Tag: lemon

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

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 

Boondock Saints

Boondock Saints

Boondock Saints: “A juvenile, ugly movie that represents the worst tendencies of directors channeling Tarantino.” Fair enough. But it’s still a fun ride and Sean Patrick Flanery is feckin’ hot. If you grew up in the 90’s, you’ve likely seen Boondock Saints and have since 

Moonstruck

Moonstruck

Turns out Moonstruck is 35 years young this month, and it also happens to be a holiday film. So happy Christmas Eve– time to celebrate with a bunch of classic Italian dishes and a lotta booze!

When Moonstruck was released in 1987, Cher had already proven herself an amazingly talented actress in several films (one of them, a personal favorite, released in the same year: Witches of Eastwick). Add in Nicolas Cage, who Cher insisted should be cast despite studio hesitation, not to mention a slew of amazing character actors (including the always sassy Olympia Dukakis), and you have an A+++ romantic comedy.

Set in Brooklyn, Cher plays Loretta Castorini, a jaded widow determined to counteract past years of bad luck by accepting the hand of big baby Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello). Her newly acquired fiancé, however, must return to Sicily to attend the bedside of his “dying” mother, and tasks Loretta with resolving the bad blood between himself and his one-handed brother Ronny (Nick Cage). What follows is a blunt, metaphor heavy, operatic affair between Loretta and Johnny that is complemented by various relationship ups and downs in the Castorini family. Viewers will learn why men chase women (they fear death), why it’s never a good idea to fall in love with a man (they drive you crazy, because they can), and to for god’s sake be careful around a bread slicer.

Appropriately, all of this wisdom is sandwiched between and shared during food scenes– at restaurants, in living rooms, and around the family dinner table. Which means, thankfully, I didn’t have to think much to construct this movie menu. And what a menu it is! I love it awful.

So eat, drink, and be merry. And don’t feed any of my food to the dog or I’ll kick ya till you’re dead. Alla famiglia!

 

The Movie

 

The Menu

moonstruck drinks

Celebratory Bubbles, Italian Red, and a Martini for Rose

Yield: 3 Drinks
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Start with your prosecco and pizza, move on to your bloody steak and a big fat Italian red wine, and finally Bobo, let me have a martini, no ice, two olives with the minestrone!

And then maybe end with a little more prosecco. Because at Christmas time, you need a lotta booze.

Ingredients

Celebratory Bubbles

  • 1 Glass Dry Prosecco
  • 1 Sugar Cube
  • 5 Dashes of Bitters
  • Splash Lemon Juice

Rose's Order

  • Ice
  • 2 1/2 shots Good Quality Vodka
  • 1/2 shot Dry Vermouth, plus a bit more to coat the glass
  • 2 Queen Olives, with Pimiento

Red Wine Vibes

  • Your favorite full bodied Italian red-- highly recommend a Barbera or Barolo

Instructions

For the bubbles-- drop a sugar cube into a bubbles flute and add 5 dashes of bitters and lemon juice. Top with prosecco and enjoy! Ti amo.

For Rose's Martini-- 1 hr before serving, place martini glass in the freezer. When ready to serve, add a splash of vermouth to the glass and swirl it around before discarding. Next, fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add vodka + 1/2 shot of vermouth. Shake until well chilled and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with two olives.

For your red wine vibes-- get you some smoooooth jazz and sip slowly whilst pampering yourself before a big night at the opera.

When The Moon Hits Your Eye Pizza Pie

When The Moon Hits Your Eye Pizza Pie

Prep Time: 4 hours
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

I could've made a pizza tradizionale, but that didn't feel very moon-like. So here is a white pizza with some funky gorgonzola/fontina/mozzarella, a smooth and creamy rosemary white sauce, and a light drizzle of honey all atop a NY style crust for cosmopolitan Cosmo. The rest is in the song.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup 00 Pizza Flour (but Bread flour works too)
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • Just under 1/2 cup Lukewarm Water
  • 1/8 tsp Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Olive Oil
  • 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 1/2 tsp Fresh Rosemary, minced
  • 1/2 Garlic Clove
  • 1/3 cup Low Moisture Mozzarella, grated
  • 1/3 cup Fontina, grated
  • 1/2 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
  • Honey, for drizzling (roughly 1 1/2 tbsp)

Instructions

Start with your dough! Slightly less yeast than I would typically use, but you're looking for a thin crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours and salt. In a small mixing cup, stir together lukewarm tap water and sugar until the sugar dissolves, then add the yeast and the olive oil-- wait a couple of minutes for the yeast to bloom then add to your flour.

pizza dough

Knead with your hands until the dough is just coming together (it's ok if it looks slightly shaggy). If you need to add another tsp of water to the mix to collect all that flour, that’s fine. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes. Dump dough onto a floured and knead for a minute or so until smooth and elastic and shapes easily into a ball of dough.

dough ball

Place on a heavily floured surface or in a bowl, cover, and let rest and rise for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator (if you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza).

When your dough has risen, preheat your oven to its highest temp (mine goes up to 500), and slide in a cookie sheet upside down-- you want the surface to be piping hot when you put your pizza on it.

Using an immersion blender, beat your cream, rosemary and garlic until the cream thickens-- this will be your white sauce!

On a piece of parchment paper, spread your dough into a circle about 10 inches in diameter. Spread your white sauce over your dough, and top with your three cheeses (gorgonzola last).

pizza pre bake

Open your oven quickly to slide your pizza onto your preheated cookie sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is browned.

Drizzle with a bit of honey, and cut into 8 slices. Bella luna! That's amore.

steak tagliata

You'll Eat This One Bloody Tagliata

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Yah yah so Loretta served her steak with spaghetti but I needed some more veggies-- and beef tagliata is a super classic Italian dish and stupid easy to make.

And if you like yours well done, SNAP OUT OF IT. You need to feed your blood!

Ingredients

  • 1 Boneless New York Strip Steak (Little less than 1 lb)
  • 2 Sprigs Rosemary
  • 1 Clove Garlic, thinly sliced
  • Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
  • Canola/Veggie Oil
  • 1 Lemon
  • Arugula
  • Parmesan, for shaving
  • Olive Oil
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Flaky Salt (like Maldon)

Instructions

At least an hour before cooking (or a few hours if you have the time), drizzle your steak with some canola oil and top with your garlic slices and rosemary sprigs-- wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

steak marinade

Roughly 20 mins before you're ready to eat (and about 30 mins before you head to the bed), heat a grill or griddle pan on high. Cut your lemon in half and brush with a little more oil before adding to the pan. Season both sides of the steak generously with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add it to the pan as well-- cook for about 3-4 mins per side. If your steaks are more than an inch thick, you might need an extra minute.

steak grill

Remove steak and let rest on a carving board for 10 minutes while you assemble your arugula and parmesan on a plate. Drizzle with a bit of balsamic and olive oil.

Cut meat on a diagonal, against the grain, and arrange next to your salad. Squeeze a bit of the grilled lemon over the entire plate, and sprinkle with a little extra flaky salt.

steak tagliata

SON OF A BITCH! So much tastier than chewing off your own foot, ya wolf.

bobo's minestrone

Bobo's Minestrone

Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Aaaaah minestrone-- a hefty Italian soup that you can make with the ingredients I have listed here-- OR you can sub in whatever veggies you happen to have in the fridge (squash instead of potatoes, bell peppers instead of carrots, other beans instead of cannelini, pancetta instead of bacon if you're feeling fancy, etc).

Just make sure you have a vodka drink to complement (or better yet a martini), and a towel to clean your face if you're John Mahoney and you've been chasing women.

Ingredients

  • Good olive oil
  • 2 oz Thick Cut Bacon, 1/2-inch-diced
  • 1 cup Onion, chopped
  • 1 cup Carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup Celery, chopped
  • 1 cup Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
  • 1 14oz can Diced Tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
  • 4 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 7 oz Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 heaping cup Ditalini pasta, cooked
  • 1/4 cup Dry White Wine
  • 1 tbsp Pesto (see Notes)
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and minced parsley/chives, for serving

Instructions

Gather your stage one ingredients-- your veggies, bacon, thyme and garlic (which you'll need to mince, but for the purposes of the below photo I have kept whole cause it just looked purtier).

minestrone ingredients batch 1

Heat a glug of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly crisped. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes and continue to cook, about 8 minutes, until THOSE ingredients are very lightly browned/softened. Toss in your garlic and thyme last and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

Now for your stage two ingredients!

minestrone ingredients batch 2

Add the 'maters, 3 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the veggies are tender. Discard the bay leaf and add the beans and cooked pasta, stirring until they are heated through.

Just before serving, reheat the soup and, if it's too thick, add more chicken stock. Stir in the white wine and pesto and season with more salt if needed.

minestrone pesto

Serve in large shallow bowls and sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan cheese, parsley and chives.

bobo's minestrone

Notes

You can go with store bought pesto, or try the recipe I have here in my On The Side collection!

Italian eggs in a basket

Bonus recipe: Ma Castorini's Eggs in a Basket

Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

For dinner or the morning after. Just make sure you get the bread pre-sliced-- you don't want to find yourself screaming I LOST MY HAND next to the bread slicer.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, sliced
  • 1 Clove Garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt
  • Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 2 Slices Italian Bread
  • 2 Eggs

Instructions

Grab your cooking mumu and a frying pan and let's get started.

Heat the olive oil in your pan over medium heat and toss in your bell pepper slices, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Saute until your peppers soften a bit, and push them to the side of the pan away from the central point of heat-- throw your sliced garlic on top to begin to caramelize, but not burn.

Now, toss in your butter and wait until it's nice a bubbly. While you wait, cut a hole in each of your bread slices with a cookie cutter-- you can discard your bread circles, or toast them up with the other things in your pan.

Add your bread slices to the pan and move them around a bit to make sure the bottoms collect a fair amount of butter. Allow the bottoms to toast for about 4 mins, before flipping and cracking your eggs into the center of each.

Cover the pan and allow the eggs to cook and set to your desired doness (I like my yolks runny).

 

Epilogue

Still can’t get over Cher’s revenge dress at the Oscars. What a god damn icon.

 

For more menus, check out my movie directory here!

Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing

Happy 35 to Dirty Dancing, one of the greatest romances and dance films of all time (or at least the 80’s). Damn, Roger Ebert HATED this movie. And yet it has retained a loyal, long lasting fanbase– all of whom, I’m sure, secretly practice Johnny 

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Everything Everywhere All At Once

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

Better Off Dead

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 GIFs | Tenor

Better Off Dead focuses on Lane Meyer (John Cusack), an average-ish highschool student who showers with his socks on and has a VERY unhealthy obsession with his girlfriend Beth. When she dumps him at the end of the year for the class ski champ/asshole, aptly named Roy Stalin, he makes various and half-hearted attempts at suicide: hanging, carbon monoxide poisoning, self-immolation. Of course, he realizes that this is an extreme response, and soon decides to woo his lady love back by training to ski the terrifying K-12 slope. Together with his drugged out side-kick Charles de Mar (Curtis Armstrong) and a conveniently adorable foreign exchange student from across the street, this goes– not at all according to plan. 

While not a huge success when it was released (and John Cusack HATED it at the time), Better Off Dead has accumulated a cult following of those who appreciate an alternative to the quirky but less bizarre teen films of the era. For myself (a girl who was soon to become obsessed with the John Cusack of Say Anything), it was my first introduction to a cute boy playing a girl saxophone over a romantic TV dinner.

The bar was set low from an early age. Merci buckets Blockbuster Video

So here is a Better Off Dead movie menu that should make you giggle a little bit. Maybe not as sentient as the concoctions of Mrs. Meyer, but hopefully more tasty. Note, the tiny guitar is an *optional ingredient. 

 

The Movie

 

The Menu

snow gin cocktail

This is pure snow!

Yield: 2 Cocktails
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes

Charles De Mar, what a hilarious mess. I mean who snorts green jello?

The kind of guy who mixes his eggnog with lighter fluid that's who.

So cheers to you Charles-- here is a snowy, Meyer lemon-y granita with enough pine wood-y gin it probably has legit street value. It might even freeze the left half of your brain!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups Meyer Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 cup Simple Syrup (see Notes)
  • 1/3 cup Club Soda
  • 1/3 cup Gin

Instructions

See ingredients below:

Begin by juicing your lemons. Note, you can do this via traditional methods, OR you can throw them against neighborhood street signs ala Monique. Get's the justified angst out.

Once juiced, mix with syrup, club soda, and gin and transfer to a metal 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Freeze for 4 hours, and rake with a fork to fluff into a granita/snowy texture. Refreeze, and serve...

snow gin cocktail

...I advise APRES ski. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to SKI ON ONE SKI, let alone follow along detailed and technically sound instructions like: "Go that way, really fast" and "If something gets in your way, turn."

better off dead drugs gif

Notes

Simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water, simmered until the sugar granules are dissolved. In order to make 1/2 cup, you might want to start with a little less than 3/4 cup of each to allow for some evaporation.

burger glamour

Everybody Wants Some Pigburger

Yield: 2 Burgers
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Maybe the best, most creative scene in Better Off Dead-- and obviously I had to pay tribute. Besides, you need protein if you're gonna ski the K12. Don't worry, I did NOT boil the bacon.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb Ground Pork
  • 6 Strips Bacon
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 1 Slice Onion Round
  • 2 Hamburger Buns (you can go brioche if you want to be consistent with subsequent FRONCH dishes)
  • 1/2 tbsp Butter
  • Butter Lettuce
  • 2 Slices Beefsteak Tomato
  • 2 Slices Muenster Cheese (sure, you could go with cheddar, but the whole Frankenstein theme was too good not to celebrate)
  • 2-3 tbsps Mayonnaise
  • Animated Face (optional)
  • Tiny Guitar (also optional)

Instructions

In a nonstick or cast iron pan/griddle, fry up four slices of bacon. For burgers I prefer to layer two bacon "circles" on each burger, but the team at SeriousEats can give you the pros and cons of various bacon shapes.

bacon circles

While your bacon is crisping, cut your remaining two slices into eety beety pieces and toss them in with your ground pork, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then, lay out all the rest of your ingredients in anticipation...

burger ingredients

Lightly butter your hamburger buns and toast on a greased griddle-- you can throw the onion on with!

buns and onions

When buns have toasted, remove from the griddle and flip your onion-- continue to cook IT for another couple of minutes until softened slighly. Set aside.

Now time for your burgers-- pat your ground pork and bacon into patties the diameter of your buns (they should be about an inch thick) and make a shallow dent in the middle of each. Place on a medium high griddle and cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes. Flip, place a slice of cheese on top, and continue to sizzle, for another 4-5 minutes-- your cheese should get gooey melty.

melted cheese

Time to layer! Spread mayo on your buns, then proceed in this order: cheese covered pattie, two bacon circles, tomato slice, softened onion slices, butter lettuce.

burger glamour

EVERYBODY WANTS SOOOOOME!!!!!!!!!

pig burger

French fries

Fronch Fries with Fronch Dressing

Yield: 2 Servings
Cook Time: 2 hours 2 seconds
Total Time: 2 hours 2 seconds

Not the first nor the last of Mrs. Meyer's delightfully (maybe disturbingly) flubbed recipes-- her FRONCH themed dinner in honor of actual French citizen and very good sport Monique.

So here's some thick cut FRONCH fries (see Pig Burger footage for reference on size) and a creamy FRONCH dressing that honestly tastes like a yummy fry sauce. So good, it'll make you think fried food is ze REAL international language...

Ingredients

  • 2 large Russet Potatoes
  • 2 tbsp White Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 quarts Canola Oil
  • 1/3 cup Ketchup
  • 1/4 cup Onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Neutral Oil (Canola or Vegetable)
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp Paprika
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Generous Pinch Cayenne

Instructions

Start by peeling and cutting your potatoes into 1/2 inch thick strips-- submerge in cold water as you prep to avoid potatoes turning brown.

fry ingredients

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 lay out on paper towels. Allow to come to room temperature.

While you wait, heat oil in the same pot 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. A word of advice-- do NOT try for less than four batches. Your oil could boil over and cause a grease fire and those are never, I repeat NEVER, fun.

Drain each batch on paper towels, and allow to come to room temperature. Let sit for 30 minutes.

While your taters is resting, you can whisk together your FRONCH dressing. Add all your ingredients to a small blender or processor and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

French dressing

And now back to your taters-- bring your oil back up to frying temp (this should take about 5 minutes), and fry your batches again, this time 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. Sprinkle immediately with salt and dip (but not slurp, Ricky) into your creamy FRONCH dressing.

... maybe next time, calamari?

mrs Meyer

pistachio pudding

It's Got Raisins in it!

Yield: 2 Servings
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

"I got the recipe from a magazine. The mail got wet in the rain, so some of the pages ran together, but what I couldn't read I just... improvised with my own little... creative ideas. It's got raisins in it. You LIKE raisins."

Nuff said.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Raisins
  • 1/2 cup Rum
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted Pistachios, shelled, plus more for garnish
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar, divided
  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • ¼ tsp Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Ok really this is a pistachio pudding with a rum raisin and pistachio garnish. It's delicious, not sentient (I don't think), and It's not that many ingredients, look!

pudding ingredients

Begin by soaking your raisins and rum and set aside to marinate. Cover tightly and set aside.

Grind your pistachios in your food processor until they are as finely ground as possible, about 3-4 minutes. Add half of your sugar and 1 tablespoon milk and pulse until a paste forms.

pistachio paste

Combine the paste with the remaining milk in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking to break up any clumps, until the mixture begins to steam. While the milk is heating, go back to your food processor and add the remaining sugar with the egg, yolks, cornstarch, and salt-- process until combined. With the food processor still running, slowly add ½ cup of the warm milk mixture into the mixture to temper the eggs (if you skip this and add eggs to your steaming liquid, you'll end up with bits of scramby eggs. Add the contents of the food processor back to your saucepan and whisk in with remaing milk mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the pudding begins to thicken.

pudding whisk

At this point, I HIGHLY recommend returning the mix back to your food processor, or using an immersion blender, just to make sure the pistachio bits are as smoothed out as possible. This done, add the butter and vanilla, and stir until the butter is melted.

Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the puddings to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for at least 2 hours to allow your puddings to fully set.

pudding set

When ready to serve, pour into pudding bowls/cups and top off with chopped rum raisins and your extra pistachios.

pistachio pudding

Eat quickly, before it skidaddles.

it's got raisins in it

 

Epilogue

I’m stuffed full of food so I’ll just leave you with this. Always, always beware your local paperboy– remember, $2 then would be $5.18 in 2022 with inflation. And they like to be tipped.

Better Off Dead Cash GIF by moodman

Ok the movie’s over…you can go home now.

 

For more menus, check out my movie directory here!

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine

Little Miss Sunshine is one of those films that you’re thrilled exists– a wonderful family dramedy that is so well written and so well acted that it leaves you with hope for the film industry. The movie opens with a relatively dark montage. Mom Sheryl 

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 

Dick Tracy

Dick Tracy

This past weekend was my oldest friend’s birthday. Coincidentally, he’s also the person who helped me start this blog. So I figured what better way to celebrate him than to attempt (for the fourth or fifth time) a menu perfectly matched to his favorite movie: Warren Beatty’s 1990 adaptation of Dick Tracy.

Even if you don’t like comic books, this movie is well worth a watch. Dick Tracy is a visually stunning noir that more than deserves a menu packed full of primary colors and hard lighting. Set in a stylized, thirties-era world where the bad guys physically manifest their worst personality traits, Warren Beatty stars as hard-boiled hero Dick Tracy– a detective committed to saving a city overrun by gangsters (while desperately trying to avoid parental responsibility AND juggling two dames. Men, amiright?).

In addition to the comic book set design and a soundtrack by Stephen Sondheim, the cast of characters in Dick Tracy are themselves fascinating to watch. Underneath layers and layers of grotesque silicon and paint, actors Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, William Forsyth are almost perfect replicas of comic book criminals Big Boy Caprice, Mumbles, and Flattop. Opposite them, tough-guy sleuth Tracy, his (horribly treated) girlfriend Tess Trueheart, and The Kid (played by Beatty, Glenne Headly, and Charlie Korsmo respectively) shine as a wise-cracking familial trio. Plus, random small parts for huge actors like Mandy Patinkin, Kathy Bates, Catherine O’Hara, Dick Van Dyke, and James Caan– why are they there? I have no idea, but I love it.

And then you have Madonna as Breathless Mahoney— Madonna, at the height of her singing fame lookin’ platinum and seductive AF and delivering lines like “I sweat a lot better in the dark”. What a silly fun time.

But enough about the movie, on to the food. Because I have a vision. A big boss must have a vision. And in my Dick Tracy vision I saw a giant bowl of vibrant chili ala Mike’s Diner. The smell alone will have you askin’, “when do we eat?”. 

 

The Movie

 

The Menu

Tommy gun fizz

Tommy Gun Fizz

Yield: 1 Drink
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Not so fast coppa! You can't eat a Dick Tracy meal without a cocktail in your hand-- here's one that packs a wollop. And I didn't even have to make the name up!

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon apricot jam
  • Healthy squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1 tsp)
  • 2 shots Irish whiskey
  • 1/2 shot Grand Marnier
  • Ginger Beer
  • 1 lemon twist

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, vigourously shake the first four ingredients for a couple of minutes-- you want to break up as much of the apricot jamminess as you can. Pour into an ice filled glass and top off with ginger beer and a lemon twist and BLAM POW POW you've got quite a cocktail.

trio chili

Trio Chili w/ Cheesy Ritz

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Mike's Diner is Dick Tracy's favorite place to eat, and from the looks of it supplies a chili far superior than the gunk that comes out of a can in Tracy's office. So, I've made a three bean, three pepper, chunky steak chili to celebrate our favorite trio of Mike's patrons and served it up with some cheesy Ritz club crackers for dunking.

Note, this makes about 6 servings, but it freezes so well I wouldn't bother halving the recipe. Besides, if you're anything like The Kid you won't need to worry about leftovers anyway.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced (appx 1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, divided
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, divided
  • 1 1/2 pound chuck beef, cubed into 1/2-3/4 inch chunks
  • Flour for dredging
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
  • 1 chipotle chili in sauce
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper* -optional
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • ½ cup lager
  • 2 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (15 oz.) can three bean trio, drained and rinsed
  • Sour cream
  • Sliced Jalepeno
  • Ritz Crackers
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Cayenne
  • Chipotle Powder
  • Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

Begin by assembling your base ingredients-- these are what will flavor your chili!

dick tracy chili base

Next, cut your chuck steak into 1/2 inch cubes. Dredge in a bit of flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside. Hit a medium pot with a healthy glug of canola oil and bring to medium high heat. Add meat to the pot and sear on all sides about 2 mins.

chili beef

You'll want the meat to form a bit of a crust! Remove from the pot and set aside on a plate-- juices will collect, but don't worry we won't waste them.

Now, add your base ingredients to the pot and a bit more canola oil. Caramelize for about 3 mins before adding the tomato paste.

dick tracy chili cook

Stir and cook for a minute more.

That done, it's time to add most of the remaining ingredients (in the above list, that's the chili powder allllll the way down to the beans (I like this Whole Foods version!). At this point you can also re-add your meat and all of the accumulated juices to the pot. Stir, and reduce heat to low-- allow to simmer for 2 hours and your meat will be very tender.

bean trio

On to the crackers! 20 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 400. Grate your cheddar if you haven't already, and get your spices together.

ritz topping

Place Ritz crackers on a sil pat or parchment paper lightly sprayed with canola oil. Cover with cheese, and sprinkle with pinches of your seasonings.

Bake for about 4 mins, keeping a close eye on the crackers so they don't burn. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before dipping into chili.

ritz cooked

Speaking of which... time to EAT.

THE KID

After your 2 hour slow cook, serve up your chili in bowls topped with your preferred garnishes-- I love sour cream, more red and yellow bell pepper + sliced jalapeno for another trio element, and (what the hell) more cheddar cheese.

trio chili

Notes

Chili freezes VERY well-- so don't worry if you end up with extra.

ice cream sundae

Bad Guy Sundae

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Best diner dessert? An ice cream sundae!

Here I've smothered what would otherwise be a faceless vanilla ice cream in a dark and sexy champagne blueberry syrup; then I topped it all off with candied walnuts, despite them being "bad for the brain".

Just look at the pretty colors!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 cup champagne
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • Vanilla Ice Cream (see note)

Instructions

For the blueberry syrup-- a super simple base of ingredients is ALMOST all that's needed for a smooth and succulant ice cream topper.

blueberry syrup

Add the sugar, blueberries, champagne, and lemon to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil-- boil for 1 min and reduce heat to low, stirring briefly.

Whisk cornstarch into water rapidly to create a smooth slurry. Add to the sauce pan and stir. Your sauce will thicken pretty immediately. Add your vanilla to the pan, and remove from heat-- at this point the syrup should just barely slide off the back of a spoon.

dick tracy madonna gif

Allow the sauce to cool completely, covered, while you move on to the nuts!

blueberry syrup finished

The nuts are crazy easy-- preheat your oven to 400, and in a non-stick skillet, melt sugar with a tbsp of water. Place walnuts on a sil pat lined cookie sheet and pour your melted sugar over your nuts. Toss to cover fully.

Bake for roughly 5 mins, checking every so often to make sure they do not burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool before going anywhere near your ice cream!

dick tracy candied nuts

When ready to chow down, scoop vanilla ice cream into your chosen receptacle (I chose a champagne coup in honor of Madonna) and top with blueberry syrup and nuts.

ice cream sundae

Notes

If you are more ambitious than I am and decide to make your own vanilla ice cream, I have a good base recipe in this Ferris Bueller's Day Off post.

 

Epilogue

So, turns out Warren Beatty loves Dick Tracy so much that he would do almost anything to prevent the rights from reverting to the original comic strip owners Tribune Media Services— even make a super weird half-hour television special in which film critic Leonard Maltin recites a bunch of facts about Dick Tracy and Beatty– awkwardly in character as Tracy– corrects him.

You can watch that 2009 debacle below. But hey, hopefully this means we’ll never have to deal with a poorly executed Beatty-less reboot!!!

 

For more menus, check out my movie directory here!

Twister

Twister

You’ve never seen it miss this house, and miss that house, and come after you! That’s right, it’s… DUN DUN DUUUUUNH… TWISTER! But actually, other than that one line, this movie is a wonderfully suspenseful thriller– I would even say it’s one of the top