Tag: cherry

Big

Big

Happy bday to Tom Hanks! Naturally I had to celebrate with some kid friendly party food and a screening of 1988’s Big– a very absurd, but well-deservedly loved 80’s fave directed by the great Penny Marshall.  If you haven’t seen it (she types scornfully), a 

Mermaids

Mermaids

1990’s Mermaids is the perfect movie for Mother’s Day– or, alternatively, any mothers/daughters out there who live for driving each other nuts no matter what day it is. Fair warning though, you’re likely to relive some excruciatingly embarrassing moments from your youth as you watch. 

Hocus Pocus 1 & 2

Hocus Pocus 1 & 2

Hocus Pocus– what a goofy ass time. Is it deserving of critical acclaim? No. But it’s a Halloween staple that everyone loves so much Disney just released a sequel 29 years later. And Sarah is STILL REALLY FUNNY!

Both Hocus Pocus 1 & 2 star Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the infinitely evil/hilarious Sanderson sisters– witches who were hanged in Salem 300+ years ago who can only be brought back if a virgin (god, high school was rough) lights a certain magic candle on All Hallow’s Eve. Set to guard the flame is Thackeryyyy (pronounced with a trill) Binx– a colonial boy who was cursed by the sisters and is now a talking cat. … Stay with me. Thackery goes a full 300 years without encountering a child idiotic enough to light the candle, until tie-dye wearing teenager Max Dennison decides he wants to impress a girl. What follows is a lot of witchy hijinks, one bad and one good musical number, and little sister Dani screaming a lot. What follows further still (29 years later, to be exact) is more of the same with some origin story thrown in. So it made for a not too complicated Two Crumbs Up double feature night!

So here is a menu for this Halloween (and the next, and the next, amokamokamok) for BOTH of the Hocus Pocus films. It’s no child on toast, but there are cat treats for Binx and Cobweb! Just don’t forget the salt…

 

The Movie(s)

 

The Menu

black flame candle cocktail

Black Flame Cocktail

Yield: 2 cocktails
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

A cocktail inspired by the infamous Black Flame Candle-- despite the cherry, this is definitely not virgin territory, so don't bother trying to light it on fire. Looks like you'll have to wait another 300 years...

Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen black cherries
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • Pinch each of ground allspice, cinnamon, clove
  • 4 oz bourbon whiskey
  • High Quality Ginger Beer to top off
  • Garnish: Cherries and Orange Peel

Instructions

Start by making your black cherry syrup-- in a small saucepan, add cherries, sugar, water, orange juice, and your spices. Simmer on low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and you have cherry mush and yummy luscious liquid.

cherry syrup

Strain out the cherries and discard, leaving cherry syrup (should be about a cup). Set aside to chill.

Add two oz each whiskey and spiced cherry syrup to your cocktail glasses and top off with ginger beer. Garnish with a piece of orange peel skewered around a black cherry, ends pointing up so they kinda look like a flame. It's all about the optics people.

Sanderson Sisters' Brew

Sanderson Sisters' Brew

Yield: 2 servings
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

It's not lost on me that I've made soups for two other witchy movies in my repertoire-- but this Hocus Pocus one is soooooo good. Using a variation of traditional Three Sisters soup ingredients (squash, beans, corn), this brew is full of zucchini, peas, corn and sweet/salty creamy yumminess. IT'LL GIVE YOU LIFE!

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Leek, sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 Garlic Cloves
  • Pinch Roasted Red Pepper Flakes
  • 2 small Zucchini, seeds scooped out and cut into chunks (about 2.5/3 cups)
  • 2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 cup Peas
  • 1 Ear Corn (if frozen, thawed)
  • 1/3 cup Fresh Parsley Leaves
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream, plus more for garnish
  • Fresh Lemon Juice, to taste
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • Green Pumpkin Seeds/Pepitas, for garnish

Instructions

Itch-it-a-cop-it-a-Mel-a-ka-mys-ti-ca-- time that thou gatherest thy ingredients!

Sanderson sister soup ingredients

Heat butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan until butter is foamy. Add the sliced leeks and toss in a little salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes until caramelized, reducing heat if they begin to burn. Add the garlic cloves and red pepper flakes, cooking for a couple of minutes more to soften. Now, throw in your zuchinni chunks and toss to coat, adding another pinch or two to taste.

Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil-- reduce eat, and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes or just until some of the broth is reduced and zucchini begins to soften. Lastly, throw in kernels from one ear of corn and your peas. Cook for a couple of minutes more, until all the veggies are cooked but not mushed.

soup midway

Remove from heat and, using an immersion blender or food processor, puree until the soup is bright green and mostly smooth. Add parsley leaves and cream and continue to puree until completely smooth-- squeeze lemon juice to taste, and add a bit more salt and pepper if needed.

When ready to serve, swirl some additional cream into the surface of the soup and top with pepitas.

Sanderson Sisters' Brew

Come little children, I'll taaaake thee awayyyyyy.

dead man's toe puff pastry

Dead Man's Toes

Yield: 8ish
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Can't make a witchy brew without DEAD MAN'S TOE, DEAD MAN'S TOE!

Don't worry, they're not Billy's-- poor man has been through enough.

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry
  • 2-3 tbsp aged cheddar, grated
  • 1 inch chunks ham steak
  • 1 small egg whisked with a splash of water
  • 1 sprig rosemary

Instructions

Roll your puff pastry out to be roughly 1/8 thick-- you may only need a partial sheet to start with. Using a small glass or cookie cutter, cut pastry into circles roughly 2.5 inches in diameter. Top each round with grated cheddar and a piece of ham, then wrap your little parcels like an open on one end burrito-- your little ham chunk should be sticking out like a recessed.. ahem.. toenail.

Usine a knife, make a few shallow lines in the pastra about halfway up the bundle to mimic toe joints, then press pieces of rosemary leaves into the soft dough to resemble stitches. You can do this on all, or some if you're patience is thin. Brush with egg wash.

dead man's toe

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes and hey presto-- like mini grilled cheeses with a really disgusting origin story.

caramel apple

Clark Bar Caramel Apple

Yield: 3
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Poor Mayor Traske, Hocus Pocus 2's goofy public servant-- he just wanted a damn caramel apple. So here it is-- the best caramel apple I've ever made, covered in all of Satan's favorite Clark Bar ingredients from Hocus Pocus 1. It's devilicious, Master.

Ingredients

  • 3 small Granny Smith apples
  • Sticks for your apples (see note)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
  • 3 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tbsp shortening
  • 1 cup salted Spanish peanuts, chopped

Instructions

Stem and skewer your apples with sticks, then refrigerate until cold. In the meantime, add water, sugar, and salt to a small saucepan and heat on medium. Stir occasionally wit a fork until the sugar has dissolved completely, and then increase the heat slightly so that it's boiling. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the syrup turns a lovely honey gold color (should take about 7-8 mins). Just be careful because it turns quickly!

Immediately add cream-- the mixture will sputter and look like it's going to overboil, but you'll be fiiiine. Just reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir constantly with a heat-resistant spatula for about 7 minutes. The caramel will continue to bubble and thicken. Transfer to a small heat-resistant bowl and cool to about 210F.

Dip cold apples in caramel, and let as much excess drip over the bowl before you move it over to rest on a parchment lined cutting board-- you can also use a knife to help scrape away the excess drippage from the bottom of each apple. Refrigerate once more for at least 30 minutes to allow the caramel to set.

Now, time for your chcocolate. In a microwave proof bowl, add chips and shortening. Microwave in 15-20 second increments over the course of a minute or two, stirring after each increment, until chocolate is completely melted-- you want it to drizzle, you DON'T want it to become torched.

caramel apple assembly

Now, time for final assembly. For the chocolate, best to start with a clean sheet of parchment paper, and do one apple at a time. Use a spoon to drizzle lines on the top and sides of each apple, rotating the paper for ease. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes to set the chocolate.

chocolate drizzle

Add peanuts to a deep bowl or tupperware, and press the bottom half of each apple into the bits. They should stick well, but might take a few rotations to get optimum crunch. Refrigerate for a final 30 minutes.

caramel apple peanuts

... and HUZZAH! Serioucly, it's salty, it's sweet, it's so much better than melting caramel candy that breaks your teeth...

caramel apple

Notes

I'm a dummy and forgot to get popsicle sticks. But if you have a spare set of chopsticks and some hefty wire cutters lying around, you'll end up with something even better!

cat treats

Cat Treats for Binx and Cobweb

Yield: 1 cup

There was no way I would ever let Thackery go hungry. And while Cobweb and I don't have the same history, I sense we might get there.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour (and more for dusting)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp dried catnip
  • 1/3 cup finely shredded carrot
  • 1 small egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 375.

In a small bowl, mix oil and flour until you have a rough looking sand mixture. Stir in catnip, salt and grated carrot (I used a purple carrot for AESTHETICS), followed by your egg.

cat treat mix

At this point, if the mix feels too wet/sticky to form into a ball, add a couple of tbsp of flour in small doses.

Flour a cutting board and roll out your dough to be about 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle the surface will a little extra flour. Now, using a pizza wheel or knife, cut your dough into 1/4-1/2 inch squares. Toss onto a baking sheet, and bake for about 13 minutes until your treats turn golden brown.

cat treats

Cool, and store in an airtight container for several days (or freeze!)-- your feline friends will not be disappointed.

 

Epilogue

Looking for more witchy menus? See below. Go nuts– blessed be.

 

For more menus, check out my movie directory here!

Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom

Indiana Jones And The Temple of Doom

Ok, so Temple of Doom isn’t the best of the Indiana Jones films— but it’s certainly not the worst (this assumes you even consider Crystal Skull to be part of the franchise, however; I’m still in denial).  Technically a PREQUEL (which I dunno how I 

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club– a perfect back-to-school time movie and perhaps the most famous in the John Hughes coming of age oeuvre. Sure, a case could be made for Ferris Bueller, and I do love me some Uncle Buck, but The Breakfast Club is the movie in 

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion

It’s like. Duh. One of the best 90’s movies EVER. It’s also way smarter than you might think. Starring Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is a comedic alternative to Thelma & Louise and a wonderfully lighthearted balm for anyone (and that’s basically everyone) suffering from traumatic high school memories.

The plot: former “chubbo” Romy and former “back brace girl” Michele are best friends from Tucson nearing the big 3-0 and living mediocre lives in Los Angeles. When they find out from cranky classmate Heather Mooney (Janeane Garofalo I love you) that their high school reunion is less than two weeks away, they have to scramble to make themselves “impressive”. What follows is a hilarious collage of work outs, junk food binges, tacky clothes, flash backs and dream sequences– all leading up to some amazingly goofy dance choreography on THE REUNION NIGHT. And, inevitably, a discovery that a) for everyone who thinks they were the least popular in high school, there are five more people claiming the superlative, and b) self worth is self defined. IT’S LIKE, REALLY DEEP OK?

Also, I love that both Sorvino and Kudrow play dense airheads but are actually Ivy League graduates IRL. They used to call each other “Smart” and “Smarter” on the Romy and Michele set and Lisa Kudrow fucking improv’d the formula for Post-Its glue. I heart smart ladies in this industry!!! AND they’re like, totally cute.

So here is a menu for those nights when you’re hanging with the Romy to your Michele or the Mary to your Rhoda, and you just want to watch a silly feel good movie and eat/talk bullshit. We’ll call it a junk food charcuterie– which, for extra fun, is complemented by the below drinking game. 

DRINK:

– Every time Romy and Michele realize they have something in common.

– Every time Romy or Michele use the word cute or some derivation therof (cuter, cutest)

– Every time Heather Mooney says “Fuck”

– Every time someone is in a clothing store (Julia Roberts counts)

– Whenever Romy and Michele flash back or forward

– Every time a member of the A-Group is a nasty bitch to Romy and/or Michele

– TAKE A SHOT When Romy and Michele DANCE DANCE DANCE (It’s only three times you can take it)

Pro-tip– if you feel yourself starting to get a little too close to the barf zone, test yourself with the following word problem. There’s a guy in a rowboat going X miles, and the current is going like, you know, some other miles, so how long does it take him to get to town? 

 

The Movie

But it’s like, ‘Who cares? Who wants to go to town with a guy who drives a rowboat?

 

The Menu

romy and michele shots

A Special Diet of Gummy Bears, Jelly Beans, and Candy Corns. And Vodka.

Yield: 9 shots
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

Any girl looking to have a good time at the clerb needs at least one or five of these-- just be forewarned that the more you drink, the less likely you are to execute intricate dance choreography with one or more partners.

I also can't vouch for the nutritional value, but if Romy says it works for her, what the hell!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups vodka
  • 1 handful yellow/white jelly beans
  • 1 handful green/white gummy bears
  • 1 handful candy corn
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp orange juice
  • Sugar, Lime, Lemon, Orange Zest for the rim

Instructions

Divide three cups of vodka equally into three glasses. Toss a handful of each kind of candy into separate glasses, cover, and refrigerate for at least three hours. The end result:

candy vodka

As you're waiting for your candy to marinate, prep your flavored sugars. On three plates, dump a couple of tbsps of sugar and toss with orange zest on one plate, lime zest on the other, lemon on the last.

When you're almost ready to DRINK UP GIRLFRIENDS, moisten the lip of nine shot glasses-- three with an orange wedge, three with a lime and three with a lemon. Dip into corresponding sugars and allow rims to dry for a couple of minutes. Add orange juice, lime juice, and lemon juice into corresponding shot glasses, and then add your candy corn flavored vodka to your orange shot, your gummy bear vodka into your lime shot, and your jelly bean vodka into your lemon one.

Serve chilled, and in accordance with the previously detailed drinking game. I'm only one person, so here are three shots instead of nine for just me. And no, I can't solve the gd word problem.

romy and michele shots

diet cherry coke

Diet Coke with Extra Cherries

Yield: 1 cocktail
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes

A supplement/alternative to our gummy bear, candy corn, and jelly bean shots-- this easy cocktail is apparently a common Romy and Michele order that will keep you peppy all night long.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Diet Coke
  • 1/2 shot Maraschino Cherry Juice
  • 3 Maraschino Cherries
  • 1 shot Cherry vodka (optional, if you're booze free)

Instructions

Pour all ingredients over ice and sip, again in accordance with the aforementioned drinking game.

romy and michele sliders

Business Women's Special PT 1

Yield: 4 Sliders
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

These diner style sliders are for all the business women everywhere looking for a meal to go while en route to important business places for important business things. They're portable, covered in cheese, and if any bitches try to take them off my lunch plate god help them.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 onion, slice VERY thinly
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 lb ground beef/bison, divided into four 2oz portions
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 small hamburger buns
  • 4 slices Colby jack cheese, split in half
  • Ketchup, Ranch, Honey Mustard, BBQ sauce, and any other condiment your little heart desires

Instructions

Prep your burger innards!

burger innards

Toss oil on a griddle pan and heat on medium. Add sliced onions and toss until just barely softened-- push aside.

Add meat balls to the spot on the griddle pan previously occupied by your onions. Press flat with a spatula until you get about 1/4 inch thick patties-- cook for one minute.

smash burger

Top your patties with equal portions of onions and flip your patties so that the onions come into direct contact with the griddle.

And here I steal a technique from Serious Eats: place the bottom half of the buns over your onion covered patties, and then place your hamburger tops on top of your bottom buns. Cover the griddle with a towel, making sure the cloth doesn't hit open flame, and cook for another 2 minutes. Steaming the buns under a towel with the meat ensures they pick up on all the meaty onion-y essenceeee.

slider buns

Remove the towel and the buns and top your patties with a slice of cheese, each (quartered if you need to fit the small size of the patties). Add the top bun back to the top of each patty, and cover yet again with a towel-- cook for 1 more minute.

melted cheese

Remove patties and top buns from the griddle pan and place on your top bottoms. At this point if you have extra caramelized onions, feel free to throw those on your burgers too!

Serve immediately, with all the condiments and junk food.

romy and michele sliders

I LOVE it when it's hamburger day!

cool ranch fries

Business Women's Special Pt 2

Yield: 2 Servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

A Cool Ranch variation on a fast food style fry that takes me straight back to the 90's-- make sure you get all that yummy Dorito-esque dust.

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp parmesan
  • 2 large russet potatoes
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 quarts canola oil

Instructions

Start with your COOL RANCH seasoning: mix first 7 ingredients in a mini blender and pulse into a fine grind. Set aside.

Next, peel and cut your potatoes into 1/4 inch thick strips-- submerge in cold water as you prep to avoid potatoes turning brown.

cut potato

Add vinegar, salt, 2 qts of water and potatoes to a large stock pot and bring to a boil-- cook for 10 minutes until tender, but not completely falling apart. Remove from heat with a strainer and allow to come to room temperature.

boiled potato

While you wait, heat oil in the same pot and heat to roughly 380 degrees (I use a candy thermometer to make sure I've got the right temp).

When you're ready to fry separate your potatoes into four batches and fry each for 1 minute. Temperature will fluctuate as you add and remove batches, so play with your gauge and wait between batches to make sure you stay at around 380. Drain each batch on paper towels, and allow to come to room temperature.

fry 1

After about 30 minutes, bring your oil back up to frying temp, and fry your batches again-- about 3 minutes per batch. You're looking for a golden brown color. Remove each batch from the hot oil with a mesh strainer and drain on paper towels, tossing immediately with cool ranch seasoning.

Serve warm, alongside sliders, two cokes, and the formula to post its glue.

cool ranch fries

jerky

Smoky Jerk-y (aka Heather's type)

Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 17 hours

I had to have a recipe for Heather Mooney, my favorite Romy and Michele character and the unofficial third to their group. The inventor of Lady Fair Cigarette's quick burning paper deserves to be happy with a smoky jerky that is VERY hot. Like Justin Theroux-level hot.

Don't agree? Why don't you go fuck a sheep, or your sister, or yourself!

Ingredients

  • 1lb top round beef, thinly sliced to 1/8 inch thick
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp chile powder
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 chipotle peppers, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp liquid smoke

Instructions

First, cut your top round steak into 1 inch thick long slices.

Next, mix the remaining ingredients in a large bag and swash around until the sugar and salt dissolve fully. Now, some people might say the liquid smoke is cheating, and that you should use a smoker. What do I say? It adds twice the taste in half the time for the gal on the go. Don't like it? Fuck off!

Add the meat strips to the bag and seal-- refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors get all up in that meat.

meat marinade

The next day, heat the oven to 170/175. Line a baking sheet with foil and a rack, and arrange the meat strips side by side.

jerky prep

Slow-roast for four hours, and then turn-- continue to roast for another hour. Remove from the oven, and serve (either in smoky wrapped paper) or make ahead and store for up to a week in an airtight container.

jerky

IMO, far superior to any junk food that might be inspired by Sandy Frinkazoid. He's nice, but he's no Cowboy.

cookie dough

Candy Bar Cookie Dough

Yield: A LOT
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

A consolidation of all your favorite chocolaty doughy treats for when you're feeling REALLY shitty and don't have a cool job or a cute boyfriend and despite working out for days while wearing 16lb pumps you still GAINED A LB.

Or really just for any occasion.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of your favorite candy bars, cut into pieces/chunks

Instructions

First, make sure your flour won't KILL YOU DEAD (apparently raw flour is a bad thing). In a microwave save dish, heat flour for 1 minute, stirring midway through. Heat until you get to 180 degrees, and you should be good to go.

Now, time to assemble the rest of your cookie dough base:

cookie dough base

With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the brown sugar, salt, granulated sugar, butter, yogurt and vanilla extract until fluffy-- about a minute. Sift in your flour, and mix on low speed until you get to a chunky consistency:

cookie dough dough

Fold in your cand bar pieces and try not to eat as you go...

cookie dough candy

Roll into a sausage shape within plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

candy bar roll

When ready to eat, slice bite or gouge your way through till it's aalllllll gone.

cookie dough

Notes

Ok but like do NOT try to bake this cookie dough. Without eggs and baking soda you'll end up with hot mess.

 

Epilogue

Fun fact: Grosse Pointe Blank also came out in April of ’97. If you’re looking for another reunion themed movie to watch, I highly recommend. 

But also maybe wait till I do a movie menu for it :).

Have a “Romy and Michele” day!

heather mooney

 

For more menus, check out my movie directory here!

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

This past weekend was the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the Indiana Jones trilogy, Raiders of the Lost Ark! (We do not acknowledge any subsequent Indy productions on this blog– they are blasphemous and shameful.) I have too many thoughts on this, one of 

Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein

Here it is: my favorite Halloween movie and perhaps my favorite Mel Brooks film, Young Frankenstein. Fans of the director will immediately recognize hilarious throwbacks (and throw forwards) to his other movies– walk this way, wasn’t your hump.. on the other side?, etc. But of