Hello friends! I made Bridget Jones’s Salmon as a nod to our latest film club event. We are continuing to meet through iso. Only now we meet via Zoom. It is a nice way to catch up and see each other. And I am running out of things to watch so having a film club choice is always good!!! Last meeting was my choice and the random category I drew was Rom-Com. Now I am not a big fan of said genre so it actually threw me into a bit of a panic!
My first and initially only choice was Two Days in Paris, which is a film I absolutely love! Plus I thought, by having a couple that are together at the start, it subverts the whole boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl which is one of the things I find so formulaic and boring in most rom-coms. Plus, you know…
Paris 😍
And Adam Goldberg 😍😍
And Julie Delpy 😍😍😍
Have you seen it? It hits so many of the things I love I feel like the makers tapped deep within my psyche to find all that was good. And then turned it into a movie!
Turns out though that 2DIP is not currently available on any of the streaming services or for rental on the Googs, or YouTube. And of course, my fine upstanding friends and I would never stoop to illegally downloading films (🙄) so as a choice it was null and void. Which left me here…
Until I remembered Bridget Jones! I loved the book and the film! I was a bit worried though because I thought at half of film club would hate it. But, even though parts of it have dated horribly, everyone really enjoyed it. There is something about living in iso that I think makes people crave the familiar and watching Bridge was like wrapping myself in a warm and comforting blanket!
If you are looking for entertainment, I can heartily endorse you watching Bridget Jones Diary. It was the perfect antidote to the bad news and gloom of the daily news.
In the spirit of not going out to buy items I did not have and not wasting ingredients I do have I made two substitutions to the original recipe in my version:
I had no celery so I left it out altogether
I had no currants so I subbed in some barberries I found in the back of the cupboard. And yes, I am the weirdo that has barberries in the back of their cupboard. I am actually very sad because the little shop I used to buy them from has closed. I am treating the ones I have left like gold until I can find somewhere else that sells them!
When Life Give You Lemons…
So, in response to the virus and a big drop in revenue, my work has cut hours for most people. So as of now, I am working four days a week. I feel absolutely no rancour in relation to this decision which I honestly think was done to save jobs. It sucks because I am one of those lucky people who actually love what they do, and I was actually had more work to do in response to the changing conditions.
But my loss sweet readers is your gain because I have been wanting to post more on here for ages. Having that one extra day where I am not working means I will have more time to spend doing this. I also am in the process of making list of all those things I said I would do “if only I had the time” and I am going to get cracking on that. I fully intend to make my additional day off a blessing and not a curse!
Stay safe, stay indoors and take care. And let me know what Rom-com you would have chosen!
These triple cheese and triple onion empanadas were inspired by two events. The first was my visit to Tasmania in January. There was a stall selling triple cheese and onion empanadas at the Salamanca Markets. I didn’t eat any because I was full of scallop pie but the memory stayed with me. The second inspiration was one of our Film Club pics. And the third, oh yeah, I forgot to mention at the start that there was a third.
It’s empanadas? Hell yeah!
The three kinds of cheese I used for the empanadas were feta, smoked cheddar and parmesan.
And the three onions were Spanish, Spring and leek.
This was the documentary choice in our first round (we are now about to start round 2) and it was a brilliant choice from one of my friends. I had never even heard of this film before this but I was so glad Film Club brought it to my attention.
The film begins with three young men, discovering that they were triplets who were separated at birth and adopted out to different families. Their reunion is the stuff of media wet dreams and the boys achieve a degree of fame with numerous froth pieces showing them dressing the same, talking the same, moving in unison, etc. And initially you think this is all the film is going to be about….how are they the same? How did their different upbringings make them different? What is nature, what is nurture?
Except it doesn’t quite turn out like that because the film then takes a dark turn. And just as you are recovering from that twist? It takes an even darker turn. I’m not going to spoil… but the end? OMG! I don’t think I have ever been that angry at the end of a film before. Talk about the heart of darkness.
I think this is a really clever piece of film making, the timing and pacing is perfect, the story being told is totally compelling. I can highly recommend this film. Except be prepared to be FURIOUS at the end.
If you are watching at home, my triple cheese and triple onion empanadas would make a great movie snack.
I can also heartily recommend the Aji Pique ( a Colombian hot sauce) I made to go with the empanadas. The recipe stated that in Colombia, they use this oosauce on everything fish, eggs, meat, chicken and I can totally see why!
For the empanadas it adds a sharp, spicy tang that complements the smoky cheesy filling and the crisp pastry.
Next weekend, why not bake up a batch of these empanadas and watch Three Identical Strangers?
December 31st not only marks the end of the year but also the birthday of actor Anthony Hopkins. Let’s celebrate both events with a delicious recipe from Zach Neil’s The Nightmare Before Dinner called…well you already know… Silence of the Lamb Chops! This was the very first recipe I wanted to cook from this book because, for me, Silence of The Lambs is a perfect film.
The actors are stunning, the direction is flawless, the script is tight, the cinematography is en pointe. For my mind, Silence of the Lambs has no weak link. Plus…and this one I could be wrong on this one but in my mind, Hannibal Lector defined a new type of movie villain. Intelligent, eloquent, charming…he is a bit Hans Gruberesque….but at the end of the day, however, suave Gruber was, we were all happy when he fell to his death. No one wants Hannibal to die. We’re glad he escapes. And let’s be clear. He is a monster. And therein lies the magic of the Silence of the Lambs.
I had thought I’d taken a million photos of the Silence of the Lamb Chops.
I totally did. It was so good. The chops are marinated in olive oil, garlic, rosemary and apple cider then grilled. They are served with a mushroom and apple sauce which was great. An unusual combination but it worked really well with the lamb. This is then drizzled with a glaze made from raspberry preserves and soy sauce which is again an odd combination but works well. The Silence Of The Lamb Chops is like a flavour explosion. There is the herby, fattiness of the lamb set against the earthiness of the mushrooms and the apple. The sweet and salty raspberry soy sauce acts as a highlight, a little oomph!
I served mine on a bed of mashed potatoes which added a creamy element. If you wanted to though, you could serve it….
Here’s the recipe:
And here’s my only other photo:
So, it’s the end of the year. Time for me say a massive
to you all for reading and commenting and being a part of my tiny corner of the internet. It’s been another amazing year. I think my highlight was Pieathalon in London and getting to share pies with fellow pieathletes Jenny from Silver Screen Suppers and Battenberg Belle.
Stay tuned for 2019, I think it’s going to be just as much fun!
Have a great week And a fabulous New Year.
May all your dreams and wishes come true. Love you lots!
Yippy Ki Yay People of the World! I joined a film club. And, to celebrate, I made a very down low version of Jane Rocca’s Nakatomi Towers cocktail. The original recipe contains fancypants ingredients like Shochu and yuzu but two days before Christmas, I have enough to do without trying to source either of them so we’re going basic. And you know what? My version is delicious!
So, my work team decided to form a film club! One of my work buddies had 12 themes for films and there are six of us, so we each got randomly allocated a theme and a time. Turned out…I was up first. With the theme of “Blockbuster”. It was actually one of the easier themes. I flirted with Home Alone for the seasonality, and Inception because it made the bucks. But when we talk blockbuster and this time of year? There can only be one!
Ah, Die Hard…I had not seen Die Hard for many a year and, truth be told, I was wondering whether it would stand the test of time. It does! I made some popcorn and spent a rainy Sunday afternoon totally absorbed in the antics of John McLaine, Hans Gruber and co. So absorbed that I then watched A Good Day To Die Hard which is the only one of the franchise I own. Don’t do that, it’s terrible. But Die Hard the original – awesome!
Then, during the week, I happened to be flicking through the pages of Jane Rocca’s The Fashionable Cocktail (I can thoroughly recommend it) and I came across the recipe for a cocktail called Nakatomi Towers…and this post was born!
This is the original recipe but the shops at this time of year are a hot mess and even if I was willing to brave the great unwashed, given I have never seen a yuzu in my life, my chances of finding one on the eve of Christmas eve were slim. My tiny local bottle-o had Sake so that was going to sub in for the Shochu and I had a grapefruit in the house. I also don’t see the reason for simple syrup if you are going to add lemonade so we can cut that step out too…It’s Christmas, we’re all busy, let’s not take time consuming steps unless they are absolutely necessary right??
I do like the thought of muddled apricots though!
Okay Hans, sure whatever. Calm the farm down dude. It’s Christmas! Have a cocktail and enjoy!
Let’s get to the recipe shall we? Are we good to go?
Add some ice cubes, the sake and the grapefruit juice to the shaker.
Shake it like a polaroid picture.
Put fresh ice cubes into a glass.
Strain the apricot / sake mixture into the glass.
Top with lemonade.
Garnish with a slice of apricot, a wedge of grapefruit and a maraschino cherry.
Take a sip and murmer “Yippy Kay Yay!”
I really like the kind of funkiness the sake brings to the Nakatomi Towers. It works really well against the sweetness of the apricots, the tanginess of the lemonade and the bitter of grapefruit. For a cocktail that I “dumbed” down the flavours are quite complex. And not heavy on the booze so if you want to have more than one it’s….
So tell me… What movie would you have chosen given the theme “Blockbuster”?
And where do you stand on Die Hard being a Christmas movie?
For the record? In my opinion – it’s a movie set at Christmas, not a Christmas movie. But let the debate begin!
We are having a lovely spurt of late summer…OMG, it’s autumn now….warm weather, just perfect for enjoying this delicious rhubarb, rose and passionfruit sorbet.
Let’s talk about it shall we?
It’s fruity, tangy and not too sweet so incredibly refreshing on a hot day.
It is the most glorious shade of pink.
The passionfruit and rose water make it smell like a summer garden.
It has a Rhubarb Almond Shard
And is sprinkled with Rhubarb Crumble Dust
And for the cherry on the top, it’s got…well…a cherry on the top.
I based this recipe on the Rhubarb and Rose Sorbet in Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s River Cottage, Light and Easy which was my selection when we did a stint on Celebrity Chefs for Tasty Reads. I usually find Hugh very engaging, hence choosing the book, however I admit I have struggled with it a bit. I’m all for dairy and wheat free however it just seemed like a bit of a chore, not to mention expense to have to buy new ingredients for just about every dish – this one has buckwheat flour, that one had chestnut flour, the other had chickpea flour. Never even mind the expense. Who has the space?
But I pretty much had everything for the sorbet, except the rhubarb already. I also had a little passionfruit left over from the Valentine’s Day Soufflé so I popped that in as well.
6 Week Challenges
These have been a bit of a disaster. I downloaded an update to my phone weekend before last. And it killed it. #epicfailnexus5 The phone would no longer read the sim card. So after spending the weekend trying every fix available on Google on Monday I got a new sim card, even though I kind of already knew it wasn’t the sim card. On Tuesday the phone went in for a service. Then there was a WEEK of daily calls of “Is it fixed? “Is it fixed? Is it fixed?” Then after seven days they said “Oh, we now know it’s not hardware, it’s software” and they got a “I KNOW IT’S NOT HARDWARE I TOLD YOU IT WASN’T HARDWARE ONE WEEK AGO. YOU HAVE SPENT A WEEK WASTING MY TIME AND YOUR TIME. JUST PUT IT BACK TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THE UPDATE” And an hour later it was fixed. Seriously I hate being such a bitch to service people. But really. A week.
A week where, I was without my meditation app and my flexibility app. So they fell by the wayside. I downloaded some mediation podcasts to my ipod. Which promptly broke.
Oh and my car wouldn’t start this morning.
Technology hates me.
On the more positive side, my March resolution of 6 weeks without Candy Crush is going amazingly well!
Silver linings!
I’m starting a new challenge today:
The Persiana Project
As of now, I have 32 dishes left to cook from the very many I marked as “Want To Cook” in Persiana. Sabrina Ghayour’s new book comes out in 50 days. Technically, I can cook them all between now and then. Realistically, it is unlikely however, to raise the stakes, I have made a deal with myself not to by Sirocco until I have cooked the 32. And I REALLY want that new book.
We’re going to be eating a LOT of Middle Eastern Food over the next few weeks. I can’t wait!
Reading
The Shut Eye – Belinda Bauer
Loved it – a great thriller about a missing child and a suspect psychic.
When We Were Invincible – Jonathan Harnisch
I feel really bad about saying that I am not enjoying this because it seems quite ungrateful seeing as I got it for free off Net Galley. But I am half way through and I ‘m really struggling. The plot…what there is of it….revolves around a teenager who suffers from Tourette’s and his life at an elite prep school. I’m finding it all bit too stream of consciousness-y; with not nearly enough context for me to be able to enjoy the story.
Ummmm….let me think of some positives….
It’s very likely a very real description of being in the head of someone who is mentally ill.
It’s short.
I love the cover.
Watching
I watched the movie Compliance and it totally ooked me out. Seriously, watching it made me feel dirty. Several times I wanted to turn it off because it was painful to watch. Having said that I would actually recommend it. But be warned it is TOUGH going. It will also make you question every person who ever calls you on the phone. Not a bad thing really seeing as it is based on true.
Then I watched The Breakfast Club. Damn, I love that movie! And it made everything all right with the world again. And I spent about three days walking around singing “Hey, hey, hey, hey….”
I’m still not trusting anyone who calls me who is not on my speed dial though.
Cooking
I haven’t been cooking much as I have been working all the hours! I have been living on toast or things from the freezer. Hopefully things will slow down soon because next week I have marked out to cook:
Margaret Fulton’s Quail in Vine Leaves with Muscat Grapes
18 Rhubarb Crumble boiled lollies (or any fruit flavoured boiled lollies)
100g flaked almonds
Oil
To Serve
Ice Cream Cones
Maraschino Cherries
Instructions
Trim the rhubarb and cut into 3-4cm lengths. Place in a large saucepan with the caster sugar and the orange juice.
Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the rhubarb is completely soft. Puree in the pan until smooth.
When cool, stir in the passionfruit.
Taste and add the icing sugar as required.
Stir in the rosewater. Start at about 1/4 teaspoon and add it gradually until you get your desired level of rosiness.
Chill until cold and churn in an ice cream maker until soft set, then transfer to a freezer container and freeze until cold. Alternatively, pour the mixture into a freezer container and freeze for an hour. Then remove from the freezer and break up the frozen sides, pushing them into the softer centre. Return to the freezer and repeat every hour until the mixture is soft-set.
Then let it freeze solid.
Rhubarb Crumble Dust
Place the boiled lollies in your blender and grind into a powder.
Remove a third of the mixture to sprinkle over the top of your sorbet as your dust.
Almond Shard
Heat your oven to 180C
Line a baking tray with baking paper and lightly grease. I used coconut oil.
Sprinkle the paper with the almonds, then with the remaining crushed lolly powder.
Place in the oven until the lollies melt.
Remove from the oven and all to cool.
Break into shards
To Serve
Place two scoops of sorbet into an ice cream cone.
Sprinkle a teaspoon over the Rhubarb Crumble Dust over the icecream, stab with an Almond Shard and top with a cherry.
Enjoy!
Have a great week! And let me know what you’ve been cooking, reading, watching!
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