Weekend At Bernies
In the 1989 movie, fun-loving salesmen Richard and Larry are invited by their boss, Bernie, to stay the weekend at his posh beach house. Little do they know that Bernie is the perpetrator of a fraud they've uncovered and is arranging to have them killed. When the plan backfires and Bernie is killed instead, the buddies decide not to let a little death spoil their vacation. They pretend Bernie is still alive, leading to hijinks and corpse desecration galore.
Weekend at Bernies is a fun New York-based movie, from scenes in Manhattan to the majority of the film taking place at Bernie’s Hamptons house. The food is more of a comedic ploy throughout the film and also speaks to the classism of the groups portrayed—from the NYC corporate worker grabbing a “dirty water hot dog” for lunch, the the Italian Mafia white cloth lunch restaurant, to the bougie visitors sipping martinis in the Hamptons.
“Didn’t I order the walnut dressing?”
The Scene: Nervously meeting with his mob partner Vito, Bernie asks to have the two killed to cover up the discovery. After Bernie leaves, Vito orders that Bernie himself be killed for sleeping with Vito's girlfriend Tina.
Fun Fact: Walnuts became a key ingredient in Waldorf salad over time, but the original recipe created by Oscar Tschirky for the Waldorf Astoria Hotel's opening in 1893 didn't include them. The original recipe only called for apples, celery, and mayonnaise, but by the time it appeared in The Rector Cook Book in 1928, nuts had been added
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Today we will be making:
Waldorf Salad
This salad is a symphony of crisp apples, celery, grapes, and crunchy walnuts, tossed in a tangy-sweet, creamy dressing that adds the perfect refreshing touch.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons greek yogurt
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
2 green apples, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 cup grapes, halved
1 cup whole walnuts or pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional: butter lettuce leaves for serving
Directions
Dice the apples and celery
Halve the grapes lengthwise
Chop and toast the walnuts—add a small amount of oil, butter, or margarine to the nuts. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stop, stir, and continue microwaving in 30-second intervals, checking for toastiness each time (you will see it and the oils will just slightly start to release)
Make dressing. In a small bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and honey. Set aside
Toss it all together. In a large bowl, add the green apples, celery, grapes, walnuts, parsley, salt, and mayo dressing. Stir it all together until everything is evenly coated
Why This Recipe Works
Enjoy on a holiday table or year round with how simple and refreshing it is
You can use any tart and crisp apple in this recipe, Granny Smith’s are particularly good
Pro Tips
Toasting or lightly roasting nuts removes all the raw green, slightly astringent flavors that you taste when they are uncooked. This is especially true with walnuts
Make sure that the toasted nuts have fully cooled before you add them to the salad. Otherwise they’ll melt the yogurt-based dressing
To Store—this salad tastes best fresh. But if you have leftovers, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days
Make-Ahead Tips—for maximum freshness, stick to making this 3 to 4 hours in advance. Then keep it chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. You can dice up the fruits (except apples), herbs, and toasted nuts beforehand and store in a separate container
“I’ll make the coffee.”
The Scene: When Larry and Richard first arrive at Bernie’s house, they find him slumped in his chair and don’t realize he is actually dead. Instead, they think he drank so much that he is unwakeable. Their first instinct is to make him coffee.
Fun Fact: The actor who plays Bernie’s stunt double played dead that he even suffered a few broken ribs during filming, mostly in the scene in which Bernie is dragged around the surface of the ocean, bumping into metal floating buoys. Source
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Today we will be making:
Affogato Ice Cream
This coffee-based dessert, which is served in cafes and gelato shops all over Italy, is made with just three ingredients—espresso, gelato, and a shot of liqueur—but when the hot espresso gets poured over the cold gelato, it is pure bliss.
Ingredients
1 shot espresso (made at home or from your local coffee shop)
2 scoops vanilla gelato or ice cream
1 splash amaretto
Shaved dark chocolate, for serving (optional)
Directions
Brew the espresso. Using your desired brewing method, brew 1 shot espresso.
Scoop the ice cream. As the espresso is brewing, drop 2 scoops vanilla gelato or ice cream into a small drinking glass.
Add the espresso and amaretto. Pour the espresso shot and 1 splash amaretto over the ice cream.
Garnish and serve. Top with shaved dark chocolate (optional) and serve immediately
Why This Recipe Works
An affogato is most commonly made with vanilla gelato, though a quality vanilla bean ice cream works, too. You can even switch it up to use flavored ice creams such as chocolate or mint chip, or try coffee ice cream or mocha for an extra hit of caffeine
While the traditional affogato is topping-free, feel free to add a little something before serving. I like fresh whipped cream, shaved chocolate, crumbled crunchy biscotti, or crushed hazelnuts. As for how to eat it, an affogato is best enjoyed with a spoon before sipping back the remaining espresso
Pro Tips
The ratio of gelato to espresso, a classic affogato, is made with two cups gelato to one shot of espresso. But when you’re making it at home, this ratio is flexible, and can easily be adjusted based on who you’re serving
Serving an affogato in a clear glass is a must—watching the espresso hit the gelato and begin to melt together is part of the experience. You’ll want to have the gelato pre-portioned into glasses and ready to go, so that once the espresso or coffee is brewed you can pour the shot over the top, add a splash of liqueur, and serve immediately
“Nice outfit. Would look even nicer crumpled up on my floor in the morning.”
The Scene: Gwen (college aged) encounters two men her parent’s age at the party at Bernie’s where they use some serious old school lines to hit on her. Needly to say, she is repulsed.
Fun Fact: Catherine Mary Stewart, the actress who plays Gwen, was actually 30 at the time of filming although she portrays a college student. Regardless, no one should hear those words from their parent’s friends, even in the Hamptons.
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Today we will be making:
Dirty “Old Man” Martini
The Dirty Martini features gin or vodka, dry vermouth, and olive brine. It's is one of the most popular savory cocktails ever created, and though it may feel like a modern creation, the drink has been a go-to Martini variation for over a hundred years.
Ingredients
2 1/2 ounces gin or vodka
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce olive brine
Garnish: 2 to 4 olives
Directions
Add the gin or vodka, vermouth and olive brine to a shaker filled with ice
Shake for 15–20 seconds until well chilled
Double strain through fine mesh strainer into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with a skewer of olives
Why This Recipe Works
Most frequently comprised of just gin or vodka and dry vermouth, the classic Martini creates an incredibly versatile and flexible template to experiment with
The Dirty Martini uses brine in much the same way we use salt in cooking, to accentuate both the sweet and savory components of vermouth while tamping down any bitterness. As the brine takes on natural oils from the olives, this also allows it to create mouthfeel and body in the Martini, without increasing the total volume of vermouth
Pro Tips
As with all Martinis, the choice of gin or vodka is a matter of preference. However, while many bartenders default to gin as the ideal option for a standard Martini, many find vodka to be the better choice for a Dirty Martini. This is because the spirit’s more neutral profile allows the olive brine to shine more prominently, without getting muddled by gin's heavier botanicals
If you're looking for a more olive-forward option, vodka may be your ideal choice
Variations of this cocktail essentially revolve around changing the weight of the cocktail to place the focus on a different aspect of the drink. A Dry Martini favors the spirit, only using a minute amount of vermouth to add nose to the cocktail without softening the gin or vodka excessively. A Wet Martini or 50/50 shifts toward vermouth, creating a more aromatically complex drink with heavier body
