Mixed-Berry Strata and Superhero Movies

August has always been one of my favorite months because it crackles vibrantly with the excitement of a changing season. Remnants of the past summer still permeate through the air: stagnant days when the temperature lingers above 90 degrees, children hawking lemonade on street corners, sunny songs blaring out of car radios, songs which will fade from memory like a worn pair of jeans once the first leaf turns gold. Tucked into all those vernal pleasures are evanescent hints of the fall to come, vying for my attention as they giggle and flit behind trees. I felt autumn in the smoothness of bread dough as I kneaded it under my hands to make a focaccia for Lammas, in the way dusty orange buds drifted off the branches of a gnarled tree in front of my grandmother's house, in the clouds that streaked the full moon in a sky darkening earlier each day. These changes filled me with joy. Some people equate autumn with sadness, but for me it was always a season where I could feel the rhythms of the Earth's cycle changing beneath my feet.

This August, though, it was hard to muster the same anticipation that accompanied me other years. First of all, a serious illness visited my family. Then, I encountered a situation at work where I felt as if I had been taken advantage of and exploited. This last piece of news especially battered my already vulnerable soul. The memories of the past two years in which I had devoted myself to the workplace and made an unwavering commitment to its students tumbled inside me in jumbled expressions of shock and incredulity. My first emotion was an anger so jagged and sharp it reminded me of a crude dagger, piercing my inside every time I thought of how my hard work went unappreciated by the administration of the place. Later, this anger deflated into a hollow emptiness as my fond recollections of the workplace became tainted and my future smudged into a fuzzy mess as I debated demanding more respect from these administrators or silently remaining at work there in order to support my family and my upcoming marriage. I am still struggling to think of this place without any bitterness, and I hope that this bitterness will evaporate enough in the coming weeks so that when I go back to work I can focus on those who matter the most: my students.

One day about a week after this news, I was inside a Marshall's with my mother when I saw a shelf of Halloween decorations. Since Halloween is still two months away, the shelf barely reached around a whole wall, but it was still full of sparkly iron outlines of black cats, soft witch dolls clad in gingham rags, burnt orange ceramic pumpkins, and wooden "Welcome" signs emblazoned with drawings of blowing leaves. As I glanced at these decorations, that familiar excitement I usually felt as summer turns to fall returned, spreading inside me like warm coals. No matter how disappointing things may seem, this autumn will still be laden with good food to bake and wonderful holidays to celebrate with my loved ones. And at this transitional stage, I couldn't deny the joys of summer either, like berry desserts and superheroes streaking across the big screen. So I decided to make a Mixed Berry Strata from my favorite chef, Giada De Laurentiis, and couple it with Dan's essays on superhero films. Good food and memories are my X-Men and Captain Americas, shining like a ray of hope no matter what life throws at me.

Dan's Superhero Essay

Almost from inception, superheroes have coincided with times of national anguish. The ones that have lasted long enough to become icons, transcending their early comic origins into movies, TV series, and collectibles, ask fundamental questions that touch every generation fighting its own demons.

Society has a need, not just a desire, for superheroes. It’s shortsighted, I think, to dismiss this need for caped crusaders as mere escapism offering easy answers to complex problems. It’s true that part of the exhilaration of watching Superman defeat evil lies in the fantastical impossibility of the situation. Why can’t life really work that way? But the good superhero arcs touch upon very real problems and have the ability to teach us more about the real world, if only because the real world was able to think of such a world as theirs.

Batman may be the most human of all, even when soaring in his dark pointy suit. It’s no coincidence he first appeared in print in 1939, the Depression still very much a reality for millions of Americans. Economic downturns create crime and the gangsters of the 1930s have not been forgotten. No city touched by Bonnie & Clyde or John Dillinger would refuse the presence of a masked vigilante. It’s precisely Batman’s dark nature, though, that makes him so accessible a hero. Like thousands of Americans fed up with fedora wearing hoods, Batman grew impatient with law enforcement. It was now time to take matters into his own hands. The irony is, of course, that Batman himself works outside the law and in apprehending criminals, only breaks the law further.

By contrast, Spider-Man connects more strongly with a specific demographic. After all, Spidey’s human self is none other than Peter Parker, one of any lonely misunderstood high school boys. In part, Spider-Man has endured because his story would be the fulfillment of the wish of any teenager: by a freak chance (like being bitten by a spider), gain popularity, impress the pretty girl you were always too awkward to approach, and look pretty darn cool.

If Batman was a product of a nation down on the economic slumps, Iron Man fills a void for a new generation facing many of the same problems and a new threat from overseas. Tony Stark is the 1% on steroids, that’s for sure. But what really struck a human chord for me in the first Iron Man was his pivotal point.  While in Afghanistan introducing the troops to new technology, he is captured and held prisoner in a remote cave. There he begins building with scrap metal, giving birth to his McDonald’s colored alter ego. The moment Stark becomes Iron Man his wealth and financial power becomes used for the common good. His transformation into Iron Man is, then, not only a physical one, but a spiritual one as well. He is useful now to a nation that badly needs him.

The current tradition of superhero movies for the summer started with Spider-Man in 2002. Sure, the movie was in production before the attacks of September 11^th, but its release during a time of national healing undoubtedly helped it resonate stronger. The following years brought us more fear with the war in Iraq and the recession of 2008. Sure enough, Batman and Iron Man became the buzz in movies. There is then one promise of superhero movies that becomes true even in the real world. They are there when we need them. 

Thanks, Dan. As for me, I am counting down until September 25th so I can get my hands on a The Avengers DVD!

This berry strata is so good. It comes from Giada's Everyday Italian show, and it tastes like a creamy bread pudding. The ricotta adds extra decadence. Its red, white, and blue color scheme can remind you of any superhero, from Superman to Captain America. Giada never fails me, and this is yet another recipe I consider a keeper!

Mixed-Berry Strata

Adapted from Everyday Italian 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. honey
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup ricotta (use low-fat for less calories)
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 cup milk (use skim for less calories)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 4 slices of day-old French bread, torn into about 4 cups of small-to-medium-sized pieces 
• 1 10-oz bag frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained

1) Melt butter in microwave. Add honey to the melted butter, and stir to combine.

2) In a large bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta and sugar. Use a fork, beat the eggs and combine with mixture. Add the milk, orange juice, butter-and-honey mixture, and bread. Stir to combine. Gently fold in the berries.

3) Place the ingredients in a 10-in. round baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

4) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until the strata is golden on top and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes to cool before serving. Use a spoon to serve it in messy, yummy heaps.

Next Week: I'm currently catching up on the awesome Game of Thrones TV show, so I want to do something with a medieval theme. I'm definitely thinking of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938 version with Errol Flynn) as the movie, and an apple pie or cake for the dessert!

Lemon Custard Squares and Singin in the Rain

Today I bring you one of my favorite recipes and one of my favorite movies. Lemon custard squares and Singin' in the Rain go together like peanut butter and jelly, or summer and superhero movies.

Ah, yes...summer. It has arrived here in Boston. We had a rainy start to May, but the Memorial Day weekend was gorgeous. The scent of flowers permeates the air, sweet and antique. My Old Navy flip-flops are back on (lamentably, I lost my black pair). Summer hear means flocking to the air-conditioned theater to watch The Avengers, sprinkling mochi on top of my peach Pinkberry, and listening to the far-off beat of music from someone's barbecue. Of course, I also can't wait for day excursions to maritime communities, like up in Maine or right here in Massachusetts. On Memorial Day, I went to Nantasket Beach with my fiance, where I walked in the surf until the high tide bubbled up around my legs.

The Atlantic Ocean as seen from Gloucester, MA

Summer also means wonderful food to me. Though I am a vegetarian, I still get a kick out of barbecues. A grilled veggie burger tastes just as good--seriously!--on a bun slathered with lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mustard (I know I'm in the minority here, but I actually hate ketchup). Corn on the cob with scallion butter is a must-have, and in terms of salads, my mom made a delicious panzanella last year. A panzanella is a Tuscan salad of tomatoes, garlic, basil, and pieces of crusty, rustic bread...so different and delicious. As for desserts, anything small, quick and fruity will do for the summer, like the Lemon Custard Squares.

Harbor, still in Gloucester

I chose Singin' in the Rain as the movie for this month because it inspires such joy, just like summer. The squares are yellow like Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds's raincoats and so light and airy, just like the tone of the overall film. Here are Dan's thoughts:

Singin' in the Rain

If the movies have created a cure for the blues it is in the Musical, where all of life’s problems are solved by song and dance. That’s not to say that all musicals are or have to be unequivocally happy, but Singin’ in the Rain is the most joyous and the best one of all. It can lift the most forlorn of moods, because at its heart it is about the power of optimism. 

The docks at Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Optimism is what saves the careers of Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) a silent star threatened by the coming of the talkies. It makes the career of Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), a dancing girl with a voice made for the movies. Ultimately, it is a lack of optimism in progress more than a shrill voice that ruins the career of Lena Lamont (Jean Hagen delivering a plum performance). 

Singin’ in the Rain is the most infallible of musicals because it is so confident in the ability of its tunes. I’ve yet to see a musical sure enough of itself to seek the redeeming qualities of rain. “Singin’ in the Rain” was not written for this movie, but would anyone still remember it if Gene Kelly had not sung it while splashing through puddles and twirling around light poles? It’s the heart of the movie because it speaks of its essence, making lemonade out of lemons. 

Boothbay Harbor, Maine

For my money, though, the most effective number is “Moses Supposes”. It never fails on me, and I can’t recall a time I’ve sat through it without getting up and joining Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor in cavorting around the speech therapists office. The seamless energy of it all is irresistible.

 Gene Kelly would go on to make a number of musicals with director Stanley Donen and many of them remain gorgeous festivities. But I’ll be damned if ever a musical will ever “make ‘em laugh” as much as Singin’ in the Rain. 

Thanks, Dan! And for lovers of Singin' in the Rain, I also recommend The Artist, last year's Oscar winner also about the transition from silent films to talkies.

Anyways, these lemon squares are so, so good. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of them because the camera ran out of batteries just as I was about to snap a shot. But don't let the absence of pictures stop you! These are THE BEST lemon squares I've ever tried. Rather than sugary translucent yellow glop on top, these lemon squares have a custard-like component, soft, billowy, eggy, with a noticeable but subtle trace of yellow. The base is all homemade too, a crumbly butter cookie batter. These squares come from Baking: A Commensense Guide, a book I wholeheartedly trust.

Lemon Custard Squares

Adapted from Baking: A Commensense Guide

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 oz. unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Topping:

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8 x 12 in shallow baking tin and line with parchment paper, leaving the paper hanging over two opposite sides.

2) Cream butter and superfine sugar with electric beaters until pale and fluffy. Fold in flour, then use your hands to moisten the flour and make the mixture crumbly. Press mixture evenly into the tin. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Let cool.

3) For the topping: Beat eggs and sugar with electric beaters for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Sift flour and baking powder together and gradually whisk into egg mixture. Pour onto the base.

4) Bake for 25 minutes, or until just golden. Let cool. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Next week: I'm thinking The Godfather, not sure on the recipe

Red Velvet Cupcakes and Casablanca

It's one of the most exciting days of the year...Oscar day!

I love watching the Oscars. Even when the shows have been complete disasters, there is something mysterious and alluring about this night. I enjoy being cocooned in a world that, just for a while, stops what it is doing and focuses on the quasi-mythical force of film. I know that in real life Hollywood is probably not a very fun or shall we say authentic place, but on the night of the Oscars, we can pretend that the Old Hollywood of our imaginations really existed. Doesn't the very name "Oscar" conjure images of flat cap-clad directors shouting into a bullhorn, starlets posing under a spotlight, and sound stages cluttered with a heap of exotic sets? I can't help it. I'm a cinephile of the highest order.

To celebrate this day, Reel Bakers will focus on my favorite Oscar-winner (and movie, natch) of all time: Casablanca. From the sheer star power of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, to the classic romance and adventure elements of the plot, to the copious mythology surrounding the movie (Casablanca was built on the back lot of a studio!), I can think of no other film that better epitomizes Old Hollywood and the pinnacle of movie-making than Casablanca. To honor this movie are Red Velvet Cupcakes, quintessential romantic treats. I originally made these cupcakes for Valentine's Day, but they work well as "red carpet" desserts as well. So here are Dan's thoughts on Casablanca:

Casablanca


Why Casablanca? What has made this the most beloved, (mis)quoted, admired, and memorable film of all time? Casablanca is too grand a film for a simple answer, but of those attempted, Umberto Eco has come closest. Quite simply, it’s the ultimate movie about movies in an unusual sort of way. 


Every emotion that draws us to the movies is packed in this seemingly routine tale of romance and intrigue against the backdrop of German occupation in North Africa in the early years of WWII. There is mystery, adventure, thrills, romance, and tears.

But even more importantly, Casablanca is made like a prototype of a product of the Dream Factory. It is an icon of classic Hollywood precisely because it looks and feels so much like one. The cast includes Warner’s titans of the day. Humphrey Bogart leads the cast as the cynical Rick Blaine, an American ex-pat hiding out in Morocco while Vichy officers patrol the markets. Running the most popular café not only in Casablanca but also in all the movies and maybe even the public consciousness, Rick is hinted to be hiding from a past ruffling of wrong political feathers, but he is later revealed to be hiding at least in equal measure from heartbreak. And what a powerful scene it is when the woman who broke his heart walks into his gin joint out of “all the gin joints in all the world”. I cannot think of a better example for the case that some movies improve with repeat viewing. 

In part the power of this moment is due to the striking features of Ingrid Bergman, who was just beginning to sweep American cinema off its feet. Bergman, who none other than Roger Ebert labeled his favorite actress, had real-life qualifications for the role of Ilsa, the freedom fighter. She was an outspoken anti-Nazi pundit and demonstrated great skill in previous works for Alfred Hitchcock. But what’s truly important is what we can see on film and she makes Ilsa the strongest heroine Bogart ever came across. She has her political convictions and has made great sacrifices for them along with her contrabandist husband Victor Lazlo. But she is also human and has never stopped loving Rick. That she even has to think about following her heart or sense of duty says something about the weight of the film.

Many of the supporting actors would frequently appear in future Bogart projects, including Peter Lorre, who had had a successful film career in Germany, Sidney Greenstreet, and Edward Arnold. Claude Rains, of course, was a well-established actor by the time he appeared in Casablanca would continue to be long after. Still, he was immortalized as the morally and ideologically ambiguous (all the more fascinating a character because of this) Captain Louis Renault. Despite all the subplots going on, Casablanca pulls off the miraculous feat of allowing everyone in this amazing ensemble shine.

Casablanca is, in many ways, the movie of movies and the embodiment of the magic of movies. We love it for many reasons, not the least of which is for the way it knows how to be a movie.

Thanks, Dan! Now on to the recipe.

This recipe was as fun to bake as it was to eat. Quite simply, they are the best red velvet cupcakes I've ever had. A pretty red color, a soft consistency, an incredibly creamy cheesecake frosting...yum! This recipe came from McCormick's spice/extract company. I will keep trusting them because this was so good.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Adapted from McCormick 

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup fat-free sour cream
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 bottle (1 oz) red food color
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 stick butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 box (16 oz) confectioners' sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Mix cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, food coloring, and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Be careful not to overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for five minutes on wire rack. Remove from pans and let cool completely.
5. To make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes when cool.

 Next Time: Irish Soda Bread and The Quiet Man 

World War II Cupcakes and Saving Private Ryan

This will be a rather short post. I just got back from work, dealing with 13-year-old students all day, and I'm exhausted. A good kind of exhausted, but exhausted nevertheless. But in many ways, the movie of the week, Saving Private Ryan, needs no words. As one of the most powerful and realistic war movies ever made, Saving Private Ryan captures the horror of war through haunting images and melodies (this is a Spielberg film after all, and in his best movies, Spielberg is above all a painter on a celluloid canvas). Besides the famous D-Day scene, the sequences from this film that stand out in my mind are those of melancholy simplicity: a close-up of raindrops spattering on a pond, flickering lights in an abandoned church, a lilting Edith Piaf song rising above the rubble of a former town.

That's one of my cats in the background, fyi

I first saw this movie in the History Through Film class I taught last school year. When my students initially began watching Saving Private Ryan, they weren't sure how to react. They giggled nervously during moments in the D-Day scene like when a soldier's helmet saves him from a bullet...and then he gets hit again and killed when he takes the helmet off. Keep in mind that most of my students were teenage boys who never saw war images outside of a video game. By the end of the film, though, many of my students were tearing up. If anything, I hope that this film taught students that war isn't a grand adventure but rather a whirlwind of tragedy and sacrifice for those involved. I'd like to dedicate this post to our veterans...thank you for your bravery in face of such horror. Thank you to Steven Spielberg for exposing these horrors to new generations with his films. And now for Dan's thoughts.

Saving Private Ryan


By the 90s Steven Spielberg had established himself as a filmmaker worthy of tackling the historical dark spots closes to his heart. Schindler’s List surprised many and silenced others who said he could never grow up. There were some flops in between, (Amistad failed to make an impression and for good reason), but five years after Schindler’s List, Spielberg once again built a solid monument to his fascination with WWII.

 Saving Private Ryan, a harrowing story of eight soldiers searching through war-torn France for the soul-surviving Ryan brother in order to send him back home, is his second masterpiece of the 90s. The most shocking part of the movie, actually, has little to do with the central plot. The first twenty minutes or so are the most brutal and heartbreaking recreations of the battle of D-Day ever filmed. Although The Longest Day was clearly an influence, Spielberg’s vision is far purer than Hollywood typically allowed.


This is a film of many virtues and the performances are not the least of them. Tom Hanks’s Capt. Miller blows his other memorable performances, even his work in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, out of the water. It’s fun to se how many future stars got a running start here including Edward Burns, Matt Damon, Giovanni Ribisi, and even Vin Diesel.

In between brilliant scenes of valor and humanity are great moments of camaraderie and brotherhood. The final product is both the most vivid depiction we have of one of history’s darkest moments outside of the memories of those who lived through it as well as perhaps the greatest testament to Steven Spielberg’s ingenuity as a filmmaker.

Thanks, Dan. And now for the recipe.

In an homage to the home front lives of WWII, I made applesauce cupcakes without sugar or butter, since those items were rationed during the war. I got the recipe from the American Girl website, as I am still a fan at age 22 of this historical fiction series for girls! With an appealing blend of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, these cupcakes are perfect for the holidays. Honey replaces sugar and gives the cakes a nice golden color. I don't usually like raisins but they work well in this recipe; the original recipe calls for walnuts as well but I leave them out so I don't clutter the taste. Finally, I find that cream cheese frosting best tops of this recipe. Remember: rationing didn't mean you had to cut sugar completely, just limit how much you used.

World War II Cupcakes

Adapted from American Girl: Molly's World Recipes  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
• 1 cup raisins, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I leave this out)
• Frosting (cream cheese frosting recommended)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake tray with paper or aluminum liners.
2. Put sifter into a medium mixing bowl. Sift together into the bowl the sifted flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add honey and continue to beat for 2 more minutes. Stop occasionally to scrape sides of bowl with spatula. 
4. Add half the applesauce and half the dry ingredients into the shortening mixture. Mix at medium speed until flour disappears. Add the remaining applesauce and dry ingredients. Mix until everything is blended.
5. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the raisins and walnuts. 
6. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full.
7. Bake cupcakes for 25 to 30 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out smooth, remove cupcakes from oven and place on a rack to cool.
8. After 10 minutes, let cupcakes out of the pan and let cool completely. Spread frosting on top of cakes before eating.  

Next Time: Eggnog Bread Pudding and Brazil 

Double Apple Strudel and Inglourious Basterds

October is here! I am full of excitement. This is the month of spooky stories, golden late-afternoon sunlight pouring through flaming trees, and dark, still nights when you can practically feel the spirits that supposedly walk the Earth on Halloween surrounding you. In terms of baking, though, do you know what I love best about October? APPLES! Apple season is largely in September in my part of New England, and during the month of October I love to think of new recipes featuring the fruit I harvested the past month. I went apple picking last Thursday, September 29th, a date which coincidentally contains two apple-related holidays this year: Michaelmas (an old European harvest festival honoring St. Michael the Archangel) and Rosh Hashana (the Jewish new year, where apples and honey are eaten to ensure a sweet year). It rained that day, but I had a ton of fun scampering through the misty fields with my family, picking the juiciest-looking apples and enjoying cider donuts in the farm's rustic wooden kitchen. No other fruit says harvest or autumn to me quite like apples.

I decided to make an apple strudel to honor my favorite fall fruit. And I can think of only one movie that suitably displays this recipe: Quentin Tarantino's Oscar-nominated epic Inglourious Basterds. That film, if you remember, showcased a absolutely delicious strudel in a scene which otherwise radiated with suspense and apprehension. Inglourious Basterds is one of my favorite films. I didn't think that I would like it, because I am very squeamish when it comes to blood (I once had to leave my sixth-grade classroom because we were watching a documentary about prehistoric animals attacking each other. It was embarrassing), but Tarantino doesn't rely on violence as much in Inglourious Basterds as he does on clever conversations regarding how cinema distorts images of war. I know some people had problems with the film's historically inaccurate ending, but Inglourious Basterds is supposed to be a fable, a revenge fantasy. I think Tarantino has made an excellent movie about World War II movies. Here are Dan's thoughts.

Inglourious Basterds


Think of The Dirty Dozen as only Quentin Tarantino could see it and you have Inglourious Basterds, an ingenious reimagining of WWII which ends the way many wish it could have. Yes, Inglourious Basterds is fantasy wish-fulfillment in the same way that the flag-waving cartoons from the era were. But it's much more than that and what makes the movie so special is precisely its untidy category.

It's easier to say what the film is not and that is a war picture, at least not in the strictest sense of the word. There are no battle scenes and minimal geopolitical babble. Instead, it focuses on the individuality of the characters and it's one of the first movies about WWII in which I can boldly remember the names and personalities of the characters.

Of course, no one who sees Brad Pitt's Lt. Aldo Raine could forget this grizzled war maverick. A renegade who wears his Appalachian origin and Native American heritage on his sleeve, Raine fights his own war and organizes a Nazi hunt employing a motley crew of Jewish-American soldiers who are ordered to find Nazis and bring back their scalps.

This would be enough to satisfy any movie and it did once, the aforementioned The Dirty Dozen. But if you know Tarantino you know his movies are layered labyrinths with no one character hogging the spotlight. Predominant in our memories is Christoph Waltz as the despicable Col. Hans Landa, nicknamed "the Jew Hunter." He is a snake with slow-killing poison. He not only kills but seems to enjoy tormenting his victims. So horrifying is this character, made especially frightening by Waltz's brilliant performance, that his final comeuppance actually leaves us wanting more. It comes in the hands not only of the titular Basterds, but also with the help of a young woman (Melanie Laurent) who lost her family to Landa's men.

Revenge is sweet. But since Tarantino has made it one of the major themes in his canon of work, it has also become fascinating and Laurent's revenge on the Third Reich is an ingenious scheme with gripping suspenseful moments. And because this is under the direction of the most brilliant movie junkie in the world, you can be sure it will contain references to films as far-out as The Wizard of Oz. Oh, and if the alternate history presented here troubles you, there are many other explanations drawn from real-known facts to make the ending more compatible with the history books. So do yourself a favor and enjoy Inglourious Basterds. It's in many ways Quentin Tarantino's magnum opus and, ironically enough, the more you know about WWII the more fun you are bound to have.

Thanks, Dan! And now for the strudel.

This apple strudel came from The Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook. Whoever says diet recipes are blah will eat their words (ha ha) after they try this strudel. Trust me, while it doesn't look as pretty as the strudel in Inglourious Basterds, it is delicious. I have never tried a better strudel in my life. I don't know what gave it the extra-oomph, if it was the dried apples that were added along to the fresh apples or the gingersnap cookie crust. I just know that it was delectable. My family bemoaned its loss. So if you're going to watch Inglourious Basterds, make sure that you make this strudel first to accompany it. It's a must.

Double Apple Strudel
Adapted from Weight Watchers: The New Complete Cookbook 
Ingredients:

• 3 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 18 slices coarsely chopped dried apple
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. dark raisins
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 4 gingersnap cookies
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 12 sheets phyllo dough, room temperature

1) To make the filling, combine the apples, dried apple, raisins, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and water in a large nonstick skillet. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally until the apples tenderize and the mixture becomes thick. Stir in the vanilla. Let the mixture cool completely.

2) In a blender, combine the walnuts and gingersnap cookies until they resemble crumbs.

3) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a big cookie pan with nonstick spray. Reserve 2 tsp. of the melted butter for later. Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a dry towel (keep the remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel). Brush the sheet lightly with a little bit of butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo. Brush that sheet lightly with a little bit of butter, then sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. of the crumbs. Repeat this using all of the phyllo sheets, crumb mixture, and butter, ending with the phyllo.

4) Spoon the apple filling over the phyllo, making sure to leave a 2-in. border. Starting at the wide end, and using the towel to help you, roll the strudel jelly-roll style, making sure the filling is enclosed. Place seam-side down on the pan and brush the top with the reserved 2 tsp. of butter. Make 11 shallow cuts through the top layers of the phyllo dough, being careful not to cut down into the filling. Baking 40-45 minutes or until golden. Cool for at least 10 minutes. Cut at the scored sections.

Next week: Not sure yet, but something involving pumpkin and a Halloween-themed film