Brownie Pie? Yes, Please!

Evidently there is a new craze sweeping the country, and it's called the hybrid dessert.  Sign me up.

From BuzzFeed's 30 Delicious Things to Cook in September, recipe from Bakers Royale.

Brownie Pies

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Butter Pastry (recipe follows)
• 6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 egg whites, at room temperature 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 
• 1/4 cup of sugar 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 3/4 cup pecans or walnuts (optional) 

•  Butter Pastry: 
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 

Directions / Preparation
Line bake sheet with parchment paper. Heat oven to 400/350 degrees F. 

1. Prepare butter pastry. Let pastry stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until pliable. Position Rack to in lower third oven. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. Lightly flour surface and roll pastry out to an 1/8 inch thick. Fold pastry in half and transfer to a parchment lined bake sheet. Unfold pastry. Loosely fold and roll edges to form a rimmed crust. Bake for 10-12 minutes or light golden (crust will be a little raw inside). 
3. Meanwhile place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50 percent power (medium) about 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring frequently and until melted; set aside. 
4. Place egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar in mixer bowl and beat on medium to high speed until soft peaks from. Gradually add sugar and and salt and beat until egg whites are stiff and glossy. Add chocolate and nuts(if using) into beaten egg whites; fold until just combined. 
5. Remove pastry from oven. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F. Spread chocolate filling over partially baked pastry. Bake about 10 minutes more until surface looks dry and slightly cracked (filling will be fudge inside). Remove from oven and place bake sheet on a cooling rack for at least 45 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioner and shaved chocolate. 

To make butter pastry: Place all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl stir to combine. Add in butter, using a pastry blender cut butter to pea size pellets and blend into the flour mixture. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of cold water over flour mixture; toss gently with a fork just until moist enough to hold together (if needed add an additional 1 1/2 teaspoons of cold water). Gather flour mixture into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

via Better Homes and Garden special magazine issue: Chocolate ~ rich, dark, & decadent

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho - It's Off From Work I Am

Today is a day off of work for me.  Some time ago - I came across this list of "the 20 Greatest Songs About Work."  Discuss.

1. Tennessee Ernie Ford - "Sixteen Tons"
2. Sam Cooke - "Chain Gang"
3. Bob Dylan - "Maggie's Farm"
4. Lee Dorsey - "Working in the Coal Mine"
5. Glen Campbell - "Wichita Lineman"
6. Loretta Lynn - "One's on the Way"
7. Rush - "Working Man"
8. Randy Newman - "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)"
9. Johnny Paycheck - "Take This Job and Shove It"
10. The Clash - "Career Opportunities"
11. John Prine - "Fish and Whistle"
12. Dolly Parton - "9 to 5"
13. Bruce Springsteen - "Atlantic City"
14. Utah Phillips - "Hallelujah, I'm a Bum"
15. Dire Straits - "Money for Nothing"
16. The Bangles - "Manic Monday"
17. Uncle Tupelo - "Grindstone"
18. Steve Earle - "Telephone Road"
19. Robbie Fulks - "Let's Kill Saturday Night"
20. Belle and Sebastian - "White Collar Boy"

I may have to make some additions to the iPod for the work shuffle mix.

When I used to work in retail - I often had to work on Friday evenings and would find myself driving to the store at 5:00, when a local radio station would have it's "5:00 Whistle" to signal the start of the weekend.  The program would always include a little Loverboy, which should be on this list, too.

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake

It's possible I've come to understand why I feel a connection to the Smitten Kitchen.  She understands (and embraces) the beauty of the Carvel Ice Cream Cake.  However, it doesn't stop her from this great recipe.  Hey, Mrs. BA how about this for a birthday cake this year?

Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
Here’s the recipe for sane people:

• 2 pints or 1 quart chocolate ice cream
• 2 pints or 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• about 14 ounces chocolate cookies, ground (such as Oreos or wafers) or 2 3/4 cups ground cookies
• bottled hot fudge sauce
• canned whipped cream
• jarred maraschino cherries

Below are the instructions to make each or any of these elements on your own. Then, choose your own adventure. What matters is that all roads lead to The Summer Cake To End All Summer Cakes, an air-conditioning unit of a celebration cake to soothe you until the heat wave passes. 

From SK: My only regrets in making this cake were to not have a cookie crumb base (it will be easier to remove slices from the cake pan), so I’ve included one here. I will definitely use it next time. I also wanted much more of the cookie crumb filling than I used (3/4 cup) and have increased it here. Finally, I was in a bit of a rush, but I encourage you to pre-fudge the hot fudge cake, i.e. put a little of the hot fudge on to cover the top, put it back in the freezer for 30 minutes, then — right as you’re about to serve it — put some warmer fudge over the top and sides. It will soften the frozen fudge but protect your top ice cream layer from wanting to melt off, as mine did. We found it charming, but you may not.

Sources: Chocolate and vanilla ice creams were fiddled with (just to reduce redundant steps when making them at the same time) from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop, which should come with every ice cream maker, because it’s amazing. The cookie crumbs are adapted from Wayne Brachman’s Retro Desserts; they’ve previously appeared on this site as Homemade Oreos but I’ve further simplified the recipe here. The hot fudge sauce, previously on this site with a peppermint riff, is adapted from the late print Gourmet magazine. The whipped cream was from scratch but I seriously urge you to consider using a can because the whole whipping cream + piping bag + star tip, all for 12 measly dollops, is a bit of a stretch in the effort vs. reward spectrum, even by my maddened standards.

Serves: 12 to 16

Part 1: Make Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Creams
Yield: 1 quart of each, instructions merged to cut down on repeated processes

• 4 cups heavy cream, divided 
• 1 split vanilla bean (for vanilla batch) 
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder and 5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (for chocolate batch) 
• 2 cups whole milk 
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
• Pinch of salt
• 10 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided 

Part 2: Make Chocolate Cookie Crumbs
Yield: About 48 2 1/2-inch cookies, weighing about 96 ounces, which will be about double what you need. However, they are so delicious and keep well, it seems worth it to make a full batch. Scooped balls of dough can be frozen to bake off later. Extra cookies can be ground into crumbs for future cakes/cheesecake crusts/dessert toppings, or kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Chocolate Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks), cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks 
• 1 large egg

For Crumb Crust

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 

Part 3: Make Hot Fudge Sauce
Yield: 2 cups, likely double what you need, but nobody worth knowing would turn down extra hot fudge sauce.

• 2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream 
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup or golden syrup (honey should work as well, but I didn’t test it this time) 
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ideally Dutch-processed 
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or level 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or, about 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips), divided
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Part 4: Finish the Cake!

• 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Maraschino cherries
• Colored sprinkles 

Part 1 Instructions
Prepare chocolate cream: Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream.

Prepare vanilla cream: Heat 1 cup cream to a simmer. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the cream. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour. After one hour, remove bean pod and stir in remaining 1 cup cream.

Make custard for both ice creams: Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan, then transfer to a spouted liquid measuring cup. Whisk together egg yolks, medium bowl. Slowly pour in warm milk/sugar/salt mixture, whisking constantly. Then mix yolk/milk mixture back into saucepan. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and …

For chocolate: Stir half of custard into chocolate cream until smooth, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

For vanilla: Stir the other half of the custard into vanilla cream, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Chill both mixtures in fridge overnight: You want them fully chilled before they go in an ice cream machine. You can hasten this along by stirring them over an ice bath but it should feel like ice water in coldness to the touch before you put it in your ice cream machine. Meanwhile, make or prepare you chocolate cookie crumbs. You will want them ready to form a cake base before you churn your ice cream.

Part 2 Instructions
Make cookies: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Blend flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter chunks and blend until the mixture is powdery. Add egg and run machine until dough starts to clump and ball, about 30 seconds. Scoop cookies out onto baking sheets, giving them space as they will spread a lot (not that merged cookies will matter once you grind them up). Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Cookies will absolutely look underbaked, but don’t fret. Transfer baking sheets onto cooling racks and within two minutes, they will be firm enough to transfer to cooling racks. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough. Grind about half of your cookies in a food processor or blender until they’re just crumbs. You will want a total of 2 3/4 cups of them.

Make chocolate cookie crust: Mix 1 1/3 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (from about 6 ounces whole cookies, or about 12 of the homemade cookies) and melted butter together in a bowl and press evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with 2 3/4 to 3-inch sides. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Churn chocolate ice cream, i.e. first cake layer: According to manufacturers directions. In most cases, ice cream is churned for 30 minutes then transferred to a container to finish in freezer. Instead, once it has been churned to the point of soft-serve ice cream, spread it over the chocolate crumb crust in the freezer. Spread as evenly as possible, but don’t overly fret about a smooth top. This can be “perfected” after the ice cream has hardened.

Chill chocolate ice cream layer: In freezer for 1 to 2 hours, until firm. Once firm, you can use an offset spatula to make it as smooth and even as possible.

Add cookie crumb filling: Wipe off any ice cream smudges that have climbed the springform's walls; this will keep the vanilla layer looking “clean.” Spread 1 1/4 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (from a little shy of 6 ounces whole cookies, or 11 to 12 of homemade cookies) evenly over the firm chocolate ice cream layer. You can press these in a bit with a round of parchment or waxed paper, so they merge a little bit with the ice cream below.

Churn vanilla ice cream, i.e. second cake layer: According to manufacturers directions. Again, once it has been churned to the point of soft-serve ice cream, spread it over the chocolate crumb filling in the freezer. Try to spread it in as few motions as possible, pressing the ice cream to the edges with an offset spatula rather than pulling it back (i.e. and dragging the chocolate cookie crumbs from below into the pale ice cream). Again, don’t overly fret about a smooth top. This can be “perfected” after the ice cream has hardened/set in place.

Chill vanilla ice cream layer: In freezer for 1 to 2 hours, until firm. Once firm, you can use an offset spatula to make it as smooth and even as possible. Meanwhile, this is a great time to make the hot fudge sauce. If you’re taking a longer pause (i.e., you’ll do Part 3 tomorrow), press a circle of waxed or parchment paper against the vanilla ice cream overnight, so it doesn’t dry out or grow icy fuzz.

Part 3 Instructions
Make hot fudge sauce: Make hot fudge: In a 1 1/2 to 2-quart heavy saucepan, bring cream, syrup, sugar, cocoa, salt (if you’d like the salt to remain slightly textured, add it with the butter and extract at the end) and half the chocolate to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in remaining chocolate, butter and extract and stir until smooth. Cool the sauce to lukewarm before serving it so that it can thicken up.

Part 4 Instructions
“Pre-fudge” the cake: Once vanilla ice cream layer has firmed up in the freezer, with the springform sides still one, pour a puddle of lukewarm hot fudge sauce over the top and return the cake to the freezer for 30 minutes. This will help keep the final application of hot fudge from melting the top off the cake.

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: Beat cream and sugar in a bowl with electric mixer until it forms soft-to-firm peaks. Scoop into piping bag with star tip. Keep in fridge until needed.

Finish and serving the cake: Once the hot fudge has firmed up, remove the cake from the freezer. Carefully cut around the pan to loosen the cake from the springform sides before removing them. Transfer cake to serving platter. Pour more lukewarm (can be briefly rewarmed — but not too hot — in a microwave or on the stove if it has gotten too firm) around edges of cake, letting it dribble down a little.

Quickly decorate cake: Form 12 or so dollops of whipped cream around crown of cake. Top each with a cherry. Scatter quickly with sprinkles.

Serve! With extra hot fudge sauce. Keep leftovers, should any cake survive, in the freezer in an airtight container.

The Music of Our Lives

Music, of course, plays a significant role for everyone.  Much of the music we listen to and remember comes to us from a movie.  When I used to buy albums (yes, I'm that old), cassettes (yes, them, too) and finally CDs - I would often purchase movie soundtracks.  Even LBA and SoBA persuaded me to purchase the Cars soundtrack for my iPod.

Here's a list from BuzzFeed on "30 Great Music Moments in Movies."  I've added links to videos where I could find them and included a note where the music has touched me in some way.  Enjoy.

Governor Gertrude Lang: Mr. Holland had a profound influence on my life and on a lot of lives I know. But I have a feeling that he considers a great part of his own life misspent. Rumor had it he was always working on this symphony of his. And this was going to make him famous, rich, probably both. But Mr. Holland isn't rich and he isn't famous, at least not outside of our little town. So it might be easy for him to think himself a failure. But he would be wrong, because I think that he's achieved a success far beyond riches and fame. Look around you. There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life.

1. “Moon River” by Henry Mancini as featured in Breakfast At Tiffany’s - Andy Williams will forever remind me of my mother - there were many Andy Williams records in our house growing up.
2. “Trouble” by Cat Stevens as featured in Harold And Maude - I've actually never seen this movie and am not familiar with the tune.
3. “You Should Be Dancing” by Bee Gees as featured in Saturday Night Fever - I own this soundtrack, I may like the Bee Gees more than I should.
4. “Old Time Rock N’ Roll” by Bob Seger as featured in Risky Business - because, sometimes you have to say, well, you know.
5. “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry as featured in Back To The Future - "Chuck?  Chuck!  It's your cousin, Marvin.  Marvin Berry!  You know that new sound you're looking for?"
6. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds as featured in The Breakfast Club - A great song, but this song is the extent of my Simple Minds exposure - movie songs can do that.
7. “Twist And Shout” by The Beatles as featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - "This is for Cameron, who doesn't think he saw anything fun today."
8. “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” by Harry Belafonte as featured in Beetlejuice - I actually prefer the Belafonte number from the end of the movie. Harry is well represented on my iPod.
9. “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel as featured in Say Anything… - "I told her I loved her and she gave me a pen." For musical declarations of love at the end of movies, this one ranks higher than Richard Gere's in Pretty Woman.
10. “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith as featured in Dazed And Confused - another movie that I have not seen, but the song is one of Mrs. BA's favorites.
11. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen as featured in Wayne’s World - Just the other day, LBA, SoBA, and I were recreating this scene in the car.
12. “You Never Can Tell” by Chuck Berry as featured in Pulp Fiction - wow, two for Chuck on the same list. Not a fan of this movie however.
13. “California Dreaming” by The Mamas And The Papas as featured in Chungking Express - for this genre of music - I think Good Morning Vietnam (a movie I was watching again just the other day) does a better job and am surprised there are no songs from that movie on that list.
14. “Rollin’ With My Homies” by Coolio as featured in Clueless - not a big fan of this movie or of this genre of music.
15. “I Say A Little Prayer” by Diana King as featured in My Best Friend’s Wedding - the sing along scene in the movie is great fun. Also a soundtrack that I own.
16. “Where Is My Mind” by The Pixies as featured in Fight Club - If you can't talk about Fight Club, can you talk about the music in Fight Club?
17. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons as featured in 10 Things I Hate About You - a movie I've not seen, but the song is familiar to me (I have older siblings)
18. “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John as featured in Almost Famous - another soundtrack in the Brave Astronaut collection, the scene on the plane is awesome.
19. “Cosmic Dancer” by T. Rex as featured in Billy Elliot - another movie I missed and the song is not in my repertoire.
20. “These Days” by Nico as featured in The Royal Tenenbaums - didn't see this one, either - and also begins to prove the point - miss the movie, you don't immediately know the song..
21. “Just Like Honey” by The Jesus And Mary Chain as featured in Lost In Translation - three in a row.
22. “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” by Nancy Sinatra as featured in Kill Bill Vol. 1 - four, I think it's a Tarantino thing - but evidently he knows how to pick music.
23. “New Slang” by The Shins as featured in Garden State - I've not seen this movie, but I own the soundtrack.
24. “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” by Beck as featured in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind - also missed this and I'm not a fan of Beck, either.
25. “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco as featured in Adventureland - the closest I got to this movie was going to the actual Adventureland on Long Island.
26. “Wait” by Alexi Murdoch as featured in Away We Go - and another.
27. “California Dreamin” by Bobby Womack as featured in Fish Tank - two versions of California Dreamin'? really?
28. “There Goes The Fear” by Doves as featured in (500) Days of Summer - wait, this one I saw.
29. “Le Temps De L’Amour” by Francoise Hardy as featured in Moonrise Kingdom
30. “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners as featured in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - I know this song, but not the movie.

Movies I think are missing from the list (in no particular order) - see if you can figure out what song I think is missing.:

• The above quoted, Mr. Holland's Opus
• The above cited, Good Morning Vietnam
• Sister Act
• The Big Chill
• Armageddon
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• Some of the Bond films, but definitely not all of them.
• The Graduate
• Holiday Inn

Everything's Better With Potato Chips

Potato chips are a staple at the launchpad.  They appear in lunches, when we have sausage sandwiches at dinner, and are a must with most sandwiches (though LBA and SoBA usually get tortilla chips or pretzels - I'm trying to keep from infecting them with Mrs. BA and my addiction).

Then I saw this post - it's possible that I may have had to take a knee and wept with joy [from BuzzFeed]. I struggled with which recipe to post they all looked so good.  I will point out that I am always on the lookout for good onion rings (they need to be thin sliced and lightly battered) and the one listed in the post might be a winner.  I went with this one because it might make a good entry into a future bakeoff.

Chocolate-dipped Potato Chip Cookies
Yield: About 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour 
• 1/2 cup reduced fat potato chips, crushed fine (put them in a zippered plastic bag and roll them with a rolling pin to crush them 
• 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped very fine 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (yes, really! Don't leave it out.) 
• 8 tablespoons butter, cut into 
• 8 pieces and slightly softened 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar 
• 1 large egg yolk 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 10 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine potato chips, flour, pecans and salt in a bowl. 
3. Beat butter and both sugars in a mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes.Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
4. Slowly add flour mixture until completely combined.
5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Flatten dough balls with your fingers until they are 1/4 inch thick. 
6. Bake for 5 minutes, rotate cookie sheet and bake for another 5 minutes, watching the cookies during the second 5 minutes to make sure they don't get too brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then cool completely on a rack.
7. Melt the chocolate slowly in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Dip each cookie almost halfway in chocolate, place on a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper and refrigerate until chocolate has hardened.

12 Years Later - Never Forget

This past year, traveling home from a conference in Erie, PA, I had the opportunity to stop in Shanksville, PA and visited the Flight 93 Memorial.  It was a very moving experience and I'm glad I stopped.  Every year since I started this blog - I have posted something today, here's the list of the previous posts:

1. 2012
2. 2011
3. 2010
4. 2009
5. 2008
6. 2007
7. 2006

On this day, as I always say, stop - take a moment - remember.  Remember the ones we lost, remember the ones who helped and gave all.

Butterscotch Popsicles

As some of you may recall, Mrs. BA has made Butterscotch Pudding for our neighbor on a few occasions.  Maybe she can try these.  From smitten kitchen.

Butterscotch Pudding Popsicles
No popsicle molds? You could any kind of tiny cup to mold them instead, but my favorite is a champagne flute for shape; you could even use those disposable plastic ones. When the mixture is halfway frozen, insert a popsicle stick and now no retro popsicle mold needs to come between you and Popsicle Week.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, or to taste (use less of a fine sea salt) 
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk 

Preparation
Combine the cream, brown sugar and butter in the bottom of a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally in the beginning and more frequently as it reduces and thickens. You’ll know it’s done when it becomes a bit darker, more syrupy, and smells toasty.

Add cornstarch and slowly whisk in milk. Raise heat to medium. Cook mixture, stirring frequently, until it thickens slightly, anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and sea salt. Taste mixture and adjust salt, if needed.

Cool mixture to lukewarm before pouring into popsicle molds. You can hasten this along by setting the pot or bowl with the butterscotch pudding batter in a larger bowl partially filled with ice water, and stirring it for a few minutes.

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze as manufacturer directs. If using makeshift molds, let popsicles freeze about halfway (30 to 60 minutes, depending on size) before inserting popsicle sticks, then freeze the rest of the way.

More Back to School Memories

Today is the day that I will always associate with going back to school.  In New York, you always started the Wednesday after Labor Day.  In my school district, there was a high Jewish population so you almost always had time off very soon for Rosh Hashanah and then Yom Kippur in October.

Here's a list of "Things You Learned in School That Are Now Completely Useless" [from BuzzFeed]

1. How to write in cursive - it disappoints me that this is not taught anymore.
2. How to drop an egg from a five-story building without breaking it - I must have been absent this day.
3. How to climb a rope - I really wanted to be absent on this day.
4. How to play Hot Cross Buns on the recorder - would that I still had mine, I might be able to do this.
5. How to make the most badass erupting volcano - I was not a big science guy
6. How to find a book using the card catalog system - I worked in a library for a while and became quite familiar with Melvil and his card filing system.  To this day, the scene from the Breakfast Club where Judd Nelson rearranges the cards in the drawers gives me the heebee jeebees.
7. How to use long division - remember to show your work!
8. Memorizing the periodic table of elements - yeah, not so much.  But I did what I had to, to avoid the wrath of Mrs. Feit.
9. How to forge a river on the Oregon Trail - and with its resurgence, so can LBA and SoBA!
10. Memorizing the preamble to the U.S. Constitution - duh, Schoolhouse Rock!
11. How to spell boobs on a calculator - no, I never did this.
12. How to do the limbo - that was in "elective gym."
13. Reciting the state capitals - my mother used to be able to do this.  I could probably do 40 of them.
14. How to make a potato battery - again, more science, not so much.
15. Learning to sing in a round - Row Row Row Your Boat, anyone?
16. How to make a Cat's Cradle 
17. How to make paper snowflakes
18. How to make a cootie catcher - I had no idea that's what they were called.
19. How to play foursquare - and it does not involve "checking in."
20. How to do the Macarena - luckily, I just missed this.
21. How to keep a Tamagotchi alive - also I'm older than these.
22. How to make papier mache anything
23. How to make a shoebox diorama - I loved making these
24. How to care for a fake infant egg - why?
25. How to grow a plant in a wet paper towel
26. How to line up by height
27. How to color in the lines
28. Latin - semper ubi, sub ubi.
29. Memorizing all of the presidents in order - Bruce Farbstein used to be able to do this forward and backwards in under a minute.  I can do it, but I usually screw up the order pre- and post-Lincoln.
30. How to navigate the Encyclopedia Britannica - what's an encyclopedia?
31. How to find arrowheads
32. How to dissect a frog - again, the wrath of Mrs. Feit came down on me when I nearly passed out.
33. How to say 'no' to drugs
34. How to put a condom on a phallic fruit
35. How to differentiate between different types of dinosaurs
36. How to cite a source using MLA 
37. How to build a styrofoam solar system - hey, and mine included Pluto, it'll always be a planet to me!
38. How to extract liquid from a pouch - that's not a euphemism for anything.
39. How to use WordArt for fancy fonts - similarly there was using BASIC to create banners with your name or writing loop "go to" programs.
40. How to write poetry
41. How to make an acrostic
42. How to write a book report - or the dreaded "five paragraph essay"
43. How to jump out of the back of a bus - that was always a fun way to start one's day.
44. How to decorate for a dance
45. How to sell worthless coupon books
46. How to scratch and sniff
47. How to care for your Pokemon cards - LBA has some of those around somewhere - wait are they worth money?
48. How to make a tornado in a soda bottle - before Mentos and Diet Coke that is.
49. How to spell - so you mean that red line doesn't automatically appear when you misspell a word when writing longhand?  What's up with that?

Labor Day - Grill at least one Extra Steak

I think it's a law - that you should grill on this unofficial last day of summer.  Of course, LBA and SoBA have been back in school for a week but had the day off today for Labor Day.  We savored the dwindling days of the pool and enjoy some grilled meat for our dinner courtesy of the Domestic Goddess.  A fine feast was had by all

Of course, Mrs. BA's favorite summer dinner is flank steak and baked potatoes.  So, next time we have steak, if there are any leftovers, we might try this.

Steak & Potato Barbecued Grilled Cheese
from BSintheKitchen via BuzzFeed

Ingredients

• Top Sirloin Steak 
• Provolone Cheese 
• 1 Potato 
• 1 Green Onion Stalk 
• Butter 
• Garlic Salt 
• Salt & Pepper 
• Olive Oil 
• Yellow Onion 
• French Bread 

Preparation
Start off by taking your steak out of the fridge (if it’s in there), patting it dry with a paper towel, brushing with olive oil and salt and peppering to taste. Allow it to warm to room temperature for 30-45 minutes. While you are waiting for your steak to warm, start getting your other ingredients together. Evenly slice your potato (I used a White Potato), toss them in some olive oil, with a little bit of garlic salt, and salt and pepper to taste. Cut a slice of onion and start caramelizing it in a pan on medium-low heat with some butter. Next, slice the provolone (I used three fairly large slices), bread and chives.

Once your steak is about at room temperature, start your barbecue and let it heat on high for a few minutes. Once it’s heated up, reduce it to medium-high heat, place your potato slices directly on the grill along with your steak. Cook the steak for about 3-4 minutes per side, you want it rare to medium-rare, as it will cook further once you grill your sandwich. Once the steak it done, put it on a plate and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain of the meat (this maximizes tenderness!). While your steak is resting, watch your onions and potatoes. The potatoes should take around 20 minutes to cook, so flip them after about ten minutes, or once they start browning.

When everything is finished cooking, butter each side of your bread, sprinkle some garlic salt on the inside of both slices and put the provolone on each side as well. On your bottom slice, sprinkle your green onion, layer the potato, your steak slices and top it all off with the caramelized onions and your top slice.

After forming your sandwich, place it on the grill, allowing it to cook until grill marks begin to form and the sandwich starts browning, flip it over cooking until browned and toasty! If you find your barbecue is cooking the sandwich a little too fast, or you’re scared of burning the sandwich, feel free to turn down the heat to medium.

That’s all! Slice in half to reveal all its glory and chow down on this seriously amazing sandwich.

Thirty Years Later

On September 1, 1983, Korean Airlines Flight 007 disappeared from radar after passing over Soviet territory as it approached its final destination.  Soviet fighter pilots had intercepted the plane and tried to make contact with the plane.  Receiving no response, one of the pilots fired a heat seeking missile, downing the plane, killing 269 passengers and crew.


Shortly after this tragedy, I was on a plane myself returning home from a trip to France.  It was a little troubling to pick up the issue of Time Magazine above in the Paris airport and then get on a plane to fly home.

Back to School Memories

With LBA starting third grade this week (3rd grade!) and SoBA joining him at the same school in kindergarten, here's a list of items that "will remind you of elementary school"  [from BuzzFeed].  Of course, this is also Labor Day weekend (and you shouldn't have to go back to school until after Labor Day - but that's a different rant).

1. Back to school supply lists - these days, the list comes out before the kids go back to school.  But I remember going out on that first week of school to get everything on the list.
2. Slates - I'm not that old.
3. Writing your name on the upper right-hand corner of your wide ruled loose leaf paper - The Brave Astronaut has a pretty long last name and I often tell SBA that it took me until the 3rd grade to learn how to spell it right - so no more excuses!
4. Trapper Keepers - I was more of a blue fabric 3-ring binder (or the 5-subject wirebound notebook) fan.
5. Being the line leader - I liked this job.
6. Construction Paper 
7. Getting to be Student of the Month - something clicked in LBA early in 2nd grade where he was named Student of the Month for several months in a row!
8. Capri Suns - we had milk.
9. Finding your friends so you can sit with them in the cafeteria - our "lunchroom" doubled as the gym, something that you still see a lot.
10. Lunch Trays - there was a spot for the milk carton
11. Scooters - gym was more fun with these, and it was way more fun than the rope climb
12. Juice Boxes! - see #8
13. Recess! - I was married in elementary school on the playground (Patty - did we ever get divorced?).  The monkey bars was our house.  Another classmate played the part of our dog (Donna Ziegler, where are you?)
14. Elmer's Glue
15. Nap time and nap mats
16. Sitting on carpet squares
17. Gym/Auditoriums - I remember being brought into the gym/auditorium to watch the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1976.
18. Kickball 
19. Using the card catalog and learning the Dewey Decimal System - pretty sure this isn't high on anybody's list anymore.
20. Crayola Crayons
21. Show and Tell
22. That mean substitute teacher
23. Playing games inside during recess because it's raining outside
24. Book Reports
25. Having the coolest lunch box
26. The Spelling Bee
27. Book Fairs
28. Skate Night

Banana Boat Smores

You can only make so much banana bread.  And bananas are popular in our house - and so is grilling.

Grilled Chocolate Banana Melt
from Tablespoon via BuzzFeed

Ingredients

• 1 banana, peeled 
• 2 tablespoons miniature marshmallows 
• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips 
• 2 tablespoons Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, slightly crushed

Preparation

• Preheat grill to medium high heat.
• Slice banana lengthwise and slightly open. Place on a rectangle of aluminum foil. 
• Insert marshmallows and chocolate chips into the sliced banana. 
• Wrap banana up in foil and cook on the grill for 5-6 minutes. 
• Unwrap banana and top with cereal. After melt has slightly cooled eat with a spoon. 

OVEN METHOD: Cook in the OVEN at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes.

CAMPFIRE METHOD: Keep peel on banana; slice lengthwise twice, lift up flap of peel, slice banana and add chocolate and marshmallows as above. Replace peel flap and wrap banana with foil. Let the flames die down before adding banana packets directly to fire. Cook 3-5 minutes, or just until soft and melty. Use tongs to remove from fire. Carefully unwrap and unpeel banana to eat.

Baked Chicken

My mother had several recipes in her wheelhouse that she delivered with ease and proved most delicious.  One of them was her baked chicken, which was basically chicken pieces in an egg wash, covered in bread crumbs and then baked in the oven until done.  The best part of that meal was getting the crunchy pieces out of the baking pan after dinner.  There may have been some scrums between my siblings and I to get the last piece.

I spotted this recipe the other day and it made me think of her and illustrated the relative ease with which this could be accomplished for LBA and SoBA.

Oven-Fried Panko Chicken
Gourmet | October 2009
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) 
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 
• 1 chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 10 serving pieces (breasts cut crosswise in half)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.

Stir together panko, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a pie plate.

Stir together butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, then brush all over chicken. Add chicken, 2 pieces at a time, to crumb mixture and coat evenly on both sides, pressing chicken into crumbs to help them adhere, then transfer, skin side up, to a shallow baking pan.

Bake chicken until well browned and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Let stand, uncovered, 5 to 10 minutes to crisp.

Let's Go Zephyrs!

Tonight is the Brave Astronaut's last night in the Big Easy and the Annual Meeting of the Society of American Archivists. I am celebrating with an outing with a group of friends at the New Orleans Zephyrs game in nearby Metarie.  As most of you know - I have been organizing outings to baseball at the SAA Annual Meeting for the past several years, including a visit to the Zephyrs and New Orleans in 2005 (a week before Katrina struck the city).

For that past few baseball seasons, I have also been running a fantasy baseball team, named the Brave Astronauts of course.  I have finished in the middle of the pack most years - this year I have had better offense than I have had in years past, when my pitching has been strongest.  Some time ago, I saw this post about the "Ultimate Fictional Baseball Team."  It's like fantasy, fantasy baseball.

Thanks SAA for another great week in the Big Easy!  Back home again tomorrow!

Donuts!

Brave Astronaut is off to New Orleans on Wednesday for the Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting.  I'm flying solo this year - unlike the last time when Mrs. BA and LBA (who was only 8 months old!) came to "Let the Good Times Roll!"

New Orleans in August can be a toasty place - but I am sure that some Cafe au Lait and Beignets in the morning will take some of the sting away.  Here's a recipe that I found for French Crullers (French Crullers / French Quarter - hey, I get it).  Enjoy.

French Crullers
Epicurious | April 2013
Yield: Makes 10 to 14 crullers
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup water 
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter 
• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) superfine sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup (135 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted 
• 3 large eggs, divided 1 to 2 egg whites, slightly beaten 
• Vegetable oil for frying 
• Basic Sugar Glaze (recipe below)

Preparation

1. Place the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a brisk boil over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is completely incorporated. Continue to cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes to steam away as much water as possible. The more moisture you can remove, the more eggs you can add later and the lighter your pastry will be. The mixture is ready when a thin film coats the bottom of the pan. 
2. Move the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Although you can mix the pâte à choux by hand, this can be rather arduous, so use a mixer if you have one. Stir the mixture for about 1 minute to allow it to cool. Then mix on medium speed and add the first egg. Let it mix in completely and then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, and mix in completely. Add the egg whites, a little at a time, until the paste becomes smooth and glossy and will hold a slight peak when pinched with your fingers. Be careful not to add too much egg white or your crullers will become heavy. Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star piping tip. 
3. To fry the crullers, heat at least 2 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot until a deep-fat thermometer registers 370°F. While the oil is heating, cut out twelve 3-by-3-inch squares of parchment paper and lightly grease them. Pipe a ring onto each square. When the oil is hot, place one cruller at a time in the oil, paper side up. Remove the paper with tongs. Fry on each side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel for at least 1 minute. Once cool to the touch, the crullers can be glazed. 

Crullers also bake very well, although they will have slightly firmer crusts than the fried versions. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pipe the crullers onto it, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, open the oven door slightly and let the crullers sit in the cooling oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove, dip in glaze, and cool on a rack until the glaze has set.

Beignets, the classic New Orleans fried dough treats, use this same batter and are even easier to prepare. Simply drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the batter into the oil. As the dough puffs, the beignets will turn themselves over—but keep an eye on them and flip any that need a little help.

Basic Sugar Glaze 
Epicurious | April 2013

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups (150 grams) confectioners' sugar, sifted to remove any lumps 
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk or water 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional) 

Preparation

1. Place the sugar in a medium bowl and slowly stir in the milk and vanilla, a little at a time, to make a smooth, pourable glaze. 

Friday's List - Fictional Characters Names

So you think you're smart?  BuzzFeed and Mental Floss wants to know if you know the names of all those fictional characters you grew up with.

1. The Pillsbury Doughboy - real name, Poppin Fresh.  His wife's name is Poppie.  Children? Popper and Bun Bun.  The Fresh family cat and dog are named Biscuit and Flapjack, respectively.
2. The Quaker Oats man is referred to by staff at Quaker Oats as "Larry."
3. Captain Crunch is named Horatio Magellan Crunch.
4. Mrs. Butterworth's first name? Joy
5. Jeff Albertson is the Comic Book Store guy on The Simpsons.
6. The mom from Futurama is named Carol, some say after Carol Brady
7. The policeman who takes people to jail in Monopoly is Officer Edgar Mallory.  Your cellmate in the jail? Jake the Jailbird.  And of course, the man with all the money is Rich Uncle Pennybags.
8. Woody from Toy Story has a last name - it's Pride.
9. On Sesame Street - Mr. Snuffalupagus has a first name - it's Aloysius.  Cookie Monster's first name is Sid.  Guy Smiley is a stage name - his real name is Bernie Liederkrantz.
10. Peppermint Patty from Peanuts? Her full name is Patricia Reichardt.  And the teacher with the speech problem is Miss Othmar.
11. Mr. Clean's first name is Veritably.  Yes, his name is Veritably Clean.
12. If you are formally addressing Barbie, please refer to her as Barbara Millicent Roberts.  If you're looking for Ken in the phone book, you're going to need to know his last name is Carson.
13. The patient with the interesting ailments in Operation is Cavity Sam.
14. The Man with the Yellow Hat (from Curious George) is named Ted Shackleford.
15. Bruce Wayne is of course, Batman.  The Penguin is Oswald Cobblepot.  Wonder Woman is Diana Prince.  
16. A second "Larry" on the list - the bird from Twitter.
17. Mr. Peanut is also known as Batholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe.
18. Bibendum is the name of the Michelin Man.
19. The Queen from Snow White is also known as Queen Grunhilde.
20. Jughead from the Archie comics is of course, a nickname for Forsythe P. Jones III.
21. "Please don't squeeze the Charmin" was the plea from Mr. [George] Whipple.
22. The Church Lady's given name is Enid Strict.
23. Casper the Friendly Ghost's family name is McFadden.
24. His friends call him Geoffrey, but the Toys R Us spokesanimal is known as Dr. G. Raffe.
25. Shaggy from Scooby Doo is named Norville Rogers.  And Scooby's full name is Scoobert.
26. MacGyver's first name is Angus
27. The A-Team's leader's full name is Bosco Albert Baracus
28. Turtle from "Entourage" is Salvatore Assante.
29. Though we never saw all of him, Wilson's full name in Home Improvement was Wilson W. Wilson, Jr.
30. Bull Shannon's (Night Court) first name was Nostradamus
31. The Skipper from Gilligan's Island and Captain of the Minnow was Jonas Grumby, while the Professor was Professor Roy Hinkley.
32. "Sorry, I have just one more question" - Lt. Columbo's first name was Frank.

Pizza Pockets

Recently Mrs. BA scored a pop-tart form for the next time she ventures down that road (you may remember her bakeoff entry from earlier this year).  Perhaps she could use her new form to make these tasty treats for our next TV watching party in the basement of the launchpad.

Pizza Pouches
Cookie | February 2009
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce bag store-bought pizza dough 
• 6 tablespoons fresh or jarred marinara sauce (such as Rao’s) 
• 6 store-bought turkey meatballs (such as Murray’s or Trader Joe’s) 
• 6 tablespoons shredded mozzarella 
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan 
• 1 egg 1 teaspoon milk (any fat content)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Roll the dough out about ¼ inch thick. Cut it into eighths (2 will be left over). 
3. Grease a 6-cup muffin tin. Line each cup with a piece of dough, letting the excess hang over the sides. 
4. Fill each with 1 tablespoon of sauce and 1 meatball. Divide the cheeses equally among the cups. 
5. Gather each bit of excess dough up around the filling, pinching it together at the top. 
6. Whisk the egg with the milk to make a wash. Brush it onto each pouch. 
7. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. 

Tip: Pinch off some pizza dough, hand your toddler a rolling pin, and watch him lock in.

21 Alarm Clocks Worth Trying Out

Mrs. BA's birthday is coming up soon.  Neither of us are morning people.  We have trouble waking up in the morning.  Mrs. BA's alarm clock on her side of the bed is always several minutes ahead of the other clocks in the room (she tends to fumble with it when attempting to shut off the alarm - advancing the time).  She also uses her iPhone as an alarm clock, but I don't think it can handle the continual abuse.  I have a clock on my bedside table, too, but have started using a third clock, which is across the room - making me have to get out of bed to turn it off.

Perhaps one of these should make an appearance (via BuzzFeed).

"Aromatherapy" approaches

1. The Wake N Bacon Clock - I mean, I love bacon, "but let me tell you how Daddy got sick."
2. The Coffee Clock - this one's just for me, Mrs. BA doesn't like coffee

Active Involvement Clocks

1. Clocky - you have to chase it (and find it) around the room to shut it off.
2. Rocket Launcher Alarm Clock - unfortunately, no longer available (at least from the website linked)
3. The Carpet Alarm Clock - you have to put your feet on it to turn it off - for how long?  when can I lay back down?
4. The Flying Alarm Clock - well time does fly (in the form of a helicopter propeller, which you must find to stop the alarm.
5. Defusable Alarm Clock - hit the big red button and the clock counts down to an explosion.
6. The Ramos Alarm Clock - you have to put in a preset pin number into the clock to turn it off (and it's $450 - for that kind of money the butler should put the pin code in for you).
7. The Barbell Alarm Clock - you have to do 30 reps/lifts before it will shut off (perhaps this belongs under Punishment Avoidance?)
8. Sfera - designed by students, it hangs above your bed, you hit it to snooze, but every time you hit snooze it goes up several inches toward the ceiling.

Punishment Avoidance Options

1. The Donation Clock - want to hit that snooze button again?  fine, $20 bucks is going to your least favorite people.
2. The Drill Sergeant Clock - after playing reveille, the drill sergeant begins to insult you until you get up

Anger Management Issues Clocks

1. Smash Alarm Clock - it is designed to be smacked to be shut off.  However, the dent stays until the next day.
2. The Paper Alarm Clock - you crumple it up to shut it off.  But do you then need a new sheet of paper for the next day?
3. Mr. Bump - sadly, no longer available.  Resembling a bouncy ball, you throw it at the wall to shut it off.

Others

1. The Hot Rod Clock - Mrs. BA, Start Your Engines!
2. The Grenade Alarm - also, fortunately, no longer available.
3. The Target Clock - not from Target, but a clock where you shoot it to turn it off.
4. The Director Alarm Clock - like a clapboard in the movies, snap it down to turn off the alarm
5. The Silent Alarm Clock - you wear a bracelet that vibrates when the alarm "goes off" - shake your wrist to activate the snooze.  Do the vibrations get worse if you don't get up?
6. Pull Cord Alarm Clock - before going to bed, pull the cord for the length of time you want to sleep. The cord slowly retracts and goes off at the appointed hour.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers

The Brave Astronaut is usually in charge of getting dinner on the table - primarily because I'm home first.  Sometimes I am not sure what to make - and I think LBA would survive happily on Taco Night and Pizza, if we let him.  SoBA would eat his weight in Pasta and Peas.  With the return to school not so far off (and the evenings when we might run off to the pool for an evening swim), it's time to revive the menu for some new family dinners.

Here's a recipe I found that might please everyone in the Brave Astronaut Clan.  I will point out here that Mrs. BA does make a really good Chicken Parmesan.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers
Bon Appétit | March 2010
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 10 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread (4 inches in diameter); 8 slices toasted, 2 slices (crust removed) diced 
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided, plus 12 large basil leaves 
• 3/4 cup purchased refrigerated marinara sauce 
• 12 ounces ground chicken (white meat) 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 
• 1 tablespoon grated onion 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced 
• 4 large radicchio leaves

Preparation
Blend diced bread and Parmesan in processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to pie dish; mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.

Mix marinara and 2 tablespoons basil in small saucepan. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce to large bowl. Add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with pepper; blend. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; coat with crumbs. Heat sauce over low heat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until bottoms are crusty, 4 minutes. Turn patties over; top with cheese. Cook 3 minutes. Cover; cook until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Assemble burgers with bread, radicchio, basil leaves, and warm marinara.

50 Films for 50 States

As you, my faithful readers know, Friday is Pizza / Movie Night at the launchpad.  I spotted this post from Yahoo from a friend a week or so ago - listing 50 movies specific to the 50 states.  It sort of dovetails with the "patriotic list" I posted on the 4th of July.

Agree / Disagree?  Post your favorites in the comments.  My comments are below.

1. Alabama - To Kill a Mockingbird - ooh, good start
2. Alaska - Insomnia - this movie really weirded me out
3. Arizona - Raising Arizona - well, naturally (Kate - is this one on the list? 1987!)
4. Arkansas - Sling Blade - what, not Primary Colors? :)
5. California - American Graffiti - this was likely the hardest state to pick just one movie.  I would have of course, turned to the disaster flick(s), but that's just me
6. Colorado - The Shining
7. Connecticut - Far From Heaven - I might have gone with The Ice Storm
8. Delaware - Fight Club - the list admits the state is not mentioned but there are references to Wilmington
9. Florida - Magic Mike
10. Georgia - Gone With the Wind - duh.
11. Hawaii - From Here to Eternity - what, no Pearl Harbor?
12. Idaho - Napoleon Dynamite - evidently My Own Private Idaho does not take place in the potato state
13. Illinois - The Blues Brothers - I can live with this (Kate, this one should also be on the list, 1980)
14. Indiana - Hoosiers - again, duh.
15. Iowa - Field of Dreams - "they'll come to Iowa, for reasons they can't fathom . . . "
16. Kansas - Winchester '73 - Man, Jimmy Stewart AND Shelly Winters!?
17. Kentucky - Coal Miner's Daughter - sure, sure (Kate, 1980)
18. Louisiana - Interview with the Vampire - I might have gone Grisham here, but he may be more Mississippi.
19. Maine - The Shawshank Redemption - second Stephen King movie on the list!
20. Maryland - Diner - this list would have stopped right here if it wasn't Levinson
21. Massachusetts - The Town - another tough state to narrow down, The Departed, Good Will Hunting also work here
22. Michigan - Gran Torino
23. Minnesota - Purple Rain - this movie takes place in Minneapolis?
24. Mississippi - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
25. Missouri - Waiting For Guffman
26. Montana - A River Runs Through It
27. Nebraska - Election
28. Nevada - Ocean's Eleven - Bugsy might have worked here, or Casino.
29. New Hampshire - What About Bob? - this might make Anna's head explode.  Hotel New Hampshire, perhaps?
30. New Jersey - Atlantic City 
31. New Mexico - High Noon
32. New York - Manhattan - well sure.  But again a state that's hard to pin down.
33. North Carolina - Bull Durham
34. North Dakota - Fargo - again, duh.
35. Ohio - Heathers
36. Oklahoma - The Outsiders - "stay gold, Ponyboy"
37. Oregon - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
38. Pennsylvania - Groundhog Day - surely by pure repetition . . . 
39. Rhode Island - Me, Myself, and Irene
40. South Carolina - Glory
41. South Dakota - North by Northwest - the big climactic scene and all . . . .
42. Tennessee - Nashville
43. Texas - Giant
44. Utah - 127 Hours
45. Vermont - Dead Poets Society - O Captain, My Captain!
46. Virginia - Donnie Darko
47. Washington - Singles
48. West Virginia - We Are Marshall - nice call
49. Wisconsin - Lars and the Real Girl
50. Wyoming - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - "who are those guys?"