In Praise of Great Films - The Films of John Carney

 The movies that John Carney has created have been adored by this author for years. They all have music as their essential theme and also evoke genuine emotion and familial drama. A new film is coming out now called "Flora and Son" and we can't wait to see it. Here are a few of Carney's previous films:

Once- A wonderful flick which won an Oscar for best song that was about a couple of musicians who meet and create and develop a relationship in Dublin.

Begin Again - This was a great example of the unlikely coupling of musicians in a crazy environmant of big city life, including big time actors like Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine and Hailee Steinfeld. Wonderful story with excellent acting.

Sing Street - Another great Dublin story about a young lad who has to create a punk musical band to pursue a girl after he convinces her he's a musician.

Can't wait to see "Flora and Son."

Recipe #81 - Pickled Chile Peppers

We love having a supply of freshly pickled chile peppers on hand.  When we figured out how easy (and inexpensive) it is, we were in ... big time.

This recipe makes a pretty large batch.  Feel free to jack it up or down depending on your needs.

10 fresh jalapeño peppers

10 fresh red jalapeño peppers

10 fresh Serrano peppers

1.5 cups champagne vinegar

2 Tbsp. Salt

Bring vinegar and salt to a boil.  Thinly slice all of the chiles.  Pour the vinegar mixture over the sliced chiles.  Let sit for about two hours.  

Spoon the pickled chiles into jars and refrigerate.  Since it's hot chiles sitting in vinegar and salt, it should keep for awhile.

We're now on Facebook!

We've been doing this blog for about a half-dozen years.  Now we have a new version going on Facebook.  Check it out by going to Facebook and search for "Mark and Sheri' Blog" where you can find recent recipes and pictures.

Post-Nachos "Chilaquiles"

The Seattle Seahawks opened their NFL regular season with a recent Thursday night game.  So we did nachos, of course.  And not just any nachos, but "super" nachos, including beans, rice, cheese, jalapeños, tomatoes, etc.

But there was way too much left over.  What to do with a pile of uneaten nachos?  Initial instinct might be to toss 'em.  But they were too good to go straight to the compost bin!  We decided to repurpose them into a Latin casserole of sorts.

The key was to make sure the finished product was moist underneath and not dry or crusty above.  So we added enchilada sauce to the chips and tomatoes and extra cheese on top.  The result?  A tasty take on a classic Chilaquiles, or what some might call an enchilada casserole.  And nothing went to waste!

Recipe #80 - Grilled Veggie Sandwiches with Kalamata Aioli

We had this yummy sandwich with a roasted garlic tomato pasta salad on top of fresh arugula tossed with a light lemon vinaigrette.

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. extra virgin Olive oil

4 prebaked torta rolls (we got ours at Costco)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into thin slabs (1/4")
1 portobello mushroom, stemmed and gills removed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeds and pith removed
1 small red onion, peeled and sliced
1 large ripe tomato, thickly sliced into 4 equal slices
2 Tbsp. Olive oil

4 slices provolone cheese

Buzz up the olives and mayonnaise in a food processor and add oil slowly to create an emulsified sauce.  Set aside.

Toss the veggies with oil in a large bowl, then grill on a hot grill until cooked and well grill-marked.  Spread butter on the face-down sides of the torta rolls and heat on a flat Santa pan until lightly browned.  Slather both sides of bread with the Kalamata aioli.

Assemble the sandwiches:  Stack the veggies on one side of each torta in layers, put on some arugula leaves, and top with cheese.  Put under broiler flame until fully melted.  Put the top of torta bread on the sandwich and serve.

Recipe #79 - New and Improved Blender Hollandaise

We published a blender hollandaise sauce a few years back, but wanted to try a new one with a thicker consistency.  This one nailed it.

3 egg yolks
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Buzz the first four ingredients briefly in a blender.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. With the blender running, pour the butter in a thin stream.  Sauce will thicken quickly.  Serve immediately.

Recipe #78 - Seared Scallops with Basil Aioli

Sheri' created this and it's fabulous. This aioli and perfectly cooked large day-boat scallops are made for each other. This recipe serves four.

6 oz. plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic

2 handfuls fresh basil

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed

12 large fresh scallops

1/2 cup orange juice

olive oil

salt & pepper

Toss the scallops in orange juice and let marinate for 30 minutes before cooking.

In a food processor, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, garlic and basil. Buzz to mix well, then add olive oil slowly through the feed tube until the mixture is thick, creamy and emulsified.

In a wide saute pan, heat a small amount of olive oil over medium-high heat. Drain the scallops, season with salt and pepper, and add to the hot pan. Cook until done, turning about every minute until just done and perfectly seared.

Place the three scallops on eash of four warmed serving plates and top each scallop with a generous dollop of basil aioli. These go very well with pasta, risotto and salad. Enjoy!

Good wine match: Pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay or vouvray.