My Favorite Movies for Halloween

Happy Halloween week everyone! Though my childhood days of Trick-or-treating are long behind me, I still like to get into the spirit of Halloween and watch some of my favorite scary and Halloween themed movies. Since I'll be having a movie night of my own this Thursday, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite Halloween movie choices with you. Whether you're looking for a fun film to watch with the whole family or a horror movie to watch with your friends in the dark, here are my top recommendations for a Halloween movie night.

The Woman in Black - A newer to addition to my favorite ghost story movies. Daniel Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipp's, a young widowed lawyer who's struggling to prove his worth at the office where he works. When he's assigned to travel to a remote village to settle estate and organize the affairs of a deceased woman. Upon his arrival, Arthur is keen to pick up on the mysterious aura the town and he's instantly met with residents who will do whatever they can to stop him from going to the estate where he must work. Arthur soon discovers the tragic and horrid history of the town as he finds that the woman still haunts the house and the town - searching for what she lost. "The Woman in Black" is really a solid film and one I thoroughly enjoyed. It provides scenes of fright and suspense and it just may make your own mind play tricks on you in the dark.

Halloween - This cult classic still gives me the chills today. The mask alone of Michael Meyers was enough to give me nightmares but the additive of John Carpenter's chilling theme really pushed it over the top. The story revolves around a psychotic killer named Michael Meyer's who has been locked away in a mental hospital since he was a child and killed his sister on Halloween night. Now on the loose, he returns to his home town who has no idea of the danger that's come home as he stalks a young girl named Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis). Shot in three weeks time and with a very small budget, Carpenter and the crew of Halloween provide the perfect example that blood, gore, and special effects are not what make a film horrifying. 

Young Frankenstein - Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder's classic comedy is perfect if you wish to laugh and not scream this Halloween. Gene Wilder plays Dr. Frankenstein, the Grandson of Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein, and he has just inherited his grandfathers castle. Upon his arrival he meets Igor and Inga and while Frankenstein is a skeptic of his grandfather's work, he discovers a book where his grandfather wrote down the details of his work and Young Dr. Frankenstein begins to change his tune. In true Mel Brooks fashion, this is a laugh out loud comedy with memorable performances by Wilder, Terri Garr, Peter Boyle, and the rest of the cast.

Brahm Stroker's Dracula - Long before vampires became on obsession of teenage girls, there was the horrifying story from Brahm Stroker's classic novel Dracula. Gary Oldman plays the undead Count Dracula who brings his reign of evil and horror over the city of London in search of the lost soul of his once beloved bride. Oldman, as he so often does, becomes his character and his haunting performance as Dracula is reason alone to watch this film adaptation of arguably the most well known horror stories in the world.

Hocus Pocus -For my generation this is a Disney classic and will remain my favorite Halloween themed movie for all time. Hocus Pocus is a classic 1993 Disney movie starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters - three witches who are looking to steal the youth from the children of Salem. 300 years ago the, the sisters were hanged after sucking the life from a young resident of Salem. Now in the modern day, three teenagers will mistakenly bring the witches back to life. With the aide of cursed talking cat named Binks, They’ll have to find a way to stop Winnie, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson before they succeed in their evil plans 300 years in waiting. Hocus Pocus will put a spell on you that you wont be able to break.

Quick Shrimp Scampi

 Need a quick dinner idea that doesn't come from the freezer section or from a microwave? Shrimp Scampi is a delicious dish that can be done in under 30 minutes. It's a great meal for a special treat on a weeknight or as a homemade date night dinner.

 

3/4 of a pound wild caught gulf shrimp (peeled and vein removed)

1/4 cup of white wine

4 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of Olive oil

4 cloves of garlic (Minced or grated)

1 Shallot (Diced)

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

Fresh basil and Parsley 

1 package of Linguine or angel hair pasta

Fill a large pot with water and season generously with some salt. Place over a medium high heat to bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, In a satue pan, melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and cook until the shallot is tender but not brown - about 7 minutes. Next add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Garlic burns very quickly so keep a close eye. Pour the white wine into the pan and cook for a few moments to cook out the alcohol. Now add the shrimp to the pan and cook until the shrimp have turned pink - this will happen quickly as well (about 5 to 7 minutes).

 

Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and the freshly chopped basil and parsley. Pour the shrimp and the sauce over the drained pasta and toss everything together. Serve hot will fresh Italian bred and a dry white wine.

Sausage, peppers, and onions with Penne

**Back again after technical difficulties kept me from posting**

Flavorful Italian Sausage with peppers, onions and pasta tossed together in a garlicy tomato sauce is one of my favorite dishes.Using both sweet and hot Italian sausage gives your taste buds the best of both worlds but feel free to use all sweet or hot to suit your liking. The key for a perfect dish of sausage and peppers to me is cooking the peppers just until they've become tender but still have a bit of crisp to them. Serve with a nice piece of bread and fresh parmesan cheese and this plate is sure to be a favorite of yours too!

Serves 4-6

1 pound link of Sweet Italian Sausage
1 pound link of Hot Italian Sausage
1 large red onion
1 medium sized Green Bell pepper
1 medium sized Yellow Bell pepper
1 medium sized Red Bell pepper
16oz can of Diced Tomatoes
16oz can of Tomato Sauce
2 cloves of Garlic
10-12 fresh basil leaves chopped
1 pound of penne pasta

Preheat your oven to 375. Place the links of sausage onto a baking sheet with a slight drizzle of olive oil on the bottom. Bake the links for about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the sausages with tongs about halfway through cooking time. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside for now. Wash the bell peppers and cut them and the red onion into medium sized pieces. Finely mince or grate two cloves of garlic.

In a large satue pan, drizzle some olive oil and heat oven a medium high heat. Add the peppers and onions and cook for 10 minutes stirring frequently during the cooking time. The goal here is to cook the vegetables long enough where they start to become tender but still have a slight crisp to them as if they were raw. Bring a large pot of water season with plenty of salt. When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to directions on the package.

While the peppers and onions are cooking, slice the sausage links on a bias. Add the sausage and garlic into the satue pan with the vegetables and continue cooking for about 3 minutes to give the garlic time to cook.

Add the can of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and stir together. Add the freshly chopped basil and salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer while the pasta finishes to boil. Once the pasta has been cooked, drain and add the pasta straight into the pan with the sauce. Stir together to coat all the noodles with the sauce. Serve hot with parmesan cheese.

The Heat - on DVD and Bluray Tomorrow

In the film The Heat, Sandra Bullock and Mellisa McCarthy star as two polar opposite law enforcers who have to work together to bring a ruthless drug lord to justice. One of the funniest movies I've seen in years, if you're looking for a movie to deliver the comedic goods you need not look any further.

Sandra Bullock plays FBI agent Sarah Ashburn who is a rather up tight agent who does every by the book. With a possible promotion close at hand, she takes on a case in Boston to help uncover the identity of a drug lord. Ashburn who already had trouble communicating and getting along with co-workers meet her match when she meets the Boston PD detective she's paired with, Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy). The unlikely duo will have to learn to trust one another to find and stop Larkin before it's too late.

Seeing The Heat while in theaters, I can't remember how many times this movie made me and the rest of the audience roar in laughter. I'm actually very excited to see this movie again because there were moments where the laughter in the theater was so loud I missed a lot of the dialogue that followed. Purchasing or renting The Heat should really be on your do to list this week. With all the hustle and bustle around you, you'll be happy to take a few hours out of your day to laugh your butts off! 

Take the Weekend to Enjoy the Season

 Stop what you're doing. Those weekend errands and home improvement projects can wait a few days, not like you haven't put them off already. Step outside and take a look around you. Living in the Northeastern corner of the United States, fall is in full bloom and nature is showing us it's most spectacular event. Autumn is my favorite time of year and it's only here for a few short weeks.

The Autumn harvest excites me for the many recipes I can come up with. Butternut Squash Risotto, Apple Crostata, Pumpkin Muffins, Butternut Squash soup, Pumpkin Pie....the list goes on and on. Tomorrow morning, make a pot of pumpkin spice coffee and pile into the car with your friends and family and take a drive through the country.

Stop at an apple orchard and grab a bushel of freshly picked apples and get down and dirty and go pick your own pumpkin out of the field. Trust me, an apple tastes light years better when it comes straight from the tree and not off a supermarket shelf. Gala, Macintosh, Honey Crisp, Cortland, Golden Delicious, or whatever kind you love the most are waiting for you to bite into them.

Now that we have our apples, grab a few and pack a lunch and go for a hike. A big part of this blog is taking pictures so it should come as no surprise that I love the art of photography. I love packing a bag with a few bottles of water, a couple of orchard fresh apples, a sandwich, and my Nikon and just going for a walk in the forests of  red and gold. I hope, if you weren't planning on doing so already, you plan a few outdoor activities for the weekend like I am. Autumn is just about at it's peak and I for one don't want to miss it.

Butternut Squash Risotto

In the short amount of time that I've been making risotto, it's quickly become one of my favorite meals to prepare and eat. Risotto is an Italian rice dish where the rice is cooked by gradually stirring in wine and broth until thick and creamy in texture. Arborio rice is needed to make risotto as it will absorb a great deal of liquid and release the large amount of starch it contains. After the general cooking method is completed, you can add different vegetables, meat, or seafood to your Risotto and is often served with parmesan cheese. I'm all about cooking with seasonal ingredients and this time of year the butternut squashes are more than plentiful. Add some roasted butternut squash to some perfectly cooked risotto is a perfect Autumn inspired dinner.

4-5 servings 

1 medium sized Butternut Squash

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

1 clove of garlic (Grated or minced)

Olive Oil

2 large shallots (Diced)

6 tablespoons of Butter (3/4 of a stick)

1 1/2 cups of Arborio Rice

1/2 cup of Dry White Wine (Pino Grigio)

4 cups of Vegetable Stock

2 cups of Chicken Stock (or another 2 cups of Vegetable)

1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese

Flat Leaf Italian Parsley 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Peel your butternut squash and cut off the top and the bottom. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and the rest of the "gunk" that you'll find in the bottom portion of the squash. Dice the butternut squash into evenly sized pieces (about 1/2 inch cubes) and place them onto a baking sheet. Toss the squash together with some olive oil, the grated garlic, and salt and pepper. Place into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the squash is tender. Set the squash aside for now.

Adding hot stock to the rice is one of the keys to making risotto. At this time before we go any further, pour our stock into a sauce pan and place it over a medium low heat. We don't want it to boil or even simmer, just heat the stock enough so that you can see steam rising. I use mostly vegetable and some chicken stock for this recipe but you can use all chicken or all veggie if you prefer. Just make sure to have about 6 cups total either way.

Meanwhile, take two large shallots and finely mince them. In a large pot or a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the shallots and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the shallots are translucent and tender. Once the shallots are cooked, add the rice and stir together to coat the rice in the butter. Add the white wine and cook for 2-4 minutes until the rice begins to absorb some of the liquid and the alcohol cooks off.

Add two ladles of the hot stock and a dash of salt and pepper and stir into the rice. Cook for about 5-10 minutes stirring very frequently. As the rice simmers, it will begin to absorb the liquid and slowly begin to release the starch. When most of the stock has been soaked up, add another two ladles of the stock.

The two pictures below are examples of what the risotto should look like when you're cooking. The first picture is what it will look like when you add more stock to the rice and the later picture is an example of what the risotto will look like when it's time to add more liquid to the pot. Continue this process until the rice is cooked through - about 30 minutes.

Once all of the stock has been stirred in, the rice should be cooked but still slightly al dente. Remove from the heat and add the butternut squash we roasted, the parmesan cheese, and some chopped parsley. Gently stir everything in together and serve the risotto hot with a glass of chilled Pino Grigio. Perfect meal for a chilly night in October and perfect for any movie night!!

 

Mark's Must See Movies - Safety Not Guaranteed

When a strange ad in the classified section of a newspaper advertises someone seeking a partner to travel back in time with - Safety not guaranteed. The ad catches the eye of a writer for a Seattle based magazine named Jeff (Jake Johnson) and wish to investigate the ad for a possible story. With the help of two interns Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni) the three set out to the a small Pacific Northwest coastal town to gather the information needed for their story.

After learning the identity of the ads author is a grocery store worker named Kenneth (Mark Duplass), Darius is handed the task of gaining his trust in order to get the information they need for the story. As Darius assists Kenneth in preparing for their mission, the two learn more about one another and develop a special connection. As Darius and Kenneth grow closer and the time for them to travel back fast approaches, it becomes harder for her to determine whether or not Kenneth is insane or if he has actually succeeded in building a time machine.

Safety Not Guaranteed is a movie that surprised me on many levels. The movie received high praise at the 2012 Sundance movie festival and was equally loved by audiences and critics. On the surface, the film is an off beat comedy about a man who claims he's built a time machine. However under lining themes of love, regrets, lost dreams, and making every day of your life count are what really gives this movie it's staying power. Aubrey Plaza (Many will recognize her as April in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation) gives a fantastic performance in her leading role and has perfect on screen chemistry with Duplass. Jake Johnson's character of Jeff is one I think many can relate too and also gives a great performance in doing so. I have to say again how shocked I was at the hear and sentiment this film carried along with it but did so without every being sappy, corny, or using any age old cliches.

This movie is just another brilliant example of just how great a low budget and independent film can be. Click here to watch the trailer for Safety Not Guaranteed on YouTube and Netflix users can watch this film online now via instant screen.

My favorite Grown up Grilled Cheese - Cheddar, Apple, and bacon on Sourdough

Who doesn't love a grilled cheese sandwich?? It's one of the first foods we fall in love with as kids and that love affair never really goes away. A grilled cheese doesn't have to be just boring old melted American cheese on white bread. My favorite grilled cheese consists of nice sharp cheddar cheese with a few sweet slices of apples and salty and smokey apple wood smoked bacon. Grilled to perfection on some sourdough bread and this is the perfect grilled cheese for me.

(Ingredient quantity is per sandwich)

3-4 pieces of apple wood smoked bacon
5 slices of Cheddar cheese
About 1/2 of one apple sliced (whichever kind you like)
2 slices of sourdough bread
Softened butter

First step is to fry the bacon until it's nice and crispy. If you're making a few grilled cheese and good way to cook all the bacon at once is lining it onto a sheet pan and baking it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. When the bacon is done, remove from the pan and allow it to rest on some paper towels and pat off any excess grease.

While the bacon rests for a minute, slice your apple pretty thin and get your sliced cheddar out. If you're getting the cheddar from a deli counter just ask for it to be sliced on the thinner side or if you're cutting it by hand from a block of cheddar just do the best you can.


Now it's time to assemble the sandwich. First butter one side of two slices of our sourdough bread. I will mention here that I'm normally not a sourdough fan but when I was developing this recipe out of all the breads I tried I liked this one the best for this particular grilled cheese. Next lay down two slices of cheddar cheddar cheese on the opposite side of our buttered bread. Place our sliced apple over top, then one slice of cheddar cheese, the crispy bacon, the rest of the sliced cheddar, and cap the sandwich off with the other slice of bread with the buttered side facing you.

Place the sandwich buttered side down on a skillet that's been preheated over medium heat. Grill on each side for about 5-7 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Remove from the pan, slice in half, and serve next to a Harvest House salad for a great Autumn time meal.

Harvest House Salad with Apple Orchard Vinaigrette

Years ago while I was out to lunch, I saw on the menu that they had a seasonal apple vinaigrette as a choice of dressing for their salads. Of course I had to order it and it was one of the best salad dressings I had ever had. As soon as lunch was over and the bill was paid I went home and tried to recreate how they made it. A few tries later I had mastered my own apple salad dressing that I thought was even better than the one I had that day. Some of my apple orchard dressing tossed with some fresh mixed greens, dried cranberries, candied walnuts, and some freshly sliced apples makes the perfect salad to enjoy during the autumn months. Great for a lite lunch or dinner or as a first course for an Autumn themed dinner.

1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
3/4 cup of Vegetable Oil
1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
A Pinch of Cinnamon
1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
A splash of Apple Cider (Optional)

Salad Greens
Dried Cranberries
1/2 cup of Walnuts
1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar
Freshly Sliced Apple (Honey Crisp, Gala, Jazz, or Pink Lady Apples work best)

In a small saute' pan, add the walnuts and toast them over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Toasting the walnuts in the dry pan will bring out their natural oils and heighten their flavor.  Add one tablespoon of  brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of water to the pan and stir together until all the nuts are coated. Add a pinch of kosher salt and Cinnamon to the walnuts and set aside.

Wash and slice the Apple into thin slices. If you're slicing your apples ahead of time, a little bit of lemon juice will keep them from browning.

For the dressing whisk together the dijon mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper, the cinnamon, and the apple cider together. Slowly whisk in the oil until the dressing has emulsified.

For a nice presentation, toss as much dressing as you like with the salad greens and pile it in the center of a white plate. Scatter a few dried cranberries and our candied walnuts over top. Neatly fan out our apple slices in the center of the salad greens and top with a small spoonful of our salad dressing.