Film With A Foodie - Pyscho - Bates' Late Dates aka Devils on Horseback

One of my favorite directors by far is Alfred Hitchcock. I'm obsessed with his films. They are so creative, inventive, genius and suspenseful. Psycho is one of his best. The shower scene alone is amazing! If you haven't seen this classic, you need to!!! Not only do you need to see this movie but you need to eat these delicious dates while you watch.

Bates' Late Dates, aka Devils on Horseback, is a scrumptious bite of sweet, salty and crispy! Beautiful dates filled with creamy cheese and wrapped in delectable bacon. Every component of this dish is delicious on it's own already, just imagine the three together!!! Actually don't imagine it, make this recipe and give your taste buds a treat!

I used two types of dates Madjool & Ajwah. If you can't find these types, use which every one you find in the store. Traditionally Gorgonzola or a blue cheese is used, which I love, in this case I used a garlic herb spread just to mix it up a bit. Both are delicious!

Along with these devilish bites are tongue and cheek named dishes that will delight and satisfy your tummy!

Menu for Psycho:

Bates' Late Dates aka Devils on Horseback

Bloody Tomato Soup with Severed Fingers  (Grilled Cheese Sticks with Roasted Tomato Soup)

Gashed and Slashed Blueberry Pie

Turn off the lights, sit back and enjoy your night with the Master of Suspense!


Buen Provecho!!

I made a double batch! Preheat heat oven 400F.

Carefully cut in half. Don't cut all the way through!

Add enough cheese to fill.

Cut bacon into 3 equal pieces.

Wrap date in bacon!!

Secure with a toothpick.

Place on prepared sheet. I forgot the wired rack and the bottom of my bacon was close to being burned. It was still edible but very very crispy.

Arrange on a platter and enjoy!!! So good!!!!! I'm so excited!!!!

Bates' Late Dates aka Devils on Horseback - 12 pieces

Ingredients:

4 slices of thick applewood bacon, cut in 3 even pieces
12 dates (any kind), pitted
1/4 cup Gorgozola or garlic herb cheese

Side note: I forgot to put the wired rack on my first batch and the bottom part of the bacon over browned, super extra crispy. If you like your bacon that way just put bites directly on the parchment paper and bypass the rack; otherwise use a wired rack on a baking sheet.

This recipe is super easy to double, triple or quadruple. Just make as many as you want!!


Road Map:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place 12 toothpicks in a small bow filled with water; let soak 15 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and fit with a wire rack; set aside.

2. Halve dated lengthwise being careful not to cut all the way through. Place a small amount of cheese in the center. Wrap a piece of bacon around each date. Secure bacon with a toothpick.

3.Place dates on prepared baking sheet with wired rack. Bake until bacon is cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

4. Enjoy!!!

Films With A Foodie- Breakfast At Tiffany's - Millionaire Bacon

As I mentioned before, I love pairing foods with events. First it was the World Cup with my Fusion inspired Bratwurst Empanadas, then my periodically posts of Dining with Disney posts (pairing food with Disney films, check out my Princess & the Frog post)  and now I'm adding a new set of pairing post. Films With A Foodie. I love movies of all genres. My net is pretty wide. But my passion is in the classics movies, like All About Eve, Psycho, Adam's Rib, Girl Friday and Meet Me In St. Louis. I want to make fun meals to pair with these wonderful classics. But I'm not going to stop with the classics, I'll branch out and do not so classics as well.The point of this is to have fun. Movies are great and even better when eaten with creative foods that are giving tongue and cheek names. It's all about the experience and fellowship.

The first post of Films With A Foodie is one of Audrey Hepburn most famous characters, Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. There hasn't been one girl who has seen this film and not wished to have Breakfast At Tiffany's. It's a quirky girl meets boy story, with a few crazy parties here and there. Holly's  a social climber who realizes that status isn't the most important thing in the world.

Holly may not have gotten her Millionaire but that doesn't mean she can't eat like one!

Breakfast At Tiffany Menu:

Lemon Souffle Pancakes

Millionaire Bacon

London Fog Latte

Bust out that China and sliver, it's time to eat! 


Buen Provecho!

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare the sugar. 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/8-1/2 tsp of Chili powder

1/4 - 1/2 tsp of black pepper. Combine.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a rack or broiler pan on top. Place bacon on rack.

Cover each piece with as much as the sugar as possible

Place in the oven. Cook for 30-35 minutes, depending on your crispy desire.

After 30-35 minutes, beautiful caramel candied bacon!

Perfection!

Bacon Art!

Up close and personal. You can see how deliciously sticky & peppery it is! YUM!!!

Millionaire Bacon - yields 6 slices

Ingredients:

6 thick cut slices of bacon
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/8-1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper

Note: The measurements of the spices are up to you. I started with 1/8 tsp of chili powder because my husband doesn't like things spicy, so that was perfect for him. But you can go up to 1/4 tsp or even 1/2 tsp depending on your heat tolerance. The pepper was a similar situation, I used 1/4 tsp but you can use up to 1/2 tsp.

Road Map

1.  Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a rack or broiler pan on top. Lay the bacon on the rack. In a small bowl combine sugar, black pepper and chili powder and combine. Pack the brown sugar onto the bacon. Make sure every piece is covered and packed.

2. Place in the oven and cook to 30-35 minutes depending on desired crispiness.

3. Allow to cool before eating, careful not to burn yourself.

4. Enjoy!

Line a baking pan with foil. Combine all of your spices and sugar together into a bowl and mix thoroughly. If you want your bacon more coated in sweet and spicy flavor, add more ingredients to your liking. Apply liberally to each strip of bacon by taking each strip and hand rubbing them. Bake until crisp for 20- 30 minutes (depending upon your crispy liking). - See more at: http://bacontoday.com/millionaires-bacon-million-dollar-bacon/#sthash.UcUGXLD4.dpufTake a baking sheet cover it with foil.

Line a baking pan with foil. Combine all of your spices and sugar together into a bowl and mix thoroughly. If you want your bacon more coated in sweet and spicy flavor, add more ingredients to your liking. Apply liberally to each strip of bacon by taking each strip and hand rubbing them. Bake until crisp for 20- 30 minutes (depending upon your crispy liking). - See more at: http://bacontoday.com/millionaires-bacon-million-dollar-bacon/#sthash.UcUGXLD4.dpuf

Corn Bacon Casserole

One of my favorite potluck dishes that's always a big hit is my Corn Casserole. It has been requested on several family gathering. It is a very very simple casserole. It is a 5 ingredient dish; can of corn, creamed corn, sour cream, butter and Jiffy corn mix. You drop it in a bowl and mix, pour into a 9x13 dish, bake at 350F for 45 minutes & you're done! It's a no-brainer! The outcome is this creamy delicate corn delight.

The casserole is delicious as is, but I was thinking what if I add bacon to the mix. Bacon can only enhance this deliciousness. So that's what I did and boy does it work! The salty bacon plays well with the sweet corn. It's a balanced bite of salt & sweet.

I've made both versions, one with bacon and without. Both are a hit! You can't go wrong!!

Buen Provecho!

The Yummy Suspects!

Delicious crisp bacon, divided into 2 piles.

Into a medium bowl pour can of drained corn,

can of creamed corn,

8oz of sour cream, 

 2 oz of melted butter (1/2 a stick)

and then Jiffy corn mix.

Stir until it looks like....

...this.

Add 1/2 of the bacon and

stir to combine.

Pour into a 9x13 casserole, smooth out with spoon and gently shake and tap casserole to settle and even out mixture.

Crumble and sprinkle the other half of bacon. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Put toothpick in and if it comes out clean it's ready.

Put oven to broil and brown casserole for 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully don't let it burn! Take it out when golden brown.

Let it set for 5 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. Delicious creamy, sweet and salty! So good!!!

Corn Bacon Casserole - 5-7 servings

1- 15.25 oz can whole corn kernels, drain
1- 14.75 oz can creamed corn
8 oz sour cream
2 oz butter, melted (1/2 a stick)
1- 8.5ox box of favorite corn mix (Jiffy is my brand)
4-5 thick cut bacon, chopped (I use applewood bacon)

Note: If you cook in a smaller casserole your cooking time will be longer, 50-60 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick. It comes out clean your casserole is ready. Then broil until golden brown for 1-2 minutes.


Road Map:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Chop bacon and place in a dry skillet on medium heat. Crisp up bacon bits and drain on a paper towel. Divide bacon in half.

2. Place drained corn kernels, creamed corn, sour cream, butter and corn mix in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Add half of the bacon and mix until combined.

3. Pour mixture into a 9x13 pan. Smooth out with the back of a wooden spoon. Gently shake and tap the casserole dish to help the mixture settle and even out. Crumble and sprinkle the half of bacon over casserole.

4. Place casserole into the oven, cook for 40-45 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Turn oven to Broil and cook until brown, 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully, will brown rapidly you don't want it to burn.

5. Once golden brown, place casserole on a trivet to rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.

6. Enjoy! 

Beignets

Beignets. What's better than a piece of fried dough doused in powered sugar? Nothing! I haven't have the pleasure to go visit the Big Easy, but I'm longing to go there. I want to visit the French Quarter, go to jazz clubs and do all the touristy things. But I especially want to eat, eat, eat and did I mention EAT! Until I get the chance to spend time in New Orleans I have to travel through its' food, hooray for Beignets.

Beignets are a yeast doughnut so time is essential. There are 2 proofing times so clear your morning.

Let's talk toppings! Traditional topping for beignets is powdered sugar, but I went a little Voodoo Doughnut in the toppings. Voodoo Doughnut is a bakery in Portland, Oregon known for unique toppings, like captain crunch cereal and bacon. I went the bacon route. I made a trio of beignets. One traditional, one with maple icing & bacon and one with Nutella. Beignets are wonderful blank canvas that allow the imagination to soar! Maybe next I'll make jelly beignets!!

Buen Provecho!!

 

Warm water (100-110F), packet of yeast & sugar

Let it active, about 5 minutes.

Once activated add lemon zest

.......grated nutmeg

..... a 3/4 tsp of salt

and 1 egg.

Pour yeast mixture into a bigger bowl, add milk and  half the flour.

Mix well.

Add softened butter.

Smash on the side of the bowl to help incorporate into the mixture.

Add  rest of the flour, mix until dough ball forms.

Start kneading.

knead with heel of hand.

Fold

push forward.

In about 5 minutes you get this!

Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put in a warm spot for 1 hr.

An hour later it's doubled in size.

This part is fun! Give it 1 good punch.

This redistributes the yeast.

Time to roll out!

Nice and long

about 1/2 inch thick

Cut off edges to get a nice rectangle.

I'm a nerd. I measured out 2 inches long...

And 2 inches wide.

Traditional beignet shape!

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment for a 2nd rise. Rise for 30 minutes.

Ready to fry!

As they fry they puff up.

Nice and golden brown

Powdered Sugar

Nutella

Maple Bacon

Ready to eat!

Beignet - yields 20-25, depending on size

Ingredients:

1 1/4-ounce envelope active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water, about 100-110ºF
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Oil fro frying

Toppings:

Powdered Sugar
Nutella
Bacon
Maple Icing- 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 drops maple extract & 1-2 tbsp milk. 

 Note: If you don't have a thermometer to test the oil, you can place a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil. If bubbles rapidly form around the wooden spoon, your oil is ready.


Roadmap:

1.Mix the yeast, water, and sugar into a  bowl.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, lemon zest, nutmeg and egg, mix.

2.  Pour yeast mixture into a large bowl. Add milk and half the flour. Mix.

3. Add softened butter. Smash against side of bowl to help incorporate into mixture.

4. Add the remaining flour. Mix until dough forms.

5.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand until dough is smooth, about 5 minutes.

6. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

7. Once doubled, punch down dough. Remove dough from bowl on a lightly floured surface and rolled out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out squares or desired shape. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, spritz with Pam to prevent sticking and cover loosely with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes, allow them to rise a 2nd time.

8. . Heat oil to 350F. Fry the beignets in batches, rolling with a slotted spoon, until golden brown.  Remove with the slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Top as desired. Enjoy!

Freezer: These beignet can be frozen and thawed out later to fry. After you cut them into shapes, before the 2nd rise,  place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, spritz some Pam to prevent sticking, cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer for about 1-2 hours or until completely frozen. Once frozen,  place in a labeled & dated freezer bag and store. To cook, thaw the beignets on a parchment lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap for 1 hour, for the 2nd rise. Then fry as normal.