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
