Recipies
Hugo - Wonton-atons
1 cooked chicken breast
1 egg yolk
garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper to taste
tsp or two of fresh grated ginger
diced scallions
tsp of sesame oil
Shred the chicken and then mix with remaining ingredients. Spoon a scant tsp into each wonton skin and fold to directions on packaging. Deep fry and serve with dipping sauces.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Extremely cheesy and incredibly shallow Nachos
In a 9x9 Pyrex dish, layer from the bottom up:
Cream Cheese
No-bean chili
Salsa
Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Sliced Black Olives
Sliced Jalapenos
Warm thoroughly in oven or microwave.
Moneyball - Money balls
*Winner of the om-nom-nom award for best snack
For the white chocolate truffle
1 cup chopped white chocolate
1/3 cup fresh cream
a few drops coconut essence
To be mixed into a topping
3 tbsp coarsely powdered pistachios
3 tbsp dessicated coconut
Divide the white chocolate truffle into 30 equal portions. Shape into even sized rounds. Evenly coat the pistachio and coconut topping on the truffles by rolling them in the topping mixture. Refrigertate until firm. Serve chilled.
The Artist - Burning Filmstrips
For the Seasoning:
- 1 tablespoon seasoning salt
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 pounds chicken breast tenders
For the Batter:
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Make the seasoning: Whisk the seasoning salt, red pepper flakes, cayenne, poultry seasoning, lemon pepper and 2 teaspoons black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons seasoning in a separate bowl.
Rinse the chicken under cold water and place in a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the seasoning, then refrigerate, covered, 1 hour.
Make the batter: Whisk the eggs, hot sauce, red pepper flakes, cayenne and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Put the flour in a shallow dish or pie plate.
In a large deep fryer or Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Dip the chicken in the eggs, then in the flour. Place the chicken strips, three at a time, in the hot oil and fry until golden, 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. Make sure the oil returns to 350 degrees before adding the next batch. Sprinkle the chicken with the reserved seasoning to make them extra hot.
Serve with blue cheese and ranch dressings.
The Descendants - Hawaiian King Crab Rangoons
8 oz pkg Cream Cheese
3/4 C minced crab
1 1/2 T Garlic
1 T ginger
2 1/2 T Chopped Scallions
2 T Crushed Pineapple
Egg Roll Wrappers
Mix filling and place 1-2T in center of Egg Roll Wrappers. Roll up spring roll style. Deep fry at 375 until crisp. Drain and serve with assorted sauces.
Midnight in Paris - Hi-C a rhinoceros
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
- 1 13.2-ounce Baby Brie cheese (about 6 to 7 inches in diameter)
- 1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
For Glaze:
1 1/2- 3/4 C Strawberry HI-C
1/2 c whole strawberries
For Glaze: Start reducing the juice in a small pan. While juice is reducing puree strawberries in a food processor. Add puree to juice and continue to reduce over med-low heat until it becomes syrupy. About 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut top rind off cheese; discard rind. While cold, cut brie into Rhinoceros shape. Place cheese, rindless side up, in center of pastry. Spoon strawberry mixture onto cheese. Fold pastry on 2 opposite sides over cheese. Brush remaining 2 sides of pastry with glaze. Fold over cheese; press seams to seal. Brush pastry with glaze; place on baking sheet.
Bake cheese until pastry is deep golden brown (top of pastry may split open), about 30 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Place baked cheese on serving platter. Serve with crackers and baguette slices
The Help -Segregated Southern Comfort Punch
- 6 Lemons
- 4 navel oranges
- 2 six-ounce frozen lemonade, concentrate
- 1 six-ounce frozen orange juice, concentrate
- 2 liters lemon-lime soda
- 1 liter Southern Comfort
- Line two baking sheets with plastic wrap, and set aside. Slice lemons into rounds as thin as possible. Arrange lemon slices in layers on one prepared baking sheet. Repeat with oranges; layer on second baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until fruit slices are frozen.
- Just before serving, open the cans of frozen lemonade and orange juice, and place the frozen concentrates, whole, in a large punch bowl. Add the soda, Southern Comfort, and several handfuls of ice. Remove frozen fruit slices from freezer, and arrange over the top of punch. Make one batch with alcohol, and one batch free of alcohol. Keep segregated.
War Horse - Joeys
For the Sloppy Joes:
1/4 cup canola oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and diced
1 red onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
24 slider rolls or sweet Hawaiian rolls
Directions
Prepare the sloppy joes: In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, combine the canola oil, bell peppers, jalapeno and onion; cook for 5 minutes. Add the beef and pork; cook thoroughly, breaking up the meat as it browns. Add the garlic. Depending on the amount of residual grease, you may need to drain some of the fat from the pan. Deglaze with the red wine, then stir in the remaining sloppy joe ingredients (except the rolls) and season with 1 tablespoon each salt and freshly ground pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick as it simmers, add up to 1 cup water to adjust the consistency. Toast the rolls and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the onion straws: In a medium sauce pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees. Whisk the egg and milk in a medium bowl. Mix the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper in another medium bowl. Cut the onion in half, then slice into 1-inch-thick half rings; separate into short straw-like pieces. Add to the milk mixture to soak.
Once the oil is hot enough, remove the onions from the milk mixture, shake off excess and dredge in the flour mixture, 4 or 5 pieces at a time. Add to the pot and fry until golden brown; transfer to paper towels to drain.
Serve the sloppy joes on the toasted rolls.
Tree of Life - Lizard in a bathtub
For the Candy Sushi:
1/2 bag of marshmallows
1/8 C margarine
2 1/2 C Rice Crispies
Fruit Leather
Licorice twists of your choice (preferably red & green)
Swedish Fish
Melt the margarine and marshmallows and mix with Rice Crispies. Liberally apply margarine to your hands. Take half the rice crispie mixture and press into a small pan and let firm. Take the other half and divide into three portions. Lightly grease a piece of saran wrap and press the rice crispies into a rectangular shape. Place a red and green licorice into the cent and then form a log jellyroll style (may want to wrap with saran wrap to get the roll firm). Meanwhile cut the rice crispies in the small pan and cut small 1 x 2 inch squares. Place a swedish fish on top and wrap the fish in with a thin strip of fruit leather. Take the logs out of saran wrap and wrap in fruit leather then cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
For the Banana Nut Spring Rolls:
3 ripe bananas
2 tbs of fresh lemon juice plus lemon zest
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 c cashew nuts, toasted and finely chopped
1 package wonton wrappers
1/4 c water
1 egg yolk
In a food processor place the bananas, lemon juice, zest, sugar, salt and cashews and pulse until you get a chunky puree. (for a more firm mixture, place in freezer for a couple hours)
Mix the egg yolk with the water until incorporated.
Place a 1/2 tsp of the mixture in the center of the wonton wrapper. Fold up eggroll/springroll style. Repeat until mixture is gone. Deep fry in 375 degree canola oil until golden. Serve with White Chocolate Wasabi dipping sauce.
White Chocolate Wasabi Dipping Sauce
1 bottle of Sake
1 box of White chocolate squares
1/4 C of heavy cream
2 tbsp prepared wasabi
Reduce the sake over high heat until reduced to 1/2 c. Set aside.
In a double boiler let the white chocolate squares melt down. Once melted add the heavy cream gradually and stir gently until incorporated. Add wasabi and sake reduction and stir in gently.
For the Chickpeas:
Toss with oil of your choice (I used a garlic and chili oil)
Arrange on a sheet pan and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until crispy.
For the Chocolate Covered Bacon:
4 squares of White baker's chocolate
4 squares of Baker's chocolate
Cook bacon evenly, drain and cool. In double boiler, melt chocolates separately. Dip half of the bacon strips in white chocolate, half in the milk chocolate. Shake off excess chocolate and dry on wax or parchment paper.
For the Chickpeas:
Recipe to be posted later
Notes:
All hail Streep: Meryl Streep earns her 17th acting nomination laving Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson in the dust, tied for the second most acting nominations at 12 each.
Next Year, She's playing Michelle Obama: The last time Meryl Streep won an Academy Award, Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
And yet neither stood a chance: For the first time in Oscar history, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese are nominated against each other for Best Picture
Better late than Never Christopher Plummer becomes the oldest acting Oscar winner ever at 82
If it aint on the page: The Artist becomes first silent film since 'The Red Balloon' (1957) to receive Oscar nomination for Original Screenplay
Silence isn't always golden: 'The Artist' becomes the first silent film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, since 'The Patriot' 1928/29 and The first time a silent film has ever received a 'Best Supporting Actress' nomination
That's a lot of nights playing clarinet: Woody Allen has now received an Oscar screenplay nomination in each of the last 5 decades
But can he sing and dance? Brad Pitt has now appeared in five Best Picture nominated films in the last seven years.
Cut, perfect! Thelma Schoonmaker receives her 7th Best Editing nomination - tying her with the most.
I think he's getting the hang of this: It took Christopher Plummer 95 films before he received his 1st Oscar nom. Then just 1 more film to receive his 2nd Oscar nom
The Pool:
And the Oscar Cup goes to....
Tracy Carifa
with a crazy 17 correct picks out of 24!
And the rest of us looked like this:
Tom - 14
Gianna, Anne E - 13
Sean, Jay, Jami - 12
Lynn, Stephanie, Erika - 11
John, Annie - 10
Carol, Jeremiah, Lynne - 9
Anne C, Nathaniel - 8
Nikki, Mary, Susan - 7
Jess - 4
