I was on social media recently and was reminded that Rex Manning Day is coming up. Rex Manning Day is a reference to the cult classic 90’s film Empire Records. The actual date of Rex Manning Day is April 8th, it only appears once in the film on the flyer on the door. I remember seeing bits and pieces of this film in high school and just had the time to sit down and watch it start to finish. This film is the epitome of the 90’s; it made me nostalgic for the old school record shops, plaid skirts, and sticking it to The Man.

Empire Records is about a small independent record shop managed by Joe, whose employees are all teens and early twenty-something’s with different personalities (perhaps the embodiments of several 90’s clichés), that are a sort of self-created family, with Joe as the reluctant and perpetually exasperated father figure.

Employee Lucas discovers that Empire Records is about to be converted into a branch of Music Town, a large and generic franchise music store on the eve of “Rex Manning Day”. Rex Manning Day is the name the staff have given a scheduled publicity function that features the pompous, fading pop singer, who will be in store to sign autographs and promote his new album. No one is really looking forward to “Rex Manning Day” except cashier Corey, a overachieving student headed for Harvard who has a schoolgirl crush on Rex, and plans to lose her virginity to him. Corey’s friend and fellow cashier Gina, encourages Corey in her pursuit of the much older Manning.

Rex Manning arrives and is predictably condescending toward Joe, the rest of the staff, and his fans. Corey, after demanding that she be allowed to bring Rex his lunch, awkwardly attempts to seduce him. When Manning responds with a crude pass, Corey runs off, crying in embarrassment.

The day continues to spiral downward. Corey accuses Gina of encouraging her ill-advised behavior around Rex, and places her at fault for the failed seduction. Outraged at the accusation and seeking to hurt Corey, Gina seduces Rex Manning, much to the horror of her friends.

As the afternoon progresses, the plan to convert Empire Records into a Music Town is revealed, and Joe admits that he had hoped to buy the store himself but cannot because he must use the money to correct a situation that Lucas created when he tried to save the store on his own, (taking money from the till and gambling with it). The employees all pool their resources to replace the money that Lucas lost. Despite their best efforts, they are thousands short. Suddenly inspired, stoner employee Mark runs out of the store and impulsively jumps in front of a news crew and announces a late night benefit party/concert to save Empire.

Between various money raising efforts by the staff, selling their art, a rooftop concert featuring Berko and Gina, enough money is made to replace the money Lucas lost. Joe and Lucas return the money to the owner, and promptly quit. Mitchell, the owner then offers to sell the store to Joe…cheap. Joe agrees. The conflicts between the staff members are mended by their efforts of saving the store from the invasion of The Man.

There is a classic scene in the film where the resident stoner Mark takes his break, eats a brownie and watches a little TV.  He is all settled in to watch a GWAR performance when the brownies begin to take their toll and he starts to see himself playing alongside the band. The viewer confirms that Mark’s brownie is of a special (THC laced) variety when things take a strange turn and GWAR starts feeding Mark to a monster on stage.

You can watch the scene here.

This scene in the film is the result of a crazy idea that Ethan Embry, the actor that played Mark, pitched to the producers because GWAR happened to be playing a show in the area at the time the movie was being filmed. They all agreed that GWAR is exactly the type of heavy metal that Mark would be into.  Apparently, the live audience didn’t really understand what was going on when they filmed the scene of Mark playing with the band and then being eaten,  but the filmakers did a few takes and then were on their way. To me, this whole situation sounds like another day at the office for GWAR.

Although the scene alludes to a more hallucinatory drug than marijuana, Mark is definitely portrayed more as the stoner type than anything else and since Hollywood often portrays the effects of marijuana edibles incorrectly; I am going to argue that he is eating pot laced brownies.

Mark would have used canna butter (cannabis infused butter) in order to get any of the THC effects into the brownies. Now that cannabis is legal in several states it is possible to make and/or purchase canna butter in several areas. However, use good judgement when making or using any cannabis products.

My suspicions were that Mark made the brownies from a box because rarely do stoners make their brownies from scratch. Following the procurement of your canna butter, make the brownies as directed, using the canna butter in place of any oil. Be forewarned that making Special Brownies will make your kitchen smell like marijuana. Enjoy in moderation, you don’t want to bring on any strange GWAR fantasies.

Mark’s Special Brownies:

1 box of Brownie mix

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup canna butter

1 egg

1. Mix water, canna butter, brownie mix, and egg.
2. Bake according to box directions.

I recently watched Split and I have to admit that I cannot stop thinking about it. This film is one that stays with you long after you watch it; the dialogue is so heavy with clues and nuances it can really keep you busy figuring it all out. I have had theories and questions for days, and that is why I absolutely love Shyamalan movies!

The 2016 psychological thriller deals with the kidnapping of three girls by a man, Kevin, who has 23 personalities. Three of Kevin’s personalities (Dennis, Hedwig, and Patricia) commit the abduction; they kidnap the girls in an effort to prepare for the emergence of a 24th, violent, and savage personality that they refer to as “The Beast”.  One of the girls, Casey, attempts to manipulate the personalities in order to free herself and her friends before “The Beast” is able to emerge. The film has a terrific sense of suspense and of course, the signature “ah -ha” moment at the end.

The only food in the film is a sandwich that Patricia presents to the captive girls. The sandwich is significant because it’s purpose in the film, like so many other things, is to unsettle the viewer. In the scene, Patricia brings the girls sandwiches and then proceeds to act almost maternal by brushing the girls hair, putting flowers behind their ears and encouraging them to eat.The viewer knows that her real intentions are ominous, so it’s very unsettling to see her acting so comforting.

Watch the full scene here.

She adds that the sandwiches are so tasty because she added her own touch, “paprika”. This would indicate that she prepared them with special regard to the girls eating them; such a strange thing to do when you know they are about to be the victims of a monster. It makes her character come across as even more depraved, but it’s confusing at the same time because the depravity is stemming from the idea of being caring/kindness. This type of situation would make any viewer feel anxious!

The scene then goes a step further when Patricia brings the girls to the kitchen, puts on music and starts up a casual conversation. She is going to great lengths to demonstrate her sense of civility. She even mentions a “proper meal”, she is going to great lengths to hide the fact that she is horrible. The viewer is getting this sense of domesticity from her which makes the fact that she is doing it all to help “The Beast” that much more unsettling.

The sandwich Patricia serves is nothing especially spectacular or complicated. When you get down to it, Kevin is still a disabled person, living on his own, in a restrictive environment, (he lives in an underground apartment at the Philadelphia Zoo). There is definitely a budget at play here. The bread is simple, I used a basic white bread like what is shown in the film. For fillings, I decided on ham and cheese because they are both readily available, affordable, and go well with mayo. I used a basic mayo with a dash of paprika. The paprika is an attempt to classy up an otherwise basic sandwich.

Overall, the symbolism of the sandwich far outweighs the actual sandwich. I will admit that it does serve as a great plot device in Split and the paprika that Patricia puts in it definitely gives it a special touch. I recommend watching this film and making this sandwich.

Patricia’s Sandwich

2 slices white Bread

2-3 slices of ham

2-3 slices of cheddar cheese

mayo as desired

dash of paprika

1. Assemble and enjoy.

I recently saw this film with my kids and I thought it was so cute. I loved all the old school gaming and internet references. This film picks up a few years after the original film Wreck it Ralph, we find Ralph still loving his life and hanging out with Sugar Rush driver  Vanellope Von Schweetz. While Ralph is perfectly content with how things are, Vanellope wonders if there’s more to life than driving the same tracks day in and day out.

After an accident puts Sugar Rush out of order, Ralph and Vanellope set off into the newly plugged in wifi in an attempt to get the game fixed and get their world back to normal. While navigating pop-ups, meeting princesses, and becoming an internet sensation, Ralph and Vanellope have their friendship tested as they discover their goals aren’t as closely aligned as they initially thought.

At one point in the film, Ralph is saturating the internet with himself performing all sorts of trending virally video type things. Ralph superimposes himself onto cat videos, screaming goat videos, he does the Floss and burns pies; this is where my interest was piqued. We return to the burning pie in the end scene where he serves it to his friends and explains that it can be made with any pie only burnt. I wondered what the significance of it could be since it is referenced more than once.

One reason for the pie is the obvious nod to the current trend in cooking fail videos and shows.  Ralph burning a pie is an obvious choice to get the viewership on Buzztube that he is looking for; cooking shows are wildly popular but the recent cooking fails are even more popular. Another nod given by the appearance of the pie is to a popular video game called Runescape.  The pie occurs in the game when a player accidently cooks it too long. You can only trade a burnt pie with other players, much like how Ralph brings the burnt pie to the picnic with the other game characters.  Ralph’s burnt pie was one in the long list of winks that the filmmakers have done to current and past media and gaming  trends.

When you look back at the original Wreck it Ralph, you can’t help but notice that Felix is always given a pie when he wins the game. Ralph actually remarks that the hero always gets the pie. In Ralph Breaks the Internet, Ralph is the hero and gets his pie but it is burnt. This is symbolic of Ralph reinventing himself as a good guy but the fact that his pie is burnt alludes to the fact that although he is a good guy, he isn’t perfect.

At first I was discouraged that the only food in the film was a burnt pie but then I thought of it as a unique challenge. I knew that there must be a pie that can be made by being burnt on purpose. My first thought was a crème brulee type pie because of the burnt sugar on top.  Then the idea came to me that marshmallow is something that tastes great even when burnt. So I decided to combine both of these concepts and create a burnt sugar pie with a burnt marshmallow topping=burnt pie.

I have attempted to make my own pie crusts in the past with good results but for this pie I felt it would be easier and less labor intensive to just use a store bought shell. If you prefer making your own then by all means go for it but my point is, using a store bought shell will not make or break this pie.

Once I boiled the cream and vanilla and removed from the heat, I put the mixture in a bowl and covered it with plastic wrap. This is to prevent a skin from forming on the top of the mixture, causing chunks in the mixture. Then I made and boiled a simple syrup and added it to the vanilla cream mixture to make a sort of caramel cream. Then I added egg yolks, (save the whites!), and poured it into baked and cooled pie shell and put it into the oven until only slightly jiggly and golden brown.

Once I pulled the pie out and let it cool a bit I covered the surface with a quarter cup of sugar. I put it back in the oven on broil and caramelized the sugar. My husband thought I was crazy, sitting on the floor in my kitchen watching the sugar melt but it was so cool to watch! I pulled the pie out and let it cool while I worked up the marshmallow cream for the top of the pie.

My biggest tip for making the topping would be to use a candy thermometer, it’s not necessary but they are really handy! Other than making sure the simple syrup is at the thread stage before adding in, the topping was pretty simple to make. I spread it over the pie and did my best to make some peaks and crests. I put it under the broiler again and sat and watched it turn a lovely brown. If you are too scared to commit to burning the topping, don’t be afraid to stop here. Otherwise, let it go till it turns black but not ruined. It is important to note that the burnt marshmallow smell will happen so if you are making this pie for guests, you may want to make this ahead of time.

The end result of this is amazing on a couple of different levels. It tasted amazing, seriously. The texture of the pie is custardy and then there is a nice bit of crunch that the burnt sugar gives; and then there is the gooiness of the marshmallow topping. The burnt top made everyone skeptical about eating it, but they were mesmerized by the taste! And I was proud of myself that I actually concocted a pie that could be burnt on purpose and taste good!

Burnt Pie aka Burnt Custard Pie with Burnt Marshmallow Topping

For the Pie

• 1 9inch pie shell, baked and cooled
• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
• 3/4 cup sugar plus another 1/4 cup of sugar, divided
• 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Marshmallow topping:

• 1 envelope (7g) unflavored powdered gelatin
• 1/4 (60ml), plus 1/3 (80ml) cup cold water
• 1/3 cup (80ml) light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup  sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Bring 3 cups of the cream and the vanilla bean and the seeds to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover with plastic wrap, and let the cream and vanilla bean steep for 20 to 30 minutes. Discard the vanilla bean.
3. Combine 3/4 cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring only until the sugar dissolves. Then, stop stirring and allow to boil until mixture turns a deep amber color, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Carefully and slowly whisk in the cream mixture to create caramel.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the caramel sauce. Pour the caramel mixture into the cooled piecrust and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the caramel filling is only slightly jiggly in the center and the top is golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. After about 30-45 minutes top pie with 3/4 cup sugar and spread. Cover the pie edges with foil to prevent burning. Place pie under broiler for about 4-5 minutes until the sugar is evenly melted and carmelized.
6. For the marshmallow topping, sprinkle the gelatin over the 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl. Heat the remaining 1/3 cup water with the corn syrup and sugar. When the sugar syrup has started to boil (around212 degrees), begin whipping the egg whites in an electric bowl mixer until frothy. As the syrup inches up to the thread stage, (around 215-225 degrees) increase the mixer speed on the egg whites to high and slowly dribble the syrup into the whites as they are whipping, being careful to avoid pouring on the whisk/beater (You don’t want the syrup flinging away and sticking to the sides of the bowl.)
7. Scrape the softened gelatin into the warm pan that was being used to make the syrup, and stir until dissolved. Slowly drizzle the gelatin into the whites as they are whipping, being careful to avoid pouring it on the whisk/beater. Add the vanilla and continue to beat for 5-10 minutes, until room temperature. 
8.  Put the rack on the upper third of the oven. With a spatula, swirl the marshmallow over the entire top of the pie, making billowy peaks and crannies. Broil the pie for 4 to 5 minutes or until the top is burnt. Let cool before slicing.

With the passing of Aretha Franklin this year,  I was reminded of her amazing performance in the film The Blues Brothers, (you can watch it here).I re-watched the 1980 classic as tribute and was happily reminded of a certain drink mentioned in the film. The Orange Whip.

Following Jake’s release from prison, he and brother Elwood go to visit “The Penguin”, the last of the nuns who raised them in a boarding school. They learn the Archdiocese will stop supporting the school and will sell the place to the Education Authority. The only way to keep the place open is if the $5000 tax on the property is paid within 11 days. The Blues Brothers want to help, and decide to put their blues band back together and raise the money by staging a big gig. As they set off on their “mission from God” they seem to make more enemies along the way. Their adventure takes many unexpected detours and encounters with zany characters, the police, revenge-seeking militant groups, angry country singers and psychotic former girlfriends.

Although I love the scene with Aretha in her only movie role and her amazing performance of “Think” in this film, I also really enjoy the scene that features The Orange Whip, (you can watch that one here). At this point in the film where seemingly everyone is after the brothers and they are performing on stage, the cop who thinks he has them as soon as they come off stage decides to bide his time and he orders a round of orange whips. Unfortunately for the cops, Jake and Elwood receive a huge cash advance from a record label and then have the band distract their pursuers while they slip out the back.

The interesting thing about this scene is that although many believe that the sheriff orders the drink shown and mentioned here, he in fact meant to order the old orange soda type beverage that had the brand name of Orange Whip. It is rumored that the father of a costumer on the film was the vice president of Orange Whip Corporation (the makers of the beverage) and after providing refreshments to the cast and crew, asked the director John Landis if “Orange Whip” could be used in the film. It is also rumored that that entire scene was improvised by John Candy, the actor playing the corrections officer. The soda type beverage is no longer with us but the drink is still paid homage to; replaced by the classic alcoholic version which features rum, vodka, cream and orange juice.

After reading the ingredient list for this I figured it would taste like a creamisicle. I was not disappointed. I searched through several bar and recipe manuals and websites to find what I thought would be a good base recipe for this drink. Although I followed the recipes almost exactly,  I thought my Orang Whip would be better with a bit of triple sec to really improve the the orange taste. The end result was a frothy, creamy and orangy treat. I really did enjoy this drink but could only have one due to the sweetness. I encourage you all to pop in this flick, think about the star that was Aretha Franklin (see what I did there), and enjoy one of these yummy orangy cocktails!

Orange Whip

1 oz rum

1oz vodka

2oz Ceam

4oz orange juice

1 oz triple sec (optional)

1. Combine ingredients in a shaker tin with ice and shake to combine.
2. Pour in a tall glass over ice. Garnish with orange slice or whipped cream as desired.