Fork Theater

What will they think of next?  Last night Beth, Mike and I went to see the movie Argo.  It was a good movie, but that is not exactly what I am reviewing. A fork theater is new to Columbus and something I have been anticipating since we attended one in New Orleans at Christmas time.  The fork, in the case of Columbus, is a section of a regular cinema,  at Easton.  You pay three dollars more for tickets, but it is the way I intend to see movies away from home from now on. You can order on line and reserve your chairs. Or you can take a chance and get your tickets at the ticket window. There are two fork sections at Easton and they feature the most comfortable recliners known to man.  Plush, soft and remote driven. A serving tray swings over in front of you and presto a waiter appears while the movies to come are running.  Mike and Beth had a bottle of wine, I had a featured cocktail and then we ordered delicious food.  By this time Argo the intense began.  (The militants seized control of the U.S. embassy in Tehran during the height of the Iranian Revolution, CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) creates a fake Hollywood production in order to fool the terrorists into releasing a group of U.S. citizens.) Iran was immediately added to my mental list of places I would NOT be going. Back to the seats--up comes the leg rest, down goes the cocktail and the food arrives, hot, delicious and for around the same price as in a restaurant. The waiter then whisks all the debris away and you settle into the movie.  We were in the over 21 fork theater and there is a different one for under 18 accompanied by adults of some sort.  They serve liquor and everyone is carded which makes we older beings feel young and foolish again. I loved it! But, you can see the same movies in the same theaters as usual--but you cannot be as comfortable, that's for sure.

Here are some helpful cooking hints:

Can't find creme fraiche in your store?  Here's how to make it at home.  Very simple.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream (pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized if possible)
• 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk or cultured full-fat plain yogurt

Procedures

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the heavy cream and the buttermilk or yogurt. Stir to incorporate. Pour the mixture into a glass jar or plastic container.
2. Place in a warm room, partially covered, and let sit 12 to 24 hours, until thickened and slightly tangy. Chill and use for 7 to 10 days.

 

Confused about different creams for whipping or for coffee?

 

Half-and-Half: 12% fat
Light Cream: 20% fat
Light Whipping Cream: 30% fat
Whipping Cream: 35% fat
Heavy Cream and Heavy Whipping Cream: 38% fat

As food scientist Harold McGee explains, "The proportion of fat determines both a cream's consistency and its versatility." As the fat content increases, the cream gets thicker and you can do more with it.

Creams with more fat will whip up better into a stable whipped cream and they will also resist curdling when used to enrich soups. Creams with lower fat content are better used in beverages or for pouring over desserts.

If you can't find the specific cream needed for a recipe and are looking to substitute, it's always a safe bet to go for a cream with a higher fat content than the one called for. This ensures that everything on a molecular level will work out.

(Ideas from David Lebovitz)

Waaaaa, I want to make Salted Honey Pie (If I could only make a pie, this would be it.)

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Recipe Description

Salt and honey come together to make an irresistable pie!

Preparation Instructions

For the crust:
Place flour, sugar and salt into your food processor bowl. Pulse for 1 to 2 seconds to combine. Add the cold butter and shortening while pulsing in one-second intervals. Pulse it 8 to 10 times until it forms a sandy texture. Make sure not to over pulse. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time while pulsing the dough on and off to incorporate the water. The goal is to have the dough wet enough that it will stick together when pinched, but not too much water that it will be sticky. Pulse the food processor until the dough just comes together.
Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap disc up tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. When it’s nice and chilled, unwrap dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll dough to desired thickness (make sure it’s big enough to fit your pie plate). Transfer the dough circle to the pie plate and use a paring knife to trim off excess crust.
Crust must be partially baked for this pie recipe, so butter the shiny side of a piece of foil, place the shiny side down on top of the crust and top the foil with beans or rice. Bake crust at 400 F for 25 minutes. Then remove rice/beans and foil and bake crust for another 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
To make pie:
In a medium bowl combine melted butter, sugar, salt and cornmeal. Then add the honey, vanilla and vinegar and mix together. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then add the cream and whisk to combine everything.
Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie shell and bake at 350 F for 45 to 60 minutes. The filling will puff up like a marshmallow and the center will be just slightly wobbly. Let pie cool to room temperature and sprinkle the entire pie with sea salt.
Pie crust from Dorie Greenspan. Pie adapted from Four & Twenty Blackbirds.

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRUST:
• 1-½ cup Four
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• ¾ teaspoons Salt
• 1-¼ stick Very Cold Butter
• 2-½ Tablespoons Shortening (mine Was Frozen)
• ¼ cups Ice Cold Water
• FOR THE FILLING:
• ½ cups Melted Butter
• ¾ cups White Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Cornmeal
• ¾ cups Honey
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 teaspoons White Vinegar
• 3 whole Eggs
• ½ cups Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Sea Salt

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