Beef Bourguignon and "Julie & Julia"

One of the most flavorful and satisfying dishes ever concocted inside of a kitchen has to be the famous French dish, beef bourguignon. Beef and vegetables slow cooked in red wine and beef broth, it's a dish you honestly can't resist. The beef becomes fork tender and the sauce has such a deep flavor and rich flavor, your entire house is going to smell like a French Bistro with this beef bourguignon simmering away on your stove. It was Julia Child who first brought this incredible dish to the attention of American cooks with her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Decades after, the dish was in the spot light again when the movie "Julie&Julia" hit theaters. Truth be told, not only did this movie inspire me to make "Boeuf bourguignon" but it ultimately inspired me to start this blog. I'll get more into the movie in a little bit, first here's what you'll need to make beef bourguignon for yourself and the step by step instructions on how to make it!


5 strips of tick cut bacon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pound chuck roast cut into pieces
1 medium sized onion (Sliced)
6 carrots (peeled and sliced diagonally)
3 tablespoons of flour
1 bag of frozen pearl onions (14oz bag) 
½ pound of whole button mushrooms
2 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 cups of low sodium beef stock
1 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pino Noir (750ml bottle)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon of sugar
Flat leaf parsley 

I dedicated one of my very first posts to the French cooking term "Mise en Place" and I can't stress enough how important it is to practice when making this dish. In case some of you are new or don't remember, mise en place simply means to get all of your ingredients prepared and at your work station before you begin cooking. So lets first chop our onion, our carrots, and clean our mushrooms. The best way to clean a mushroom is brushing it with a damp cloth rather than running them under water. Once all of the vegetables are prepped, set aside.
 
Cut the chuck roast into about one inch cubes. There is no need to be exact on the size but we do want to ensure we are making our beef cubes very similar in size. Why? They'll cook evenly and it's actually more eye appealing when we plate our dish and serve. Now the next two steps are extremely important so be sure not to skimp out on either. For meat to sear properly, we don't want any moisture on it. The dryer the meat when it hits the hot oil, the better the sear will be. When we sear the meat, it locks in the flavorful juices of the meat and also gives us that beautiful brown color on the outside. It's a tedious task, but dry each beef cube thoroughly with a paper towel and then season heavily with kosher salt and black pepper. When it looks like you have too much seasoning on the beef cubes, you've done your job. Use the picture on the right as an example for when you're doing this yourself. Set the dried and seasoned beef cubes on a baking sheet or a large plate that has been lined with a few paper towels to get any moisture from the meat we may have missed.

Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or a dutch oven over medium heat. Slice the strips of bacon in pieces and cook the bacon in the hot oil. Fried bacon will be the first on many delicious smells to come from your kitchen over the next few hours. Fry the bacon until it's browned and crisp and then using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set aside for the grease to drain off. We will now be searing our dried and well seasoned beef cubes in the bacon fat that's been left in our pot.

Ready for yet another simple but very important step in making beef bourguignon? We want to sear our beef cubes in small batches, they like their personal space so lets give it to them. If we crowd beef cubes and add too many at once, we'll lower the temperature in our pan and they won't have the right heat to sear properly. Don't move the beef cubes around too much while they're in there either. Give them about a minute or so on each side, just until you see the outside of the meat starting to caramelize. We're certainly not looking to cook the meat all the way through here. Once all sides have been seared, transfer them to a nearby plate and add the next batch in. Continue this step until all the beef has been seared.

Once all the meat has been seared, add the sliced onion, 2 tablespoons of butter, and the chopped carrots to the hot oil. Stir everything together making sure the flavorful bits left from the bacon and beef get all over the vegetables. Stir and cook the onions and carrots just until the onions become slightly tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Once the onions are tender, return all the seared meat and any of the juices that have collected from them resting back into the pot.

Next, take the 3 tablespoons of flour and sprinkle over top the beef and vegetables. Stir the contents of the pot so that the flour coats everything. Next, add the entire bottle of red wine (it won't miss a little sip or two) and add the 2 cups of beef broth. Add the tomato paste and stir together.

Add the fresh thyme and the fresh rosemary. Use kitchen twine to tie the herbs together so that it's easier to pull the stems out before we are ready serve. If you don't have kitchen twine no big deal, use the string from a tea bag (without the tea bag obviously) to tie the herbs together. Throw in the bay leaves, the bag of pearl onions, and bring the liquid to a boil. Cook the stew uncovered for about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot and allow the beef to cook for about 2 hours giving it a stir about every 15 minutes or so. The acidity in the red wine and the long and slow cooking time will help break down the beef making it tender and delicious - this cooking style is called braising.

After the Beef Bourguignon has cooked, add the minced garlic, the sugar, and the mushrooms to the pot. Raise the heat slightly and allow the stew to simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and the bundle of rosemary and thyme from the sauce. Season the sauce to taste.

Serve the beef bourguignon next to a helping of your favorite recipe for mashed potatoes or over top buttered egg noodles with a side of crispy french bread. Garnish your plate with some freshly chopped parsley and some of the crispy bacon pieces and serve hot. Bon appetit!!!

The 2009 film "Julie & Julia" is a bio-pic about the separate lives of Julia Child and Julie Powell. Meryl Streep completely transforms herself into the world famous Julia Child as the movie gives us a glimpse of how Julia first became the expert she was on everything about French Cooking. Recently relocated to Paris France for her husband Paul's (Stanley Tucci) job, Julia instantly falls in love with city but finds herself a victim of boredom during the day. Though she struggles to find a hobby that gives her the satisfaction she longs for, Julia soon sees her true love is in the kitchen. Julia enrolls at the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris and begins her long journey to becoming the chef we all know and adore.

Amy Adams plays the second leading role to the film, Julie Powell. on the cusp of turning 30, Julie had dreams and aspirations to become a writer but instead she finds herself working in cubicle answering phone calls all day. One night while enjoying a home cooked meal with her husband Eric (Chris Messina) she decides she's going to start a blog. The Julie/Julia project begins as Julie gives herself exactly one year to cook all of the 524 recipes in Julia's cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking - including Boeuf bourguignon. 

Both Julie and Julia have their shares of struggles in their inspiring and incredible journeys but cooking, love, and the power of butter help get them through. The late Nora Ephron delivers us yet another heartwarming film. Using both Julie Powell's and Julia Child's own memoirs, she wrote a charming script and directed a film that anyone can enjoy. Here is the trailer for a sneak peak.

Oscar's 2013

It's the morning after and the prized golden statues have all been handed out. What did you all think of this years award show? Seth Macfarlane drew a few laughs from me but I think he fell short and I wouldn't give his hosting performance a high mark in my book. The theme of the Oscar was music in movies but other than hearing some famous movie scores before commercial breaks, as the presenters walked onto the stage, and of course the famous them from "Jaws" being played to cut some of the winner's speeches short - I didn't really feel that theme present itself. The tribute to 50 years of James Bond wasn't quite what I was expecting either. The Oscar's usually entertain me from the host's opening monologue right until the final award is given but I have to say this year I kept on saying to myself, "Hurry up and give out the awards already!"

All in all I think I did pretty well with my predictions I made her last Monday - 4 out of 6 is too bad right? To be honest Steven Spielberg not winning best director was sort of a surprise for me, despite making my pick completely on my admiration for him and how I feel he's the greatest director in film. No doubt Ang Lee created a wonderfully looking film with "Life of Pi" but it was a movie largely compiled of Computer generated images which the academy often frowns upon saying something like, "they aren't really a "Directors" kind of film". "Life Of Pi" does look like a visual master piece and Lee was truly humbled and honored to take home the Oscar.

No doubt though the biggest surprise for me was Jennifer Lawrence taking home Best Actress for her role in "The Silver Linings Playbook". Again, not to discredit her work at all but I was very confident that Jessica Chastain's work in "Zero Dark Thirty" was enough to grab her best actress. That being said, if Chastain's name wasn't meant to be hidden underneath the seal of that envelope I was happy to hear Jennifer Lawrence's name called out and to see the pure shock of winning on her face was really great.

As for the rest of the big winners like Anne Hathaway, Christoph Waltz, and Daniel Day Lewis - I can't say enough how happy I was to see them get their awards. Funny thing was, last night when Waltz's name was called out for best supporting actor I was happy just to know I'd officially get one of my predictions I made correct. However, all three actors gave amazing performances and Daniel Day Lewis is now the first actor to ever receive three Oscar awards all for playing a leading role in a motion picture. "Argo" taking home best picture was no surprise to most either and since Ben Affleck Affleck wasn't even nominated as best director for the film, I was happy to see him get his moment on stage with another Oscar in hand.

With this year's awards in the books, now we can look forward to all the films we'll see in 2013 and await to see which movies will be nominated next year. So again I'm curious, what did you all think of the show? Happy with the winners? Any big surprises for you? 

Ice Cream drowned in Coffee

Okay so we've all been in this situation. It's after dinner and our stomach and our sweet tooth are still calling for one last treat before we call it a night. Or we get some unexpected company and would like to offer them something while we visit. This is a quick and simple desert that combines two of the worlds favorite things - coffee and ice cream. A few months ago, this concept was shared to me by Ina Garten on her foodnetwork show, The Barefoot Contessa. The concept of pouring hot coffee over ice cream or gelato is a traditional Italian desert and one that is still very common today. The best part about this desert is how easy it is and most of us usually have a tub of ice cream in our freezer and almost certainly have coffee in our pantry. Here is what you'll need per serving.

2 scoops of your favorite ice cream or gelato (Vanilla or Chocolate work best)

About ½ cup of freshly made hot coffee.

Scoop out your favorite store bought or home made ice cream (I'll share with you some of my ice cream recipes in the coming months) into a tall serving dish or a coffee mug. Pour as much or as little of the hot coffee as you wish over top the ice cream and serve. The hot coffee will begin to melt some of the ice cream on impact and make a sweet, creamy, and delicious coffee sauce surrounding the scoop of ice cream. Serve with a spoon and even a straw if you wish so you can easily drink the coffee and melted ice cream. This desert will remind you all very much of those frozen coffee drinks that every coffee shop in the world has on their menus. Quick, easy, and fool proof - this is a great after dinner snack that will be sure to please.

Mango Stuffed French Toast and "50 First Dates"

It's the dead of winter here in the Northeast and even the winter lovers like myself wouldn't mind sitting on a tropical beach with nothing but clear waters ahead. Since a tropical vacation isn't in all of our travel plans, the best way I know how to go there is through food. French toast is one of my favorite meals morning, noon, or night and stuffing it with a sweet cream cheese filling and some fresh mangoes was a perfect way to transform this breakfast staple into a tropical treat. What better way to start or end a chilly winter day and let our taste buds take us on a tropical trip. Of course I have a movie that will help make your feel like you're in the tropics as well! 

1 loaf of Italian or French bread (not sliced)

2 fresh Mangoes

8oz of softened Cream cheese

3 Tablespoons of Powdered Sugar

¼ Teaspoon of pure Vanilla extract

3 Eggs

½ cup of half and half

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

Pinch of fresh nutmeg

3 tablespoons of sugar

4 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Peel the mangoes and finely dice the flesh of the fruit. You'll want to select Mangoes that have a fruity smell and that have a slight give to them when you gently squeeze them. Don't use color as an indicator of ripeness. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin and then use a sharp knife to cut around the Mangoes pit. We'll be using these mangoes to stuff inside the french toast so you'll want to cut them into small pieces.

Next, whip the cream cheese, vanilla, and the powdered sugar together in a mixing bowl. The powdered sugar will help sweeten our filling and the vanilla will add flavor. Reserve about half of one mango and add the rest of the mangoes into the cream cheese mixture. Stir until everything is completely combined and set aside.

 

Using a serrated knife, slice the bread into relatively thick slices. We don't want to make them to thin or else we wont have enough room to add our filling to the bread. Once you've sliced the bread, take a small serrated knife and make a cavity into each slice. Start by cutting from one end to the other as close to the middle as possible but try not to cut all the way through

 

Using a small spoon, take some of the mangoes and cream mixture and fill the inside of each slice of bread. Use about 3 tablespoons or so for each piece but there is no need to be exact. Gently press spread the filling out as best you can and gently press down on each slice of bread. Once you've filled all the slices of bread, set aside for now and prepare the custard we'll use to dip each piece before we grill them.

Combined the eggs, half and half, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and the nutmeg in a large shallow dish like a pie plate. Whisk everything together until the eggs are completely beaten and the rest of the ingredients have been incorporated. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and melt two tablespoons of butter. Dip both sides of each slices of bread quickly in the egg mixture and places onto the preheated skillet.

Cook each side for about 4 to 5 minutes, checking about half way through. We're looking for that perfect golden brown color and that crispy texture. Flip each piece of toast and cook on the opposite side until golden brown. You can keep the french toast warm in a 225 degree oven until you're ready to serve.

To add the final touch to the dish, saute the mango we saved when we made our filling with 2 tablespoons of butter for 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and stir together until melted. Serve the french toast with a small serving of the mango syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar. Crispy on the outside and a sweet mango cream center, all that's left is pop in the movie and enjoy!

The 2004 romantic comedy "50 First Dates" starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Sandler plays Henry Roth, a vet who lives in paradise and finds himself romancing a different woman every week. Luckily for Henry, all these women are tourists and he always finds a creative way to ditch them right before they fly home. One morning while grabbing a bite to eat, Henry sees an adorable blonde named Lucy (Barrymore) enjoying her breakfast and he can't help but introduce himself. The two instantly hit it off and agree to meet at the same restaurant the next morning for breakfast. 

Henry returns to the restaurant just as planned and approaches Lucy as she walks in. Trouble is, Lucy has no memory of ever meeting Henry. Henry finds out from the staff at the restaurant that Lucy had a car accident the year before and has lost her short term memory. She wakes up everyday thinking that it's October 13th, the day of her accident. Henry is completely love stricken by Lucy and can't admit that he won't be able to get her to remember him when she wakes up the next day. Henry does everything he can think of to try and get Lucy keep her short term memory so he can finally know how true love feels. Sean Astin, Dan Aykroyd, Blake Clark, and Rob Schneider co-star in this refreshing and heart warming comedy. Here is the link for a preview of "50 First Dates".

Mark's 2013 Oscar Predictions

Less than a week away from Hollywood's biggest night! Most of the biggest names from the film industry will be gathered to celebrate and honor some of the best movies and the men and women who brought them to life. It's never an easy task to predict the movies, directors, actors, and actresses who will be honored with nominations let alone predict who will take home the famous golden statue at the end of the night. This year I am even more unsure than usual on who the big winners will be since I wasn't able to see many of this years top nominated films.

With that being said, I couldn't see not dedicating my movie post today towards this Sunday's big award show. Using my movie critic intuition and based on clips I've seen and movie reviews I've read I still think I have a pretty good idea what names are going to be waiting to be read off the golden envelopes. I'll list all the nominated names for the major categories and I'll Bold my pick for the winner and give you a brief explanation behind my pick. I of course welcome any comments on my predictions, would love to hear your predictions, and hope we can have some great discussions. So here goes!!

Best Picture

• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Argo
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Amour 
• Les Miserables
• Django Unchained
• The Silver Linings Playbook
• Zero Dark Thirty 

So I really can see the Academy going in a few different directions here and to be honest. While out of all these films listed the one I wanted to go see more than any other was "Zero Dark Thirty", something tells me that "Argo" will be one taking home the Best Picture prize. Already snagging the Golden Globe and the BAFTA awards for best picture, all signs are pointing at "Argo" to be the winner this Sunday.

Best Actor

• Bradly Cooper - The Silver Linings Playbook
• Denzel Washington - Flight
• Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
• Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln 
• Joaquin Phoenix - The Master

Nothing is ever sure when it comes to the Oscar awards and many wonderful actors have not been honored with an award for breath taking performances in the past. I still don't see how this award can not be put in the hands of Daniel Day-Lewis as he completely transformed himself into Abraham Lincoln. Just watching a short clip of his performance gives me chills and reminds me how truly gifted of an actor he is.

Best Actress

• Naomi Watts - The Impossible 
• Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
• Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
• Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Emmanuella Riva - Amour 

If there is one category this year that I will be shocked if my prediction is wrong, it's that Jessica Chastain will receive her first and very well deserved Academy Award for her performance in "Zero Dark Thirty". Again, merely watching a few minutes of her emotional performance playing a CIA operative behind the decade long hunt for the world's most notorious terrorist is enough to prove that she deserves the golden statue. I have no doubt the other actresses in this category gave wonderful performances in their respected films but this is one year where they should say with pride, "It was an honor to be nominated and to loose to Jessica Chastain."

Best Supporting Actor

• Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
• Alan Arkin - Argo
• Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
• Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
• Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook 

What a list of fine actors this is huh? All of which have previously won an Oscar award.  Christoph Waltz is probably not a name many of you know but hes an extraordinary actor. I've heard a lot of different opinions about "Django Unchained" but one thing always stays the same - the praise for Waltz's performance. After seeing him in "Inglorious Bastards", I can easily see his talents once again stealing the show and, bringing him the well deserved praise, and possibly another Academy Award.

Best Supporting Actress

• Amy Adams - The Master
• Sally Field - Lincoln 
• Helen Hunt - The Sessions
• Anne Hathaway - Le Miserables
• Jacki Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook

Anne Hathaway could just as easily be nominated in this category for her role as Selena Kyle in "The Dark Knight Rises" to be honest with all of you. She has established herself as one of today's most versatile and talented actresses. Not to mention, her spectacular singing voice adds to her already immense level of talent. My prediction here is that Hathaway should and will walk away with her first Academy award.

Best Director 

• Ang Lee - Life of Pi
• Michael Haneke -Amour
• Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild
• David O Russel - The Silver Linings Playbook
• Steven Spielberg - Lincoln

This is another difficult category to predict. Obviously, my long time readers know my admiration for Mr. Spielberg and to see him be honored with another Oscar would be a true delight. He's really the only household name on this list and I must say I was surprised that Ben Affleck (Argo), Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises), and Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) were not on this list. Still, my sentimental pick and my best guess still bring me back to Spielberg to claim his third Academy Award for his stellar directing.

The 85th Academy Awards air this Sunday, February 24th, at 7pm on ABC.

Vodka Sauce with Pancetta and Penne and "Last Chance Harvey"

My apologies for anyone who came by Wednesday expecting my normal dinner and a movie post. Since I did not write on my blog that day, I am sharing what I had planned to write Wednesday with all of you today. Vodka sauce has to be one of my very favorite things to eat in the universe. On those days when I was just too exhausted to make a home cooked meal for myself, I usually had a jar of good quality vodka sauce in my pantry. That was until someone very near and dear to my heart shared with me their recipe for homemade vodka sauce with pancetta. Let me tell you, it is beyond delicious and never again will I be able to pop a jar of vodka sauce again after tasting this. In a long list of extraordinary food we've made together, this was by far the best. Though my post is a day late for Valentine's day it's always a good night to get in the kitchen with the person you love most in the entire world and enjoy the process of cooking and the meal together. You'll both feel more connected with each other and you'll enjoy the food even more. I've got a great movie to go with the this dinner that stays with the theme of love and romance.

1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 large onion (diced)
3 cloves of Garlic (minced)
6 basil leaves (Chiffonade cut)  
¼ pound chunk of Pancetta
½ cup of heavy cream
¼ cup of Vodka
salt and pepper 
Pinch of dried oregano and red pepper flakes
1 box of Penne pasta

Start by dicing your onion and mincing the 3 cloves of garlic. Set them aside for now and take the pancetta from the fridge. Pancetta is very similar to bacon, it's a pork product that's been cured with salt and spices but it hasn't been smoked like bacon so it want add a smokey flavor to our pasta dish. 

We really do want to avoid adding that smokey flavor so while bacon can often be substituted for pancetta, I wouldn't recommend it in this dish. Pancetta has become much easier to find in grocery stores as of late so I'm sure most of you will be able to find it. You'll want to slice your pancetta into strips and then cut them into small cubes. The cooking term for this is "lardon" which is just cubed pork fat. 

Heat a large skillet coated with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and begin by sautéing our onion. Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes and then add our pancetta and the minced garlic. Stir together and continuing to sauté all of the ingredients until the onions begin to tender and the pancetta begins to crisp slightly around the edges, about another 5 to 7 minutes. Once this has been achieved, take a moment to smell the the aroma of fried onions and pork fat that has engulfed the kitchen. Next, add the tomato paste and stir everything together. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and then pour in the can of crushed tomatoes.

Use the chiffonade cutting technique to slice the basil leaves and add them to the sauce. Add the pinch of red pepper flakes and oregano and stir everything together. Cover the skillet and allow the sauce to simmer for about 15 minutes, giving it an occasional stir every so often. At the point, fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Drop the penne in and cook until it's perfectly al dente.

Add the vodka to the sauce and allow the sauce to simmer for another 5 minutes. The vodka will bring out the richness in the tomatoes and enhance the over all flavor of our sauce. The final step is the mix in the heavy cream and then once our penne has been cooked, drain the pasta and add right into the skillet with our sauce. Mix the pasta with the sauce so that every single noodle gets coated with a delicious blanket of vodka sauce.

Serve the Penne and vodka sauce with two slices of crispy baguette and a garnish of fresh basil. Top the whole plate off with a dusting of fresh and delicious parmesan cheese and dinner is served. Perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a family meal any night of the week. Now for this week's movie recommendation, it's one of my very favorite love stories called "Last Chance Harvey".

"Last Chance Harvey" was the 2008 romantic comedy starring two of the most gifted actors that have ever graced us with their talents on the big screen - Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson. Dustin Hoffman stars as Harvey Shine, a musician who write jingles for television commercials. Lately, Harvey has been down on his luck and finds himself slowly being pushed out by a younger group. While on his way to London for his daughter's wedding, Harvey's luck doesn't seem to be turning around anytime soon when he finds that his daughter has grown a better relationship with her step father than she has with Harvey and he gets the call that his job won't be waiting for him when he returns home.

Emma Thompson plays Kate Walker, A worker at the airport who is overall unhappy with her life having nobody to love in her life and uses her love novels to live vicariously. After a chance meeting in the airport restaruant, Harvey and Kate soon find themselves spending the day together walking the streets of London. The two can't admit the instant spark that has ignited between them and it occurs to them both that love, happiness, and joy might be giving them the second chance they've been longing for. Why Thompson and Hoffman weren't humbled with an Oscar nomination for their roles in this film is still a mystery to me. I really think you'll all enjoy this film and hope you take the time to enjoy it - here is the trailer.

Movie Review - "Butter"

The 2012 comedy called "Butter" is strange to say the least but it's also one of the most original films I've seen in a long time. While at times I felt the film fell a little short despite it's very strong cast, all in all "Butter" comes together to form a mildly humorous, entertaining, and heart felt film. After all, who doesn't love Butter??

Set in the competitive and artful world of butter carving at the Iowa state fair, Bob Pickler (Ty Burrell) is the undisputed king of butter and has been for 15 years. When the judges behind the contest feel it's time Bob should pass the torch and give another butter sculptor a chance to shine as the champion, it's Bob's wife Laura Pickler (Jennifer Garner) who refuses to let Bob comply with their request. Laura Pickler isn't one to step aside from what she feels her family deserves and isn't afraid to do anything to stay atop the butter carving world, even if it means it's time for her to take the carving to her own hands.

Meanwhile, the film also follows a young girl named Destiny (Yara Shahidi) who after being passed from one foster home to another, finds herself in the care of the loving couple Ethan Emmet (Rob Corddry) and his wife Jill (Alicia Silverstone). Destiny soon discovers her own artistic talents and sees the upcoming butter carving competition as a way to express her talents. Destiny and Laura Pickler won't be the only ones carving for the top spot however. After a heated argument, Bob Pickler makes the mistake of having a moment of passion with an over the top stripper named Brooke (Olivia Wilde) who wants nothing more than to see Laura loose - even if Brooke isn't the one to beat her. Who will come out as the winner of the most intense and scandalous butter competition the Iowa State fair has ever known? Hugh Jackman, Ashley Greene, and Kristen Schaal, and Phyllis Smith round out the cast playing supporting roles.

Yara Shahidi is by far the little star of this film as she plays the young and adorable Destiny. You can't help but instantly fall in love with her. To be honest, it was her portrayal of the young orphan and the charming work by Rob Corddry and Alicia Silverstone as her foster parents that made me enjoy the film as much as I did. Of course I can't overlook Olivia Wilde's great work as the outrageous Brooke who offers most of the laughs to be had during the movie. Garner also shows off her strong acting skills by playing the ruthless and "witchy" Laura Pickler. "Butter" might have a few holes in the story and some parts are a bit over the top but there was enough there to keep me entertained for an hour and a half and it's a film I'd give 7 out of 10. "Butter" is rated R for some language and sexual references, check out the trailer for the film here.

Selecting Wine

Quite a few of my recipes call for some type of wine and it's one of my favorite ingredients to cook with. When selecting a wine to cook with, always select one that you'd like to drink. I always use to hear, "oh that wine is no good to drink but we'll use it for cooking." When you cook with wine, the alcohol will burn off but the flavor will concentrate into the dish so you'd never want to use one that you wouldn't enjoy drinking.

My go to wine for a red is a Cabernet Sauvignon and for a white I like to use a Pino Grigo. In most cases, it's best to cook with dry wine for a savory dish so you'll want to avoid using anything sweet.

Spicy Chinese style Stir Fry and "Kung Fu Panda"

One of my favorite things to eat is General Tso's Chicken at the Chinese buffet. Sweet and spicy sauce over top fresh white rice and perfectly steamed vegetables is a killer combination. Chinese take out gets expensive and lets face it, it's not the best thing in the world for us to eat. Plus, being out in the country where I am it's not as quick and easy as others just to dial up a near by Chinese take out place and order my usual. So with a little research and trial an error, I came up with my own recipe for that style of chicken that I love so much. I sauté my chicken rather than deep fry to save some calories but trust me I'm not skimping on flavor. Here's how to make great Chinese food in your own kitchen.

Serves 4
Vegetable oil
4 boneless/skinless chicken breast cut into strips (or boneless/skinless thighs if you prefer)
2 crowns of broccoli (cut into pieces)
1 8oz bag of Sugar snap peas
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 red bell pepper (sliced)
1 large shallot (sliced)
3 carrots (cut into thin strips)
3 scallions (finely chopped) 

For the Sauce
½ cup of Soy sauce

½ cup of brown Sugar

½ tablespoon of freshly grated ginger

3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar 

1 to 2 tablespoons of sriracha hot chili paste

3 teaspoons of cornstarch

White rice (Read instructions on rice package to make enough for 4)

First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and fill a large bowl full of ice water so that we can blanch the broccoli and the sugar snap pears. Next, prepare all of the vegetables by washing and cutting to the recipes specifications.

Blanch the broccoli and the peas separately by submerging them in the boiling water. About 4 minutes for the peas and closer to 6 minutes for the broccoli. Once the vegetables are blanched, quickly shock them in the ice water, drain them, and set aside with the other vegetables.

To make the sauce for our stir fry, combine all of the ingredients and whisk over low heat until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside. The sauce will have a deep red color to it and be fairly thick. At this point, prepare the rice as suggested by the instructions on the packaging.

In the largest skillet you have, coat the bottom of the pan with a vegetable oil and heat over medium high heat. Season the cut chicken strips with salt and pepper and fry in the hot oil until browned. Once the chicken is cooked, all at once add the vegetables and stir together. Stir often during the process to ensure nothing sticks and everything gets cooked evenly. I like to cook my vegetables until they are just slightly tender but are still crisp. Finally, add the sauce to the skillet and stir everything together so that there is an even coating. Serve over top the fresh white rice and garnish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

"Kung Fu Panda" was yet another successful computer animated film brought to us by dreamworks pictures. Po the Panda (voiced by Jack Black) dreams of being a master of Kung Fu and fighting along side China's fiercest Kung Fu warriors known as the fearsome five (The Tigress, The Crane, The Monkey, The Viper, and The Mantis). Po however knows not a single move of Kung Fu and instead spends his days working at his fathers noodle stand serving the residents of The valley of peace bowls of noodle soup. However, a vision comes to the master of Kung Fu master Oogway that the legendary Dragon warrior would soon appear to protect the land form the evil and powerful snow leopard Tai Lung. A festival is called so that Shifu (Voiced by Dustin Hoffman) and his students, the fearsome five, may demonstrate their skills to Oogway to show if one of them is the dragon warrior they've been searching for. While attempting to catch a glimpse of the famed Kung Fu masters, Po soon finds himself at the center of attention when Oogway claims that Po is the dragon warrior.

Shifu feels that his master has made a mistake and plans to prove this by putting the overweight and novice fighter Po through such a rigourus training that Po will soon quit. When news arrives to the valley that Tai Lung has escaped from his prison and is returning home to claim the legendary dragon scroll he feels is rightfully his. Shifu, Po, and the Fearsome five will have to work together and fill their destiny's if they wish the save their home from the powerful and evil claws of Tai Lung. Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, and Ian McShane all lend their talents to voice characters in "Kung Fu Panda". Some of you might overlook this film because of it's aim towards the younger audience but to you I say, "Don't be so serious!" We all need some light hearted, fun, and childlike adventure in our busy lives these days. "Kung Fu Panda" is a great film for people of all ages. Click here for a quick look at the film.

Movie Review - The Giant Mechanical Man

"The Giant Mechanical Man" is the 2012 independent romantic comedy that most of you probably have never even heard of let alone seen. The films stars Jenna Fischer (Star of the popular comedy "The Office") as Janice, a young woman who is struggling to find a job and is in danger being kicked out of her apartment. Chris Messina plays Tim, a street performer who plays a silver painted mechanical robot. While Tim believes this to be his true talent and he enjoys his street performing persona, it doesn't exactly pay the bills.

Out of luck and money, Janice moves in with her over barring sister Jill (Malin Akerman) and her husband Brian (Rich Sommer). While they both love and support Janice, they don't really understand her and that becomes very apparent as they relentlessly try to fix Janice up with their friend Doug Duncan, an annoying "self help" book author played by Topher Grace. When both Tim and Janice find jobs at the local zoo, the two befriend each other and realize how much they share in common. As the connection between Tim and Janice quickly grows, Janice's sister's persistence may get in the way of true love before it begins.

Jenna Fischer and Tim Messina both give strong performances and they make their characters stand out on screen and you can't help but love both Tim and Janice. "The Giant Mechanical Man" isn't exactly a ground breaking film so to speak, but writer/director Lee Kirk has written a strong script that avoids many of the cliche romantic comedy elements. The cast of actors here is very well rounded and Topher Grace in particular does a great job playing the annoying self help guy who you just keep wishing would disappear and leave our Janice alone.  Fischer and Messina really deliver the goods in "The Giant Mechanical Man" and it's because they make their characters so likeable this really film stood out to me. Netflix subscribers can currently find this film available to watch instantly online and I highly recommend that you do so. If you're looking for an off-beat, romantic, and charming film you will definitely find "The Giant Mechanical Man" a very enjoyable movie. As always, click here for to see the trailer for the film.

Fresh Cut French Fries

Some of you may remember an earlier blog post where I gave my recipe for cheeseburger sliders and fresh cut french fries. Since this Sunday is the Superbowl and french fries go with just about everything, I thought I'd share with you again how to make homemade fries. Believe me, they are so much better than store bought. The key to the perfect french fry is frying it once to just about cook the potato all the way through. Then after after it cools slightly, give it one last final fry to crisp up the outside and make them golden brown and delicious.

Serves between 5-6 people
6 large Russet or Idaho potatoes
Peanut or Vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper

Peel the potatoes and use either a french fry cutter or a knife to cut the potatoes. A french fry cutter is the ideal tool here but a knife will work just fine, just be mindful that when you're cutting your fries they are all fairly similar in size and shape so they cook evenly. Fill a large bowl with very cold tap water and wash the cut fries thoroughly to wash off the starch. Drain the starchy water off the potatoes and rinse once more. When the water in the bowl is no longer cloudy, drain the fries and allow them to rest on a towel for a few minutes and pat the fries dry with another towel to get off any excess moisture.

Next step is to heat your oil either in a deep fryer or a large pot. Add enough oil as your deep fryer recommends or fill a pot about 4 or 5 inches full of oil.  Heat the oil to around 325 degrees. Use the gauge on your deep fryer or a candy thermometer to determine the oils exact temperature. Another tip to determine if your oil is hot enough is to stick the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil, if your oil is ready for frying it should bubble up around the wooden handle. Drop the fries in the oil in small batches and fry for about 5 minutes and carefully remove from the oil using tongs, a metal spider, or a slotted spoon. Drain the fries on paper towels and continue frying the fresh of the potatoes. You can keep the par cooked fries warm in a 250 degree oven while you cook the rest of them. Once all the fries have been given their first bath in the oil, drop the fries back in for the final fry. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes or just until you see the fries turn golden brown. Remove the fries from the oil, pat off any excess grease, and season with salt and pepper.