Ever since I was a young kid, I have loved horror movies. My mom has always wondered where my love of horror movies comes from as no one in my family likes, much less loves, horror movies. I blame my cousin, Del. When we were young, in an age long before VHS tapes or DVDs’, Del had an 8mm reel to reel movie projector with three movies, Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein and The Creature From the Black Lagoon. Whenever our families would get together, Me, my brothers, Del and his sisters would crowd into the upstairs bathroom to watch these movies projected on the blank bathroom wall. This is where the love began.
I was a teenager during the 1980’s monster movie revival. Monsters like Freddy Krueger, from A Nightmare On Elm Street, Jason from Friday the 13th, and Micheal Meyer’s from Halloween filled my nights with fright. When I was about 15 or so, we got a VHS player. I gravitated towards the row up on row of horror movies our local movie rental store. It was at this little store I discovered the movies of John Carpenter like The Thing, Prince of Darkness, and In the Mouth of Madness. Also during my teens I started reading horror novels and short stories. My favorite horror authors are HP Lovecraft and Stephen King. Stephen King’s The Stand is still one of the most terrifying books I have ever read. It is so sad that Stephen King’s movies seldom get done the justice they deserve.
These days, I don’t see many horror movies in the theater. I am almost always disappointed that they aren’t scary, just gross. Don’t get me wrong, Saw was an awesome horror movie. The sequels just turned into a series of torture porn and grotesque pranks. I don’t mind a little splatter in my horror movies but it’s boring when that is all there is . Most “horror” movies today are just splatter movies under another name. I like movies like the Conjuring, Hammer Horrors The Residient, and the ones you see above.
I just love being scared by movies. I read a theory once said that people love to watch horror movies because in a world where we have no control over the scary things that go on, we have control over the scares in the movie. When the movie gets to be too much we can leave or get up and turn it off. The fear you feel while watching a horror movie is a safe fear, it isn’t real. I don’t know about that. I just love a good horror movie. What are your favorite horror movies?
The only thing scary about this salsa is its color. It isn’t the most appetizing green color but man does it taste good. I usually use this salsa to make enchiladas but you could use as a salsa for chips.
Salsa Verde
5 to 6 Tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
1 poblano pepper, roasted, skinned and seeds removed
1 jalapeno pepper, roasted, skinned and seeds removed
1 ½ TBS neutral oil
1 large onion, diced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp oregano
½ cup water
salt and pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBS lime juice
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the tomatillos, poblano and jalapeno on a roasting pan and roast until the skins are lightly browned and blistered, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. When the tomatillos are cool chop them finely, along with the chilies, saving their juices. Meanwhile, put the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatillos, chilies, oregano, water and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a low simmer. Cook until the mixture thickens slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for up to two days.
A Cuppa And Conversation 