Roasted Chiles

Oh man, I love Poblano Chiles!

I love the dark green color (wouldn't a scarf be great in that color?). I love the shape of them, the odor and the all the yummy dishes you can make with them!

I bought a couple of Poblanos the other day thinking I would make some Chile Rellenos (my all-time favorite Mexican dish!). But, as often happens in our house, our refrigerator is so packed with goodies, I kind of forget what I have tucked inside the drawers and behind the milk.

So, yesterday, I found these two Poblanos-- poor things-- almost over the hill, but not quite! I cut out the soft spots and decided to cut them into strips and roast them.
It's easy. Wash the chiles and cut them into strips. Put them on a rack and put them under the broiler until they're charred. I set my timer for 2 minutes so I can remember to check on them. (Why is it that it's so difficult to remember you have something under the broiler??)

After the chiles are charred, put them in a plastic bag to steam for 5 or 10 minutes.

Remove the skins from the chiles with your hands.
There you have it - ready for eating!

There are lots of dishes in which you can use these roasted chiles. You can make a simple Quesadilla Rajas by grilling some onions and putting the onions and chiles in a tortilla with cheese and grilling until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is toasty. Yum!

Or, click here for Rajas con Crema... this is one I'm going to have to try!

SnowBall

This is Snowball. I think she is the neighbor's cat. I think she is a she. I decided to call her Snowball but sometimes I get confused and call her Snowflake. Also, Squeaker would be an appropriate name. Anyway, she's taken to hanging out in my backyard, and I don't mind at all.

Cool eyes, eh!

Cleaning in Progress

Settled in Bangalore. Took a while to get the net connection back in. But finally through. Will be regular from here on. Definition of regular being worked on.

And for all it's worth, comments is back up too.

The time-traveling is just too dangerous. Better that I devote myself to study the other great mystery of the universe: women!

No 498 - Back To The Future 2
Director - Robert Zemeckis

This is the perfect film to watch over a cup of tea and a bowl of Muesli, and it allows me to talk about sequels. For where Back To The Future used the immortal line of "Roads, where we're going we don't need roads" to hint at a second story (it could have never happened) - this film is dropping blatant hints everywhere. Carefully setting up the situation to lead up to the 3rd film.

• Doc Brown mourns the fact that he'll never be able to visit his favourite era - the American West
• The time circuits are faulty, continually flickering between the selected date and 1885
• In the Biff Tannen museum we are introduced to Biff's great-grandfather: Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen, fastest gun in the West.

Hmmm..... could we possibly be heading for a wild west finale to this trilogy?

And whilst part 2 does build up perfectly to the third film, it fails to resolve itself as a single entity. This is a regular problem for middle films in trilogies, especially when parts 2 and 3 are being filmed at the same time (as was the case for this) - rather then reaching an ending, the film ends at a cliff hanger with a big flashing "TO BE CONCLUDED". We're not watching Lost here, its a family friendly blockbuster (albeit still with a lot of swearing! You could crow bar a lot of 'Shits' into a PG in them days), we don't want to be teased and taunted. I can only imagine how the audience felt when they realised they'd have to wait a year to see the end of this story line. At least part 1 had the decency to finish the arc and cheekily start a new one in the final 5 minutes.
It also adds a whole new dynamic to Marty's character. A crippling weakness which was not even touched on in the first film at all.... Marty can not turn something down if he is called a chicken. That's a pretty big character flaw, and it appears to get him into every single piece of trouble he has ever had in his entire life. Why haven' we seen this before?..

but what of the film itself? In the blurry drug and liquor addled recesses of my mind, part 2 is the least clearly remembered of the films. And upon re watching it, it kind of becomes clear why.

Part 1 is a hilarious 50s comedy about nearly shagging your mum
Part 3 may be the weakest but its a western... and westerns are cool.
Part 2 is just a bit higgledy piggledy and therefore comes out slightly confused.

I mean I only remembered that it was set in the future. But there are actually 3 sections to this film and each section is a gradual improvement on the section before it: So I'm going to break it down in to 3 parts and discuss them individually.

1) The Future - 2015

If Robert Zemeckis has got it right, we're going to get the following stuff in the next 7 years:

• Self lacing shoes
• Flying Cars
• Holographic Cinemas - and another 6 Jaws films (shark still looks fake)
  
• Hover Boards
• .... um... Elijah Wood will regress back to childhood and wear a sieve on his head
  
• ...... to be honest the list reached its peak and continuing it is pointless. Hover Boards have been scientifically proven to be the sweetest most gnarly thing ever put on screen. Ever. They are - to paraphrase Mr S. Dogg - The Bizzle. The best thing about them was that Robert Zemeckis conned people into thinking they were real and that Mattel had let them have some prototypes of a toy they had never released due to it being too dangerous. Good times.

Despite the awesomeness of Hover Boards, BTTF2's future bit has some serious flaws and the main flaw is huge. We're talking massive. the flaw is The Plot.
In Part 1, Marty accidentally ends up in 1955 and accidentally stops his parents getting together. Thus potentially ruining his chance of existing. It is far fetched but makes sense in the world of the film and there is a genuine sense of urgency and of deadline. In Part 2 they go to the future to deliberately stop his son getting arrested. This is in the future.... there is no urgency.... Why doesn't Doc Brown just tell Marty what will happen and then Marty can sort it out in his own sweet time over the 30 years between now and then. He can make sure Marty Jr isn't out on that day. Hell, he could even move from Hill Valley. That'd solve the problems...

Luckily that bit of plot is quickly dealt with by the excellent hover board chase and we can move on to the second plot. The better plot. For this is Biff's movie - from the first scene where Biff (the Hopeless 1985 version) glowers menacingly at the flaming DeLorian tracks... we know this is his Movie, and his plot is excellent premise. What would happen if you travelled from the future (aging Biff with the pimpest cane ever), found your teenage self and gave yourself enough knowledge on future sporting events to become stupidly rich?

And so, as Doc and Marty return to 1985, believing themselves to be successful in their futile mission, we reach part 2 of this film.

2) Dystopian 1985

I love views of dystopia and I find it very amusing that Biff used his riches to essentially abolish the police, kill off a few people, turn Hill Valley into a dump and swagger about in a dressing gown smoking cigars. He is the epitome of the swaggering preening 80s megalomaniac bastard and for that he must be saluted and praised.
However besides that, not much happens. This bit is just full of nice little touches - especially James Tolkan as a cigar chomping shotgun toting version of Mr Strickland...

And worst of all Biff fails his Evil genius exam by falling for the same trick that every Bond and Scooby Doo villain falls for. I feel sullied for saying we should salute and praise him. He explains his plans. Down to the last detail. So that Marty knows exactly where and when he got given the Sport Almanac (this plot's Maguffin). THE FOOL! THE FOOL!

So off we go back to....

3) The Past - 1955
Unbelievable, that old Biff could have chosen that particular date. It could mean that that point in time inherently contains some sort of cosmic significance. Almost as if it were the temporal junction point for the entire space-time continuum. On the other hand, it could just be an amazing coincidence.

So, it is with great personal joy that we return to 1955. Firstly because the clothes are so much better then and secondly because I can once lust for Lea Thompson without her looking old (2015) or strange (Dystopian 1985). She really is very pretty.

This is clearly the best bit of the film (fact not opinion) as Marty has to get the sports almanac off Biff without being seen by himself who is still in 1955 because of the first film. There are some genuinely tense moments which have been lacking from the rest of the film and some surprisingly smooth interaction between Marty and Marty and Doc and Doc... The Special effects work well, even compared with today's examples and there is a glorious nostalgic thrill watching the Marty from this film watch scenes from the the first film or interact with himself.

And finally I want to mention Wesley Mann in the amazing role as the guy who thinks Biff had his wallet stolen. A truly memorable character.

So, in conclusion, this film is flawed as it is a set up to the final 3rd act (and it even ends with a trailer for part 3) - but the Back To The Future franchise is so fun and the concepts between are so clever that you kind of forgive it all.... Almost a shame that Part 3 isn't on the list.

Beer Can Chicken

You've seen these gadgets to make Beer Can Chicken, right? They do a mighty job!

If you don't have one, you should get one! You'll have the moistest, most flavorful chicken ever - and it's fun!

Bring a whole chicken home, remove and discard the innards (or save them for something else) and rinse the chicken. Rub a little olive oil all over the chicken and season with your favorite stuff... I use garlic powder, rosemary, parsley, whatever is on hand.

Then pop open a beer and take a swig (the can should be about 3/4 full). I've used beer, soda, and sometimes just an empty soda can filled about 3/4 with water. The contents of the can doesn't seem to make a difference in the flavor or the moistness of the chicken.

I used Coke Zero, because that's what I found in the fridge! Put the can in the holder and set the seasoned chicken on the can.
At medium heat, it usually takes about an hour in a covered grill. To be sure, use a thermometer and cook until the chicken reaches a temperature of 180 F. You can find a great thermometer through my favorite Pampered Chef consultant.I halved some yellow and green zucchini and put them on a black iron skillet.

They were a great accompaniment to the Beer Can Chicken!

If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits eighty-eight miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit.

No 23 - Back To The Future
Director - Robert Zemeckis

Right. Before we start, this is going to be a terrible bit of writing - but hell, I've got 499 other films to hone my skills on... and allow me to explain why we start with this random number and not with something more logical.... like 500.....


The first film that I owned on the list was No 498 - Back To The Future Part 2 (discussed tomorrow), so it made sense to me to begin with the much higher ranking first film.

I sit here with a cup of tea and Fore! playing in the background, to make sure that I stay in the right frame of mind. And to make sure that I can have the excellent Power of Love playing on loop.

This film is an absolute gem - It is only two months younger than me, and unlike me it has aged marvellously well. The scenes set in the fifties look as fresh and as well shot as any recent film set in this period, meaning that you can still be fully transported by the film without loving it because it is kitsch, or part of your childhood. The few scenes that ARE set in the eighties are just so gloriously eighties. Who can not love a film which has Huey Lewis and the News providing the songs? Then there is the wonderfully awful and blatant product placement and the CLOTHES!!!

3 articles of clothing that make this film a must see (technically 2 are accessories)

1) Marty McFly's ridiculous puffer jacket body warmer. It is disgusting. It is perfect.
2) Biff's friend in the 50s wears £D glasses and thus has the Moniker 3D. I want 3D glasses. I would wear them on a day to day basis.
3) When Doc Brown returns from the future he is wearing a see through perspex tie.
- let me just repeat that. A. See through. Perspex. Tie.

Genius - absolute fucking genius,

And the DeLorean is too cool, so cool that I still get far too excited if I see one in real life (this happened once, in Brighton. It was parked outside my house and me and my friend spent a good hour just staring at it) - to think it was almost a fridge.
(to quote Wikipedia "In the first script of Back to the Future the time machine was shaped like a refrigerator. The idea was scrapped, for fear of kids climbing into and becoming trapped in refrigerators. Because an abandoned refrigerator can become an inescapable trap for a small child, laws in most nations require that the door be removed when such an item is disposed.")

This film may be neatly protected with years of nostalgia and may be viewed by millions with rose tinted glasses but it is an excellent film handling some pretty weighty themes in a frothy accessible manner. This is a film after all that touches on the Grandfather Paradox and, to some degree, the Oedipus Complex. It also has some excellent performances.

Michael J Fox is perfect as a 16 year old, and pulls it off despite being 8 years older and working 2 hjobs at the time. The poor guy never slept yet stays fesh faced and the epitome of 80s cool.
Christopher Lloyd was pretty much born to play Doc Brown - his wide scary eyes and manic mannerisms turn the Doctor into one of the most likable and quotable cult figures.
And lets not forget Lea Thompson....

In fact lets take a minute silence to truly contemplate on just how unbelievably hot she is in this film.

She is incredible - her innocence is displayed in the naive way she acts the sexual predator, and it is that which makes her so irresistible (in my un biased eyes)
And of course, this is the film that gave us Biff Tannen. Who is comedy gold and an unbelievable bastard. It is the role of Thomas F Wilson's career and it will follow him to his grave.

So, before PGs got sanitised (there is an awful lot of swearing in this film) we are left with a very clear moral to this story. Punch someone in the face. That way your wife will stay hot, she will not become an alcoholic (I told you that PGs were edgier in those days) and Biff will give your car an extra coat of wax. This will only happen if YOU have your own personal Incredible Hulk moment, just like Crispin Glover.

HSB 2007

Last year Rachael and I had a dreamy experience watching Gillian Welch at the HSB. Then I totally got a picture with her backstage (red hair, turquoise dress... you may need to squint).

I won

I swear...

Some Dubious Video Game Moments

Questionable moment from a Kid's game...




From another angle...




The reaction...

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

Have you ever tried Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce?

Psst... you can find it in pretty much across the country in Wal-Mart.

When I opened the bottle of this sauce, boy howdy did it smell great! I put a little (okay, a lot) on a spoon to taste it. It had a sweet (but not too sweet) and smoky flavor. Seems like just the right amount of vinegar and tomato for a great grilling sauce!

I thought we'd better try this with some antelope burger! I mixed 1-1/2 pounds of burger with 1/2 cup of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce and one envelope of dry onion soup mix.
That simple!
Oops, you caught me! I couldn't keep my finger out of this delicious sauce!

Country Bob's is a small company and they specialize in their All Purpose Sauce, All Purpose Spicy Sauce, Barbeque Sauce, and Seasoning Salt. You can find all sorts of recipes using products here at Country Bob's and there's even a place for kids to color... check out the "Just for Kids" tab!

I made three burgers and put the rest in a loaf pan for a small meatloaf.

The burgers were moist, juicy, flavorful and delicious! There are a few recipes on Country Bob's website that I want to try... check these out... Scrumptious Grilled Onions, Bleu Cheese Buffalo Wing Sauce, and this yummy Shrimp Cocktail Sauce!

You just gotta try this stuff! As if this sauce and company isn't awesome enough as is, just wait until you read about their CEO!

Sharp Tailed Grouse

B went bird hunting the other day and came home with two Sharp Tailed Grouse. Here's what they look like:

Yup, that's a pretty sharp tail, all right!


Never having cooked a Sharp Tailed Grouse before, I decided to put them on the grill using the same technique as we do for dove.

I marinated the grouse breasts in bottled Italian Dressing overnight, then wrapped them in bacon. I use toothpicks to secure the bacon to the dove breasts, but these were much bigger, so I tied the bacon on with string.

I'll tell you what... those grouse weren't going anywhere after I tied them up! I ground a little black pepper over them and gave them to the grill master.
B kept them on medium heat for about 30 minutes. They weren't quite done, so I wrapped them in foil and put them back on the grill for another 20 minutes or so. They were delicious with all that crispy bacon! All we needed with this meal was a piece of corn!

RIP: Paul Newman (1925-2008)

RIP: Paul Newman (1925-2008).

My life was never the same again after my first viewing of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Richard Brooks, 1958). Gorgeous and extremely talented actor with a brain and a political conscience. You'll be missed.

Went to see La Fille de Monaco

Went to see La Fille de Monaco (Anne Fontaine, 2008). With Fabrice Luchini (not doing too much Luchini here), Roschdy Zem and Louise Bourgoin. Not bad. Didn't like the end. Very hazy shades of Hors de prix, The Devil Is a Woman, Death in Venice or even The Blue Angel. Anybody who's ever been on either end of a pathetic-old-person-in-lust-with-young-person situation will appreciate (with culture and refinement always on the side of the old person). "Il venait d'avoir dix-huit ans," and all that sort of thing. Louise Bourgoin (Julien Doré's girlfriend it would seem) has got tremendous hair (a wig?) and the most amazing pair of legs in Europe. I had croissants at that Monaco hotel: the worst in my life, and the most expensive.

Milan Fashion Week Spring 2009 Highlights

Let’s take a glimpse on some of the highlights of Milan Fashion Week Spring 2009.

Missoni Spring 2009 collection was comprised of different shades, tones and styles. The colour palette used in the collection is a combination of pink, gold, blue and yellow. Models walked the runway in palazzo pants, summer dresses, high-waisted straight skirts and silk blouses, accessorized with chunky belts. The evening gowns were embellished with studded detail, to give them added flair.



Burberry Prorsum's Spring 2009 collection had an autumn/fall feel because it comes with shades of grey, brown, and bronze. The collection was made up of hats, Barbour-style hunting jackets, skinny cardigans, drop-waist dresses. Models were accessorized with oversized statement necklaces which Christopher also presented in his Fall 2008 collection.



Prada's Spring 2009 collection was like the Fall 2008 lace collection, with cropped tops, bra tops and key hole dresses and crumpled pieces. Shrunken jackets had no fasteners except a tie at the neck. Open backs on cashmere jumpers were tied with cotton strings like hospital gowns. There were also sexy secretary silhouettes and python prints.



Giorgio Armani Spring 2009 collection was full of luxe fabrics of organza and chiffon, with a color palette of light and pastel shades of sandy beige to sea shell brown. The designer presented a mixed collection of romantic above-the-knee dresses, ankle-length gowns, Bermuda shorts and slim pants. Signature pieces like tuxedo/blazers were given a modern touch, with asymmetrical buttoning. Dresses were either strapless or layered with petals.



Emporio Armani Spring 2009 collection’s color palette includes navy and white, with shades of grey. The trousers picked up on the trend from New York Fashion Week, and were either cigarette pants or harem-inspired. Blouses and dresses were adorned with large statement necklaces.



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Desperately Processing Madonna

Sticky and Sweet

OK. So I've had time to digest it all. The concert: Fabulous, except that gypsy moment (which is vaguely justified by the release of Filth and Wisdom), and the terrible shoes I've mentioned. The singing doesn't matter, it never has. So what if some of it is pre-recorded? So what if her backup singers are doing most of it at times? Totally beside the point. Another reproach though: too much guitar-playing. She plays indifferently. We want to watch her dance, not just stand there with her guitar. Maybe it's because she's 50 now and so she can rest a bit when she does that (sorry that was my venomous minute). The tongue-in-cheek guitar-hero thing is amusing for five seconds. Everything else is perfect Madonna. Moves, costumes, references, it's all there and it's all great. Tremendous mise en scène of "She's Not Me." Exciting tributes to Britney.

Setlist found on Wikipedia:

Video Introduction (contains elements from "4 Minutes" and "Die Another Day")
"Candy Shop"
"Beat Goes On"
"Human Nature"
"Vogue" (contains elements of "4 Minutes" and "Give It To Me")
"Die Another Day" (Remix) (Video Interlude)
"Into the Groove" (contains elements of "Toop Toop", "Jump" and "Double Dutch Bus")
"Heartbeat"
"Borderline"
"She's Not Me"
"Music" (contains elements of "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit", with excerpts from "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life")
"Rain" (Remix) (Video Interlude) (contains elements of "Here Comes the Rain Again")
"Devil Wouldn't Recognize You"
"Spanish Lesson"
"Miles Away"
"La Isla Bonita" (contains elements of "Lela Pala Tute")
"Doli Doli" (Dance Interlude)
"You Must Love Me"
"Get Stupid" (Video Interlude) (contains elements of "Beat Goes On", "Give It 2 Me", "4 Minutes" and "Voices")
"4 Minutes"
"Like a Prayer" (contains elements of "Don't You Want Me" and "Feels Like Home")
"Ray of Light"
"Hung Up"
"Give It 2 Me"

As for her film, Filth and Wisdom. It really is a good film. I bet if it had been made by anybody else, the critics would have loved it, even at the Berlin festival. Some critics, notably in France, have been honest enough to admit that it's good. You find all her obsessions here and there, but it's all subtle! Good writing, good acting. "Classical" directing in the best sense of the adjective. Moving without being corny. Aesthetic without being pretentious. Very English in many ways. Shades of Kusturica. I must confess I went in expecting the worst and came out beaming. You go, girl.

The Magic of Fashion with Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) @ Harper’s Bazaar October 2008 Issue

The U.K.'s top designers show Harry Potter's brightest girl, Emma Watson a.k.a Hermione Granger, how to cast a sartorial spell in the upcoming October 2008 issue of Harper's Bazaar. Check out some of the bewitching spreads as Emma got styled by Alexander McQueen, Christopher Bailey, Viviene Westwood, Marios Schwab, Philip Treacy, Matthew Williamson, and Giles Deacon.










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Steven Klein's Aggresive Photos For September Issue of Vogue Italy

After his aggressive photoshoot with Brad Pitt and Angelina, Steven Klein made another series of photos for the September issue of Vogue Italy. First he captured Guinness heiress, Daphne Guinness, in an amazing shoot for the editorial entitled "The Honorable Guinness" in the "Future Couture" supplement of the said magazine issue. In this dramatic shoot, Daphne is held hostage at gun point, watches a fellow model is burned on the pool lounge, and many more.















Secondly. Steven Klein was also responsible for the editorial photos of the magazine entitled "The New Warriors". It features models Jessica Stam, Caroline Trentini and Catherine McNeil in chic warrior pieces of fur, Lycra leggings, high waisted leather pleated pants and platform shoes. The set of photos includes a usually angry face of a model with Cubist face paint and the other models were seem to be fighting woth each other.







Photo Sources: 1, 2