Gilt, Movie.

Gilt Restaurant and Bar – we went with our friend for lunch on Tuesday. I tried to take pictures – joke. First of all two of us had Duck Confit on Chinese Steam Buns and I totally forgot to take a picture of  those. Then I had the soup shown below which was absolutely delicious. Thick and luscious. I didn’t think they would give me the recipe so didn’t ask.

Red Cabbage Soup with Friend Cabbage garnish

Kimchi Quesadillas with Parmesan, Brie, Rice and Thai Basil

Absolutely scrumptious

BLT Burger with Caesar Salad

I had the Kimchi Quesadillas.Matt had the BLT Burger which was not yer plain ol’ BLT, I know it had a fried egg on it amongst other things. My friend having had the soup too also had their version of a grilled cheese sandwich which looked delicious. I was quite surprised, for a new restaurant, just how full they were for a Tuesday lunchtime. Not the cheapest place to eat, but the food is well worth it. We met the two owners, my friend’s niece Trella and her friend/chef Steph. I would very much recommend this restaurant and would like to go back some day soon.

I just watched the movie The Last Legion with Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley, two of my favourites. It was on TV the other night with lots of ads and I switched it off but decided I would like to see it so rented it from iTunes. I really enjoyed it. It ends up in Britannia and shows how Excalibur came to be in the rock from which Arthur later withdrew it.

This recipe was on Food.com and looks very simple and easy to make for a quick meal.

Pork Cutlet Parmigiana

By Dawnab

This was an inexpensive meal that my mom always made when we were growing up. I do not care for the taste of veal so this is how I make it.

2 lbs pork tenderloin, sliced into medallions
1 egg
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
4 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
oil, to fry

Directions:

• With a meat mallet, pound pork into thin patties.
• In a shallow dish beat egg, in another shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs and seasoning.
• Dip each pork medallion into beaten egg and then into bread crumbs.
• Fry over med hi heat till browned- it does not need to be fully cooked.
• In a 9 X 13 baking dish, put in 1 cup sauce and half the pork, top with half of the cheese. Top with half the remaining sauce. Repeat again for balance of ingredients.
• Bake covered at 350 for 1/2 hour, remove top and bake 10 more minutes.
• Serve over pasta.

Have a great day

The Year of the Rabbit, Movies.

Oops, I forgot to wish everyone Gung Hai Fat Choi yesterday, which is a close written approximation to the Chinese greeting wishing you Happy New Year, the year of the Rabbit. It started yesterday and goes on for about a week. Dumplings are something of a specialty at this time of the year, so on Tuesday we are going to lunch, with friends, at a local Mandarin where we can enjoy some. One thing it is traditional to do at this time of the year, is to put some money in a red envelope, as shown here, and give it as a gift. In fact my sifu (instructor) at T’ai Chi preferred to be paid in such envelopes as that too is traditional. I once put gold dollar coins (US) in envelopes when we went out for a birthday dinner for Matt in the States. I still have some of those dollars, however, the gold is quite dull these days.

Today is Matt’s birthday by the way, we are not doing anything today, but have friends coming to dinner tomorrow.

Last night I went to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia) with a friend. I am not sure which I enjoyed more, the 3D or the movie itself. I haven’t seen 3D since I was a young woman when you had to wear cardboard glasses with flimsy plastic lenses, one green, one red. It certainly is different now. Makes me wish I had seen Avatar in 3D. Yes, I enjoyed the movie too, as usual very well done. Not sure how much it stuck to the story, will have to have a re-read, couple of things I didn’t remember, but then you have to create visual excitement too. Certainly at the end I was gripping my seat, literally. If you like that type of movie then I can highly recommend it. I have loved all the Narnia movies so far.

When I got home, my friend had lent me What a Girl Wants, it wasn’t very late so we watched it. Colin Firth again. So I think I have it firmly in my mind now as to just who he is. I enjoyed the movie and much to my surprise Matt did too as he watched the whole film with me. It seems to me that several of the parts Colin Firth plays are of endearing, slightly bumbling men. Certainly this one and the father in Nanny McFee. Talking of Colin Firth, I was chatting to some people waiting to get inside the theatre, they had already seen The King’s Speech three times and were going to see it again. I might watch it again one of these days, but four times in a matter of weeks, sorry, no. I never understand these people who rent a movie over the weekend and watch it several times. Once is enough for me although I might watch something again several months/years later.

Of course, I had to give you a recipe for Chinese Dumplings today, this recipe didn’t come with a picture, but there are many pictures of dumplings with all kinds of shapes. This recipe gives you the dough, but you can also use wonton wrappers for convenience. Wan Shi Ru Yi (May all things go your way)

Jiaozi - Chinese Dumplings

Rhonda Parkinson

Chinese dumplings (Jiaozi) are very popular during the Chinese New Year season

Ingredients:

Jiaozi dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

up to 1 1/4 cups cold water

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1 cup ground pork or beef

1 TB soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 TB Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste

3 TB sesame oil

1/2 green onion, finely minced

1 1/2 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage

4 tablespoons shredded bamboo shoots

2 slices fresh ginger, finely minced

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely minced

Preparation:

Stir the salt into the flour. Slowly stir in the cold water, adding as much as is necessary to form a smooth dough. Don't add more water than is ncessary. Knead the dough into a smooth ball. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling ingredients. Add the soy sauce, salt, rice wine and white pepper to the meat, stirring in only one direction. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring in the same direction, and mix well. To make the dumpling dough: knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Divide the dough into 60 pieces. Roll each piece out into a circle about 3-inches in diameter. Place a small portion (about 1 level tablespoon) of the filling into the middle of each wrapper. Wet the edges of the dumpling with water. Fold the dough over the filling into a half moon shape and pinch the edges to seal. Continue with the remainder of the dumplings. To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half the dumplings, giving them a gentle stir so they don't stick together. Bring the water to a boil, and add 1/2 cup of cold water. Cover and repeat. When the dumplings come to a boil for a third time, they are ready. Drain and remove. If desired, they can be pan-fried at this point.

Have a great day

Movie, Unrest and the Superbowl.

Sadly, I have finished watching Pride and Prejudice, I am not sure if I saw this version before, think I might have done, I certainly enjoyed Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy and loved Jennifer Ehle as Miss Elizabeth Bennett. Alison Steadman was good as Mrs. Bennett, I wanted to throttle her several times. In fact I can’t remember thinking any of the cast as not portraying their characters very well. I did not want it to end, and am even more decided I shall purchase a DVD of this movie.

Egypt is up in flames at the moment. I normally think of them as a relatively passive country, but not right now. Not funny if you happen to be touring when things like this happen. Like Mexico and their drug wars, I wouldn’t go near the place although incredibly, lots of tourists are still pouring into the country. Do they think they are exempt from bullets, I wonder?

I see the Superbowl is scheduled for February 6. I watched one game once, we went to a friends’ house for a party and watched most of the game. The friend explained to me what was going on as I have no idea about football (American that is) and I actually quite enjoyed the game. Those same friends are Green Bay Packer fans so will no doubt be glued to the TV this year. If you are a Packer fan, you wear a cheese hat as shown in the picture. The Packers are from Wisconsin which is the dairy state. I like this picture, she has a cheese bra on as well. Amazing what people will do for sports. Like those people who paint their bodies to match team colours and then attend the game on a cold day without a shirt on, brrrrr.

Sadly, by the way, Matt’s cortisone shot doesn’t seem to have worked.

I love soups, and this one is a recipe from the kitchens of Jenny Craig (the diet company) given to Good Morning America by their spokeswoman, Valerie Bertinelli. I looked into Jenny Craig, but it costs more per week than we spend for two of us. I found this on Good Morning America’s site.

Valerie Bertinelli's Tuscan Style Soup

The Actress Shares One of Her Favorite Low-Calorie Recipes

Servings: 4

Tuscan Style Soup satisfies with 63 calories, 2 grams of fat and 300 milligrams of sodium. The recipe is courtesy of Jenny Craig, of which Valerie Bertinelli is a spokeswoman. For more of her favorite dishes visit www.jennycraig.com.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup eggplant, peeled and cubed 1 cup water 1 can whole tomatoes, no salt added, undrained and chopped (14 1/2-ounce) 1 can sliced mushrooms, drained (OR 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced) 1 clove garlic, minced 1 small summer (yellow) squash, coarsely chopped 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, dried 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 12 oz can chicken broth, reduced sodium 8 tbsp Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated

Directions

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring well.

Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls; sprinkle 2 tbsp of Pecorino Romano cheese.

Have a great weekend

Actors and their Roles. Lost Something? Bowling.

I was talking to Sia McKay (Thoughts Over Coffee) about actors, which made me think of two I particularly admire, Anthony Hopkins and Peter O’Toole. I love Emma Thompson too. If an actor can make me totally forget who they are when they are playing a part so that I only think of the part itself, that to me is a sign of excellent acting.

This morning I am also full of admiration for Colin Firth’s rendition of George VI in The King’s Speech. What an excellent movie, I do hope you get the chance to go and see it. Although I wasn’t actually alive at the time of most of the movie, it brought back memories particularly of the Windsors and how he abdicated in order to marry Wallace Simpson, much to the disgust of those concerned. Also, the speech itself, which was his first during the war years, I remember hearing recordings of many times in my life. I don’t know the name of the actor playing Winston Churchill but I thought he had the voice down to a T. I heard also, that Colin Firth had worked so hard at perfecting the stammer that now he was having trouble getting his speech to flow properly again. One thing which did stick out like a sore thumb to me was the use of the word loo to describe a toilet. That phrase didn't come into being until many years after the era of the movie, a glaring anachronism. Next week my friend and I are planning to go and see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, a somewhat contrasting movie.

How’s this for an odd picture, the piano was found in Miami Bay and no-one knows for sure where it came from. One or two theories of course, but what a very peculiar place to find a piano? Wot no piano stool?

Today is one of our Travel League get togethers for bowling, we are going to Cambridge this time. The restaurant chosen for lunch is absolutely miles away from the bowling alley so it seems quite stupid to me when there are restaurants close by. However, not just me choosing. I think there is only one 5 pin bowling alley in Cambridge where once upon a time there were at least 3 to our knowledge. Such a pity they have disappeared.

I have cooked fish in foil several times over the years and always enjoyed the results. Obviously you can select a variety of different fish to make this dish. The recipe was obviously provided by Kraft but I think it sounds very tasty and we will certainly be trying it.

Foil-Pack Fish Florentine for Two

2 servings

What You Need

1 cup instant white rice, uncooked

1 cup warm water

1 halibut fillet (1/2 lb.), cut crosswise in half

2 cups tightly packed baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup KRAFT Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing

1 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

SPOON 1/2 cup rice onto center of each of 2 large sheets of heavy-duty foil with sides slightly turned up. Pour 1/2 cup warm water over each mound of rice; top with 1 fish piece. Arrange spinach around fish; drizzle with dressing.

BRING up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place in single layer in shallow pan.

BAKE 15 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packets; top with cheese.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Substitute

Prepare using any flaky white fish.

Note

If you don't have heavy-duty foil, you can use double-layer sheets of regular foil instead.

Have a great day

Oscars, Heartthrobs, Movie.

It appears The King’s Speech is leading for Oscar nominations with the rest of the film categories as follows”

• Facebook tale The Social Network
• Dance thriller Black Swan
• Boxing drama The Fighter
• Sci-fi blockbuster Inception
• Contemporary family drama The Kids Are All Right
• True-life survival tale 127 Hours
• Animated tale Toy Story 3
• Revamped western True Grit
• Ozarks crime thriller Winter's Bone

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2011/01/25/oscar-nominations.html#ixzz1C5XP9iXf

I haven’t yet seen The King’s Speech but everyone says it’s a great movie, not sure how many say that because they are so enamoured of Colin Firth, LOL. I must say from what I have seen on TV it looks like a good movie. George VI came to the throne before I was born, but I remember him very well in later years. I certainly never knew for years that he had a stutter, I only learned about it long after he was dead.

Talking of Colin Firth, I had no idea who he was when lots of friends were talking about him in throbbing voices *g*, however, I then discovered I have seen him in lots of movies including Nanny McFee which I watched again last night. I hadn’t realised that was Colin Firth and I had seen the movie before. Until I saw the credits last night, I still didn’t know. I am afraid I don’t agree with the statement “the greatest specimen of manhood to walk this earth” which is the way one friend described him. Anyway, I have now arranged to see The King’s Speech tonight with a friend, so I can tell you what I think of the movie.

Not only did I think this looked different, I thought it looked delicious. I suspect we would use the goat cheese as Matt is not to keen on Gorgonzola although I love it.

Caramelized Onion Lasagna

From EatingWell: May/June 2008

This unusual lasagna with portobello mushrooms, sweet onions, spinach and Gorgonzola cheese has a rich, complex flavor. It's also great with goat cheese instead of Gorgonzola, if you prefer.

9 servings

Ingredients

Caramelized Onion Lasagna

• 8 ounces lasagna noodles, preferably whole-wheat

Caramelized Onion Filling

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 large sweet onions, thinly sliced (about 10 cups; see Kitchen Tip)
• 4 medium portobello mushroom caps, gills removed (see Kitchen Tip), diced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Spinach & Cheese Filling

• 4 cups baby spinach
• 2 cups nonfat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

White Sauce & Topping

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups low-fat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot and cover with cool water.
2. To prepare onion filling: Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and very soft, about 25 minutes. (If they begin to stick, add water 1/4 cup at a time to release them and prevent burning.) Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add wine and 1 teaspoon salt and continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pepper.
3. To prepare spinach filling: Place spinach, ricotta, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and process until smooth.
4. To prepare white sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir until bubbling, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until the sauce has the consistency of thick gravy, about 1 minute. Add Gorgonzola and gently whisk until it is melted. Remove from the heat. (The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.)
5. To assemble lasagna: Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
6. Drain the noodles and spread out on a kitchen towel. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in the prepared pan. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread half of the spinach filling over the noodles and top with one-third of the onion filling. Evenly spread 1/2 cup white sauce over the onions. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining spinach filling, half the remaining onion filling and half the remaining white sauce. To finish, top with a third layer of noodles, spread the remaining onion filling over the noodles and then spread or dollop the remaining white sauce on top. Sprinkle with walnuts and basil.
7. Bake until hot and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving : 345 Calories; 14 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 7 g Mono; 9 mg Cholesterol; 39 g Carbohydrates; 16 g Protein; 8 g Fiber; 680 mg Sodium; 514 mg Potassium

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 2 fat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the caramelized onion filling (Step 2) for up to 1 day.

• Kitchen Tip: Onions contain a volatile compound called lachrymator that reacts with the fluid in your eyes and makes them water. To chop them without crying, try wearing goggles, burning a candle nearby or cutting them under cold water. To mellow the bite of a raw onion, soak it for an hour in 1 cup cold water, 1/4 cup vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and then rinse thoroughly.
• Kitchen Tip: The dark gills found on the underside of a portobello mushroom cap are edible, but can turn a dish an unappealing gray/black color. Remove the gills with a spoon, if desired.

Have a great day

Bendy Toys!! Book, Actor.

A friend sent me this link over the weekend. Both Matt and I consider this quite incredible, Matt, being an ex gymnast, was particularly impressed. http://www.jokeroo.com/bin/player.swf?5f9f_f369 Do have a look.

Last night I finished a book called The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. What a powerful novel. In a way I am very sorry to have finished it. It is the story of a Jesuit mission to a planet in the Alpha Centauri system – the party consisted of 4 Jesuits and 4 civilians. They went because a San Juan receiver had picked up the most wonderful music coming from a planet in the area. The expedition ends up in disaster, but how it all happens is an excellent read. The story is predominantly told by the surviving Jesuit priest. If you get the chance, do read it. The author won all kinds of awards for this book which are well deserved. I did find the story a tad slow to get into at the beginning but…….

Oops, now I am in trouble, my friends have been discussing Colin Firth and I hadn’t a clue who he was. I am assured he is the most gorgeous specimen of manhood to walk the earth!!! He has actually just received a Golden Globe award for his role in The King’s Speech. As I have not yet seen that movie and am not sure whether I saw Love Actually, I don’t really know how I would have come across him before. Oh, Google says he played a couple of other roles I must have seen as I did watch Bridget Jones’ Diary, not sure if I saw his version of Pride and Prejudice.

I have always enjoyed Picadillo, the South American ground beef dish, we have made it several times over the years. The following recipe is a new twist on an old theme, its part of their healthy meals series in Eating Well.

Apple Turkey Picadillo

From EatingWell: September/October 2007

This twist on the Latin American staple is made healthier with lean ground turkey and crisp apples. It doubles well. Try tucking it into whole-wheat tortillas or serve over instant brown rice for a quick and healthy supper.

2 servings

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

8 ounces 99%-lean ground turkey

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 medium tart green apple, peeled and chopped

1 cup chopped tomato

3 tablespoons chopped green olives

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup sliced scallion greens

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until soft, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add turkey; cook, stirring and breaking up, until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Stir in cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and cloves; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in vinegar, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in apple, tomato, olives and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring often, until any liquid in the pan has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 8 minutes. Stir in scallion greens and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving : 246 Calories; 8 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 45 mg Cholesterol; 17 g Carbohydrates; 30 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 488 mg Sodium; 360 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 fruit, 4 very lean protein, 1 fat

Have a great day