Recipes for foodies and film nerds. Because life's too short for stale popcorn and crappy movies.
“With the coming of the Second World War, many eyes in imprisoned Europe turned hopefully, or desperately, toward the freedom of the Americas. Lisbon became the great embarkation point. But, not everybody could get to Lisbon directly, and so a tortuous, roundabout refugee trail sprang …
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 and Baby’s dance moves while watching on repeat. And sometimes crying. But maybe that one’s just me.
Set in the summer of 1963, Dirty Dancing follows a young woman inaptly named Baby, who has just traveled with her family to a Catskills resort for the season. She comes from money, has strong political opinions, and is her daddy’s favorite (poor Lisa). What better way to shake up Baby’s world (literally) than to introduce her to a lover from the wrong side of the tracks– Johnny, the resort’s dance instructor and resident H-O-T-T-T-T-I-E. See, Johnny is in a pickle because his usual partner and best friend, Penny, is knocked up by Robbie the creep. Penny can go get an illegal abortion (eep) but they need Baby to fill in for her. Of course, this leads to a lot of super sexy dance lesson montages and “horizontal mambo-ing” between Baby and Johnny– all of which are accompanied by an A+ soundtrack (some of which Patrick Swayze wrote/performed).
It might sound convenient and fluffy, but hand on heart– the physical talent of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey (not to mention Cynthia Rhodes) is a sight to behold, and the chemistry throughout Dirty Dancing is palpable. You also have to admit that some of the controversial subject matter (abortion, class division, war, beige iridescent lip gloss) helps to balance out what would otherwise be a sappy coming of age romance. Of course, it’s starting to feel like we live in 1963 again where everything is run by the Robbies and Neil Kellermans of the world. But as Baby would say, we just gotta fight harder.
So, to celebrate Dirty Dancing, I created a few fusion-y versions of 1960’s staples straight out of Kellerman’s. I think Johnny would approve of my figurative “twists”. But probably not my actual twists. I’m a crap dancer.
Anyway, go cook and have the time of your lives kids. And DON’T STEP ON THE ONE.
There are a ton of dances performed/referenced in Dirty Dancing (Merengue, Pachenga, Foxtrot etc). But the penultimate dance is mostly Mambo-- and let's face it, it's all about the lift. So, I made up a Cuban rum cocktail that steals from the bourbon lift-- a cocktail where the cream literally rises above the top of the glass. Tastes just like an old-fashioned orange creme soda. If you care enough, start with your edible paper silhouettes. Fill a small spritzer or hair spray bottle with a mixture of about a tbsp of maraschino cherry juice, red food coloring, a splash of bitters. Add enough water (about 4 more tbsp) to the spritzer and go to town on your rice paper. It will get sticky, so best to spritz on a sheet of wax paper. Set aside to dry completely before cutting. Find a cool silhouette graphic of Johnny and Baby online (like this one!) and trace onto your flavored paper-- cut out. They don't have to be perfect! Now for your booze. Add rum, orange juice, triple sec, cream, cherry juice, and a few dashes of bitters to a cocktail shaker. Shake, twist, shout, whatever-- just hold your frame and work those spaghetti arms! Strain into a glass, and fill remaining space almost completely with soda water. You'll see the foam begin to rise to the top of the glass. Wait about 30 seconds, and then add another few spases of soda water to raise te foam completely over the top of the glass. Top with your edible silhouettes, pressing down lightly-- the paper will start to melt into the foam. Slurp away, and GET LOOSE. Though, no amount of these could ever make me try the dance move silhoutted. Possibly the Hula Hana bounce, though. Ask me after two of these. I CARRIED a WATERMELON??? These are not your standard refreshing fruit wedges. They're a little... dirty. 'Cau 'cau 'cau 'cau 'cause I'm a love (wo)man. Alright campers, time to get those ingredients together! Cut your watermelon, and whisk your remaining ingredients until the honey is completely dissovlved. When ready to serve, pour vinaigrette over watermelon wedges and savor the smoky, spicy, sexy taste. That extra hit of Johnny might even have you crawling around on the floor singing Baaaabyyyyyy, ooooohooo baaaaabbbyyy, my sweeet baaaaaabbyy. One of the earliest moments illustrating the Housemans' privilege occurs at a Kellerman's dinner when Baby's mother recommends sending Baby's leftover pot roast to starving children in Europe. Try Southeast Asia MA. Inspired by Baby's Peace Corps fueled chagrin, here's a pot roast with a Southeast Asian flair. This recipe features ingredients from Vietnamese Bò kho, from Filipino Pares, and several others-- and, of course, some vegetables for Baby. All mixed in, definitely NOT relegated to the corner. Sprinkle all sides of your chuck roast with a tbsp (or slightly more, if needed)-- salt and pepper as well. Heat vegetable oil in a dutch oven or pot on high. Brown all sides of the meat, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and set aside while you get your remaining ingredients together and preheat your oven (350 degrees). Add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to your pot and saute for a minute to caramelize. Add tomoto paste and shaoxing wine, stirring briefly to unstick and break up the garlicy meaty bits at the bottom of the pan. Add your liquids and remaining spices and bring to a boil. Add the meat back to the pot and reduce to a simmer-- cover, and place in your preheated oven. Roast for an hour-- then toss in your carrots and onions. Continue to roast for another hour and a half, or until meat is fork tender. Spoon off any excess fat from the surface of your liquid, and pour over shredding beef, carrots and onions. Where the twist is literally lemon in your dirty chive-y mashed potatoes. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. While you wait, peel your russet potatoes and cut into 2 inch cubes. For the gold/fingerling potatoes, cut into 2 inch cubes but leave te skin on. Once your water has begun to boil, dump your potatoes in and cook until they can be crushed with a fork-- about 15-20 minutes. Strain the potatoes and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add your butter, half and half, lemon zest, chives, salt and pepper. Now it's time to get down and dirty with your potato masher-- totally fine if there are some light chunks and pieces of potato peel, we're not trying to be upper class here. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with a twisty flourish, topped with extra chives and a melty pat of butter.
Mambo Lift
Yield:
2
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
2 minutes
Total Time:
32 minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
I Carried a Watermelon
Cook Time:
10 minutes
Total Time:
10 minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
Peace Corps Pot Roast with Baby Vegetables
Prep Time:
3 minutes
Cook Time:
3 hours
Total Time:
3 hours
Ingredients
Instructions
I Can Mash Potato, AND Do the Twist
Ingredients
Instructions
I miss Patrick Swayze :(. You can donate here to help improve the lives of pancreatic cancer– because fuck cancer.
For more menus, check out my movie directory here!
It all began on New Year’s Day… or in the case of this post, New Year’s Eve. All hail Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger), wanton sex goddess, who was able to land two, count ’em TWO, of the hottest British actors to ever grace the silver …
ON THIS DAY 30 years ago, Thelma & Louise drove across the country in a blue Thunderbird and into the annals of feminist film history. It’s one of those movies I rediscover every 10 years– funny, tragic, and (sadly) still so relevant, Thelma & Louise was written by Callie Khouri and unfolds like a fantasy for women in the 1990’s aching to be free of the BS society doles out. You wouldn’t think the movie’s two main characters would be the “murdering type”, but turns out that (like most badass women in this world), they’ve always been “crazy”– this is just the first chance they’ve ever had to really express themselves.
But let’s back up a minute. For the unfamiliar, Thelma & Louise (directed by Ridley Scott) begins innocently enough– two young women who need a break from men and (as applicable) dead end jobs decide to take a fishing vacation together. No matter that they can’t fish– they’ll figure it out and/or have fun trying. Shit hits the fan, however, when Thelma’s (played by Geena Davis) flirtation at a truck stop bar leads to a sexual assault– and Louise (played by Susan Sarandon) IS NOT HAVING IT. Now our besties are on the lamb, and what ensues is an epic road trip toward Mexico and self-discovery.
With a little tasty treat in the shape of Brad Pitt along the way.
… though that encounter, like most other encounters with men in this film (and in life, let’s be real) becomes just another bump in the road for Thelma & Louise. But I’ll let you watch the movie to find out how.
On to the food! After all, one does need fuel for a road trip of this magnitude– I figured cocktails, tacos, and some Rocky Road ice cream would do the trick. With, of course, the end goal of drinking margaritas by the sea, mamacitas (just be sure to make a few extra).
Let's kick things off right-- Thelma orders a Coke up front with a Wild Turkey back. Louise orders a margarita and a Cuervo on the side. I'm sure there's a Buzzfeed quiz that would tell you which you would like more, but I'm sticking with both + refills. Louise's order is relatively simple-- girl doesn't have time for anything fancy, she wants to DANCE. Pour whiskey over ice, top off with coca cola, and garnish with a cherry. For Thelma's margarita, first run a slice of lime around the rim of your glass to moisten it. Then, dip the glass in salt to coat the rim. Next, mix tequila, triple sec, lime juice, agave, and ice in a cocktail shaker-- shake vigourously until fully chilled, and pour into salted glass. Add more ice and garnish with a slice of lime. Serve both drinks with their respective shots and get ready to BEAT A MAN'S ASS. Each of the male characters in Thelma & Louise is a different version of "that guy": super villain Harlan; Thelma's pig husband; sweet talking JD; jealous and kinda violent Jimmy; even Harvey Keitel's well-meaning-but-still-part-of-the-system police officer role. But let's be real, they're all just "on the side" when it comes to true love between best friends. So here is a recipe that celebrates the best of those "on the side" male characteristics-- sweet at first, can even be super hot, and always fun with chips and a beer. But definitely not the main course. PS the code word is peaches. Whisk together lime juice, oil, honey, and cumin until all of the honey is incorporated. Next, get all of your chopped ingredients together, like so: Toss in peaches, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and jalepeno until fully coated-- season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Allow to sit for an hour or more to let the flavors meld into a climax of sweet, spicy, and smoky mmmmmmm... 15 minutes before serving, toss in cilantro (you don't want this to sit in the salsa for a long time or it'll get all soggy). Serve with tortilla chips or on tacos. Ok I did it-- a food and movie pun. But it makes sense right? Also the recipe is delicious so you're welcome. Preheat oven to 325F. Generously season all sides of the lamb shoulder with salt and set aside while you make the marinade. Before serving, tear the lamb into smaller pieces and place into an oven proof serving dish. Skim the remaining marinade, removing fat, and pour about 1 cup over the meat to keep it moist and flavorful-- adjust with salt to taste. Serve with quick pickled onions, sour cream, cotija and a sprinkle of cilantro. And if youre in a rush, wrap in parchment paper or aluminum foil and eat while you drive! Quick Citrus-Pickled Onions recipe is here! In addition to giving me all the badass feminist energy, I can now thank Thelma & Louise for indirectly prompting me to try Mexican chocolate for the first time. Depending on the brand, you might get a kick of cinnamon and vanilla, or in this case chile-- either of which adds a MUCH appreciated level of complexity to what would otherwise be plain sweet chocolate. Plus, hey look another food/movie pun. I'm starting to feel like I got a knack for this shit. Get all your ingredients together-- but note, the base should be refrigerated for a minute before you can mix up your ice cream. In a medium saucepan whisk together egg yolks, cocoa powder and sugar until there aren't any lumps. Then, whisk in cream and milk. Put pan over medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until a custard thickly coats the back of a spoon, but a swiped finger leaves a clean line. Stir in vanilla and salt, and pour into tupperware. Refrigerate overnight, or freeze for an hour until completely chilled. You'll end up with a thick yummy pudding consistency: Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions (see notes). Transfer ice cream to a large container and quickly stir in nuts, chocolate, and marshmallows with a rubber spatula until thoroughly mixed in. Return to freezer and chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
Girls' Night Out
Ingredients
Instructions
Peach & Pepper Salsa
Cook Time:
15 minutes
Additional Time:
1 hour
Total Time:
1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
On the Lamb Tacos
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time:
3 hours
Ingredients
Instructions
Slice the top of the chiles off and shake the interior seeds loose-- discard (you don’t need to remove every single one, a few strays are ok). Break the chilies apart into smaller pieces and add to a mini-processor with garlic, spices, vinegar, juice from 1/2 orange, beer, and 2 tbsp canola oil. Process until very smooth.
Heat a medium dutch oven to medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp canola oil. Sear the salted lamb shoulder, browning each side to create a crust and lock in those nummy juices.
Once all sides are seared, nestle the orange slices around the lamb and add bay leaf. Pour the marinade over the meat and shake the pan to ensure the marinade gets all the way to the bottom.
Cover tightly and bake for 2 1/2 hours-- you'll know it's done when the meat pulls apart easily. You're looking for this:
Notes
Recommended Products
Rocky Road to Mexico
Yield:
1 Pint
Cook Time:
1 hour
Additional Time:
4 hours
Total Time:
5 hours
Ingredients
Instructions
Taking this epilogue opportunity to double down on Thelma & Louise’s feminist message. In the 1990’s it was still a novel idea to cinematically celebrate women who “hit back” so to speak, and I love that Callie Khouri stood her ground not only on the characters of Thelma & Louise but also the men in her film. Per Geena Davis: “I heard [the screenwriter Callie Khouri] being interviewed and they told her, ‘We don’t think the men’s parts are good enough,’ and she said ‘So what?’”. Hehe.
So if you’re in the film industry and you find the topic of feminism and Hollywood as HUGELY important as I do, watch this movie a second time and maybe also check out the informative research at the Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media.
And then maybe find the Thelma to your Louise (or vice versa), kick back with a bottle of Wild Turkey and make a plan to burn the world down.
For more menus, check out my movie directory here!
