Theme Recipe: Eggy In A Basket

This is one of my favorite breakfast indulgences!  Don't have it all that often, because it's not good without real butter; a fact that Evey from V For Vendetta is all too familiar with.  V steals the real butter from the Chancellor's train and eagerly serves it up to her as the perfect breakfast dish with a cup of tea.  This is not really a recipe, it's easy to make and doesn't need an explanation.  So, here are some pictures, with some really cool stuff from around the web concerning V and his eggy.  One of the things that kind of surprised me was how many people had never heard of this before the film came out. 

Evey scarfs down the Eggy, with tea, of course!

From Deviantart by Cepillo16

From Revenge of the Film Nerds, which has the recipe instructions

Pencil Drawing by Ayer-Muerta of V from Eggy scene, Deviantart.

This is my favorite.  The costume by William Shade is just awesome, right down to the hands  depicting burns.  Even the eggy is a "prop."  Photo by:  Mike Rollerson

Theme Recipe: Crab And Sour Cream Spread

The film style of Film Noir may have grown out of German expressionism, but it was the dark days of the war in the 1940's that truly gave them their edge!  Food too changed.  During the war their were rations, after the war, when the cocktail parties picked up again, the food served with both cocktail friendly, elegant, but practical.  The most practical food that 1940's cocktail parties gave us were so-called "canape spread you own."  Before this, canapes were only ever served already topped; this sort of dish would have been considered vulgar....but no more!!  This is such a Christmas time thing for me....and it's fast getting to be that time of year!  Yikes!!

2 cups crabmeat (can use canned) or lobster or shrimp [chopped if needed]

1 1/2 cup sour cream

Sweet or dill pickle relish (or some of both) to your taste

Salt and black pepper to taste

Chopped parsley (optional)

Paprika to top (optional)

Spicy cocktail sauce on the side (optional)

Good cracker assortment/melba breads

1.  Combine the first 4 ingredients and mix well, check seasoning.

2.  Stir in the parsley, if using and put spread into an attractive, preferably, antique looking dish.  Garnish with paprika, if wanted.  Serve with the crackers and the cocktail sauce that has plenty of horseradish and cayenne mixed in (optional).  You can add lemon to the spread if liked.

Theme Recipe: Pepper Potts Dirty Vodka Martini

I Would Like a Vodka Martini, Please

In the first Iron Man film, Miss Pott's gets herself in a spot of bother over Tony's appearance at a function...her reaction?  A specific drink order!

2 oz very dry frozen vodka
1/2 oz. olive juice
Smallest dash of dry vermouth
"Lots of olives"

Pour booze over ice in a cocktail shaker, add the olive juice and swirl a bit, add the dash of dry vermouth, cover and shake.  Strain into a cocktail glass and add a ton of olives (the original dirty martini only specified two....)

Theme Recipe: Potted Quail

Potted Quail a la Weena

I've really gotten behind on the theme recipes here lately!  I've been really busy trying to get ready for the maelstrom that is the coming Presidential election!  I manage a precinct with close to 8,000 voters....really I'm trying at this point not to think about it!  This is for Weena the cat who is a fiend (!) for cold cuts and potted meats of any kind!!  She goes completely nuts for this sort of thing.  Don't have quail?  Use game hens or chicken meat  This comes from a cool little cookbook that has been around for years The Catlover's Cookbook by Jane Morin Snowday.

4 quail

4 tbsp. butter

4 tiny onions

1 tbsp. flour

1 cup water

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp. minced parsley
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 additional tbsp. butter
Extra butter for actual potting (optional)

1.  Melt the butter in large deep sided pan on low heat.  Add the garlic, whole, cook slow and don't burn it!

2.  Season the birds with salt and pepper, add to pan and cook to seal the skin all around.  Remove to plate, and discard the garlic.  Stir int he flour and whisk well until it cooks a bit in the fat and is no longer dry.  When this is done, add the water and whisk well to combine and continue to stir until the gravy is thickened.

3.  Return the birds to the gravy, cover and simmer until tender (about 45 minutes to 1 hour), adding more water if necessary (keep a close eye on this, burnt gravy will ruin it!).  Add the tiny onions and cook about 10 minutes more.  

4.  Melt the butter and saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes, stir in the parsley.  To serve right away, plate each bird to one diner, top with mushroom, serve with wild rice and some gravy.

5.  To actually pot them (my instructions), place each bird inside a little jar, top with some gravy, then top with some mushrooms, press down.  Pour just melted butter over each, seal and keep refrigerated.

Theme Recipe: 2012 Ghost Food From The Web

Theme Recipe: The Halloween Cupcake Gallery (Decorating Ideas)