Psycho
I’ve been wanting to do at least one serious horror/thriller for October. But let me just say that blood, guts and ghosts don’t always make for appetizing menus.
Enter Mike Pence (or should I say his winged companion) who inspired me to revisit Hitchcock’s classic Psycho– and right in time for the film’s 60th anniversary!
When Psycho was theatrically released in 1960, Hitchcock notoriously ordered theaters to bar entrance to late ticket holders– “It is required that you see ‘Psycho’ from the very beginning!”. Though it’s hard to spoil the movie at this point in history, you have to appreciate his commitment to preserving the theatrical experience and safeguarding the surprise ending. And yet, he was a master at teasing the audience with JUST ENOUGH to titillate them (as evidenced in the “trailer” below).
Hitchcock intentionally made Psycho look like a cheap exploitation film in the vein of other critically acclaimed low-budget thrillers like Clouzot’s “Diabolique” (1955). For Psycho, Hitchcock retained a television crew with a fraction of the budget typical for his other well-known productions– the footage is black and white at a time when Technicolor was the norm, the soundtrack is a raw mix of only strings, and there is very little dialogue for long stretches. The end result is of course an iconic and shocking work of art featuring A+ performances from Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and Mr. Fly.
As far as food goes, there are actually several culinary references in Psycho– perhaps the most notable being Norman’s simple parlor dinner of sandwiches and milk. In this menu, I too went with sandwiches, but got a little psychoanalytical with my ingredients. Enjoy, as much as you can in between gasps, and from today onward please remember to lock your damn bathroom door.
The Movie
The Menu
With one of those faces you can't help believing, Norman asks Marion to join him for a low key parlor dinner: a simple sandwich of bread, cheese and ham. We'll call this his good side sandwich-- ham and Gouda/good-a (kind of a pun?) on a no frills seeded bread (just right for a girl who eats like a bird), topped off with a sweet honey mustard spread (to lure in unsuspecting flies). Mix mayo, dijon, and honey until fully incorporated. Set aside. Next, assemble your remaining ingredients. Spread one slice of bread with whole grain mustard, and the other slice with honey mustard mix. Layer on ham and gouda (GET IT?? Good-a), cut in half, and dinner is served. All you need now is a nice glass of milk and some innocent, not creepy at all, late night taxidermy. And now for a sandwich more suited to the dark psyches in Psycho-- an oozy mess of extra sharp cheddar grilled cheese, sinful bacon, and bloody mary tomatoes bursting out of dark pumpernickel bread. Eat quickly, the aftermath is difficult to clean up. Add bacon slices to a non-stick skillet and bring the heat to medium (starting the bacon in a cold pan gives you a more crispy crust! Cook bacon till one side is crisp (about 4-5 mins) and turn over. Cook an additional 3-4 mins until bacon is fully crisped, and transfer to a paper towl to allow the grease to drain. Pour half of the bacon grease out (or alternative, reserve and refrigerate for future use). Add your cherry tomatoes to the pan and bring them to a sizzle. Reduce heat to low, and cover, allowing for 5 minutes until tomotoes have burst. Add your Worcestershire, hot sauce, pepper, horseradish, lemon juice, and celery salt, tossing your tomotoes until fully coated and liquids mostly evaporate. Remove from heat. Heat a griddle pan (or utilize the same non-stick skillet if you don't need the griddle marks) on medium. Brush both sides of each piece of bread with butter. Grill one side of each piece of bread-- this will make for crunchier innards. Toast for about 5 minutes. Remove pumpernickel from the grill and allow to cool slightly. Add your spinach to the toated side of one slice, followed by your bacon, cheese, and a sprinkle of paprika. Top with burst tomatoes (and extra cheese, if you're feeling particularly amoral) and second grilled slice. Grill exterior of the sandwich on low heat-- you'll need extra time to allow all that cheese to melt, but you don't want your bread to burn. Eventually, you'll end up with this gluttonous, bleeding mess that's just begging you to cut it open... ...and, for numerous reasons, maybe take a minute before showering after consumption. Turns out that in addition to young blondes, one of Norman's other vices is candy corn. Wouldn't he be excited to know you can combine the two into one delicious Halloween treat-- throw in some nuts for his nutty state of mind and you've got a triple threat on your hands. Preheat the oven to 350, and grease a 9x5 loaf pan with butter, and line with parchment paper. Assemble your ingredients. Roughly smash 1/2 cup of the candy corns, reserving a few (these will be pressed whole into the surface of your blondies. Next, melt your butter in a microwave safe bowl, and add sugar, stirring to incorporate. Whisk in egg and vanilla, followed by the flour and salt. Fold your crushed candy corn and nuts into the blondie batter, trying not to over stir. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 20 minutes until almost done. Remove from oven and gently press whole candy corn into the still-soft top of the blondie mix. Place back in oven for another 2 minutes, allowing the candy to melt EVER SO SLIGHTLY into the surface. Remove from oven and your pan and set on a cutting board to cool 15-20 minutes. Cut into 8 equal bars, and indulge yourself. A boy's best friend is his mother. Even when you have to hide her in the fruit cellar. Three hours before bedtime, preheat your oven to 175. Lay your apple slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Two of these are spares for looks, since the apples will warp as they dry out. Dry your apple slices in your heated oven for about three hours until fully dehydrated... WHOOPS, sorry. Now for the cocktail. Mix all remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Pour into your favorite glasses, with or without ice-- just as long as you drink every. last. drop. Like a good little child.
"Wouldn't Hurt a Fly" Ham and Cheese
Ingredients
Instructions
Bloody Marion Mess
Ingredients
Instructions
Candy Corn Blondies
Ingredients
Instructions
Mother's Milk
Ingredients
Instructions
Epilogue
Don’t bother with the 1998 shot-for-shot remake of Psycho— it’s not good (clearly I have a complex about remakes…). Instead, watch Michael Powell’s “Peeping Tom”. A British production also released in 1960, this film is (dare I say it) darker than Psycho and more perverse in a number of ways. Plus there’s a really nifty dance number…
For more menus, check out my movie directory here!