Grilled Chicken Salad with House Caesar dressing and Gladiator

When someone asked me about my philosophy about cooking I told them it's basically just simple food that's done right. Chicken Caesar is the perfect example of that. It's a meal that can be thrown together very quickly and there are quite a few elements to the meal to take it from ordinary to extraordinary. The first step of course is homemade Caesar dressing and It's so easy and delicious you'll never want to buy a bottle of it again. Tossed with fresh romaine lettuce, salty parmesan cheese, and crispy croutons this is the perfect way to start of a meal. Add some slices of freshly grilled chicken on top, and we have a meal all to it's self. Though the namesake of the salad and the dressing have no relation to ancient Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, I've paired this meal with the 2000 film, winner of best picture at the Oscar Awards that year, Gladiator.

For the Dressing
2 Cloves of Garlic (Grated or finely minced)
3 Fresh Basil leaves (Roughly Chopped)
2 Tablespoon of grated Parmesan
3 dashes of worcestershire sauce
1 Teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
1 Teaspoon of Lemon zest
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
3 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon of Anchovy paste (optional)
1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive oil (Give or take)
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Salad Ingredients
Hearts of Romaine lettuce
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Crispy Italian Bread
Grilled Boneless Chicken

Place your chicken in your favorite marinade and allow it to marinade for about 30 minutes. That may not seem like long but since we're going to be tossing it with our dressing, we don't really have to have a lengthy marinade time.. My go to quick chicken marinade for slicing over a salad is simply some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, grated garlic, and some Dijon mustard. Whisk it together in a bowl and let the chicken soak in the bowl or a ziploc bag.

A microplane is going to be our best friend for making this dressing. Use it to finely grate the garlic into a paste and add the garlic to a mixing bowl. To that add our chopped basil, parmesan, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest and lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and the Dijon mustard. Whisk the ingredients together to slightly combine. Now traditionally the dressing was thickened by using raw egg yolks - thankfully a little bit of mayo does the trick.

Now is also the step to where you would add the anchovy paste.

Whether you want to admit it or not, this really is in most Caesar dressings you've had before. That being said in making it at home, if you don't have any don't go out and buy a tube of it just for 1/2 teaspoon. I've made my dressing both with and without and it's not a big deal. All the anchovy paste does is add a little bit of a deeper saltier flavor to the dressing. So add the mayonnaise and optional anchovy paste and whisk together while slowly pouring in about 1/4 cup of Extra virgin olive oil. Start with the 1/4 cup and if the dressing seems a bit too thick add a bit more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the romaine lettuce, cut the bottom portion off and discard (pictured above). Cut the remaining part of the lettuce into slices and thoroughly wash and dry. I typically plan on using one romaine heart per salad. Once the lettuce has been cleaned, place the lettuce back into the refrigerator to stay cool and crisp.

Grill the boneless chicken breast for about 8 to 10 minutes on each side over a medium heat on your grill. Drizzle some slices of the Italian bread with some olive oil and place them on the grill for a few minutes on each side to get nice and toasty. Once the chicken has been fully cooked, remove from the grill and let the chicken rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Once the chicken has rested, slice the chicken on a bias into nice slices.

While the chicken rests, place your serving plate and the lettuce in the freezer. Sound like a strange step? Ever order a Caesar salad at a restaurant and have it brought to the table in an ice cold plate or bowl? Adding the lettuce to the freezer for a few minutes will help it get extra crisp.

Take the lettuce out of the freezer and to the bowl add freshly grated parmesan cheese and some of our homemade Caesar dressing (as much as desired). Gently toss together to make sure the lettuce all has a coating of our dressing. Pile the lettuce onto our ice cold plate. Neatly arrange the sliced chicken over top the lettuce and hit it with a little bit more parmesan cheese and a little extra drizzle of the dressing. Place a few slices of our grilled bread on the side and serve. This to me is the ultimate Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad.

In the year 2000, when most people were looking towards the new millenium, visionary director Ridley Scott took the world back to Ancient Rome in the film Gladiator.

Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russel Crowe) is the brave and loyal General of the massive Roman Empire. Maximus is equally loved by the people of Rome, his soldiers, and the aging emperor of Rome - Marcus Aurelieus (Richard Harris). Aurelieus loves Maximus so much, he chooses him to be the heir of the Empire over his actual son Commodus (Joaquin Phoneix). The corrupt Commdus learns of his fathers choice and murders the emperor and orders Maximus and his family to be killed.

Maximus escapes his own execution but is unable to reach his family in time. With no will for life left, Maximus is captured be the empire that he once fought for and has become a slave. He soon finds himself a Gladiator fighting for the enterainment of the Roman people. Maximus is fueled now only by the desire to avenge his family, in this life or the next.

Along with winning best picture of the year, Russel Crowe was honored as best actor for his performance as Maximus. Gladiator is the most realistic vision we have at what life in the great city of Ancient Rome may have been like. Ridley Scott's direction in this film was nearly flawless and I still wish his named was called out as best Director that night of the Academy Awards. Gladiator is a film that no doubt will become a classic as it ages. The unforgettable performances by Russel Crowe and Joaquin Phoneix alone make Gladiator a must see film. Click here to watch the trailer for the film of YouTube.

Christpher Nolan - The New Movie Mastermind

Since his first major motion picture release, Following, Christopher Nolan has established himself as one of the premier filmmakers in the world. Writer, director, and producer to all of his films; Nolan is without a doubt the creative mastermind who has a rare talent. Christopher Nolan has consistently created movies that have kept us on the edge of our seats and filled with plot twists until the final frames. His films are like a great painting hanging on a museum wall. To truly appreciate their beauty and understand the artist's vision, you have to pay attention to every detail.

Though his first three films (Following, Memento, Insomnia) brought Nolan into the Hollywood lights as a rare talent, it was the first installment of his Dark Knight Trilogy Batman Begins that put his name among the industries finest. Warner Brothers had all but given up hope of ever seeing a good Batman film ever again after Joel Schumacher's 1998 film Batman & Robin was a massive failure and tarnished the franchise's image. Much like the title suggests, Nolan took the story of Batman back to his origins and explored it's dark nature. Batman Begins was hailed both by critics and fans as a near perfect movie and it's sequels to follow, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises only built upon and exceeded the first.

Though his Dark Knight Trilogy ranks among the greatest films in my mind, it was his 2006 film The Prestige and his 2010 movie Inception that really brought me to see just how great Nolan is. The Prestige ranks as my favorite Christopher Nolan film to this day. With so many twists and turns and edge of your seat moments, this is a film that constantly has us watching for the secret and reminds us just how entertained we can become by a movie. Nolan continues to raise the bar on his movies and did so with his geniously scripted Inception. Though Inception was confusing for some viewers, it's a film that often requires a second view to truly understand and grasp all the elements of the story. Set mostly in the world of our dreams, it's one of the most original screenplays and the the movie was a visual gem.

About to celebrate his 43rd birthday tomorrow on July 30th, it's safe to assume we can look forward to years and years of astonishing films from the creative minds of Christopher Nolan. His next project, officially entitled as Interstellar is now in pre production and will star Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, and Matthew McConaughey. Though the script is under lock and key and little info is known, the film is set to explore the manipulation of gravity and time travel through wormholes based on the theories Kip Thorne. With Nolan again penning the screenplay, a talented cast, and his visionary eye behind the camera, there is no bout this will be another amazing film to add to his resume. Interstellar is set to begin filming this year and be released in November 2014.

With the exception of The Dark Knight Rises, here is a compilation that was made on YouTube of various clips of Christopher Nolan's movies. It' perfectly captures the essence his films have and shows why he's garnered the respect and admiration he deserves, Click here to view.

French Style Potato Salad

There is a fine line for me when it comes to the amount of mayonnaise. With that being said I obviously have never been a fan of most potato salads with a mayo base to them, not to mention most of them have hard boiled eggs - my nemesis!!! I was thrilled a few years back when I was introduced to French potato salad which has a Dijon vinaigrette base to it, diced shallots, and a ton of fresh herbs. It's the perfect side dish for a picnic and any summertime meal. You can use any potatoes you have on hand, but I personally think red potatoes taste better, look better because you can leave the skins on, and they hold up better in this salad.

1 lb of potatoes (Red potatoes work best)
1 large shallot
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped Dill
1 tablespoon of freshly chopped Chives
1/3 cup of olive oil
3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

Cut the potatoes into even bite sized cubes so they cook evenly. If you're using baby potatoes, just cutting them in half will do. Fill a pot large enough to hold all the potatoes with water and drop the potatoes in. Optionally, add a little white wine and chicken stock or bullion to the potato water to give them more flavor. Cook until the potatoes are just cooked through (Tender when pierced).

While the potatoes are cooking, cut the shallot into small dices and set aside. To make our dressing, whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, the fresh dill and chives, and the salt and pepper together until the dressing emulsifies.

Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and pour about 1/2 of our dressing over the warm potatoes and gently toss together. Let the potatoes cool for a few more minutes before adding the rest of our dressing, the shallots, and the parsley. Toss gently together and season to taste. You can serve the salad warm, room temperature, or cold!

Funnel Cakes and Big Fish

With all the visual treats at the carnivals, fairs, and circuses around the world, is it wrong I look forward to the food more than anything? Among all the culinary options, funnel cakes are far and away my favorite. Fried until golden brown then dusted with a generous amount of powdered sugar, their really is no resisting a hot funnel cake. In Tim Burton's 2003 film, the main character Edward Bloom spends a few months of his life working at a Circus in order to find out the name of the love of his life. That portion of the movie always makes me crave being at a carnival or a circus and eating a funnel cake. Since we can't just hit pause and run down to the big top and pick up an order of funnel cakes, we'll make them at home! It's a simple recipe that anyone can make and it's sure to impress your friends and family. This recipe will yield about 5 to 6 large funnel cakes

2 Eggs
1/4 cup of Sugar
2 cups of Milk
1/2 teaspoon of Pure Vanilla
3 cups of Flour
1 tablespoon of Baking Powder
A pinch of Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
Peanut or Vegetable Oil for frying (Peanut recommended)
Powdered Sugar (For dusting)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk two eggs together until slightly beaten together. Add the sugar to the eggs and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar had dissolved. Once beaten, add the milk and the vanilla to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl - sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt together. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the milk and eggs while whisking together, add about a cup at a time. Whisk everything together just until the batter forms and it's very smooth and there aren't any lumps of flour.

To fry the funnel cakes, add about 2 to 3 inches of oil to a cast iron skillet, dutch oven, a deep fryer, or a heavy duty pot. Peanut oil is the best oil to use here because it tends to not absorb into the funnel cakes as much as the vegetable oil. Heat the oil to around 375 degrees. Once heated, test the oil by dropping just a small spoonful into the hot oil. The batter should sink for just a moment and rise bake to the surface and start bubbling. Before you start frying the funnel cakes, have a plate with a few paper towels nearby to set the cakes on once we remove them from the oil.

If you don't have a funnel to pour the batter into the oil, pouring from a liquid measuring cup will do just fine. Fill the funnel with batter using a ladle and keeping a finger underneath the spout so the batter doesn't leak out. Bring the funnel over the batter and carefully remove your finger from the bottom and pour the batter into the oil. Move the funnel in a circular and criss cross motion to form the cakes.

Fry the funnel cakes for about 2 to 3 minutes. Much like a pancake, you should see air bubbles at the top of the batter and the sides around the bottom start to turn golden brown. Carefully flip the funnel cakes and allow them to fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Carefully remove the funnel cake from the hot oil and place them onto the paper towels to drain any excess oil. Immediately dust the hot funnel cakes with a generous amount of powdered sugar.

Serve the funnel cakes while they are still hot. If you're making a large quantity, you can store the funnel cakes in an oven that's been preheated to 275 degrees. After you're finished frying, let the oil cool completely and you can strain the oil and store in an air tight container to use again at a later date.

Once you've fried your funnel cakes, it's time to start our movie of the week. This weeks film is the larger than life story of Edward Bloom and is extraordinary adventures in Tim Burton's 2003 film Big Fish.

When the fascinating life of Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) seems close to it's final chapter, his family gathers by his bed side to spend what time they have with him left. For Edwards son William (Billy Crudup), it's the final chance he has to really understand his father. All his life, Edward lived a fascinating and eventful life and chose to share his experiences with people through him telling his over the top stories that played out more like fairy tales.

While young William saw the allure in his father's tales, he quickly out grew hearing the same stories over and over and no longer saw the charm in what he know saw as lies. Trying the understand what were true events and what were fabrications, William sorts through his fathers past in hopes to understand him and makes sense of his stories.

In the flashback portions of the film, Edward's younger self is portrayed by Ewan McGregor. Edward's life was never filled with a dull moment and met some interesting people along the way including a witch, a giant, a werewolf, and plenty of other folks that became apart of his stories. Through the recreation and the retelling of his father's stories, William may finally learn about both his fathers greatest achievements and his failures. Marion Cotillard, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Steve Buscemi, and Danny Deveto co-star in this fairy-tale fantasy of a film.

Big Fish is among the most original films that's been created in recent memory. It's tag line "An adventure as big as life itself" perfectly describes what this movie is about. A heart warming, funny, and magical film that tells a story fit for all ages. At it's core, it's a father and son film that portrays the special bond between them. Tim Burton's eye for fantasy and stunning visuals is very apparent in Big Fish and I don't think any other director other than Burton would have done this story justice. If you've never seen this film, I can't urge you to do so as soon as possible. Click here to watch the trailer for Big Fish.

Movie Review - RED

Released in 2010, RED was the surprise worldwide hit film of the year. Bruce Willis plays Frank Mosses, a retired CIA agent living out his remaining years in a boring superb collecting his government pension. The only highlight of his day, talking with Sarah (Mary Louis-Parker) from the government pension processing center. Frank's quite and boring life soon turns upside down when an extreme attempt to assassinate him fails and events from his past have put him, and Sarah, in danger.

Hot on Frank and Sarah's tail is the young CIA agent Cooper (Karl Urban) who heads the operation to stop Frank. Knowing he and Sarah are in danger, Frank reassembles his old team who have been living in hiding like Frank. Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren). Together, they've all been classified by the CIA as RED - Retired Extremely Dangerous. Together, the four highly skilled individuals will discover who is behind the recent events and uncover a long hidden scandal in the process. Richard Dreyfuss also play supporting roles Brian Cox in this action packed comedy.

Wait, did I say comedy?? The strength of RED, besides it's all star cast, is the perfect and unusual blend of comedic moments and action pack scenes. An action film, espionage tale, and a comedy all wrapped into one made RED a hit with fans and critics alike.

With RED 2 released this past Friday, now is a great time to get your hands on a copy of RED and get in on the fun and the action. As always, here is a link to the trailer.

Pirate's Gold

Here is a refreshing and tropical flavored drink that's perfect for those hot summer nights. It's the perfect beverage to serve next to my Caribbean Marinated Kabobs and the film - Pirates of the Caribbean. 

1 shot of Spiced Dark Rum 
1/2 cup of Pineapple juice
Lemon-Lime or club Soda
1 lime wedge

Fill a glass with ice cubes. Pour the rum and the pineapple juice into a drink mixer or straight over top of the ice. Stir or shake to combine. Top the glass off with a splash of lemon-lime or club soda. Squeeze the juice of lime wedge into the glass and place the piece of lime on top. Lightly mix the cocktail together and serve.

Caribbean Marinated Skewers and Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

One of my favorite ways to experiment with new flavor combinations is by making a marinade.When I started thinking of a meal to go with one of my favorite movies, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, I came up with my Caribbean marinade recipe. The idea of this food and flick parring was actually the first idea that came to me when I thought of starting this blog. Flavored with pineapple juice, rum, and a ton of spices this marinade will infuse everything it touches with the key flavors of the Caribbean islands. I used boneless chicken and shrimp for mine but this marinade would also be great with pork. Meant to be grilled over an open flame, its a perfect dinner for a warm summer night. A plate of freshly grilled skewers, a refreshing drink, and Pirates of the Caribbean is one movie night the whole family will love. Yo ho, Yo ho! A pirates life for me!

1 and 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless Chicken breast (Cut into cubes)
1 pound of raw peeled and deveined shrimp
1 large Red onion
1 Mango
Fresh Pineapple
Bell Peppers

For the Marinade
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1/4 cup of dark rum
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ginger
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of Cayenne pepper
Juice and zest of one lime
2 cloves of minced or grated garlic
3 chopped scallions

In a medium sized mixing bowl - whisk together the oil, rum, pineapple juice, and the lime juice. Separately combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper, nutmeg, lime zest, and cayenne pepper together until the spices have been mixed together. Whisk into the liquids until the the combined and finally add the grated garlic and chopped scallions.

Place the chicken breast in a baking dish or a large Ziploc bag and pour just enough marinade over top to cover the meat. Toss together lightly to make sure the meat is mixed in with the marinade and allow the meat to soak up the flavors for at least 2 to 3 hours.

In a separate dish or Ziploc bag, pour the same amount of marinade over top of the shrimp. Again, cover and allow the shrimp to marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

Once the chicken and shrimp are soaking up our marinade, time to infuse our fruit and veggies as well. Peel the outer layer of the red onion and cut off both ends. To get nice big pieces for skewers - cut the onion in half, then into quarters, and then cut the quarters in halves.

You'll want to cut your bell pepper into pieces that are about the same size as your onion to help insure an even cooking time. Do the same with your Mango and pineapple. Once the tropical fruit and vegetables have been cut to size, allow them to soak up the Caribbean flavors using the remaining marinade.

Before we take a break and let our meat, fruit, and veggies marinate it's time to do one very quick but important step. If you're going to be grilling with bamboo skewers, we have to soak them in water so they don't burn on the grill. Lay the skewers in a flat dish and pour water over top for them to soak in. You really only have to let them soak for about 30 minutes but I find the longer they soak the better. Your bamboo skewers will burn on the grill if you forget this step so make sure you take the time to do so.

Once marinated, it's time to skewer the meat and veggies to get ready for the grill. The chicken, shrimp, and fruit and vegetables will all have slightly different cooking times so even though it looks nice for presentation, it's best to not mix the vegetables with the meat. Skewer the pineapple, mango, onions and peppers together, the shrimp on it's own, and skewer the chicken separately also.

Prepare either your gas or charcoal grill - if you're using gas turn your burners to about medium heat. The shrimp will only take a few minutes to cook so we'll place them on the grill last. Place the chicken and vegetable and fruit skewers on first. Cook the chicken and veggie skewers for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side until grill marks start to appear. Flip and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes.

Once the chicken is just about done cooking and the vegetable and fruit has become tender, place the shrimp skewers onto the grill. They will cook very fast, about 3 minutes on each side until the shrimp turns pink. Once the shrimp is done, remove the skewers from the grill and serve. I like to serve these with just a side of white rice with some freshly chopped scallions mixed in at the end. Eat up me hearties, it's time to start our movie of the week.

The Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise has become one of the most popular movies series over the last decade. Originally created from the attraction by the same name at Disney World, we have now seen four Pirate movies since the 2003 release of first installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and a fifth movie set to start filming next year. It's safe to say the world simply can't get enough of the outrageous Captain Jack Sparrow.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl came out the gates with a bang. Being an instant hit with critics and fans, Johnny Depp brought the character of Jack Sparrow to life, earning an Oscar nomination for best actor in 2004 in the process. When the notorious pirate Captain Jack Sparrow arrives at the island town of Port Royal, it doesn't take him long to find his way into trouble. While trying to escape capture, Sparrow meets and duels with a young blacksmith named William Turner (Orlando Bloom) who hates all pirates. William is especially aggressive towards Jack when he learns that Jack threatened harm to his childhood friend and secret love Elisabeth Swan (Keira Knightly).

The same night that Sparrow arrives in town, a ghostly ship called The Black Pearl arrives off shore of Port royal and begins attacking. The crew of the Pearl have searched the entire Caribbean Sea for the final missing piece to their stolen treasure and their search finally comes to a conclusion. The last piece of Aztec gold they seek is in the hands of the governor's daughter, Elisabeth. Elisabeth is captured by the attacking pirates and soon comes face to face with Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).

Now desperate to rescue Elisabeth from Barbossa, William goes off on his own and turns to Jack for help. Though William's hatred towards pirates couldn't be greater, he knows his only chance to find Barbossa and rescue Elisabeth is with Jack Sparrow's help. Of course, Jack Sparrow isn't just along to help save the day as he has his own personal vendetta for Barbossa and his crew. The two will soon discover that rescuing Elisabeth and defeating Barbossa will be more difficult than they had expected.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is really just a fun movie to watch and can be enjoyed by movie fans of all ages. It's a solid film that's filled with action, humor, and romance from start to finish. While Johnny Depp and his larger than life character are the star of the film, I think Geoffrey Rush's performance was widely underrated. One of the most talented actors in the industry, he brings his A game in this movie. Playing the evil Captain Barbossa, he excels at the part and makes you believe you're actually seeing a real life pirate lord carrying out his plans. Though all of the films in the series are enjoyable, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is far and away to best of the bunch. If by some chance you overlooked this film, I can't urge you enough to get a hold of a copy as soon as possible. Click here to watch the trailer and catch a glimpse of the excitement.

Upcoming Movie - Delivery Man

Imagine discovering one day that after you've donated anonymously to a fertility clinic over 20 years ago, that you now have a child. Imagine that same situation, except you have 533 children. That is the exact scenario that Vince Vaughn finds himself in the upcoming film, Delivery Man.

In the movie written and directed by Ken Scott, Vaughn plays an average man named David Wozniak who has made more wrong turns in life than right. After discovering that he unknowingly fathered over 500 children and that 142 of them are suing to learn his identity, David's average life becomes anything but. Against the recommendation of his friend and lawyer Brett (Chris Pratt), David views the profiles of his children and sets out the meet them without revealing who he is. In an attempt to make his life feel more full filled and meaning full, David acts as their "guardian angel" helping them in anyway he can.

 Delivery Man is a remake of French-Canadian version of this film called Starbuck (Also written and directed by Ken Scott).

Vince Vaughn has played some off the wall characters in films like Wedding Crashers and Old School and his comedic charm has landed him a solid spot in the industry. With some of his recent films struggling and being slops with fans and critics, the early previews for Delivery Man shows Vaughn playing a more serious and heartfelt role than he has in the past. No doubt Vaughn will still deliver laughs, but I'm looking forward to viewing his performance in this movie. A huge fan of the TV sitcom Parks and Recreation, I'm also looking forward to seeing Chris Pratt in this movie.

With a slated release date for November 22nd, Delivery Man is one of many films I'm looking forward to seeing this holiday season. Click here for the official trailer for Delivery Man and be sure to comment to let me know what you guys think!

Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice baked-potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes. As a side dish, sometimes a potato can get a little boring and this is a great way to change things up a bit. That was the case for me the other night when my pantry was getting a bit thin and all I had left was a bag of potatoes. Not really thrilled with the idea of a plain old baked potato to go with dinner, I thought I'd take them to the next level by making twice baked. These potatoes are great with anything but they'll be perfect next to a juicy grilled steak or a rack of BBQ ribs! They're sure to please everyone at your dinner table.

4 Large russet potatoes

4 tablespoons of butter

2 scallions chopped

1/2 cup of cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 cup of half and half or heavy cream

Salt and Pepper

Freshly cut chives

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash your potatoes underneath cold water to remove any dirt from their skin and then dry them with a paper towel. Pierce the skin with a knife or a fork in a few spots in the potatoes and place them in the oven to bake for about an hour and fifteen minutes until they are full cooked.

Once the potatoes are baked and have cooled slightly so that you can handle them, cut the potatoes in half length ways and scoop out the inside of the potato into a mixing bowl. Do this with all four potatoes.

Once you've removed the inside of all the potatoes and added them to your bowl, it's time to add the rest of our ingredients. Add the butter, garlic powder, 1/4 cup of our shredded cheese, salt and pepper, cream, and the scallions. Mix well until the butter and cheese have melted and all the ingredients have blended. Taste a bit of the filling and season to your taste. **An optional ingredient here could be some fresh bacon bits** Fill the potato skin shells up with the filling and top with the remaining shredded cheese. 

Place the potatoes back in the oven and bake until the cheese on top has melted and browned slightly. Sprinkle the freshly chopped chives over top and serve hot next to your main course.

Cappuccino Ice Cream and "50/50"

Ice cream is the perfect treat for any hot summer night and, of course, for any movie night! A timeless treat that children, teenagers, and adults have been enjoying for years and homemade ice cream is the way to go. You can customize it to just about any flavor you'd like and you might even surprise yourself just how good your own ice cream can be. An ice cream maker may not be a regular in every home's kitchen but with many options to fit various budgets, I'd highly recommend you look into getting one. This week, I'm pairing my ice cream with the 2011 film 50/50 starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogan. Taking place in the beautiful Pacific Northwest city of Seattle, I couldn't help but be inspired by the city's love for coffee. This isn't going to be just any coffee ice cream though, I call this my Cappuccino ice cream because I fold in some fresh whipped cream in at the end to represent the frothy top of the cappuccino everyone loves!

3 cups of heavy cream

1 cup of half and half

2½ Tablespoons of Instant Coffee

3/4 cups of sugar - plus 1 teaspoon

¼ teaspoon of Vanilla extract 

In a small saucepan, pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and heat over a medium low heat. Once the cream begins to steam just slightly, add instant coffee and stir in until it's dissolved completely. Once the coffee has been incorporated, add 3/4 of a cup of sugar and mix into the cream. Once the sugar has dissolved, should only take a minute or two, stir in a ¼ teaspoon of vanilla and  remove the cream from the heat.

In a large glass measuring cup or a mixing bowl, pour in the cream that we just sweetened and infused with coffee flavor. To that, add the half and half and 1½ cups of additional heavy cream. We're reserving the last ½ of a cup of cream to make fresh whipped cream that we'll fold into our ice cream a little later.

Gently mix the cream mixture together. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or so. Place a metal whisk and a metal or glass mixing bowl in the freezer - we'll need this for making our whipped cream. Once the cream has chilled, pour it into your ice cream maker and allow the ice cream to churn for about 25 minutes (depending on the model ice cream maker you have.)

While the ice cream is churning, now is a good time to make our whipped cream. Using the bowl and whisk we placed in the freezer, beat the heavy cream along with an additional splash of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat the cream until soft peeks begin to form and store the whipped cream in the refrigerator for the time being.

You'll know that this ice cream is ready once it begins to resemble soft serve ice cream. Remove the ice cream from the inside of the ice cream maker and scrape into a container to be placed inside your freezer. Gently fold in our whipped cream into the coffee ice cream and freeze the ice cream for about an hour until the ice cream has had a chance to firm up. Once the cream has set, scoop out a dish and head to our at home movie theater for this weeks film, 50/50.

Based loosely on screen writer Will Reiser's own life experiences, the movie follows a young man who finds out he has cancer and the dramatic and life changing events that follow. Joseph Gorden-Levitt plays Adam, a 27 year old non-smoker, non-drinker, exercise daily, eat all the right things kind of guy who finds out he has a rare form of spinal cancer. With the help of his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) and a young and inexperienced hospital psychiatrist Katherine (Anna Kendrick) Adam tries to cope with the stress and strain of his illness. 50/50 is a film with a lot of heart mixed with humor despite the emotional story.

The cast for 50/50 is one of the films greatest strengths. Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to shine in leading roles over the past few years and his performance in 50/50 is among them. I was convinced when I first saw the film he would have at least been honored with an Oscar nomination. Anjelica Huston gives a strong performance for what little time she's on screen as the overbearing but lovable mother. Seth Rogen gives the best performance so far in his career playing the supporting role of the best friend who tries to lighten the mood in his own way. Though he focuses more on using Adam's cancer as a way to pick up girls, he still brings the element of the concerned best friend. Bryce Dallas Howard also lends her talents as Rachael, Adams girlfriend who sees is illness as more of a burden than anything else.

While 50/50 certainly deals with a very sensitive subject, it manages to tell a dramatic real life story but still works well in delivering a good amount of laughs when appropriate. To make a film about cancer was a huge risk but the pay off was even greater. One of the better dramatic comedies to arrive on screen in recent years, 50/50 is a must see. Click the link here to watch the trailer for the film.