Juno - Buns in the Oven
Bun Dough:
In a bowl combine
1 ½ tsp dry yeast, ½ tsp sugar, 1/3 C warm water-Stir until dissolved.
Add: ¾ C flour -Mix. Seal with Plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.
Combine in large mixer bowl
3 ¼ C flour, ½ C sugar, 3 tbsp shortening, 2 tbsp chives
To the yeast mixture add
1/2 C cold water, 2 tbsp milk. 1 egg beaten
Add slowly to the flour mixture and blend on slow speed until dough resembles a soft ragged mass. (If too sticky, add a little flour until you get the right consistency.)
Knead until you get a soft ball. Put in a large bowl and press plastic wrap on top of the dough. Refrigerate 12 hours to one day to rise properly.
After the dough is risen divide into two. Shape each dough into a 1 foot even log. Slice into 12 one inch pieces (like frozen cookie dough). Roll each circle from the outside in so that each bun wrapper has a button of dough in it’s center
Filling:
A day before you make the dough combine :
1 tbsp of hoisin sauce, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 ½ tsp of Chili oil, Tbsp of grated orange zest, 2 tsp cornstarch, 2 tsp rice wine vinegar or sherry-Mix well and add: 1 lb of ground pork: Let marinate overnight.
In one bowl combine:
2 tbsp ginger, 2 tbsp garlic, ½ c chopped scallions, minced red chili
In another combine:
2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 ½ tbsp cider vinegar. ½ tsp chili paste. Lemon grass to taste.
Heat the wok and add a tsp of corn oil. Add the pork to the pan and cook til 95 percent done. Remove and another tbsp of oil and heat. Add
½ c chopped onion
Cook until soft, add first bowl and heat then add:
½ c chopped celery
1 c chopped nappa cabbage
Lower the heat and let stew until soft. Add the pork to the wok and combine add the second bowl and simmer. Combine 2 tbsp of cornstarch and 3 tbsp of chicken stock and add to the pork and let simmer 5 minutes. Remove and let cool. Refrigerate for a day until needed. Let come to room temp before using.
To Assemble the Buns
Place a heaping compressed tablespoon of the mixture in the center of the bun. Pleat the edge of the bun and twist in one direction to seal. Turn the bun over on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Place the buns about 1 ½ inches apart. Brush the tops of the buns with and egg wash and sprinkle with seasame seeds. Let rise 1 – 1 ½ hours. Bake the buns at 350 until golden, 10-12 minutes until golden. If making ahead, bake until light gold, let cool completely, wrap and refrigerate. Before baking, let come to room temp and reheat in a 250 oven until thoroughly hot-about 5-6 minutes. Serve Hot
Ratatouille - Ratatouille Stuffed Tomatoes
2 dozen large cherry tomatoes-tops cut off and hollowed out
1 large eggplant
1 head of garlic-2/3 whole cloves, 1/3 minced
Lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1 zucchini-diced
1 yellow squash-diced
red pepper-diced
orange pepper-diced
Fresh thyme, basil, parsley
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Combine, the diced zucchini, yellow squash minced garlic in one bowl and peppers in another bowl. Toss with olive oil, vinegar and fresh herbs and let marinate for a couple hours.
Cut the eggplant in half brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Take about 2/3 of the garlic cloves and also oil and salt and pepper. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees until eggplant and cloves are soft. Scrape the pulp of the eggplant into a food processor and squeeze the cloves in as well. Add a little olive oil and lemon juice and pulse until you have a smooth paste. Set aside.
Saute the peppers in a skillet until slightly soft, add the garlic and squashes and sauté another minute or two until slightly soft, but not mushy. Add lemon zest and let cool.
Combine the eggplant mixture with the sauté mixture and gently fold together until mixed. Refrigerate until needed. When ready to assemble re-warm the stuffing and spoon in the mixture into the tomatoes.
Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Divine Bell Pepper Dip & Butterfly Shrimp
*winner best appetizer!
Red Pepper Dip
12-13 oz roasted piquillo peppers or regular roasted red peppers-drained of packing oil or water
3-4 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp basil
Process in a food processor until smooth. Line a sieve with a coffee filter and carefully pour the puree into the lined sieve to help soak up any excess water or oil.
In a bowl combine:
8 oz softened cream cheese
Red Pepper puree mixture
Garlic & Onion Powder to taste
A ½ dozen finely crushed pink peppercorns
Mix well and salt to taste. Add ¼-1/3 C firm yogurt* and mix well. Let sit for a couple of hours. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. *If your yogurt is not very firm. Use the same coffee filter/sieve process used for the peppers until you get desired consistency.
Shrimp
1-2 lbs of shrimp
Peel and de-vein shrimp. Carefully butterfly each shrimp, set aside.
Combine 1 package cream cheese with a package of McCormick Parma Rosa Sauce mix, let sit at room temp.
Set out 3 shallow bowls. In one combine some flour, salt and pepper. In another beat 2-3 eggs. In another combine about a cup of panko breadcrumbs, with a package of Good Seasons Italian dressing Mix.
To assemble shrimp:
Spoon a small amount of the cream cheese in the center of each shrimp. Press the shrimp back together. Then dredge the shrimp in the flour mix and shake off any excess. Then dip into the eggs, and then into the Panko mix. Making sure to coat thoroughly. Let shrimp sit for a couple of minutes so that the breading will adhere.
In a deep pot or wok, heat some olive oil to about 350 degrees. Working in small batches fry the shrimp until golden brown. Let dry on paper towels. Serve with Red Pepper dip.
Michael Clayton - Pesto-sides
Pesto Chicken Salad
3-4 C shredded chicken
1 C Mayonnaise
2-3 tbs prepared pesto-plus 1 tbsp oil from pesto or olive oil (if pesto is not oily)
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 tbs parsley
2-3 tbs chopped scallions
salt and pepper to taste
Put the shredded chicken in a large bowl. In another combine the mayo through to the scallions. Whisk well to combine. Add the mayo mix to the shredded chicken set aside
For Artichokes:
2 lemons
3 heads of garlic cloves smashed
8 large artichokes
Fill a large pot with cold water. Squeeze the lemon juice into the water, then toss in the squeezed lemons along with the garlic. Cut the top off of each artichoke. Then trim the stem. Starting at the base start bending the outer leaves until they snap off, continue until you get to the tender inner leaves. Trim the outside of the base so there are no dark green leaves. Cut the artichokes in half and then into quarters. Cut out the fibrous choke and small purple tipped leaves. Submerge the artichokes in the prepared water, cover and boil until tender-about 45 minutes. Drain and let cool.
To assemble:
Arrange artichokes cut side up. Spoon chicken salad into the center of the quarters. Top with parmesan cheese.
No Country for Old Men - That's Nacho Money!
In a small, square Pyrex dish, layer the following from the bottom up:
Cream cheese
chili
salsa or taco sauce
cheddar cheese
Monterey Jack Cheese
Jalapenos
Black olives
Microwave for 2-3 minutes until warm. Serve with Tortilla chips
There will be Blood - Texas Tea
Combine 4 parts Coke, 2 parts Spiced Rum, and 1 part Goldshlager
Atonement - Atone-mints
Make brownies and squish junior mints into the tops of each square when still warm.
Sweeney Todd - Meat Pies
1 lb Hamburger
4-5 good sized potatoes
2 frozen pastry shells
2 tsp salt, pepper, & all spice
Brown hamburger and seasonings. In a pot, boil potatoes, then mash. Drain excess grease from hamburger, then add to potatoes. Mix together well, then pour into pastry shell. Top with pastry cover. Bake at 350 until golden brown (usually about 30 minutes.)
Notables:
Best Acceptance Speech: TIE: Javier Bardem, all pageboy and evil-free, gave a sweet speech, ending with his Spanish message to his Mom, making her cry. We also loved Tilda Swinton's speech which chided her co-star, George Clooney, for his Batman playing, nipple suit wearing past. (Though we hated her dress!)
Best Moment: TIE: We loved the best picture montage which had all attendees alternately "Yay"ing and "boo"ing pictures the winners of their choice. Also, there was no way to resist Sean's glee at "The Bourne Ultimatum" winning its 3 technical awards: "It's swept the audies!"
Worst Moment(s): Cutting off best song co-winner, Marketa Irglova with the damn orchestra before she could even open he mouth! Thankfully, whether by Jon Stewart's or the audience's insistence, she was brought back and able to give her full speech!
Running Gags: Gianna keeping watch to see if she "out-shrimped" Sean and his "George Costanza-esque love of shrimp with her Diving Bell appetizer. (And she did!)
Erin keeping watch over Dianne's ballot with enthusiasm after Dianne had to go home.
We must confess: The entire faction of Oscar party attendees wishing for an upset every time John got another pick right. I mean, who the hell picks "Freeheld" for best documentary short, anyway?
Record(s): The sound-mixing win for “The Bourne Ultimatum” extended the years of Oscar futility for Kevin O’Connell, a nominee for “Transformers,” who holds an academy record: 20 nominations, no wins.
The Pool:
And the Oscar Cup goes to ....
John with 16 out of 24!
winner 3 years of the past 4... who does he think he is, Tracy?
and the rest of us looked like this:
Molly - 14
Sean, Dianne - 13
Jami, Gianna, Stacey - 12
Tom Sr. - 11
Erika, Carol, Susan, Tracy - 10
Jay, Tom - 9
Anne, Paul, Jason - 8
Lynne & Forest - 7
Naya & Cate - 6
Claudette - 5
Mary - 4
