Mark here...this recipe was my contribution to the Mad Men pilot night...I believe I may have re-appropriated a Tyler Florence recipe
Ingredients:
2 Baking Potatoes
White Truffle Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
Bacon
Chopped Broccoli
Butter
Flour
Milk
Grated Cheddar
Chives
Preheat the oven to 400. Coat the 2 potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper and bake for about an hour.
While the potatoes are baking, chop the bacon and fry in a frying pan. Blanch the broccoli in boiling salted water for about a minute or two.
To make the filling, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large sauce pan. Add 1 tablespoon of flour and cook another minute. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the milk slowly. Then add about 1/4 cup of grated cheddar. Add the bacon, broccoli and chives.
At this point, when the potatoes are done, I just cut them in half, scooped out some filling and mixed it with the sauce. Then I re-filled the potatoes, topped with some more cheddar and baked a couple more minutes.
Showing posts with label Baked Stuffed Potatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baked Stuffed Potatoes. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The Wheel
Mark here...Laurel and I have finally gotten around to watching the last episode of Season One of "Mad Men". Laurel was on dinner this time and made a delicious (and show-appropriate) pot roast, green beans and double baked stuffed potatoes.
On to the episode, as season finales go this was a good one. At the end I was left wanting more. There weren't any cliffhangers per se, but there was plenty to chew on. For one, we see Don finally starting to appreciate married life. There are signs during the whole episode that he is having an internal struggle. He tries to track down the step brother who visited him earlier in the season (who he totally blew off with a cash payment, and a directive to never contact him again). He finds out the brother hung himself, which we had found out earlier. He also is pitching a campaign for Kodak's slide projector (the carousel) and does so showing his own family slides (immediate family of him, Betty and the kids) and this triggers an emotional response not only from the client, but it's clear from Don himself. Ironically, Betty's subplot is that she is finally suspecting the possibility that Don is cheating on her. She does discover that her psychiatrist has been talking to Don. In a bit of a twist, she uses her next session to say all the things she is afraid to say to Don. It's very revealing as it's the first time we see Betty opening up about her suspicions and general feelings for Don.
One other subplot I found interesting was with Peggy. We see her picking actresses for a radio commercial (and being totally brutal and insensitive about it). The overall impression is that she has really moved forward from just being a secretary. Don has noticed it too and she gets a promotion to Junior Copywriter, which causes her to become nauseous. At first we think its just nerves, but then she is in a doctor's office and we get the closest thing to a cliffhanger in the episode...Peggy was pregnant! All season, she wasn't just putting on weight. Understandably she is totally unprepared and in denial. When we fast forward to her in bed after the birth, the nurse is bringing her her son, and she turns away. It's an understandable moment, she was totally on a career path and this is exactly what she was trying to avoid. During these times, a baby would have been the quickest way to end her career. Still, what will become of this baby?
Hi Laurel here..I agree with Mark, this is such a good episode! The scene with Don pitching the carousel idea to Kodak is so powerful, this is actually one of the scenes I vividly remember from the show when I watched it the first time around.
Another notable scene in this episode is when Betty runs into Glen in a parking lot (library? post office? I didn't take note, but Glen is in the car waiting for his mom to come out). Glen informs Betty that he is not allowed to talk to her, to which she responds "I don't care". Then she totally starts crying and tells him she is just so sad and she doesn't have anyone to talk to. Inappropriate Betty! Leave Glen alone! He's just a kid! He's clearly inappropriately infatuated with you! Don't encourage him! Don't dump your grown up problems on a kid! It's just so wrong on so many levels. She says to him "just tell me I'm gonna be ok" to which he responds "I don't know, I wish I was older". Poor Glen.
So many things to chew on...what will happen to Peggy and Pete's baby? Will Don quit philandering and spend more time with his family? Will Peggy get to be the copywriter on Clearasil? Will Betty have a nervous breakdown? Lots going on I can't wait to see what happens!
On to the episode, as season finales go this was a good one. At the end I was left wanting more. There weren't any cliffhangers per se, but there was plenty to chew on. For one, we see Don finally starting to appreciate married life. There are signs during the whole episode that he is having an internal struggle. He tries to track down the step brother who visited him earlier in the season (who he totally blew off with a cash payment, and a directive to never contact him again). He finds out the brother hung himself, which we had found out earlier. He also is pitching a campaign for Kodak's slide projector (the carousel) and does so showing his own family slides (immediate family of him, Betty and the kids) and this triggers an emotional response not only from the client, but it's clear from Don himself. Ironically, Betty's subplot is that she is finally suspecting the possibility that Don is cheating on her. She does discover that her psychiatrist has been talking to Don. In a bit of a twist, she uses her next session to say all the things she is afraid to say to Don. It's very revealing as it's the first time we see Betty opening up about her suspicions and general feelings for Don.
One other subplot I found interesting was with Peggy. We see her picking actresses for a radio commercial (and being totally brutal and insensitive about it). The overall impression is that she has really moved forward from just being a secretary. Don has noticed it too and she gets a promotion to Junior Copywriter, which causes her to become nauseous. At first we think its just nerves, but then she is in a doctor's office and we get the closest thing to a cliffhanger in the episode...Peggy was pregnant! All season, she wasn't just putting on weight. Understandably she is totally unprepared and in denial. When we fast forward to her in bed after the birth, the nurse is bringing her her son, and she turns away. It's an understandable moment, she was totally on a career path and this is exactly what she was trying to avoid. During these times, a baby would have been the quickest way to end her career. Still, what will become of this baby?
Hi Laurel here..I agree with Mark, this is such a good episode! The scene with Don pitching the carousel idea to Kodak is so powerful, this is actually one of the scenes I vividly remember from the show when I watched it the first time around.
Another notable scene in this episode is when Betty runs into Glen in a parking lot (library? post office? I didn't take note, but Glen is in the car waiting for his mom to come out). Glen informs Betty that he is not allowed to talk to her, to which she responds "I don't care". Then she totally starts crying and tells him she is just so sad and she doesn't have anyone to talk to. Inappropriate Betty! Leave Glen alone! He's just a kid! He's clearly inappropriately infatuated with you! Don't encourage him! Don't dump your grown up problems on a kid! It's just so wrong on so many levels. She says to him "just tell me I'm gonna be ok" to which he responds "I don't know, I wish I was older". Poor Glen.
So many things to chew on...what will happen to Peggy and Pete's baby? Will Don quit philandering and spend more time with his family? Will Peggy get to be the copywriter on Clearasil? Will Betty have a nervous breakdown? Lots going on I can't wait to see what happens!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Mad Men!
Mark here...Laurel and I have settled in for an amazing dinner and our start of the first season of Mad Men. Laurel has made us some amazing Beef Wellington with Green Peppercorn Sauce, Green Beans, and Ambrosia Salad. I've made some Baked Stuffed Potatoes. The rich menu is inspired by our next show to blog about, "Mad Men." We're also having Sidecar cocktails to wash it all down.
I have seen the show before but it's been a while and I forgot how amazing the style is. Having not been there in the 60s I can't speak to the authenticity but certainly the show's stylists should be commended for maintaining a certain look. To give a brief idea of the premise...we are introduced to Don Draper, the Creative Director at an Ad Agency in the early 60s. He is tasked with coming up with a new campaign to sell cigarettes, which are now proven to be unhealthy. Along the way, we see the sexism of the day, all the secretaries at the agency are assumed to be there to find a husband (and expected to do no better than secretary). Also, all the executives seem to drink all day long. Don romances one woman in the beginning of the episode and another mid way through. The twist at the end is that he's a married family man.
The other characters of note that we meet are Peggy and Pete. Pete is the upstart young executive, who clearly represents the good old boys network. He has no social skills, minimal talent and eyes young girls left and right...oh, and he's getting married. Peggy is Don's new secretary, who's thrown into a world of men who tell her to show more leg and totally dismiss her.
Hi..Laurel here. One of the things that really stood out to me about this episode (with the benefit of hindsight) is that the shows creators/writers really knew what they were looking for from the beginning. Don, Pete, and Roger are exactly who they turn out to be in this first episode. They knew what they wanted and it shows, the characters are completely developed from the get go, these guys really knew what they were doing and had a well thought out concept from the beginning. Other characters like Peggy and Joan are a little different than how we end up knowing them but it's because they grow and change over time, not because there wasn't a clear idea of who the characters are.
Pete is such an asshole! (like always). He's having his bachelor party in this episode, and while he's on the phone with his fiance discussing it, he says, and I quote "Of course I love you. I'm giving up my life for you, aren't I?" OMG! What a dick! and as we later find out, so true to character.
I also think it was an interesting choice that they choose to focus on Lucky Strike as the first client. It's a super interesting concept to see them grappling with, considering our perspective from the future. They have just come to terms with the fact that cigarettes aren't safe and need to find a different way to market them.
Another thing that Mark and I noticed were ladies bras. They are so pointy it's insane! I was telling Mark that I took a class about alfred hitchcock's "Vertigo" in college and we discussed that bras at the time were all about engineering, if it was comfortable than you weren't doing it right. The fabric was all very structural and stiff so there was no other option but to make a cone and sew it up on one side. poor ladies!
I have seen the show before but it's been a while and I forgot how amazing the style is. Having not been there in the 60s I can't speak to the authenticity but certainly the show's stylists should be commended for maintaining a certain look. To give a brief idea of the premise...we are introduced to Don Draper, the Creative Director at an Ad Agency in the early 60s. He is tasked with coming up with a new campaign to sell cigarettes, which are now proven to be unhealthy. Along the way, we see the sexism of the day, all the secretaries at the agency are assumed to be there to find a husband (and expected to do no better than secretary). Also, all the executives seem to drink all day long. Don romances one woman in the beginning of the episode and another mid way through. The twist at the end is that he's a married family man.
The other characters of note that we meet are Peggy and Pete. Pete is the upstart young executive, who clearly represents the good old boys network. He has no social skills, minimal talent and eyes young girls left and right...oh, and he's getting married. Peggy is Don's new secretary, who's thrown into a world of men who tell her to show more leg and totally dismiss her.
Hi..Laurel here. One of the things that really stood out to me about this episode (with the benefit of hindsight) is that the shows creators/writers really knew what they were looking for from the beginning. Don, Pete, and Roger are exactly who they turn out to be in this first episode. They knew what they wanted and it shows, the characters are completely developed from the get go, these guys really knew what they were doing and had a well thought out concept from the beginning. Other characters like Peggy and Joan are a little different than how we end up knowing them but it's because they grow and change over time, not because there wasn't a clear idea of who the characters are.
Pete is such an asshole! (like always). He's having his bachelor party in this episode, and while he's on the phone with his fiance discussing it, he says, and I quote "Of course I love you. I'm giving up my life for you, aren't I?" OMG! What a dick! and as we later find out, so true to character.
I also think it was an interesting choice that they choose to focus on Lucky Strike as the first client. It's a super interesting concept to see them grappling with, considering our perspective from the future. They have just come to terms with the fact that cigarettes aren't safe and need to find a different way to market them.
Another thing that Mark and I noticed were ladies bras. They are so pointy it's insane! I was telling Mark that I took a class about alfred hitchcock's "Vertigo" in college and we discussed that bras at the time were all about engineering, if it was comfortable than you weren't doing it right. The fabric was all very structural and stiff so there was no other option but to make a cone and sew it up on one side. poor ladies!
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