To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar
In this 1995 movie, three New York drag queens on their way to Hollywood for a beauty pageant get stranded in a small Midwestern town for the entire weekend when their car breaks down. While waiting for parts for their Cadillac convertible, the flamboyant trio shows the local homophobic rednecks that appearing different doesn't mean they don't have humanity in common.
Celebrate this movie, along with pride and diversity, with some of delicious To Wong Foo(d)s while watching the movie. The food scenes are often ones scenes of empowerment, gag laughs, and even anger-inducing (with the terrible characters getting their up and comings at the end).
“God! It’s still too spicy!”
“I scooped them out.”
The Scene: Vida becomes acutely aware of Carol Ann's abuse at the hands of Virgil and, including one maddening scene where Vida accidentally over spices Carol Ann’s chili and Virgil throws an abusive fit. One night, Vida decides to intervene, beating Virgil up before throwing him out of the house. Carol Ann is able to repair their car, but they remain for the Strawberry Social. Carol Ann reveals to Vida that she knew she was a drag queen all along due to her Adam's apple.
Fun Fact: Hot chili peppers, also known as chili peppers, have many potential health benefits, including:
Immune system: Chili peppers contain vitamins A and C, which are important for a well-functioning immune system. Vitamin A supports mucosa tissue, which includes the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts
Cardiovascular health: Red chili peppers, like cayenne, can help reduce blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and increase the body's ability to dissolve fibrin, which is a substance that helps blood clots form
Weight loss: Capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their heat and spicy taste, can reduce appetite and increase metabolism, which may help people eat fewer calories and lose weight
Digestion: Cayenne pepper can increase gastric juices and enzyme production in the stomach, which can help break down food
Inflammation: Capsaicin can reduce inflammation and act as a natural pain reliever
Congestion: Capsaicin can help clear phlegm and congestion
Antibacterial and antifungal properties: Chili peppers have antibacterial and antifungal properties
So FU Virgil, this recipe is going to be a hot one and we’ll all reap the health benefits while you eat some bland-ass pasta in the other room (aka your jail cell).
Image and Recipe Source
Today we will be making:
Spicy AF Chili
Bold and flavorful Spicy Chili made with ground beef, diced veggies, spices, and a definite kick of heat. It’s the type of hot chili recipe you wont be able to stop eating!
Ingredients
3 lbs ground beef
1 green pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 small jalapeno peppers , diced (seeds and veins removed for less spice)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/3 cup chili powder
1 1/2 Tablespoons cumin
1 1/2 cups ketchup
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard
3 cups spicy hot V8
16 oz can kidney beans
14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Directions
Dice all vegetables, including de-seeding the bell and jalapeno peppers first
In a large saucepan, brown the ground beef and ground sausage, using a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain most of the grease and remove meat to a plate
Add onion, bell peppers, and jalapeño peppers to the pot and sauté on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes
Add spices, ketchup, lime juice, brown sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, and V8. Stir well. Add beans, tomatoes, and salt and pepper
Return the ground meat to the pot and bring the mixture to a low boil. Turn to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 1-2 hours
Why This Recipe Works
Apparently this chili has won multiple awards at local chili cook offs
It’s one-pot and easy to make!
Pro Tips
Make ahead instructions: Make spicy chili up to 2 days ahead of time (depending on the freshness of your ingredients) and store in the refrigerator until ready to reheat and serve. Reheat on low on the stovetop.
Recipe Variations:
Slow Cooker: Follow steps 1 -3 and then add all ingredients to your slow cooker. Cook on low 2-3 hours
Instant Pot: Use the sauté setting to brown the meat then sauté the veggies. Add remaining ingredients and select the chili/beans setting and cook for 20 minutes. Allow a natural release or use a quick release
Sub meat: feel free to substitute ½ ground sausage or ground turkey
Sub beans: you can substitute pinto or black beans instead of kidney beans if necessary
Mild chili: for a more mild flavor, use regular V8, less jalapeño pepper, or regular diced tomatoes instead of fire roasted
Spicier chili (YOU GO GIRL!): to make this chili even spicier, don’t remove the ribs or seeds from the jalapeño. You can also add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes or dice up another hot chili pepper. I recommend trying the recipe as stated and letting the flavors sit for a few hours before adding additional spice.
“How do I look?”
”Like the Miami sound machine just exploded all over you.”
The Scene: At the annual town Strawberry Social the town embraces and supports three queens. In the scene, Vida suggests that the volunteers go to town for a "day with the girls" to prepare for the Strawberry Social. The volunteers get their hair done, shop for new clothes, and talk at a cafe.
Fun Fact: IRL, during June, the night of the Strawberry Social has become an homage to the iconic drag film. The Strawberry Social is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and Pride Month.
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Today we will be making:
Strawberry Shortcake
Fresh summer strawberries shine in this simple homemade strawberry shortcake recipe. The biscuits don’t rise super tall, but you’ll enjoy their crisp crumbly texture paired with the soft whipped cream and juicy strawberries.
Ingredients
For the strawberries and whipped cream:
6–7 cups quartered strawberries
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
For the biscuits:
2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for hands and work surface
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (I recommend fine sea salt)
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 cup cold buttermilk
2 Tablespoons heavy cream or buttermilk
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
Start with the strawberries: Stir the strawberries and 1/4 cup granulated sugar together in a large bowl. Cover and set in the refrigerator until ready to use. This time allows the strawberries to release their delicious juices
bPreheat oven to 400°F. Mix the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl or in a large food processor. Whisk or pulse until combined. Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the processor. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. If you used a food processor, pour the mixture into a large bowl
Pour buttermilk on top. Fold everything together with a large spoon or silicone spatula until it begins to come together. Do not overwork the dough. The dough will be shaggy and crumbly with some wet spots. Pour the dough and any dough crumbles onto a floured work surface and gently bring together with generously floured hands. Have extra flour nearby and use it often to flour your hands and work surface in this step. Using floured hands or a floured rolling pin, flatten into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle as best you can. Fold one side into the center, then the other side. Turn the dough horizontally. Gently flatten into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle again. Repeat the folding again. Turn the dough horizontally one more time. Gently flatten into a 3/4 inch thick rectangle. Repeat the folding one last time. Flatten into the final 3/4 inch thick rectangle
Cut into 2.75 or 3-inch circles with a biscuit cutter. (Tip: Do not twist the biscuit cutter when pressing down into the dough.) Re-roll/flatten any scraps and cut more circles until you have around 10-12 biscuits
Arrange in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or close together on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet. Make sure the biscuits are touching
Brush the tops with 2 Tablespoons heavy cream or buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown on top. Remove from the oven, then cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before assembling
Make the whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until soft-medium peaks form, about 3 minutes
Slice the biscuits in half and layer with strawberries and whipped cream. Serve immediately
Why This Recipe Works
Best as a summer recipe, when fresh strawberries are in season
Completely homemade strawberry shortcake is easier than you think. Skip the store-bought biscuits and whipped topping. Instead, have fun making strawberry shortcake at home
You only need two ingredients for the strawberry filling: sugar and fresh strawberries
Pro Tips
You can use store-bought whipped cream if easier
You can substitute whole milk for buttermilk if desired
Chop up the fresh strawberries and mix with a little sugar. The sugar helps strawberries release all their delicious juices, which will seep down into the sweet biscuits and whipped cream. (Aka the best part about strawberry shortcake!) I recommend mixing the strawberries and sugar together before you make the biscuits; this gives the strawberries some time to juice up
Use cold & cubed butter in the biscuits
The shaping process is exactly like our regular biscuits using the fold and flatten method. Flattening and folding biscuit dough creates multiple flaky layers, just as it does when we make homemade croissants. This step is a lot easier than it looks
If you want to make these the day before serving, make the biscuits up to 3 days in advance and store covered tightly at room temperature—or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before using. Prepare the strawberries in step 1 up to 1 day in advance. Prepare the whipped cream up to 1 day in advance. Store both in the refrigerator
“You’ll meet many of your friends inside.”
The Scene: When stopping at a local hotel for the evening, the ladies are confronted by the manager it what appears to be a denial to entry based on them being drag queens. Plot twist—he actually want to welcome them to meet their “friends” who hilariously turn out to be a ladies basketball league.
Fun Fact: Several years after this film was released, Julie Newmar attended a convention and, not being used to the process, proceeded to get drunk. After being asked to sign a vhs copy of this movie, the inebriated Newmar remarked "Who the hell is Wong Foo and why should I be thanking him?" Source
Image and Recipe Source
Today we will be making:
The Manhattan Dunk
This cocktail is actually one of a series of drinks invented and sponsored by the NBA, Source.
Ingredients
2 oz Crown Royal Deluxe
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
2 Dashes Angostura
Lemon slice
Directions
In a shaker with ice add Crown Royal Deluxe, Sweet Vermouth, Dry Vermouth.
Shake and strain into Martini Glass
Add Lemon slice on top of ice as garnish
Why This Recipe Works
Manhattans are a classic and timeless cocktail that's strong, sweet, and balanced with a hint of bitterness.
Pro Tips
If your Manhattan is too strong for your liking, you can make the cocktail more approachable by using a lower-proof whiskey. Bourbon and rye vary in their proof — they can go as low as 80 proof and still be considered a bourbon or rye
Try different flavors of bitters, such as orange or lemon, for fun variations
