Michelle Pfeiffer

Born on April 29, 1958 Michelle Pfeiffer is one of the most beautiful and talented actresses to ever grace the movie screen. Michelle's versatility as an actress seems limitless as she's portrayed characters ranging from a mobster's wife in "Scarface", to a masked villain on the roof tops of Gotham in "Batman Returns", to an evil witch seeking a way to eternal youth in "Stardust."

Born in Santa Anna California, Michelle was a fan of films from a very early age saying that she would stay up very late as a young girl watching black and white movies. After taking a drama and theater classes during her high school tenure, Michelle realized that acting was truly her calling. Her first major break through role was starring in "Grease 2" and she's been one of motion pictures most recognized and loved actresses ever since. Michelle Pfeiffer is one of, if not my very favorite, actresses and her performances completely change the films she's in. Even if the movie she's in doesn't appeal to me on any other level, I usually can't help but watch it simply to observe her performance.

My favorite film featuring Miss Pfeiffer is a toss up between "The Fabulous Baker Boys" and "Batman Returns" with "What Lies Beneath" close behind them.The character of Susie Diamond is one of my favorite characters in any film. Not only did Michelle play her character with humor and heart, Michelle's beautiful voice is reason enough alone to love the character and the film. A sentimental favorite of mine is Michelle's timeless performance as Catwoman/Selena Kyle in Tim Burton's "Batman Returns." Anything Batman was my favorite as a young boy and I loved everything about this film. Michelle became one of my favorite actresses as a young movie fan simply because she was the lady who played Catwoman. In all seriousness however, she did an amazing job with the role perfectly bringing out her character's sexy, seductive, psychotic ways. How about you guys, what is your favorite Michelle Pfeiffer movie?

There is a wonderful interview on YouTube with Michelle from James Lipton's show Inside the Actors Studio. Lipton and Michelle talk about her early years, her personal life, and of course all of her iconic and memorable movie rolls and how she came to play them. It runs about forty minutes long but it's a real treat to watch or just listen too, clicking here will take you to that segment. With a film called "Malavita" co-staring Robert De Niro and Tommy Lee Jones set to be released later this year, I can't wait to see Michelle's performance in the film and, hopefully, many more to come.

Lemon Berry Parfait

I love to end a meal with a nice sweet treat. Now that the warmer months are coming upon us, I'm always trying to come up with deserts that can be made without heating up your oven and making the house any warmer than it has to be. That's how I came up with my lemon berry parfait recipe. The sweet and fresh berries and nice tart lemon curd compliment each other perfectly. Adding a layer of freshly whipped cream on top is like the icing on a cake.

Serves 4 to 6

Zest of 3 Lemons
½ cup of Fresh lemon Juice,
1½ cups of sugar
1 stick of butter at room temperature
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 pint of heavy cream
½ teaspoon of Vanilla
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
2 cups of blueberries
2 cups of sliced strawberries 

 
Zest all three of the lemons and add the zest to a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and whisk together with the fresh zest. This will help the oil in the lemon zest infuse into the sugar. Add the softened butter into the sugar and the zest mixture and until everything is completely combined. The mixture should be light and fluffy - you can do this by hand or with an electric mixer.

Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, making sure each egg is mixed in well before you add the next. Finally add the the lemon juice and the salt to the mixture and beat until combined. Pour the mixture into a sauce pan and cook over medium low heat on the stove stop. If at any point the mixture begins to simmer lower the heat slightly. Stir the Lemon curd constantly for about 10 to 15 minutes until the lemon curd begins to thicken. Once thickened, allow the curd to cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. In the meantime you can wash the berries and slices the strawberries into thin slices.

Chill a wire whisk and a metal or glass mixing bowl - this will help the whipped cream form better. Add the cream, the vanilla, and the powdered sugar to the bowl and whip cream until soft peaks begin to form. Don't over beat. Set the whipped cream aside in the refrigerator until we are ready to assemble.

When the lemon curd is cooled, start by placing the blueberries in the bottom of trifle or a parfait dish. Pour about half of the lemon curd over the blueberries. Next, lay the strawberries slices over top the layer of lemon curd and then pour the remaining lemon curd over top. Finish the parfait with our whipped cream and put back into the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. This dish can be assemble in either a large trifle or parfait bowl like I did or in individual serving glasses.

Fluffernutter Tart and "Bad Teacher"

Who didn't love to open up their brown paper bags at their school cafeteria and find a delicious Fluffernutter sandwich made by mom? It was always my favorite lunch to bring to school and even now the taste of salty peanut butter and sweet marshmallow fluff takes me back to my school lunch days. Now I'm assuming most of us no longer pack a peanut butter and fluff sandwich to work for lunch, at least not near as often as we did as children. So I took a little inspiration from an Ina Garten recipe for Peanut butter and Jelly bars and thought I'd spin the flavors around and use fluff instead of jelly. My "Fluffernutter Tart" is a sweet treat children and adults will go crazy for. Soft peanut butter crust and topping with gooey fluff in the middle, this desert is really good! Since the flavors of our desert will takes us back to school, of course our movie has to as well. Cameron Diaz stars in the outrageous comedy "Bad Teacher"

1 Stick of room temperature butter
¾ cup of granulated Sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of pure Vanilla extract
1 cup of good peanut butter (I prefer Jiff)

1½ cups of All-purpose Flour
½ teas spoon of Baking Powder
¾ teaspoon of Kosher Salt
2 cups of marshmallow fluff 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Start by greasing a 9 inch wide tart pan with a little bit of butter and dusting the pan with flour. Make sure all the ridges in the tart pan are greased well and get a good coating of flour. Bang out any excess and set the tart pan aside. If you don't have a tart pan, a pie plate or a 9x10 baking dish will work just fine. 


In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the stick of butter with the sugar until light and fluffy - about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the butter and sugar have been mixed together, turn your mixer off and add the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter to the mixture and continue to mix on medium speed. With the mixer off, use a rubber scraper to scrap down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is being mixed together.

In a separate mixing bowl - combine the flour, kosher salt, and the baking powder together. Mix the ingredients together with a whisk or a fork. Turn the electric mixer on low and slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix together just until a dough begins to form. Use your rubber scrapper again to scrap the sides and the bottoms of the bowl and mix in any dry ingredients that might not have been Incorporated into the dough. 

Press about ¾ of the dough into the bottom of the pan to make our crust. Press firmly along the bottoms and the sides to make about a half inch crust. Once the crust is formed, scoop out the marshmallow fluff into the center of the tart. This step is going to be sticky, use a metal spoon and a clean hand to evenly distribute the fluff across the bottom of the tart as best as you can. If you spray your spoon and hand with a little bit of cooking spray it helps to keep the fluff on the tart and off of you. What we have left of our dough is going to be our topping. Distribute the rest of the dough by crumbling it over top the fluff.

Place the tart pan in the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until the peanut butter dough is turning slightly brown and the fluff is beginning to puff up from the crust. Allow the tart to cool a bit before you remove the sides of the pans. Slices and serve for a desert I really hope will bring out the inner child in you! Now I do have to warn you, this weeks movie is certainly not recommended for our younger audiences but they'll sure enjoy this recipe!

The 2011 comedy "Bad Teacher" stars Cameron Diaz as Elisabeth Halsey, a junior high school teacher who really doesn't give an F - and I don't mean the grade. She isn't just a bad teacher, she is one of the worst teachers imaginable. Elisabeth plans to ditch teaching and let her wealthy husband take care of her the rest of her life, that is until he realizes Elisabeth only stays with him because of his money. With Elisabeth's rich housewife dream up in smoke and no money of her own, she's forced to return back to teaching at John Adams Middle School. Elisabeth's idea of teaching, close the blinds and show her students a movie. Her motive for teaching isn't to inspire her students, but to save up money for breast implants.

When a wealthy, young, and handsome substitute teacher Scott Delecorte (Justin Timberlake) arrives to the school, Elisabeth begins to target Scott's affection. She soon stops showing films and classes and only tries to model herself as a good hearted teacher to impress Scott. Her ways of teaching soon take a turn around when she learns that the teacher who's classroom scores the highest on the state test receives a bonus. Jason Segel, Lucy Punch, Phyllis Smith, and John Michael Higgins co-star in this outrageous comedy.

The humor in bad teacher ranges from harmless to offensive so be prepared to just watch a movie for some laughs and not take things to seriously. For me this movie offered me a bunch of laughs and it's still a favorite of mine to watch after a long hard day when all I want to do is laugh some worries away. To get a glimpse at just how bad she is, check out the trailer for "Bad Teacher".

Movie Preview - Finding Dory

Sorry for the late post today everyone!

Disney and Pixar's 2003 Oscar winning film "Finding Nemo" was a box office hit and quickly became one of the most loved Pixar movies to date. Centered around a clown fish named Marlin searching the vast ocean for his lost son Nemo. Marlin found aide from a lovable but very forgetful fish named Dory who suffers from short term memory loss. Together the two of them will go against all odds to try and find Nemo and return home safely. The under water tale was visual stunning to say the least and the story was full of heart and laughs.

Dory was voiced by popular actress/comedian/talk show host Ellen Degeneres and has been very vocal about wanting to do a sequel to "Finding Nemo" for quite sometime. It was recently announced that Pixar has indeed begun plans to make a sequel to Nemo, "Finding Dory" and the film will hit theaters sometime in 2015. I for one am very excited to hear this news as I am a huge fan of "Finding Nemo" and really think the upcoming sequel has a lot of potential.

We all scream for Ice Cream!!

Ice cream has to be one of the greatest things on the face of the Earth!! Smooth, creamy, sweet, delicious, cold, and it's the perfect treat to beat the embending heat of the Spring and Summer months. Ice Cream also happens to be a perfect snack for any of you favorite movies! If you're an ice cream lover like I am, something you may want to consider purchasing, if you don't have one, is an ice cream maker. They are widely available in kitchen and department stores and their prices vary to help fit most of our budgets. A few summers back I bought my Cuisinart Ice cream maker off of a popular online retailer for around 75 dollars and it's been worth every penny!

Making ice cream is really not a complicated task at all. Just a basic mixture of cream, whole milk, sugar, and some flavorings is really all it takes. Over the next few months, I'll be sharing with you some of my favorite ice cream recipes I've come up with over the years. From your basics like vanilla bean and chocolate to some of my more creative ideas like lemon lavender. If you are interested looking to purchase an ice cream maker, my best advice and go online read the reviews of their owners. The consumers will certainly steer your clear of the less desirable models. I personally own the Cuisinart ICE-30BC 2 quart Ice Cream maker. No complaints what so ever from me, it's a great ice cream maker and one that's gotten a lot of use. It's easy to clean and has everything I need to make fresh ice cream whenever I want! Keep checking back for some great ice cream recipes!

Grilled Brats with Beer Braised Onions and "Moneyball"

What food is classically associated with baseball? A grilled hotdog and a nice cold beverage. Since this week I'm focusing of films about baseball it was easy to think of what we'd cook up this week. To mix things up a bit, I'm using beer brats for my recipe but feel free to use a classic hot dog instead of a brat. Brats are similar to a hot dog but contain different spices. You still serve them up the same way, on a bun with your favorite condiments. Top these grilled brats off with some shredded cheddar and beer braised onions with a side of french fries or onion rings and I think we have ourselves dinner. Of course we always have a movie to go with dinner and this week we have the reveal of my #1 baseball movie from Monday's post - the 2011 film "Moneyball."

For the Brats and Onions

1 Package of Beer or Stadium Brats
1 large onion
Kosher Salt and freshly cracked pepper (About ½ teaspoon of each)
1 teaspoon of sugar
¾ cup of Beer (Any regular beer you like to drink)
8 ounces of freshly grated cheddar
1 package of good quality buns

For a side of fries or onion rings, click below to go to those posts:
Onion Rings
Fresh cut French Fries

Start by peeling the onion and slicing the onion into thin slices. Melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat and add the onions to the butter. Cook the onions in the butter for 7-10 minutes, stirring them frequently. Add your salt, pepper, and sugar to the onions and mix.

Next add the beer to the onions and stir everything together to combine. What to do with the beer you don't add to the pan? Well if your of age I'll let you decide how to handle this but I think we both know the answer. Lower the heat slightly and allow the onions to cook for about 20 minutes until the onions are slightly browned and have absorbed some of the beer. Season to taste.

Once the onions and beer are simmering, fire up the grill. If you're using a gas grill, have your flame on medium heat. Charcoal grillers should evenly distribute their coals and wait until the charcoal has turned white before placing the brats over the heat. Place the brats on the grill, keeping them apart from each other if possible so the heat can surround them. If you're cooking fresh brats, cook the brats for about 17-20 minutes or until they've browned and are cooked through. If you're cooking with brats that have been smoked and precooked, cut the grilling time in half as all we have to do is heat them through. Remember to always turn your brats with tongs so that we don't pierce the skin.

Once the brats are cooked, it's time to assemble. I like the put the cheddar on the bun first and then place the brat over top the cheese - the heat from the brat will melt the cheddar. Add your desired condiments to the brat and top it off with some of our braised onions. Serve with your desired side dish and dinner is served. Since we won't be going out to the ball game tonight, lets bring it to our living rooms.

Thanks so much to everyone who commented on Monday's posts. There are so many great films about baseball, it's difficult to pick which one is our favorite. For me there was little competition once I saw the 2011 film "Moneyball." It's not only the best movie I've seen about baseball, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen in general.

Based on a true story, Brad Pitt plays the real life general manger of the Oakland A's - Bill Beane. After loosing to the star filled and super rich roster of the New York Yankees, Billy approaches his team owner to ask for more money so that he can sign and resign players so that they can compete with New York. The trouble is, there is no more money to be had and Billy sees most of his skilled players leave Oakland for other teams and bigger contracts. 

While meeting with another team and trying to discuss possible trade deals, Billy meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill). Brand was an economics major from Yale and brings new insight on how teams should choose their players. Beane is automatically hooked on the idea and soon hires Peter to help him find quality players that his team can afford simply because other teams in the league under value them. Not everyone in the organization is sold on Billy's new concept including his scouts and his teams manager Arte Howe (Phillip Seymour-Hoffman). When the team begins to flounder and find themselves in last place in their division, Billy must find a way to rally his team together and get over his past and the lingering affects it has on him or he may soon find himself out of a job. A gripping drama, an underdog story, and an interesting look at what happens behind the scenes for a baseball team all rolled into one- "Moneyball" is a very solid film that I can watch over and over again.

Both Pitt and Hill were nominated for Academy awards for their performances, as well as the movie for Best Picture. The true beauty of "Moneyball" is that it's a film that can easily be enjoyed by anyone. Viewers who aren't even a fan of sports will find themselves getting lost in the story and pulling for the Oakland A's to shock the baseball world. Fan of the game or not, don't let "Moneyball" be a film you miss viewing. Watch the trailer first, then go out and see this film anyway that you can!

Top Five - Favorite Baseball Movies

Winter has all but ended and spring time for so many means it's time to play ball!! Baseball and movies are two of America's favorite past times so it's no surprise that putting the two together is a recipe for success. Over the years Hollywood has hit many "home runs" of their owns giving audiences compelling films about the game so many of us love. Baseball movies range from tales from the big leagues, young boys playing in the backyard, unlikely underdogs, and even stories from behind the scenes of the game. Here is my Top 5 list of my favorite baseball themed movies and a quick run down of each. What do you guys think? I'd love to hear what your favorite baseball movie is!

5.) Rookie of the Year - Disney's 1993 film "Rookie of the Year" was a favorite of mine as a kid and after seeing it again recently, I still found a lot of enjoyment from the film. Thomas Ian Nicholas stars as young Henry who wishes nothing more than to play baseball in the major leagues one day. Only problem is, he's terrible at executing every possible aspect of the game. That all changes after Henry suffers a broken arm while playing ball with his friends in the park. Henry's tendons in his arm heal tighter than normal and he soon learns he can pitch a baseball like nobody has ever seen. Now the newest sensation in baseball - Henry joins his favorite team, The Chicago Cubs, and brings some child's play to the big leagues. This a great light hearted and fun movie, check out the preview here!

4.) The Sandlot - "The Sandlot" is another timeless classic about a group of young boys and their love for the game of baseball. Scotty Smalls is the new kid on the block and when his mother encourages him to go out and make new friends, he stumbles across a group of young boys playing ball. The baseball guru of the group, Rodriquez takes Scotty under his wing and soon Scotty is part of the group. One day while playing ball, their baseball is hit over the fence into the neighbors yard where a gigantic dog they call, "the Beast" resides and the boys are about to call it a day. Still trying to prove himself within the group of boys, Scotty runs home to grab his step-father's baseball so they can continue to play. When this ball sails over the fence and into the jaws of the Beast, Scotty panics and then informs his friends the ball was signed by some famous baseball player - Babe Ruth. The group of young friends now go about the task of getting the ball back before it's gone for good! You've never seen this movie?? "You're killing me Smalls!" Here is the trailer for "The Sandlot."

3.) Trouble with the Curve - The newest addition to my list. I reviewed "Trouble with the Curve" a few weeks ago but I have to mention it again here on this list. Clint Eastwood plays Gus Lobel, an aging baseball scout who is struggling with that fact that his poor vision may soon cause him to give up his beloved career as a scout for the Atlanta Braves. With pressure from the organization to scout a young player they're interested in drafting with their first pick, Gus is sent to see if the player lives up to the hype. Gus's daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) accompanies her father as she recently found out about her father's poor vision. Along the journey they will try to mend their rocky relationship and realize that baseball is the true passion in each of their lives. Here is the preview for "Trouble with the Curve".

2.) A League of Their Own - If  I'm being honest, this movie could solely contain Tom Hanks' famous line "There's no crying in baseball!!!" and it would still be number two on my list. When World War II sees most of the star baseball players of America heading over seas, a league of professional female baseball players is formed to fill the void. Twin sisters Dottie (Geena Davis) and Kit (Lori Petty) are discovered by a scout and sent to the tryouts. Both sisters eventually make the team for the Rockford Peaches coached  by former baseball star Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks). Due to an existing injury, Jimmy wasn't able to fight in the war nor is he able to continue playing his beloved game of baseball. He reluctantly takes the offer to manage the Peaches from the dugout. Throughout the season, Jimmy and the team go through the ups and downs of baseball and life together and create memories that would last forever. "A League of their own" is such a great film that I'm sure most of you have seen but if not, please watch this trailer and go out today and see the full film.

1.) ?????? - What's my favorite film about baseball?? Come back Wednesday for the answer, my full review and recommendation of the film, and of course a recipe for a great dinner to go with it!

Good Vanilla makes all the difference!!

We've all heard the expression, "You get what you pay for" and that stands so true when you talk about Vanilla extract. Just about all of your cookie, cake, custard, icing, and other recipes for sweet treats call for Vanilla extract. To be quite honest, when I bake it's really the only ingredient I don't measure to the exact degree - a little extra splash never hurt anything!!

Since vanilla is such a key ingredient in our freshly baked sweet treats, it's really important to use a good quality vanilla. The first thing to look for is does the bottle say "Pure" or "Imitation". The imitation I'm sad to say would be better suited to be poured right down the kitchen sink. It contains artificial flavorings and chemicals to try and recreate the taste of vanilla but fails to do so and it even will leave a very bitter taste.

Always buy pure vanilla extract and if you bake a lot like I do, it's best to spend the extra couple of dollars and get the best quality one you can afford within you budget (Remember a bottle will last you a couple months or longer depending on how much you bake). When you switch from using a low grade vanilla to a high quality one, you'll really be able to tell the difference. Most notably in freshly made whipped cream. Since all whipped cream contain is heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla - the vanilla will be the key flavoring that your pallet will pick up. If you really want to taste the difference for yourself, make a small amount of whipped cream with imitation vanilla and a small amount with pure. Warning though, you'll be hooked on the good stuff!!

And before I hit the little orange "Publish" button I wanted to share something with you all. A few of you have already commented on this but Wednesday I appeared on a local television show called "PA Live". It was a wonderful experience and one I really enjoyed. I have to thank hosts Brittany Sweeney and Eric Petersen for being so awesome and really making me feel calm and comfortable during my time on air.Here is the link that will take you to my segment in the kitchen with Eric, and to all my local readers be sure to tune in Monday through Friday on WBRE to watch more of this great program. I hope to have the opportunity to cook in the PA live kitchen again someday!

Roasted Shimp and Asparagus with Pasta and "Something's Gotta Give"

Spring has sprung, and with it the abundant season of fresh produce is about to begin. April is the best time of year to get fresh asparagus and it tastes so good when you roast it at a high temperature. Tossed together with some sweet shrimp, cherry tomatoes, and a creamy sauce with a hint of lemon and this dish screams to me the tastes of spring.To go with this pasta dish, I have the film "Something's Gotta Give". Whenever I think of this film I think of the location that the film takes place in, the gorgeous Hamptons in New York. Though I've never been to the Hamptons, I know they have access to fresh seafood and great local and fresh produce. The sauce itself also has routes from the Hamptons as it's a variation of a recipe I learned from Ina Garten's cooking show, The Barefoot Contessa. It's a simple and elegant meal that you can make in about 35 minutes and you won't believe how delicious it tastes.

Serves 4-5

1 Pound of raw Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 Large shallot (diced)
2 cloves of Garlic (minced or grated)
1 bunch of fresh Asparagus
½ pound of Cherry Tomatoes 
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup of Heavy Cream
Juice and the Zest of one Lemon
Freshly Chopped Parsley
Penne Pasta (Or whatever you prefer)
Kosher Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Fill a large pot about ¾ of the way full with water. Salt the water heavily and turn the heat up to high to bring the water to a boil.

In a medium sauce pan, coat the bottom of the pan with about a tablespoon  of olive oil. Place the pan on the stove top over medium low heat. Add the diced shallot to the olive oil and cook the shallot for about 5 to 7 minutes - stirring occasionally. The shallot will be very aromatic and begin to get tender. Add the the two cloves of garlic and cook for another minute being sure to stir constantly so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the cup of heavy cream, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper. If you're skeptic about adding lemon to the cream, I have to tell you that I've had people who hate lemon love this sauce. The lemon doesn't over power the dish at all, just gives it a nice subtle background flavor. Simmer the sauce over low heat giving a stir every few minutes. Season the sauce to taste.
 

Rinse off your asparagus and gently bend the stalk of the asparagus. Where the asparagus snaps is it's natural breaking point and the bottom part of the vegetable that breaks off should be discarded. An easy way to get through doing this for a large amount of asparagus is break abut 6 or 7 of them and use where they broke as guide on where to cut the rest with a knife.

Next, rinse the cherry tomatoes and slice them into halves. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet along with the cherry tomatoes and toss them together with a tablespoon of olive oil and some kosher salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables in the oven at 425 for about 20 minutes. 

Prepare the shrimp by removing the peels and the veins. For presentation I sometimes like the to leave the tails of the shrimp on but you can certainly remove them if you wish. Place the shrimp on a cookie sheet and season them with about a ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and just a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the shrimp and toss the shrimp together to coat them with the oil and seasons.

Place the shrimp in the oven and roast for about for about 7 to 10 minutes until the shrimp are just pink. The shrimp will also be firm to the touch. You want to be careful to not overcook seafood which is rather easy to do so keep a close eye on them. I usually try to time it where I add my shrimp to the oven about half-way through the cooking time for the asparagus and the tomatoes so they get done at just about the same time.

By now the water should be coming to a nice rolling boil, add your pasta and cook to the directions according to the package. While the pasta boils and the shrimp and veggies finishing roasting, chop the fresh parsley that we'll add right before we serve the dish.

Once the veggies and shrimp are roasted, remove from the oven. Drain the cooked pasta and pour the pasta into a large serving bowl. Add the roasted asparagus and the tomatoes to the pasta. Next, scrape the shrimp into the bowl. Be sure to add any juices that have accumulated on either of the sheet pans. Pour our cream sauce over top the pasta, shrimp, and veggies and mix everything together. Shower the dish with some freshly chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve the pasta hot with a fresh and crusty bread! A nice chilled glass of Pinot Grigio is the perfect wine to go along with this pasta dish. Grab a bowl of pasta, a glass of wine, and lets get started with this weeks movie.

"Something's Gotta Give" is the 2003 romantic comedy starring two of films most iconic faces, Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton. Written and directed by Nancy Meyers, the film was a popular hit among audiences and critics and Diane Keaton earned an Oscar Nomination for her role as Erika Barry.

Nicholson plays Harry Sanborn, a mid-sixties Hip-Hop music executive with an eye for women much younger than himself. His latest catch is the young and beautiful Maren (Amanda Peet) who has invited Harry to spend the weekend with her at her mothers lavish beach house in the Hamptons. The two arrive at the gorgeous and impressive piece of real estate and prepare for a romantic weekend alone - that is until Marin's mother Erika (Diane Keaton) and her aunt Zoe (Francis McDormand) surprisingly walk in on Harry standing in her kitchen in his underwear. 

Appalled by her daughter's choice to date Harry, Erika wants nothing more for Harry to head back to the city and leave the three of them to enjoy their weekend. No such luck however as Zoe suggest they all act like adults and enjoy their time there together. Erika sucks it up, thinking it would only be for a day or two. That is until Harry has a sudden heart attack and is forced to stay bed ridden until his doctor clears him healthy enough to travel. Refusing to stay in a hospital, Marin convinces her mother Erika to allow Harry to recover at her home. Keaue Reeves costars as Harry's doctor who soon takes his own romantic interest in Erika while caring for Harry. 

Forced to spend more time together than they both wish, their personalities clash at first but the two begin to grow and unlikely bond. Erika and Harry soon begin to let their guards down and realize they may actually enjoy each others company more than the could ever imagine. The results lead the two on a journey of humor and heartbreak. "Something's Gotta Give" doesn't reinvent the genre of the romantic comedy movie but it does bring a sense of freshness to it and shows that love can happen for anyone. Whether you've seen this film before or let this one slip under your radar, "Something's Gotta Give" is a fantastic movie to enjoy over and over again. Here is the preview for a quick look at what most consider Nancy Meyer's best film to date.

Movie Review - "Argo"

Director Ben Affleck's film "Argo" follows the events that took place at the American embassy in Iran in 1979. Iranian revolutionaries invaded the embassy in protest to America providing medical treatment to the recently overthrown Shah of Iran. The result of which left Americans from the embassy as hostages by the Iranians. Six embassy workers managed to escape before the embassy was attacked and found shelter with the Canadian Ambassador. Unable to escape Iran, they were forced to stay inside the home of the ambassador until the crisis around them had been averted.

When the CIA was ordered to rescue the six American that escaped the embassy, Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) devised a plan to create a fake Canadian film that was looking for a location to shoot the picture. Mendez and the CIA would seek help from two big named Hollywood studio workers that were entrusted to keep the plan a secret all the while making the movie look like an actual future blockbuster about to be filmed. Mendez would then enter Iran, train the six Americans to act like Canadian film makers, and smuggle them out of the country before their identities are discovered. Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, and Bryan Cranston offer their talents in supporting roles in the film.

Affleck continues to impress the movie goers of the world with hit another critically acclaimed and award winning film with "Argo". As many of you probably know by now, "Argo" took home to prestigious award for best picture at this years Academy Awards. After seeing the film first hand, I myself find little reason to dispute the academy's decision to award the film with that honor. It may be a bit hard to follow at times but "Argo" is a suspenseful story that left my heart pumping and my palms sweaty as the astonishing story unfolded on screen. "Argo" is a film not to be missed, here is the trailer for the one of the best movies I've seen in years.

Microplane - don't have one?? Get one!!

It's the little things in life that make us happy. A few months back I purchased a small Microplane and it's quickly become one of my favorite cooking tools in my kitchen. This particular Microplane was $11.99 at a cooking equipment store and it's been worth every penny.


A microplane has small metal grates that are perfect for zesting citrus fruits, grating hard spices like nutmeg, and grating cheese. I have to say the most common use I've found for my mircoplane is grating garlic. The microplane makes short work out of a clove of garlic and grates it finer than I could ever achieve with a knife. It makes the garlic the perfect consistency for adding to sauces and marinades and really allows the garlic flavor to get into your dish. Microplanes come in different shapes sizes but the most important thing to look for are the very fine grates on the grater. Click on either of the images I've provided to get a better look at the microplane to see what I mean. Whether you're an avid home cook or just starting out, one of these handy tools should be nearby at all times!

Grilled Steak Sandwich and "The Hurt Locker"

I have to say I love a well made and fresh sandwich. They usually consist of simple and fresh flavors and when you add a good quality bread to the mix, things just keep getting better. One night when I was in the mood for a nice grilled steak but wasn't in the mood to make any side dishes to go along with it, I came up with this recipe for my grilled steak sandwich. Slices of juicy grilled steak, fresh toppings, and a crispy French baguette made this one an instant winner in my book. This recipe might not be directly inspired by any film in particular, but to me any sandwich is good movie food. Taking a quick glimpse at my movie library, for some reason I thought the movie "The Hurt Locker" paired well with this sandwich. Total prep and cook time for this sandwich is around 20 minutes and this recipe will yield two sandwiches.


1 French Baguette (Par baked kind if you can find them)
1 New York Strip steak (About 1 pound)
1 Shallot (Sliced)
1 Tomato (Sliced)
2 teaspoons of Mayo
1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
A drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar
6 sliced of Cheddar Cheese
Fresh Greens like Arugula, Lettuce, or Spinach

Season the steak well with lots of freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt. Salt and pepper is typically the only seasoning I use on my beef as they bring out the flavor in the steak. Now the best way to cook at steak is over an open flame on a grill. Mother nature had other plans for me on this particular evening so I was forced to my back up plan - my electric grill.

Grill the steak for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Rotate the steak slightly to change the directions that the grates run along the steak to create the crisscross grill marks. Once the steak is cooked, remove from the grill and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes at room temperature. If we were to slice the steak now, all of our juices inside the steak would run out onto our cutting board.

While the steak is resting, we'll prep the other items needed for our sandwich. If you're using a partially baked baguette, now is when you'll want to finish baking that to the instructions given to you on the package. A fully baked one will work fine too, but par baked breads are widely available now and I love a their freshly baked taste.

Mix together the Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and the balsamic vinegar together to make the spread for our sandwiches. Cut the baguette in half horizontally. Place the slices of cheddar on the bottom piece and spread the sauce on the top. Slice the steak into thin slices. I like to give mine a quick dash of salt and pepper here and then place the warm steak over top the cheddar to help the cheese melt. Top the steak with the fresh greens, the sliced shallots, and the sliced tomato and cap off the sandwich with the other half of baguette. Slice the sandwich in half and serve warm.

"The Hurt Locker" was somewhat of a surprise winner for Best Picture at the 2009 Academy Awards. Most were expecting the big budget CGI filled film "Avatar" to take home the price and for that I feel this film didn't get the respect it deserved from the common audience. In my eyes, this film deserved every honor it was given.

Jeremy Renner stars as Staff Sergeant William James, the leader of a group of soldiers who hold the dangerous job of disarming bombs in the center of urban combat in Iraq. James acts recklessly as if he doesn't believe that death will catch up with him or that he doesn't fear it when the time comes. After disarming over 800 bombs, James feels in order to disarm a bomb -you must think like a bomb maker. His two subordinates Sandorn (Anthony Mackie) and Eldrige (Brian Geraghty) don't share this philopshy which causes a great deal of tension between the three men.

Chaos soon engulfs the team and they will have to come to an understanding of each other in order to continue with success at these most deadly and tense situations. The true character of James and his fellow comrades is exposed and put to the test as they learn just how dangerous and hostile the situation they've found themselves in truly is.

 "The Hurt Locker" is a powerful, intense, heartfelt, riveting, and action packed film that will stand as a classic film. Kathryn Bigelow was honored with Best Director award at the 2009 Oscars and it was well deserved. She filmed a movie that literally will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Jeremy Renner is fantastic in his Oscar nominated performance and will go through as his break out role. This is not a film to be overlooked and I highly recommend it, Click here to watch the trailer for "The Hurt Locker."

Movie Review - "Trouble with the Curve"

Baseball is widely called America's favorite past time, and watching movies may be a close second. It's no surprise than that so many fantastic films about baseball have been made over the years. In 2012, director Robert Lorenz brought yet another tale from the dugout to the big screen with the movie - "Trouble with the Curve."

Clint Eastwood plays Gus Lobel, a well known and long time baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves. In his twilight years, many in the Braves organization feel that Gus is best suited for retirement when his contract expires in a few months. His long time friend Pete (John Goodman) doesn't share their own sentiments and decides to send Gus to scout a hot shot high school baseball player, Bo Gentry, that could be their first round pick in the upcoming draft. When Pete visits Gus at his home, he can tell that something is right with his old friend and decides to contact his daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) to assist her father on his scouting trip. The truth is that Gus' eye sight is beginning to deteriorate and he knows if the Braves were to learn this they'll feel he'll be unable to scout anymore.

Gus and Mickey soon find themselves dealing with their rocky relationship and Gus' health issues all while they try to determine if Bo Gentry is the next biggest star of baseball. Along the way they meet Johnny (Justin Timberlake) who was once a promising young ball player that was scouted by Gus. Due to a career ending injury, Johnny now scouts for a rival team but hopes that by scouting a new young star he can soon be calling games from the broadcasting booth. The ups and downs along the way and a strong cast all help bring "Trouble with the Curve" together and make for a very enjoyable film.

"Trouble with the Curve" is not only an engaging film about the game of baseball but it's an, at times, emotional story between an aging Father and his daughter. Clint Eastwood gives a strong performance as usual and Amy Adams continues to show that she deserves to be mentioned as one of today's best actresses in film. Without giving anything away, I couldn't think of a better way for this movie to conclude and I'd recommend this film to all - baseball fan or not. Click here for the trailer for "Trouble with the Curve" and be sure to add this movie to your "must see list" if it wasn't there already.