Serial Mom
In the 1994 John Water’s movie, a picture perfect middle class family is shocked when they find out that one of their neighbors is receiving obscene phone calls. The mom takes slights against her family very personally, and it turns out she is indeed the one harassing the neighbor. As other slights befall her beloved family, the body count begins to increase, and the police get closer to the truth, threatening the family's picture perfect world. Source
I’ve been wanting to do a post about a John Water’s movie for a while. But it had to fall somewhere between the PG Hairspray and the NC-17 Pink Flamingos—and contain great food scenes. So I landed on the hilarious food-filled Serial Mom (Rated R). Enjoy!
“Ladies and gentleman, the perfect meatloaf.”
The Scene: Being the picture-perfect mother she is, “Mom” cooks the family a dinner of meatloaf and sesame broccoli. Misty regales how her crush, Carl, will take her to the University of Maryland Memorial Day Beach Blast, if she loses ten pounds. Later, Misty is upset over Carl standing her up for a date. Beverly spots Carl with another girl at a swap meet, follows him into a public restroom and fatally stabs him with a fire poker.
Fun Fact: John Waters was interviewed about the movie and asked how he cast Kathleen Turner as Beverly. Waters said that other prominent actresses expressed interest in the part but angered him by either asking if he could rewrite the script to make Beverly less malevolent or saying they couldn't sign up for the role without doing a cast reading first. Turner made neither of these demands and said she'd love to play the role, and Waters immediately cast her. Source
Image and Recipe Source
Today we will be making:
“Mom’s” Meatloaf
This traditional meatloaf recipe is just like mom used to make, made with ground beef and a sweet and tangy glaze topping.
Ingredients
For the loaf:
lb. 90% lean ground beef
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg beaten
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried parsley leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the topping:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit
In a large bowl, add the beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, 2 tablespoons ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Use your hands to mush and mix these ingredients together until well combined. Be sure to mix really well
Add the meat mixture to a loaf pan. Pat the meat down into an even layer
In a small bowl, add ¼ cup ketchup, the brown sugar, and vinegar. Stir to combine. Pour the sauce on top of the meatloaf and spread it into an even layer
Bake uncovered for 55 minutes
Let the meatloaf rest for 8-10 minutes before serving (or it may fall apart)
Why This Recipe Works
The milk, egg, ketchup, and diced onion in the meat mixture are all working to keep the meatloaf moist and delicious
Pro Tips
The trick to good meatloaf is using lean ground beef. The problem with a lot of meatloaf recipes is that they call for ground beef with a high fat content. As the meatloaf cooks, the fat cooks out and makes a greasy mess
Be sure to mix the meat really well. This is a very moist meatloaf recipe so under mixing can cause the meatloaf to be too soft/mushy
I prefer to use a loaf pan because it keeps all the glaze in place perfectly and the meat is juicier. But, you could line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Shape the meatloaf into a loaf shape. Top with the glaze. And, bake as normal
This can be made ahead of time—before cooking, just cover the loaf pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you’re ready for it. Then, uncover it and let it come to room temperature as you’re preheating the oven.
“I don’t know what it is about today, but I feel great! Cookie?”
The Scene: After running over and killing her son’s high school teacher, Kathleen’s character, only known in the credits as “Mom,” bakes her son and his friends fresh baked cookies. Ironically, she walks in on them watching a gore horror, just like the ones the teacher accused of corrupting her son and setting her off.
Fun Fact: Ruth Wakefield, who ran the Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts with her husband Kenneth from 1930 to 1967, is credited with inventing the chocolate chip cookie in the late 1930s. The story goes that while mixing a batch of butter-drop cookies, Wakefield ran out of baker's chocolate and substituted chopped Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate instead. She expected the chocolate to melt, but it held its shape and softened to a creamy texture, creating the chocolate chip cookie.
Image and Recipe Source
Today we will be making:
“Mom’s” Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
Just a simple, straightforward, amazingly delicious, doughy yet still fully cooked, chocolate chip cookie that turns out perfectly every single time!
Ingredients
1 cup salted butter softened at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar packed
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups chocolate chips (14 oz)
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside
Cream together butter and sugars until combined
Beat in eggs and vanilla until light (about 1 minute)
Mix in the dry ingredients until combined
Add chocolate chips and mix well
Roll 2-3 Tablespoons (depending on how large you like your cookies) of dough at a time into balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just barely starting to turn brown
Let them sit on the baking pan for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack
Why This Recipe Works
No funny ingredients, no chilling time, etc.
These are everything a chocolate chip cookie should be. Crispy and chewy. Doughy yet fully baked. Perfectly buttery and sweet
Pro Tips
Measure the flour correctly. Be sure to use a measuring cup made for dry ingredients (NOT a pyrex liquid measuring cup)
Make sure to soften the butter early by taking it out of the fridge at least two hours before baking so it’s ready to go when you need it
Use LOTS of chocolate chips. You want at least two gooey chocolate chips in every bite
DO NOT over-bake these chocolate chip cookies! They will not look done when you pull them out of the oven, and that is GOOD. They will set up as they sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes
Store these chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months
“I hate Mrs. Ackerman.”
“I hate her too.”
“I hate her guts.”
“You know, somebody ought to kill her.”
“You know, give her a happy face, then recycle her.”
The Scene: In her ever gracious manner, “Mom” brings the two garbage men out a few alcohol nips as a thanks for their service in recycling. As they stand there chatting, they see Mrs. Ackerman messily emptying her garbage into cans, without sorting the trash from the recycling. The garbage men and Mom talk about their mutual hatred for Mrs. Ackerman, suggestively saying that someone ought to kill her.
Fun Fact: Despite his movie themes of sex, drugs, class, and transgression. John Waters is unusually regimented. He wakes up at exactly 6:10 every morning and reads newspapers and drinks tea until 8. He starts writing “right at eight o’clock—not 8:01, not 7:59,” and works until lunchtime. He has an amazing collection of contemporary art. He employs a decorator.
Image and Recipe Source
Today we will be making:
The Winter Nip
A pinch of chili powder adds a dash of heat to cool GREY GOOSE® La Poire Flavored Vodka, limoncello, blood orange juice and simple syrup for a spicy winter cocktail.
Ingredients
1 oz GREY GOOSE® La Poire Flavored Vodka
1 oz Limoncello
1 oz Blood Orange Juice + zest
Dash of Simple Syrup
Pinch of Chili Powder
Whole peppercorns
Directions
Coat the outer edge of a rocks glass in blood orange juice
Gently roll in a combination of equal parts chili powder and sugar to rim. Set aside
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice
Shake vigorously, and strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice
Garnish with blood orange zest and whole peppercorns
Why This Recipe Works
Fresh citrus juices, like orange juice, pair well with vodka because their zesty and tangy flavors complement vodka's clean profile. The bright acidity of citrus juices can also add a refreshing note and neutralize the "burn" of ethanol in alcohol
Pro Tips
Shaking cocktails can have several benefits over stirring, including:
Aeration—Shaking incorporates more air into the drink than stirring, which can create a frothy, cloudy texture and contribute to the drink's mouthfeel and flavor perception.
Ingredient blending—Shaking can blend ingredients more thoroughly, which can help ensure a consistent taste and prevent layers of different flavors in drinks with multiple ingredients. Shaking can also help bind ingredients together so they hold for the duration of the drink.
Ingredient activation—Shaking can break open the cells of certain ingredients, like mint leaves or citrus, to release their natural flavors. Shaking can also help mix ingredients that might separate if stirred, like in drinks that contain mixes like juice, milk, or egg.
Chilling— Shaking breaks up ice, which chills the drink and can also soften the taste of uncut liquor.
