Local foodie Dara Bunjon recently welcomed Richard S. Sargent to Jmore’s “The Food Enthusiast” to talk about his new cookbook, “The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook,” which creates food and cocktail pairings for your favorite rom-com movies.
Watch their conversation here.
Ahead of his appearance, Sargent shared this “Dirty Dancing”-inspired treat.
Excerpted from The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook by Richard S. Sargent. Copyright © 2025 RSargent Publishing. Reprinted with permission from Richard S. Sargent. Palm Springs, CA. All rights reserved.
By Richard S. Sargent
I Carried a Watermelon – Dirty Dancing
It may seem silly, but when Baby said yes to carrying that watermelon, she opened a whole new world of possibilities she didn’t know existed. Can you imagine how boring the movie would have been if she had said no?
‘I Carried a Watermelon’ Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 whole large seedless watermelon
- 1 750ml bottle of good vodka
Instructions
- Place your watermelon on a sturdy surface with its flattest side down.
- Using the vodka cap, trace a circle large enough for the bottle neck to fit into, then use a sharp knife to cut the hole about an inch or 2 deep. Don’t cut it any wider than your trace marks.
- Using a long knife or skewer, poke as many holes as you can in the hole you just cut. This is to make sure that the vodka seeps into the fruit.
- Test if the vodka is seeping into the watermelon by filling a funnel with vodka and waiting until it empties into the watermelon. If the funnel doesn’t empty, you will need to poke more holes.
- Once the funnel empties, uncap the vodka, and at a slight angle at first, slowly insert the bottle into the hole, making certain it will fit tightly. Then push the bottle down so that the neck is embedded enough to stay upright on its own. The vodka will slowly drain into the watermelon.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours before serving. You can slice it, cube it, blend it or cut off the top and stick straws into it!
Drinking Game: Take a sip or bite whenever we see a dance sequence. Rehearsals count!
This lemon and dill salmon recipe from Elite Jakob celebrates the delicious colors, aromas and tastes of spring.
While Philly cheesesteaks invade Charm City, Boardwalk Fries opens in Middle River. Randi Rom shares a roundup of local restaurant news and notes.
Dara Bunjon talks with Dr. Lucy M. Long, author and director of the Center for Food and Culture, about her latest book, "Sweet, Tart, and Golden: Apples in the Midwestern Imagination," and other projects.
Stuffed vegetables invite creativity, but there are some "rules" when it comes to cooking. Vered Guttman shares six veggie-stuffing tips.