Honey, I Shrunk the Kids– a classic family film that made every child in the 1980’s crave Little Debbie’s. Also the movie that made me realize grown ups should ALWAYS listen to their pets. QUARK KNEW EVERYTHING THE ENTIRE TIME SZALINSKI. Set in an unspecified …
Starring the incomparable Rosalind Russell (ie the star of His Girl Friday and many other fast talking classics), Auntie Mame is a long time personal favorite. Initially set during the Prohibition era, the film follows bohemian socialite Mame Dennis, who is granted custody of her …
This is a movie blog after all, so I had to create a menu for Casablanca. Is it my favorite Bogie flick? Nah. But Ingrid sure can work a tilted hat.
Though Warner Bros didn’t put up much cash for Casablanca, the film is still lauded for its moody cinematography, iconic soundtrack, and wartime political commentary. But let’s be honest– it is first and foremost an epic romance.
The gist: bitter bartender Rick (Bogie) is less than pleased when his ex-lover Ilsa (Bergman) shows up at his Casablanca gin joint two years after jilting him. And, of course, the Nazis are after her. Ilsa herself struggles with her lingering swoony feelings for Rick and her loyalty to the actual war hero she married. She’s the kind of woman who says things like “Was that cannon fire, or is it my heart pounding?” and “You have to think for both of us” (there’s a reason I’m a bigger fan of Lauren Bacall).
Luckily, the remaining dialogue is sharp enough to offset the classic film sap– and a fair bit of the credit goes to the supporting cast, most notably Claude Rains as snarky Captain Louis Renault. The stakes are high, and everyone (including Ilsa) is looking for a ticket to safety– what’s a cigar smoking drunkard like Rick to do? Cue As Time Goes Byyyyyyy.
I don’t want to give too much more of the plot away, other than to say that the ending of Casablanca is as good as everyone says it is. And, since today is the 80th anniversary of Casablanca’s theatrical release, it’s a great time to watch and nosh on some yummy Moroccan treats. Just note that I cheated in some of these recipes. But that’s ok because (spoiler oops) this movie is chock full of cheating.
Here’s looking at you kids <clink>.
The Movie
The Menu
French 75's
Yield: 2 Cocktails
Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine...
Add in some of the champagne that never seems to stop flowing in Casablanca and you have the key ingredients for a French '75.
Ingredients
2 oz Gin
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
6 oz Champagne
2 Lemon twists, for garnish
Instructions
In a shaker filled with ice, mix the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup-- shake until well-chilled. Strain into two Champagne coupes and top off with the champagne and lemon twists.
Notes
If you can afford Veuve Cliquot champers, go for it. And then invite me over/lend me some money.
Bar Snacks at Rick's
Cook Time: 1 hour30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour30 minutes
Because Rick's is the hottest saloon in town. You've got cocktail olives, trail mix, and chips and dip... but with a Moroccan twist.
Ingredients
Harissa Marinated Olives
6 oz whole green olives, pitted
1/2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 tsp minced cilantro
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp harissa, to taste
Moroccan "Trail Mix"
3/4 cup almonds
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp Ras el Hanout **See Note
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup dried pitted dates, roughly chopped
Flatbread and Zaalouk **See note
1 1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water, plus an additional tsp if needed
1/2 large eggplant
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tomato on the vine, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus a bit for garnish
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, plus a bit for garnish
1/2 tsp lemon juice
Additional salt to taste
Instructions
Start by collecting your olives, olive oil, herbs, harissa and lemon zest.
Toss together and cover tightlly-- refrigerate for at least an hour before serving, and up to a few days.
Onto your other super easy bar snack. Preheat the oven to 400, and collect your nuts and dried nuts-- separately, melt your butter in a small bowl and mix in your spices, sugar, and salt.
On a parchment lined cookie sheet, toss your almonds with your spiced butter, making sure that the nuts aren't overcrowded on the pan. Bake in the oven for roughly 8-9 mins, making sure they don't burn.
Remove quickly from the oven in order to toss in your dates, and continue to toast for another couple of minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving or storing in an airtight container.
Time to tackle your "chips and dip"-- ie, your flatbread and zaalouk. Commence with your flatbread. Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl and create a small well in the center with your fingers. Add your yeast, and pour in your water. Allow to sit for a minute to allow the yeast time to bloom.
Mix the dough together and add either a) more flour if it's too sticky, or b) a sprinkle of water if too dry. It should be tacky to the touch at first, but after a few minutes of kneading, the dough should sprink back slightly to the touch. Cover, and allow to rest for 5-10 mins.
Divide the dough into 3 equal portions and flatten each to roughly 6-7 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick (think thin pizza crust).
Heat a skillet over medium, and add your first flatbread-- cook for about a minute, then flip and cook for a few more. You'll likely see the dough just begin to char, and big bubbles puff up the dough as it heats.
Repeat with the remaining two flatbreads. Serve warm with your zaalouk (but these can also be stored in a ziploc and reheated in the oven).
On to your dip! See ingredients below.
Wipe any residual flour from the same skillet and add the olive oil for your zaalouk. Heat on medium, and add the eggplant, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, parsley, cilantro, smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne. Add in 1/2 cup of water, toss to coat, then cover. Simmer, stirring periodically, for about 10 minutes until your veggies begin to soften. If you think the mix is getting too dry and is starting to burn, add a bit more water and continue to cook.
Once the eggplant has sufficiently softened, mash the mixture to a smoother consistency.
Stir in some fresh lemon juice additional salt, to taste. Garnish with olive oil and maybe some flaky maldon salt (if you have it).
Instead of making flatbread, feel free to cheat and cut up some of your favorite pita, naan, or a crusty baguette.
Couscous Bidaoui
Yield: 3 Servings, plus leftovers
I almost made a tagine. But as it turns out, couscous is the national dish of Morocco (patriotism!), and is traditionally served with meats and seven vegetables (ie bidaoui style) in Casablanca-- NOT as a side dish for tagine stews. Also I don't own a tagine and didn't want to buy one. 🙂
So here is a large couscous dish for all three members of the Casablanca love triangle (because poor Victor Laszlo deserves something for being such a stand up guy). Plus some leftovers for Louis.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
3 small chicken thighs
1 yellow onion, cut into 1/8ths (wedges)
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1/4ths (wedges)
2 large carrots, cut in half lengthwise and again crosswise
1 small sweet potato, cut into wedges
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and again crosswise
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
3 threads saffron
1 tomato on the vine, grated
1 1/2 tbsp parsley, minced and divided
1 tbsp cilantro, minced and divided
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup chickpeas
2 cups couscous **SEE NOTE
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
Slice and peel all the stuff tat needs slicing and peeling, and prep your spices.
In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on high and, while you wait for it to heat, sprinkle your chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear, skin side down first, for about one minute. Flip, and sear the other side for another minute before moving the poultry to a plate.
Add the onions, carrots, parsnip, and sweet potato to the pan and toss to coat in the residual oil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to sautee for five or so minutes, until the onions just begin to caramalize and your root veggies start to soften at the edges.
Add zucchini and garlic, followed by the spices, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, grated tomato, half of your parsley, and half of your cilantro. Toss to coat. Pour in your chicken broth, and nestle your chicken thighs skin up among the vegetables.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until vegetables are "al dente" and the meat has been mostly cooked through-- this should take about 20-25 minutes. Lastly, add in the garbanzo beans and continue to cook just until they are warm (5-10 mins).
While you wait, make your couscous in a medium pot according to directions on the package. but substitute chicken broth for water. Bring the broth to a boil in the pot with the olive oil before adding the couscous--move off the burner, and cover. Allow to sit and steam for five minutes before fluffing with a fork and setting aside
Dish out the couscous in a large mound-- make a well in the center, into which you will put your three chicken thigs. Top carefully with vegetables in a vertically alternating pattern, followed by chickpeas and a generous pour of broth. Garnish with additional cilantro, parsley, and serve with extra bowls of broth.
Notes
If you were really going authentic with this, you'd buy a couscoussier and steam the couscous three times. But I cheated and used instant stovetop couscous instead. It's what Bogie would have done...
Black and White Loooooove Cookies
Yield: 8-10 cookies
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Da-dy-da-dy-da-dum, da-dy-da-dee-da-dum...
Still not spoiling the ending, but I did want to pay tribute to the romantical fantasy of Rick and Ilsa ending up together in NYC. AND it's a black and white film. BUT love and war isn't always black and white...
It's a deep, deep recipe guys.
Ingredients
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
5 tbsp salted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 small egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp full fat sour cream
2 cups powdered sugar
5 tbsp whole milk
2 tsp corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
Begin by preheating your oven to 350, and lining a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl, and gather the rest of your ingredients-- note, your butter will need a little time to soften if you are getting it straight from the fridge.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until creamy, about a minute. Add the egg and vanilla extract next, and beat on high speed until combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, and then add 1/3 of your dry ingredients. Alternate that with your sour cream in 2 more batches each, continuing to beat everything on low until fully combined. The batter should be pretty thick
Return to your cookie sheets and spoon your cookie dough into heart shapes-- you can use a heart shapped cookie cutter (greased) to help guide you.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned-- if you notice that the cookies are spreading and losing their shape, feel free to VERY quickly mold them back into place with a butter knife. Once the cookies are done, cool on the baking sheets for roughly 5 minutes, then remove the cookies to a wire rack and refrigerate until you are ready to apply icing.
Speaking of: thoroguhly combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and salt together equally into 2 medium bowls. In one of the bowls, add a splash more milk and the cocoa powder. Whisk until combined
Spread vanilla icing onto half of the cookies. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow icings time to set a bit.
Spread chocolate icing onto other side and allow the icing to set completely, about 1 hour, before serving.
Epilogue
Found a neato BTS Ingrid interview with Dick Cavett, if you wanna get real nerdy.
I could spend days talking about Everything Everywhere All At Once. I can’t remember the last time I saw a film this original, while still being relatable and intensely relevant. A24, you did so good. Everything Everywhere follows Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh, brilliant), a disgruntled …
Better Off Dead is one of those 80’s movies that a number of people don’t get. It’s surreal, fantastical, slapstick-y, absurd, and yes, there is a claymation hamburger that sings along with Van Halen. It’s f*cking funny you guys. Better Off Dead focuses on Lane …
His Girl Friday– the film that crushed the 90 word per minute standard for humans with a whopping 240 word per minute average. Per Director Howard Hawks: “we wrote the dialog in a way that made the beginnings and ends of sentences unnecessary; they were there for overlapping.” And I can’t imagine anyone managing the ensuing (and insanely complex) repartee better than Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant.
Based on the play “The Front Page” by Chicago (not New York!) newspaper journalists Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, screwball comedy His Girl Friday follows the not-so-loving love story of newspaper editor Walter Burns (Grant) and his ex-wife reporter Hildy Johnson (Russell) as she tries desperately to say farewell to the newspaper game and to Walter– she’s off to become a “real woman” and wife to Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy), insurance salesman from Albany. Of course, clever, manipulative, and oh so charming Walter doesn’t want Hildy to go. And what better way to lure her back into the biz than with a salacious story about the state-sanctioned execution of a mentally fragile murderer advanced by corrupt politicians?
Poor, decent Bruce and his sloooooooow talking. Never stood a chance.
Note, the movie has some big problems– set in 1928 (the Dark Ages of journalism) and released in 1940, His Girl Friday features the kind of blatant racism and sexism that makes movies of this era difficult to watch nowadays. But I do still think the film is well worth a screening or twenty. Rosalind Russell has long been a hero of mine, and despite not being Hawks’s first choice to play doll-faced badass Hildy (imagine!), watching her own the room and all the men in it brings me loads of joy. Also I could watch Cary Grant and his dimple saying “Get back in there, you Mock Turtle!” over and over and giggle for days.
So here is a menu for His Girl Friday that certainly (if not tonally) fits the phrase “production for use”– a very utilitarian and pretty portable newspaper (wo)man’s lunch that you can enjoy almost anytime, anyplace, anywhere!
Ok, maybe the cocktail isn’t so portable but you can always down those while putting on your coat, Prohibition style.
PS film nerds: as you watch His Girl Friday, keep an ear open for Cary Grant’s improv’d references to himself IRL (aka Archie Leach) and Ralph Bellamy. Good/hilarious moments both.
The Movie
The Menu
The Last Word
Yield: 2 Cocktails
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
A Prohibition-era cocktail that was just too perfect in name for His Girl Friday to pass up. At first glance I worried that the drink would be too saccharine for my tastebuds, but turns out The Last Word is more sour than sweet, and very complex-- again, apropo.
Ingredients
2 ounce gin
2 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 ounce maraschino liqueur (this is NOT maraschino cherry juice-- you want the LIQUEUR)
2 ounce green Chartreuse
Instructions
Add the gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice into a shaker with ice and shake until very chilled.
Strain into coupe glasses and try your damndest to finish before your partner.
Roast Beef Sandwich, Rare, on White Bread
Yield: 2 sandwiches
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 2 hours3 seconds
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 16 hours3 seconds
And bring some mustard too, Gus! Because as any real newspaper (wo)man knows, it's the mustard that makes a roast beef sammie.
This is a very legit roast beef recipe btw. I daresay the Lord of the Universe would approve.
Ingredients
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp minced rosemary
1 1/2 lbs boneless eye of round beef roast
Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
White Boule, sliced into 1/2 inch slices (see note)
3/4 cup sliced onion
1 tbsp butter
2 thin slices white cheddar
Gulden's brown mustard
Instructions
Begin by prepping your roast beef. Remove from packaging and pat the meat dry with paper towels. Place into a medium baking dish and rub with olive oil, followed by the remaining spices (salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic powder, and onion powder).
Refrigerate overnight.
On the day of roasting, remove the meat from the fridge and allow it to come up to room temperature (about 1 hour). Preheat the oven to 200°F and roast meat for about 2 hours until internal temperature reaches 130°F.
Tent roast and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before refrigerating or carving (if serving cold, make sure to trim the fat cap entirely first). Note, you will have more roast beef than is necessary for the sandwiches-- but it can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
Now for your sandwich fixin's! Course, you can go old school and just have bread, beef, and mustard, but I do love some nice caramelized onions and cheddar.
Spread warm bread on both sides with mustard, and layer first the cheese, caramelized onions, and meat.
And if you're a newspaper man on the go, wrap in parchment paper before you cut.
Notes
You can certainly buy your own bread, but I have a killer bread recipe here! Just leave out the rosemary and you end up with a wonderfuly crusty white boule.
Hard Boiled Salad
Yield: 2 Servings
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
A fancied up egg and potato salad worthy of all the hard boiled and cynical characters in His Girl Friday-- note, it's served atop lettuce leaves circa the 1920/30's when people use to fake eating their vegetables by putting better tasting stuff on top of them.
Ingredients
2 cups baby salad potatoes
2 medium eggs
3 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp full-fat greek yogurt
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp pickle relish
1 celery stick, diced
1 tsp fresh dill
3 spring onions, finely sliced, white and greens separated
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
Ground pepper
Lettuce leaves for serving
Instructions
Begin with your hard boiling. Your eggs should take about 8.5 minutes; for the potatoes, add to a medium pot of salted water and set to boil. They should be tender after about 20 minutes. For larger potatoes, feel free to cut in half for consistent sizing.
Now for your salad-- mix ingredients 2-10 for the sauce, and add scallion whites, celery, and potatoes. Toss to coat. Peel and slice eggs into wedges, and add last. Don't stir much, as you want to keep the whites and yolks of the eggs together.
Garnish with chives, scallion greens and freshly ground pepper, and serve atop lettuce leaves ala the old days when people used to fake eat their vegetables (jello salad anyone?).
Coffee and Rum. Covered in Chocolate.
Yield: 1/2 cup
Prep Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 12 hours30 minutes
The last component of a lunch at Gus's-- coffee and rum (perfect for the nastiest of days) covered in chocolate. 'Cause why not add sugar to caffeine? You'll be talking 3x faster after less than a handful.
Much preferable to a wedding cake in Niagara Falls, if you ask me.
Ingredients
1/2 cup coffee beans
1/2 cup white rum
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
Instructions
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler along with a tsp of rum. When you get a satiny consistency, add your beans and stir to fully coat.
Place back on your parchment lined sheet, equally spaced, and refrigerate until cooled completely. IF YOU HAVE TIME, repeat this process after freezing your beans for a double chocolate coating.
Epilogue
Looking for more in the screwball comedy genre? They might not all as impressive as His Girl Friday with the fasttalkingschtick, but this list of films published by the British Film Institute is a wonderful place to start. And then add Arsenic and Old Lace. <3 Cary Grant. Even when he’s being a stinker.
If you are reading this at the beginning of April– here is a not-so-traditional movie menu for Easter! At first you may not think Monty Python and the Holy Grail fits the spring holiday vibe, but think again. You’ve got religion (God be praised!), gatherings …
Hi, hello, and welcome to a screening of perhaps the scariest “kids and family” movie ever made: Return to Oz. Trust me, it’s on lists. You’ve got mental institutionalization, Frankenstein-d animal/vegetable/furniture hybrid creatures (sometimes with or without a head), the witch actress from Willow, evil rock …