GREAT MOVIE: A Hundred-Foot Journey

Watched this fantastic movie last night and rewatched again twice today.  This film is utterly charming.  

The film stars Helen Mirren, the owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in France.  A family from Mumbai buys the property across the street and opens up an Indian food restaurant.  The younger son, a food/cooking prodigy since a young age learns the fine art of French cuisine in the process of becoming a famous chef primarily by infusing his Indian roots into French classical cooking.  Two romances, wonderful food, spectacular setting make this one of my favorite films ever.

Also, the male lead, Manish Dayal (Hassan) is utterly gorgeous.   

And Dame Mirren is ever the perfect actor especially paired with Om Puri, who plays the father of Hassan.

Don't miss this.  It's out in DVD and cable.

Produced by Oprah and Steven Spielberg, the results are a magical wonderful film.  Direction Lasse Hallstrom.

Once you've watched the movie check out this interesting article on how they created, digitally, the village of St. Antonin-Noble-Val in France and the two restaurants in the movie.  Click here to read:
http://www.fxguide.com/featured/journey-to-the-hundred-foot-journey/

Anthony Bourdain's PARTS UNKOWN starts new season

In 'Parts Unknown,' Anthony Bourdain is not a man on a mission

One of my favorite show on television is the erudite, evocative, mouth-watering, multi-dimensional Emmy-award winning CNN series, Parts Unknown, hosted by Anthony Bourdain.  Tonight, the series begins it's second season of focusing on Shanghai, a place that I long to visit because of the staggering amount of very tall skyscrapers.

This show is about food, but it transform each week to an amazing educational and informative sociology and anthropological documentary on cultures throughout the world.

Watch CNN trailer here for the Shanghai trailer:    click here.

It's difficult to watch the show because makes my mouth water.  And it makes me fill smarter for having watched it.  I am so amazed at the ability of a show which is essentially for "foodies" that is so talented it transcends to a remarkable social commentary and travelogue.

More, Mr. Bourdain!!!!

Chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain arrives at the 65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California September 15, 2013.

CREDIT: REUTERS/JONATHAN ALCORN

Shanghai and Dubai are really becoming the most interesting cities in the world, architecturally and in other ways.   See more of my previous blog entries on Shanghai and Dubai by clicking here.

WORLD's deepest pool in Italy: Y-40--Deep Joy

I think I'll just admire this architectural wonder from the dryness of the tube.

A new swim centre, designed by renowned architect Emanuele Boaretto, is located within the four-star Hotel Terme Millepini in Montegrotto Terme, Italy. The pool is open for deep sea diving training, leisure dives and photoshoots.  It is 40meters (or 137 feet) at its deepest and the water temp is 32-34°C.  Read more at Daily Mail.

I LOVE elephants

This beautiful pachyderm sat on the car.  I think that was a good idea.  I think that the elephant has a crush on the little volkswagen.  Definite attraction in the air!  (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2717919/VERY-heavy-petting-Tourists-stuck-hatchback-elephant-gets-frisky-South-African-safari.html)

A shipping container house. ME WANT!

http://ishouldbelaughing.blogspot.com/2014/07/architecture-wednesday-shipping.html

I am obsessed with reusable materials in architecture.  This is an amazing example of shipping containers being used to create a very attractive, and large(6000 sq ft) contemporary home.  I found this beautiful home on one of my favorite blogsites.

http://ishouldbelaughing.blogspot.com/2014/07/architecture-wednesday-shipping.html

R.I.P. Elaine Stritch. A dame in the best and truest sense.

One of the most remarkable moments of my life was seeing Elaine Stritch in her show at the Cafe Carlyle a few years ago.  We sat literally at a table beneath this goddess's feet.  Every single second was pure magic.  Thank you, La Stritch.   

She gave us "Ladies Who Lunch".  She also gave us the best version of "I'm Still Here."  And so much more.


She may be gone, but she truly left an indelible impression on this world of moxy, humor, intelligence, fortitude and most of all originality.   

NORDSTROM's TOWER in NYC will be world's tallest RESIDENTIAL TOWER

A new skyscraper is going up in midtown Manhattan which will be the tallest residential tower in the world and the the fifth tallest building in the world.  It's spire will top out at 1775 ft, just a foot lower than 1WTC but the actual roof height will be 1479 ft versus WTC's 1368 ft.  

The building, with an estimated completion date in 2018 is a super-slim, super-tall, tiered skyscraper. The first seven floors will house a Nordstrom's store and the remainder of the building will residences.  

The building was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the firm responsible for Dubai's massive Burj Khalifa which is the tallest building in the world.   This building joins another of new proposed super tall towers in NYC.  Exciting.

For more information:

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/07/09/extells_nordstrom_tower_to_almost_match_one_world_trade.php.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2687728/New-Yorks-Nordstrom-Tower-tallest-residential-structure-world.html

An AMAZING steak coffee rub recipe

photo:  cooklikejames.typepad.com
(it doesn't show the roasted garlic butter)

I made the best steaks ever on the grill the other night.  I am a novice to grilling.  My partner always did that but now that I'm single I am trying learn, as I love my beef.  

In the past I've always put together a good marinade for steaks on the grill, but adequately so. 

I was watching the Today show (so much better now that Willie and Carson are on board to balance the fussy, prissy Matt Lauer) and they had a visiting chef, David Guas, who had a recipe for steak rub using coffee. The great thing about the rub is that I had all of the ingredients in my cabinet (that never happens).  

In the past I always added moisture and seasoning for a marinade (soy or Worcestershire Sauces, Wine, Oil, etc).  I had no idea that you don't need moisture.  This simple recipe using nothing but a steak rub is magnificent.  

This is a photo of the results of my first
attempt at the coffee rub recipe recipe below.
Photo: by me

The results were the best steaks I've ever made (they tasted great because of the rub and did not nut ruin them on the grill).  

This rub recipe is so delicious and I think the secret ingredient is the coffee.  Ina Gartner, the "Barefoot Contessa" always suggests adding ground coffee beans to chocolate recipes to enhance the flavor.  This also worked with the steak and the seasons of this recipe's coffee rub.  Maybe that's why we all love nice cup of coffee after a great meal?

The rub is quick to make.  It only takes an hour or so to let the beef "marinade" with the rub.  But damned it makes a fine steak.  

David Guas: Today Show Coffee-Rubbed Rib-Eye Recipe Ingredients

Any type of coffee will work, but grind it fresh before preparing this recipe. Coffee balances the fat of a rib-eye, Guas said.

• 4 16-oz boneless Rib-Eye Steaks
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Coffee Rub Ingredients

• 3 tbsp fresh ground Coffee Beans
• 2 tbsp Paprika
• 1 tsp granulated Onion
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Coarse Sea Salt
• 1 tsp granulated Garlic

Today Show: David Guas Coffee-Rubbed Rib-Eye Recipe Directions

1. Combine rub ingredients in a bowl before rubbing them on the raw steaks.
2. Chill steaks in the fridge for about 90 minutes to let flavors absorb into the meat.
3. Prepare the grill as you salt and pepper the meat on both sides.
4. Grill over direct heat for six to nine minutes.
5. For medium-rare steaks, reach an internal temperature of 125-130 F. For medium, cook longer for an internal temp of 140-145 F. Cook longer if desired, but move meat off of direct heat and close the grill lid.
6. Let steaks rest on a cutting board for around nine minutes before you slice or serve them.
7. Serve with a dollop of homemade garlic compound butter.

The recipe for the steak also calls for a roasted garlic butter. I tried to approximate it by using a dab of unsalted butter and a dash of Lawry's Garlic Seasoning.  

Today Show: David Guas Roasted Garlic Compound Butter Recipe

Chef David Guas, host of Travel Channel’s American Grilled, shared a delicious idea for a Coffee-Rubbed Rib-Eye Recipe, with Roasted Garlic Compound Butter (Marina Shanti / Shutterstock.com)

Ingredients

• 2 whole bulbs Garlic
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/2 stick soft Unsalted Butter
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Cut off the tops of the garlic bulbs and wrap them in foil to create a bowl around them.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the exposed garlic tops and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
3. Pour water around the edges of the foil before wrapping and sealing the edges.
4. Grill over coals for about an hour. Carefully remove and let rest until cool enough to handle.
5. Squeeze roasted garlic into butter. Mash to combine and season to taste.
6. Roll excess butter into parchment or plastic and freeze in a cylinder for easy slicing and future use. This will last up to three months.

I used two good boneless steaks, in lieu of the t-bone!  Please try this.......let me know what you think.  This rub is outstanding.  I can't wait to add the roasted garlic!  And a PORTERHOUSE.

The recipes and bottom photo are from http://www.recapo.com/today-show/today-show-recipes/today-show-david-guas-coffee-rubbed-rib-eye-recipe-garlic-butter/. 

Would you live in this HOUSE?

I would.  It is fantastic, no?  But would you live in it?

One Facebook user asked that question:

Post by Cambria Hebert.

BEST cookies in the world: American Airlines' Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

http://boardingarea.com/onemileatatime/2011/04/29/review-american-airlines-first-class-from-tampa-to-chicago-to-new-york/

I just returned from a two week sojourn around the country to visit friends and family (Indianapolis, Chicago, Asheville/Hendersonville NC, Briston/Salem WV, Washington DC).   I live in Palm Desert (Palm Springs area of California) and I upgraded to first class for the outbound and return flights from Palm Springs (PSP-DFW, DFW-IND, IAD-DFW, DFW-PSP).  For most of the segments of my trip I flew my preferred domestic airline, American Airlines. *

American has a very nice first class service for a two and half hour flight.  The hot nuts are amazing.  The entrees are creative and very good.   They used to serve freshly baked chocolate chip cookies but now they offer a choice.  On two of my flights they offered a hot, freshly baked oatmeal, cranberry cookie that is truly the best cookie I've ever eaten.  It tastes a bit like a pop tart (which is a fond memory of my youth).  I was moaning and raving over the cookies and twice the flight attendants gave me an extra.

These cookies are heaven.  I am going to contact American Airline to see if I can get the recipe.  If I can I will post it here.  Until then, does anyone out there already have it?

Kudos to the American first class flight attendants that worked my flights.  With the exception of the last flight from DFW to PSP, every one of them were impeccable professionals who clearly took a great deal of personal pride in providing excellent customer and first class service.  I think they were all flight more senior flight attendants.  The last one was obviously new.  She could use some retraining on the first service protocols.

I'm an ex-Stewardess (30 years ago I flew for Western Airlines and then Delta, upon the purchase and merger of the two airlines by Delta).  I truly appreciate the demands and nuances of the job.  I was most appreciative of the excellent service, topped off with those phenomenal cookies (and the aroma as they were baking in the ovens).

*For one short leg, from Chicago Midway to Greenville SC I flew "Southworst" Airlines (as I call it).  It was wretched in every way.  I haven't flown Southwest in years and unfortunately it hasn't improved a bit.  You see the worst of human behavior on this airline.  I think they advocate the decline and fall of the United States (along with Wal-Mart).

LUCKY THEM! This was a bit of serendipity for anyone who has the pleasure of watching

We watched a film last night, LUCKY THEM, ON DEMAND, via Time Warner.  I believe it is also available out in theaters (It is an IFC Film, so may be in limited run).

I am huge fan of of it's star, Toni Collette.   She co-stars with the equally brilliant, Thomas Haden Church.   Collette's character ("Ellie Klug") is a rock journalist (ala Almost Famous) who assists Church's "Charlie," who is producing a documentary of an iconic, cultish but dead rock legend--I thought when listening to the music and singing of the subject of the documentary as a reference to the brilliant Jeff Buckley.   I'm not sure if that was the film's intent.  But it was evocative.

The movie also stars Oliver Platt and Ryan Eggold (a delicious looking man who plays an up and coming singer/musican, "Lucas Stone."  It also includes a brief yet powerful, poignant and uncredited appearance by Johnny Depp (perfectly cast) at the end of the movie.

The biggest surprise was that the film was executive produce by Joanne Woodward and the movie is dedicated to her deceased husband, Paul Newman.

This is a wonderful film.   Great actors.  Excellent direction by Megan Griffiths.

I have enjoyed a small handful of wide-released and independent films this year to date.    A couple were memorable.  But this kept me awake on my sofa.  It proves that Toni Collette and Thomas Haden Church are two of the best actors of the generation.  It was also a film that I enjoyed from start to finish, which I find is harder and harder to do each month anymore.

I highly recommend this film.   It was a well-crafted film with some great performances by some of the best actors around.

Another pillar of the world is GONE. R.I.P. Maya Angelou

Personally, she led me to the understanding and beauty of poetry (when I watched Clinton's Inauguration).   Before that, it was Edna St. Vincent Millay's Renascence.  I remember watching her speak and feeling that I was being altered, almost genetically.    Maya Angelou was like watching a lyrical dance or hearing a perfectly balanced symphony.   She was all of the senses compiled into one beautiful human and teacher.

I'd LIKE to STAY HERE in South Africa. IN a tree house.

My only real fear is that serpents could someone make there way up into the treehouses.   But for that, can you imagine what it would be like to sit in this rudimentary splendor watching the life the desert pass below you.  Maybe you could pet a giraffe on the head.  Or feed an elephant a banana.  Or rut amongst the rhinos.   Can snakes climb walls or trees or posts?   I would hope these have been snake proofed?

A trio of strikingly beautiful tree houses on the Lion Sands Game Reserve  in the heart of South Africa's safari land, offer brave guests the chance to sleep under the stars, with wild animals lurking below.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2638829/Treehouse.html#ixzz32mE4zATK
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

The 645sqft Kingston is the largest of the three and features a shower, and guests are offered champagne dinners and sunset massages. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2638829/Treehouse.html#ixzz32mEOnqye
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

The 645sqft Kingston is the largest of the three and features a shower, and guests are offered champagne dinners and sunset massages. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2638829/Treehouse.html#ixzz32mEOnqye
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

The 645sqft Kingston is the largest of the three and features a shower, and guests are offered champagne dinners and sunset massages. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2638829/Treehouse.html#ixzz32mEOnqye
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

The PENIS wall

Printed by 3-D printer

Someone 3D-Printed An Entire Wall Of Penises, And It's Actually Quite Impressive

The Huffington Post  | by  Katherine Brooks

If you haven't heard they're building entire houses, human body parts, an future buildings for Mars on these 3-D printer.  I've never seen one for real.   I think that a basic one costs little more than an ink jet printer.  But this technology, I believe may change mankind more dramatically than any other in our history up until now.  The ability to reproduce materials, on such a such a mass-scale is a quantum leap from the industrial age.

But I saw this article and it, well, captured my imagine like no other.  I am going to go find out how I can learn to created things that could be printed on a 3-D Computer.

A HOLY GRAIL moment for Hobbitists

J.R.R. Tolkien Reveals TRUE Meaning Of 'The Lord Of The Rings' In Unearthed Audio Recording

The headlines above and article from the HuntingtonPost (click here)

Enchanting, no?

Wish I could have been there for this presentation.   Are you a Tolkien fan?

Adorable Jamie Oliver's incredible TAGINE recipe--changed my life this week

I LOVE Jamie Oliver.  He is adorable.  For a few years I've watched several of his tv cooking shows which featured the Moroccan dish Tagine. 

My favorite food in the world has always been Cajun jambalaya.  I always wondered if this dish was the similar of to my much beloved jambalaya, with a different set of flavors.  

I finally made an "Oliver" tagine recipe yesterday and my instincts were correct.  The tagine is the equivalent of jambalaya with a whole different continent/experience of new, exotic flavors.

I used the recipe shown below.   This entree was easy to make, which in my experience with television cooking shows is rare.   You only need a bowl and pot:  a simple bowl to marinate the chicken in the refrigerator.  I didn't have a tagine or casserole pot as the recipe requests so I used a cast iron pot, which was a perfect substitution.  

The meal was quick to make.  But purchasing a few of the more exotic ingredients in a small town place like the Palm Springs area took more time.  The preserved lemons were the biggest challenge.  After several visits to grocery store and a call to William Sonoma I finally found them in stock at Bristol Farms .  My local Trader Joe's said they have been trying to stock it but they are sold out).  When I saw Jamie make this he used portioned, cut lemons.  The bottle that I bought I bought at Bristole was pureed/minced. 

I couldn't find fresh coriander.  I've always heard that Coriander is the same thing as the more common (in California) Cilantro?  The information on the internet was even more confusing.    I substituted ground dried coriander instead of the fresh coriander stalks.  If someone can educate me on this I would appreciate it.   Is fresh cilantro the same thing as fresh coriander leaves?

I'd never cooked or eaten (at least knowingly) fresh fennel.  It is wonderful.   Very mild.   When it was raw, it smelled and looked like fresh anise (or licorice which I detest).   When cooked, it was amazing and lovely.

I have to say that this tagine  is one of the best things I've cooked.  Usually I am not pleased with my cooking.   But this was a symphony of new flavors.   I used chicken thighs, instead of the whole chix (I don't like white meat) and the meat just fell off the bones. Served on top of couscous, OMG

 This and jambalaya are now my favorite dishes.  

Jamie Oliver’s Chicken, Olive and Preserved Lemon Tagine

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (approximately 1.5kg), preferably free range or organic, skin-on, jointed into 4 (get your butcher to do this for you)**
olive oil
1–2 large bulbs of fennel
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
a small bunch of fresh coriander**
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
2–3 small preserved lemons, deseeded and chopped**
80g black and green olives, stoned
a good pinch of saffron
500ml hot organic chicken stock

For the spice rub
1 heaped teaspoon coriander seeds, bashed up
1 level teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Recipe/photo source:  http://www.foodie.co.nz/jamie-olivers-chicken-olive-and-preserved-lemon-tagine/

**See paragraph above for my adaptations

Spring is THERE (and here I guess)

Photo from my friend, PC, who prefers to remain Anonymous.   He/She is a wonderful 
designer/artist/film maker/photographer as evidenced in the above.

My friend sent this photo of the glorious advent of the Spring season in the southeast.  

Here, in the Desert of southern California, we're just going through another shade of hell (Wed. it will be 100degrees).  I mean summer.   Unlike the rest of the country, we suffered a hot winter. That is not necessarily a good thing. For me it is sad this wretched unabated heat.  This photo of Spring makes me happy.

It reminds reminds of the great song:  "I Can See Clearly Now the Rain Is Gone."  One of the most amazing cover songs EVER, IMO.   It was done by Holly Cole (Holly Cole Trio).

You must listen.  I hope that I am listening to this song upon my death.

Dark Choloocate, Pistschio and Sugar Salt Cookies

Two or three weeks ago I posted a blog with almost amazing cookie recipes.  The amazing cookies shown were all alluring.  To see the original post, click here (March 28, 2014).

In my blog I suggested that I might may try to make them all, as an homage to Julie/Julia   Yesterday I tried this one:

Get the Dark Chocolate Chunk, Pistachio, and Sea Salt Cookies recipe from Two Peas and their Pod

Wee ended up with 24-300 cookes.   They were a perfection bland of dark chox, pistachio, and saltiness.    Our cookie batch did spread out as much as the photo above.    The 8 cookies seemed to crumble--so we added a couple butter.  That seemed help.  But maybe because we live in Palm  Springs the crecipe need moirstoir?

I found this receipt The Huntington-Post and used the hyper link which took me to Two Peas and their Pod

New TALLEST building in the WORLD begins construction in SAUDI ARABIA

Please click on photos to enlarge!

Photo Source:  Mace Group via The Independent.   Artist rendering of the completed building.

Previously, we featured (click here) a posting on a proposed skyscraper Kingdom Tower (in the illustration below at far left) that if built would be the tallest building, replacing the Burj Khalifa (second from the left in the illustration below).    This will dwarf the Burj by approximately 600 additional feet.

This illustration shows just how much taller this new building will be.  It also shows the tallest buildings in 2020, as currently proposed.  As you can see this thing dwarfs everything.  The taller, the better is m y motto!

Photo source:  http://blog.construmatica.com based upon information from Council of Tall Buildings.

The next architectural achievement is scheduled to begin construction next week in the new Saudi Arabian city Kingdom City in Jeddah.   Once completed, the skyscraper  will be 1km (3,280 feet) high and 200 floors.  That's approximately two thirds of a mile.  Truly Astonishing.   Why is it that mankind can create such astonishing profound achievements when we still act like cave men with our political warring and religious conflict?

The towering structure will feature 98-foot terrace on the 157th floor.

Photo source Adrian Smith+Gordon Gill Architecture / dapd, Huffington Post

I don't think it's possible to even truly understand the extraordinary height and accomplishment that this building will be.  The two photos below give just a hint of perspective.  Frank Lloyd Wright proposed in 1956 a mile high tower.  Kingdom Tower seems both inspired in design and certainly in ambition of a mile high.  The original specifications for Kingdom Tower were that it would be a mile high but it has been scaled back….but not by much!

Photo Source:  Looking up at the terrace.  This perspective gives a hint at how massively tall this building will be.

Photo source: Urukia via Huffington Post. Model of Kingdom Tower currently under construction.

Photo Source:  www.steinerag.com.   Frank Lloyd Wright Press Conference, October 16, 1956. 

The building is projected to cost US$1.23 billion.  It was designed by American architect Adrian Smith, who also designed the Khalifa tower.  The tower is being built by Saudi Arabian Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, the wealthiest Arab in the Middle East and nephew of King Abdullah.   Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal is Chairman of the Board of Kingdom Holding Company who is spearheading the creation of the creation of this new city, Kingdom City.  The overall budget for Kingdom City is currently estimated at US$20 billion.

Kingdom City will be located just north of the the coastal city of Jeddah and essentially creating a new district in the metropolitan area.

Photo source:  The Independent.  Artist rendering of the completed building by Mace Group.

Photo source:  The Independent.  Artist rendering of the completed building by Mace Group

This is such a giant leap for mankind (sorry for the cliche).  Last century it was the US that drove such achievements.  This century it appears to be the Middle East/Asia that is truly pushing mankind forward as far as accomplishment.

A new posting of another of my favorite words: HYPERBOLE

Just finished watching The Wolf of Wall Street? Is it all hyperbole?  That word packs a wollop in the crazy world we live in today.  I find it most often associated in rhetoric from the Christian religious right, the Republican Party/Tea Party (whatever distinction), although it's really not exclusive to them.   Great word….in concept.  In sound.

hyperbole

hy·per·bo·le

  [hahy-pur-buh-lee]  Show IPA

noun Rhetoric .

1.

obvious and intentional exaggeration.

2.

an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to betaken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”

Compare litotes.

Origin: 
1520–30;  < Greek hyperbolḗ  excess, exaggeration, throwing beyond,equivalent to hyper- hyper- + bolḗ  throw

Synonyms 
2. overstatement.

Antonyms 
2. understatement.