Redford's Last Castle, Books and Dragons

Last night I watched a fantastic movie starring Robert Redford and called The Last Castle. It was only given 2 stars, but it was excellent. It all took place in a military prison and was gripping right to the end. If you ever get the chance to see it, I highly recommend it. Robert Redford is a General who has been court martialled and who pled guilty because he lost 8 men in his commend. He is sent to the prison which is run by a monster in Colonel's clothing. He wants nothing to do with any problems but eventually is forced to take notice of what is going on. Great story. Yesterday I also finished the first of Jennifer Fallon's books in the Hythron Chronicles, Medalon, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I have now started the second book called Treason Keep. Most people know I love dragons, but these stories include a very different kind of dragon, not the ones I am used to at all. I thought this was a trilogy but now find there are, in fact, 6 books to be read. Not sure if that's good or bad. It takes longer to get to the end. On the other hand it gives me more reading material. We finished our Tourtière for supper and I plan to use the left over liquid as the base for a soup for supper tonight. The liquid has gone quite solid in the fridge which means it is full of goodness. There are, by the way, three more Tourtières in the freezer. I like to cook things in bulk so that I have choices for supper without preparation at a later time when we are in a hurry or not in the mood to cook. Good Morning America this morning had tips on storage of food in the fridge. I knew you were not supposed to store eggs out of the carton, but we are now told both butter and eggs should be stored at the back of the fridge, not in the door at all. Apparently people throw away a lot of spoiled food every year because of incorrect storage. There were many more tips so if you would like to read them click here and see Sara Moulton's recommendations for healthier food storage. There was also a segment on women's heart health, heart disease being the Number One killer of women today. Apparently they are now recommending the Mediterranean Diet again. This includes nuts, olive oil and beans (legumes). This being so, I am publishing the bean salad I gave you on December 29th, which was very good and contains both beans and olive oil. South-Western Bean Salad The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook My comment: This recipe calls for dried beans, however, I would certainly use cans of beans rather than mess with soaking beans for hours first. Do use fresh coriander if you can, it tastes so much better. Serves 4-6 1 cup dried black beans 1 cup white cannelini (navy) beans 1 medium red onion 1 medium red (bell, capsicum) pepper 8 2/3 oz canned corn, drained 3 tbs chopped fresh coriander 1 clove garlic crushed 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp French mustard 2 tbs red wine vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil salt and pepper If you are using dried beans: soak in separate bowls in cold water overnight. Drain, place in separate pans, cover with water. Bring both pans to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 mins or until tender. Drain, rinse and allow to cool. Alternatively, use a couple of cans of prepared beans, drained and rinsed. Chop the onion and red pepper. Place in a bowl and add the beans, corn and coriander. Stir until well combined. Combine the garlic, cumin, mustard and vinegar in a small jug: gradually whisk in the oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour over the bean mixture and toss lightly to combine. This salad can be made up to a day in advance and is a great dish to serve at a barbecue or take on a picnic as it carries well. Have a great day.