July 2020 Foodn'Flix Round Up

Spudguns!, it's that time when we see what's on the table, and who brought what to our Foodn 'Flix  movie and potluck.  The selection was Coyote Ugly from 2000, and first up is Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm. Inspired by a few different scenes and elements in the film,  She made a Breakfast Pizza.

Next up, we have Debra from Eliot Eats. She was inspired by a personal story to do with the film as much as the film being set in a bar, she made A Spiced Moscow Mule.

We're also joined by Amy from Amy's Cooking Adventures. She was as much inspired by the movie as she was with the fact it's based on a true life situation. And after digging for menus from the real bar, she created her Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.

And lastly, we have mine. I made for you just a good old fashioned pizza. I was inspired by the opening scene of the lead character working in a pizza place, as well as remarks she makes later on when asked about some burn scars.

That's all that's on the table this time around. Don't forget  you can join in with Foodn'Flix every month. August 2020 is being hosted by Tina at Squirrel Head Manor, and she's picked the first Harry Potter film.

Until next time.

Foodn Flix Recipe July 2020

Spudguns!, it's that time again, when we watch a movie and make something to eat inspired by it. I hosted Foodn'Flix again this month, and my selection was the 2000 film Coyote Ugly. 

plot: Violet wants to be a songwriter like her mother had been, and moves to the city in order to do so. Only thing is, she's got stage fright. The first few nights she's in town, she is robbed. This forces her to look for a job, and ends up working at a popular bar in her neighbourhood. Along the way, she meets Kevin, who works at a diner. They quickly start dating, and he helps her attempt to get over her stage fright.

Notes: pizza, pop, meatball hero (mentioned) oil, sat, pepper, chili flakes, parmesan cheese, dried herbs, beer, eggs, sausage (mentioned) Lean Cuisine (mentioned) coffee, juice, toast, fish heads, celery, chili peppers whole, nuts, crackers, rum, burgers, fries, ketchup, apples, mustard, pie, sugar, hot sauce, milk, cake, cherries, lemons, limes, fried chicken, lettuce, melon, olives, oranges, taco shells, pickles, bananas, whiskey, bread, buns, ice, kabobs, Seafood Market, Chinese food, wine, turkey sandwich with sprouts, MacDonalds, martini (mentioned) breadsticks, sub sandwiches, pears.

So I went with the obvious on this one and made a pizza.  I started with a basic dough, which can be found in the Joy of Cooking on page 607. 

1/2 c warm water
1 package yeast
3 and a half cups flour
2 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon salt

now, I didn't have any yeast on hand, so I substituted that for a Tablespoon of Baking Powder.
Mix, then let dough rise for about a half hour.  Then roll out, or stretch to desired size/shape.
Bake dough on a floured tray for 30 minutes on 375 degrees depending on your oven.

While that was pre-cooking, I made my sauce.  I used  one can of tomato paste, half a cup of grated parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons of garlic salt, 1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, and water.    

I then topped the pizza with black olives, chopped onions, spinach, and cheese. I used both shredded mozzarella, and a nacho cheese blend. I then added another 3 Tablespoons of grated parmesan.

I then baked it at 375dgrees for another half hour.

That's about all I have for you guys, don't forget to come back at the end of the month to see what else this movie inspired people to make.  And don't forget, you can join in every month with each Foodn'Flix host.  Next month we've got Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone  if you live outside the states) hosted by Squirrel Head Manor. 

Till next time.
  

FoodnFlix May 2020

Spudguns!, it's been a few months...I've had nothing to say the last two months. But, I joined in for the May Foodn'Flix...literally just crawling in under the finish line with my offerings. The May selection was hosted by Debra over at Eliot's Eats and she picked the 2011 Midnight in Paris.  Now, I've mentioned this on the blog way way way back in the first year of the blog, Day 75.  But, here's a brief recap.

plot:  When a writer suffering from writer's block goes on vacation with his girlfriend and her parents, he finds himself in awe of the city around him. As he ends up spending his nights alone wandering the streets dreaming about his heroes, he mysteriously travels back in time to the 1920's. Inspiration begins to strike as the midnight hour engulfs him, leaving him wondering if it's just a dream.

Okay, so as I mentioned, I've talked briefly about this movie before when it first came out, and I didn't care for it. I should have loved it. All the markings of my kind of movie was there. It's a Woody Allen movie, it's about a writer, it's about time travel, it's about art and magick.  Only, for me it missed the mark. Sitting through it a second time for group, I was halfway hoping I had missed something the first time around, that maybe since it's been almost a decade I'd discover something in it I liked. Nope. Still not doing much for me.

Notes: beer, baguette (mentioned) wine, bread, sauerkraut and frankfurters (mentioned) whiskey sour (mentioned) petit fours (mentioned) grapes, sweets, candied ginger, nuts, cheese, coffee, cake, Indian food (mentioned) pita bread (mentioned) jam, juice, melon, croissants, strawberries, blueberries, fruit plate, tea, cookies, chocolate, beef bourguignon (mentioned) pineapple, whipped cream, dates, steak, absinthe, honey, meat pie, pears, peaches, butter, lemon, pop.

Okay, so the food in this movie is sort of there but it's not a main concern, so it's pretty much in the far background most of the time.

There is a scene near the beginning of the film, where one of the characters mentioned the sauerkraut and frankfurters, and my mind right away went to that. So I went right out to the store and picked up a package of veggie dogs and ...could not for the life of me find any sauerkraut. It ended up being one of the crazy items that the stores in my city have not received since the whole isolation situation has been going on in the world.  Then I thought I would just go with it anyway.  I "assembled" my loaded veggie dog with cole slaw, mustard, mayo, cheese, onions and peppers.

But I wasn't happy with how it looked on camera. So, I started thinking about a second dish and my mind kept returning to the end of the film, where we see a very minor character who literally has two scenes near the end of the film, a detective who himself travels back into time to the Court of Louis XIV.  This seemingly unimportant character actually ends up being a key player. Through the whole movie till this point, you never know if the lead is daydreaming, or drunk or in a coma from a scene where he trips and hits his head or if he's actually traveling back and forth in time? That is until the detective finds himself trapped back in time.  The table of Louis XIV has a breakfast which consists of the pears, peaches and meat pie. So I decided to make a "mock steak and kidney pie".

Ingredients

1 can of kidney beans drained
two mushrooms chopped
half a carrot chopped
half a stalk of celery chopped
half a small onion chopped
ground black pepper
garlic salt
cornstarch
jackfruit
pastry
water

Drain the kidney beans, boiling them till soft.   Add mushroom, celery and carrots. Let simmer for about 15minutes.
Add onion, ground pepper and garlic salt. Stir and let simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add jackfruit, stirring in more water if needed.  Simmer for another 15minutes.

Prepare pastry.   I used a store bought ready made tart shell.
Fill pastry and cook at 350degrees for 35 minutes depending on your oven.

I've never used jackfruit before this. In fact, never even tasted it. I wasn't sure if the bitterness would work with the rest of the savoury ingredients so I only used three medium sized pieces. Thankfully it did.

There you go, two dishes inspired by very different characters. Don't forget to check out June's Foodn'Flix selection, being hosted by Culinary Adventures with Camilla. She's allowing the theme of Any Movie that is  Set or Made in Hawaii.

Till next time.

FnF Round Up

Spudguns!, it's that time of the time, when we offer up a potluck of groovy goodies. As I mentioned beginning of the month, I hosted Foodn'Flix once again, and my selection was not one movie but a whole genre of movies. Your choice of anything by Tim Burton.

Our first submission was Camilla, from Culinary Adventures with Camilla. She picked the movie Mars Attacks!  and made Blue Gummy Brains.

Next up, Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm,  gave us a Lebanese Salad inspired by the movie Big Fish. 

We then had an offering from Tina over at Squirrel Head Manor.  She pulled inspiration as well from the movie Big Fish, and made Pepin's Chicken and Mushrooms.

And then we had Pumpkin Apple Donuts from Debra at Elioteats. Inspired by the movie Sleepy Hollow.    

Up next we have  a Strawberry Moscow Mule from Amy over at Amy's Cooking Adventures. She was inspired by the live action version of Alice in Wonderland.

And next up is Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. She was inspired by Sweeney Todd to make a Peppered Shepherd's Pie.

And finally, my own offering. I went with the movie Dark Shadows, and made my vegetarian version of Mock Fish (Tofu) and Chips.

All in all, a fabulous potluck of ideas, treats, and movies. Don't forget you can join in next month as the Foodn'Flix group watches The Biggest Little Farm, hosted by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm.

That's about all I've got for you this month. Until later.

FoodnFlix Jan 2020

Spudguns!, it's that time again. This month's Foodn'Flix selection was 2019 movie Always Be My Maybe, and is being hosted by Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

plot: A celebrity chef returns to her hometown to launch a new restaurant and reconnects with her childhood best friend/first love.

I didn't really care for this film. I've said before, I'm not a big fan of romantic comedies, and this really felt too formulaic for me. The highlight for me were the scenes with Keanu Reeves playing a hyped up version of himself.

Okay, so the amount of food in this movie is really high. I was not even ten minutes into this movie when I already had a half page of written notes.

Notes: canned spam, rice, herbs, soup, kimchi, lemons, apples, green onions, bananas, melon (in painting) greens, potato-chip sticks in chocolate, pop, fries, jack'O'lantern, onion, beef, sauces, dumplings, dough, juice, potstickers, sugar, salt, pepper, beer, hamburgers (mentioned) oranges, grapes, ham, coffee, casseroles, parmesan cheese (mentioned) Burger King menu, wine, prawns, tuna, cereal, donuts, fish-sauce (mentioned) tea, roast beef sandwiches (mentioned) saffron (mentioned) limes, scallops, lettuce, garlic, oyster sauce, kale, popcorn,  a scene with a walk in freezer (at the 15 minute mark!) count chocula (mentioned) breakfast burritos, ginger (mentioned) cabbage, dragon fruit, carrots, mushrooms, chilies, asparagus, sesame seed mixture, hot dogs and spaghetti, ketchup (mentioned)  matcha (mentioned) rice paper (mentioned) goats, buffet, lemonade, chocolate, iced tea, spare ribs, chop suey (sign) chicken (sign) martini, lobster (screen saver) pineapple sandwich (mentioned) a scene at a farmer's market, beets, tomatoes, venison (mentioned) micro-greens, fish flakes, caesar salad, mango, lamb carpaccio, quail parfait, rice noodles (mentioned) scotch, fig (mentioned) daikon, red and orange peppers

I just gave up trying to take notes on the walk-in freezer and farmer's market.

I had a difficult time with this one. But the scene with the breakfast burrito sort of stuck in my mind. I've done one before though for the blog few years ago (one of my zombie recipes) so sort of didn't want to go that route again. Then I was thinking about the potstickers and I ended up going with a super simple snack. A deep fried wrapped banana.

Super simple, simple, simple dish (3 ingredients so can't really call it a recipe) with just sliced banana, chocolate and eggroll wrappers.

I just cut the banana in half, then cut each half on the diagonal, and rolled them each with two squares of the chocolate.  Then deep fried them for about five minutes, rotating the rolls constantly.

I drained them on a paper towel, letting them cool for another five minutes, and ate them while still warm.

I decided to use a heavy cream at the end instead of a dipping sauce, as the chocolate made the rolls a bit sweet already.

That's all I have for you this time around,  don't forget to check out Foodn'Flix  next month, as our selection will be Nina's Heavenly Delights, and it's being hosted by Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen.

Till later.

Random Xmas movie part 2

movie:  Christmas Under Wraps
starring: Candace Cameron Bure, David O'Donnell
genre; Romance, Comedy,
year: 2014
format: TV EDIT

plot: When a doctor takes a job in a remote area of Alaska, she begins to wonder if she's really landed at the North Pole and if the man she's dating could actually be Santa Claus Jr. ?

So this is one of the Hallmark movie. One of just a million they seem to produce every single year to no end.  I have to say, I've seen a ton of these over the last couple of years, and this is one of the better ones. It's not too overly sappy, nor is it too preachy.  It's just the right amount of fluff.

It starts out like so many seem to this decade, a strong willed business/successful woman who's love life is not as desired, who needs to reinvent herself. Cut to, the job of a lifetime that seems to slip through our heroine's fingers, causing her to take anything she can which leads her to the middle of nowhere. And of course then it's the traditional fish out of water theme for a few clicks before she settles into the coziness of the town's pace.

Yes, I said I liked this one. You know when you see Bure as the lead that it's going to be a little lighter than some of the other Hallmark movies, not that I've ever seen one get "dark" really; but you also know it's not going to get overly sappy either. There's always a sense of "what if" with the roles she seems to take on. That leads almost to a fantasy element.

As the movie progresses, we see her thrown into the heart of the story; she's actually landed at the North Pole and Santa's workshop village. Which doesn't really seem to cause her any strife. She almost seems to accept the idea too willingly.  Add to that, she finds herself then dating the son of Santa. It's a Hallmark movie, so I'm not spoiling anything by saying that the whole thing gets a happy ever ho-ho-ho, as she decides being the next Mrs Claus wouldn't be so bad.

The over all theme of this isn't really new as we saw a similar story in the Merry In-Laws, and Becoming Santa.  As someone who's not a big xmas person, I could sit through this one again.

13 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 4

Day4

movie: Vamperifica
starring: Martin Yurkovic, Jeff Ward
genre: Comedy, Musical
year; 2012
format; TV Edit

plot: When a college student is turned into a vampire, he not only begins to get the life he's always wanted, but learns that he's the reincarnated King of the Vampires.

I have to admit, if I had known it was a musical I would have passed on it, but I actually thought this one was pretty good despite that factor. The story of a vampire king/vampire queen has been done before but this movie managed to make it seem like it was fresher than that.

I think what I really dug about this is that it went back to the roots of vampires as metaphors for other issues. Here we are given a hero who's not your typical hero or for that matter anti-hero. He's a gay character who has a dream of starring as the lead in a play and is fiercely loyal to his friends. When his best friend is raped, he takes action. There is actually a metaphor acting as another metaphor here. The lead character of Carmen has been told repeatedly that he could never be the leading man in the play, that he's not up to standards as a singer, and that his dreams are never going to come true. Then he becomes a vampire, and is suddenly dealing with everyone telling him the opposite. That he's this super powerful king. The character has to learn how to be the lead of his own life while balancing it with the popularity that's suddenly come with it and the responsibility; as he's torn between his friends and this new gang of vampires pulling him in two directions.

You've got being the outsider, being orphaned, peer-pressure, bullying, rape, loyalty, following your heart, growing up and letting go of old hurts. All in all the elements make for a really well rounded story that deals with some very serious issues.  I just wish there was a little more story. You almost get the feeling this was meant as a first part of a series. 

I'm going to stick a stake into this here, and will be back tomorrow with some more treats for your Hallowe'en displeasure.

13 Days of Hallowe'en 2019 Day 3

Day 3

movie: Dead Cert
starring: Janet Montgomery, Steven Berkoff
genre: Crime, Action
year: 2010
format: TV Edit

plot: A club owner makes a bet with a drug lord named The Wolf, and loses his club. Before long, a vampire hunter arrives and informs him that the drug lord is really one of the most powerful vampires in the world.

I've seen more vampire movies than most, and have to say this was decent enough. The baseline is good, a small time underground fighter turned businessman gets conned by a mobster into giving up his property, only to find out these mobsters are centuries old vampires. It's very much in the same vein as From Dusk Till Dawn.  The idea of using a strip club as a vampire front is even older than Dusk was,(Vamp, To Sleep with a Vampire) but it's a plot device that works. It makes sense and fits the metaphor of it being a feeding ground for all sorts of desires.

There's a few things going on here, from the idea of an old fashioned turf war, to what's the braking point for loyalty. I liked the fact there is a strong Renfield element going on for both sides of the story with the one club employee who betrays everyone,(sells out to Wolf) and the one who stands firm till the end. (stays with Cert)

There's this semi-inside joke with the naming of the strip club going from "Paradise" when Cert first opens it to "Inferno" after Wolf takes control. In fact, they emphasis this with a short scene where the heroes try to collect their broken sign after the club has been taken. I saw that as being a nod to the fact everything can shift so quickly from good to bad or bad to good. The place itself is neutral grounds, holy to both men for very different reasons.  It comes down to the main idea that each of them - The Wolf and Cert- are doing their best to protect their "homes and family" at all costs.

 I'm going to bury this one here, under this tombstone and I'll be back tomorrow with some more treats for your Hallowe'en displeasure.

Random movie - Addams Family (2019)

 
SPOILER ALERT
 
movie: The Addams Family
starring: Charlize Theron, Allison Janney
genre: Comedy, Cartoon
year: 2019
format: Cinema

plot: On their wedding night, Gomez and Morticia are forced to flee their homeland by the hands of an angry mob. The two newlyweds end up in America ready for a fresh start where they hope to be left alone. While driving down a long patch of road, they hit an escaped mental patient. After learning that Lurch is alright, they decide to take him with them as they move into the abandoned asylum.  Thirteen years later, while planning Pugsley's birthday party, a tradition called the Mazurka, Gomez invites his mother and brother Fester to come a few weeks early to help. Meanwhile, Wednesday feeling the weight of being a teenager alone, has begged Morticia to allow her to go to the local high school. Here, she makes her first real friend, Parker.  Parker's mother is a famous designer who is single handedly remodeling the entire neighbourhood live on her show. Unfortunately, the fact the entire Addams clan is arriving on the same day as her show's big season finale, causes Parker's mother to worry and begins to plot a way to destroy the family.

The big theme here is acceptance. The entire Addams clan are forced to separate because the town where they live are afraid of them. They are called monsters, and chased away in the middle of the night. Fast forward thirteen years, and you have both Morticia and Gomez holding their kids back from being completely who they are by not allowing the kids to be part of the rest of the community. Pugsley is feeling the pressure from his dad to follow the family tradition of the great sword dance, while Wednesday is being trained in the family business of witchery.  Neither of them are completely happy. While this is going on, Parker a local girl from school,  is being repressed by her mother who expects Parker to be just like her. The town itself is called Assimilation; and everyone is happy pastel pink wearing people.

There is an inside joke, where Wednesday calls Parker's mom Plastic. Parker's mom is the embodiment of both the ultimate control freak, and minor-celebrity. And we're given a big tongue in cheek dose of how reality tv really works. 

I have to admit, there was so much more potential that could have been explored here than what ended up on the screen. As it takes a bit too long to set up who's who and what's what, to the point we lose out on some of the dark humour the original movies gave.  I feel this is only the first chapter in the new version of the franchise and can't wait to see what will come of it. 

Foodn'Flix July 2019

Spudguns!, it's that time of the time again, when  I offer you up something for Foodn'Flix.  This month's selection is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and it's being hosted by Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

plot: A young writer looking to switch genres, is asked by her publishers to write about how literature is affecting people. At the same time, a strange letter arrives for her from a man who has inherited one of her old childhood books. He explains his situation, that he's started a book club, and is in need of more books asking if she'd mail him something. Not only does she mail him a few titles, she decides to travel there herself to do her essay on the book club. The night before she's set to leave, her boyfriend asks her to marry him. Unsure if that's really what she wants, she ends up staying more than a month with the book club finding out more and more about the people of the small community.

This is based on the novel, and stars Lily James and Michiel Huisman.

Notes: pork, gin, potato peel pie, tea, beer, water, alcohol, bread, lamb (someone's name) roast pig, potato, soup/broth, carrots, asparagus, gravy, candy, tomatoes, scones, cake, chicken, butter, toast, lobster, onion, fish, parsnips, lettuce, nectarines, dried herbs, clams/mussels, cow, whiskey, milk, stew, cookies, olives, celery, cabbage, flour, corn, petit four, hors  d'oeuvres, 

So I saw this a few months back, and loved it. But when watching it a second time around for the FnF group, I had little idea how to do anything out of the ordinary for it. I ended up going with a fairly basic idea.  

A potato bread. My inspiration was both the main food of potatoes, which is about all the people in the community have left to eat after the German soldiers pretty much take all the supplies; and a scene where one of the characters asks for the last slice of bread to help prove a point.

I decided to use a can of potatoes for this, simply because I had them on hand.  I drained them, and boiled them in salt water for about 15 minutes, then mashed them.  This I set aside to cool.

 While that was cooling, I got the rest of my ingredients together.  1 and a half cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon sugar, 1 Tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon butter softened, 1/2 cup water.

 Add this to the mashed potato, and then kneed the dough as you would a normal bread.

 Bake at 350degrees for about an hour depending on your oven.

I have to admit, this didn't turn out as I had expected. And I think that has to do with the fact I used a canned potato instead of a bakers potato. The canned potatoes were mushier to begin with. If you are going to use a canned potato, then you should cut the water called for in half.

That's about all I have for you this time around, don't forget to join in next month when we are covering the Star Wars franchise and it's being hosted by Simply Inspired Meals.

May Book Club Day

This month the selection was the novel Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice.  I decided this time around to skip the movie version, as I've talked about it a few times before on here. (last year when I covered The Vampire Lestat in book club I talked about the movie version of Queen of the Damned)

plot:  It's a week until the big rock concert by the Vampire Lestat. Everyone in the world, be it human or supernatural is planning to attend. Some are going to experience the show, others are out to kill Lestat. As the week progresses, we learn that Akasha, the oldest living vampire, has awoken after thousands of years. She makes her way towards the gathering, destroying all in her path. We also learn of a common nightmare all the vampires, and many of the human psychics have been having repeatedly. They keep seeing two red haired twins and a burnt body. No one is certain what the meaning of the nightmare is? It isn't until after Lestat is kidnapped by Akasha, and turned into her personal steward, forced to kill for her, that the remaining vampires come together under one roof to learn the truth of the nightmares and their origins. Akasha feeling affronted by the remaining vampires, gives them an ultimatum.  They refuse, and a final showdown between them and Akasha begins.

Okay, so first off, this is one of those novels that has been studied in university courses and by professionals countless times in the last 30 years since the novel was written. I don't know how much I can actually add to it?

This book, which is book 3 of The Vampire Chronicles, is told through the eyes of many characters. From the main characters like Lestat, Jesse, and Maharet, down to minor "extras" like Baby Jenks. Keeping with a bit of a theme, it's like from Royalty down to the Commoner.
It's also the first major depart from a straightly solid vampire story into witchcraft and the outlining areas of other paranormal issues; with the story of the Twins and the Great Family. (something Anne Rice would expand on in other novels)

For me, the characters of Jesse, The Talamasca and the Twins -Maharet and Mekare, were the most interesting.  These are the witches and the paranormal researchers in the story. And the core of the two major family lines.

It's a very global thinking story. One that tackles the issues that were being faced in the 1980's when it was originally written. Issues we are only now really years later dealing with. A conscious thought that pointed out the flaws. The vampires gathered at the end; the survivors, are almost like a small version of the united nations. Each representing a "nation" so to speak. (Egypt, Rome, Iceland etc) and take on the responsibilities and perspective of such an enclave. A ruling factor advising the monarch.

It's almost visionary in the way Anne Rice describes the way Akasha sits undisturbed in front of screen after screen, connecting to the rest of the world without participating in it. Much like we do now with endless hours of internetting. It's hard to believe it was written 30 years ago before this was the norm. And Akasha's initial response to the images she sees, is equal to a child acting out on impulse learning that the information isn't always as it first appears.  Akasha is trapped not just physically as a statue for thousands of years, but emotionally in her stubbornness. Her need to be right even when she knows just how wrong she is; is one of her only driving desires for so much of the story.

Where as the second novel in the series, The Vampire Lestat, was a clear metaphor for paganism, this seems to be a note on feminism and what one would consider extremism.
It's very female centric. Parallel in the fact Akasha begins killing all the men in the areas she visits, while Maharet ignores all the male family members basically stating that they are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Choosing to focus her attention and wealth on the females of her family.
The story is about evolution as much as it is about political boundaries. It parallels the idea of evolution itself with "two great families", both coming from one root. The human descendants and the surviving vampires. Proving that everyone is connected and all is one. We are given a clearer version of this metaphoric truth through the eyes of Baby Jenks as she sees the webbing of souls upon her final death. The same webbing Akasha claims to have seen when she was turned in the beginning.

Unlike the first two novels, the male perspective is down played to the point Lestat is afraid to use his powers. To test just how strong he truly is. As we're reminded time and again in the story that history can repeat itself. It's almost as if he's not sure he wants to admit he could be capable of falling into the queen's viewpoint/actions on his own. Even the most powerful of the male vampires, seem to be in a more docile role. Khayman being forced to rape the twins by the King's order, while the King being controlled by Akasha. Marius, being trapped in ice and completely unable to help himself as he waits for Pandora to rescue him. Daniel the newly turned vampire, who is addicted to Armand's blood.

Okay, I'm going to end this here. I think I've said all I can without a degree in anything.

April 2019 Bookclub day

The selection this month was the novel Bloodline by Kate Cary.

plot:  John Shaw,  having been injured in the war, finds himself returned home to London, but the events having left him plagued with nightmares. He can no longer tell if the visions he saw of beasts and wolves on the front lines are real or just his damaged mind trying to make sense of it all? While recovering, he falls quickly in love with Mary Seward, the young daughter of Dr. Jack Seward. After having secretly read John's diary, Mary Seward has reason to believe that what John witnessed was real, and fears her best friend Lily; John's sister, has fallen pray to the very monster John talks about in his diary. Quincey Harker. Whom Mary learns is the son of her father's friends. As lies become uncovered, Mary finds herself on a race against time which takes her to the very heart of Transylvania.

This is done in the same style of the original Dracula by Bram Stoker, told from the point of view of each character's diaries and letters. Nearly all the original characters are mentioned in one way or another.

Okay, I didn't love this, but I didn't hate it. I thought the story was great up until the last chapter. For me, the ending just didn't sit right.

For me, I kept waiting for there to be more linking it to the original. I loved the little wink and nod to Renfield's cell, and the fact the heroine is the daughter of Dr. Jack Seward. His appearance was the big highlight for me. I did not care for the sub-plot of the Mina Harker/Tepes  character at all. For me, it pulled away from the how the rest of the tapestry was flowing.  I also wasn't at all thrilled with the Count Tepes character. He felt like he was just tossed in to fill in a blank. He is mentioned more than a few times in the last half of the novel, but when we finally get any real evidence of him, he's dispatched too easily.

Normally, I find the more common themes and what I think the story was a metaphor for; but I didn't really get a whole ton out of this other than the idea of trust. Everyone seems to be lying to each other in one way or another.

Next month's selection will be Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice. I'll be back later in the week with the official announcement for it.

Feb 24th Night Bleeds Bookclub

This month's selection was the 1989 novel The Dark Half by Stephen King.

plot: Thad Beaumont is a successful writer, only most of his fans had no idea who he was as he wrote under the name George Stark. That is until he decides to do a tell all in a national magazine. Before long, Beaumont finds himself not just the center of attention but the center of a series of brutal murders. The local police attempt to arrest him after the first death occurs, but find he was nowhere near the actual crime scene when it happened. Before long, it's revealed that someone believing themselves to be the alter ego Stark, is in fact committing the murders and framing Beaumont. While this is happening, Beaumont starts to experience headaches and black outs that he had thought were long buried in his past. As the local police begin to investigate, the sheriff uncovers more that a few linking factors to Beaumont's current situation and his past. The key elements being a strange swarm of sparrows that only seem to have appeared in Beaumont's life at the time of his brain surgery. The sheriff has to then disregard his own belief system if he's to get to the bottom of the mystery that is Stark.

I have to admit, I'm not too sure where to start with this one given there have been actual classes taught on the themes and subject matter in every inch of King's works.

The topic of twins comes up -pardon the pun- more than once. We have the characters of Beaumont and Stark having been twins who come from a long family that's had twins in multiple generations. Beaumont admits that his wife had miscarried twins at the start of their marriage before finally having a second set of twin children.
The idea of an alter ego is brought up commenting on the Jekyll and Hyde aspect nearly all writers carry in them in order to work. As well as the comparison to Frankenstein; with a mention of the fact if the Stark character can't create he will uncreate, much like the comments made in the novel Frankenstein.
The Stark character because it is a "twin", is a Doppelganger. He calls himself a vampire more than once, reveling in the idea that his capacity to take "life" in order to create it in story form makes him a psychic vampire. This lends itself to the deep rooted psychic link the two "writers" have. This also leads him to being the best version of a Tulpa you can come up with. A thoughtform believed in so strongly it manifests in the physical.
The character of Beaumont at one point calls Stark a ghost, leading to the fact he's not suppose to be a physical reality. I find it interesting that the character of Stark only manifests in the beginning as a result of grief and addiction.
And then of course we have the addiction theme running strong here. Like any vampire in mythology, Stark is addicted to his violent nature and Beaumont is addicted to the freedom Stark allows him to have. Stark is the freedom of desire that Beaumont would otherwise be denied. He's the permission slip of bad behaviour.

The addiction leads to the doubt of sanity in what clearly is a fractured reality. The imagery of windows and mirrors are used when the character of Stark's existence is threatened, like when he's examining himself while layering make-up to hide his flaws, or when the two are finally sitting side by side in the windowless room with the mirrored door.

The bulk of the story takes place in a 2 week timeframe, with flashbacks to Beaumont's childhood. I loved the weaknesses that the main character of Beaumont had with his addiction and self doubt. There is a complete scene where he's actually comparing himself to a character in a story, talking about how in a perfectly pictured novel the heroes and villains never need a bathroom break or a moment to rethink their last decision.
One of my favourite elements of this story, is the other professor. The character of  Rawlie DeLesseps, who ends up being the token supernatural expert and I'm assuming based a bit on Hunter S. Thompson. It's the first time we are given an real explanation to what the sparrows might mean.

There is this nearly delicious moment of pure uncertainty near the end of the novel where you start to see the two halves blending into each other, and you're left thinking the Stark side is about to come out on top. You soon realize that as the character of Stark relaxes into his personal victory, the character of Beaumont has sacrificed his own version of reality in order to end the addiction. He gives up so much in order to just hang on to what he's currently got.

Okay, and I think I'll end it here. I will be back later in the week with the official announcement for next month's book selection.

Night Bleeds Jan 2019

Book selection was the  Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman. There is no movie version at the time of this post.

SPOILER ALERT

Plot: Jet her sister Franny, their brother Vincent and cousin April are members of the Owens family. In the early half of 1960 Franny is invited to stay the summer with their aunt Isabelle for Franny's seventeenth birthday. This causes the already strained relationship between the kids and their parents to become an actual rift. The three siblings, Franny, Jet and Vincent happily go to Massachusetts to stay at the family house on Magnolia Street.  They quickly learn that the small town seems to fear their aunt Isabelle. They spend a couple of weeks getting to know the area, learning about their family's history, when their cousin April arrives out of nowhere. Already having spent the summer before there herself, April feels entitled to the house more than Franny and Jet feel she should.  Jet quickly meets Levi, one of the locals and falls deeply in love, while Franny is hung up on her best friend Haylin who is back home. Before long, Vincent is spending his nights between the local bars and at the aunt's next door neighbour's. The next door neighbour who just happens to be a middle aged woman. While all of them know about the family's connection to witchcraft, Franny ever the scientist refuses at first to believe it  until she spends a few evenings working on spells with aunt Isabelle. At the end of the summer, everyone returns home, with Franny getting ready for college. Jet continues to have a semi-secret relationship with Levi, and on the night they had planned to run off together; there is a car accident which kills not just Levi, but their parents as well.  Jet then becomes depressed and rents a hotel room ready to commit suicide. She's saved by a bellboy, and begins a complicated relationship with him. The three siblings learn that cousin April now has a little girl named Regina. When Isabelle dies not too long there after, the Owens family house is left to the three siblings. Franny unable to go to college, breaks up her semi-relationship with Haylin, having to watch as he becomes engaged to someone else. A few years go past, and we learn that Vincent is in a relationship with a man, and intends to break the family curse. He fakes his own death, removing himself from the familyline, and disappears. Franny reunites with Haylin decades later, only to discover he's dying of cancer. The sisters learn that cousin April died from a poisonous spider bite and her now grown daughter Regina, also having died in a fire leaving two granddaughters -Gillian and Sally.  Franny and Jet then take in the two girls.


I have to say right off the bat, I read this in a day and a half. Cried through 90% of it, but I really fell into the story. It ends where pretty much Practical Magic starts, with the aunts taking in the girls.

My one complaint with this is that the timeline doesn't match up. Practical Magic takes place in the mid-1990's with Sally and Gillian in their 30's to 40's, with teenaged kids of their own. This ends in 1998 with the characters of Sally and Gillian roughly 6 years old. That is literally the only negative thing I have to say about this book.

The big theme that seems to reoccur is the idea of being true to yourself and accepting your whole self in order to be happy.  There is literally one scene where aunt Isabelle offers each of the four -Franny, Jet, Vincent and April- a choice of tea. Either the caution tea or the courage tea. It's a form of personality test to see who of them is being true to themselves and who isn't. She uses it to form her final decision on whom she should leave the house to.

The character of cousin April is one of those you find yourself tisking and cheering for at the same time. Possibly, the most realistic with her desperation for acceptance. She's almost the mirror of Vincent.

A lot of the characters in this have trust issues. They can't or won't trust the people they love, or the people they end up needing the most. With the character of Jet, after the death of her true love, she spends years fighting with Levi's father. His trust issues about her family and the Owen's curse keep him from grieving properly, as well as allowing Jet to. It's also the one element that keeps her current lover at arms length.

This is a prequel to Practical Magic, and the bridge for the spin-off  The Probable Future. I'm actually going to end this here, as I can't get any deeper into this novel without giving away every little detail.

If you joined in this month, leave me a comment with a link to your post, and don't forget there's always next month's selection. I'll be back later in the week with the official post for it.

Random movie - Get Out

movie: Get Out
starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Catherine Keener
genre: Thriller, Drama,
year: 2017
format: Crave

plot: After dating for a few months, Chris agrees to meet his girlfriend Rose's parents. He finds it a bit nerve racking given her entire neighbourhood is white, and he's not. They arrive just as her parents are having their annual BBQ, and Chris feels less comfortable with each passing moment, that is until he sees another young black adult. When their conversation becomes extremely awkward, Chris begins to suspect something isn't right in the neighbourhood and relays his fears to his best friend over the phone. While trying to quit smoking, he allows his girlfriend's mother to hypnotize him. This only adds to his already growing paranoia. As the weekend is about to end and Chris prepares to return home, he finds himself the victim of a kidnapping by Rose's family members and quickly learns he's not the only one. In fact, the entire neighbourhood is not just in on it, but have been doing it for the last few years. Stealing the identities of the young people Rose has been baiting in.

I know this is an award winning film, but I've got to admit, I didn't really care for it. No, let me rephrase that, I loved it the first time around when it was the Skeleton Key.  This film is just a remake of the Skeleton Key but with science instead of Hoodoo and just enough of the Stepford Wives thrown in for good measure.

It's a social statement to what's happening in society sadly, but as a movie, it's just not original. Given the topic, it should have you as the viewer, feeling queasy with a slight touch of claustrophobia; but it just falls a little short. 

2018 October Foodn'Flix

Spudguns!, it's time again for another Foodn'Flix recipe. This month's selection was hosted by our fearless leader Heather at All Roads Lead to the Kitchen; and her pick was Princess and the Frog.  Now, if you've been following this blog much at all, you might remember I talked about this back in Year One of the blog. (Day 292)

plot: A young woman -Tiana, has a dream of opening her own restaurant in the heart of New Orleans in the 1920's. But it seems, every time she gets a step closer, something gets in her way. When a young prince comes to the area, her best friend's dad throws a grand ball for him, in hopes the prince will marry his daughter. Unknown to anyone, the prince has become cursed and turned into a frog. Tiana who has borrowed her friends clothes, is mistaken for a princess, and the frog prince talks her into kissing him. Only, instead of saving him, it turns her into a frog as well. The two then end up going to the local Hoodoo Priestess to help reverse the spell originally cast by the Voudon Bokor. When nothing seems to work, the two admit they have fallen in love and are willing to stay frogs as long as they can stay together. As frogs, they get married and are suddenly transformed back to humans.

notes: tea, gumbo, apples, salt, ground black pepper, hush puppies, cake, rum, eggs, bacon, ketchup, fruit, waffles, rice, coffee, honey, toast, bagels, pancakes, hot sauce, donuts, sugar, wine, soup, carrots, red peppers, mushrooms, chicken, pumpkin, crawfish, bananas foster, okra, strawberries, jelly beans, candy, garlic, herbs, flour, walnuts.

I ended up pulling my inspiration from a short scene midway through the film. The main characters are in the middle of a swamp and decide to make a gumbo from the ingredients they can forage for, which included a pumpkin.  I ended up making my Pumpkin Sludge Cake.

Ingredients

2 1/2 c flour
1/2 c butter softened
1/2 c white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 c water
1/3 c spice mix (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice)
2 c pumpkin shredded or pureed

Mix butter, sugar and salt
then add in flour, baking powder and eggs
add spice mix and water mix well
add the pumpkin

Bake at 325 degrees depending on your oven for 75 to 90 minutes

The name came from the colour the batter took on. I also topped it with a few pumpkin seeds I had roasted in salt and pumpkin spice mix.
 

And that's about all I've got for you today.  Don't forget, you can join in next month with Foodn'Flix for  A Man Called Ove, which will be hosted by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm.

Random movie- Crimson Peak

movie: Crimson Peak
starring: Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston
genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller, Paranormal,
year: 2015
format: Netflix Canada

plot: A young writer, who has the ability to see ghosts, is swept up in a wild romance when she meets a young man and his sister. Having arrived in town to ask her father for a partnership on his invention, the English baronet begins courting her. Much to the quiet disapproval of his sister. After her father dies, the young writer, Edith, marries quickly only to run off to the English countryside with her new husband, Thomas, to live with him and his sister, Lucille. Edith's romantic notions are soon destroyed as the house is falling apart around them, and the fortune has long been lost on Thomas's inventions. As winter sets in, Edith finds herself isolated from the town, and begins to uncover the secrets the family are hiding. Namely, that she's not the first wife. Her ability to see and communicate with ghosts is heightened as she finds them in every corner of the house. Intent on figuring out why they were killed and by who, she realizes no one can be trusted.

I have to admit, I wasn't too sure on this one when I first sat down to watch. I'm not a fan of the lead female actor, and it took a few minutes to get past that fact. But, the story itself was completely worth it.

You get that feeling of isolation; not just from the sets but from the coldness of winter, the loss of her father and friends. It's just the right level of eerie madness. And you can't help but compare it to the Shinning from start to finish.  There's this great sense of uneasiness just in the love story itself. You're given a hint from the first scene between the characters of Thomas and his sister Lucille, that they are plotting something. Then as the film progresses, you're swayed away from Thomas and back again on whether or not to trust him.

The addition of the family dog appearing, which seems to irritate both siblings, is a wonderful little hint that they're not who they seem to be. 

Sept 2018 Food n Flix

This is going to be the most informal Food n'Flix post I've ever done.

I've had a crappy week my lovely Spudguns!. I really hope your's has been decent.  September 2018 marks the 8th anniversary of Foodn'Flix. The first year I joined in; which was 2015, when September rolled around we were allowed to do a viewer's choice. And at that point, I did a 4 movie combo with a common theme. I also went with 4 different recipes. So of course, the second our fearless leader Heather said that this month would once again be a viewer's choice month and hosted by the official Food n'Flix blog, allowing us to pick any of the previously viewed months' movies; I knew I wanted to do something like that again. So I quickly picked my four dvds Eat Pray Love, Under the Tuscan Sun, Ramen Girl and Julie/Julia. I had a common theme - starting over. In Julie/Julia, the characters move for their husband's jobs. In Under the Tuscan Sun and Eat Pray Love, the characters move because of a divorce. In Ramen Girl, she moves for her boyfriend's job only to end up getting dumped and stranded. I even had a common food link this time...eggs.  What I didn't really have was the recipe.

I knew that the movie Eat Pray Love, had a scene where the lead character is shown making herself a simple plate of food on a lazy Sunday morning, that included olives, cheese, bread with olive oil, grapes, prosciutto, asparagus and a hard boiled egg.  The movie Ramen Girl, has a quick shot of a bowl of ramen containing noodles, broth, greens, pork and a soft boiled egg being placed in front of the Master for his approval. The movie Julie/Julia has a scene where our lead character is hovering over a large pot trying to get one perfect poached egg while arguing with her best friend. And the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, has an egg shaped  blue vase that the lead character clings to for her sanity. Each scene represented a major turning point for the characters involved.

Now, normally, when I do a Food n'Flix post, I give you a detailed account of the food throughout the entire film. I can't this time. Even had I chosen one of the movies and not the whole lot, there is just too much food to keep up with in each. From chocolate cake, wine, grapes, garlic, cheese, fish, noodles, bruschetta, onions, duck, stew, breads, leeks, pizza, tea, olives, ice cream, to tomatoes, peppers, pork, rice, and of course the eggs; these films were jam packed. And that's just naming a few.

But it was the eggs that stood out in my mind. Each egg scene -seen, came with a lesson for the character.

"Eat Pray Love"- The egg is seen as part of the basic meal our lead character makes for herself. It represents her accepting solitude. The character had been looking at a fancy nightgown while out with friends, and when her friend tells her to buy it, she as "For whom?" her friend replies "For you." We then see the lead character sitting on the floor in the fancy nightgown with her egg plate, having for the first time accepted that she's going to be okay single. She's finally accepted the company of herself as being enough. Up to this point, she's never been without a relationship. It's also the first time in the film we see her cook. Up till then, all her meals have been out at restaurants or at other people's houses.

"Julie/Julia" - The character of Julie has stated near the beginning of the film, that she's never eaten an egg as is. The eggs are done as a bit of a group effort. We see her, her husband and best friend standing in their tiny kitchen, sweating over the idea of making the perfect poached eggs. Which they seem to do. This is the big learning curve moment of truth for our lead as she admits to her desires and envies. It's the first moment she has any real confidence. It's also the first meal she's cooked we see her share with her friends, as well as the first time we see her really being taught by the cookbook. It represents her confidence and what would end up being her celebrity.

"Ramen Girl" - The egg is delivered here two separate ways. The physical egg is shown in a bowl of ramen but not by our lead. Instead, it's a minor male character whom serves the Grand Master Chef in order to get his approval. When it's the lead character's turn to serve her bowl of ramen, she's gone off recipe. The Master then tells her she's yet to learn what she needs to know. The lead character's struggle throughout the film is learning to make order out of chaos. It isn't until the day she leaves town, and is handed a large red egg shaped lantern, that she finally gets the approval she's been waiting for. And has discovered the balance within the design/plating of the ramen bowl. Up to that point, she managed to learn technique but without soul.  For her, it was representing restraint and balance.

 

"Under the Tuscan Sun" - Still hurting from her divorce, our lead character grabs an egg shaped blue glass vase as she moves out. She chooses to let her ex husband have everything else, but for some odd reason of defiance, she dumps out the contents of the vase and takes it with her. She keeps it for the first few years as she moves from a rundown apartment to her villa in Italy. Later on, she grabs it throwing it against the wall shattering it. Releasing herself from her hate, desperation and pain. The egg vase in this case represents the cycles of relationships. She first takes it when depressed at the end of her marriage, and breaks it at the beginning of her neighbours' marriage. The egg lesson here is healing and love.

Eggs have always represented beginnings and endings, fertility and protection.

So after all that what did I make?  I had made deviled eggs, (basic egg yolk, mayo, salt, pepper and paprika) but they were just so ugly. Then I remembered the line from Julie/Julia, where the character is taking about how she decided to tackle the poached eggs on a day when nothing in her life seemed to be going well.

So, I ended up making poached eggs. Which, were far far less than perfect.  And paired it with a quick instant ramen and green veggies. So, not really a recipe this time around, but just what the day needed. Ugly eggs to comfort at the end of a bad week. 

That's all I've got for you this time. Yes, I know, not the usual way I like to do Food n'Flix, but it's what I have to offer this time around.  Don't forget to join us next month, when once again, Heather from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, will be hosting. The selection will be the Disney movie Princess and the Frog.

Random movie June 17th 2018

I just saw the Canadian film Hunting Pignut. It stars Taylor Hickson and Joel Thomas Hynes.

plot: After the ashes of her father are stolen at his funeral, a teenaged Bernice runs away in search of her father's friends. She soon finds herself thrown into a new and semi-welcoming world she was never sure she really wanted to know about.
 
This is based on a true story.

I'm sort of torn on how I feel about it. I liked it, but I'm not sure I loved it?  I have to admit, I watched this because of Joel Thomas Hynes. I've been a fan of his since the movie Down to the Dirt. He definitely steals the scene in every second of footage he's given.

It's a beautifully shot film, set in the heart of Newfoundland, showing us both sides of the so called coin. It's grit and confusion balanced perfectly as we watch young Bernice become Story, and try to walk the tightrope of who she feels she should be for whom she's with. To say the character has daddy issues, is pretty much an understatement.  She finds a diary which she at first thinks belongs to her father but quickly realizes belongs to his best friend Pignut. Her attachment then to Pignut becomes blurred as she seeks him out. What starts off at first as her connecting with Pignut as a role model and substitute father figure, soon crosses into a crush before turning romantically volatile. And all within the time frame of about 72hours.

What makes this such a powerfully emotional film, is what makes me say I'm not sure I loved it. The very core of the relationship between Story and Pignut. They have both just lost an important part of themselves, and struggle to reclaim a piece of it within each other, only to self destruct.

Round Up FnF May 2018

"I bid you welcome to my home, please enter freely and leave some of the happiness you bring "- Dracula

Spudguns! It's that time again, the round up for Foodn'Flix. And my selection this month was the 1992 Bram Stoker's Dracula. Let's see what was dug up...

First up, is Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla, who made Corpse Reviver and  her Stakes through the heart Sanguinaccio  She was inspired by the scene between Dracula and Mina when they are out for dinner and he serves her absinthe.

Next up, is Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm, with her Vant Your Blood Martini
She went with a classic vampire go to, lets make everything bloody good. 

Then we have Evelyne at CulturEatz with her Transylvanian Sour Cherry Margarita
She was inspired by not just the area of Transylvania, but of the sweet fruits and summer memories connected to it.

And lastly, Mine I made a trio of  hors d'oeuvres. An Impaled Tofu, homemade garlic flatbread and mushroom Tartare.  I was inspired by the character of Renfield.

With that nailing the coffin shut on this month, remember you can always join next month along with Simply Inspired Meals, and their selection The Incredibles.