Julie & Julia – The Book/Movie Review

I finished reading the book version of Julie & Julia earlier today just in time to see the movie tonight.  Before I had even started the book, I had an inkling that the movie was going to be better, and that is not often said of movies made from books.   As a matter of fact, the movie “Julie & Julia” is based on two books – Julie & Julia by Julie Powell, and My Life in France by Julia Child.  (So it was kind of like seeing a movie that I only knew half of already.) The basic premise of the book is of Julie Powell, a crass, arrogant chic living in New York and temping for government agencies stumbles upon Mastering the Art of French Cooking while visiting her mom in Texas, decides to cook all 524 recipes in a year and blog about it each day.  I had high hopes for the movie given Nora Ephron’s direction and my previous liking of her movies. (Think: “You’ve Got Mail” and “Sleepless in Seattle.”)

As I started reading the book, I realized part of my problem:  I did not see Amy Adams as Julie Powell.  Amy Adams is such a likable girl in all her roles; she’s not a snarky, f-bomb dropper who doesn’t care about victims of 9-11.  But I see why her demeanor was changed for the movie – the audience needs a likable protagonist.  End of story.

Here’s my other problem:  In the world of “self-discovery memoirs,” the reader expects some kind of big life change or dramatic revelation by the author at the close of their journey.  Upon finishing the book, my thought was, “Ok, so she cooked through Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year, and I’m still really not sure why exactly, and she’s not even a changed person.”  Because isn’t that the whole purpose behind these projects?

Like I mentioned earlier, the movie also incorporated the memoir My Life in France by Julia Child.  And by incorporated I mean dominated.  Meryl Streep did an amazing job portraying her, which is no surprise. (I know this is very shallow, but I have to be honest – her voice was really getting on my nerves starting halfway through.  I know that’s how she talked though.)   For me it was interesting, though, because I didn’t really know anything about her or her life, other than she was a world-famous television cook and cookbook author.

Together Amy Adams and Meryl Streep make the movie very likable as their respective characters, and food-centered movies are always fun for an aspiring chef like myself.   If you’re sitting here thinking about whether to either read the book or see the movie, I would suggest ditching the book and checking out the movie.  Is it theater-worthy?  Maybe.   Or maybe just wait until next weekend to see “The Time Traveller’s Wife.”

Movie Review: “The Ugly Truth”

Ok, so we all know the basic formula for romantic comedies:  boy meets girl, boy and girl fall for each other despite given complications, just when all seems right they run into a snag and break up, and just when you think they’re destined to be apart, boy or girl (depending on who caused the snag) makes huge  forgive-me gesture and they live happily ever after.   Knowing this formula, I generally base my critique of rom-coms on how unpredictable the movie is while still being realistic, cute and funny.   When I say “unpredictible,” I just mean that most rom-coms are too predictable, and I like it when I don’t have the whole thing figured during the opening credits.  (Case in point:  Ghosts of Girlfriends Past comes to mind, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.) 

So I went to see “The Ugly Truth” starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler with my good movie buddy Sam, and we sat down in the theater with our white cheddar popcorn and peanut butter M&M’s.  When the opening credits began with Katy Perry’s “Hot and Cold” playing against sweeping views of the big city I thought to myself, “Haven’t I seen this already?”  And once Katherine Heigl came on screen as her typical neurotic movie producer self, I realized I had seen it already because isn’t that the only role she plays?  Sam and I talked about how she’s in danger of Jennifer Aniston-ing herself by playing all the same roles.   Now granted, she’s good at that role, but a little variety never hurt anyone.

Despite the slightly predictable plot line, I did find myself laughing quite a bit and enjoying the eye candy on-screen.  But since this is an R comedy, sometimes the jokes felt a little gratuitous and certain lines were only scripted (and repeated) because they could and not because it made a better movie.   Plus, again with the realism – the less silly and the more relatable a movie is, the better.  “The Ugly Truth” gets docked a few points for including a few scenes that don’t fulfill that criteria.  (If you see it, you’ll know what I’m talking about:  baseball scene and restaurant scene.)

In a nutshell, I give “The Ugly Truth” 3 out of 5 stars or being pretty cute and funny but not stunning.

Next up: “(500) Days of Summer” and “Julie & Julia” in a few weeks.  Stay tuned!

A Quick Review of “The Quickie”

I just finished reading “The Quickie” by James Patterson with the encouragement of my mother-in-law.  This book was a really quick read, no pun intended (or maybe it is?), and I devoured it very fast – about two days of camping fast.   “The Quickie” reminded my why I’m a fan of mystery/thriller novels and I realized I should read more.

Without giving too much away, “The Quickie”  revolves around a woman who catches her husband with another woman, seeks revenge, and ends up witnessing a crime that throws her into a web of deceit, lies, and mysterious revelations.

Exciting and page-turning, with plot-twist after plot-twist, “The Quickie” will keep you saying, “Ok, just one more chapter!” – because they’re only about two or three pages each.  However, if you’re looking for character development and deep background story-telling, look elsewhere.   For what it is, though, it is very good.

UP NEXT:  “Julie & Julia” before I see it in the theater!

“Nothing But the Truth” (2008) – On DVD Now

I’m usually not one for political thrillers, but the topic of “Nothing But the Truth” intrigued me so I thought I’d give it a whirl.  “Nothing But the Truth” is the story of a reporter who prints a news story revealing the identity of a CIA operative, and is then jailed when asked to reveal her source and will not do so.  It stars Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon, David Schwimmer, Angela Bassett, Noah Wyle and Vera Farmiga.  The story, which is inspired by true events, is very interesting and the movie is well-paced and holds your attention throughout. I found myself yelling at the TV, “Just give up your source already!” But what I was really impressed with was actress Vera Farmiga’s acting chops.  I hadn’t seen or heard of her before this movie, although she was in “The Departed,” (which I haven’t seen) and a slew of indie films.   (Coincidentally a few days later, I received my Cookie magazine in the mail and she was on the cover, so I got to familiarize myself with her that way. )

Overall, I’d give this movie 3 1/2 stars.  It’s definitely worth renting.

A Summer Treat – Frozen Bananas

This recipe from Food Network chef Aida Mollenkamp makes a great cold dessert during the summer.  It combines the flavors of chocolate, cinnamon, coconut and banana scrumptiously.   I really like the cinnamon and chocolate together, but Dave didn’t, so if you’re not a cinnamon fan then leave it out and they’ll still be great. The ingredients below will yield 6 bananas.

• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 medium bananas, peeled and halved crosswise
• 1 cups toasted flaked coconut
• wooden pop sticks or skewers

Directions

Combine chocolate, cinnamon, and oil in a medium heatproof bowl and set over a pot of simmering water. Stir until mixture is evenly melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Set aside to slightly cool and thicken, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat and insert sticks lengthwise into the center of each banana. Place toasted coconut in a shallow plate.

When chocolate is ready, tilt the bowl, and, working one at a time, dip the bananas evenly into the chocolate mixture. Tilt and turn to coat the banana evenly. Tilt banana so excess chocolate can drip back into the bowl.

When chocolate is just set, roll banana in the toasted coconut and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat to coat all the bananas. Place bananas in freezer to set up, at least 20 minutes.

*Copyright Food Network

What I’m Reading: “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”

Yes, I do read books other than novels.  (Although not very often. haha)  I recently picked up a copy of Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” because of my interest in learning more about the food we eat and how it affects our bodies.   In this book, Pollan takes the reader on a journey down the food chain in his “history of four meals.”

In the first section, Pollan and his family eat a meal from McDonald’s and he traces the meal back to its origins.  He meanwhile discusses the industrialized farm, the impact of corn on the American dinner plate and how how the over-abundance of corn has shaped almost everything we eat.   For example, cows, a naturally grass-fed animal, are now mostly fed corn because it is cheaper for the farmers and makes the cows fatter. Consumers have been led to believe that a well-marbled steak is better, but really it’s just fattier.  (But as Bobby Flay says, “The flavor’s in the fat.”)  However, cows are unable to digest the corn as well as grass, and thus antibiotics are needed to keep them healthy.  Those antibiotic-filled, corn-fed fat industrialized cows are the ones we are eating, unless you go organic or grass-fed.  This is just a very small snapshot of some of the information found in this book.

In the second section, Pollan chooses and prepares a wholly organic meal from Whole Foods and discusses the topic, “Is organic better?”  He traces the origins of Rosie the chicken back to her organic farm in California, as well as the organic asparagus and other food items.  Although it is surprising to read just how similar organic farms are to standard farms, the answer is still yes.  Did you know that organic vegetables, when compared to vegetables grown with pesticides and other chemicals, contain a higher number of polyphenols?  Polyphenols are a group of compounds found in plants that scientists have recently discovered play an important role in human nutrition, like antioxidants and vitamins.  It has been suggested that one reason for this is that plants produce polyphenols to defend themselves against pests, which they wouldn’t need to do if sprayed which chemicals.   Makes sense to me!

I still have about a third of the book left to read, but so far it’s a very intriguing read.  There is so much that most people, Americans specifially, don’t know about what they put into their bodies each day.  Is it a coincidence that we eat so poorly in this country and are so sick at the same?

On a realted note, there is a movie in theatres now (coming soon to the Scottsdale Camelview theater) called “Food, Inc.” that I am dying to see.  “Food, Inc.” is a documentary about exposing America’s industrialized food industry and it’s impact on our health, the environment and much more.  “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” author Michael Pollan is featured in this movie as well.   Watch the trailer here.

I want to encourage anyone reading this post to start considering food choices more conscientiously.  The next time you walk through the produce aisle at the grocery store, take a look at the rows of identical, giant tomatoes and ask yourself how those came to be.  I know that organic produce and other food is more generally more expensive, but I believe it is worth the expense in most cases.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” movie review

I know this review is a little behind the times since Transformers 2 has been in theaters for a few weeks, but I finally got around to seeing it so here’s my thoughts.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” follows Sam & Friends as they save the world from the evil Transformer robots (again).  That’s pretty much all you need to know. I try not to give too much away here. I never saw the first Transformers, but I didn’t think that was going to be a problem for this sequel, and I was right.

First off, I know Michael Bay is synonymous with action-packed, blow-em-up movies, so that’s what I went into this one prepared to see.  And that’s precisely what I got.  What I wasn’t prepared for was the total lack of good writing and nauseating cinematography that resulted.  I know that I can’t go into “Transformers” expecting Oscar-worthy performances from Shia LeBeouf or Megan Fox, but I was at least hoping for a good entertaining summer action movie.  I’m not anti-action movie or anything, because I’ve seen plenty of good ones.  One of it’s problems is the 2 and 1/2 hour run time, which could easily have been cut down to about an hour and 45 minutes or so.   Approaching two hours in, I was ready to throw myself in front of a rogue Decepticon in order to get rid of the headache that developed after two hours of clanging metal on metal.  (Or was it from the over-indulgence in white cheddar popcorn, peanut butter M&M’s and cherry Coke?  Probably both.)  I pretty much think everyone there with me was in agreement that it was just a little too long, a little too loud, and a little too nonsensical to have been worthy of the $200 million that it derived in it’s first weekend.

The final word:  2 stars.

“My Sister’s Keeper” movie review

For those of you who know me, you know that I am a huge movie buff, so I thought I’d include my movie reviews in my “new and improved” blog, in addition to recipes, book reviews, and more.

First up:  “My Sister’s Keeper” – starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Patric and Abigail Breslin. I saw this movie with my fellow movie buff friend Sam, who is including her review at http://thetaoofsam.wordpress.com/

“My Sister’s Keeper” is adapted from the Jodi Picoult novel by the same name.  I am a big Jodi Picoult fan, having read 12 of her 15 novels, and this book is my favorite of hers.  (My Book Club read it a few years back and collectively loved it.) Jodi Picoult novels are known for encompassing moral and ethical dilemmas, relationships issues and courtroom drama, and “My Sister’s Keeper” is chock full of all three.  I actually went in to the movie without much recollection of the many minute details of the book, but instead the general plot lines since it has been a few years since I read it.

This movie can be summed up in one word:  tearjerker.  I pretty much knew this was going to be true going into it, since it was directed by Nick Cassavetes, the director of “The Notebook”, which just happens to be my all-time favorite movie.  (Cliche’? Maybe. I don’t care.)

I don’t want to give away too much away for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, so read ahead and don’t worry about spoilers that you haven’t already seen in the preview.  Although I went in to this one thinking that Cameron Diaz wouldn’t have been my first choice to play the mom character, I actually thought she did a good job with the intense emotion needed to carry the role.  And despite Abigail Breslin being cast in every movie calling for a 10-12 year old girl these days, she’s still an amazing young actress and I was impressed with her once again.   Sofia Vassilieva, as Kate, the leukemia-stricken sister, was heart-wrenchingly sad and happy.

I don’t want to compare the movie with the book too much, however I will say that I enjoyed the movie’s emphasis on the human element of the story rather than the courtroom drama that permeated the book.  That’s where the real story is that the audience connects to – in the relationships between mother and daughter, sister and sister, and husband and wife.   Nick Cassavetes may have overdone the flashback montages set to sappy songs, but in doing this he was able to create that bond for the audience.

This movie made me think about the bonds of family and the choices we make, all the while making me cry into my napkins, and for that I give it 3 1/2 stars.

4th of July Berry Cakes

Berry Cakes

I made this Rachel Ray recipe last year around this time and loved it – they’re kind of a mix between a cupcake and muffin.   I like mixing strawberries and blueberries in these cakes.

• 1 stick unsalted butter , softened
• 3/4 cup plus 1 T granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 2 T heavy cream
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup mixed berries, plus more for garnish

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a muffin pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until pale, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream, vanilla and salt and mix until combined.  Beat in the flour until incorporated.  Using a spatula, gently stir in the berries.

2) Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, about 3/4 full.  Top each cake with a few berries and sprinkle with the remaining 1 T sugar.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few crumbs, 30-35 minutes.  Let cool in the pan, then run a knife around the edges and remove.

Enjoy!

My Favorite Chicken Recipes

Hello all!
I know it’s been quite a long time since I last blogged, but not much new has happened in my kitchen lately. However I had the idea to post some of my favorite chicken recipes since I have tried A LOT of them. I have scaled these down for 2 people. Here we go …

Tangy Chicken
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 T ketchup
2 T soy sauce
1 T sugar
2 T lemon juice
1 t pepper

Heat the oil on medium heat and saute the onion a few minutes. Add the chicken and brown lightly on both sides. Combine remaining ingredients, whisk together and pour over chicken. Bring to a boil. Cover and continue cooking on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, a few minutes per side.

Crunchy Onion Chicken
This is a really simple chicken dish that seems to be really popular, courtesy of the French’s Fried Onion package.

1 cup French’s Fried Onions
1 egg, beaten
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put fried onion pieces in a plastic bag and mash until coarsely ground. Flatten chicken and season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in egg, place in bag and coat with crushed onion. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.