Tzatziki
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 myself am still pretending it was never made. Technically a PREQUEL …
I’m feeling very Olympic today! Partly because of the actual Olympics, but mostly because I’ve been watching Cool Runnings on repeat to prep this post. It’s been a great week :).
You probably already know that Cool Runnings was loosely based on actual events that took place at 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Having missed the opportunity to compete in more “traditional” summer events, four athletes from Jamaica decided to train from scratch to be bobsledders. And, you have only to watch the footage shared by John Candy to understand exactly how dangerous and terrifying bobsledding really is. Of course, I’ve read that some liberties were taken with the plot, but hey, them’s the movies. The end result is, of course, a feel good film that has you cheering audibly for our five underdogs– and I’m counting Irving Blitzer (played by comedy legend John Candy, who died very soon after this film’s release) alongside our four hilariously courageous teammates Derice (Leon Robinson), Sanka (Doug E Doug), Yul (Malik Yoba), and Junior (Rawle D. Louis).
So, while you watch this movie and subsequent years’ Olympic events, give the below Cool Runnings themed menu a shot. As both the film and these recipes prove, some of the best things in life come from the combination of things that might initially be considered too “different”. Jamaican poutine? Who’da thunk it? But dammit it’s good.
Now say it with me– Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time! Cool Runnings!
Ah popsicles-- the perfect food to help the transition from hot to cold. Just ask Sanka, who spent at least some of the time training inside a popsicle truck freezing his royal Rastafarian nay-nays off. Good thing these tropical (an Olympian-level healthy) popsicles are chalk full of rum to help ward off the chills... and they look all Olympic torch flame-y! Each of the layers in this popsicle basically follow the same fruit juice to dairy/banana base ratio. Begin with the blood orange-- place about 1 1/2 tbsp of banana, 2 tbsp yogurt, 1/2 tsp of honey, and the blood orange juice into a mini blender or food processor. Blend thoroughly, then add rum, starting with 1 1/2 tbsp and add more if you can handle your liquor. Chill in the freezer as you move on to your other flavors-- same amounts of banana, yogurt, honey, and rum, with pineapple juice in the second batch, and passionfruit juice in the third. Chill until ready to layer. When ready, begin with the passionfruit mixture, followed by the pineapple, followed by the blood orange. Use a tbsp to carefully spoon your liquid into the molds, allowing 2 tbsp of each flavor per mold. Some bleeding through in the layers is fine-- this will make the popsicles look SUPER COOL. Place your popsicle molds in the freezer and freeze, at least four hours. Remove from the molds and enjoy! Peace Be The Journey... You can measure tbsp of banana against a stick of butter-- you'll want just over that stick for this 4-popsicle recipe. Holy shit this Jamaican riff on Canadian poutine is legitimately one of my best creations. If those sassy Winter Olympic judges had only tasted this BEFORE they treated the Cool Runnings team with such disdain, things would've gone very differently... Begin by gathering your ingredients, dredging your beef with 1 tbsp of flour. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil on medium high in a medium sized pot or dutch. Season beef with salt and pepper and add to the pot-- sear, without moving, for a minute or two until well browned. Flip, and do the same to the other side and edges. Transfer meat to a plate, and add onions and carrots to the pot-- reduce temperature to low and caramelize with an additional 1/2 tbsp oil, stirring to avoid burning. Add habeneros and garlic and cook for a minute more, adding a tbsp more of oil if needed. Add all remaining ingredients (excluding the butter, tubers, cheese curds) to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered, for about 1 1/2 hours. While the stew cooks, move on to your potatoes/plantains (the latter for Sanka's mama). Cut each into thick fries (at least 3/4 inch thick), and toss with remaining 1 tbsp oil. Toss with some salt & pepper and bake on a foil lined cookie sheet at 400 for 40 minutes. In a deep skillet or small sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the second tbsp of flour and stir to combine-- it'll begin to smell like popcorn! Pour in your meat juices and whisk. Bring to a boil and lower heat, simmering until the gravy is thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Pour gravy over the whole mess and garnish with green onion slivers and cilantro. And if you think you can't finish it all, just repeat after Yul-- I see PRIDE! I see POWER! I see a BADASS MOTHER who WON'T take no CRAP off of NOBODY! ... not exactly relevant when it comes to the food but it really does do wonders for self-esteem. If you're struggling to find oxtail, short ribs make a wonderful substition, with no changes to the recipe needed. Sanka you dead? If so, these spiced "lucky eggs" might bring you back to life. I mean, probably not but they do taste good enough for the best pushcart driver in all of Jamaica. In a medium bowl or ziploc bag, mix turmeric and 1 1/2 cups of water until turmeric is fully dissolved and the liquid is a thick golden yellow. Add peeled hard boiled eggs to the liquid and allow to soak, for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Cut eggs in half and remove yolks-- place into a medium bowl with mayo, yogurt, mustard, curry, paprika, and cayenne-- mash until completely smooth (you can also puree in a mini food processor. Pipe filling back into egg halves -- refrigerate until ready to serve, sprinkled with bell pepper and parsley. Hardboiled eggs are easy-- bring salted water to a boil, add eggs, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove eggs and rinse under cold water. Peel or refrigerate. Also worth noting-- this recipe is for four eggs, but I always tend to make a fifth just in case one proves tricky when peeled. You can always use the yolk innards of your spare egg to beef up your filling for the other four!Tropical (But healthy!) Rum-sicles
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Jamaican Poutine
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Now for the gravy! When stew is done, remove meat and set aside-- discard the bay leaf. Using a gravy sivve (or fine mesh strainger, strain out the vegetables and separate the excess fat.
Time to assemble your poutine! Shred your oxtail into chunks and layer with baked potatoes and cheese curds. Notes
Lucky Eggs
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You guyyyyyys here’s a little news coverage of the 2022 JAMAICAN BOBSLED TEAM THEY’RE BACK! COOL RUNNINGS!!!!!
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 …