Dinner and a Movie

You might remember last year, I posted a note on here about a recipe I had done on my movie blog that had been inspired by a movie.
Well, few weeks ago I did another one. This time, inspired by the movie Lost Boys.   I was planning on waiting awhile before posting the note on here, because I have a list of movie inspired recipes I plan on doing over the next few months. But, after searching for a few recipes, I decided I just couldn't wait (the movies are picked, the menu is being researched, and until I get the recipes right, I'm not posting them)
So in the meantime, enjoy the show. 

Recipes that the movie inspired

I just finished posting over on my movie challenge blog, about what the movie Elvira Mistress of the Dark had inspired in me to cook.

I had planned on adding the recipes here to this blog, but after spending over a half hour posting it once, I'm just going to take the lazy way out and link to the post.

The post link

Till next time

A Philly Moment

I know many of you have joined the race to be part of the Real Women of Philadelphia contest.  Good luck to each and all who have entered.
I'm kicking around over there on the community, but I can not enter. (If you wish to friend me on there, poke me in the tummy, or just share some links you can locate me under the name Domestic Damned)

So I thought I would share my favourite Philly cream cheese cheat.  Yes, I call it a cheat.   Why, because it's a too simple recipe for cucumber sandwiches.  

 I used Italian bread, and the Philadelphia Herb and Garlic cream cheese, sliced cucumbers. 
Honestly, it's the easiest thing to create.  Simple, fast, and a perfect for when you get company last minute. 

I'm sure some of you are more skilled at making things look pretty compared to me.  But if you like cucumber tea sandwiches, you have to try it.

Sidenote,   I just got my hands on a copy of As Always, Julia The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto Food Friendship and the Making of a Masterpiece  by Joan Reardon

You know the book that was inspired by all the letters in the movie Julie/Julia.

Though, I have no idea when I will have the chance to read it.  I might try sneaking in bits and pieces between the books I do for review.

Mushroom Burgers

I've mentioned on here while ago about getting a few cookbooks for review.
One of the books happens to be 100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know  by the editors at Glamour Magazine. 
I tried a variation of their mushroom burger. 

Meatless Monday Portobello Burger  as found on page 187

1 garlic clove
2 ounces roasted red peppers from jar drained
1/2 c mayo
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 c freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
Four  4 inch diameter portobello caps
Four 1/4 inch thick slices red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 thick slices good Italian bread
4 loosely packed cups baby arugula

In blender puree garlic, red pepper, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, cayenne, and cheese until smooth. Add 1/4 c olive oil until blended and thick   set aside.

Preheat broiler. line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.  Arrange mushrooms on baking sheet side by side with onion. Brush top with rest of olive oil and use salt and pepper.
Broil for 10 minutes until tender and lightly charred in spots.

Lightly brush the bread slices on one side only with the rest of the olive oil, then broil, without turning, about 1 minute until lightly golden on the oiled sides.

Arrange the bread on work surface, top with the mushrooms, onion, arugula, spread the roasted red pepper sauce on the top slices of bread.

serves 4

My version:
Well, for me that's just too spicy.  I simply used the oil, mayo and mustard. 
I also had a flat style bun instead of the bread.

I also have to say, that our local store here packages the mushroom caps in twos.  At at $4.79 a package, this is not something I would be making too often.

Personally, I find that doing mushroom burgers are better on an outdoor grill during BBQ season.
I much prefer to do eggplant as a burger paddy replacement when doing veggie burger items on a stove.


 You can catch what else I had to say about the cookbook here on my book blog

Homemade slaw

1 large carrot 
1/4 red cabbage
3 tablespoons mayo
3 tablespoons sauerkraut

Julienne the carrot and shred the cabbage, mix all together


This can be made for under $13

Gibby's pasta and cheese

2 c shell shaped pasta
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon table pepper
1 c bread crumbs (I used Tostitos Whole Grain Scoops just crushed)
1 c milk
2 c shredded cheese (I used old cheddar and mozzarella)

*Cook pasta shells as you normally would, then drain and place in pan.
*Sprinkle garlic and pepper, toss, add milk and bake for 10 minutes at 350degrees (depending on your oven)
*Add cheese, toss and bake for 10 minutes at same temp
*Add crumbs on top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes

If you are using regular bread crumbs, you may need to add salt to the mix, but I found the Tostitos were plenty salt(y) enough for my taste.

That doesn't look right

Photo by Kimberly Hulst/hcvp '2010

This is why I do not bake.  I made a lemon cake the other day with a lemon butter frosting. And well... I never said my food was pretty. 
I'm also not a baker at all.  Try as I might, I just could not get the frosting even, it kept falling off and leaving empty spots on the cake.

Lemon cake:
 1 c sugar
1/2 c margarine or butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 c flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 lemons juiced and zested

Mix all
bake in a greased pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees


Frosting:
1/2 c butter
1 c icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix well with electric mixer for about five minutes

Ramen Recipes

I had been doing another blog.  It was successful for what it was, but it put too much pressure on me.
The original theme was a food blog -soap opera.  I ended up dropping it but... here are a few of the ramen recipes I had posted on there.


Ramen #7 (originally posted on Friday April 30th 2010 on The Year I Lived Off Of Ramen Noodles)

2 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 cup frozen vegetables (broccoli, onion, green beans, red peppers, mushroom)
1 serving of noodles
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
parsley
a half can of baby corn

Boil water, add frozen vegetables, add noodles, stir.
Add garlic, parsley and bouillon cube.  Stir.
Drain baby corn then add just as you are turning off the heat.  Stir and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Should serve 3.

I got the noodles in bulk at the Dollar Store.  What at first looked like two servings of noodles, turned out to actually be 8.  Which made it even better for the money.  One package was only $1,  and because it looked to be only two servings per package, I picked up three packages. So for $3 I got my money's worth.

Homemade Ramen  (Originally posted on March 15th 2010 on The Year I Lived Off Of Ramen Noodles) 

Photo by ME copyright hcvp'2010

You read the last post that my oven is dead.
There is one small working burner at this time.

Just enough for me to make a pot of something.

I went out to the grocery yesterday and bought a bag of noodles. Last night I made a small pot of homemade ramen.

3 cup water
1 medium onion sliced
1 cup frozen mixed veggies (carrots, celery, onion, red peppers)
1/2 cup frozen carrot coins
1/2 frozen Asian mixed veggies (broccoli, green beans, onion, mushroom)
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of salt
3 whole black peppercorns
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of marjoram
1 vegetable broth cube
2 handfuls of steamed broadcut noodles

Boil all ingredients EXCEPT the noodles for 20 minutes. Add extra water if needed, stirring every few minutes. Then add dry noodles. Stir turn off heat and serve.
This severs three.

Homemade nacho chips

Originally posted on my main blog Domestic and Damned on Oct 6th 2010

I very happily found a few episodes of Iron Chef American on youtube the other day.  One of the things that they did (it was Cat Cora who made it on Battle Cheddar)  was a homemade cracker using wonton wraps, chocolate and cumin.   She served it with a cheddar for a simple cheese and crackers.

It seemed perfectly easy.  You know what, it sort of was.   Only I had bought eggroll wraps instead of wonton ones thinking there wasn't a massive difference, and lacking a pastry/bbq brush, I simply used a knife to drip the melted chocolate on. and well anyone who's ever used cumin knows it smells like BO.  So stinky bitter crackers that tasted less bitter with large slices of old cheddar.
So here's me thinking,  let's replace the cumin with cinnamon for a sweet instead of savory flavour. Only I still did not have a pastry/bbq brush and had to remelt the chocolate as it hardened slightly.  It still came out bitter.  Mom actually tried the cinnamon ones.
I had sliced all the eggroll wraps already, so I just stuck the next handful in the oven without anything on them.  They turned out much better.

Mom agreed they needed something.  The rest of the package I took to mom's, found her pastry/bbq brush and added oil and salt and pepper.
Lovely!  Just lovely!

 Ingredients : 1 package eggroll wraps, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, pinch each salt and pepper 


Cut wraps in half,
Line ungreased cookie sheet with the wraps,
Brush oil over each,
Sprinkle salt and pepper over tray,
Bake at 350degrees for roughly 7minutes depending on your oven.

I plan on buying a package of wonton wraps today and trying them to see if there is a difference in taste or cooking time.

My Life in France- by Julia Child

I bought this book last November. Every time I picked it up to read it, I was overloaded with books for review (I have a whopping 8 to still review before the first of December!)  I finally decided to just add it to my book club list and spent the last week reading it (when I should have been reading books for review)

My book club will be meeting on the weekend, but I thought I would talk about it a bit here now. While it's fresh in my mind.

I understand why they decided to make this into a movie, her life was just amazing in every turn.  Though I did think she spent too much time on the first half of things and not enough on the later half of her cooking life, (but it was about her start in cooking so it makes perfect sense)

From her friendship/partnership with Simone Beck, to her partnership with her husband, their research and dedication to creating the perfect cookbook took them close to 12 years. The ups and downs of such a project would be more then I think I could handle. 

Almost every page is a listed with menu items that she adored. I can not tell you how many times in the last week that I got it into my head I wanted something from the pages (to the point I invaded my mom's kitchen two days ago and made a creamed potato soup from scratch)
Those of us who do not speak french it did get bogged down at times when she would list off recipes without a translation.  I can also see why with her energetic flavour for things when she describes the recipes; she inspired so many to become cooks.  I found myself scrambling online for episodes of her show to see a few of the recipes first hand.

I, as you can see from the photo,  have the movie tie in version, that does not have the photos and extra indexes that the original printing is suppose to contain. 

I am now on the hunt for a copies of her cookbooks. 

Vegan Pumpkin Cake

1 can pumpkin
2 cups oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
1/3 cup water

Mix well. Put into greased or oiled cake pan and cook for 1 hour on 300, depending on your oven.

Meatless Meatloaf #1

Photo copyright hcvp'2010

1 package Yves Italian Veggie Ground Round (soy replacement product)
1 egg
2 cups ketchup
2 slices bread crumbled (or 3 cups of premade bread crumbs)
1 cup shredded cheese

Mix all together and form into loaf. Bake at 300 for about 45 minutes depending on your oven.

The Italian veggie replacement is a spicy one so no extra spices are needed.

Note, there was no way to make it pretty at all. Ugly food but tastes great

Grandma Perry's Banana Bread

1 and 3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 bananas mashed

Bake for 50 minutes at 350

Pasta with Eggplant

1 eggplant sliced
1 clove garlic (or 1 tablespoon minced)
1 large white mushroom sliced
1/2 can of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cheese
black table pepper
basil
pasta

In a fry pan heat oil, add garlic, mushroom and eggplant.  Saute on medium heat for 10 minutes turning the eggplant every couple of minutes.   
Add the diced tomatoes with liquid, let simmer for 5 minutes then add  half of the cheese.   Remove from heat. 
Prepare pasta, drain, and add to eggplant, stir and turn heat back on low.   Add rest of the cheese, basil and pepper for taste.   Once all the cheese has melted and most of the liquid cooked, remove from heat and serve. 

Episode #4 of My Newfie Kitchen

While my oven is still broken, I went to mom's and we made bread. First try, and here is the comedy routine that it turned out to be.



That's what makes life what it is; food, laughter and bad camera work.

MNK Video #3- Ugly Ramen

While I was at mom's, I made another broth and noodles.




Colour in food is a very foreign idea to Newfies. No matter what we make, it always seems to come out transparent.

Ramen #4

Photo by Kimberly Hulst copyright hcvp'2010

You read that my oven is dead.
There is one small working burner at this time.

Just enough for me to make a pot of something.

I went out to the grocery yesterday and bought a bag of noodles. Last night I made a small pot of homemade ramen.


3 cup water
1 medium onion sliced
1 cup frozen mixed veggies (carrots, celery, onion, red peppers)
1/2 cup frozen carrot coins
1/2 frozen Asian mixed veggies (broccoli, green beans, onion, mushroom)
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of salt
3 whole black peppercorns
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of marjoram
1 vegetable broth cube
2 handfuls of steamed broadcut noodles

Boil all ingredients EXCEPT the noodles for 20 minutes. Add extra water if needed, stirring every few minutes. Then add dry noodles. Stir turn off heat and serve.
This severs three.

Mock Seal Flipper Pie-sort of

I have been saying for two months one goal was to take a seal flipper pie recipe and make a vegetarian version.

Well today I did... sort of.

I didn't realize it was so hard to find. After no luck for either me or mom hunting through the cook books, I ended up having to go online for a copy of the recipe.
So, off to the grocery I went for ingredients. And after 2 hours... it didn't really turn out. Well, not true, it turned out...dry.
It tasted alright, as I used the Mexican flavoured Yves Ground Round (soy meat replacement)
I did not get a photo however as I made it at mom's and forgot my camera at home.

Original Seal Flipper Pie

3 seal flippers
salt pork
3 potatoes
2 carrots
3 parsnip
1/2 turnip
salt
pepper
1 onion
1 cup beef stock

Pastry topping

Remove all the fat from the flippers, reduce salt pork, fry flippers in the salt pork,
In casserole dish add stock, flipper meat, vegetables, salt and pepper cook for 2 hours at 375
add pastry topping and cook uncovered for another half hour.

Well, since I was doing a veggie version, I forgot to replace the stock. So it ended up really dry.

Mock Seal Flipper Pie

1 large carrot
1 large onion
2 large potatoes
2 parsnip
1/2 turnip
1 package Mexican Yves Ground Round
4 sheets Philo Dough

Chop turnip and carrots, boil for twenty minutes. Drain. Chop onion, add mix well. Chop potatoes and parsnip boil for twenty five minutes. Drain. Add to bowl, mix well. Add Yves Ground Round, mix well.
Layer 2 of the Philo Dough on the bottom of dish, add the mixture then layer the other 2 sheets of Philo Dough. Cook for 15 minutes on 375.

Now, as I said, it tasted okay, just abit on the dry side. I know, I had forgotten that the meat replacement does not have any fat in it at all.
I am considering this a first try. I plan on trying to make a mock seal flipper pie again soon. Next time, I will remember to add some vegetable stock and switch out the philo dough for a doughboy mix.

4 minute sauce

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 an onion chopped
sprig of dried oregano
1/2 cup cheese
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
table pepper

Melt butter, add onion and oregano, stir in tomatoes and cheese, keep stirring, add dash of table pepper. Once it starts to bubble, take off of heat and continue to stir for another minute.

Pour over pasta.

Mushroom Gravy

2 cups potato water
1 large white mushroom chopped
half onion chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 crushed fresh oregano leaves
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup water


Start by putting the potato water in sauce pan with the mushroom and onion boil for 3 minutes, as it is reducing add butter until melted, then add black pepper and oregano, stir and continue to boil on low heat for another 6 minutes then add salt and flour. Keep stirring adding water. Simmer another 5 minutes.

This will be a light coloured gravy, if you wish to add browning then feel free.