Witchy Kitchen

Tag: drinks

  • Pomegranate and Orange Sangria

    Pomegranate and Orange Sangria

    I watched Gaspar Noe’s 2018 psychological horror Climax alone in the dark, and while I loved it, declared that I never need to see it again. The raw intensity was just too much, and (small spoiler), anything involving harm to children I find extremely hard to watch. However, it stuck with me, and the following week I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and so ended up showing it to my husband so I could discuss all the feelings I had bubbling up, and maybe also lighten the torment.

    The film is light on plot but heavy on style and the complexities of relationships and trust. It takes place in the mid 90s and focuses on a newly formed troupe of French dancers from diverse backgrounds about to embark on a tour to America. Their bon voyage party turns frightening as they are unwittingly drugged with LSD-laced sangria, and their confusion and mistrust create horrific consequences. And we feel every bit of it, winding through a terrifying wonderland of rooms in an empty school, bright lights and writhing bodies.

    There is an extended dance sequence at the beginning which is nothing short of exuberant, and is heartbreaking to reflect upon considering the events that happen afterwards. The actors are for the most part dancers with little film experience, so their performances have a natural feel that is sometimes lost in seasoned actors. While the film is minimally scripted, the dance is well planned and there is a good bit of foreshadowing in it, I noticed. I mean, while the movie is difficult to watch, the dance is delightful and I’ve revisited countless times; I watch it whenever I’m having a bad day.

    So of course it goes without saying, the recipe for this film was definitely going to be a sangria. But like the dancers, sangria comes in countless versions and flavors and feels, from delicate and sparkling to dark and deep. So I took inspiration from Selva, the troupe’s choreographer. While it is definitely an ensemble film, she emerges quickly as the protagonist, in her yellow dress (everyone else is dressed in blacks and reds), and it’s her tumultuous journey we are mostly along for over the course of the night.

    The actress who plays her, Sofia Boutella, is one of the few actors with prior acting experience, and she is particularly mesmerizing in this role. She comes from an Algerian background, so that’s what I chose as this sangria’s flavor profile. I use pomegranate juice whenever I get the chance, but there’s also apricot and orange and some delicate cinnamon and cardamom.

    The whole thing is lightened up with a sparkling orange drink. I wanted to find Orangina, the French-Algerian classic, which we sold at the upscale deli where I had my first job. It’s harder to find nowadays, at least where I live – you can order it on Amazon but apparently in March they started to distribute it more widely here North America so maybe it will be popping up soon. But this isn’t fussy, sangria is really more of an art than a science, so you can use any brand (I used San Pellegrino blood orange flavor).

    Sparkling Orange and Pomegranate Sangria

    • 8 ounces pomegranate juice
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 2 cardamom pods
    • 3 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 bottle mid-bodied inexpensive red wine
    • 1/2 cup apricot brandy
    • 1 orange, sliced
    • 1/2 a pomegranate’s seeds
    • Sparkling orange juice to top

    Ideally start this the day before you plan to serve so the flavors have a chance to marry.

    In a small sauce pan, bring pomegranate juice, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and sugar to a simmer. Simmer until pomegranate juice is reduced by about half. Remove from heat and cool completely.

    Strain into a pitcher, and mix with red wine, apricot brandy, orange slices and pomegranate seeds. Chill thoroughly, ideally overnight. Serve over ice, topped with sparkling orange juice and garnished with more orange slices and pomegranate seeds.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Sparkling Pig’s Blood Punch

    Sparkling Pig’s Blood Punch

    I’m sure many of us have bittersweet memories of prom, and in such a tumultuous year, it’s a shame that most teens won’t get to experience it this time around. Whether a fairytale romantic evening, a night of awkward dancing and cheesy photos, or even a fiery hellscape – it almost always turns out to be a night to remember.

    1976’s Carrie, adapted from the novel by Stephen King, and directed by Brian De Palma, culminates in one of the most iconic proms of all time. The film deftly captures the teenage experience, from angst and cruelty to surprising moments of kindness. Sissy Spacek’s performance as Carrie is painful and delicate, as she moves from artless innocence to wounded, lashing rage.

    Poor Carrie is a naïve girl, relentlessly bullied at school, and with a home life shadowed by an abusive and psychotically religious mother. Her world is small and dark. And yet, somehow, through pity and benevolence, her prom night begins as a sparkling fairytale. The theme is delightfully cheesy, A Night Among the Stars, and she’s surrounded by glittery decorations and smiling faces. This is what makes the outcome so heartbreaking. She finally has what she always wanted – friends, a veritable Prince Charming, and she’s beautiful, shining, and adored. But we know how this story ends; without going into detail, it’s a blood-drenched fiery nightmare.

    ….on to the recipe! Prom is going to have some snacks, cheese and crackers, fruit, various sundries, but then there is the ubiquitous punch. It’s in every teen movie, for the gentlemen to fetch for their dates, for the kind teacher to chaperone over, for the troublemakers to spike. This particular punch is peach juice based. No fruit is more sweet or innocent than a peach. Though Carrie’s wicked, crazed mother snaps “Red. I might have known it would be red,” her lovely prom dress is clearly pale pink. With that, and her angelic face and long golden hair, Carrie is a vision of peaches and cream.

    When Carrie arrives at the prom, she’s surrounded by bubbly friends and dazzling prom decorations. So next we’re adding sparkling orange juice, and a secret ingredient – edible glitter! The peach juice is little heavy and sweet, so the sparkling orange juice lightens and brightens it up, and the glitter is that extra starlight twinkle. But then the tragic twist. We’re adding pomegranate juice (which if you’ve been following these horror recipes for any amount of time, you’ll know is my favorite stand in for blood), which adds a pleasant tang and a striking color, and balances the sweet flavors nicely. I told you prom was bittersweet.

    Sparkling Pig’s Blood Punch

    • 3 cups (24 ounces) peach juice
    • 1 cup (8 ounces) pomegranate juice
    • 2 cups (16 ounces) orange soda (such as Izze)
    • 1 teaspoon edible glitter

    Simply mix all ingredients and chill! This recipe can easily be multiplied if you are making it for a party or crowd. If you have a punch bowl, even better. You can also freeze the juice into ice cubes that will keep the punch cool without diluting it.

    First published on Nightmare on Film Street.

  • Universal Classic Monsters Menu

    Universal Classic Monsters Menu

    The monster movies made by Universal Pictures in the 1920s through the 1950s are the backbone of American horror cinema. The films introduced audiences to iconic monsters, spun a thrilling shared universe, and inspired countless sequels and remakes. To celebrate these films we’re taking a trip through the decades and putting together a charmingly retro menu inspired by three classic monsters. 

    First up is a cocktail inspired by 1931’s Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi in one of his most famous roles. It’s a play on the champagne cocktail French 75, with a Transylvanian twist. The original drink was created in the 1910s but remained popular throughout the prohibition era when Dracula was filmed. To give it that Romanian touch, it features a fruity simple syrup. Romanian liquors are often made with fermented fruits, such as Țuică, the traditional liquor made of fermented plums. While this drink would be lovely with a plum simple syrup, plums aren’t in season so I made this with frozen dark cherries. The color is beautiful – of course a Dracula drink must be tinted bloody red – and the flavor light and sparkly. 

    Transylvanian 75

    For the simple syrup

    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup dark cherries (fresh or frozen)
    • 1 cup water

    Bring all ingredients to a boil, and remove from heat. Let stand 20 minutes, mash, strain, and cool.

    For the cocktail

    • 1.5 ounces vodka
    • 2 tablespoons cherry simple syrup
    • 4 ounces champagne

    Combine in a pretty glass and garnish with lemon. 

    Dinner is a Monster Surf and Turf. The red meat portion is aptly inspired by The Wolf Man, the 1941 film starring Lon Chaney Jr., as well as 1944’s House of Frankenstein in which the wolf man is killed with a silver bullet. It’s a nicely pan seared steak, served with lemony compound butter silver bullets. The seafood portion is a swampy shrimp in green sauce inspired by Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). Centuries of passion – for shrimp! – pent up in his savage heart!

    Wolf Man Steaks with Silver Bullet Lemon Butter

    For the steaks

    • 2 fillets (or cut of your choice)
    • coarse salt
    • 2-3 tablespoons butter

    I’m not here to take you to steak cooking school, but I’ve had good luck on the stovetop in a screaming hot cast iron pan and this technique from The Kitchn. 

    For the silver bullet lemon butter

    • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
    • zest of one lemon
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • generous pinch coarse salt
    • edible silver pearl dust (you can find this in the baking section of craft stores)
    • vodka or lemon extract for painting

    Mix butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt thoroughly. Refrigerate to firm it up a bit, then using a melon baller, measure out 5 balls. Gently roll them with your hands to round. Return to the refrigerator until cold.

    To paint: mix the pearl dust with a tiny bit of vodka or lemon extract to make a paint. Use a clean paintbrush to paint each of the balls. Allow to dry, and serve with steak or use it on bread. 

    Creature from the Black Lagoon Shrimp with Green Sauce

    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 10 chives
    • 1 handful parsley
    • 1/4 cup vegetable stock
    • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
    • lemon to finish

    Heat oven to 500. In a food processor, combine garlic, olive oil, chives, parsley and vegetable stock. In a roasting dish, toss shrimp with the sauce and spread in an even layer. Roast for 7-8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until shrimp is pink. Finish with a squirt of lemon juice.

    Serve this classic meal with crusty bread for sopping, and a nice green salad. If you are noting that there’s no dessert…well there is! It’s inspired by 1933’s The Invisible Man. It’s invisible.

    Let us know who what you’re having for dinner this Halloween season on Twitter, Reddit, and in the Horror Movie Fiend Club on Facebook. Bon Appetite!