100 E. Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington, Indiana

There are some small towns that become world-famous in spite of their abbreviated population numbers. An Indiana native, I’m well aware that pretty much everyone on the planet – whether they are auto racing fans or not – would consider Speedway the most famous town in the state. This world-famous metropolis is home to less than 12,000 residents in an area smaller than five square miles. But it’s also home to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Score one for the little guy.

Gary, IN, the birthplace of Michael Jackson, could come in second. But it isn’t picturesque. The King of Pop is its only real claim to fame and, after that, who really cares? I think a much more realistic choice for second place would have to be Bloomington. Not only is it lovely in the summer – its town square is alive with both shoppers and the vibrancy of the trees that line the streets – but the crisp welcome one receives in the autumn when the surrounding landscape is awash in idyllic fire is breathtaking. The air is buzzing with electricity, emanating from the Indiana University Campus, and students and visitors converge in so many of the ethnic cafes and eateries that surround all edges of the Big-Ten party school.

One hole-in-the-wall, in particular, is a surprising treat for anyone who is a fan of Greek cuisine: the Trojan Horse. It lives up to its name, and it sneaks up on you. One wouldn’t necessarily realize it when looking from the outside in, but this dive is home to the best Greek food in Indiana – perhaps in all of the Midwest.

Since 1978, the Trojan Horse has been serving its famous Gyros, a super-secret recipe designed to seal in the meat’s juices and flavor. Wonderful as they are, I also love the Chicken Gyros, a lighter version that’s perfectly seasoned and just as filling. My “usual’ is the Combination Plate II, a vegetarian feast that could easily serve two or more. Within this simple and massive meal, you’ll receive the fluffiest pita bread known to man, the most flavorful Tabouleh ever tasted, the crispiest Falafel on the planet and – as if any of this could be topped – my personal favorite: the most scrumptious stuffed grape leaves you’ll ever lay your lips on.

All things Greek & Tasty at the Trojan Horse

This Is The End opened in theaters on June 12

(C) I’ve seen the trailer and I have to tell you: if I were in that situation, I would so kill for that last Milky Way bar.

*Laughs* ”We’re banking that most people have that same thought.”

(C) This is an apocalyptic movie, which is a popular theme right now. But, I think yours is the only one that has been biblical.

“Seth (Rogen) and I are not willing to divulge specifically what is happening in the movie.”

(C) You wear so many hats: producer, writer, now director…is it hard to keep it all balanced?

“No, because Seth and I work very closely together. We’ve always got each other’s backs. It’s not much of a balancing act, I think, because Seth and I work really well together. There are two of us, so we have double the power and we have also created a very good network of people in our company. You know Seth and I are not trying to blaze the trail. We try to create a very friendly environment for everyone. We have people who don’t just write jokes, but also tackle the story elements.”

(C) This is your first time directing. How was that experience?

“Yep! It was extremely fun, especially because Seth and I wrote Superbad and we were co-producers on The 40-Year-Old Virgin, as well as executive producers on Knocked Up and The Green Hornet.  We started really young, and we’ve done so much that for us to write a movie (and then hand it to another director at this point), and then just be producers or executive producers…we felt like we were going to become assholes and be like, ’you’re not doing it right.’ We decided that we should probably just do it ourselves, but this particular idea is the first time we said to ourselves that we can actually justify being on the set. I couldn’t say that for The Green Hornet. I couldn’t say that for Superbad or anything else. I don’t know why, but we couldn’t find someone who gets the material as much as us.”

(C) I read the production notes, and they said you had to make two walls: one wall that was cracked and another wall that wasn’t. I love the scene where you guys duck tape the wall together.

“Yeah, that was a good prop. We were playing with the tape and I thought it would be funny if Craig (Robinson) couldn’t find the edge. Whenever we did anything that we knew a person could do intelligently we asked, ‘what would a stupid, stupid, stupid person do here?’”

(C) How did Emma Watson end up in the film?

“I remember seeing Harry Potter and thinking that all of those kids are going to grow up to be incredible actors. We cast our movie with the six main guys and we realized we specialize in just a bunch of stupid guys, and so we reached out to Emma Watson. We had no clue whether she liked us in any shape or form, but she said yes. We made some changes, and she came to the set and did it. It was very unexpected on our side and very exciting.”

(C) I understand that the actors kind of play themselves. Did anybody ever say “no, there is no way I am doing this”?

“No, of all the six main guys, everyone had notes on their character. We sat down with each guy and went over everything.”

(C) Have you ever had any film ideas that you’ve had to back away from and say, “No, I can’t do this”?

“There is nothing we are too afraid to tackle. We like it all. But, I don’t like poop jokes; I dislike when people do that, because it grosses me out.  My brother just had a kid; I’m okay with it in real life but not in the movies.”

(C) Do you think that you will ever do a project without Seth?

“I did do one last year and it was pretty fun. It was something I started a long, long time ago, and it came out last year. I usually don’t work without Seth, but that particular idea was a hockey idea. As a Canadian, I was intrigued. I’m not actually a big hockey fan, so I was kind of ashamed at that and wanted to learn a bit more. I thought it would be a fun thing to do, so I gave it a go. Seth was not interested in that, because he doesn’t know much about hockey either. I went to Jay (Baruchel) and asked him if he wanted to do it, and we had a really great time. I’m not trying to work without Seth because we have a really good time together. We’re pretty codependent on one another.”

(C) Do you have a favorite movie?

“Not really. 50/50, maybe. I produced that, and I feel like it was a more mature topic than most of my other films. I was going through some stuff that was really serious. My mom had breast cancer (she is fine now), so it felt good to do something to make people feel good. I mean, I think our movies generally do that, but I think 50/50 really did it for people who were going through troubled times. Also, Superbad was the original, and I will never forget it as it is so close to my heart. But, Pineapple Express is the one that I usually watch the most, just because I think it is so much fun. It is just such a ridiculous, insane movie.”

I’ve made a variety of yeast rolls over the years, but these are extra special. They are filled with memories of family and friends, working together while enjoying companionship and really great food.

To begin:

• Place 2 teaspoons of yeast in 1/2 cup of tepid water. We use our KitchenAid mixing bowl.
• When the yeast is dissolved, add 3/4 cups tepid milk. This can be regular milk, reconstituted dry milk or canned milk.

Then add the following ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 whole egg
• 4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract

Mix well and place dough in a large bowl that has been lightly oiled. Cover with clean, damp towel and place in a warm area. Let rise until doubled in bulk; punch down and let rise again until doubled in bulk again.

Preparing the dough for roll-making

It is easier to work with one-half of the dough at a time. Prepare your pastry board or counter top by sprinkling with a minimum amount of flour, just enough to keep the dough from sticking. Roll out one piece of the dough into an oblong shape approximately 14″x 8″ and about 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick. You might need to flour the rolling pin.

Spread with about two tablespoons softened butter or margarine and sprinkle with a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Adjust this to your taste, reduce the amount of cinnamon if you prefer less, but about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sugar to 2 teaspoons cinnamon should cover the dough well.

Roll up tightly, starting at the wide side. Seal the edges by pinching them together. Stretch the roll a little to even it.

Cut the roll into one-inch slices, using a sharp knife or a dough cutter. Place a little apart on greased baking pan or use greased parchment paper-lined pan.  (See photo)

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in size. Then bake approximately 30 minutes or until just golden brown in a 350-degree oven.

Making the dough into cinnamon rolls

Roll out the dough on a floured pastry board or kitchen counter, trying for a straight-sided rectangle. Don’t worry if the sides are not perfect. Using melted butter or margarine, lightly cover the dough using a pastry brush or a spoon. Cover with a cinnamon and sugar mixture. We keep ours in a shaker so the distribution is evenly spread. Make the mixture to your taste; for example, if you prefer less cinnamon, simply use less.

Roll the dough from long side to long side so that the individual rolls are not too large. Use a knife or dough cutter to slice the dough into portions about one inch in thickness.

This recipe makes approximately 15 to 18 rolls, depending on thickness when rolling them out and the size of the dough rectangle that was rolled out.

Adding the glaze to the hot rolls while still in the baking dish

Mix liquid and powdered sugar to the desired consistency. This can be made thin or thicker, whichever is preferred. This particular glaze was made with water and vanilla. Sometimes, we use apple juice for a change. Orange juice or flavoring makes for an exciting, unique flavor.

Enjoy and happy eating!