Great Movies for Fall - When Harry Met Sallly

"Sally this is Harry Burns. Harry this is Sally Albright." A simple introduction began one of the most complicated relationships ever played out on screen. Billy Crystal (Harry) and Meg Ryan (Sally) play polar opposite people who find themselves driving from Chicago to New York City together. The two discuss their thoughts on life, Casablanca, love, and how men and women can never be friends because sex always gets in the way. 

Once in NYC, the two go their own way and don't look back. A chance encounter on an airplane five years later doesn't exactly change their opinions about one another. Destiny plays it's hand as the two meet again a few years later this time discovering they two may have more in common than they thought. The two form a strong friendship and become anunsperable pair with the inevitable romantic interest looming. 

When Harry Met Sally was one of the first romantic comedies ever to be released and in my eyes it's still the very best. Ryan and Crystal give performances worthy of being considered among their best. 

For many reasons this film always remind me of fall. In particular, one scene where Harry and Sally are walking through Central Park wirh the bright fall foliage as their back drop. It's the perfect movie to set back and watch on a chilly autumn day with a freshly baked goodie and a cup of pumpkin spiced coffee.

My new toy - Cuisinart Pro Custom 11 cup Food Processor

A good quality food processor has always been one item lacking on my kitchen counter. Now that I have one, I don't remember what I did without it! Trust me when I say that no kitchen should be without one! Depending on how much of a home cook you are is a big factor in what kind you should buy. There are quite a few cheap options on department store shelves that will work fine for the occasional cook. Knowing I'd be giving a food processor a lot of use, I did my research and my "window shopping" to find out which one was best for me and I settled on the Pro custom food processor with an 11 cup bowl made by Cuisinart.

The Cuisinart Pro Custom 11' is so far the perfect model for me and my needs. Obviously being an avid home cook, I wanted a model that could do everything I needed it too. The 11 cup capacity bowl is more than enough room and you can really see the size different from the models that only have a 7 cup bowl or smaller.

The slicing and shredding attachments that come with the food processor are a great additive. The shredding blade is perfect for shredding cheeses for pizza night, potatoes for potato pancakes, carrots for carrot cake, cabbage for cole slaw, and so much more. With the large feed tube on top, you won't have any trouble getting your food down safely into the blades.

Slicing vegetables, making pastry dough, shredding cheeses, making pesto and dressings, or mixing batters - a food processor can do it all. A quiet motor, great safety features, and easy clean up are just a few more added perks that this model has. If you're worried about the size of the food processor and it taking up a lot of counter space, this model is an ideal size and doesn't take up anymore room than an average sized toaster would. At a price ranging around $150, it's a great bang for the buck and you will certainly get your money's worth out of it.

Orzo Salad

One of my favorite side dishes to make is my orzo pasta salad. A sweet and tangy dressing with fresh dill tossed with orzo pasta, fresh vegetables, dried cherries, golden raisins, and walnuts. It may not sound like an obvious combination of ingredients but they all blend perfectly together and this salad has been a huge hit with everyone I've served it to. A large helping of this salad is great for a lite dinner but It's also the perfect side dish for grilled chicken breast or with a sandwich for lunch!


1 box of Orzo Pasta
1 Large Shallot
1 Small Orange Bell Pepper
1 Small Red Bell Pepper
1 Large Cucumber
1/2 cup of Golden Raisins
1/2 cup of Dried Cherries
1/4 cup of roughly chopped Walnuts
For the dressing
1 Garlic clove (Grated or finely minced)
1 handful of Fresh Dill (Don't use dried)
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
3/4 cup of Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon of granulated Sugar
1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard

Start by boiling the orzo pasta in salted water and cook according to the instructions on the package until the pasta is Al Dente. For the dressing, remove the dill from the stem and chop finely chop. Add the dill to a mixing bowl and add the garlic clove, dijon mustard, sugar, oil and vinegar, and salt and pepper. Whisk the dressing together and season to taste. It should be strongly flavored.

Wash the bell peppers and chop them into small dices. For the cucumber, cut in half and take a spoon to scoop out the juicy middle and the seeds. Slice the cucumber into medium slices. Roughly cut the shallot and set the vegetables aside.

Once the orzo is cooked, drain the pasta and mix with about half of the dressing. Adding some of the dressing to the orzo immediately will help it from sticking and the warm orzo will absorb the flavors of the dressing. Allow the orzo to cool in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. Once cooled, add the remaining the dressing to the orzo. Mix in the chopped vegetables, the dried cherries and raisins, and the walnuts. Stir together to combine and serve chilled.





 

Still here!

Hi Readers,

Sorry I missed Today and Friday's blog posts. Busy schedule the past few days. See you back here on Wednesday!!

Maine Crostata

A Crostata is a traditional Italian desert that is very similar to a pie. An irresistible combo of sweet and flaky pastry filled with various types of fruits and baked until golden brown. For this Crostata I was inspired both by my trip to Maine and from the great movie The Cider House Rules which also takes place in the gorgeous state of Maine. Lobsters may be the first thing you think of when you put "Food" and "Maine" to mind but it's equally known for it's sweet Blueberries in the Summer and it's lush Apples in the fall. This Crostata is the perfect desert to have with a warm cup of coffee watching a good movie or sitting on the back deck watching the Autumn leaves fall.

Makes 1 Crostata / Serves about 6

1 cup of All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup of Granulated Sugar
1/8 teaspoon of Salt
Pinch of Cinnamon
1 Stick of cold butter
3 Tablespoons of Ice Water
For the Filling
4 large Apples
1/2 pint of fresh Blueberries
1 Tablespoon of Flour
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of fresh lemon Juice
1/8 teaspoon of Cinnamon


In a food processor with the steel blade attachment. Pulse together the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon together 3 to 4 times just to combine. Cut the butter into smaller chunks and add into the flour mixture. Pulse the mixture together again about 8-10 times until the butter is cut into small pea sized pieces. This is the key to any pastry, the piece of butter will melt in the oven and give off steam that results in a light and flaky pastry. Next, fill a small dish with ice and pour very cold water over top and let it stand for a few minutes to ensure the water is as cold as possible. Turn the food processor on and all at once add 3 tablespoons of the cold water.

Once the dough begins to come together shut off. Carefully remove the blade and dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a circular disc shape about a inch or so thick. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for one hour.

Wash the apples and peel if desired. Cut the apples in halves and remove the cores. An easy way to do this is by using a metal measuring spoon. Slice the apples thinly. A quick and easy way to slice the apples is by inserting the slicing blade into your food processor. Place the sliced apples in a large mixing bowl. Add the fresh blueberries, the lemon juice, sugar, flour, and mix together gently.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Flour a flat and clean surface and your rolling pin. Roll the dough out so that it's about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the rolled out dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the fruit in the center of the pastry leaving enough room along the edges to fold over for an edge.

An optional crumb topping for the Crostata can be made by mixing together 1/2 stick of cold butter cut into cubes, 1/2 cup of flour, a half a cup of brown sugar, and a pinch of nutmeg. Mix everything together with your hands until the crumb topping forms and begins to hold together into large clumps. Sprinkle over top of the fruit and fold the edges over top. Don't worry about making them look perfect. Bake the crostata for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is tender. Allow to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Mark's Must See Movies - The Wrestler

The 2008 drama The Wrestler starred Mickey Rourke as Randy 'The Ram" Robinson. The story of a professional wrestler whose glory days are behind him as he struggles to make ends meet. While he once fought in the ring at huge venues in front of thousands of fans, he know finds himself working part-time at a grocery store and fighting at small wrestling venues. Twenty years of the pro wrestling life have left Randy's health, appearance, and his personal life. When Randy is faced with health problems that all but end what's left of his career, he tries to rekindle a damaged relationship with his daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) and form a closer bond with a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei) he's developed romantic feelings for.

The Wrestler is a gritty drama that will tug on your heart strings and connect with you on a level you might not expect. Though few of us can relate directly too Randy's struggles, we as an audience connect with Randy and compare his struggles with our own. The character of Randy Robinson is crafted beautifully and Mickey Rourke's performance is flawless. Despite the many hardships that inflict Randy's life, most of which were brought on by his own choices, you geniuley care for the character and are always pulling for him to find the best outcome. Randy is a very personable and likeable guy and it's the humanity in his character that makes the audience become so attached to him. Rourke was rightfully nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Wrestler and his named not being called out as Best Actor in a Leading role that year is now considered one of the biggest mistakes and upsets the Academy has ever made.

The Wrestler makes it's way onto my must see movie list because unlike many films in recent years it's main purpose is to tell us a story. It's not flashy, it's not over produced, and it doesn't take place in a world most of us can't understand. A masterfully crafted script, exceptional performances by all the actors,  and strong directing by Darren Aronofsky all come together to become one of the most gritty, entertaining, and hearfelt movies ever to hit the silver screen. If my thoughts on the movie haven't convinced you, click here and the trailer for the film will.

Sawyer's Lobster Pound - Southwest Harbor, Maine

Maine is known for it's gorgeous coast line and it's beautiful forests. It's an outdoor lover's paradise in every sense of the word. Maine is also known for the food, more specifically it's seafood - especially lobsters. I was fortunate enough to take a trip up to the Bar Harbor area of Maine this past June and found myself enjoying all the local food I was able to. There are plenty of Lobster pounds and seafood stands to choose from on Mount Desert Island but for me, one stood high above the rest.

Located on Seawall road in Southwest Harbor Maine, Sawyer's lobster pound is Maine dinning at it's best. It's prices are reasonable and the food is worth every penny and then some. Whether you're looking for a steamed lobster dinner with corn on the cob and Cole slaw, fried clams and onions rings, or even a cheese burger and fries - you'll find a great meal at this tiny lobster shack.

The Friendly staff at Sawyer's are ready to take your order upon arrival and you can be sure that everything is made fresh to order. The fried clams are out of this world and the lobster dinner was the best on the island. Now I don't know about you folks but nothing goes better with fresh seafood than some fried french fries and onion rings and the sides at Sawyer's didn't disappoint.

Looking for a great place to have a lobster roll? Sawyer's got you covered for that too. Nothing too crazy here folks, just fresh lobster meat tossed in a light dressing and piled onto a delicious buttery roll served with crispy lettuce and a pickle. It was the best lobster roll I've ever tasted. Sawyer's one flaw may be that you won't have an ocean view sitting out at one of their picnic tables. This would be somewhat of a disappointment if the gorgeous views of Seawall entrance wasn't a mile down the road (Pictured below). Order your food to go and head on down and sit on the rocky shores and watch the tide roll in to truly appreciate and experience the sights and tastes that Maine has to offer. If you're planning a trip to Mount Desert Island, make Sawyer's Lobster pound a mandatory stop for lunch and/or dinner!!

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is one of my all time favorite comfort foods. Crispy breaded chicken breast smothered in homemade marina sauce with fresh Italian herbs and loaded with melted cheeses - makes me hungry every time I think about. It's a classic dish that appears on just about every Italian themed restaurant in the country. Chicken Parm is just as easy to make in your own kitchen as it is to get in your car and go out an order it off a menu. Add a side of fresh pasta and some crispy Italian bread and you've got a dinner that sure to be a crowd pleaser. The beauty of this dish is that it's great for a weeknight meal, great movie night dinner, and it's also impressive enough to cook up for that special someone for a romantic dinner for two.

4-6 servings
For the Sauce
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium sized onion - chopped
4 cloves of grated garlic

About ½ of dry red wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)

16oz can of diced Tomatoes
16oz can of Crushed Tomatoes
16oz can of Tomato Sauce

3 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 teaspoon of sugar

8 Leaves of Fresh Basil
5 leaves of Fresh Oregano

pinch of red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
One pound of your favorite pasta

For the Chicken
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

4 Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts
All Purpose flour
Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
Fresh Basil
3/4 pound of Mozzarella Cheese shredded
Parmesan Cheese

Take a large sauce pan and coat the bottom with olive oil, it's about 2 tablespoons, and bring it to a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and gently saute' them for about 10 minutes until the become tender and slightly translucent. At this point, add the garlic and stir together quickly and cook for no more than a minute.

Pour the wine into the pan and stir together for about 3 minutes until liquid begins to reduce. Pour in the tomato sauce, can of diced, can of crushed tomatoes, the fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, sugar, and bay leaf and stir to combine. Turn to heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer for at least 30 minutes.

To prepare the chicken place them on a cutting board lined with wax paper. Season both sides with some salt and pepper and place another sheet of wax paper over top. Using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound the chicken out until they're about a half inch thick. Pre heat oven to 400 and fill a large pot with salted water and begin to bring to a boil for your pasta.

In 3 separate dishes - pour some flour in one, a beaten egg with a little milk in another, and some seasoned Panko bread crumbs in another. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom. Dredge the chicken in the flour first, then the egg, and finally into the panko bread crumbs. Once the pan is hot, place the chicken into the oil and cook just until the breading becomes golden brown on each side. It should take about 5 minutes or so. The chicken will finish cooking in the oven.

Once all the chicken has been browned, spread a little bit of our sauce on the bottom or a baking pan (enough sauce to coat the bottom). Place all the chicken in the pan and cover each breast with a scoop of sauce. Chiffonade some fresh basil and sprinkle over top of the sauce and finally top with some of the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake the chicken for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve along side your pasta and dinner is served!!

Movie Review - The Great Gatsby

I have to say the 2013 movie The Great Gatsby was one that I eagerly awaited to hit theaters. It's my all time favorite book and I was very excited to see another cinematic version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's extraordinary book. With high expectations, a film I so desperately wanted to love fell far from those expectations and currently stands as the most disappointing movie of 2013.

The timeless tale of Jay Gatsby wasn't done justice in this film adaptation. I found it hard to believe that they used one of the greatest stories ever told to basically be used as a way to show off some flashy special effects. There are many scenes in this movie that stand no purpose other than to be used for 3D technology. I also found it difficult to imagine myself at one of Gatsby's larger than life parties which take place in the 1920's yet somehow they're playing horrible rap music by Jay-Z and other modern music artists.

Despite all the huge failings that this movie had for me, I was very impressed with Leonardo DiCaprio's portrayal of Jay Gatsby. I feel he really understood the character and portrayed him in a way that any fan of the book would be able to to respect. My one gripe may be that they use Gatsby's nickname for Nick, "Old Sport" far too much and it becomes quite annoying after hearing it a few times. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Tobey Maguire was miss cast here. I also hated that they turned Nick's narration of the story as if he was writing the novel, The Great Gatsby, himself.

The film may follow the novel closely at times but overall it was a miss for me. It was like going out to dinner and ordering fillet of beef. The waiter brings it to the table and at first it looks delicious but the minute you cut into it you see it's over done and rather bland.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

Looking for a new healthy side dish for tonight's dinner other than steamed vegetables or a garden salad? Roasting vegetables in a very hot oven is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. I was first shown the concept of cooking them this way by Ina Garten and I've been making them this way ever since. The natural sweetness comes out of the vegetables when you roasted them and they really have so much more flavor then just blanching and steaming them. The great part is you can use just about any vegetable you'd like. Our garden produced quite a few tomatoes this year, green beans, Bell Peppers, and more summer squash than we know what to do with.

To make these roasted vegetables all you need is:

You're selected Vegetables 
A Large sheet pan
Some olive oil
Diced onion
1 clove of chopped garlic
Salt and Black pepper
Some Freshly chopped herbs like Basil, Parsley, or Dill.

Toss everything together on the pan so the vegetables have an even coating of oil and roast them in a 425 degree oven for about 30 to 40 minutes. My favorite combo of veggies to roast for this time of year are squash, tomatoes, carrots, string beans, and bell peppers but you can use just about any kind you'd like

French Onion Soup Sandwich

Without a doubt one of my favorite meals to eat is a big bowl of French Onion soup. The blissful combo of sweet and tender caramelized onions in a savory beef broth with a crispy crouton and a layer of melted cheese is a comfort food like no other. One day, my best friend James and I were bouncing different creative recipes around and we thought about taking the contents of a French Onion soup and making it into a sandwich. We whipped up a batch and holy cow were they delicious. Turned out we were a little behind as someone else out there had already thought the same way but our recipe differs from there's and I'm confident we have the better sandwich. Caramelized onions, a combination of melted Gruyere and Cheddar cheese, and melted together on slices of French baguette or a Croissant is everything you love about French Onion soup except the bowl.

Recipe yields 2 sandwiches

2 large onions
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 pound of Cheddar Gruyere mix
1/4 cup of dry Red Wine or Beef Broth
1 clove of minced Garlic
1/4 teaspoon of Thyme 
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Dijon Mustard
4 slices of French baguette or 2 croissants

Start by slicing both your onions into medium slices, about 1/4 inch thick of so. I used both a sweet onion and a purple onion here because that was what I had on hand but you can use whatever kind you prefer. In a large saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat and add your onions to the pan. Season with freshly cracked blacked pepper and kosher salt. It will look like a lot of onions for two sandwiches but
they are going to cook down a lot.

Now just like we are making actual French onion soup the key is to cook our onions low and slow to let them caramelize and develop their sweet flavor. Stir the onions often and let them cook for about 45 minutes. The onions will be very very tender and have a rich brown color to them

Once the onions have cooked down, add the minced clove of garlic and the thyme leaves. Stir together to allow the garlic to cook for a few minutes. Next add either the red wine or the beef broth and stir together. Here is a little tip - if you're using beef broth it's silly to open on a can just for a 1/4 cup. Instead, dissolve half of a beef bouilon cube in 1/4 cup of boiling water and add to the pan. Stir together and cook for another 7-10 minutes. While the onions finish cooking in the wine or broth, shred the cheese and slice the baguette or the croissants (I've made it with both and either one works perfectly). Taste your onions for seasoning.

Spread  the outside of each slice of bread with a bit of softened butter and on the inside add a bit of the Dijon mustard. Sprinkle a bit of the shredded cheese over top and then add a layer of our caramelized onions. Add some more shredded cheese on top of the onions and place the cap on top of the sandwiches. Place the sandwiches on a panini press or a preheated griddle and grill on each side until golden brown and crispy.

My top 5 - Teacher Movies

 Sorry for the very late post!

Labor day means many things to us theses days. Summers unofficial last weekend, the start of college football, the preparation for autumn and winter, but to all school children it means it's time to load up the big yellow buses. Hollywood has brought us many movies based inside the hallways of a school, some emotional and dramatic and others more light hearted and humorous spectrum. Here is a quick top five of my favorite films based in the classroom.

5 - Dangerous Minds - Michelle Pfeiffer stars in this dramatic movie about struggling to teach inner city teenagers. The strength of the film is Pfeiffer's portrayal of her character Louanne Johnson. Teaching people who for the most part have no desire to be educated proves to be no easy task and you grow a strong connection with Louanne during the time of the film.

4 - Music of the Heart - a much more inspirational tale of a teacher making a difference in young students lives. Meryl Streep plays real life violin teacher Roberta Guaspari who brought her passion for music to her students in Harlem. The story follows Roberta's struggle to inspire her students and to keep her schools music program funded. This true life tale of one woman's passion for teaching music is really a wonderful movie.

3 - Bad Teacher - a comedic tale of the worlds worst teacher, Elisabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz). It's a movie that sometimes pushes to the more extreme side of comedy with some crude and vulgar moments. Still, Bad Teacher does it's job by making a movie that's sole purpose is to make you laugh.

2 - Kindergarten Cop - Arnold Schwarzenegger as an undercover kindergarten teacher - enough said. This 1990 classic if filled with classic lines and is my favorite comedic performance by Schwarzenegger. 

1 - Mr. Holland's Opus - Richard Dreyfuss plays the frustrated music composer Glenn Holland. He takes on a teaching job to pay his rent while he devotes his free time to his true desire - composing the first great American Symphony. Mr. Holland's Opus is filled with heart felt moments and laughs as Glenn deals with the struggles of life. Out of all the movies about inspirational teachers, this is the one that really stuck with me most of all.