The Phantom of the Opera

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 we watched The Phantom of the Opera and made Parmesean Risotto

The Phantom of the Opera is there... still (!) in my mind...
This classic Beauty and the Beast tale takes place in a 17th, early 18th century Paris opera house. There we find a young rising star Christine (Emmy Rosum), a horribly jealous diva (Minnie Driver), new opera house owners including the hopelessly-in-love Vicomte de Chagny, a strangely mysterious house Madam, and of course, an even more mysterious opera house Phantom (Gerard Butler). This full house experiences a beautiful tale of forbidden desires, fated romances, haunting songs, and nail-biting suspense. Now, if they would have only left out the bad 80's rock band moments it would have been just as good as the real deal.

The dinner was hauntingly delicious! Although we may have burned our onion/butter combo leaving us with a darker more 'oatmeal' looking Risotto so we left out the picture this week... We loved the 'toasted' flavor though!

In attendance: Barb and Lindsey
Ratings: to come

The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 we watched The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006). To accompany it, Irish Stew with Lamb, Guinness, and Barley.

Ireland's strife in the 1920s is portrayed in this film. First, fighting for independence from the British, and finally, for peace within the country itself. Brothers feel the call of duty and end up on opposing sides of the civil war that took so many Irish lives.

The stew recipe made A LOT, we easily could have halved it. Instead, I ate it for lunch for what felt like forever! But with real lamb, it had a nice robust flavor.

In attendance: Eric, Lindsey, Barb
Ratings: to come

Four Rooms

Wednesday, September 28, 2009 we watched the cult film Four Rooms (1995) and made Harvest Pumpkin Soup

We accidentally backed into a great Halloween theme for this week's movie night. The World Series distracted us and we almost skipped this week altogether, but Barb had this dvd at home and it was actually a perfect fit.

This odd film was a collection of 4 related stories by 4 directors that take place in 4 rooms at the Mon Signor Hotel. Quirky and spastic bellhop Ted (Tim Roth) encounters some wild misadventures his first night on the job: witches in a coven, an deadly domestic dispute, mischievous kids of a gangster who find a rotting prostitute under the mattress and set the room ablaze, and finally a Hollywood playboy (Quentin Tarantino) and his posse execute a wild wager. With a long list of famous faces and non-stop surprises Four Rooms was an unexpected success.

The dinner was SOOOOO GOOOOD. This pumpkin soup was made with a real roasted sugar pumpkin instead of canned and it made all the difference. I am looking forward to making this recipe for a holiday meal with the family.

In attendance: barb and lindsey
Ratings: to come

The Maltese Falcon

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 we watched an old classic, The Maltese Falcon (1941). Our dinner was Bejeweled Chicken (Orange Chicken with Golden Raisins and Figs).

Humphrey Bogart stars as Sam Spade, ya see? He's a personal detective whose partner is murdered while on the beat within the first 15 minutes of the film. A woman has asked for help tracking a man named Thursby who is also killed the same night as Spade's partner. Talk erupts about a jewel encrusted statuette of a falcon worth possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars. ZZzzzZZzzzzzzzzZZZzzzzzZz. We all fell asleep and woke up with no idea of what was going on anymore. All I know is the last scene shows Spade and the police apprehending the woman from the beginning of the film. It's too bad we can't seem to stay awake for old black-and-white movies--this one got a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Dinner was tasty and easy to make. I might skip the rice in the future as the dish has potatoes in it. We used boneless skinless chicken breast with good results--if chicken on the bone is your thing, I'm sure it would be even more delicious. We also had to sub regular raisins for the golden ones, so it was slightly less "bejeweled" than originally planned. Still yummy!

In attendance: Eric, Lindey, Barb
Ratings: to come

Phillies Beat Dodgers to Win NLCS!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 we made Philly Chicken Cheesesteaks and walked down to Billy Murphy's Irish Saloon to watch the Phillies make their way to the World Series for the second year in a row!!

Philly Chicken Cheesesteaks (serves 6)
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into small pieces
3 TB Olive oil
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1 medium yellow onion, sliced or chopped
1 medium bell pepper, sliced or chopped
6 Italian-style hoagie rolls (recommended: Amoroso's)
Cooper sharp American or Provolone cheese

Heat 2 TB oil in a large skillet and add chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, in a separate frying pan, heat 1 TB oil and add onion and peppers. Cook until softened and onions are translucent. Separate chicken into sandwich-size portions in the skillet and place cheese over meat. Lay roll on top of cheese and let sit until cheese has melted. Using a large spatula, scoop up the sandwich, top with onions and peppers and serve.

The baseball game was AMAZING! We did our fair share of celebrating because hey--it's not every day the Phillies get to the World Series. Needless to say, I think we were all suffering the next day at work.

In attendance: Nick, Joe, Eric, Lindsey, Barb
Ratings: Dinner = to come; Game = 5!