I bit off more than I can chew.
I TRIED to narrow this list to 10 and absolutely could not. I had to settle with 25, lol. The biggest issue here is that most of these are representative of their particular genre (or subgenre). and cannot possibly be compared one to another. How do you compare "Blade Runner" with "Up"? Or even within the same genre, how do you compare "Lord of the Rings" (high fantasy) with "The Princess Bride" (humor fantasy)? You can't. So a quick list in no particular order of movies that I think are "must sees" with short comments (see if your favorite made the list):
Tombstone - Best. Western. Ever. Period. Also, the most quotable thanks to Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday and Power's Boothe's Curly Bill.
Goodfellas - The mob movie to end all mob movies. Screw "The Godfather", this is a true story. And a ruthless one at that. Marty's masterwork.
Almost Famous - The movie that brought Kate Hudson to the world. Funny, touching, brilliantly directed, amazingly acted, and the soundtrack is phenomenal.
Inglorious Bastards - Like "Jackie Brown" and "Kill Bill" before it, Tarantino is only getting better. I like "Django" as well, but the ending fell flat compared to this one. Perfect movie from start to finish.
Inception - So far, this is Nolan's best work to me. There's another on this list that many would say top that list, but I think that's only elevated because of one performance. This is even on performances, but what really stands out are the special effects that were done as practical as possible.
The Dark Knight - Might as well get this one out of the way now. Greatest superhero movie ever. Nothing else even comes close. The entire trilogy is amazing, but is really elevated by the late Heath Ledger. No one will be able to touch The Joker in live action for at least 10 years, if not 20.
Donnie Darko - Twisted and a WTF from beginning to end. Watch the Director's Cut and it will help you make sense of this messed-up tale.
Gladiator - Still holds up as one of my favorites today even though some of the CGI is a bit dated now. Great story, superb cast (Joaquin Phoenix should have gotten the Oscar), and just a beautiful movie. You go through every range of emotion through this movie.
Burn After Reading - I love the Coen Brothers, so this was a tough choice. "Fargo", "True Grit", "No Country For Old Men", and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" were all up there. Had to go with the one that makes me laugh hardest. If you haven't seen it, see it now.
Dial "M" for Murder - How can you have a list like this and not include Hitchcock? There are certainly loads of his movies to choose from, but this an "Suspicion" are my favorites. Dial "M" just edges the other out for being all in one apartment. Mastery.
A Christmas Story - Perfectly encapsulates being a kid at Christmastime better than any other movie. My absolute must Christmas movie.
Rocky Horror Picture Show - Yes, it's a musical...about a transvestite...who's making himself "a man"...but...whatever. It is funny, irreverent, and Tim Curry is electrifying.
Pacific Rim - Guillermo del Toro is one of my favorite directors and if you had asked me over a year ago what would have made this list, it would have been "Pan's Labyrinth". "Pan's" is a little dark and "Pacifc" just is the quintessential big monster movie. Just so much fun and such a detailed world.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - It is a testament to this movie that it knocked any Bond movie out of my list for a spy thriller. Every time I watch it, something new emerges.
Bram Stoker's Dracula - Definitive Dracula/vamipire movie. Too bad Keanu Reeves is in it.
His Girl Friday - More rapid-fire comments per minute than any movie in history, look it up.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Funny as hell. Gave Robert Downy, Jr. his start back and was the gateway for him getting "Iron Man". Watch it and you will see why.
Princess Bride - One of the most quotable movies ever.
Brotherhood of the Wolf - Part horror, part mystery, part "historical" drama. Kind of an Americanized foreign film, but amazing. Lots of other foreign films I love (like "Amelie"), but I keep going back to this one.
Exorcist - Scariest movie ever made. Hands down. Deal with it.
Empire Records - I've said it once, I've said it 100 times: it isn't a well made movie, but I love it! No plot, per se, just one quotable line right after another. Essential 90's movie.
Lord of the Rings Trilogy - Best of high fantasy except maybe for "Game of Thrones". Tolkein shaped our perception of fantasy and this is the movie adaptation of why.
Alien - Claustrophobia, scares, plot twists; it has it all. Started a whole new genre and has been relevant for over 30 years now.
Blade Runner - See above, lol. Notice this is the 3rd Ridley Scott film. Not a coincidence.
Up - I conclude with an animated feature. I change animated movies that I love like I change my underwear ("Roger Rabbit", "Aladdin", "Sword in the Stone", "Emperor's New Groove")...at least I did before "Up". Pixar at its best showing how dogs really must think. I still laugh hysterically for a good 15 minutes of it from the introduction of Dug to the 3 chasing him. Love it.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Food Blog Conundrum
This post is going to be fairly short, but expect a Tuesday Top 10 before the end of the day.
Recently a friend of mine asked a question when I was trying to come up with a theme for a Top 10 (and you know who you are). "You haven't done anything with food in a while, why not?" Ha asked. This is the same person that complimented how well this blog is written, so I could not really be mad. Well, the answer was a little complicated and I actually did not get into the long of it, but I will now.
The short answer was that I had been truly inspired by anything in a while and that film ones are actually a little easier to come up with. The long answer is that maintaining a food blog is incredibly expensive, time consuming, and, honestly, there are so many good ones out there to compete with.
First things first, I do not claim to come up with any recipe on here from scratch. I just can't do that. I am generally complimented on my cooking quite a bit, but nothing I make is from the ground up my recipe. Generally what I end up doing is picking up little things here and there from shows I watch religiously (i.e. "Martha Bakes", "Martha Stewart's Cooking School", "Pati's Mexican Table", "The Chew", and of course "Good Eats") and incorporating them into other recipes.
Like I've said before, I ALWAYS do the recipe as is first, then start messing with it or blending it with other recipes to get the best result IMHO. That's the thing, though, taste is purely subjective. I may like things sweeter than you do, think things are too salty when you don't, (<-use a="" added="" alton="" an="" and="" as="" brine="" brown="" but="" comma="" dammit="" do="" don="" flavor="" for="" garlic="" ginger="" his="" i="" if="" in="" instance="" integral="" is="" it.="" it="" just="" like="" lots="" loves="" of="" omit="" or="" oxford="" p="" recipe="" recipes.="" several="" t.="" t="" the="" too="" turkey="" uses="" you="">
But I digress. I will get on a mission to perfect something and will try recipe after recipe taking bits from one or another and techniques from YouTube videos until I have achieved nirvana for that recipe (an example of this will be the tiramisu I make which I will share later this week). A few months back I was on a mission to create a perfect corn dog. I failed miserably. I could not get the texture and flavor down. I finally gave up and went and bought frozen ones that I deep fried to perfection. I won't be trying that one again. Although I did find the perfect onion ring in the process (add some garlic powder and pepper to the flour and use panko bread crumbs)!
Other times I look for ways to simplify and quicken a recipe without losing flavor so that I don't have to cook all damn day. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook and it relaxes me, but after a long day of work I don't want so spend another 8 hours doing spaghetti or fettuccine alfredo (recipe to come).
So, this stuff takes an inordinate amount of time and money and I end up falling back on some of my standards or recipes that don't require any tinkering, so there's no reason to post it here, because it isn't my recipe or it is already on here, lol.
I hope this gives you some insight into why it takes a while between cooking posts. I do have some I'd like to post in the near future. Some are listed somewhere above and some are not, but I promise to have them up fairly soon. I do wonder if I should just take the food out altogether, but I think at least a couple of people would kill me for taking down some of these recipes.
Recently a friend of mine asked a question when I was trying to come up with a theme for a Top 10 (and you know who you are). "You haven't done anything with food in a while, why not?" Ha asked. This is the same person that complimented how well this blog is written, so I could not really be mad. Well, the answer was a little complicated and I actually did not get into the long of it, but I will now.
The short answer was that I had been truly inspired by anything in a while and that film ones are actually a little easier to come up with. The long answer is that maintaining a food blog is incredibly expensive, time consuming, and, honestly, there are so many good ones out there to compete with.
First things first, I do not claim to come up with any recipe on here from scratch. I just can't do that. I am generally complimented on my cooking quite a bit, but nothing I make is from the ground up my recipe. Generally what I end up doing is picking up little things here and there from shows I watch religiously (i.e. "Martha Bakes", "Martha Stewart's Cooking School", "Pati's Mexican Table", "The Chew", and of course "Good Eats") and incorporating them into other recipes.
Like I've said before, I ALWAYS do the recipe as is first, then start messing with it or blending it with other recipes to get the best result IMHO. That's the thing, though, taste is purely subjective. I may like things sweeter than you do, think things are too salty when you don't, (<-use a="" added="" alton="" an="" and="" as="" brine="" brown="" but="" comma="" dammit="" do="" don="" flavor="" for="" garlic="" ginger="" his="" i="" if="" in="" instance="" integral="" is="" it.="" it="" just="" like="" lots="" loves="" of="" omit="" or="" oxford="" p="" recipe="" recipes.="" several="" t.="" t="" the="" too="" turkey="" uses="" you="">
But I digress. I will get on a mission to perfect something and will try recipe after recipe taking bits from one or another and techniques from YouTube videos until I have achieved nirvana for that recipe (an example of this will be the tiramisu I make which I will share later this week). A few months back I was on a mission to create a perfect corn dog. I failed miserably. I could not get the texture and flavor down. I finally gave up and went and bought frozen ones that I deep fried to perfection. I won't be trying that one again. Although I did find the perfect onion ring in the process (add some garlic powder and pepper to the flour and use panko bread crumbs)!
Other times I look for ways to simplify and quicken a recipe without losing flavor so that I don't have to cook all damn day. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook and it relaxes me, but after a long day of work I don't want so spend another 8 hours doing spaghetti or fettuccine alfredo (recipe to come).
So, this stuff takes an inordinate amount of time and money and I end up falling back on some of my standards or recipes that don't require any tinkering, so there's no reason to post it here, because it isn't my recipe or it is already on here, lol.
I hope this gives you some insight into why it takes a while between cooking posts. I do have some I'd like to post in the near future. Some are listed somewhere above and some are not, but I promise to have them up fairly soon. I do wonder if I should just take the food out altogether, but I think at least a couple of people would kill me for taking down some of these recipes.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Top 10 Tuesday-Good Eats
Anyone who knows me, knows that when it comes to cooking, I worship the ground that Alton Brown from "Good Eats" walks on. I've only come across one or two recipes of his that I didn't like and I've done LOADS of his recipes. So, today I'm going to list my top 10 recipes from Good Eats (and, yes, there are lots of desserts) that I've tried and probably tweaked slightly (which I will provide the tweaks). This could change, of course, since I'm always trying a new one here and there. These are in no particular order, but I must say, I always get rave reviews for the first two.
NOTE: I always recommend doing the original recipe first EXACTLY AS IT IS WRITTEN then make modifications the 2nd time. Even if you don't think an ingredient will taste good or is even necessary, it may be.
Fried Chicken
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fried-chicken-recipe.html
If you look in the history of this blog, the full recipe (as well as tweaks) is in April of 2013, but basically, I use lard to fry with, use smoked paprika, and add some onion powder.
Spaghetti Bolognese
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/meat-sauce-and-spaghetti-recipe.html
Also in the history of this blog in May of 2013, because the original recipe takes a VERY long time, but I've simplified it without losing much of the flavor. I recommend original Prego sauce, btw.
The Chewy
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-chewy-recipe.html
Best chocolate chip cookies EVER! No adjustments necessary, except I usually press them down slightly with the palm of my hand once I dish them out. Definitely chill them (I usually make a little well in the middle so that it chills evenly) and use a disher to portion. If chewy isn't your thing, there is one for Puffy (cake-like) and Thin (thin and crispy). There is a gluten free recipe available too (for the chewy anyway).
Panzanella
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tbl-panzanella-recipe.html
Essentially, this is a BLT in salad form. Especially if you cut back on the tomatoes by almost half (I think it is a bit much otherwise), increase the bacon by about 2 slices (use thick, peppered bacon too), and add about a tablespoon of mayo to the dressing. Also, use challah bread if you want a light and airy bread cube instead of a dense one.
Creme Brulee
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/creme-brulee-recipe.html
Easiest and best brulee you will ever have. No real changes. Just be sure and use a vanilla bean and the vanilla sugar. Oh and a water bath is essential when baking it.
Chicken Fried Steak
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chicken-fried-steak-recipe.html
No changes here either. Just don't trust a recipe if it calls it "country fried steak". :)
Cheesecake
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sour-cream-cheesecake-recipe.html
No changes here either. This isn't New York style cheesecake, just so you know. Just don't rush anything. As Alton says, "your patience will be rewarded."
Roasted Turkey
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe.html
This one is a bit tricky because I use 2 recipes, actually. I use the brine (replacing half the vegetable stock with apple cider and omitting the ginger) from the above recipe, stuff it with a quartered apple, a couple of garlic cloves, a cinnamon stick, a quartered onion and a celery stalk microwaved for a minute or two with 1/3c water, then BAKE using the method from here (but I truss the bird too):
Perfect every time.
Baby Back Ribs
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/who-loves-ya-baby-back-recipe.html
No mods here either other than I up the garlic a bit, but I can't get enough garlic.
Tres Leche Cake
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tres-leche-cake-recipe.html
New to my repertoire,but definitely a favorite. Use La Lechera evaporated and condensed milks if you can get them and I suggest cutting the sugar in the whipped cream down to 6 oz or less, it's just too sweet otherwise (to me, anyway).
A couple of honorable mentions:
Roasted brocolli (use Italian dressing in a pinch), pound cake (follow the recipe EXACTLY and before you add the dry it will look curdled, but that is ok), daiquiri (not that frozen crap, the real thing. Adjust the syrup to your liking and pour into a Coke for a Cuba Libre!), and last but not least bread and butter pickles.
Try and let me know if you like any of them!
NOTE: I always recommend doing the original recipe first EXACTLY AS IT IS WRITTEN then make modifications the 2nd time. Even if you don't think an ingredient will taste good or is even necessary, it may be.
Fried Chicken
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fried-chicken-recipe.html
If you look in the history of this blog, the full recipe (as well as tweaks) is in April of 2013, but basically, I use lard to fry with, use smoked paprika, and add some onion powder.
Spaghetti Bolognese
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/meat-sauce-and-spaghetti-recipe.html
Also in the history of this blog in May of 2013, because the original recipe takes a VERY long time, but I've simplified it without losing much of the flavor. I recommend original Prego sauce, btw.
The Chewy
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-chewy-recipe.html
Best chocolate chip cookies EVER! No adjustments necessary, except I usually press them down slightly with the palm of my hand once I dish them out. Definitely chill them (I usually make a little well in the middle so that it chills evenly) and use a disher to portion. If chewy isn't your thing, there is one for Puffy (cake-like) and Thin (thin and crispy). There is a gluten free recipe available too (for the chewy anyway).
Panzanella
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tbl-panzanella-recipe.html
Essentially, this is a BLT in salad form. Especially if you cut back on the tomatoes by almost half (I think it is a bit much otherwise), increase the bacon by about 2 slices (use thick, peppered bacon too), and add about a tablespoon of mayo to the dressing. Also, use challah bread if you want a light and airy bread cube instead of a dense one.
Creme Brulee
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/creme-brulee-recipe.html
Easiest and best brulee you will ever have. No real changes. Just be sure and use a vanilla bean and the vanilla sugar. Oh and a water bath is essential when baking it.
Chicken Fried Steak
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chicken-fried-steak-recipe.html
No changes here either. Just don't trust a recipe if it calls it "country fried steak". :)
Cheesecake
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sour-cream-cheesecake-recipe.html
No changes here either. This isn't New York style cheesecake, just so you know. Just don't rush anything. As Alton says, "your patience will be rewarded."
Roasted Turkey
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe.html
This one is a bit tricky because I use 2 recipes, actually. I use the brine (replacing half the vegetable stock with apple cider and omitting the ginger) from the above recipe, stuff it with a quartered apple, a couple of garlic cloves, a cinnamon stick, a quartered onion and a celery stalk microwaved for a minute or two with 1/3c water, then BAKE using the method from here (but I truss the bird too):
Baby Back Ribs
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/who-loves-ya-baby-back-recipe.html
No mods here either other than I up the garlic a bit, but I can't get enough garlic.
Tres Leche Cake
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/tres-leche-cake-recipe.html
New to my repertoire,but definitely a favorite. Use La Lechera evaporated and condensed milks if you can get them and I suggest cutting the sugar in the whipped cream down to 6 oz or less, it's just too sweet otherwise (to me, anyway).
A couple of honorable mentions:
Roasted brocolli (use Italian dressing in a pinch), pound cake (follow the recipe EXACTLY and before you add the dry it will look curdled, but that is ok), daiquiri (not that frozen crap, the real thing. Adjust the syrup to your liking and pour into a Coke for a Cuba Libre!), and last but not least bread and butter pickles.
Try and let me know if you like any of them!
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