Ten Years a Blogger

I started blogging in the winter of 2009.  My plans were very modest.  I had been contemplating writing more often and regularly, which blogging is and was an effective way to accomplish that goal.  Two of my children had left home and another was on the way, so it was a way to communicate with them in a way that was passive and non-demanding.  The tipping point came when my father-in-law, nearing the end of his life secondary to a terminal illness, wanted to get to know his extended family better.  So I put it out there, things that I would say publicly about my thoughts, experiences, and dreams, things that I love, things I make, places I go, all of it was fair game.
Looking back, it has been a medium that is well suited to me.  When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2015, this was a place where I could describe what that was like for me.  I have shared highs and lows over the decade, and very much look forward to keeping it up in the decade ahead, so long as I am able.

The Hustle (2019)

This is a con comedy that is diversionary but nothing more.  And you might have hoped for more.
It is light and slight and utterly forgettable as soon as it’s over. It is the kind of movie you watch on an airplane—perhaps on the way to someplace luxurious and relaxing like the South of France, the film’s setting—while falling in and out of naps.
It’s not terrible. It’s not anything, really, except an excuse for Anne Hathaway to swan about in a series of clingy dresses and fake accents and Rebel Wilson to pratfall and deadpan her way from one outlandish scheme to the next. Each actress seems totally committed to the silliness and physicality of her role. Unfortunately, they also seem to be acting in separate movies from each other and never find the chemistry or groove necessary to make this kind of material truly sing.

Alison Roman's Lucky Biscuits

My husband has been on a quest to make biscuits that I love, and with this recipe, he hit the jackpot.  Everyone around the table agreed, these are keepers!

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks butter cut into 1 inch pieces and 3 tbsp for topping
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• flaky sea salt
• 1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl
3. Use your hands to mash the butter into the flour mixture
4. Add buttermilk and cheese and continue to mix everything together with your hands until everything comes together into a little kneaded dough ball
5. Lightly flour a work surface and knead the dough another couple of times
6. Pat the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 6 inches wide and cut it into 8 equal biscuits
7. Place the biscuits on the baking sheet and brush with additional buttermilk and then sprinkle with flaky sea salt
8. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping the biscuits halfway through
9. With a few minutes left on the oven timer, melt 3 tbsp of butter and mix it with 1/4 tsp of Old Bay seasoning and 1/2 tsp garlic powder
10. Remove the biscuits from the oven, brushing each with the Old Bay garlic butter and let cool slightly before enjoying!

Toy Story 4 (2019)

This is the best possible fourth installment in a series, and after the very first Toy Story, which was wildly innovative when it was released.  The toys now all belong to Bonnie, whose playtime rituals that don't always include Woody. Secondarily, the song is officially aimed at a new character, Forky, a plastic spork with popsicle-stick feet and pipe cleaner arms, created by Bonnie with material  supplied by Woody during orientation day at kindergarten. Typical of  the series, inanimate objects don't merely have personalities but existential crises, and this is no exception.  There is a missing toy that has to be found and rescued, there are barriers to being successful in the quest, and some hilarious sequences where toys intervene in the human world momentarily.  The thing that is new is the world beyond being a toy for a child, but to have a life beyond their role in a child’s life.  It is refreshing, thought provoking, laugh out loud fun.  Spoiler alert--Bo Peep is the star of the show.

 

Romaine with Garlicky Lemon and Pistachio Dressing

Another great dish from Alison Roman's new cookbook, Nothing Fancy.  This is an amazing recipe in a way I wouldn't have thought possible.  Do not be put off by the whole lemon chopped up--it is delicious!  Pictured is a double recipe.

• 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup raw pistachios, almonds, or walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large head of romaine or iceberg, quartered
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, tender leaves and stems, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped chives
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
• Flaky sea salt

Finely chop one of the lemons, taking care to avoid and remove all seeds. Zest and juice the remaining lemon; set aside. 
Toast the pistachios in a small skillet over medium heat until they’re just starting to smell toasty but before they turn brown, 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a medium bowl; let cool. 
Add the lemon zest, chopped lemon, garlic, and olive oil to the pistachios and season with salt and pepper.  
Scatter the romaine onto a large serving platter or shallow bowl. Drizzle with the lemon juice and a bit of olive oil until all the bits get some love; season with salt and pepper. 
Spoon the pistachio mixture over, followed by the herbs and flaky salt.

Family of Origin by CJ Hauser

This is a book that illustrates the cascading effect of trauma across generations in families.
Estranged half-siblings 35-year-old Elsa—a discouraged second-grade teacher in Minnesota—and 29-year-old Nolan—a social media manager for the San Francisco Giants—travel to Leap’s Island, a private island off the Gulf Coast, to investigate the drowning death of their father, Ian Grey.
The reason that they are estranged is because Elsa initiated an inappropriate relationship with Nolan when he was 13 and she was much older.  Prior to this, Elsa took the brunt of the blame, which she certainly played a part in, but her parents set her up to fail, and fail she did, in a spectacular manner.
The eccentric inhabitants of the island are a perfect back drop for the siblings to try to move forward from their abruption.  The islanders jealously guard their research on the island’s unique duck species, hoping to be the first to prove the theory. Elsa is convinced Ian committed suicide, but Nolan hopes conversations with the researchers will prove her wrong.  At the end they take a step forward into their future.  Very good read.

Klaus (2019)

This is a surprisingly great Santa Claus origin story that shouldn't be missed this holiday season.
Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), the spoiled descendant of a politically powerful family. We first meet him as he's lounging at the Postal Academy in a vaguely defined European country, figuring he can slack off until he gets passed through and pushed into the world, where he'll coast on family money and connections. Instead, as a last-ditch effort to make him care about, well, anything, the academy assigns Jesper to the remote island town of Smeerensburg, which hasn't sent or received mail in years, plus is in the midst of a clannish civil war wherein citizens destroy each other's property in wild, ridiculous ways that seem to ensure his failure. But wait! Just as all seems lost, Jesper meets a burly, bearded craftsman (J.K. Simmons) in a remote stretch of woods, and the origin story begins. Klaus is a quiet, frighteningly strong-looking hulk—initially presented as a monster, his face obscured or hidden— but he's a gentle soul and a gifted artist. Even though you can see where his story is going to end up (with the establishment of a toy factory and the acceptance of a mission), it's still pleasurable to watch him and Jesper build a bond that connects both of them to a world that they'd both held at arm's length, though for different reasons.

The Knight Before Christmas (2019)

This is firmly planted in the realm of Christmas movies, which are generally somewhat saccharin with an ending that is easily identifiable from the get go.

The movie opens following  Sir Cole Christopher Frederick Lyons (Josh Whitehouse), a 14th-century knight who is preparing to take part in an epic tournament. Through an array of circumstances that almost feel too specific to spoil, Sir Cole (yes, his name sounds more and more like "circle" as the film goes on) is magically sent to the present day. While there, he literally runs into Brooke (Vanessa Hudgens), a science teacher who is incredibly empathetic to those around her, but wrestles with whether or not to open her heart to romance again. With just days until Christmas, Brooke and Cole form a closer relationship, as he attempts to fulfill the "quest" that sent him to the present to begin with.  The whole thing is pretty predictable, with a sister who wants the romance to work out, a niece who has reason to worship the knight, and a good heartedness that is essential for all holiday movies.  So if you are looking for something new, this Netflix production may fit the bill.

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

Let's start by saying that there is a lot going on in this book, and I am not sure that I entirely unraveled the full meaning.  It does not leave anyone wondering why she won the Nobel Prize.
The novel is almost impossible to categorize. It is, in effect, a murder mystery: in the bleak Polish midwinter, men in an isolated village are being murdered, and it is left to Janina Duszejko, a kind of eastern European Miss Marple, to identify the murderer. But a mere whodunit would hardly satisfy a novelist who said “just writing a book to know who is the killer is wasting paper and time”, and so it is also a primer on the politics of vegetarianism, a dark feminist comedy, an existentialist fable and a paean to William Blake.  She is complex character, an engineer and teacher who is now retired, someone who is chronically sick and deeply troubled by the world around her.  And she is surrounded by neighbors who keep turning up murdered.
Though the book functions perfectly as noir crime – moving towards a denouement that, for sleight of hand and shock, should draw admiration from the most seasoned Christie devotee – its chief preoccupation is with unanswerable questions of free will versus determinism, and with existential unease. What, it asks, does it mean to be human, and what is it to be an animal, and what objective distinctions can be made between the two?

Indian Spiced Root Vegetables with a Lime-Cilantro Butter

Yet another great recipe from Diane Henry's new book From the Oven to the Table.  You can use whatever root vegetables that you have on hand.

3 medium-small cooked beets, halved
6 long, thin carrots, halved (or 3 large carrots, quartered, if you can’t find thin)
One 2¼-pound cauliflower, broken into florets with the leaves
3 parsnips, halved lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
5 tablespoons peanut oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
Plain yogurt and chutney, to serve
Cilantro-Lime Butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 red Fresno chili—halved, seeded and finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus a squeeze of lime juice
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Gather a very large roasting pan or a half sheet pan with a lip around the edge (18 by 13 inches) or use a couple of smaller pans. Put the pan or pans in the oven to heat up.
Source: https://pressfrom.info/us/lifestyle/food-and-drink/-337223-roasted-indian-spiced-vegetables-with-lime-cilantro-butter.html

⅔ pound small waxy potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
3 medium-small cooked beets, halved
6 long, thin carrots, halved (or 3 large carrots, quartered, if you can’t find thin)
3 parsnips, halved lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
5 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
Plain yogurt and chutney, to serve

Cilantro-Lime Butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 red Fresno chili—halved, seeded and finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus a squeeze of lime juice

Toss the vegetables with olive oil, cumin, tumeric, coriander, salt and pepper, and lay out in a largely single layer baking sheet.
Roast the vegetables until soft, usually about 30 minutes at 425 degrees.
To serve, dot the vegetables with the Cilantro Lime butter, and serve.

3 medium-small cooked beets, halved
6 long, thin carrots, halved (or 3 large carrots, quartered, if you can’t find thin)
One 2¼-pound cauliflower, broken into florets with the leaves
3 parsnips, halved lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
5 tablespoons peanut oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
Plain yogurt and chutney, to serve
Cilantro-Lime Butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 red Fresno chili—halved, seeded and finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus a squeeze of lime juice
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Gather a very large roasting pan or a half sheet pan with a lip around the edge (18 by 13 inches) or use a couple of smaller pans. Put the pan or pans in the oven to heat up.
Source: https://pressfrom.info/us/lifestyle/food-and-drink/-337223-roasted-indian-spiced-vegetables-with-lime-cilantro-butter.html

3 medium-small cooked beets, halved
6 long, thin carrots, halved (or 3 large carrots, quartered, if you can’t find thin)
One 2¼-pound cauliflower, broken into florets with the leaves
3 parsnips, halved lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
5 tablespoons peanut oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
Plain yogurt and chutney, to serve
Cilantro-Lime Butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 red Fresno chili—halved, seeded and finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus a squeeze of lime juice
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Gather a very large roasting pan or a half sheet pan with a lip around the edge (18 by 13 inches) or use a couple of smaller pans. Put the pan or pans in the oven to heat up.
Source: https://pressfrom.info/us/lifestyle/food-and-drink/-337223-roasted-indian-spiced-vegetables-with-lime-cilantro-butter.html

3 medium-small cooked beets, halved
6 long, thin carrots, halved (or 3 large carrots, quartered, if you can’t find thin)
One 2¼-pound cauliflower, broken into florets with the leaves
3 parsnips, halved lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, finely grated
5 tablespoons peanut oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
Plain yogurt and chutney, to serve
Cilantro-Lime Butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 red Fresno chili—halved, seeded and finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus a squeeze of lime juice
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Gather a very large roasting pan or a half sheet pan with a lip around the edge (18 by 13 inches) or use a couple of smaller pans. Put the pan or pans in the oven to heat up.
Source: https://pressfrom.info/us/lifestyle/food-and-drink/-337223-roasted-indian-spiced-vegetables-with-lime-cilantro-butter.html

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017)

Let me start by saying that Annette Benning and Jamie Bell as sensational choices as the aging movie star Gloria Grahame and he end of life love interest Peter Turner.
The movie focuses on the actress' rather melancholy final days whose come-hither features and figure got her pegged in the ‘50s as Hollywood’s go-to femme fatale in a series of black-and-white film noirs. For a decade or so, she had quite a run, and she reached her pinnacle after claiming a supporting Oscar as a seductive Southern belle in 1952’s “The Bad and the Beautiful.” By the time Technicolor took over the silver screen, however, Grahame earned a rep for being difficult and obsessive about altering her looks. Also not helping was the tawdry talk that she and spouse No. 4, Anthony Ray, were intimate when he was 13 and she was his stepmom while wed to husband No. 2, Anthony's father.
The movie steadfastly focuses on the last couple years of her life where she is clutching at straws and dying of breast cancer at 57.  The sad side of show business.

Ad Hoc, Yountville, California

Earlier this fall we had high flying plans to do a Thomas Keller weekend in Yountville, with a lunch at Ad Hoc, followed by dinner at Bouchon and then dinner at the French Laundry the following night. That went horrible wrong and we knew it even before we arrived.  Our conveniently located lodging called and alerted us that they had no power, and that they had arranged an emergency evacuation rate at a Napa resort.  This loss of power, unrelated to the local fires, also affected Ad Hoc.

To their credit, they serve a meal without power--their gas and their water were both still functioning, so while it was quite dark to go to the bathroom, you could do so.
We meal we had was their famous fried chicken, which was definitely the best that I had ever tasted, and a fabulous composed green salad.  It was a wonderful comfort oriented meal that I would highly recommend as a lunch spot.

The Yellow House by Sarah Broom

This is a book that has two levels.  The first is that it is a memoir about the author's family, chronicling several generations of a family.  The other is that it is a book about New Orleans, and the changes that have occurred there and continue to occur there, starting with Hurricane Betsy and continuing up to present day times.
It is something the author was working on, a collection of stories and thoughts, about possibilities and the lack there of, and the neighborhoods that housed her family specifically and black families in general.
The author began the book long before Katrina, and was not triggered by Katrina.  While it’s impossible to underscore Hurricane Katrina’s impact on her family and the city at large, the story also reveals the ways in which Katrina was no singular catastrophe.  It was a catastrophe long in the making, a tipping point that caused a very fragile infrastructure to collapse on itself.  Fascinating and exhausting to read.

Darling Companion (2012)

This is a movie that has a lot of star power in it which got terrible reviews.  We, on the other hand, very much enjoyed it.  Maybe it is the time of life that we are in.  It centers on a middle aged couple (Diane Keaton and Kevin Kline) who have a daughter getting married, an empty nest, and a need to ready themselves for the next phase of their relationship.  He is a self-absorbed surgeon, and she has thrown herself into a relationship with a dog she found on the highway.
The tipping point is when the dog is lost while they are in the mountains, and the whole family who attended the wedding set about looking for the dog.  They discover that they like the sister's new boyfriend a lot more than at first impressions (he is played by the fabulous Richard Jenkins, so he was bound to grow on them).  They find that when they are helpless they are willing to be led by superstition, and best of all, they find a way to be closer to each other.  It is a nice week night movie.

Dragon Beaux, San Francisco

We love the Hong Kong Lounge II, also a dim sum restaurant and also on Geary St, but it was time for a change.
The problem with 2 people and a dim sum menu is that there just really are not enough people to truly do justice to the menu, and while we had some delicious food, we made a couple of bone head choices and  definitely feel like we could do better next time around.
This is a place with great atmosphere, with many of the tables set up for eight, and many of those were populated by families having an early Saturday lunch.  I do recommend earlier rather than later with dim sum, but we were flying in, so had to wait a bit.  We shared a table with another couple, but did not share food, and they were newbies as well, so friendly company, but no help.  The portions are larger than some other dim sum, so plan accordingly.

Thai Celery Salad

I have been doing a bit of a dive into Alison Roman's new cookbook Nothing Fancy, and this is one of the things I made for my granddaughter's naming event.  It is simple, delicious, and everyone can find celery no mater what time of year it is.

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced on a diagonal
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 red chile, such as Fresno, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
• ¼ cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts (optional)
  
  
  The top three ingredients are the dressing.

Fury (2014)

There are quite a few movies about World War II, American movies about the American experience in the war, European moves about the European experience in the war, and war crimes that occurred throughout the war.  The German army was one enormous moving war crime machine, and it turns out they were not alone in that. 
This is a gritty portrayal of Americans at war's end, moving through their enemy's country and literally flattening everything in their path, despite being under resourced and poorly equipped.  You can certainly argue that the story line is one that is well trodden at best, and gratuitous at worst.  The script was supposedly developed through interviews with WWII veterans who were in Europe after D-Day, looking back on how really terrible it is to still be a soldier when the outcome of the war is clear, but the enemy hasn't stopped fighting. 
There are a lot of lessons for us today, what with Navy seals committing war crimes and such, so it is well for us to remember that war is indeed hell.

The Grammarians by Cathleen Schine

This book is on the New York Times Notable Books list this year and it is a really fun read.
Identical twins Laurel and Daphne Wolfe, both named for the same minor Greek goddess, shared everything: a womb, a language known only to themselves, the red hair, and the confidence that comes with knowing that you will never eat lunch alone at school. They also share a love of English that sets them apart from much of the world but binds them further together.
They are head-over-heels in love with words.  They love them and collect them as other kids would amass sea glass or baseball cards.
This is also about how shared DNA can foster a ferocious internal rivalry, while it renders the pair nearly impervious to attack from the outside world. When the big rift does descend, it is at least initially devastating. They find separate but laudable outlets for their language obsessions, with Daphne writing a somewhat hectoring grammar column, and Laurel who writes poetry. Words are exchanged, but fewer and more rarely. As they say, the reason that our families can push our buttons is because they’re the ones who installed them.

Roasted Green Beans and Tomatoes with Tahini Sauce

I wanted something slightly different for our Thanksgiving green bean dish.  I know people love the green bean casserole, modernized to use no canned ingredients (well, at least not beyond the fried onions for the top, but I am a bit of a rebel in that department.

I served roasted green beans and grape tomatoes on a bed of tahini sauce.
The beans and tomatoes are tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, roasted at 400 degrees in a sheet pan so they are mostly a single layer, and then placed on a thin layer of tahini sauce.  Then grate the zest of one lemon over the top, and serve room temperature.

Tahini Sauce (4 c)
1 head garlic
3/4 c. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups tahini
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Put unpeeled garlic into blender, add lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt, blend.  Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.  Discard solids and add the rest of the ingredients in blender, then add ice water (1-1 1/2 c iced water) until sauce is smooth, thick, and creamy.

Teen Spirit (2018)

This is a movie where the moments are greater than the sum of the parts.  There are some great scenes, and if you are a beleiver in the power of pop music to work for the greater good, then you are going to like this music.
Violet, played by Elle Fanning, is a Polish teenager who lives on the somewhat bleak Isle of Wight with her single mother. She works a job she hates, sulks through school, and generally seems to detest her life. But she sings at an open mic occasionally, and she has a beautiful voice that warms both your heart and hers. It’s one of those dingy bars in which the person on stage is lucky if even one of the audience members claps. Which there isn't. Except there is one person.
That person is a retired opera singer named Vlad, who recognizes Violet’s talent. When a singing competition Called Teen Spirit, an a la “American Idol” comes to town, Violet asks Vlad to be her manager/guardian. She tries out for the show, and makes it through the first few rounds, which means she’s headed to London for the live TV broadcast, at which point the country will decide her fate. Violet is clearly remarkably talented, but she is just a kid who gets caught up in the big city ways.The movie is largely predictable but fun anyway.

Fire Up Close

On a recent trip to Northern California, we happened upon a wild fire that was not yet under any sort of control, including not having yet closed the road, despite the fire being on the highway.  It was an up close and personal exposure to what Californians as well as Australians are experiencing on an all too regular basis in the era of rising carbon dioxide levels and the consequent changes in climate.
Our future is here and from the looks of it, will continue to get worse.  In the midst of this, I notice that those on the denying side of the aisle seem to gain satisfaction and perhaps even glee from posting divisive memes on social media.  It is of no comfort that they are wrong and will know so soon enough.
So like it or not, on this day when we remember Pearl Harbor and the war we entered that was all about hatred, racial and otherwise, we are continuing to have difficulty focusing on what matters.  We either have to ignore big oil and get our act together to save the country and the planet, or suffer the consequences, says this boomer.

Green Beans with Walnuts and Mustard Dressing

The Food 52 Cookbook Club cookbook for December is Alison Roman's new cookbook, Nothing Fancy.  I usually do not work ahead, but I needed a green bean recipe for 50 dinner guests that could be served room temperature and made ahead.  This fit the bill, and the recipe scales up well.

1 cup raw walnuts, chopped
A squeeze of Nam Pla (this can be omitted)
2 cloves garlic, minced
 1.5 lb. green beans
1 lemon, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 Tbs whole grain mustard
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh dill finely chopped (other herbs can be substituted)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss the  green beans and lemons with enough olive oil to coat, with some salt and pepper.  Put on a 1/2 sheet pan in a single layer and roast about 15 minutes.
Heat the walnuts in a 1/4 cup (or less) olive oil with garlic, and stir until walnuts are toasted.  Squirt in a little nam pla, toss until evaporated and distributed, and turn off heat.
Combine mustard, vinegar, 1/4 c. olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix then toss with the green beans.  Put them on a platter, scatter walnuts and herbs over the top.  Serve.

Hotel Mumbai (2018)

This is a film based on real events that took place in Mumbai in November of 2008.  There was a coordinated attack across the city which left 164 people dead, along with most of the Pakistani terrorists themselves, but not the instigator, of course.
We go between the fictional staff and and hotel guests and the terrorists themselves.  The movie emphasizes the complex humanity of the characters. In that, we are not just watching a jingoistic, thinly sketched battle between the good and the bad. There are shades of nuance in the good here and an abusive hierarchy within the evil, to help viewers to understand the chilling indestructibly of terror networks and the terrorist mindset. The ones that murder dozens at random in the hotel are a group of merciless yet disposable men; brainwashed, radicalized, and sent to carry out massacres by  those who coldly give commands at the other end of a phone line.
The story comes to an end with some acts of bravery and a bit of luck.  In truth half those killed were hotel staff who were helping guests, and the end fetails what happened after the events depicted.  Surprisingly good, but not for the feint of heart. 

Fat Rice Cookbook by Abraham Conlon and Adrienne Lo

I don't know how we missed it, but this cookbook came out in 2016 and it wasn't until we were on a recent return visit that we saw that it existed.  I put a hold on it on my library card before our food hit the tacle.
Fat Rice is more than just a restaurant. It's essentially a cultural and food experience reflecting the various influences at work on the island of Macau.  The Portuguese were world class ship builders in the 15th century and so the cuisine is a cross between Chinese, Portuguese, Southeast Asian with a hint of India.  "Macau was the last established territory in the Portuguese empire; therefore, its cuisine had influences from all of the places Portuguese traveled along the way," the authors write.  And I do recommend taking some time to read the story contained within this cookbook, because it is both fascinating and it captures the vibe of the restaurant itself.
Then there are the recipes.  Wow, just wow.  Everything that i have had there is contained with in.  not only that, there are drawings, cartoons, and gorgeous photographs throughout.  The first recipe we made was the Hong King French Toast, which is a peanut butter and banana sandwich dipped in an egg batter, deep-fried, and served with a coconut and sweetened condensed milk sauce.  Our youngest had it on his first trip to the restaurant and has been dreaming of it ever since.

Buttermilk Cardamom Slab Pie

I brought this to an early Thanksgiving dinner, and boy did I love it.  Simple, not nearly as dramatic as other recipes in Pie Squared, but really very good.  I took the leftovers to work and people were very impressed.
This is a slab pie, which is made in a 1/4 sheet pan (or a 9" x 13" pan would probably work).  

Filling:

8 Tbs. butter
1 c. (200 g) sugar
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 c. buttermilk
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom


Butter Crust:

1 1/2 c. (160 gm) all purpose flour
8 Tbs. (113 gm) cubed butter
dash of salt if using unsalted butter
1/4 c. (60 ml) ice water

For the crust:
Ideally, weigh the ingredients.  Put the food processor bowl on the scale and weigh the flour, then the butter.  Use the blade and pulse about 15 or so times to cut the butter into the flour, leaving the butter in pea sized pieces.  Add the ice water all at once, and pulse until dough comes together, just barely.  Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and dump dough onto it.  Try not not handle it, using a bench scraper instead of your hands to form it into a rectangle.  Wrap and then use a rolling pin to get it into a thinner slab.  Refrigerate at least an hour and can stay there for days.
To bake, roll out to the size of a 1/4 cake sheet pan size, crimp the edges.
Oven on to 350 degrees. 
Filling:
Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla, and cardamom.  Beat until combined.
Add to pie crust, bake about 45 minutes on top of a pizza stone or baking steel.

The Puzzle (2018)

I love doing puzzles.  I would not have proposed that watching other people piece together jigsaw puzzles would  sound like the most inherently cinematic pursuit, nor would it seem to provide much opportunity for character development. Puzzles are largely a solitary activity—a chance to focus quietly and inwardly, to retreat from the peripheral noise of the outside world.  Such a supposition would be wrong in the case of this movie.
The heart of Agnes, a stay at home mother of two, is what is revealed.  The movie opens with Agnes putting up balloons and decorations in her middle-class home, then serving snacks and cleaning up messes once her party guests have arrived. When it comes time to bring out the birthday cake, Agnes is the one to light the candles—and she’s also the one who blows them out. Turns out this party is for her, but she’s stuck doing all the work, just as she would be on any ordinary day.    But one of the gifts she receives is a jigsaw puzzle, which she spontaneously sits down and quickly completes at the dining room table one afternoon. It has 1,000 pieces, and she breezes through it with ease before breaking it all apart and starting all over again. This awkward, introverted woman suddenly reveals herself to be a virtuoso who’s totally in command. The knowledge that she is astoundingly good at one thing allows her to break out of her shell and the results are very fun to watch.

The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg

This is a story of almost a century of life that is told through a red address book that Doris, now 96 years old but who left home as a mere child, taking the book with her.  She tracks people who are important to her, and some who are not, through their contact information, crossing them out when they are gone.
I had such an address book for many years to kept my whole life of people over the years in one place, where I could find them and reach out to them at holidays.  Once we had email and Facebook an address book was a thing of the past, but I remember them--and used them--well.
Doris was born in 1920 into first the poverty of post WWI Sweden and then moved to Paris and stayed there until the brink of WWII.  She never married, and never had a child, but her life was very eventful.  At the end of her life, she has only her grand-niece to hold onto, that and the memories of her life, which she has been writing down bit by bit.  Good read.

Coconut Chicken with Chickpeas and Lime

This is a variation on the Alison Roman dish in her new cookbook Nothing Fancy.  The only deviation is to add a handful or two of chopped greens while it is cooking.

1 whole chicken, cut up into pieces
salt, pepper, canola oil
4 cloves garlin, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. Gochujang
2 Tbs. grated ginger
2 Tbs. sliced fresh tumeric (or 1 Tbs. dried)
1 Tbs. ground cumin
2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
28 oz. coconut milk
3 c. broth
2 (15 oz.) cans of chickpeas
1 c. fresh cilantro
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 limes quartered
1/2 c. chopped peanuts (optional)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a heavy metal pan.  Sear the chicken, about 10 minutes.
Remove chicken, and add garlic and most of the onion to the pot.  Add the gochujang, ginger, turmeric, cumin,  crushed red pepper flakes, and cook until there is caramelization.  Add the coconut milk and broth and simmer, add back in the chicken, add the chickpease, salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 45 minutes, half of it uncovered.
Add the fish sauce, and serve with thinly sliced red onion, chopped cilantro, and sliced limes.

The Rider (2017)

This movie is filmed on a South Dakota reservation and you cannot walk away from it not feeling the bleakness of opportunity.
The film begins and ends with brief dream sequences showing a man riding a horse. This evokes the idea that riding horses, for Brady and guys like him, is life’s big dream. But it’s a very precarious one. One bad break and it can be all over. The point is made devastatingly clear in several scenes where Brady, the main character, who has had a career ending fall, visits Lane, a bull rider who’s his best friend, mentor and personal hero. Lane has experienced a catastrophe that’s left him paralyzed and unable to speak.  Brady keeps returning to him, after attempts to do something other than ride a horse, but pulled back to that.
The most powerful scene in the movie has Brady is in a corral with a rancher and a wild horse that the man says has never been ridden. Brady offers to train him and proceeds to do just that—and watching him is breathtaking. Reportedly, this just happened during the filming: they were at a ranch where there was this wild horse and the actor offered to tame him. The director let the camera roll for two 40-minute takes. Cut together in 20 shots or so that run a couple of minutes, the sequence shows the whole process, from the horse kicking and bucking and rearing back, to the point where he lets Brady pat him, get on his back, ride him and then slide off again.  And that is the accomplishment that counts for Brady, and the one that may elude him going forward.

Pie Squared by Cathy Barrow

This cookbook was the November cookbook in the Food 52 Baking Club, and it was a real hit.  It is a collection of creative and ambitious-yet-approachable recipes that, in aggregate, argue that just about any dish can be turned into a slab pie. Presented are large-format pies, from biscuits and gravy with a Ritz cracker crust to giant strawberry and chocolate Pop-Tarts, alongside classics like chicken pot pie and pumpkin chiffon pie.
The first two chapters are instructive, from latticework tutorials to troubleshooting different types of crusts (the recipes call for everything from classic all-butter crusts to hash brown crusts), setting the home cook up for success.  I appreciated the detailed instructions, the pictures, and the addition of a gluten free crust into the mix.  She says that she got the idea from the Moosewood Cookbook, which I got when it came out in 1977.  The two recipes I have made to date were clearly written and easy to follow, and there are so many that I want to try!  If you have fear of pie, this will cure it once and for all.

Fat Rice Crepe Dumplings

We just ate at Fat Rice a couple weeks ago and it was, on the fourth go round, just as spectacular a restaurant as we remembered it being.
This dish was one of our favorites on our very first trip.
On the second trip, the chef came to our table and we ordered a second go from him, not quite recognizing how inappropriate that was, but he was the picture of grace.

Crepe Batter

• About 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• About 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• About 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons water

Dumplings

• 4 green onions, white and green parts, fisheye-cut
• 2 stalks celery, minced
• 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 8 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 36 dumpling wrappers
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• Salt and ground Sichuan peppercorns

Potsticker Sauce

• 1/4 cup Chinese black vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chilies, pickled chilies or sambal oelek

Directions

For the sauce

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Store, refrigerated, for up to 1 month if not using immediately
   

For the dumplings

1. Place a large metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes.
   
2. To make the crepes, combine the cornstarch and flour in a medium bowl. While whisking, add the water and incorporate thoroughly. Place 3 ⁄4 cup of the crepe batter in a squeeze bottle and set aside. (Always make sure the batter is well whisked right before measuring to ensure proper distribution of the ingredients.)
   
3. To make the dumplings, combine the green onions, celery, dill, ginger, and 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil in a separate bowl and toss thoroughly. Set aside in the refrigerator.
   
4. In another bowl, thoroughly mix together the shrimp, wine, and tapioca starch; set aside in the refrigerator.
   
5. Put the pork in the chilled bowl from the freezer. Put a glove on your hand and set all five fingers on the counter like Thing from the Addams Family. This is the position you need to hold your hand in while you’re mixing the meat. Once you’ve mastered the Thing technique, use it to mix the pork in a clockwise motion, aggressively stirring about 15 times around the bowl. Add the salt, Sichuan peppercorns, and five-spice powder and mix with Thing technique 15 more times. Scrape the side of the bowl with the blade of your hand, Julia Child style. Add the egg, soy sauce, and remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and mix 15 more times, until incorporated. Add the chilled shrimp mixture to the pork mixture and mix 15 more times, scraping as needed. Add the chilled vegetables and mix another 15 times. Set aside and fill the potstickers.
   
6. Using a 1 ⁄2-ounce portion scoop, place filling onto the center of the wrapper (the starchy side should face up). Wet your middle finger and moisten the rim of the wrapper.
   
7. Using your dry thumb and forefinger, draw the edges of the wrapper together and pinch the center, leaving the ends open.
   
8. Using a pinch-and-fold motion, pleat the side of the wrapper facing away from you with three folds.
   
9. Turn the dumpling around and finish the pleat in the same manner. You should have a completely sealed, crescent-shaped dumpling.
   
10. Do that again 35 more times. Good luck!
    
11. When all of the potstickers are formed, set yourself up with a well-seasoned, snugly lidded 10-inch cast-iron skillet and a plate that will fit comfortably inside the rim of said pan. Rub the peanut oil all over the pan to evenly coat it. Place seven potstickers in the pan in an evenly spaced pinwheel pattern and place over medium-high heat until they start to sizzle and become light brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, give the crepe batter a good shake to get it mixed up again. With the pan’s lid in one hand and the crepe batter in the other, quickly and deliberately pour the batter over the potstickers in two circular motions and immediately cover the pan with the lid to capture the steam. Continue to cook, covered, until the potstickers start to swell and the top of the dough starts to become translucent, checking only after 4 minutes (be careful of escaping steam!). Remove the lid to allow the steam to evaporate and the bottom of the potstickers to crisp. At this point, rotate the pan as necessary to maximize evaporation and even browning, and lower the heat as needed. This process takes about 4 more minutes—things can burn easily, so pay attention! Gently lift each potsticker by its corner to be sure nothing is sticking. Give the pan a shake; everything will slide around freely when done.
    
12. At this point, turn the heat off. You have a couple of methods to get the potstickers out of the pan. You can take them out as cleanly as possible with a spatula and then invert them onto the plate or you can take the committed route we use in the restaurant and go for broke. Fat Rice and all interested parties are not responsible for the scalding oil burns that can result if you do this improperly! Place a plate that is larger than the pan upside down on top of the pan. With feet shoulder-width apart under springy knees, form the Thing with your nondominant hand, placing your fingertips in the center of the plate. Lift the pan from the stove with your dominant hand. Remembering that you are dealing with extremely hot food and even hotter oil, build a bit of momentum using a three-count bounce, then invert the pan so the plate is on the bottom, using an arclike motion. Make sure that the arm holding the plate is straight up and down to avoid any dripping oil. That’s really important! Carefully remove the pan and ensure that all potstickers and crepe have come out uniformly. When you have produced flawless potstickers, season with salt and ground Sichuan peppercorns and serve immediately with the sauce. Of course, the ones that didn’t come out so beautifully will still taste delicious—nibble on them while you perfect your technique.
    

Novitiate (2017)

This movie on nuns in the making takes place when the bad old Catholic Church was on the verge of changing, and as you might imagine, fans of the old school church were none too pleased.
A movie about nuns in the '60s may not sound exciting. It may not even sound vaguely intriguing. But the filmmaker wisely depicts these young women as individuals who contain multitudes, even within such a structured setting. They’re full of contradictions as they figure out who they are and what their place is in the world—just like any young woman in any walk of life. These teenage girls, however, have chosen to dedicate themselves to God—to marry Him, as they say in the vernacular, which includes donning a white gown and veil and taking vows.  How can boys compete when the groom they are seeking is Christ?
Only nuns will take a very steep dive from grace after Vatican II.  The modernizing of the Catholic Church allowed for more lay ministers to take part in services and ministries, so donning a habit and becoming a bride of Christ was no longer the only path to church leadership.  Nuns were no longer as special as they once had been.   More women elected to serve God without taking vows. As a result of all these changes, the number of nuns has plunged dramatically.  So this chronicles the end of an era.

From the Oven to the Table by Diana Henry

This cookbook, which came out just about a month ago, is the November cookbook of the month in the Food 52 cookbook club.  Henry is a well loved cook within this group, and while this book does seem to have a fair amount of failures to it's credit within the group's home cooks, everything that we have made out of it has been great.
The overarching concept of the book is that you add the ingredients into an ovenproof pot and pop it in the oven.  When it comes out, you have a meal.
There are dozens of intriguing recipes in this book, and I will be cooking out of it for some time to come.  There are lots of vegetarian options, some of which could be the center of the meal and others that could be assembled into a meal.  There are some fussy dishes, and some that do not have quite enough instruction (like what sized pot, and whether it should be baked covered or uncovered are sometimes missing).  Read through it first, and then pick a place to start.  Recommended.

The Art of Thanks

While the history of Thanksgiving is checkered, and its Puritan New England roots are something that directly pertain to my roots, the act of pausing to give thanks at least once a year is a good tradition.  That is something that I do not do often enough.
This photo was taken one Thanksgiving long ago and brings to mind the things that matter to me.  It doesn't matter if we celebrate today or another day (although it certainly has to have what we always have on our Thanksgiving dinner table).  Everyone does not have to be there is body, but in spirit.  Ever since my youngest had cancer as a five year old, I have had to redefine what being lucky means and what gratitude entails.  It is not about having no adversity.  We all have that sooner or later.  It started for me when my brother died when I was ten.   I learned quite quickly that life is not fair, but many many people know that far sooner in life than I.  It is about the connections we make, the people we support, and the life we lead.  May yours be true and clear, today and beyond.

Exploring Raymond (2010)

Phil Rosenthal is the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond which is based on his belief that family is funny and that the comedy of those relationships is universal.  He was sent to Moscow by Sony to supervise development of Everybody Loves Kostya, the Russian equivalent and this is a documentary of his experiece there.
Rosenthal took along a small crew and approached his assignment with the bemused detachment a certain lack of curiosity about his surroundings.  Nobody will question the importance of Ray Romano and the chemistry of his cast-mates in making Raymond a nine-season smash as well as a syndication perennial. But exposure to Rosenthal reveals just how much of his self-effacing every man persona went into the central character.  Not to mention the influence of his bickering parents on the show’s Marie and Frank.  The resemblance is uncanny.  The film highlights the frustrations he has with the cultural divide, and basically feeling like they just didn't get him.  Until the moment that they did.  Fun to watch even if you were not a fan of the original show.