Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot (2000) was a great, wholesome movie about a boy who simply preferred ballet to boxing. Growing up in a blue-collar household and without a mother, Billy struggled to fit the mold his father had in mind. Jamie Bell plays an adorable Billy... it's too bad he didn't mature a little better, he had such potential...


The soundtrack (heavy on T-Rex and also including the Clash) and overall plot of the movie are wonderful, a definite must-see!

Movie Rating
Plot: 5
Cinematography: 4.375
Acting:4.5
Average: 4.625

For dinner, classic Fish & Chips with a new-to-us side of Mushy Peas.

Fish & Chips
Makes 4–6 servings

INGREDIENTS
For the chips:
2L vegetable oil
2 lb flour potatoes, like russets, peeled and cut into large chips

For the batter:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup beer
2 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks
Salt
4 cod fillets (around 6 oz each)

DIRECTIONS
Pour all of the vegetable oil into a deep pan or deep fat fryer and heat to 300 degrees F. Blanch the cut potatoes in the heated oil until soft, but not colored, about 4 minutes. Remove potatoes from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Mix together the flour and beer, then fold in the whipped egg whites.


Turn up the heat of the oil to 350 degrees F. Dip the fish in the batter and fry for a few minutes, adding the potatoes back in to finish up to a nice golden brown.

Remove all the food from the oil and drain on paper towels or kitchen paper. Serve with cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Minty Mushy Peas
Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS
2 TB olive oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 handful fresh mint, leaves picked
1 lb frozen peas
2 large knobs butter
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped onions, mint, and peas.


Cover and leave for a few minutes to steam. Mash with a potato masher. You can do this in a food processor instead, just pulse it until smooth. When finished, add the butter and season carefully to taste.

*Note: We mashed the peas in the pan with a fork, but I think I would have liked them better processed into a more uniform consistency.


Dinner Rating
Movie Relevance: 5
Taste: 4
Average: 4.5