Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 3-D

October 11, 2009


Olivier and I saw this movie last night. It was a cute and funny movie. The 3D special effects were fun and really made the movie. I loved the characters! Mr. T was in the movie! I loved his character! Great movie, must see in 3D!

Overview:
When hard times hit Swallow Falls, its townspeople can only afford to eat sardines. Flint Lockwood, a failed inventor, thinks he has the answer to the town's crisis. He builds a machine that converts water into food, and becomes a local hero when tasty treats fall from the sky like rain. But when the machine spins out of control and threatens to bury the whole world under giant mounds of food, Flint finds he may have bitten off more than he can chew.

Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs

October 3, 2009


I was watching the Today Show; Giada De Laurentiis was on the show, and made this recipe. It looked so good and easy to make. Whole Foods was out of ground chicken, so we used ground turkey. Since we were using ground turkey we added Italian seasoned bread crumbs, onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the turkey meat. We didn't use the Orecchiette pasta; instead we used a shell like pasta. We used fresh mozzarella that we cut into chunks.

The dish turned out ok - it was definitely better the next day. The meatballs were moist, tender, and delicious! Things I will change - not to add the chicken stock, the tomatoes provide enough 'sauce', adding the mozzarella after the dish is completed - keeping them in little chunks. I will make this dish again - its so yummy!

Cook Time: 15mins - Level: Intermediate - Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound orecchiette pasta
  
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
  
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 3/4 cup grated Romano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, hot
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 8 ounces bocconcini mozzarella, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, eggs, milk, ketchup, Romano cheese, and the salt and pepper. Add the chicken and gently stir to combine.

Using a melon baller (or a teaspoon measure), form the chicken mixture into 3/4-inch pieces. With damp hands, roll the chicken pieces into mini meatballs.

In a large (14-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the meatballs and cook without moving until brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the meatballs over and brown the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tomatoes are soft and meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Transfer pasta to a large serving bowl and add the Parmesan. Toss to lightly coat orecchiette, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Add the meatball mixture, mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of the basil. Gently toss to combine. Garnish with the chopped basil.

Year One

October 7, 2009


If you've seen the previews; then you've seen the movie. There was a few funny parts; the rest was ok - we didn't even finish watching the movie.

Overview:
Banished from their primitive village after the tribe elders deem them too lazy, Zed (Jack Black) and Oh (Michael Cera) leave everything they've ever known behind and embark upon an adventure-filled journey through the ancient world. Co-starring Hank Azaria, Oliver Platt, Olivia Wilde and David Cross, this epic-sized laffer is a collaborative effort from comedy giants Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day) and Judd Apatow (Knocked Up).

Capitalism: A Love Story

October 5, 2009


Watched this movie last night. I thought the movie was pretty good. As I watched things unfold - I laughed, was shocked, and got angry. There was a couple of times I looked at Olivier and said 'Really?' I liked the movie, thought it was fun, entertaining, and informative.


Overview:
Capitalism: A Love Story is the newly unveiled title of Oscar®-winner Michael Moore’s latest documentary feature. As previously announced, Moore will return to the issue that began his career: the disastrous impact that corporate dominance and out-of-control profit motives have on the lives of Americans and citizens of the world.

The Ultimate Beef Stew

October 2, 2009

It was a cool and windy day today - the high 71 degrees; and perfect weather for soup. I decided to try this stew - beef stew just sounded good today. The recipe was fairly easy; just a lot of chopping and waiting for the stew to cook. I'm not a big fan of thyme or orange zest with meat; so I didn't put too much of those ingredients in. Olivier suggested that we add some 'meaty bones' to the stew to give it more flavor. Overall the dish was ok. The meat was very tender and flavorful; I just wasn't to impressed with the broth. I didn't make the Horseradish Sour Cream or the Toasted Peasant Bread.

Cook Time: 3hrs - Level: Intermediate - Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for frying, plus more to drizzle
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 to 3 pounds beef chuck shoulder roast, cut into 2-inch pieces (this cut is also called chuck shoulder pot roast and chuck roast boneless)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bottle good quality dry red wine (recommended: Burgundy)
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 orange, zest removed in 3 (1-inch) strips
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 cups beef stock
• 9 small new potatoes, scrubbed clean and cut in 1/2
• 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 cups frozen pearl onions, a large handful
• 1 pound white mushrooms, cut in 1/2
• 1/2 pound garden peas frozen or fresh
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
• Horseradish Sour Cream, recipe follows, for garnish
• Toasted Peasant Bread, recipe follows, for serving

Directions

Preheat a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with the oil and butter.

While the pan is heating, arrange the flour on a large dish. Season the cubed beef with some salt and freshly ground black pepper and then toss in the flour to coat. Shake off the excess flour and add the beef chunks in a single layer to the hot pan, being careful not to over crowd the pan, you might have to work in batches. Thoroughly brown all of the cubes on all sides. Once all the meat has been browned remove it to a plate and reserve.

Add the wine to the pan and bring up to a simmer while you scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon being sure to loosen up all those tasty bits. Once the wine has gotten hot add the browned meat, thyme, smashed garlic, orange zest strip, ground cloves, freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste, bay leaves and beef stock. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the liquids start to thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

After 2 hours add halved potatoes, sliced carrots, pearl onions and mushrooms, along with a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the red wine. Turn the heat up slightly and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more, until the vegetables and meat are tender. Add the frozen peas during the last minute of cooking. Season with salt and pepper and remove the thyme sprigs.

To serve, place the stew in a soup bowl, garnish with parsley, drizzle with olive oil and add a dollop of Horseradish Sour Cream. Right before serving add a slice of Toasted Peasant Bread, half way submerged in the stew.

Horseradish Sour Cream:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Chives, finely chopped, as garnish

Combine sour cream, prepared horseradish and a drizzle of olive oil in a small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add a dollop of the mixture on top of the stew and garnish with chopped chives.

Toasted Peasant Bread:

• 1 loaf peasant bread, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, halved
• Chopped parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Put a sheet pan in the oven so that it gets good and hot.

Place the bread slices on the hot sheet pan. Drizzle the bread with the extra-virgin olive oil bake for 5 minutes, until the bread is nicely toasted. Rub the bread slices with the garlic cloves, and discard garlic. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Y tu mamá también (And Your Mama Too)

October 3, 2009


This movie is funny, sexy, sensual, and smart. I took a journey with the characters to a twisted end. There's a lot to take in and this movie lets you decided whether or not you want to absorb it. This is an excellent comedy/ drama about a couple of spoiled rich brats, on a belated coming of age road trip with a sensuous and seductive older woman. Great movie that I will watch again.

Overview:
Director Alfonso Cuaron's Oscar-nominated film was one of the most talked-about films of 2002. Rich teenagers Tenoch (Diego Luna) and Julio (Gael Garcia Bernal) meet the alluring, older Luisa (Maribel Verdu) at a wedding and try to impress her with stories of a road trip to a beautiful, secret beach. Intrigued and desperate to escape, Luisa joins them, beginning an escapade that involves seduction, conflict and the harsh realities of poverty.

Trainspotting

This movie took me totally by suprise. The topic was morbid but I laughed out loud several times. I also cringed and watched behind my hands several times also. The acting was great all around, the soundtrack was terrific and the story was actually very interesting! A must see, if not must own.

Overview:
Danny Boyle's explosive 1996 film tracks the misadventures of young men (played by a cast that includes Ewan MacGregor, Robert Carlyle and Jon Lee Miller) trying to find their way out of joblessness, aimless relationships and drug addiction. Some are successful, while others are hopelessly not. Based on Irvine Walsh's novel, Trainspotting melds grit with poetry, resulting in a film of harsh truths and stunning grace.