Dinner & a Movie

by Jill Melton

Gab, girlfriends and good grub—what could be better?

“It’s nowhere near the investment of a book club, and it’s a lot more fun,” I tell folks. “It” is my video group, which consists of five very special friends and myself who get together once a month for dinner and a movie.

It works like this: the second Tuesday of each month we get together at the host’s house. The host rotates and is responsible for choosing the movie and making the meal. Initially the food was just snacks—popcorn, M&M’s and the like—but over the years, the meals became more elaborate—sometimes even matching the theme of the movie. Hearty beefy borscht accompanied The Russians are Coming, and pounded “chick” (chicken breasts) took center stage for Million Dollar Baby. But that doesn’t mean we’re all elaborate cooks. One gal orders carry out, and another assembles something yummy with the help of a specialty foods market. But then, the food really isn’t the point. Come to think of it, neither is the movie. It’s about the friendship. So, we eat dinner, chitchat, then settle into our movie. Sometimes we have lengthy discussions about the film we watched; sometimes not. Sometimes we laugh; sometimes we cry and go home in silence. The good thing is there are no rules, except to show up . . . preferably hungry.

Butterscotch-White Chocolate Biscotti

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Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) bar premium white chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 egg white

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine vanilla with next 2 ingredients. Add to flour mixture; stir until well blended (dough will be dry).
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape dough into a 16-inch-long roll. Place roll on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; flatten to 1-inch thickness.
3. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool. Cut roll diagonally into 24 (1/2-inch) slices, and place slices, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 325F and bake for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over and bake for an additional 10 minutes (the cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet, and let cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 2 dozen cookies.

"Entertaining," March 2006

Nutritional Information

Per cookie: 126 calories, 4g fat, 2g prot., 20g carbs., 0g fiber, 114 mg sodium.

Pasta with Bolognese Sauce

Mark Boughton

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Use a flavorful ham for the best results. Country ham, which is cured and smoked, is ideal here, but any flavorful ham or prosciutto works.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 pound ground pork
4 ounces minced country ham
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 cups hot cooked fusilli or other long pasta

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet, add onion and carrot, and sauté until tender. Add pork and ham, and cook for 5 minutes. Add wine, and cook until absorbed. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Add milk, garlic and parsley and cook 15 minutes longer. Serve over pasta. Serves 6.

"Entertaining," March 2006

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 545 calories, 22g fat, 26g prot., 51g carbs., 4g fiber, 702mg sodium.