not allow sauce to simmer or it will curdle.

Cut chicken crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and add along with peppers to sauce, then warm through. Again, do not allow sauce to simmer. If thinner sauce is desired, add more of the reserved chicken broth.

Spoon chicken and sauce mixture over toast on 6 plates, then garnish with parsley and serve.

For dessert, what else?

Blondies

(Slightly adapted from this recipe)

INGREDIENTS

8 TB butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

pinch salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8" x 8" pan. Mix melted butter with brown sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan, and bake at 350 for 20–25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Cool on a rack before cutting into squares. Yields 20–25 small bars, depending how you cut 'em.

Dinner Rating

Movie Relevance: 4 stars

Taste: 3.5 stars

Average: 3.75 stars

Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby (1968) stars Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, and Ruth Gordon as the super creepy neighbor lady! Rosemary and Guy move into a new apartment–one with lots of juicy rumors of odd occurrences and deaths. Mysterious things begin to happen once Rosemary becomes pregnant and her paranoia over the safety of her baby (apparently warranted) starts to consume her. This movie had the scariest set of elderly neighbors ever to grace the stage. Even IF they we just normal people and not in a coven they would be frightening with their truly invasive poking and pestering. 

Some VERY interesting movie facts:

It was on the set of the movie where Mia received divorce papers from Frank Sinatra.

Roman Polanski's (director) pregnant wife was murdered by the Manson family in 1969

This movie was filmed in a NY apartment building called The Dakota where John Lennon was shot and killed.

movie still found here and here

Movie Rating: 

Plot: 4 stars

Cinematography: 4 stars

Acting: 4 stars 

Average: 4 stars

Chicken with Roasted Lemon and Rosemary Sauce 

Before you begin this recipe, please note that when reading it is seems like a LOT of swapping things around from pan to oven to platter and back again. We talked about simplifying the process, but decided to try the recipe as it was. I have to say, it was mighty tasty! 

recipe found here

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 pounds small new potatoes

2 large lemons

extra-virgin olive oil

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS:

Put the potatoes in a pot of salted cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool, but do not peel. Cut in half and set aside (we quartered 'em)

Preheat the broiler. Cut a small slice off both ends of each lemon, then cut in half crosswise. Arrange the lemons, flesh side up, in a flameproof non-reactive baking dish (um, aluminum foil?) brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. (this recipe called for grey salt on the lemons-is that found next to the pink and orange salt in Acme?) Broil 6 inches or more from the heat until browned and soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Squeeze the lemon halves over a sieve suspended over a bowl. Push and stir the pulp through the sieve with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Discard the lemon shells.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken, lower the heat to medium and cook, turning once until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to a platter.

Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring and tossing, until brown all over, about 5 minutes. Drain off the excess oil. Arrange the chicken breasts on top of the potatoes and place in the oven to reheat and cook through, about 10 minutes. When done, remove the chicken to a platter and put the pan with the potatoes over medium-high heat. Toss well so the pan juices are absorbed into the potatoes. Scrape the potatoes out of the pan onto the platter around the chicken.

Return the pan to medium-heat and add the garlic. Sauté briefly until light brown. Immediately add the reserved roasted lemon juice (this final flash of heat will cook off any residual acid flavor), stock, rosemary, and parsley. Stir and scrape up all the browned bits that cling to the bottom and sides of the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce tastest too lemony, stir in the optional butter. (butter is NEVER in our kitchen!). Pour the sauce over the chicken and potatoes and sever immediately.

Other great ideas for this recipes to accompany this movie: lamb; wine; beer (cans); steak with potatoes, peas, and potatoes; rare steak

And I would highly recommend making chocolate mousse for dessert!

Dinner Rating: 

Movie Relevance: 4.5 stars

Taste: 4.5 stars

Average: 4.5 stars

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Since our last posting, Halloween has come and gone, but naturally it was time for some scary/gory/thrilling movies!

"When there's no more room in Hell, the Dead will walk the Earth."

Eric suggested Dawn of the Dead and I am glad we watched it, especially for the special effects. The scenes where people are bitten into were really well done for the time and looked pretty real (minus the blood that looked a whole lot like red paint). Also, it's directed by George A. Romero, (his first sequel to Night of the Living Dead) AND it's filmed in Pennsylvania (more on this later).

Fun fact: Night of the Living Dead was filmed in black-and-white so Romero chose to paint the "things" in this full-color movie gray. Personally, I think it failed because they looked blue and would have been scarier if they weren't so drastically different looking from normal people.

I couldn't stop comparing the no-name actors to their celebrity dopplegangers either: The three main actors looked like B. J. Novak, Lawrence Fishburne, and James Van Der Beek to me!

(movie still found here)

Movie Review

Plot: 2.25

Cinematography: 3.25

Acting: 1.5

Average: 2.33

On to the food...

As I mentioned, the movie is set (and filmed) in Pennsylvania. The group flees Philadelphia and heads toward Pittsburgh via helicopter hoping to find safety. One of the most popular regional dishes in Pittsburgh (and much of Pennsylvania) is pierogies, so we made them from scratch! Not too shabby either--I'd say they were better than Mrs. T's, which surprised me since I seem to rarely have success with this type of labor-intensive dish. I'd suggest doubling or even tripling the pasta recipe if you have the time to make a lot of pierogies since they freeze well. We got four servings out of this batch and had an abundance of mashed potato filling left over. It was good for lunch, but would have been better tucked inside these little beauts.

Homemade Pittsburgh Pierogies with Sour Cream

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra for serving

1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces

5 large red potatoes

2 large onions

6 TB butter, divided, for sautéing

4-8oz. grated cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Pierogie Dough

Mix together the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on low, add the beaten egg and then 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup of softened butter pieces. Mix until it comes together. (I had to scrape the sides down a few times and turn the mixer onto a higher setting to get it to form a doughy consistency.)

Potato, Cheese, and Onion Filling

Peel and boil the potatoes until soft. While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop 1 large onion and saute it in butter until soft and translucent. Mash the potatoes with the sautéed onions and the grated cheddar cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste. (We used the stand mixer and paddle attachment for this job.)

Preparing the Pierogies

Break the dough into small pieces and flatten to pass through a pasta roller. Roll to approx. 1/8" thick, then cut into circles about 3.5" in diameter. A drinking glass works well. Place a small ball of filling (less than 1 TB) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Make sure the edges are pressed together well.

Boil the pierogies a few at a time in a large pot of boiling water. They are done when they float to the top, about 8-10 minutes. Rinse in cool water and let dry.

While the pierogies are boiling, sauté the remaining 1 sliced onion in butter in a large frying pan until soft.

Add the boiled pierogies and pan-fry until lightly crispy.

Serve warm, with a side of sour cream.

Dinner Rating

Movie Relevance: 2

Taste: 4.5

Average: 3.25

Hanna (2011)

Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a 16-year-old, genetically mutated, and trained killer who is raised by her father (an ex-CIA agent played by Eric Banna) in the woods of Finland and trained to be the perfect assassin. Instead of a sweet-sixteen party however, she is sent into the world to confront the woman who will try to murder her—CIA agent Marissa (Cate Blanchett). Outside of the Finnish woods, she finds herself longing for a regular life all the while being locked in the ultimate chic fight with Marissa. I have to give this movie props for its plot originality: Lets pit two ultimate warriors against each other (we all know this has been done before) but this time, lets make it a 16-year-old girl battling a badass Cate Blanchett.

movie stills found here 

Movie Rating: 

Plot: 4.5 stars

Cinematography: 4 stars

Acting: 4 stars 

Average: 4.167 stars

We made a GLORIOUS dinner to accompany this movie: Finnish Oven Baked Pancakes. 

I highly recommend that everyone try this recipe!!

INGREDIENTS:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 3 or 4 pieces

4 large eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup milk , preferably whole

1 pinch of salt

up to 4 tablespoons sugar, optional

splash of vanilla extract, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. When the oven temperature reaches about 300 degrees, place an 8- or 9-inch cake pan or 10-inch pie plate in the oven with butter in it. The butter should melt, but not brown, while the oven finishes heating.

Place the eggs, flour, milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla (if using) in the carafe of a blender, Fix the cover in place and blend on high, stopping to scrape the sides, if necessary, until the mixture is smooth and even.

When the oven is fully heater, and the butter is melted, pull the oven rack out far enough to work safely and pour the batter into the hot pan. 

Push the rack back into the oven and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the oven pancake has puffed quite high and is a deep golden brown. You can test the doneness by inserting a knife or toothpick–if it comes out clean, it is done. Remove the pan from the oven, cut immediately (it will deflate some, so dont worry!) and serve topped as desired.

Here are some topping ideas:

If you add the sugar and the vanilla:

Powdered sugar (We tried this-yum!)

A handful of fresh berries

A sprinkle of brown sugar and drizzle of maple syrup (we also tried the syrup-yum yum!)

A dollop of fruit jame (we used my favorit blueberry jam-yum yum yum!)

Apples sauteed in butter and caramel sauce

A dollop of sweetened whip cream

If you omit the sugar:

Sausage gravy and chopped green onions

Beef or Venison stew (Venison stew would be PERFECT for Hanna who kills and skins a Reindeer-ew)

Gravy

Other menu ideas for this movie: Any kind of woodland game-venison, reindeer, rabbit, etc.

Dinner Rating: 

Movie Relevance: 4 stars

Taste: 5 stars

Average: 4.5 stars

Win Win

movie still found here 

I was really hoping I would get to say this and I can!: Win Win was a win win! This was one of the best modern dramas I have seen in a while. The acting was superb, the plot original and identifiable, and the cinematography made everything that was stale about the characters lives seem fresh and hopeful. The movie tells the story of a lawyer struggling to make ends meet for his family whilst coaching the local high school wrestling team.  To alleviate his financial woes he finds a loophole with one of his clients and signs up to be his caretaker for the monthly stipend. Trying to juggle careers and families, his secret becomes harder to keep under wraps when the client's grandson comes into his life. Win Win is a poignant tale of love and morality.

Movie Rating: 

Plot: 5 stars

Cinematography: 4.5 stars

Acting: 5 stars 

Average: 4.83 stars

Power Foods: Sweet Potato with Kale and Ricotta

INGREDIENTS

4 medium sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced crosswise

1 bunch kale (about 1.25 pounds) thick stems removed, leaves torn into large pieces and washed with water left clinging

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and rub with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife (I always use a fork...), 45 minuted to an hour

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. 

Add as much kale as will fit in the skillet; season with salt and pepper. Continue to add kale as the leaves cook down. Cook, tossing frequently until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and red-pepper flakes. 

Open each potato; add salt and pepper. Top with ricotta and kale. 

Dinner Rating: 

Movie Relevance: 3.75 stars

Taste: 4.5 stars

Average: 4.125 stars

Somewhere

Somewhere (2011, directed by Sofia Coppola) chronicles the life of Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), who's a successful Hollywood actor with tons of money but not much else going on in his life. The exception is his 11-year old daughter, Cleo (Elle Fanning), who comes to stay with him unexpectedly for a couple of weeks.

(movie stills found here)

There are many slow, quiet scenes in the film that almost verge on boring, however, you see a lot of Hollywood/LA surroundings including Chateau Marmont, where Johnny lives. Eric's favorite parts were Johnny's Black Flag t-shirt and black Ferrari 360 Modena. Other actors making appearances: Chris Pontius of Jackass fame and Benicio Del Toro.

Movie Rating

Plot: 2.75 stars

Cinematography: 3.75 stars

Acting: 3.25 stars
Average: 3.25 stars

Our meal was taken straight from the movie, specifically a scene where Cleo calls room service for the ingredients to make macaroni and cheese rather than ordering the finished product. We used a slightly more grown-up recipe--including bacon and beer! Even our snack and dessert find tie-ins this week: we roasted chickpeas in a za'atar-like spice blend to mimic an item on Bar Marmont's actual appetizer menu. For dessert, we had tea and shortbread cookies (inspired by Cleo and Johnny's underwater tea party).

Crispy Chickpeas a la Bar Marmont

Slightly adapted from this recipe

Serves 4 as a snack

INGREDIENTS

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 TB olive oil

1 TB dried thyme

1 TB lemon pepper seasoning (check salt content)

1 TB sesame seeds

1 TB oregano

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450.

Toast the sesame seeds lightly in a nonstick pan, then transfer to a blender along with the thyme, lemon pepper, and oregano. Blend until combined.

Spread the chickpeas out on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil to coat. Top with a thick coating of seasoning blend, adding salt if needed.

Roast at 450 for 20-30 minutes or until the chickpeas are crunchy and brown.

Cleo's Mac and Cheese (but with beer & bacon)

Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta shells (or elbows)

2 TB butter

2 TB flour

1 cup milk

1 cup beer

8 oz. freshly grated cheddar cheese

4 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp paprika

pinch of black pepper

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup panko

10 large basil leaves, chopped for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Prepare water for pasta and boil according to directions, shaving 1–2 minutes off of cooking time since pasta will continue to cook in the oven. Return cooked noodles to the pot.

Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and add butter. Once melted and sizzling, whisk in flour to create a roux and cook until bubbly and golden, about 2 minutes. Add milk and beer to saucepan and whisk constantly, then add cheeses and stir until melted. Turn heat down to medium and continue to stir, cooking for 5-6 minutes while the mixture thickens. Stir in pepper, paprika, and nutmeg.

Pour cheese sauce and bacon over cooked pasta, stir, and transfer to a casserole dish. Top with panko and additional cheese if desired. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes, then top with fresh basil and serve.

Dinner Rating

Movie Relevance: 5 stars

Taste: 3.5 stars
Average: 4.25 stars

There was a ton of other food in the movie--Cleo also makes eggs benedict, they eat gelato, french fries, there's a breakfast scene, and toward the end Johnny makes (way too much) spaghetti with marinara sauce. He drinks Corona throughout the movie and orange juice makes a few appearances as well.