Movie Review - Mud

When two young friends Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) go to investigate a boat suspended high in a tree that Neckbone and his uncle discovered. The two teens claim the boat as their own until they quickly discover signs that someone is living inside the boat. On their way back to the river, they see a mysterious man (Matthew McConaughey) standing by shore. The man who wears dirty clothes and appears to have been in hiding for sometime asks the two young boys for help, the unknown factor gets the best of the boys. They soon find out the mans name is Mud and that he's waiting for the right time to escape off the island and reunite with his girlfriend Juniper (Reese Witherspoon).

Not all is as it seems when Ellis finds out the state troopers are searching for Mud because he had killed a man in Texas. Events begin to escalate as Mud sees his window of opportunity to reunite with Juniper and get to safety begin to close. Ellis and Neckbone begin to question whether or not Mud is who he says he is as their own safety becomes a factor as they risk everything to help him. Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, and Ray McKinnon costar is the gripping drama that keeps you guessing and waiting for the next twist.

Mud is a classic coming of age story at it's core. The added mystery of who Mud really is will keep you guessing until the end. It's not without it's slow moments here and there but the suspense of the film holds the audience tight and never allows you to stop wondering how things will end. Matthew McConaughey may be a long shot when it comes to movie award season, mostly because they tend to forget about movies released earlier in the year, but his performance is worth the praise. If anyone questioned his acting talent, Mud will reassure you that McConaughey is a better actor than some of his films he stars in show him to be.

The two young actors Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland are by no means hidden in the shadows of Matthew McConaughey and the other well known stars in the film. The young actors strive in their roles as two young Southern boys not only battling through adolescence but also the continued mystery and danger surrounded by their mysterious friend. Tye Sheridan especially is truly outstanding in his role and we may witness the rise of an upcoming grade A actor. Writer and director Jeff Nichols also should garner attention for both an excellent screenplay and his artful direction.

Bottom line is, Mud was not commercialized upon it's release and wasn't sent to many of the movie theaters around the world. Released at the Cannes film festival, it was an immediate hit and the praise for this film is not overrated. It's a movie that's heartfelt at it's core and suspenseful and gritty the whole way through. Click here to watch the trailer for Mud and be sure to be see this movie for yourself in the very near future.

Grilled Chicken Salad with House Caesar dressing and Gladiator

When someone asked me about my philosophy about cooking I told them it's basically just simple food that's done right. Chicken Caesar is the perfect example of that. It's a meal that can be thrown together very quickly and there are quite a few elements to the meal to take it from ordinary to extraordinary. The first step of course is homemade Caesar dressing and It's so easy and delicious you'll never want to buy a bottle of it again. Tossed with fresh romaine lettuce, salty parmesan cheese, and crispy croutons this is the perfect way to start of a meal. Add some slices of freshly grilled chicken on top, and we have a meal all to it's self. Though the namesake of the salad and the dressing have no relation to ancient Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, I've paired this meal with the 2000 film, winner of best picture at the Oscar Awards that year, Gladiator.

For the Dressing
2 Cloves of Garlic (Grated or finely minced)
3 Fresh Basil leaves (Roughly Chopped)
2 Tablespoon of grated Parmesan
3 dashes of worcestershire sauce
1 Teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
1 Teaspoon of Lemon zest
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
3 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon of Anchovy paste (optional)
1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive oil (Give or take)
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Salad Ingredients
Hearts of Romaine lettuce
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Crispy Italian Bread
Grilled Boneless Chicken

Place your chicken in your favorite marinade and allow it to marinade for about 30 minutes. That may not seem like long but since we're going to be tossing it with our dressing, we don't really have to have a lengthy marinade time.. My go to quick chicken marinade for slicing over a salad is simply some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, grated garlic, and some Dijon mustard. Whisk it together in a bowl and let the chicken soak in the bowl or a ziploc bag.

A microplane is going to be our best friend for making this dressing. Use it to finely grate the garlic into a paste and add the garlic to a mixing bowl. To that add our chopped basil, parmesan, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest and lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and the Dijon mustard. Whisk the ingredients together to slightly combine. Now traditionally the dressing was thickened by using raw egg yolks - thankfully a little bit of mayo does the trick.

Now is also the step to where you would add the anchovy paste.

Whether you want to admit it or not, this really is in most Caesar dressings you've had before. That being said in making it at home, if you don't have any don't go out and buy a tube of it just for 1/2 teaspoon. I've made my dressing both with and without and it's not a big deal. All the anchovy paste does is add a little bit of a deeper saltier flavor to the dressing. So add the mayonnaise and optional anchovy paste and whisk together while slowly pouring in about 1/4 cup of Extra virgin olive oil. Start with the 1/4 cup and if the dressing seems a bit too thick add a bit more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the romaine lettuce, cut the bottom portion off and discard (pictured above). Cut the remaining part of the lettuce into slices and thoroughly wash and dry. I typically plan on using one romaine heart per salad. Once the lettuce has been cleaned, place the lettuce back into the refrigerator to stay cool and crisp.

Grill the boneless chicken breast for about 8 to 10 minutes on each side over a medium heat on your grill. Drizzle some slices of the Italian bread with some olive oil and place them on the grill for a few minutes on each side to get nice and toasty. Once the chicken has been fully cooked, remove from the grill and let the chicken rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Once the chicken has rested, slice the chicken on a bias into nice slices.

While the chicken rests, place your serving plate and the lettuce in the freezer. Sound like a strange step? Ever order a Caesar salad at a restaurant and have it brought to the table in an ice cold plate or bowl? Adding the lettuce to the freezer for a few minutes will help it get extra crisp.

Take the lettuce out of the freezer and to the bowl add freshly grated parmesan cheese and some of our homemade Caesar dressing (as much as desired). Gently toss together to make sure the lettuce all has a coating of our dressing. Pile the lettuce onto our ice cold plate. Neatly arrange the sliced chicken over top the lettuce and hit it with a little bit more parmesan cheese and a little extra drizzle of the dressing. Place a few slices of our grilled bread on the side and serve. This to me is the ultimate Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad.

In the year 2000, when most people were looking towards the new millenium, visionary director Ridley Scott took the world back to Ancient Rome in the film Gladiator.

Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russel Crowe) is the brave and loyal General of the massive Roman Empire. Maximus is equally loved by the people of Rome, his soldiers, and the aging emperor of Rome - Marcus Aurelieus (Richard Harris). Aurelieus loves Maximus so much, he chooses him to be the heir of the Empire over his actual son Commodus (Joaquin Phoneix). The corrupt Commdus learns of his fathers choice and murders the emperor and orders Maximus and his family to be killed.

Maximus escapes his own execution but is unable to reach his family in time. With no will for life left, Maximus is captured be the empire that he once fought for and has become a slave. He soon finds himself a Gladiator fighting for the enterainment of the Roman people. Maximus is fueled now only by the desire to avenge his family, in this life or the next.

Along with winning best picture of the year, Russel Crowe was honored as best actor for his performance as Maximus. Gladiator is the most realistic vision we have at what life in the great city of Ancient Rome may have been like. Ridley Scott's direction in this film was nearly flawless and I still wish his named was called out as best Director that night of the Academy Awards. Gladiator is a film that no doubt will become a classic as it ages. The unforgettable performances by Russel Crowe and Joaquin Phoneix alone make Gladiator a must see film. Click here to watch the trailer for the film of YouTube.

Movie Review - RED

Released in 2010, RED was the surprise worldwide hit film of the year. Bruce Willis plays Frank Mosses, a retired CIA agent living out his remaining years in a boring superb collecting his government pension. The only highlight of his day, talking with Sarah (Mary Louis-Parker) from the government pension processing center. Frank's quite and boring life soon turns upside down when an extreme attempt to assassinate him fails and events from his past have put him, and Sarah, in danger.

Hot on Frank and Sarah's tail is the young CIA agent Cooper (Karl Urban) who heads the operation to stop Frank. Knowing he and Sarah are in danger, Frank reassembles his old team who have been living in hiding like Frank. Joe (Morgan Freeman), Marvin (John Malkovich), and Victoria (Helen Mirren). Together, they've all been classified by the CIA as RED - Retired Extremely Dangerous. Together, the four highly skilled individuals will discover who is behind the recent events and uncover a long hidden scandal in the process. Richard Dreyfuss also play supporting roles Brian Cox in this action packed comedy.

Wait, did I say comedy?? The strength of RED, besides it's all star cast, is the perfect and unusual blend of comedic moments and action pack scenes. An action film, espionage tale, and a comedy all wrapped into one made RED a hit with fans and critics alike.

With RED 2 released this past Friday, now is a great time to get your hands on a copy of RED and get in on the fun and the action. As always, here is a link to the trailer.

Alien and Aliens

In 1979, young director Ridley Scott brought the film Alien to life. It took the genre of horror and suspense films to a new territory and did so in a near flawless way. Alien is now a classic film that was praised by critics as well as audiences and launched the career of both director Ridley Scott and the movies star Sigourney Weaver.  When the crew of the industrial vessel the Nostromo are awakened by a distress signal coming from an unknown nearby planet, it's protocol for them to respond. Upon their ship landing on the planet, three of the ships crew members go off to investigate the distress beacon. While searching for the origin of the distress call, the three explorers discover a strange spaceship with strange looking eggs as the ships cargo.

Just as Ripley (Weaver) believes to have translated the distress beacon as a warning call to stay away from the planet they arrived on, the three crew members return back to the ship with a living creature attached to the one member. Ripley isn't willing to let them back on the ship without first knowing what the creature is but another member of the ship disregards her intuition and the alien life form is brought on board.

This begins the turn of events that puts the crew of the Nostromo in a nightmarish scenario as they soon learn just how deadly and dangerous the creature they discovered is. 34 years later, Alien still continues to frighten movie goers and was the start of one of the most successful and popular movie franchises. Some consider the 1986 Oscar nominated sequel, Aliens, to be superior than its predecessor.

Sigourney Weaver returns in her starting role as Ripley and once again finds herself fighting for survival. Ripley is asked to accompany a military team on its way to the planet she and the Nostromo landed on and discovered the alien life form. A space colony that was formed there has failed to make contact with home base and the worst is feared. This time, Ripley faces more than one of the creatures and will have to fight with every bit of strength to survive. 

With James Cameron behind the camera on Aliens, the film took more of an action movie feel to it rather than the suspense of Scott's Alien. While I enjoyed both films, for me Alien takes top spot over its sequel. The acting, script, and the special effects are both superbly done for their time and I'd recommend both movies to anyone hasn't seen them. 

Movie Review - The Borune Legacy

The summer of 2012 saw the fourth installment in the Jason Bourne movie franchise and did so by taking quite a risk in that the character of Jason Bourne never once appears on screen. Writer/Director Tony Gilroy instead created a new character in the Bourne universe originally created by author Robert Ludlum and gave us a new and original story of his won with, The Bourne Legacy.

When events unfold that puts the a top secret program of the governments on the verge of being uncovered, panic and desperation soon sinks in. The head of the program, Eric Byer (Edward Norton) will now do anything to keep the secret intact, including destroying every agent left in the field. Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) however manages to escape the organizations attempt to exterminate him. Now fully aware of the manipulation he's been exposed too, Aaron will use his skills and training to protect himself and Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachael Weisz), who is also a target of the organization. Together, Aaron and Marta set out to finish what Jason Bourne started and put an end to the program.

Having seen only bits and pieces for the first three Bourne movies, I was concerned when I start watching The Bourne Legacy that I would be completely lost. However, the film does a good job providing the audience with enough information needed to be able to understand the plot. Coming in at just over 2 hours long, I never really found myself bored with the film and instantly felt a connection to the characters and the story. Jeremy Renner and Rachael Weisz (especially Renner) are both wonderful for this film. At times when the script doesn't always come together, the two stars shine in their roles and helped me look past that. Renner was perfectly cast as Aaron Cross and was very believable in the action sequences , as well as the character of Aaron Cross in general. Without giving anything away, the movie leaves room for more stories to be told about these two characters and I for one sure hope to see another Aaron Ross based movie within the next few years.

Despite a few flaws a long the way, a strong cast and a good amount of action and suspense keeps The Bourne Legacy together to make a good quality action movie that easily kept me entertained. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but if you're looking for a good action film to check out I'd certainly suggest The Bounre Legacy. Click here to check out the trailer for The Bourne Legacy.

Backyard Cheese Burgers and "Batman Begins"

I'm pretty sure I have a slight addiction to cheeseburgers. If a freshly grilled cheese burger isn't my favorite thing to eat it's, certainly in my top three. Though you can make a great burger indoors with a cast iron skillet, nothing beats the flavor you get from grilling. Through your favorite cheese on top, melt it to perfection, on a fresh bun with an toppings you desire and this is one quick lunch or dinner few will pass up. This weeks movie recommendation isn't quite as literal as some of my other pairings, but it still seems to fit for me. In fact, just the other night when I sat down to enjoy my burger I put the DVD of "Batman Begins" in to enjoy. It's the start to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and whether you might believe it at first or not, they are three of the best films made in recent years. Lets get the burgers going before we start talking abou the film.


For 3 Cheese Burgers 
1¼ lb of Angus ground Beef 80/20
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper 
2 tablesoons of softend butter
¼ lb of sliced cheese (Always Cooper Sharp Cheese for me)
Burger Buns

Burgers are pretty simple to make, with that said there are a few easy mistakes that I think a lot of people make. Selecting good ground meat is essentially the first key to making a perfect cheese burger. Angus beef is always the best quality and you want to look for one with about an 80 to 20 ratio of lean meat and fat. Now you might have realized I don't add a bunch of spices to my burger and you'll never catch me with those generic grill spice mixtures either. Keeping the seasoning simple to just salt and pepper is another tip to making a great burger. Once you take the wrapping off your burger, season it with some salt and pepper.
 
Now the next tip to making a great burger is when you form the patties themselves. You want to be gentle in this process. Don't roll up the ground beef into a ball using your hands and then flatten them out into their shape. When you compact the burge down tightly like that, you're forming a very tough burger. Gently pull a part a handful of the ground meat and pat in gently with your hands to form your burgers. Once you've formed your burgers, season again with a bit of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Now a little trick I think helps keep the burgers juicy is spreading a little bit of very soft butter on the outside. Place the burgers back in the fridge for until you are ready to grill.

Heat your grill to a high temperature and allow the grates to get nice and hot. Place the burgers on top of the grill giving them a few inches in between each other. Place the cover on your grill and allow the burgers to cook on one side for about 6 to 8 minutes until you can see the meat browning around the bottom edges. Turn your burgers carefully and allow them to cook for another 6 to 8 minutes. One final tip here, never take your spatula and press down on your burger while it's on the grill. You may think you're helping it cook quicker but all you are doing is pressing all those flavorful juices right out of the burgers. Top your burgers with the cheese and cover the grill until the cheese has melted.

 Throw your burgers on your bun with your favorite toppings. I like a little freshly sliced red onion, a crispy dill pickle, and some ketchup and mustard. The burger should have a nice crispy outer crust and be moist and juicy on the inside. This to me folks is heaven on a bun! Now the Cheeseburger has a love affair with French Fries or Onion rings so click the links for my recipe for each. But sometimes I like to keep it simple with some good old potato chips. Now that dinner is at hand, time to dive into our movie of the week.

In 2005 Christopher Nolan took over the directing duties for the Batman movie franchise. While the first two movies directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as Batman were widely popular hits with fans and critics, the franchise hit rock bottom with is horrid and comical sequels with "Batman Forever" and "Batman and Robin". It seem as though Batman would never again see the respected light of the silver screen. Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" changed all of that and not only did he set the bar for all movies based on comic book heroes, he made three of the most popular films of the past decade.

"Batman Begins" starts off with the story of how Bruce Wayne comes to be the mask hero of Gotham City. Christian Bale stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman, the young man who saw his parents murder with his own eyes when he was just a boy. Broken and lost, Wayne has buried himself far away from any signs of his former life and lives his life in hiding. Until a man named Ducard (Liam Neeson) discovers Wayne and promises him the means to seek the justice needed to get his revenge. Bruce soon finds himself back to the city her left years ago only find that Gotham has been completely corrupted by criminals and the rich thugs of the mobs.

With aide from his loyal butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and the head of the research and development department of the Wayne company Lucious Fox (Morgan Freeman), Bruce begins his double life as the masked vigilante known as Batman. While the entire city sees him as just another criminal, one cop named Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) trusts that Batman may actually be trying to help. Together they will have to stop an unknown force that threatens to tear Gotham and it's people apart before there very eyes. Katie Holmes, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson, and Cillian Murphy co-star in the first installment of the Dark Knight Trilogy. Click here for the trailer of "Batman Begins"

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.

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."

"The Town" and New England Clam Chowder

When I think of the New England region, especially the city of Boston, I think of creamy and delicious "New England Clam Chowdah." It's the unofficial dish of the region and it's one of my favorite soups to enjoy on a chilly day. Using freshly steamed clams and the liquid we steam them in really enhances the flavor of the chowder. The combo of tender clams and vegetables in a creamy broth has made this version of clam chowder so popular. It's such a hearty soup and one that's relatively easy to make. Since we're making a dinner that will make us feel like we're in Boston, this weeks movie will help take us there too. Ben Affleck's 2010 film "The Town" is one of the best movies I've ever seen and I'm confident you'll all enjoy this pairing. Call up your friends over, maybe have a few Boston lagers, a nice bowl of "Chowdah", "The Town" on the TV, and you'll feel like you're in the heart of Boston.

Serves 5-7

50 little neck clams
1 medium sized onion (Diced)
1 celery stalk (Diced)
1 carrot (peeled and finely diced)
6 red skinned potatoes
3 tablespoons of butter
¼ of flour
2 bay leaves
2 cups of heavy cream
14oz can of Vegetable or Chicken broth 
Salt and Pepper
Freshly chopped parsley and scallions (optional)

Rinse the clams under running water to get any sand or dirt off that may be on their shells. Place the clams in a large soup pot and cover them with a cup and half of water. Put a lid of the pot and place on the stove top over high heat. Steam the clams for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the clams that have opened and set them aside. Some clams will take longer to open than others so put the lid back on the pot and steam them for a few more minutes. At this point any clams that haven't opened should be discarded.

Now that we've steamed our clams and removed them from the pot, we're going to strain the liquid left in the pot. The water we steamed the clams in has turned into flavorful clam juice so don't even think about just pouring this down the drain. We do want to take extra care though to make sure we don't have any sand or dirt that may have been inside the clams. To do this, use a mesh strainer and a coffee filter. Fit the strainer above a bowl or a large measuring cup and carefully pour the hot clam broth through the strainer.

Give the pot you steamed the clams in a quick rinse and melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots to the melted butter and cook the vegetables together for about 10 minutes. Next, add the flour right into the pot over top the vegetables and stir together. What we're doing here is making a roux which will help thicken our chowder. Cook the vegetables with the flour for 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste - stirring constantly. Mix in the reserved clam juice and the can of broth. Stir the contents of the pot together and toss in the 2 bay leaves. Add the heavy cream to the broth and vegetables and bring the liquid to a simmer - remember a simmer is steam rising from the top but no bubbles. Cover the pot and allow the chowder to simmer for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the soup simmers, remove the meat of the clams from the shells and chop the clam meat into very small pieces. Rinse the potatoes and cut out any rough spots on the skin. You can use another type of potato like a Yukon gold but I prefer using red skinned both for their flavor and the fact you don't have to peel them. Dice the potatoes into fairly small and evenly cut pieces.

Remove the lid from the pot and add both the potatoes and the clam meat into the chowder. Bring the chowder to a boil. Stir the chowder occasionally and cook until the potatoes in the chowder are tender. Season with salt and pepper.



Finish off the chowder by adding the freshly chopped parsley and scallions. Serve the chowder with some freshly bake biscuits (I'll share my recipe for buttermilk biscuits on Friday) and that's what I call dinner! Now that our chowder is done and dinner is served, it's movie time!

Ben Affleck has recently become one of the top directors in the film business, and rightfully so. His most recent film "Argo" took home the prize for best picture and his 2010 film "The Town" was just as deserving of that honor. Affleck starred in and directed a near perfect movie in my eyes and will one day be considered a classic film from it's time. It's a gripping story from start to finish and if you haven't seen it yet, you really don't know what you're missing.

Director Ben Affleck stars as Doug MacRay, a professional bank robber from the Charlestown region of Boston. Along with his team consisting of his best friend Jim (Jeremy Renner) they look ahead at planning their next job but first have to deal with a complication on their last. When police respond to one of their robberies before they had planned, Jim decides to take the terrified bank manager Claire (Rebbecca Hall) as a temporary hostage. After they're confident they've made it safely back to their protective grounds of Charlestown, they release Claire but soon find out she won't be going very far.

Jim discovers from Claire's drivers license that Claire lives only a few blocks from where Doug and the rest of the crew reside and though she was blinded folded, they fear she's still too close for comfort. Doug takes it upon himself to follow Claire to make sure she doesn't have any information that could lead to the robbery being traced back to them. After a not so random meeting between the two, Doug gets closer to Claire than he had planned and begins to develop strong feelings for the innocent woman he recently held at gun point.To make matters worse, Special agent Adam Frawley (John Hamm) is close behind Doug, Jim, and the rest of the gang's trail and is only a few steps away from having enough evidence to bring them all down.

Though Doug is still in the midst of planning the next heist, he sees the chance to make a change in his life for the better. Jim soon becomes aware of Doug and Claire's relationship and is fearful that she may be the missing link the FBI needs to put them all away for life. Now torn between his loyalty to his friends and the love he begins to feel for Claire, Doug struggles with the truth he has hidden from the woman he's fallen in love with and looks for a way to leave his life of crime behind for good.

"The Town" is both an action packed heist movie and a dramatic story between a man's life in crime and his desire to make a better future for himself. It's a film filled with incredible performances from the entire cast which also includes Chris Cooper, Pete Postlethwaite, and Blake Lively in supporting roles. Jeremy Renner's performance in particular is truly mesmerizing and his role earned him a well deserved Oscar nomination for best actor in a supporting role. If "The Town" is a movie you may have missed, It's certainly one that I'd recommend to anyone looking to watch a great film. Here is the trailer for "The Town", truly a favorite film of mine and I think you'll enjoy it too!

Movie Review -"Skyfall"

Good morning everyone! Hope you all had a nice weekend! It was a fairly uneventful one for me but I did find the time to head to the movie theaters and see one of the seasons most anticipated new films, "James Bond 007 Skyfall".

The movie opens up with a bang as a hard drive containing the identities of all the secret agents in the MI6 data base is stolen. Bond and a fellow agent are quickly on the thieves trail to retrieve the device at all costs. When their efforts fail, nobody within the organization is safe - especially "M" herself . A ghost from her past arises with a vengeful plot against her and all of MI6. "M" must rely on 007 to hunt down and neutralize the threat before it's too late. Still recovering from a nearly fatal accident, Bond's physical endurance and his loyalty to "M" will be tested as he faces a terrorist who knows all too well the methods of MI6 and their leader.

Now in his third film portraying the famous secret agent, Daniel Craig owns the role of Bond and plays the part perfectly. Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, and Ralph Fiennes also star as director Sam Mendes takes on his first action movie. Mendes brings new life to the franchise blending elements of past Bond films and bringing in new concepts to keep the film fresh and modern. The exciting opening scene, classic 007 moments, and a top notch screen play that builds an epic story make this film truly enjoyable for newcomers and fans of the series alike.

I can easily say "Skyfall" was the best James Bond movie I've seen in recent years.While it may not have as many over the top gadgets or scandalous love scenes as some of the other installments in the 007 series, Skyfall still delivers as an epic film worthy of the Bond franchise. It certainly merits going to your local theater and enjoying on the big screen. "Skyfall" did not disappoint and I eagerly await the next installment of the timeless movie series. Check out the trailer posted below.