Hyperbolic ruminations on food and film
I am blessed with three wonderful sisters, Diane, Jeanye and Ruth. They came into my life in my 20’s, when my mother remarried after my father died. I’ve had many wonderful and hilarious times with all three ever since. They are the best. Jeanye and I are addicted to cards and will play for hours […]
Read MoreIt’s been a different year for movies. A good friend of mine noted there didn’t seem to be any big ‘Oscar movies’, nothing that screamed Must see! or that has a lock on Best Picture… and that is true. But for me, this has been a good thing. In an age where so many movies are huge depressing […]
Read MoreFrom Thanksgiving stuffing to Christmas Cocktails, ’tis the season! I have a number of blog posts lined up but have been so busy I cannot find time to finish any of them. Sounds like a good New Years Resolution… “Finish Blog Posts!” Of course the effect any resolution has on me is less than nil. […]
Read MoreStuffing! There are few things I love more than Thanksgiving. And there are few things I love more on Thanksgiving than stuffing. Just in time for the big day, then, a stuffing post. Or do you call it dressing?? We grew up calling it stuffing. Even though we never stuffed a bird. My mom thought it […]
Read MoreMiles: Sometimes I hurt things. And sometimes at night… when everything was dark…. they screamed. One of the most famous literary mysteries of all time revolves around the unspeakable secrets swirling through Henry James’ classic ghost story, The Turn Of The Screw. Published in 1898, the novella is told mostly in the form of a remembrance by […]
Read MorePeople keep asking which cookbooks they should buy. If you take a look at the photo below, you can see I am as good as person to ask as any! So I decided I would do a few posts about how to practically build your cookbook library. It should be noted that the photo below was taken […]
Read MoreLast year I wrote about Cookbook Night, a day/night when my great friend Tiffiny and I pick a cookbook we’ve not tried, spend all day making many dishes out of the cookbook, then have people over to gorge on the new recipes. We’ve been doing this for a while; it’s a day the two of us can […]
Read MoreTime for another yearly post that is always popular: summer book recommendations. I’ve been tearing through a stack of novels the last few weeks and have come across some true finds. Hopefully there will be one or two you might find as enjoyable. MICHAEL KORTYA I have two picks from Michael Kortya, whose two last novels, The […]
Read MoreLast year’s ‘Food for your 4th‘ was such a hit, I figured I might as well give you more choices. Hopefully posting in time to prep for your celebration, here are some favorites that cannot be beat! DESSERT *CAFE GRATITUDE’S RAW LEMON CHEESECAKE This year, let’s start with the sweet. Let me introduce you to a wonderful […]
Read MoreGame Of Thrones is like standing behind a mean horse who kicks you in the head, over and over. A friend walks up and says ‘What are you doing?” KICK. You say, “I’m standing behind a horse who keeps kicking me in the head.” KICK. Your friend asks, “Doesn’t that hurt?” KICK. You say, “Are […]
Read MoreWell, this was a no-brainer for On Food And Film. Just released is the best movie about food in many a year, written and directed by Jon Favreau, presently one of Hollywood’s more successful directors. My friend Teresa Lundy encouraged me to see it and I’m glad she did! “Chef” is a relaxed and unhurried yet […]
Read MoreIt’s time again for a little Southern Catholic guilt to encourage (shame) you away from the pre-made and towards something homemade, healthier… and better! It’s Volume III of ‘Never, Ever, Ever…!” Just what you have been waiting for, I am sure. As a reminder, Vol. I involved vinaigrette. Vol. II was broth. Today I give you Vol. III…tomato sauce! […]
Read More“I am not alone.” Darren Aronofsky’s depiction of the story of Noah from Genesis hit the theaters Friday and, my, has it stirred up a ruckus. Well, any time the Bible is depicted onscreen there tends to be a ruckus. Even Cecil B DeMille’s The Ten Commandments caused some drama in its day, though Christians […]
Read MoreMany people justifiably went ballistic last fall over the opening shot of Gravity, a 17 minute tour de force by Alfonse Cuaron, Sandra Bullock and company. It’s one humdinger of a shot and will be regarded as one of cinema’s great triumphs for years to come. Gravity’s opening shot, however, has nothing on the dizzying, electrifying long takes […]
Read MoreI’ve never done an Oscar post but, hey, this half a film blog, it’s time for a new post and the nominations came out this morning. If you need a primer on who is nominated, click here. BEST PICTURE If you read my last post, 2013 In Review, you read about my favorite films of […]
Read MoreI’m having a difficult time believing it is ‘that time of year’ again. Time seems to move so fast. 2013 may have zipped by much too quickly but not without encountering great food and film that deserves mention. Behold, my second annual ‘best of’ list, with the usual extras. FILM Movies first! 2013 was terrific for cinema. […]
Read MoreEven though it is freezing cold and there are no fresh spring or summer vegetables flooding farmers’ markets and grocery stores, you can still enjoy one of life’s greatest pleasures: the salad. I’ve been a fanatic for salad as long as I can remember, all kinds. Even the simplest of salads, correctly prepared, can be […]
Read MoreI wanted to give you a few ideas for Thanksgiving, easily my favorite holiday of the year. I wrote last year about Christmas which, as an overall season, certainly is the my favorite. But when it comes to a single holiday, Thanksgiving reigns supreme. There is no better day to throw open wide the doors […]
Read More3 years ago I traveled to France with my great friend, the lovely Stacey Batzer, for a week long cooking class with Patricia Wells, about whom I’ve written here. The entire week remains a highlight of my cooking adventures, in part because of all the people we met in our group. One of the couples in […]
Read MoreI grew up in one of those neighborhoods that now must seem alien to many. We had a lot of kids in the neighborhood, quite a few my own age and we all pretty much ran free with little or no oversight. In the summertime, for instance, it was not strange to leave home after […]
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