Beetlejuice
In the 1988 movie Beetlejuice. Adam and Barbara are a normal couple...who happen to be dead. They have given their precious time to decorate their house and make it their own, but unfortunately a family is moving in, and not quietly. Adam and Barbara try to scare them out, but end up becoming the main attraction to the money making family. They call upon Beetlejuice to help, but Beetlejuice has more in mind than just helping.
Some of the most famous food scenes in this movie include the iconic dinner party among others like Shoo-Fly Pie and Minute Maid Orange Juice.
“Day-O, Me Say Day-O”
The Scene: Charles hosts a dinner party with business friends while moving into a new house, and Barbara and Adam possess the guests and Charles and Delia during the party
Fun Fact: Dick Cavett revealed in an interview with Yahoo! that Burton had trouble filming the final shots of the famous dinner party scene, in which the shrimp cocktail turns into hands that grab the guests' and hosts' faces into their bowls. Cavett recalled that the special effects teams were set up under the table and couldn't see the actors, so they'd often miss their faces when they tried to grab at them. Cavett suggested they film that part in reverse, so Burton listened: He filmed some takes of the hands grabbing the stars' faces, then lowering back down into the table.
Today we will be making
Killer Shrimp Cocktail
A flavorful shrimp boil and homemade cocktail sauce bring this Beetlejuice-inspired appetizer to life!
Ingredients
For the shrimp:
1 lemon, quartered
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 dried bay leaf
1 small white onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
For the cocktail sauce:
1 ¼ cup ketchup (I used homemade)
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Directions
For the Shrimp:
Place the lemon, peppercorns, bay leaf, onion and garlic in a large stock pot and fill with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered
Add shrimp to the water and cook until pink and slightly firm, about 3 minutes. Plunge the shrimp into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain shrimp and chill until ready to use
For the Cocktail Sauce:
Combine ketchup, horseradish, lemon zest and juice, Worcestershire and hot sauce in a bowl Chill until ready to serve
To serve, arrange shrimp on a serving platter. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the shrimp and serve with extra lemon wedges and cocktail sauce for dipping. To make it more Beetlejuice-esque, pour a little cocktail sauce into a martini glass and line the rim of the glass with shrimp and lemon wedges
Why This Recipe Works
Presenting even the most basic dishes in a fun way can totally take them to the next level and impress your dinner guests without much extra effort on your part
One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can make all of the components in advance and then serve them in a chilled martini glass
It’s perfect for dinner parties and Halloween festivities!
Pro Tips
Feel free to use whatever ketchup you have in your pantry here. The homemade ketchup was a fun touch, but by no means necessary.
You can also make the flavorful shrimp boil from this recipe or buy pre-cooked shrimp in a pinch.
Beetlejuice: "Hey! Hey, you! Hey, come here!"
Fly: Stops and looks in Beetlejuice's direction while holding up a Zagnut candy bar.
The Scene: Beetlejuice has a fondness for eating flies in the movie, so this recipe is a representation of that.
Fun Fact: Shoo-fly Pie lore offers two explanations for its unusual name. The simple one is that flies get stuck in the sticky-sweet molasses, so bakers must shoo them away. The second explanation is that the pie was named after the 19th-century “Shoofly” brand of molasses.
Today we will be making
Shoo-fly Pie
This shoofly pie is a classic Pennsylvania Dutch recipe. Even the NY Times has a recipe for it!
Ingredients
1½ cups flour
½ cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
¾ cup molasses
¾ cup boiling water
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 single store-bought crust pie pastry placed in a 9-inch pie plate
Directions
Heat oven to 450 degrees
Make the crumb topping: Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the consistency resembles cornmeal
Combine molasses, water and baking soda and pour into pastry shell. Spoon the crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake 15 minutes, lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer, or until set and firm
Why This Recipe Works
Shoo-fly Pie is a traditional Amish dessert made with crisp, buttery pie crust, an indulgent molasses filling, and a spiced crumble topping! Each bite of this delicious pie is layered in robust flavor and satisfying texture!
If you’ve never had shoo-fly pie, you’re in for such a treat! This unique dessert is so different from any other pie recipe
Pro Tips
While there are recipes for pie crust from scratch, it’s just as easy to buy a store-sold frozen crust
If you are really keen to make your own pie crust, recipe can be found Here
Beetlejuice: [Trying to get Lydia to guess his name, he makes a beetle appear] “Hi! How are ya' ?”
Lydia: [Gasps] “Ahhhh, B-Beetle!”
Beetlejuice: “Ah, OK! Now, two...”
Lydia: [Conjures a glass of orange juice that pours into a glass] Uhhh, Breakfast... Orange... Orange Beetle... Uh, Beetle Fruit... Beetle Breakfast... Uhhh, Beetle Drink... Uh Beetle, uhh, uhh, uhhh... Beetle Juice?
The Scene: When Beetlejuice and Lydia first meet, the partake in a hilarious game of charades to get her to guess his name—and then say it three times to summon him.
Fun Fact: In the film, saying the name “Beetlejuice” thrice is the key to summoning him. Saying his name 3 times stresses how much he is wanted and acts like some sort of a “contract.” So, once he appears, you couldn't raise the defense that you summoned him by accident.
Today we will be making
The Abbey Cocktail
The abbey cocktail makes an excellent brunch cocktail that gives gin a lively kiss of orange.
Ingredients
1/2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce Lillet Blanc
3/4 ounce orange juice
2 dashes orange bitters
Directions
In a cocktail shaker, pour the gin, Lillet Blanc, orange juice, and orange bitters. Fill with ice
Shake well
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with the cherry. Serve and enjoy
Why This Recipe Works
It's fantastically simple and the recipe can easily become a new favorite for the midmorning meal, especially when you're ready for something beyond mimosas
The orange bitters set it off perfectly, leaving you with a lovely old-fashioned cocktail that is satisfying and an absolute delight to drink
Pro Tips
