Mango Nut Bread and Apocalypse Now

Hi everyone! I'm Ally, and together with my older brother Dan, I'm going to be providing recipes to go along with our favorite films. Basically, the way this blog is going to work is that Dan will write a review of a film, and I will post a recipe for a baked good that fits that movie. It's the easiest way to combine our two hobbies, film and baking!

Our first film is Francis Ford Coppola's classic war movie Apocalypse Now, from 1979. I had never seen Apocalypse Now until I showed it to my History Through Film class while student teaching, and I was immediately enthralled by Coppola's vision and tone. As it charts the journey of Army Captain Willard to track down the renegade Colonel Kurtz in the jungles of Vietnam, Apocalypse Now effectively feels like a descent into madness. The bizarre soundtrack (who can forget the creepy use of The Doors' "The End" at the beginning?) and the very surreal images made this one of my my favorite war films. So without further ado, here are Dan's thoughts on the film:

Apocalypse Now:

One may be tempted to call Apocalypse Now the greatest war movie ever made. While that is not an unreasonable judgement, it feels like a bit of a short change, since Apocalypse Now is so much more than a mere war film. Sure, there is plenty of combat footage as Capt. Willard (Martin Sheen) navigates his way through war-torn Vietnam in order to find the deadly renegade Col. Kurtz (Marlon Brando), but just like Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, the literary work that provided the film's structure, Apocalypse Now's themes transcend the confines of its genre.

Few filmmakers have covered as much as Francis Ford Coppola did here. There are surface topics about imperialism, the psychological effects of war, and the devastation of villages. But there are deeper elements at work here such as who we are and who we become. What is insanity and what is evil? What standards should be applied to evaluating evil and insanity in a time of war?

Kurtz is evil. Of that there can be little doubt. He's had many people killed and commands an army of soldiers patrolling his compound. The question is, what drove him to become the monster he is? Finally, is Willard, or at least, his commanders who sent him on this mission, any less evil? Apocalypse Now's lack of easy answers to these questions, along with astounding performances from a stellar cast and direction from a New Hollywood genius, make it a masterpiece in a class of its own.

Thanks, Dan! And now for the recipe.

I was inspired by one of Apocalypse Now's most memorable scenes, when Willard and his chatty crew member Chef went looking for mangoes deep in the jungle, to make a mango nut bread. I got this recipe from the excellent Taste of Home magazine, and it can be found on their website here.

I never had mango nut bread before, just banana nut bread, so I was curious to see what this would taste like. I'm happy to report that I loved it! The bread is soft and silky, and the mangoes add a pop of texture and summery, tropical flavor. You can omit the dates if you like, but I thought they added a pleasantly tangy and nutty twist. In short, this is a great bread to eat as a snack or for breakfast along with coffee or tea. It's also healthy and really easy to make. Hopefully, you won't have any surprise encounters with tigers while making this like Willard and Chef did!

Mango Nut Bread
Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs (I like to use EggBeaters because they're healthier)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped mangoes
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or macadamia nuts (I used walnuts; macadamia nuts are hard to come by where I live)

1) In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl, beat the eggs, oil, and vanilla with an electric mixer until blended. Stir into the dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in mangoes, dates, and nuts. (Note: Don't worry if the batter seems dry and doughy; it will freshen up once the mangoes are added).
2) Spoon into two greased loaf pans (8 x 4-in). Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least ten minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Well, I hope you liked that. Feel free to let us know what movies or baking recipes you'd like to see on our blog.