Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy » Dinner and a Movie

Greed is Good – Very, Very Good (Homemade 100 Grand Bars)

Susan — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:01:48 +0000

It seems like I just posted the roundup for Breakfast at Tiffany’s and it’s already time for another installment of Dinner and a Movie. Where does the time go?!?! This month’s DaaM is being hosted by my co-host Marc from No Recipes, and the film he chose is the 1987 blockbuster, Wall Street, directed by Oliver Stone and starring, Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen.

Wall Street is a super slick, wickedly intelligent thinking person’s movie that has come to epitomize the blatant excess that was the 1980’s. The movie features Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko, a wealthy, unscrupulous, megalomaniacal corporate raider and Charlie Sheen as Bud Fox, a young stockbroker desperate to make it big. Fox plots to get Gekko as a client, feeding him insider information. Gekko pounces on said information and in return takes Fox under his wing and on a wild ride in the ultra-capitalist world of hostile takeovers, insider trading, and corporate raiding. Soon, Bud is living the high life and halfway through the movie, you just know this all isn’t going to bode well in the end for him! But, I won’t spoil the fun. You’ll have to watch the movie for yourself to see how it all shakes out.

Ah, the Eighties – that happy little decade between social activism and self-loathing grunge. It was full of big business, big dreams and big hair! The mantra of the day was “Less is more, but more is better.” Nobody worried too much about tomorrow because they were all to busy seizing the day. Decadence was not only accepted, but encouraged! As Gordon Gekko so eloquently put it, “Greed is good.”

In honor of Wall Street and the Eighties, my contribution for this month’s DaaM oozes decadence. It also oozes chocolate and caramel. I’m talking about homemade 100 Grand Bars!

The 100 Grand Bar, originally known as the $100,000 Bar, is a candy bar introduced by Nestlé in 1966. The name was changed to “100 Grand” in 1985. (Very a propos!) It consists of a chewy caramel center enrobed in a combination of rick milk chocolate and crisped rice. When I was a kid, this was my favorite candy bar. I’d trade you ten Snickers for one 100 Grand!

When deciding what to make for this DaaM installment, the idea of recreating these bars kept popping into my head. Wall Street is a movie about greed and excess. It’s also a movie about money – lots of it. I couldn’t help thinking that 100 Grand bars would be the perfect representation of these things, both literally and figuratively.

To create my bars, I first had to make some caramel. I chose a recipe that I had been wanting to try for several months. Last November, the Daring Bakers made Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting. An optional part of the challenge was to make Alice Medrich’s wonderful Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels from her book, Pure Dessert. I wasn’t able to make them then, but I had the perfect opportunity to make them now. And, I did.

I had made homemade caramels once before, with limited success, but I was psyched to try these. Medrich’s recipe calls for golden syrup instead of regular old corn syrup. Golden syrup is a popular sweetener in the UK, and is also sometimes called light treacle. It is a thick, amber-colored form of inverted sugar syrup, made in the process of refining sugar cane juice into sugar. Golden syrup is used in a variety of desserts and is also delicious poured over pancakes or waffles. The recipe also calls for ground whole vanilla beans, which I found very interesting.

When I made the caramel, I divided the batch in two, reserving one half for the candy bars and transforming the rest into salted butter caramels. Let me tell you here and now, these were the best caramels I have ever eaten! Really! They were absolutely marvelous! If you ever decide to make homemade caramels, you have got to try this recipe.

Anyway, I rolled the caramel for the bars into logs about 3-inches long and 1-inch in diameter. Then I let them chill until very firm. After that, I dipped them into a pool of melted chocolate mixed with crushed Rice Krispies, and set them under the air conditioning vent in my kitchen until they were set. You do have to temper the chocolate for these bars in order for them to have a shiny, smooth finish. I don’t know how successful I was with this because I didn’t think my bars were all that shiny. I’m thinking that maybe adding the Rice Krispies might have had something to do with this. It didn’t matter much because my 100 Grand Bars were so phenomenally good! They tasted just like the store bought ones, only amped up to the nth degree. (Somehow, I don’t think that Nestlé uses Guittard milk chocolate in theirs!)

If you’ve never made homemade candy bars before, I urge you to give it a try. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. It was very, very messy – but not hard. These 100 Grand Bars are so worth the effort, but if they’re not your style, there is a great article on Chow all about making your favorite candy bars. It’s called “Make Your Own Candy Bars” and has recipes for copycat versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Twix, Snickers and more.

Homemade 100 Grand Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 batch Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels, cut into 3 x 1 inch logs and chilled (recipe follows)
1 pound good quality milk chocolate or milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups crisped ice cereal, slightly crushed

Directions:

Melt and temper chocolate. (A good tutorial for tempering chocolate can be found here.) Gently mix in crisped rice cereal until thoroughly coated.

Dip each caramel log into the chocolate mixture and coat completely. Using a fork, remove and place each on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Allow to set until hard.

Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels
Adapted from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich

Ingredients:

1 cup golden syrup
2 cups sugar
3/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure ground vanilla beans, purchased or ground in a coffee or spice grinders, or 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks, softened

Equipment:

A 9-inch square baking pan
Candy thermometer

Directions:

Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil. Combine the golden syrup, sugar, and salt in a heavy 3-quart saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the mixture begins to simmer around the edges. Wash the sugar and syrup from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes. (Meanwhile, rinse the spatula or spoon before using it again later.) Uncover the pan and wash down the sides once more. Attach the candy thermometer to the pan, without letting it touch the bottom of the pan, and cook, uncovered (without stirring) until the mixture reaches 305°F. Meanwhile, combine the cream and ground vanilla beans (not the extract) in a small saucepan and heal until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Turn off the heat and cover the pan to keep the cream hot.

When the sugar mixture reaches 305°F, turn off the heat and stir in the butter chunks. Gradually stir in the hot cream; it will bubble up and steam dramatically, so be careful. Turn the burner back on and adjust it so that the mixture boils energetically but not violently. Stir until any thickened syrup at the bottom of the pan is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, to about 245°F. Then cook, stirring constantly, to 260°F for soft, chewy caramels or 265°F; for firmer chewy caramels.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract, if using it. Pour the caramel into the lined pan. Let set for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight until firm.

Lift the pan liner from the pan and invert the sheet of caramel onto a sheet of parchment paper. Peel off the liner. For 100 Grand Bars, cut the caramels into 3 x 1 inch logs with an oiled knife. Place on a sheet of wax paper and chill several hours until very firm.

Enjoy!

Breakfast at Tiffanys Roundup (Chicks in a Nest)

Susan — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:25:50 +0000

It’s time again for another great Dinner and a Movie roundup. July’s movie selection is the delightful, yet occasionally dark film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, directed by Blake Edwards and starring the luminous Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard.

While the reception I received upon choosing this film for DaaM, was generally quite positive, there was also some negative feedback too. I have agonized for days as to whether I should even bring this up or not, but I feel I that I need to address it before getting into the roundup. There has apparently been a lot of controversy surrounding Breakfast at Tiffany’s regarding the negative Asian stereotype created by Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi, Holly’s “Japanese” neighbor in the movie. I’m not normally a political person and I try to avoid controversy whenever possible. However, some people that I respect and admire were upset by this. I just want it to be crystal clear that it was never my intent to offend anyone by selecting this film for DaaM, especially those I consider to be friends! I do not condone this, or any stereotypes of any kind, be they racial, ethnic or gender related. Being an Italian-American, I am all too familiar with these kinds of labels! If I was insensitive in my choice of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I apologize. I picked it because it was an old classic and a childhood favorite of mine. Now, I’d like to move on to the happy ending.

For my contribution to this month’s DaaM, I’ve prepared a nifty little breakfast dish I call Chicks in a Nest. The “nest” is a cup made out of shredded hash brown-style potatoes, and and the “chicks” are scrambled eggs which are served inside.

This is a really easy dish to prepare, and it looks so darn cute! It is also a great dish to serve on a buffet table because each serving is completely self-contained and can just be picked up and popped on a plate. You can certainly use whole potatoes and shred them yourself, but I tried these with the kind that comes pre-shredded in the refrigerator section of my market. They worked just fine and saved me, not only some time, but from skinning my knuckles on my grater!

Since we are talking Tiffany’s here, I decided to get a little fancy with my nests and added some finely diced ham and shredded cheese to the potato mixture. To make them look like “nests”, I spooned the mixture into muffin tins and pressed it up the sides of each. Then, I took a spoon and lightly punched down the center of each to prevent them from “puffing up”. The nests were then baked in the oven for about 25 minutes.

I served these little guys with a dollop of crème fraiche and a little red caviar on top. I think that some snipped chives would also be great, but I didn’t have any.

Chicks in a Nest

Ingredients:

1 20 ounce package pre-shredded hash brown-style potatoes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons flour
1 small sweet onion, coarsely grated
2 thick slices deli ham, chopped into small bits (about 1 cup)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 dozen eggs, scrambled* (See Note)
Crème fraiche, red caviar and/or chives for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F., and lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix the first eight ingredients together in a large bowl. Spoon potato mixture into each prepared muffin cup until about 1/3 full. Gently press the potato mixture down in the middle and up the sides of each cup.
Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. If the nests have puffed up too much in the center, scoop out a little with a teaspoon.
Spoon a few tablespoons of scramble eggs into each nest and top with crème fraiche and caviar or chives.

Makes about a dozen Chicks in a Nest.

*Note: Another variation of this dish is to pop a poached egg into each potato nest instead of using scrambled eggs. You might also try filling each cup with a raw egg and baking it right along with the potato nests. I haven’t tried this, so if you do, let me know if it works.

And now, for the rest of the Roundup:

Cakelaw from Laws of the Kitchen sent over the perfect bite to enjoy with your morning coffee – Apricot Danish Twists. She says that she made them, inspired by the memorable opening scene of the movie where Holly stares longingly into the Tiffany’s store window while sipping a coffee and nibbling on a danish. Thanks, Cakelaw!

Flory from Sugar Sublime says, “I didn’t think sweet, kooky, tough cookie Holly Golightly could be pinned down by just one dish, so I decided to make several that to me express different aspects of the film. Breakfast at Tiffany’s embodies elegance, so I went for dishes that would be at home in New York City, whether in an apartment or – hopefully – at Tiffany’s. They’re at once complex, familiar and exotic – just like Holly.”

Flory’s offerings include Whiskey Cappuccino, Top Banana-Cinnamon Toast, Crème Fraiche Ice Cream, L’Etoile and Lemon-Mint & Rose Turkish Jelly. I must say, any of these delightful offerings would be a treat to have in and of themselves. Thanks, Flory!

Zabeena from A Lot on My Plate explains, “I thought I couldn’t possibly invent something that would be good enough to reflect this superb film, given my draw-backs of only allowing myself a drastically reduced list of ingredients, after being seriously ill. And then it came to me in a flash: The Little Black Dress Diet! The book has Holly Golightly on the cover, and the contents of my cocktail represent gold, rubies and sapphires.”

Zabeena very aptly calls her dish “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. It is a lovely mixture of grilled pineapple and berries tossed with spices, sugar and local honey and served, (of course) in a cocktail glass. A truly creative and inspired dish! Thanks, Zabeena!

The adorable and clever Mark from No Special Effects sent over a traditional Filipino breakfast dish called Ruins Longanisang Hubad. Mark says, “Watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s, I began to think about how I needed to better inform people about my Asian heritage, and what better way to start than with how we eat breakfast? Longanisang hubad (or skinless/naked Filipino sausage) is a popular breakfast item, and this is the famous recipe from my family’s favorite restaurant.” Thanks, Mark! It really looks wonderful!

Holly from Holly Hadsell Entertaining sent over the most fabulous looking Breakfast Pizza! Holly explains that, “Since I was named after Holly Golightly, I had to submit a recipe this month and Breakfast Pizza seemed very appropriate.”

She was actually named after Holly Golightly! How cool is that!?!? Thanks so much for sharing, Holly!

Val from More Than Burnt Toast is one of my favorite blogging buddies. I can always count on her to come up with something unique and delicious, and her entry does not disappoint! Val whipped up a droolworthy Breakfast Salad, inspired by Canadian chef, Ned Bell. It’s a modern twist on breakfast, combining Okanagan chevre goat cheese, crispy bacon and a combination of mesclun greens with a tangy dressing. She serves it alongside fresh slices of Okanagan nectarines and cherry plums. What a perfect way to start any day! Thanks, Val. It looks dreamy!

My super-talented co-host, Marc from No Recipes contributed his “inauthentic” version of Chop Suey, which is a stir-fried dish which can include a variety of meat and vegetables in a cornstarch thickened sauce. While the actual origin of the dish is sketchy, it has become synonymous with American Chinese food.

Mark says, “I chose to make this dish because there was a time, not so long ago when all Asians were Orientals* and all Orientals ate Chop Suey. As the quintessential yellowface of the culinary world, Chop Suey seemed like the perfect dish to represent Mickey Rooney’s role in the film.”

Thanks, Marc. Wherever it came from, it looks fantastic!

Claire from Colloquial Cooking sent over Pierre Herme’s Diamants au cacao (cocoa diamonds). She says she chose them “because Tiffany’s diamonds provide Holly with a sense of comfort, and so do Pierre Hermé’s “diamants”. These “diamonds” are a rich, buttery sable cookie accented with cocoa and cinnamon. I think these cookies are the perfect way to end our Breakfast at Tiffany’s inspired buffet! They look divine! Thanks for sharing them, Claire!

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On behalf of Marc and myself, I’d like to thank everyone who joined us for this month’s Dinner and a Movie event. For our August movie, Marc has selected Wall Street, a 1987 classic starring Michael Douglass and Charlie Sheen. Wall Street is the quintessential film about greed and ruthless ambition in the corporate world.

Watch the movie, let it inspire a dish, and post it on the 20th of August. If you want more details or want to see some of the past roundups, check out the event page.

July Dinner and a Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Susan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:15:00 +0000

For this month’s Dinner and a Movie event, I’ve selected another one of my favorite films of all time – Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Released in 1961, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is an utterly delightful, yet occasionally dark film about life, love and following your dreams. It was directed by Blake Edwards and stars the heavenly Audrey Hepburn and the hunky George Peppard. The movie was based on a 1958 novella of the same name written by Truman Capote.

Played by Hepburn, the film’s main character Holly Golightly, is a charming and madcap gadabout working her way through cocktail parties (and men) on Manhattan’s swank East Side. She lives in partially furnished apartment, owns a cat with no name and earns her living collecting “powder room money” from the the wealthy men she dates. She also gets rid of the “mean reds” by visiting Tiffany’s jewelry store, where she says, “… Nothing very bad could happen to you there, not with those kind men in their nice suits, and that lovely smell of silver and alligator wallets….”.

Holly is a nomad, ever seeking a place that she can call home. She never allows herself to care too much or get too attached to anyone or anything, because she is always searching. Almost everything she says and does in the film illustrates this outlook on life, and her inability to settle down. For her, the famed Tiffany’s represents security and a sense of belonging. Yet, these are the very things that Holly runs from.

Enter Paul Varjak, or “Fred”, as Holly calls him. Paul is a struggling young writer who moves into Holly’s apartment building one day. Paul is everything that Holly is not – staid, conservative and responsible. Still, the two become fast friends and ultimately fall in love.

The psychological struggle between the need for stability and the desire for freedom is evident throughout the film, and is perhaps the central theme of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. This conflict defines the relationship between Paul and Holly, who are opposing forces drawn together, each pulling out what they lack from each other. Holly Golightly’s story is perhaps in some way a part of all of us. The part that is constantly searching for our place in the world.

Aside from its subtext, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is all at once quirky, funny, stylish, sophisticated, and bittersweet. And, Audrey Hepburn is sublime! What more could you ask for in a movie?

I hope you’ll join my co-host Marc from No Recipes and I in this month’s Dinner and a Movie. I think there’s lots of inspiration to be found in Breakfast at Tiffany’s from breakfast dishes to cocktail party fare.

If you want to play along, visit our Dinner and a Movie page to get the rest of the details. Try to get your submissions in by the 20th of July, but a day or two later is okay. I’ll post the roundup by the 25th.

Dinner and a Movie: Shirley Valentine Roundup (Taramasalata with Homemade Pita Chips)

Susan — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:40:00 +0000

Ack! I’m finally getting around to posting the roundup for this month’s Dinner and a Movie! I apologize for getting this up so late! I’ve been playing catch-up ever since I returned from my Great Seattle Adventure, and unfortunately, DaaM suffered for it. I hope you all subscribe to the adage “Better late than never”, because this is late, late, late! That doesn’t mean, however, that these Shirley Valentine entries are anything less than awesome – because they most certainly are!

Shirley Valentine is a fortysomething housewife from Liverpool wondering what has happened to herself, as she feels stagnant and in a rut. She has become a proverbial doormat. Her family pays her so little attention that she’s taken to talking to her kitchen walls in order to keep a conversation going. She’s always dreamed of going to Greece, and when her friend wins a trip for two to Mykonos, Shirley uncharacteristically puts herself first and accepts an invitation to go along. She packs her bags, leaves a note on the kitchen table, and takes off on her dream vacation!

Immersed in her stunningly beautiful surroundings, Shirley takes stock of her life after years of marital neglect and mundane domesticity. What she discovers there is a new awareness of who she is and what her existence can be with just a little effort on her part. (A little tryst with a hunky Greek doesn’t hurt matters either!) When her nice, but complacent husband Joe arrives on the island to bring her back to Liverpool, Shirley is forced to make the most important decision of her life. I’m not going to tell you the ending. I don’t want to ruin it for you if you do decide to watch the movie.

I was very excited to get such positive feedback from so many of you regarding my movie choice for this month. Shirley Valentine is one of my all time favorite films, and many of you feel the same way. The first time that I watched it, I really felt like I could identify with it. It has become my “go to” movie whenever I find myself sinking into a rut and questioning my purpose in the universe. I am fortunate to have a family that is much more supportive of me than Shirley’s is of her, but as I edge my way into middle age, I have definitely felt a lot of the same feelings that Shirley has. I think she is incredibly brave. She hightailed it all the way to Greece! All I did was run away to Seattle for a few days!

I was also very impressed with the entries I received this month. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one inspired by this movie!

I’m bringing two dishes to the party. Both are Greek classics and both recipes were borrowed from my good friend Peter, whose blog, Kalofagas, is a living testament to the fabulousness of Greek cuisine! The first is Taramasalata with Homemade Pita Chips. Taramasalata is a creamy, luscious Greek dip made from the roe of the carp fish. It is a staple on the menu of most Greek restaurants, and we here at Chez SGCC love it! You can find Peter’s recipe for Taramasalata here.

I never cared much for pita chips until I began making my own. I always found them dry, thick and waaaay too hard. I’m talking tooth cracking hard! My Homemade Pita Chips are light, thin, delicate and super crispy. They are also ridiculously simple to make. All you do is cut regular pita bread into wedges and then split each wedge into two pieces. Lay them all out on a baking sheet and lightly brush them with olive oil (extra-virgin, of course). Then, sprinkle some salt, pepper, and whatever herbs and spices you like on them and bake at 350 deg. F. for about 15 minutes. That’s it. Done. They keep well for a couple of days in a zip lock bag. Trust me. You will never go back to the stuff in the bags after you’ve tried these!

My second DaaM dish is Souvlaki. Souvlaki is a popular Greek dish consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It may be served on the skewer for eating out of hand, in a pita sandwich with garnishes and sauces, or on a dinner plate, often with fried potatoes or rice pilaf. You can click on the link for the recipe for Peter’s Souvlaki

Lisa from My Own Sweet Thyme sent over another popular Greek dip. Who doesn’t love a delicious, garlicky, lemony Hummus? I certainly do!

Lisa says that “Like Shirley, Hummus is a wonderful and exotic recipe that is often taken for granted. Becoming reacquainted with the excitement of making it adds a new appreciation for an old favorite.”

Your Hummus looks droolworthy, Lisa. Thanks so much for sending it over!

Gabi from The Feast Within sent over these lovely Sweet Potato Chips and Egg with Oregano Feta Gremolata. Gabi says that “Chips and Egg” is a pivotal dish in the movie. If you read her post, you’ll understand why. It is a classic British dish. She tried to pull Greece a bit closer with the Oregano/Feta Gremolata. It looks wonderful Gabi! Thanks for sharing it!

Meg from A Dash of Nutmeg made another tempting potato dish. Her Greek-Inspired Twice-Baked Potatoes with Capers and Feta look to die for! Meg says that, “Inspired by Greece in the movie, I decided to make these potatoes. They are nice and creamy and I was happy to taste how well the flavors in the capers and the feta cheese play off one another.” Thanks so much to Meg for sharing them!

I like to call Bellini Valli from More Than Burnt Toast the United Nations of food bloggers. She frequently features the most mouthwatering international dishes on her blog, and has a special place in her heart for Greece. Val made some Pan Fried Halloumi to share with us. Halloumi is a Greek cheese, usually made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk. It has quite a high melting point, and so can easily be fried or grilled. Thanks, Val! It really looks divine!

Zabeena from A Lot on My Plate says that “The film probably should have inspired something symbolic of transformation and renewal, but all I could think was: Greek Food! Stifado!! We had discovered it either in Crete or Corfu, brought back a cookery book from there, and cooked this dish frequently for a while. And then we forgot about it again. Strange, how that happens. Slipping into routines, getting stuck in a rut. Forgetting all the other things you used to love. A little bit like Shirley.”

Zabeena’s Moschári Stifado is a beef ragout with onions, vinegar and tomato sauce. I’m positively drooling over that lovely picture! It looks so delicious! Thanks, Zabeena!

Rebecca from Madindex joins us all the way from Denmark. She was so inspired by Shirley Valentine that she created a whole dinner around it!

Check this out!

Rebecca says that “The film, Shirley Valentine, captures quite nicely the emotions the south of Europe can stir up in us North Europeans. If you have watched “Italian for Beginners” you may know what I’m talking about. The south is passion and sun, and always something we long for and dream about, especially during the long dark winter (no, actually most of the year). Although the film takes place in Greece, I decided to go for everything that reminded my cold, Scandinavian heart about sun, passion and long holidays in the south of Europe. The result is a bit of Greece and a bit of Spain – and despite the touristic touch of the dishes, they also symbolise the simple, and yet rich Mediterranean food – rich in good ingredients and rich in olive oil!”

Well done, Rebecca! Thank you!

Now, what’s a fabulous Greek feast without a little something sweet? We’ve got you covered!

Kris from The Back of the Cupboard sent over some delectable Loukoumathes for us to drool over.

“Pronounced loo-koo-MAH-thes, these little yeasted balls of dough are deep fried until puffed and golden and then drizzled with lots of honey and sprinkled with cinnamon. A New Years Eve tradition in parts of Greece, I thought they went perfectly with a movie based on change and getting a fresh start.”

I completely agree, Kris. Actually, with a plateful of these, I probably wouldn’t even mind being in a rut! Thanks for sharing them!

My good friend Cakelaw from Laws of the Kitchen made a lovely and refreshing Lime and Yoghurt Sorbet.

Cakelaw explains that “As Shirley’s adventures centre on her experiences in the Greek Islands, I am naturally inspired to make a Greek-style recipe for this event. During the film, Shirley Valentine rediscovers her zest for life. Together, these elements led me to make a Lime and Yoghurt Sorbet…..Why? It’s a Greek-style recipe and its zesty, uplifting flavour mirrors Shirley’s new-found zest for life.”

I love the way you think, Cakelaw, and I love this sorbet too. It’s the perfect finale for our Greco-inspired buffet! Thanks so much for sending it over!

I hope you’ll take a few minutes and check out all of these terrific recipes. I also hope you’ll play along with my co-host Marc and I next time when our featured movie will be Monsoon Wedding. You can read all about it here.

Ciao for now!

May Dinner and a Movie: Shirley Valentine (Souvlaki and Tzatziki)

Susan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:11:00 +0000

Who hasn’t ever questioned the relevance of their place in this world? Very few, I would imagine. I think you know what I mean. Maybe you’ve stood in front of your mirror one day and asked yourself, “Who the hell am I, and what am I supposed to be doing here?”. Or, perhaps you’ve reached a point in your life where you look back and wonder what happened to all of your dreams and the plans you made. Have you gotten so bogged down in the everyday minutia of your life that you lost yourself somewhere along the way? Are you merely existing instead of living? If true contentment can only come from within ourselves, why do most of us have such a hard time finding it?

I struggle with these issues myself from time to time, and I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing. It’s important to stand back and take stock of yourself sometimes – to question where you’ve been and where you’re going. It helps us to grow and evolve and hopefully, to become better. One of the reasons that I chose Shirley Valentine as this month’s Dinner and a Movie selection, is because this award-winning British film examines these struggles in a very charming, poignant and humorous way. It struck a chord with me when I first watched it back in 1989, and is even more relevant to me today.

Shirley Valentine-Bradshaw is a fortysomething housewife from Liverpool wondering what has happened to herself, as she feels stagnant and in a rut. She has become a proverbial doormat. Her family pays her so little attention that she’s taken to talking to her kitchen walls in order to keep a conversation going. She’s always dreamed of going to Greece, and when her friend wins a trip for two to Mykonos, Shirley uncharacteristically puts herself first and accepts an invitation to go along. She packs her bags, leaves a note on the kitchen table, and takes off on her dream vacation!

Another reason that I chose Shirley Valentine, is because I felt that there was a lot of inspiration to be had in it when deciding on your DaaM submissions. From the humble chips and egg to a myriad of mouthwatering Greek specialties to choose from, everyone should be able to come up with a fabulous dish like this Souvlaki I made a few weeks ago.

Anyone who spends any amount of time surfing the food blogs has probably come across Peter from Kalofagas. Peter is a Greek from Toronto who writes a wonderful blog devoted to Greek food and recipes. Not only is he a creative and adventurous cook, he is like a one man Greek Tourism Board! With every recipe he presents, he shares a bit of Greek history and culture as well. Whenever I visit Kalofagas I am tantalized, inspired and always impressed!

Souvlaki is a popular Greek dish consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It may be served on the skewer for eating out of hand, in a pita sandwich with garnishes and sauces, or on a dinner plate, often with fried potatoes or rice pilaf. Pork is the traditional meat used, although it can also be made with chicken, beef or lamb. I made my Souvlaki with pork, using Peter’s recipe. Let me just say, it was terrific!

To go along with the Souvlaki, I also made Peter’s Tzatziki, which is one of the classic sauces in Greek cuisine. It is a creamy and delicious combination of yogurt, cucumber, dill and garlic, which makes a refreshing accompaniment to grilled meats.

I hope I’ve convinced you to play along with my co-host Marc from No Recipes and I this month and give Shirley Valentine a watch. It is a really lovely and sweet movie with an important message. May’s post date will be on May 20. Please visit our Dinner and a Movie page for all of the details on submitting an entry for the round-up. I hope to see you all there!

Dinner and a Movie: Wedding Crashers and Rumaki

Susan — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:41:00 +0000

Wedding Crashers is on the marquee this month at Dinner and a Movie. This romantic comedy is about Washington, D.C. divorce mediators John and Jeremy, business partners and lifelong friends, who share a unique hobby – crashing weddings! Their plan is to charm their way into any wedding – and into the hearts of every bridesmaid – for just one night. But, at the biggest social event of the year, John breaks the rules and falls for Claire, the daughter of the U.S. Secretary of Treasury, while Jeremy is left at the mercy of her “stage-five-clinger” sex-crazed sister Gloria! John and Jeremy are later able to finagle to a weekend party at the sisters’ family estate, where hilarity ensues and they both learn a few lessons about love.

Okay, I’ll admit that Wedding Crashers is not my idea of great cinema. If my co-host, Marc from No Recipes hadn’t chosen it for this month’s DaaM, I probably would never have given it a chance. But, I did really enjoy watching it. This film had a lot more going for it than the trailers gave it credit for.

Who doesn’t love a great wedding? I know I do! And, I’ve certainly been to my share of them. But, let’s face it. Aside from celebrating some happy couple’s undying love, blah, blah, blah, beginning their new life together, blah, blah, blah, the main reasons most people attend weddings are for the food, and hopefully, an open bar! A visit to the open bar before one heads over to the buffet is often recommended, because unfortunately, the food is sometimes also blah, blah, blah.

If you attend enough weddings, you eventually come to recognize “standard wedding fare”. These are the items that seem to pop up at every reception, as though there was some universal wedding menu checklist that every bride had to choose from. Those mini quiches, shrimp cocktails and Swedish meatballs never fail to make the cut.

For my submission this month, I’ve made for you the King of the Cocktail Hour: Rumaki! I don’t think I attended one wedding during the 80′s that didn’t have this little gem on buffet line.

Rumaki is a Polynesian-style hors d’oeuvre. It was invented by Victor Jules Bergeron, Jr, known as “Trader” Vic. Its ingredients and method of preparation vary, but usually it consists of water chestnuts and nuggets of chicken liver marinated in soy sauce, ginger and brown sugar which is wrapped in bacon and and broiled. Rumaki was a hugely popular wedding and cocktail party nosh in the 60′s, 70′s and 80′s.

While traditional Rumaki does feature chicken livers, there are also many other versions using different proteins for those who are “liveraphobes”. Happily, I am not one of them! For those who are, I have also prepared a variation made with sea scallops and pineapple. I wouldn’t want anyone to feel left out!

Rumaki isn’t difficult to prepare, as it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Rolling them up can be a little tricky, though. I’ve used a recipe adapted from Gourmet Magazine from as the basis for both versions.

Traditional Rumaki

Ingredients:

1/4 lb chicken livers, trimmed and rinsed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
24 canned water chestnuts, drained
12 bacon slices, cut crosswise in half
24 wooden toothpicks, soaked in water for 1 hour

Directions:

Cut chicken livers into 1/2-inch pieces. Stir together soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and curry powder. Add livers and water chestnuts and toss to coat. Marinate in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.
Remove livers and water chestnuts from marinade and discard marinade. Place 1 piece of bacon on a work surface and put 1 piece of liver and 1 chestnut in center. Wrap bacon around liver and chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
Place rumaki on a broiler pan and bake for about 10-12 minutes. Then, move the oven rack up to 2 inches from heat, and turn on the broiler. Broil rumaki for about 2-3 minutes per side, turning once, until bacon is crisp and livers are cooked.
Serve immediately with Spicy Pineapple-Apricot Dipping Sauce (recipe follows).

Scallop Rumaki

Ingredients:

12 large sea scallops, sliced in half horizontally
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
24 canned water chestnuts, drained
24 small fresh or canned pineapple chunks
12 bacon slices, cut crosswise in half
24 wooden toothpicks, soaked in water for 1 hour

Directions:

Stir together soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, and curry powder. Add scallops and water chestnuts and toss to coat. Marinate in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Preheat broiler.
Remove scallops and water chestnuts from marinade and discard marinade. Place 1 piece of bacon on a work surface and put 1 scallop, 1 chestnut and 1 pineapple chunk in center. Roll up in the bacon and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
Broil rumaki on rack of a broiler pan 2 inches from heat, turning once, until bacon is crisp and scallops are cooked, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Serve immediately with Spicy Pineapple-Apricot Dipping Sauce (recipe follows).

Spicy Pineapple-Apricot Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup pineapple preserves
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup pineapple-apricot horseradish sauce (Silver Spring brand) or honey mustard
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sambal oelek (Thai chili sauce)(more if you really like it spicy)

Mix all ingredients together in a small heatproof bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir and set aside.

Previously, on Dinner and a Movie:

Moonstruck, featuring Pasta Norma

Chocolat, featuring Chocolate Truffles

Dinner and a Movie: Moonstruck Roundup (Pasta alla Norma)

Susan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:37:00 +0000

Moonstruck is a delightful and endearing romantic comedy about love and life set in New York City’s Italian-American community. In it, Loretta Castorini, (brilliantly played by Cher), an unlucky in love Italian widow (her first husband was hit by a bus) finds romance through the intervention of la bella luna. With her second wedding to stodgy mama’s boy, Johnny Cammareri, just weeks away, she meets and reluctantly falls hopelessly in love with her fiance’s estranged younger brother, Ronny! Her dilemma and her hilariously eccentric family make for an unforgettably enchanting and irresistible movie experience.

I chose Moonstruck for this month’s Dinner and a Movie, first and foremost, because I love it. I love it not only for its abundant humor, warmth and charm, but also because of its rich ethnic flavor and pervasive theme that love and family are the most important things in life and are meant to be celebrated with gusto! And, there is a helluva lot of gusto going on in that movie!

As an Italian-American from the Bronx, watching Moonstruck is an emotional experience for me. I can really identify with it. In fact, several of the characters could have come straight out of my own family album! Each time I watch it, a comforting wave of familiarity and understanding washes over me. In the final scene, where the music swells and the camera pans to all of the old family photos, I always spill a few tears.

Another reason that I love this movie is for its beautiful music, much of which is taken from Puccini’s glorious opera, La Boheme. According to both Norman Jewison and John Patrick Shanley, the director and screenwriter of the film, Moonstruck was always intended to have an operatic feel from its conception. Jewison specifically envisioned La Boheme because he felt that its music was the perfect vehicle to enhance the various dramatic, comedic and romantic elements of the film. It worked. Imagine Moonstruck without Puccini’s music. It just wouldn’t be the same!

Remember this scene? It’s the one where Ronny takes Loretta to the opera for the first time to see La Boheme at The Met. Loretta is moved to tears as the singers perform the beautiful duet, Donde Lieta Usci. I think it is one of the most compelling in the whole movie.

Italian opera was the inspiration for my dish, Pasta alla Norma. Pasta alla Norma is a divine concoction of eggplant, onions, tomatoes, basil and ricotta salata, a semi-hard salted ricotta cheese, served over pasta. Legend has it that this classic Sicilian dish was named for Vincenzo Bellini’s popular bel canto opera, Norma, which premiered in 1831 at La Scala.

The most famous and memorable Norma of all time was Maria Callas, with eighty-nine stage performances of the opera under her belt. If you look closely at my photos, you can see a picture of La Divina, herself, as Norma in a 1950 production at La Fenice in Venice.

There are many variations of Pasta alla Norma, but the essentials of the dish are pretty much the same. The traditional preparation is with fried eggplant, although I’ve seen recipes where the eggplant is roasted. I made the fried version because it is more authentic and…..what the hell? How often do I fry eggplant?

Pasta alla Norma
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 large globe eggplants, diced into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, small dice
4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon-1tablespoon hot chili flakes, according to taste
One 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
2 sprigs fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta of your choice (I used rigatoni)
6-8 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled or thickly grated
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn or sliced for garnish

Directions:

Place the diced eggplant in a large colander with a plate underneath it and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt. Place another plate on top of the eggplant and let stand for 30-45 minutes. Remove the eggplant and dry thoroughly with a paper towel.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and chili flakes for the last minute or two until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes and basil sprigs to the saucepan. Bring to a healthy simmer, lower heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer for about 15-20 minutes more, or until sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper if needed.

While sauce is simmering, cook the pasta and the eggplant. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente.

In a large skillet heat, the 1/2 cup olive oil over medium high heat until almost smoking. Add the eggplant in batches and fry until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.

To serve, toss the pasta with the tomato sauce. Top with the eggplant. Sprinkle the ricotta salata over the top and garnish with the sliced basil.

Enjoy!

And, now for the Roundup:

Maryann from Finding La Dolce Vita believes that an Italian movie needs Italian Popcorn! So, she sent over this “Italianized” version. Popped in olive oil and tossed with Italian herbs, spices and Parmesan cheese, this looks like the perfect tasty snack to curl up on the couch with! Thanks, Maryann!

Lola from Aglio, Olio & Peperoncino sent over her Mamma’s Pasta e Ceci. Lola says “This dish is a family legacy, and since most of the comedy’s dialogue scenes take place with the family gathered around the kitchen table, and Grandpa dispensing wisdom and humor with each bite, I wished to honor that homey Italian family tradition by contributing with my mother’s famed Pasta e Ceci soup.”

Thank you Lola! We’re honored that you’ve shared a treasured family recipe with us!

This delicious looking Peppers and Cheese Focaccia comes from Andreas of Delta Kitchen. Andreas says that his dish was inspired by the Italian bakery in the movie. Don’t you just love those vibrant colors? Thanks, Andreas!

Holly from Food and Entertaining – Holly Hadsell – El Hajji calls her dish Moonegg. She loves all the food scenes in Moonstruck and it was hard for her to make one choice. She decided on this egg dish because it was the first time she had seen anything like it. Great choice, Holly. It looks mighty tasty! Thanks for sending it over!

My incredibly talented and creative co-host, Marc from No Recipes contributed his take on “Pasta Fazool”. Marc’s inspiration for his dish was the opening song in the movie. He says, “The movie opens to the song That’s Amore which mentions Pasta Fazool in one of it’s verses. Watching the movie, it’s a dish I could totally
see showing up on the Castorini’s dinner table.”

You’re so right, Marc. Your Pasta Fazool, itsa maka me drool! Thank for sharing this with us!

These luscious Italian Wedding Cupcakes came from Lisa of My Own Sweet Thyme. Lisa says that like the movie itself, these Italian Wedding Cupcakes have a dark sweetness, tempered by a tart glow and a nutty texture that is Oh, So Good! I completely agree, Lisa. They look amazing! Thanks!

Zabeena from A Lot on My Plate sent over not one, but TWO great dishes! The first, Steak Diane, was actually inspired by that big, beautiful full moon. Zabeena says that the effect of a full moon plays an important role in the film – “she brings the woman to the man” – she referring to Roman Moon goddess Luna. Another moon goddess is Diana, hence Steak Diane. A steak was, of course, also particularly fitting because it is what Loretta cooks for Ronny in the film when they first meet. (I love the way that girl thinks!)

Zabeena’s other dish, Ciabatta Breakfast Starter, was inspired by the kitchen scene where Rose cooks Loretta up some eggs in the hole for breakfast.

Both Dishes look fabulous! Thanks, Zabeena!

“Moonstruck is not exactly a film about food… it’s mostly about love, family and starting over again. But because Nicolas Cage plays a one-handed baker named Ronnie Cammareri and there are subsequently many scenes of his bakery, I think Moonstruck still counts as a food movie.” explains Bellini Valli from More Than Burnt Toast. So, in honor of the movie and the baker, she has sent over her Pasta Shells with Shrimp and Garlicky Bread Crumbs – a Parmesan and a lemon anchovy pasta salad with shrimp. Sounds absolutely divine, Val. Thanks for sharing it with us!

Pat from Mille Fiori Favorati was born and bred in Brooklyn, not far from Brooklyn Heights and Carroll Gardens, where much of Moonstruck was filmed. She feels that the movie portrays a true slice of Brooklyn life.

Pat says, “Because I think Moonstruck’s Johnny Cammareri was a “baccala” –which is also known as an Italian slang word for a less than smart person — for letting Loretta’s love slip from his life in the movie to his brother Ronny, I prepared my version of “Baccala Florentine” as my dinner recipe.”

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this month’s installment of Dinner and a Movie. I’ve certainly had a great time putting it together for you. Stay tuned for details about next month’s movie. Marc gets to choose, and I’m sure it will be another great one!

By the way, I also wanted to mention that some of these great screenshots came from Echte Tunus of Movie Screenshots. You should check out his site. He does really nice work!

March Dinner and a Movie: Moonstruck and Spaghetti and Meatballs

Susan — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:53:00 +0000

Hey, fellow movie fans! Are you ready for another installment of Dinner and a Movie? Hope so, because this month I get to choose! And, I’ve picked one of my all time favorite films: Moonstruck!

Moonstruck is a delightful and endearing romantic comedy about love and life set in New York City’s Italian-American community. Although the film dates back to 1987, it’s charm is timeless. In it, Loretta Castorini, an unlucky in love Italian widow (her first husband was hit by a bus) finds romance through the intervention of a big, beautiful and very full moon. With her second wedding just weeks away, she meets and reluctantly falls hopelessly in love with her fiance’s estranged younger brother! Her dilemma and her hilariously eccentric family make for an unforgettably enchanting and irresistible movie experience.

I selected Moonstruck as this month’s movie for several reasons. First of all, I love, love, love it! Secondly, I felt that the decidedly ethnic flavor and various subplots of the film would give you all lots to work with when deciding what your dishes would be. Thirdly, did I mention that I love this movie?

Anyway, if you want to play along this month with my co-host, Marc (No Recipes) and me, check out Marc’s Dinner and a Movie page. You’ll find all of the event guidelines there, including how and where to send your entries.

The post deadline for this month’s installment of Dinner and a Movie, featuring Moonstruck, will be on Saturday, March 28. I will be posting the roundup here at SGCC shortly thereafter. Our live Twitter movie event will be the week before, on Saturday March 21, at 9PM EST. Just log on to Twitter, pop the movie in your DVR, grab some popcorn and watch the movie along with us, tweeting along the way!

I’m really looking forward to this one. I can’t wait to see what you all come up with this month!

Now, because I’m so incredibly efficient (NOT!), and because I just wouldn’t feel right about sending you off empty-handed, I’m leaving you with some delicious Spaghetti and Meatballs to tide you over.

This Spaghetti and Meatballs is going over to Maryann from Finding La Dolce Vita and Marie from Proud Italian Cook for their second annual Festa Italiana event. Come and join them at their festive tables under the shade of twisting grapevines, as they eat, drink, laugh, dance and sing the time away. They have already started posting the roundups here and here, so what are you waiting for!?!?

SCGG’s Spaghetti and Meatballs
(Printable Recipe)

1 lb cooked spaghetti

For the meatballs:

1 lb. ground chuck
1/2 lb ground veal
1/2 lb ground pork
2 cloves finely minced garlic
1 medium sweet onion, coarsely grated
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 cup panko crumbs soaked in 1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt

For the sauce:

3-4 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
1 tbs fresh thyme leaves
4 28 oz cans peeled, whole tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) or the same amount of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
3 tbs tomato paste
1 batch baked meatballs
1/2-1 tsp red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil for garnish
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until combined. Do not overhandle or the meatballs will be tough. The mixture should be moist, but hold together. If the mixture appears too wet, add more panko crumbs, a little at a time. If it is too dry, add a little more milk.

Form into balls, about 1-1 1/2 inches in diameter. You should get about 20 meatballs out of this recipe.

Place meatballs on a shallow baking sheet and bake until they start to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

In the meantime, begin making your sauce. Put whole tomatoes into a large bowl. With your (clean) hands, squish and mush them until they are all broken up. If you’re using crushed tomatoes, skip this step. Set aside.

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. When the oil is hot, reduce heat to medium and add the onion, carrots and thyme. Saute about 8-10 minutes or until onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute a few minutes more, until it becomes fragrant. Be careful not to burn it.

Add the wine and whisk in the tomato paste. Let it bubble up and cook down for a minute or two.

Add the tomatoes to the pot and stir, mixing everything together.

Add the red pepper flakes and 1/4 cup of the basil. I usually like to add a little salt and pepper at this point as well.

Stir again, cover the pot and wait for the sauce to begin to bubble. Reduce heat to medium low and keep sauce at a simmer.

Carefully, lower the meatballs into the sauce. Don’t stir at this point because you don’t want to break up the meatballs. Cover and gently simmer for about 30 minutes. Then, uncover, gently stir and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes more. If, for some reason, your sauce starts to burn or stick a little on the bottom of the pot, do not scrape it with your spoon or else the whole sauce will taste burned!

Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Remove meatballs to a large bowl or platter and keep warm. Place the pasta on a large serving platter and ladle the sauce on top. Toss well. Serve the meatballs separately or on top of the spaghetti. Top it off with the rest of the fresh basil and grated cheese.

Serve and enjoy!

Here are some other great pasta dishes from the SGCC archives:

Easy Peasy Meatball Ziti

Pasta e Fagioli

Pasta Pissaladierre

Spaghetti fra Diavolo con Vongole

Spaghetti all’ Amatriciana

Dinner and a Movie: Chocolat (Chocolate Truffles)

Susan — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 02:49:00 +0000

I’m very excited to be posting about the first installment of Dinner and a Movie, a new monthly blog event co-hosted by Marc of No Recipes and yours truly. Each month, Marc and I will select a new movie to watch, which will hopefully inspire you all to cook or bake something fabulous. Watch the film, run with an idea, then share it with all of us. The trick is that not every movie chosen will be a “foodie film”, so you’ll really have to get creative. But, we know you can do it! We hope you’ll join us each month on what is sure to be delicious journey though some of our favorite films.

The movie we have chosen for this month is Chocolat. As you may already know, Chocolat is about Vianne, a rather bohemian woman and her young daughter in 1960, who open a chocolate shop in a small, conservative French village during Lent. At first, they are met with skepticism and resistance, but soon their exuberance and incredible chocolates win their acceptance into the community – almost! It is a truly sensual film full of charm, drama, romance, passion and, of course……chocolate!

The obvious choice when deciding what to make for this event was some kind of chocolate truffle. After all, Vianne’s little shop was full of them. I was banking in the fact that everyone else figured this too and decided to make something else. Then, I could make truffles and not look like a big, fat copycat. So far, it seems to have worked, because I haven’t noticed any other truffle entries…..yet. It doesn’t matter anyway, really, because I, for one, believe that there can never be enough chocolate truffles in this world. So there!

About halfway through the movie, Vianne meets Roux, a handsome, gypsy drifter, and of course, they fall in love. Well, actually they first fall in lust. The love part comes later. But, I digress……

Anyway, the inspiration for my recipe comes from Vianne and Roux. My Spicy Chocolate Chili Truffles are for Vianne, because she is sweet, warm and a little bit spicy. My Chocolate Espresso Truffles were inspired by Roux, who is deep, mellow and a little dark.

Spicy Chocolate Chili Truffles (Les Truffes pour Vianne)

8 oz good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, 62% cacao or higher.
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tbsp softened butter
Good quality cocoa powder for coating

Chop chocolate in a bowl.

Heat cream to simmer. Add chili flakes and steep for 15-20 minutes. Reheat cream to simmer. Add chipotle powder and stir.

Pour cream mixture over the chocolate through a strainer. Let sit a few minutes and gently stir until well combined.

Drop small bits of butter into ganache and continue stirring until smooth and homogeneous.

Let ganache sit until cooled. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours until firm and “scoopable”.

Remove, and with a teaspoon or melon baller, scoop out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly to avoid melting, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

Roll truffles in cocoa powder and serve.

Chocolate-Espresso Truffles (Les Truffes pour Roux)

8 oz good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, 62% cacao or higher. (I used a mix of each)
1/2 cup cream
2 tsps espresso powder
1 tbsp softened butter
3 ounces white chocolate, chopped for coating
Roasted espresso beans for garnish

Heat cream to simmer. Add espresso powder and stir until dissolved.

Pour cream over chocolate and let sit a few minutes. Then, gently stir until well combined.

Drop small bits of butter into ganache and continue stirring until smooth and homogeneous.

Let ganache sit until cooled. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours until firm and “scoopable”.

Remove and with a teaspoon or melon baller, scoop out balls of the ganache. Roll in your hands quickly to avoid melting, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the refrigerator overnight.

Melt white chocolate in a small bowl. Carefully dip truffles in and set on parchment paper. Top with an espresso bean and let sit until coating hardens.

Enjoy!

(Printable Recipes)

Don’t Miss the Premiere of Dinner and a Movie!

Susan — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:31:00 +0000

I have some exciting news for you! Well, I hope you’ll find it exciting, because I sure do. A while back, I told you all about my idea for a new monthly blog feature called Dinner and a Movie. As it turns out, the very talented and creative Marc from No Recipes was percolating his own idea for an almost identical event. Rather than duplicate the concept, we got together and decided to collaborate instead. So, starting in February, Marc and I will be the co-hosts of Dinner and a Movie.

Join us each month on a delicious journey though some of our favorite films. Each month we will select a new movie to watch, which will hopefully inspire you to cook or bake something fabulous. Watch it, run with an idea, then share it with all of us. The trick is that not every movie chosen will be a “foodie film”, so you’ll really have to get creative. But, we know you can do it!

We are encouraging everyone who participates in this event to post about their dish on same day, which will be the last Saturday of each month. To make things even more interesting (and fun), Marc and I will also host a Dinner and a Movie Night as a live event on Twitter each month on the Saturday before. We’ll all watch the movie together and tweet along, sharing our observations, snarky comments and hopefully, some great food ideas. Attendance is optional, but guaranteed to be a blast! Don’t forget to bring your own popcorn. I’m not sharing!

As co-hosts, Marc and I will share the duties of selecting the movies and posting the round-ups by alternating months. For February, Marc has chosen one of his favorite films (and mine), Chocolat.

I can’t imagine anyone interested in food not having seen this movie already, but in case you haven’t, Chocolat is about a rather bohemian woman and her young daughter in 1960, who open a chocolate shop in a small, conservative French village during Lent. At first, they are met with skepticism and resistance, but soon their exuberance and incredible chocolates win their acceptance into the community – almost! You’ll have to watch the movie to learn the rest!

The post date for this month’s installment of Dinner and a Movie, featuring Chocolat, will be on Saturday, February 28. Our Twitter movie night will be on Saturday February 21, at 9PM EST.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if you don’t have a blog. Be creative, take some inspired photos but most importantly have fun!

Marc has laid out all of the details for Dinner and a Movie here and here. Please check out those pages for more specifics. Here are the basic guidelines for participating:

We encourage everyone to post on the last Saturday of the month, (in this case February 28). However, if circumstances prevent you from posting on that day, feel free to post a day or two earlier.
In your post, write a paragraph explaining how the movie inspired you to make your dish.
Include the event banner below in your post and a link back to both co-hosts.

4. Send your submission to the host for the month, in this case to Marc, at dm@norecipes.com by February 28, 11:59pm EST and include the following info:

Your name
Blog name (if applicable)
Blog URL (if applicable)
Name of dish
Brief description of your dish and how the movie inspired you to make it.
Attach a photo that’s no larger than 500 x 500.

We can’t wait to see what you all come up with!