Our Movies and Munchies selection for this month is Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, hosted by Camilla of Culinary Cam. The movie has a sequel, and we can choose which one to watch. Or we could watch both. I had never watched either of them, nor had I read the book they were based on, so I chose the original movie.
This film came out in 2025 and stars Blake Lively as Bridget, a soccer player who has recently lost her mother to suicide and is traveling to Mexico to attend a World Soccer championship. America Ferrera plays Carmen, whose Puerto Rican Mother and American father are divorced, so she travels to South Carolina to spend the summer with her father. Alexis Bledel plays Lena, who is very shy and modest, and travels to Santorini, Greece, to visit her grandparents. And Amber Tamblyn plays Libby, who stays in Maryland for the summer to work on a documentary.
These four teenagers have been friends since birth, their mothers having met during a pregnancy exercise class. They're besties who are always together and are suffering angst about being apart for the summer. They go shopping and find a pair of jeans that magically fit all of them, even though they are all different shapes and sizes. They decide this is a sign, so they buy the pants and agree to each wear them for a week before shipping them to the next person. They include a letter with the pants to the intended recipient, letting them know what happened while they were wearing them.
It is a cute coming-of-age movie, and I enjoyed it; however, it doesn't offer much food inspiration. At one point, Lena looks out the window and views her grandparents washing octopus and hanging them on a line. I decided to make grilled octopus, a dish that I loved when visiting Mykonos, the sister island to Santorini.
While researching recipes, I found a White Bean and Grilled Octopus Salad recipe popular in Northern Mexico in an Epicurious article. I decided to also give a nod to Bridget's visit to Mexico.
I bought a package of cleaned and frozen baby octopus. There were four in the package. The original recipe called for cilantro. I didn't have any. I'm not a big cilantro fan, so I didn't miss it. Rae gave this dish an 11 out of 10.
Yield: 6 servings
White Bean and Grilled Octopus Salad
Creamy white beans and tender, grilled octopus, tossed in lime juice and olive oil, seasoned with oregano.
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 3 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 3 M
Ingredients
- 1 lb. baby octopus
- 1/2 c. olive oil, divided
- 1 T. white wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large lime
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 scallions, white and light green sections, sliced
- 1 T. dried oregano
Instructions
- Place the octopus in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the vinegar and garlic, bring to a boil, and cook for 25 minutes, until tender when tested with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove from heat and let sit until the water cools.
- Remove the octopus from the water and pat dry. Mix the octopus with half of the olive oil. Cut the lime in half and add the juice of one half to the octopus. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Sear the Octopus on a grill pan for about a minute per side. Remove to a board, cut off the tentacles, and slice the octopus into rounds.
- Place in a bowl with the beans, remaining oil, juice of the second half of the lime, and the oregano. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Notes
Adapted from a recipe found in Epicurious.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
398Fat (grams)
19 gSat. Fat (grams)
3 gCarbs (grams)
35 gFiber (grams)
8 gNet carbs
27 gSugar (grams)
1 gProtein (grams)
22 gSodium (milligrams)
216 mgCholesterol (grams)
36 mg
Property of A Day in the Life on the Farm
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