Smashed (2012)

This is a movie about alcoholism.  The kind of drinking that starts in the morning when you don't have to go to work.  That ends late at night with neither of them remembering what happened.  When two alcoholics are married, they value each other's company because they know they can expect forgiveness and understanding, while a civilian might not choose to share their typical days.
This is a story that starts there, but ends with the wife trying to stop drinking after she throws up in front of her third grade class and ends up telling them that she is pregnant rather than sick or hung over.  The lie blooms and eventually comes back to bite her, and a bulk of the movie is about the tortuous road to getting clean and sober.
The movie is gritty, not white washing the disgusting things that end up happening to people who participate in this kind of hard drinking, and it is pretty painful to watch, but true to life.

The Blessing of Siblings

It has been said that one's siblings are the ones who know you over your lifetime.  Your parents are likely to pre-decease you and your spouse often did not know you as a child.  One may have friends who last a lifetime and cousins that you may be lucky enough to know long term, but for sure if you have siblings, they are going to have grown up and grown old with you.
I feel quite fortunate to have married into a family when my spouse's siblings treat me like family.  I met my husband when we were quite young, so it has literally been almost 40 years, or 2/3 of my life that I have known them.  Early on we were getting through school and starting families, but as is so often said, it really does fly by.  Now we are thinking about what we want to do in our retirement and supporting each other as we struggle with the inevitable things that complicate your life after the children leave home.  Through it all, I know that sharing the burden really does make it lighter and asking for help means that you will get it.  So happy birthday to may sister-in-law, who is really one of kindest people I know.

Louisiana Boudin

It all started with the pig that we get every year.  My husband always gets the organs along with the neatly butchered and wrapped cuts of meat, so we have a pig liver.  What to do with it?  That is where an upcoming Louisiana Crawfish boil comes into play.  Boudin became the obvious choice, and my husband embarked on making the traditional rice and pork stuffed sausage.  Here is the recipe that used at my house recently:

Makes 4 pounds [[28 pounds]

14#;  2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut in 1-inch cubes

3.5#; 1/2 pound pork liver, cut in 1-inch cubes

7; 1 small onion, chopped

14; 2 celery stalks, chopped

7; 1 poblano chile, chopped

21; 3 jalapenos, chopped [7 green peppers]

42; 6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

28; 4 tablespoons kosher salt [1 cup to start with]

7; 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

7; 1 tablespoon ground white pepper

3.5 tsp; 1/2 teaspoon curing salt*

7; 1 teaspoon cayenne

7; 1 teaspoon chili powder

49; 7 cups cooked white rice [less!]

7; 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped scallions

4 to 6 feet sausage casings (optional), rinsed

Combine pork, liver, vegetables and seasonings in a bowl. Cover, refrigerate and marinate for 1 hour or overnight. Place mixture in a large pot and cover the meat with water (by 1 to 2 inches). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Remove pot from the heat and strain, reserving the liquid. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then put the solids through a meat grinder set on coarse grind. (Or chop with a knife.)

Place the meat in a large bowl. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix in rice, parsley, scallions and the reserved cooking liquid. Stir vigorously for 5 minutes. (Mixture will look very wet, and it's spicy. After poaching, the rice absorbs the moisture and much of the spice.)

At this point, you can feed the sausage into the casings. Poach the links gently in hot (not bubbling) water for about 10 minutes, then serve. Alternatively, use the mixture as stuffing for chicken, or roll it into boudin balls, dredge in bread crumbs, and fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Eliza Hamilton by Tilar Mazzeo

I probably would have enjoyed this if I knew more about Hamilton.  Not having read Ron Chernow's relatively recent book, which not only was well received by critics, but is at the center of the inspiration for the block buster musical, I would suggest that perhaps one with an interest in early American history start there.
The book takes place largely before the death of Hamilton at teh hands of Aaron Burr, who ruined both  Eliza's and Burr's chances at maximal happiness as a result of antiquated ideas about honor.  The book draws from an impressive breadth of sources, and shows what made Eliza, in the words of her husband, Alexander, the “best of wives, best of women.”
The thing that was most interesting to me about her is that she was born into a prominent Hudson Valley, New York family in 1757 as Eliza Schuyler.  Her young life was dominated by war, especially the American Revolution.  The book does encircle her family's contribution to the young nation, and a harrowing experience that could of led to her father's death as well as herlself.  She was the daughter of a general.  That war also gained her a husband, the hardworking, ambitious Colonel Hamilton, who later served as President Washington’s secretary of the treasury. The quality of their marriage is largely speculative, as she was not much of a letter writer, and she long outlived her husband, so had time to reflect on her role in history.  It is a short read, but might be richer if you knew more of the story to start with.

The Boy and the Beast (2015)

This is a complicated plot for an animated movie, which means that it was likely over looked when it came out in theaters in the United States.  The Japanese animated giants also have faith in their audience to handle the material, which makes for interesting watching.
Ren is the boy.  He is nine years old when his distant relatives try to take him into their custody. His mother has died in a sudden accident, and his father has not been contacted (he and Ren's mother divorced). Ren is so angry that he runs away, and is almost immediately abducted by Kumatetsu, a humanoid bear-monster who lives in Jutengai, a fantastic world ruled by animals who are human in all but their appearance. Kumatetsu is the hot head heir to Jutengai's throne, and he needs an apprentice in order to prove himself to Jutengai's enigmatic current ruler. So Ren is made to help Kumatetsu defeat his do-no-wrong rival Iozan.
Ren and Kumatetsu's do not get along and they do not complement each other. Ren helping Kumatetsu doesn't automatically confer life-changing or character-building wisdom to Ren. Instead, it gives him the courage to forge his own path. There is a happy ending to it all, but it allows the less-than-perfect viewer reflect on their own foibles. 

New York Style Pizza Sauce

My youngest son has been making pizza at an alarming rate, so even though we canned about 14 pints of pizza sauce last summer, we are dangerously close to being out, and the tomato season has not yet begun, much less booming, so an alternative had to be found.  My spouse spent the entire morning making this recipe with some of the giant cans of tomatoes that we had gotten from Costco not particularly recently, and produced a good sauce.  Like Marcella Hazan, it adds butter for richness.

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 medium cloves garlic, grated on microplane grater (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 2 (6-inch) sprigs fresh basil with leaves attached
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and split in half
• 1 teaspoon sugar

1. Process tomatoes and their juice through food mill, pulse in food processor until pureed, or puree with hand blender. Puree should not be completely smooth, but should have no chunks larger than 1/16 of an inch. Set tomatoes aside.
2. Combine butter and oil in medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and large pinch salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil sprigs, onion halves, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting (bubbles should barely be breaking the surface), and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/2, about 1 hour. Discard onions and basil stems. Season to taste with salt. Allow to cool and store in covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

May Day May Day!

I know, we are one day outside of National Poetry month, but ever so briefly there was a weekend in New Jersey where spring was alive for me and I want to celebrate that feeling (which was quickly dashed by a snow storm, I might add).

The Daffodils by William Wordsworth (1802)

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed – and gazed – but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Dead Man Down (2013)

There is an awful lot of star power in what is essentially a revenge movie with a lot of shooting, long cold stares, and hustle.  It is not a terrible movie, but it not altogether good.  Then add in that Colin Farrell, Isabelle Huppert, and Terence Howard are all in it, and then it becomes a well acted byt ultimately disappointing movie.
Here is the story.  Farrell plays Victor, a New York gangster who's part of a crew run by alpha-male tough guy, Alphonse Hoyt (Terrence Howard). He appears to be a bad guy, but wait.  Alphonse is being menaced by someone who is sending strange anonymous messages to people who then die.  Victor gets himself involved with his troubled neighbour Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), who lives with her hearing-impaired mum, played by Isabelle Huppert.  She has seen him do a murderous deed and wants him to help her with her revenge fantasy.  These initial scenes delude you into thinking you might be watching something out of the ordinary.  But no, that does not happen.  It is entirely ordinary with unusual characters who are well cast.  That said, it holds your attention, and does not deteriorate from there.

Qilian Mountains, Gansu Province, China

The snow-capped Qilian Mountains rise up mistily between the borders of Qinghai and Gansu, forming a stunning tableau behind the lush meadows and the small Silk Road settlements of these provinces.  They are pronounced "Chilian", and they rise like the Andes do in the back bone of South America.
These mountains form part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the northeast and part of the Hexi Corridor in the southwest.  Their size and impassibility contribute to the region's rich past, as the common pathway out of China to the west, known as the Silk Road.  Having stood for thousands of years, this mountain range has been witness to mankind’s history from the construction of the Great Wall in its northern reaches to the bustling trade that took place along the Hexi Corridor.
China is a mountainous country with more than 60% of it's land being at elevation.  This pciture is from early March, where the peaks are still snow and ice covered.   They are the most important water source for the Hexi Corridor in the north and the Qaidam Basin in the south, making it invaluable for the inhabitants of both Gansu and Qinghai.
The mountains themselves rise to an average height of about 4,000 metres (13,000 ft.), with the highest peaks towering at over 5,800 metres (19,000 ft.).  From the verdant valleys where nomads graze their sheep to the icy peaks untouched by mankind, the Qilian Mountains are a natural wonder that have provoked the curiosity of visitors for decades.

Julia Child's Reine de Saba Gâteau

I have made a different version of this cake for over 30 years, but this year my spouse and my youngest unearthed the original recipe.
It can be made with matzoh cake flour or gluten free flour, and it comes out because there is so little flour in it.  So perfect for all sort of occasions. I pour a chocolate ganache over the cake, which is melted chocolate and whipping cream. 

1. • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, plus1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
   • 2 tablespoons dark rum or 2 tablespoons strong coffee
   • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
   • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
   • 3 egg yolks
   • 3 egg whites
   • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
   • 1 pinch salt
   • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
   • 1/3 cup blanched almond (pulverized in blender or food processor with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar)
   • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
   • 1/2 cup cake flour

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set the oven rack in lower middle level.
 2. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate in the rum or coffee. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cut butter into pieces and cream it.
3. When soft and fluffy, add sugar and beat 1 minute. Beat in egg yolks until well blended.
4. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Beat in cream of tartar and salt and continue beating until soft peaks are formed. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff, shiny peaks are formed. Blend melted chocolate and coffee or rum into yolk mixture, then add almonds and almond extract.
5. Stir a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate using a rubber spatula. Scoop the rest of the whites over chocolate and, alternating with sprinkles of flour, rapidly and delicately fold in the egg whites. Turn batter into buttered and floured 8-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pan, tilting it in all directions up to the rim all around. Set in preheated oven. Bake 25 minutes.
6. Cake is done when puffed to the top and a toothpick inserted 2 to 3 inches from edge comes out clean. The center should move slightly when the pan is gently shaken. Remove pan to a rack and let cool 15 minutes. Unmold onto rack. Let cool 2 hours before storing or icing.