Ordinary People

Thursday, June 11, 2009 we watched Ordinary People (1980) and had Ordinary Pea-Pasta.

In a year with tough competition from the likes of Raging Bull and Coal Miner's Daughter, Robert Redford's directorial debut won four Academy Awards including Best Picture. Phenomenal acting throughout gives the film an edge none of us had experienced before.

Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland take on the roles of mother and father in a family which has suffered the tragedy of losing their oldest son. Younger (and now only) son Conrad (Timothy Hutton) battles feelings of depression, anger and guilt, helped by psychiatrist Dr. Berger. A memorable quote by Dr. Berger: "A little advice about feeling, kid. Don't expect it always to tickle." Conrad battles pressure from his swim coach and eventually finds solace in Jeanine Pratt (Elizabeth McGovern), who helps bring him back to life.

The only unrealistic moment in the movie was when the parents flew to Houston from Illinois in a 747, which Eric said would never happen.

Our pasta dinner was good, but not amazing. The search for pea tendrils led us to a grocery store in Chinatown--the Asian Supermarket--underground on 11th St. between Arch and Race. Pig spleen, anyone? Unfortunately, we struck out and ended up with baby spinach as a substitute. The fresh mint in the dish clashed rather than melding nicely, I'd leave that out next time or maybe use another fresh herb instead.

In attendance: Barb, Lindsey and Eric

Ratings: Movie = 4.25, Dinner = 3.75

First Blood

Wednesday, June 3, 2009 we watched First Blood (1982)—the first in the Rambo series and made Pho Bo (pronounced 'Fuh').

The Movie:
John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is a guy you just don't mess with. Unfortunately for Sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) and the other cops of a small Oregon town, this was a lesson they would learn the hard way. An ex-Green Beret, Vietnam vet, and lost, lonely soul, Rambo hitchhikes into a small town and is shooed away by the town Sheriff. Assaulted by the cops and plagued by thoughts of his Vietnamese imprisonment, the unstable Rambo lashes out and starts an epic war of 1 versus 200 in the jungles of Oregon.

We learned some great survival techniques watching this movie:
1) A shirt fashioned out of a found piece of canvas always comes in handy when making torches (this garment is commonly referred to as a "Jesus unit."
2) When falling from a cliff it is always best to fall into a tree and not onto a rock.
3) Always carry a needle and thread (preferably in the handle of your 'Jimmy Lile-designed' knife)

Memorable Quotes:
"[Rambo] smells like an animal"
"We ain't huntin' him, he's huntin' us"
"Don't forget one thing: a good supply of body bags"
"It's a real war outside your front door"—lyrics from the song "It's A Long Road"

We loved the action scenes-the cliff hanger, the mine full of rats, and the small town showdown. In the end, the good guy 'wins' and inevitably (as Barb so aptly predicted), someone fell through the skylight that was so perfectly placed on the roof of the small town police station. 'Cause why else would they have a large skylight?

The dinner:

Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef and Noodle soup)

6 c. beef broth
1-1" piece of ginger sliced in half vertically
1/4 c. onions sliced into wedges
1 cinnamon stick, some coriander, cardamom, and cloves
1/2 lb. boneless beef sirloin, trimmed of fat, and sliced across the grain into very thin strips (freezing the meat for 15 minutes makes it easier to slice)
3 oz. dried flat rice noodles
1/4 c. Asian fish sauce
ground pepper
1 c. fresh bean sprouts
1/8 c. minced scallions
1/4 c. fresh cilantro
1 small thin fresh red or green Asian chili
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
lime wedges for garnish

Place ginger and onions under the broiler until golden-set aside.

In a saucepan bring broth, ginger, onions, cinnamon, and spices to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl soak noodles in hot water for 15 minutes, or until soft.

While noodles are soaking, bring a saucepan of salted water to boil for the noodles. Drain noodles and then cook them in the boiling water for 45 seconds. Drain and set aside.

Strain the broth into saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Add sirloin and sprouts-cook for 30-45 seconds, or until meat changes color.

To serve, divide noodles into bowls, ladle soup and sprinkle with scallions, cilantro, chilies, and basil. Serve with lime.

The dinner was pho-nominal!! we highly recommend this one.

In attendance: Barb and Lindsey

Ratings: Movie = 4.125, Dinner = 5!!

Singin' In The Rain

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 we watched the classic musical Singin' In The Rain (1952) and made Good Mornin' Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Cinnamon Cream and Turkey Sausage Patties accompanied by grapefruit halves and orange juice.

In this Technicolor masterpiece, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor combine their talents in one of the best musicals ever made. When Hollywood attempts the transition from silent movies to talkies, matinee idol Kelly hopes to make the cut. Jean Hagen stands out as a silent-movie queen with a fingernails-on-a-blackboard voice. Musical fare includes "Good Morning," "Make 'Em Laugh" and the title tune.

The pancake recipe was a bit involved but came out delicious! And to think we almost forgot about the cinnamon cream--mmm! Homemade turkey sausage patties were yummy too, and whole foods had juicy, sweet grapefruit. All in all, a memorable and delicious evening.

In attendance: Lindsey, Barb, Eric
Ratings: Movie = 4.75, Dinner = 4.75

Pride of the Yankees

Tuesday, May 19, we watched Pride of the Yankees (1942) and made Chicago vs. New York Hotdogs. We also whipped up a potato salad with green beans and classic lays potato chips-yum!

Gary Cooper plays Lou Gehrig, the first baseman for the Yanks who suffered from a crippling and incurable disease. Even when Gehrig was a student at Columbia University, the press had already pegged him as a top ballplayer. Soon the New York Yankees selected Gehrig for their lineup, and he became an overnight sensation on the baseball diamond. But this dedicated player–who had never missed a game once he stepped onto a Major League Baseball field–suddenly fell ill with a mysterious disease. As his body began to fail him, Gehrig had to say good-bye to the fans who idolized him and to the sport he loved so dearly. The film's final scene is a deeply moving portrait of human courage. Also not to be missed is Babe Ruth's cameo appearance as himself. Cooper's performance is outstanding, measuring up to the drama that surrounded the real-life events. The Pride of the Yankees remains one of the greatest biopics ever filmed, in addition to being perhaps the best sports film of the 20th century.

We probably shouldn't have had TWO hot dogs each...but who could resist trying both styles? The NY was fantastic with the hint of cinnamon in the onion sauce and the dill pickle plus tomato made the Chicago style dog really juicy. In the end, I would have to guess that NY was the winner.

In Attendance: Barb, Lindsey, and Julia

Ratings: To come
Gary Cooper plays Lou Gehrig, the first baseman for the Yanks who suffered from a crippling and incurable disease. Even when Gehrig was a student at Columbia University, the press had already...

Unforgiven

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 we watched Unforgiven (1992) and had Cowboy-Style Beef with Onion Rings.

Long-retired gunslinger William Munny (Clint Eastwood) reluctantly takes one last job -- and even more reluctantly accepts a boastful youth (Jaimz Woolvett) as a partner. Together, they discover how easily complicated truths are distorted into simplistic myths about the Old West. Gene Hackman (who won an Oscar) and Richard Harris stand out as old foes who have an unhappy reunion. Other Oscars include Best Picture and Director (Eastwood). This was one of Eric's favorite movie night movies of all time!

The beef had good flavor but was disappointingly dry tasting. And the onion rings were trying too hard to be healthy (read: sprayed with cooking spray and baked, rather than deep fried) and ended up somewhat floury and lame. Oh well. The beef recipe follows:

Espresso Braised Beef
2 TB finely ground espresso coffee beans
1 TB sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1 TB coarse salt
2 TB olive oil, divided
3 lb beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 c strong brewed coffee
2 TB balsamic vinegar
1/4 c dark molasses
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
2 whole cloves
3 TB orange marmalade

Mix the ground coffee, sugar, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub all over the brisket, wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

Heat 1 TB of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the brisket on both sides, about 5 minutes per side, starting fatty-side down. Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

Add the remining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the brewed coffee, vinegar, molasses, and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a boil. Pour over the brisket and throw the cloves into the liquid. Cover the cooker and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the meat is fork-tender.

Transfer the brisket to a cutting board. Skim the fat from the surface of the juices in the cooker and remove and discard the cloves. While the brisket rests, heat the juices on high for 10 minutes and stir in the marmalade. Slice the brisket across the grain and arrange the slices so they overlap on a large platter. Ladle enough sauce over the top to moisten and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

Schloss, Andrew. "Espresso Braised Beef." Recipe. Art of the Slow Cooker: 80 Exciting New Recipes. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2008. 102-3.

In attendance: Eric, Lindsey, Barb
Ratings: Movie = 3.5 Dinner = 2

The Fall

Wednesday, May 6th, we watched The Fall (2006) and we made Toasted Spice Salmon Burgers with Orange-Apricot Glaze and Curried Mustard Mayo along with a side salad of greens, oranges, red onion, and beets.

The Fall was a visually sumptuous fantasy world of exotic bandits, evil tyrants, dream-like palaces and breathtaking landscapes. It was shot on location in 28 countries around the world! While young Alexandria is recuperating from a fractured arm in a Los Angeles Hospital, she befriends another patient, Roy Walker, who tells a variety of tales, including one about Emperor Alexander, and the second story of six men: Luigi - an explosions expert; a Native American Indian; A runaway slave; an East Indian swordsman; a masked bandit; and Charles Darwin - all on a quest to kill oppressive Spanish Governor Odious for individually inflicting atrocities on each and every one of them. She soon becomes embroiled in this tale and starts mixing fiction with reality not realizing that Roy is using her to procure a drug for him.

Cramming 3 chefs into my new small kitchen was definitely a feat. But we managed to make an amazing dinner-we just didnt want it to end! I would highly recommend making these burgers and this movie.

In attendance: Lindsey, Barb, Stacey, and Eric

Ratings: Movie = 4.175 Dinner = 5

The Terminator

Wednesday, April 29, 2009 we watched The Terminator (1984) and had "I'll Be Back" (for seconds!) Pasta with Sausage, Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

It was great to see the original Terminator movie, one only Eric had seen! We all agreed this is Arnold's best character. In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the "Terminator" (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to 1984 to snuff Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Meanwhile, the human-resistance movement dispatches a lone warrior (Michael Biehn) to safeguard Sarah. Can he stop the virtually indestructible killing machine?

The recipe was tweaked a bit to accommodate what we had on hand: farfalle pasta and a lack of fresh basil (which would have made it even more delicious!). I'm still enjoying the leftovers for lunch.

In attendance: Lindsey, Eric, Barb

Ratings: Movie = 2.75, Dinner = 3.75