Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary and Guy, a young and happy couple move into an old apartment building that has a terrible history. As they are settling into their new home and begin to start a family Guy becomes very close with the odd elderly couple that live next door. Rosemary experiences a number of strange happenings such as the suicide of a woman staying with her elderly neighbors, a realistic nightmare where she is being raped by a monster and her husband becomes extremely distant. When she becomes pregnant things get worse; in extreme pain, losing weight and is forced daily to drink a home remedy made by her neighbor. Rosemary learns about ancient satanic rituals, witch's covens and about a plot against her and her baby.

In the scene before she is raped by the devil incarnate Rosemary ate a chocolate mousse which was drugged by her neighbors. She is dizzy and eventually passes out and is semi-conscious during the violent act against her. Food and drinks with drugs or poisons slipped in them are not a new phenomenon. In Roman times deaths by poisioned food was common and were usually conducted for political reasons or because of social standing. There are numerous accounts of Roman Emperor Claudius having been poisioned. Some claim he was poisioned in a single dose at his evening meal and others claim that he was given multiple doses. There were many people who were accused of having poisioned him but the two which had most to gain from his death was his son Nero and his last wife Agrippina. During the middle ages posions were easily obtained through the local apothacary but it was during the Renaissance that poisioning had reached its highest popularity.

Not all of the storys regarding poisioning are from so far back in history. In the 1920's and 1930's, Vera Renczi poisioned her first husband's wine and dinner with arsenic after suspecting him of being unfaithful. Her second marriage ended the same as the first and she never remairred but carried out a number of affairs who would mysteriously disappear after their encounter with Vera. When she was finally caught she confessed to and was convicted of 35 murders by poisioning.

One of the most recent and shocking cases involving poisioning was of Dr. Harold Shipman a British general practitioner who was convicted of being a serial killer. He was issued a life sentence for killing 15 people. Further investigation into Shipman's career as a doctor led to evidence of 218 people who most likely were murdered by him poisioning them with an overdose of morphine or other medications.

Make this Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse yourself so you will know it is not poisioned. Enjoy!

Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients

4 Large egg yolks
1/4 Cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Ounces bittersweet chocolate
3/4 Cup heavy cream

Preparation

Chop the chocolate finely and set aside. In a double boiler, whisk together the yolks, sugar and salt until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Take it off the heat and quickly whisk in the chopped chocolate until it has melted and cocoa until it is thick and smooth. Cool to room temperature. In a bowl whip the cream until soft peaks form and then whisk 1/2 of the whipped cream unto the room temperature chocolate mixture. Gently fold the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Chill at least 2 hours and up to one day.

Ghostbusters

After being kicked out of Columbia University, three odd scientists start a business called Ghostbusters. Their job is to locate and remove ghosts of all types for people who are having a supernatural problem. One of the scientists, Venkman, is sent to Dana Barrett's apartment where an entity named Zuul is living in her fridge, when he gets there he finds nothing but tries to impress Dana. The Environmental Protection Agency decides that the Ghostbuster's spectral housing unit is unsafe and decides to turn off the power to the unit causing all of the ghouls to escape into New York City causing havoc. The Ghostbusters convice the Mayor of the city that they are the only ones who can stop the ancient god Gozer the Gozerian who has already transformed Dana and her neighbor Louis into monsters and threatens all of New York.

One of the most popular characters in this movie and later in the animated series was the neon green spectre called "Slimer." The last we see of Slimer in the first film was he was engorging himself at a hot dog vendor. As scary as a ghost might seem it is also quite scary to wonder what exactly is in a hot dog. The basic ingredients of a hot dog are the following: meat, meat fat, a cereal filler such as bread crumbs or oatmeal, a little egg white, preservatives and some spices all contained within a synthetic collegen casing. In the United States if a hot dog has multiple types of meat, cereal, or soy fillers then the named must be changed to "links". Also hot dogs with the term "weiners" tend to contain more pork and are generally less bland then other hot dogs with the term "franks" which are made with mostly beef and are seasoned more. The meat that is used in hot dogs tends to be of low quality and the chicken or turkey dogs are cheapest because of the low cost of mechanically seperated poultry. The beef hot dogs do not use mechanically seperated meat paste since 2004 to keep people safe from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease. This was done because using machines to remove meat from the bones often would result in getting some spinal cord in the meat which is a part that carries BSE. Some of the hot dogs have byproducts within them such as fat, heart, kidney or liver but they must not exceed 15% of the total ingredients. Though hot dogs are high in sodium, fat and nitrate content they cannot contain more then 30% fat.

Sadly, I did this article after having eaten two hot dogs for dinner. They were quite yummy but I am not sure just how good for me they really are. If this information hasn't deterred you from eating hot dogs then try the Sweet Beer-Simmered Hot Dog Bites. Enjoy!


Sweet Beer-Simmered Hot Dog Bites

Ingredients

2 Pounds hot dogs cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Cups brown sugar
2 Cups ketchup
1 Can of beer (12ounce)

Preparation

Place all ingredients into a large sauce pan and mix. Cover and place on low heat, simmer for about 45 minutes.

The Incredible Hulk

Bruce Banner is a scientist who experimented on himself and now when his heart rate gets to 200 he turns into a giant green monster known as The Hulk. He flees from his home and friends to escape being captured by the U.S. Military. The military find him in Brazil where he was working in a bottling factory and trying to find a cure. Bruce Banner returns to his home town to find the data that is needed to help find a cure and he runs into his old love Betty Ross. The man, Blonsky the U.S. military brought in to capture Banner has now turned into a power and rage addict by the injections provided by the General. The scientist that was helping Banner find a cure injects Blonsky which turns him into The Abomination who is as strong as The Hulk. Bruce Banner has to turn back into The Hulk in order to stop this out of control monster.

The bottling factory that Bruce Banner was working at made an energy drink out of guaraná. Guaraná comes from the Paullinia cupana plant that is found in the Amazon Basin and is very common in Brazil. Guaraná or guaranine is used in many carbonated soft drink, energy drinks and teas. Many people who are unable to take the taste of coffee for their caffeine dose choose to drink beverages that are made from the seeds of this plant. The chemical for caffeine which is derived from Guaraná is identical to that found in other caffeine sources and has the same stimulating effects. There are also other benefits to drinking guaraná including helping with weight loss, improving memory and increasing the amounts of antioxidants in your body. Guaraná does have some risks associated with it including, nervousness, sleeplessness, anxiety, diarrhea, chest pain, irregular heart beat and death. The FDA recommends no more then 300mg of caffeine per day, which would be about three 16oz sodas that are consumed in Brazil. Over 25% of the drinks on the market in Brazil have guaraná and in the US it holds a GRAS status (Generally Regarded As Safe).

Well I don’t generally drink energy drink but this recipe sounds interesting. So weather you choose one from the store or the one below, enjoy!

Energy Drink

Ingredients

4 Small ginseng tea bags
2 Quarts water
1 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Cups sugar
2 Small herbal tea bags

Preparation

Brew all the tea bags in one quart of water. In a pitcher add sugar, lemon juice and remaining water and mix well. Then add the brewed tea and stir. Refridgerate and serve cold.

Nim's Island

A scientist and his young daughter live on an island paradise but in the shadow of a volcano. Nim, the young girl, has all sorts of unlikely friends; she pays soccer with a sea lion, talks to lizards and is rescued by a pelican. Besides having adventures with her animal friends at her exotic home she spends a lot of her time reading about the world's greatest adventurer, Alex Rover. The author of these adventure books is an agoraphobe who dosen't leave the house but finds herself trying to find Nim's island when the little girl finds herself in big trouble and all alone.

Nim's father's favorite meal on the island is one that has "freshly dug up meal worms" but later when Alexandra Rover is offered some food with the worms in it she has a reaction that one might think would probably be closer to the majority of the population. The fact is that the act of entomophagy, or insect eating, isn't all that rare even today. There is much evidence to suggest that people from 9000 to 30000 bce ate insects as a protein source but there are cultures where insect eating is still going on today. Some commonly eaten insects include ants, crickets, grasshoppers, grubs, and spiders. Many of these insects are prepared by frying them and making them into cruncy, salty treats. There are many advantages to having an insect based diet, their impact on the environment is crucial but if they are raised for human consumption we wouldn't have to remove them from their natural habitat. Also insects reproduce at a much higher rate then that of an animal and use up to 44% of the food they ingest. Animals only use 10% of the food they eat which means that insects use less energy and feed to produce as much or more food then our current animal sources.

I have never eaten an insect, well never willingly that is (studies do show that we eat about 12 insects a year while we sleep) so I do not have any recipes that include them. Maybe you're no longer in the mood to eat but I would definately try this Spring Lamb Stew I bet you could add some ants for extra protein. Enjoy!

Spring Lamb Stew

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lamb stew meat
Salt and pepper
4 Carrots cut into 3 inch sticks
1 onion sliced
1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 Cup dry white wine
2 Cups low sodium chicken broth
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
4 ounces green beans, cut into small pieces
1 Cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until medium rare and transfer to a plate. Add the carrots, onion, and the remaining oil to the pot, then add the flour, add the wine and scrape up any brown bits. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans. Simmer until vegetables are tender then stir in the lamb, parsley, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

V For Vendetta

A vigilante named "V", wearing a Guy Fawkes mask emerges in totalitarian Britian. Using extreme tactics he urges the population to rise up against their oppressive government and on the 5th of November to come together to demand change. Evey Hammond, a girl who is rescued by "V" gets quickly caught up in the life and politics of this labled terrorist. After running away from her rescuer, Evey is incarcerated, tortured and through many hardships eventually finds herself without fear. She learns of the atrocities committed by the goverment against the people of Britian and V and vows to assist V carry out his plan for change.

After V takes the unconscious Evey to his secret lair and explains to her that she must stay there until his task was complete she ran off to her room. In the morning when she wakes shes walks into the kitchen to find the masked V cooking breakfast. Evey delights in the fact it is made with real butter stolen from Chancellor Suttler. Later in the film, when Evey is hiding out at Gordon Deitrich's house he also makes this scrumptious looking breakfast, he says its called "Eggy in the basket."

A more common form of British breakfast food is called "The Full English" or "The Great British Fry Up." A traditional British Fry Up will include back bacon, sausage, baked beans, a grilled or fried tomato, mushrooms, eggs, fried bread and with or without black pudding. Some of you might not know exactly what some of these items are so I will define them. Back bacon is a lean cut of meat which comes from the loin part of the pig. It has a lot less fat then a regular cut of bacon and tastes more like ham. The UK alone has approximately 450 different types of sausages from traditional, more modern recipes that include fruit and sausages that are influenced by other European regions. In the UK their tins of baked beans they use for breakfast are not the same as the baked beans you can often find at a BBQ in the United States. Their baked beans are in a tomato sauce which you can buy at the grocery in the UK for a very low price. The mushrooms are always sauted and the eggs are fried in butter any way you like. Now the fried bread, I had to do a bit of research on this. Fried bread would be like french toast but substitute the egg and sugar for butter and more butter. Finally we get to black pudding. Black pudding is made by cooking blood with a filler such as meat, fat, bread, or oats until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. Then you slice it, throw it in a pan to fry for a few minutes and enjoy.

According to some sources the British Fry Up can be around 3,000 calories. I think I will stick to the Eggy in the Basket and if you would like to make it too see the recipe below. Enjoy!

Eggy In The Basket


Ingredients

6 Slices Whole Wheat Bread
6 Eggs
Butter
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Butter both sides of the bread slices and cut an approximately 2 inch circle in the middle of each piece of bread. Add a bit of butter to the pan and add your bread. Gently crack your eggs into the hole in the bread. Sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper. Cook the eggs how you like them, over easy or over medium.

Hancock

John Hancock is an alcoholic and an amnesiac jerk that just happens to have superpowers. Causing chaos and destruction while trying to complete his superhero duties and he continues to make enemies among the population. Ray Embrey, a public relations executive is nearly hit by a train but is saved by having his car thrown to the side by Hancock. Ray decides to have the superhero over for dinner to thank him and propose a new PR strategy. Ray’s son is a big fan of Hancock but his wife is not and urges Ray to get Hancock out of their life.

The Embrey household has a Thursday night tradition called “spaghetti madness” which includes eating spaghetti and meatballs with the family and the new addition of Hancock. There have been numerous studies regarding the benefits of having a night designated for “family togetherness”. Many believe that sharing a dinner with the family can “contribute to children’s cognitive and personal development, as well as …strengthen the bond between children and parents.” Studies have shown that family dinner rituals can result in “lower rates of substance abuse, depression, pregnancy, alcoholism and eating disorders.” Children who grow up without a family night are more likely to eat unhealthy and skip meals later in life. Also, other studies show that the positive effects of having family dinners are neutralized by including watching the television while eating. Not only do the behavioral and psychological effects of family dinner get undone but studies show that if you watch television while you eat dinner you are less likely to have adequate servings of fruits and vegetables.

Take a look at the family’s schedule and pick a night that is good for everyone. Find new recipes to try out, have a “request” night or breakfast for dinner night. Turn off the television and make it special. Grab your family and start a tradition. You could start with the Embrey’s favorite; try the Spaghetti and Meatball recipe below.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
¼ Cup finely grated Parmesan
¼ Cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1 Large egg
1 Pound ground beef chuck
¼ Cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes in puree
¾ Pound Spaghetti

Preparation

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a bowl combine parmesan, parsley, garlic, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the beef and breadcrumbs, mix gently. Form into 16 balls. In a 5 quart dutch oven or pot heat oil over medium. Add meatballs, turning occasionally until browned. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook stirring occasionally until meatballs are cooked through. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and return to pot, add meatballs and sauce. Toss gently.

Miss Congeniality

Gracie Hart is a clumsy, unkempt female FBI agent who goes undercover in the Miss United States pagent after a criminal threatens the event. Though Gracie is reluctant to change she has help from a beauty pagent consultant, her 49 competitors, fellow agents, and the beauty pagent director herself. Finally after brushing her hair, putting on a dress and heels, bonding with Miss Rhoad Island and having everyone deny her donuts, Agent Hart is ready to find the terrorist, walk the catwalk and save her new beautiful friends.

One of the most famous stereotypes is of cops (or any other type of law enforcement) loving donuts. In Miss Congeniality there are a number of scenes where Gracie Hart is trying to abscond one or multiple donuts. Sometimes she even hides them in unusual places, very unusual places. After reading a little about the stereotype some of the reasons this stereotype stuck makes perfect sense. Many times police officers work strange hours and there are little choices of restaurants open at the wee hours of the night. Donut shops use to be open 24 hours which would make a perfect place for cops to stop for a snack. Also, the perfect accompaniment to a donut is coffee, which the police use to stay awake and caffeine can help stay alert. While on duty officers of the law must be able to respond to a call immediately, even leaving your lunch or snack behind. A donut is inexpensive and very easy to throw back into the bag for later. Finally, the best reason that I can come up with why cops love donuts is who DOESN'T love donuts

I know I love donuts. You can enjoy these homemade donuts and you don't even have to be a police officer. Enjoy.

Buttermilk Donuts

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup buttermilk
2 Large eggs
2 Tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 Teaspoon baking soda
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1 Teaspoon salt
3/4 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

Place 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 1/4 cups sugar in a large bowl. Add buttermilk and the rest of the ingredients except for the oil. Use an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining cup of flour. Cover and refeigerate at least 1 hour. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Using two different sized cookie cutters cut out your dough. Pour oil into a heavy pot, about 5 inches of oil deep. Heat oil to 350 degrees and add 3 donuts to the oil. Fry until golden brown and turn once. About 6 minutes total. Using a slotted spoon transfer the donuts to a papertowel lined rack to drain. Repeat with remaining donuts.

The Life of David Gale

David Gale was a college professor and a member of Deathwatch, an death penalty abolisionist group. After some poor choices in life he ends up with no family, no job, convicted and sentanced to death row. Bitsey Bloom, a journalist is requested by Gale to receive his last interview before he is put to death for killing his partner in Deathwatch, Constance Harraway. Bloom listens to Gale's story and begins to investigate it further. Bitsey Bloom is under great pressure because she has only a short amount of time to prove his innocence and to stop the execution. The story unfolds through present progression of new information and through flashbacks in time to show what actually happened.

While on death row David Gale is asked to what he would like for his last meal and Gale remembers a morning he had with his son. The memory he had was of his son had asking for pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Gale chose this as the last meal he would eat before being executed. It seems that there isn't one fully excepted explaination as to why prisioners on death row are provided a last meal. Some believe the idea of a last meal stems from Christianity and The Last Supper of Jesus, some believe it stems from traditions that were held in the 17th centuries where the convicted might have feasted for up to three days before being put to death in Germany, or in 18th century London where the prisioner would be given a great banquet, the service of a prostitute and on the walk to the gallows they would stop in a number of pubs before being hung. Some argue that the last meal tradition stems from ancient superstitions of the condemned coming back to haunt those who put him to death. The offering of a meal was to appease the soul before it was sent to the afterlife. Currently 37 states and the Federal Government can authorize the punishment of a criminal to be death. Many of the inmates decline a last meal or opt to have what is being served in the cafeteria. Depending on where the inmate is serving his last few days will determine how much they are able to request. In Texas the inmates have to choose from items that are within the prison system and can be prepared by the inmates. They do have an exception where you can ask the chaplain to purchase items from a local store for preparation. In Indiana they have no spending amount and will provide as close to the request as possible. The choices of the convicted vary from person to person. Some choose comfort foods such as fried chicken, mashed potatoes and milk, others choose junk food like hamburgers, pizza, cakes, and sodas. There are some occasional strange requests like a single olive with a pit in it requested by Victor Feguer, Philip Workman requested that a large vegetarian pizza be given to a homeless person in Nashville (this request was denied), or James Edward Smith who requested a lump of dirt but was also denied.

I'll have to think about what I'd like my last meal to be. What would you have? If you want the same as David Gale then enjoy pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Strawberry Pancakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 Large egg
1 Cup milk
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Cups sliced strawberries
Whipped cream (to taste)
Chocolate shavings (to taste)

Preparation

In a bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another small bowl whisk egg, milk and vanilla. Preheat nonstick griddle over medium heat. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then stir in the melted butter. The batter should be thick and smooth. Fold in the strawberries. Spoon the batter onto the griddle. Cook the pancakes until set and bubbly. Flip them and cook until golden brown. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

The Bridge To Terabithia

Jesse Aarons is an artistic but misunderstood boy. He is growing up in a crowded house with four sisters and a serious father. Leslie Burke just moved next door. She is independent and creative; the only daughter to a pair of writers. The two kids are unlikely friends, but find common ground in the fact that they are both outcasts. Together they create a secret world in the woods filled with fantastic creatures and a castle which they will rule as King and Queen. They overcome the bullies at school, the struggles at home and build a strong friendship but can the lesson carry them through tragedy?

The stress that home provided Jess was something that he needed to learn to deal with better. The Aarons’ house was obviously too small for their size family and their livelihood was mentioned a couple times throughout the film. The Father maintained a greenhouse which provided them food to eat as well as some extra income. He would sell the fresh produce to the local Farmer’s Market.

Riverside County there are a number of different Farmer’s Markets available throughout the year. The Riverside Certified Farmer’s Market meets every Friday, “rain or shine” according to their website (http://www.riversidecfm.com/). Doi’s Farmers Market is a small family owned store and historical Asian American site in Riverside. They also have a smaller fruit and vegetable stand just down the street. The address is 3300 La Sierra Avenue, here the Doi family sells produce they have grown themselves or from other local farmers. Every Saturday between 8 am and 1 pm you can stroll around the Downtown Farmers Market – Riverside. Stands are set up in the pedestrian mall between 5th and 6th St. (http://www.riversideca.gov/arts/farmers-market.asp).

You can find all sorts of things to buy at a farmer’s market. Plenty of stands have locally and seasonal grown fruit and vegetables for sale. Many of the items, if not all, are organically grown and free of pesticides. Expect to see items besides vegetables for sale as well. Many markets have snack booths, fresh cut flowers for sale, gift baskets, craft items and around Halloween expect to see a pumpkin patch.

Be sure to pick up some freshly picked organic tomatoes and leafy basil while at the market to make this Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad

Ingredients

1 Pound heirloom tomatoes, sliced
8 – 12 Leaves of fresh basil
2 Teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ Pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Slice and layer tomatoes and mozzarella, tear pieces of basil leaves and spread over each layer. Sprinkle top with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Finally use a small dash or two of salt and pepper.

Blindness

Those who came down with the sickness early are struck blind, quarantined and abandoned in an empty mental hospital. Food is the only service that is provided by the Government and as it becomes less frequent so does the humanity and dignity of the victims. The community breaks down, turning to chaos when the occupants of Ward 3 take control of the food. The demands begin, the valuables used to trade for food soon run out and the primal needs of the all male ward take over. A woman who still has her sight, wife of one of the affected, provides an edge as a small group of survivors look to her for care and leadership.

One of the most heart-wrenching scenes in this movie is one where the women have to decide on bartering with their bodies or their entire ward starving to death. There was a period of what seemed a couple days between the vile offers by Ward 3 and when the women made their choice. This seemed like a rash decision. The human body can last quite a long time without food as long as they still have water.

The human body is dependant on food but there are many factors that would affect the need for sustenance in such a short period of time. Level of activity, exposure to the elements, overall body weight and overall health would drastically change how urgently food would be required. The people in the ward were all indoors, so they weren’t exposed to harsh weather. They were blind and weren’t able to get around very easily so their level of activity wouldn’t be high. They did not have lots of food to eat and their conditions were very poor so their weight and health might factor in.

Most doctors believe that a healthy human can go up to eight weeks without food as long as they have water. Gandhi went 21 days without food and Irish republic protestor Bobby Sands went 66 days without food before dying. Their will, determination and the meaning behind their hunger strike played a big part in coping with the length of time without food.

You may be able to last eight weeks without food but why would you? Try the Grilled Salami and Cheese Sandwich, inspired by the movie.

Grilled Salami and Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

1 Teaspoon of butter
3 – 5 Slices of block mild cheddar cheese
4 – 6 Thinly sliced dry salami
2 Slices rye bread

Preparation

Fry the salami in a pan until the fat is rendered then set aside on paper towel to drain. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread, place cheese on unbuttered side of bread and salami on top of cheese. Place unbuttered slice of bread on top of salami. Place in pan and cook until golden brown and flip. Cook until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Bram Stoker's Dracula

Jonathan Harker, a lawyer, is sent from London to Transylvania to finish some real estate business with the strange Count Dracula. He has left his fiancé, Mina Murray, in the care of her wealthy friend Lucy Westenra. While at the castle Mr. Harker sees many bizarre things, is seduced by three bloodthirsty women and forced by Dracula to write letters to his family and Mina saying he will be staying an extra month. Meanwhile, Lucy has come down with an abnormal case of anemia and sleepwalking. Dr. Van Helsing, a specialist, is called into help and immediately recognizes that she is “undead”. A hunting party is formed to destroy Dracula before he attacks again.

A consistent theme in any vampire movie is the creature’s thirst for blood. Lucy is fed on by Dracula, the insane Renfield craves blood while stuck in his cell and Mr. Harker had his blood sucked, multiple times, by the seductive female vampires in the castle. This recurring theme is also played into one of the few food scenes in the movie. When Mr. Harker and his new bride return to London, they meet Professor Van Helsing for dinner. During a very blunt discussion regarding death and blood Van Helsing urges the young couple to “Eat. Feast” on the slabs of rare roast beef in front of them.

Many people eat their steaks rare but people are often warned that this could be dangerous. The health risks stem from the presence of bacteria such as listeria and salmonella which is found in meat. These microorganisms are often found on the surface of steaks and can be killed by cooking the meat at a proper temperature. According to most the minimum temperature considered safe is 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

I don't particularly like roast beef so I chose a simple Pan Seared Steak recipe. Enjoy.

Pan Seared Steak

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Boneless rib eye steak (1 1/2 to 2 lbs, room temperature)
1 Teaspoon coarse salt
1 Teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in ovenproof pan until it begins to smoke. Pat steak dry with paper towels. Season each side of the steak with salt and pepper. Cook steak in pan over medium-high heat until a crust has formed, about 6 minutes per side. Place pan in over and roast for about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let steak rest for about 5 minutes before carving.

Pan's Labyrinth

Guillermo Del Toro's Spanish language film is set in the year 1944 in fascist Spain. The story centers around a young girl named Ofelia whose life is split between real world horrors and a dark fantasy world. Ofelia moves into the home of her cruel new stepfather, Captain Vidal, who leads his men in a vicious battle against the rebels who are still loyal to the old republic. A mysterious insects leads Ofelia into an ancient labyrinth where she encounters a gnarled Faun. The creature gives her hope for a better life as a princess if she can complete three fantastical tasks. Only after proving her lineage would she be able to rightfully claim her place in the Underground Kingdom.

Food plays many important roles within this tale. The stealing of food to give to the rebels, the rationing of food by the evil Captain Vidal, and most importantly it is used to tempt the heroine during one of her tasks. From Christianity to Buddhism and The Odyssey by Homer to the story of Snow White; food has been used to tempt the fate of humans. Eating and drinking is used in many stories as a symbolic act of the true test of one's will.

During Ofelia's second task she must enter the lair of "The Pale Man", a child-eating monster. Laid out before the ghoulish being is a mouth-watering feast to which she has been warned not to eat anything. After completing her task, she stops before the table and decides to eat two grapes despite the panic of the fairies. Ofelia ignoring the warnings she was given could be explained a few ways. Perhaps there was a glamour on the food, she did seem a bit mesmerized as she ate. Maybe it was a new found sense of independence. Perhaps her decision was base on the experience she had made in an earlier task: She had to choose the door which held the magical dagger. The fairies pointed to one door and she chose another. After choosing correctly perhaps she felt she knew better then those who were giving her these tests and wilfully chose to partake in the forbidden fruit. The explanation could be a fairly simple one; Ofelia was sent to bed without dinner for ruining her dress. She might have just been hungry and the luxury of the banquet was too much to bear.

If you're hungry try the recipes below which were inspired by Pan's Labyrinth. Spanish Rabbit Stew and Sugared Grapes. Enjoy!


Spanish Rabbit Stew

Ingredients

5 slices of bacon, diced
1 large rabbit cut in to 8 pieces
Salt and Pepper
2 Cups chopped onion
4 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Teaspoon coarse salt
1 Cup dry white wine
3 Cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/4 Cup dry sherry
Butter to thicken sauce

Preparation

Heat a large saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until it is brown and crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon to drain on paper towels.
Season the rabbit with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining bacon fat and sear the rabbit pieces until golden on all sides, turning often, about 55 minutes. Lift out the rabbit pieces and reserve. Add the onion to the pan and saute until the onions are soft and caramelized, about 50 minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and salt, and cook until the aromas are released, about 1 minute. Add the wine and reduce by half.
Add the stock, browned rabbit pieces, browned bacon and bay leaves. Cook, covered, until rabbit is fork tender, about 1 hour.
Carefully lift out the rabbit pieces and transfer to a serving platter. Add the sherry to the sauce along with enough butter to thicken the sauce, whisking until the butter is incorporated. Pour the sauce over the warm rabbit pieces.

Sugared Grapes

Ingredients

1/4 cup pasteurized liquid egg whites
2lbs seedless grapes (cut into 2 to 4 inch clusters)
1 cup superfine granulated sugar

Preparation

Hold grape clusters by the stem and brush lightly with the egg whites. Move onto wax paper, sprinkle with sugar. Coat all sides with sugar. Shake off excess sugar. Dry grapes uncovered at room temperature for about 2 hours.