Lunch with Martha
I’ve been subscribing to Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine for a year now and am surprised at how much I’m enjoying it. Cooking has become something of a mini-hobby with me (especially soup, which I do in a big pot and eat over the following 3-4 weeks). The appealing, seasonal, intriguing but not too exotic stuff found in Everyday Food is perfect for my experience level. Usually upon receiving an issue, after drooling over the photography and layouts, I wind up trying one or two recipes a month. I’ve had the June issue for barely a few weeks and have already done four recipes. Yeah, I’m Martha’s kitchen bitch!
The first recipe I did was a Pizza Bianca with hand-rolled dough, a white sauce of ricotta and olive oil, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. I also added some fresh chopped oregano and rosemary. After it’s cooked, you top with arugula for some bitter crunch. I forgot to add the parmesan before baking, so it got sprinkled atop the arugula. This was just as good cold as piping hot – yum!
Each Everyday Food has a section of recipes that use veggies or fruits currently in season — the June issue spotlights cucumbers, which I love. I did this cold cucumber and buttermilk soup with olive oil drizzled on top. It tastes like liquid cucumber, really delicious! With the rest of the buttermilk, I made my own ranch dressing (a huge improvement over store bought) from a recipe elsewhere in the issue.
Another cucumber recipe I tried was this side salad with English cucumbers, celery, tuna and poppy seeds, tossed in a rice vinegar and olive oil mixture. We’re bringing this to a Memorial Day weekend lunch with some friends. If it’s as good as the other stuff I’ve made, it should be a hit.
What Shall We Eat?
General Foods’ Home Meal Planner from 1961 was a booklet that Christopher found on the Free pile at his workplace. It outlines how to plan your meals smartly and efficiently — involving lots of General Foods products, of course. Amongst the tips and recipes are some wonderful typography and illustrations depicting a perfect housewife preparing meals for her nuclear family. For dealing with something as mundane as meal planning, the whole thing is incredibly elegant and Betty Draperish. Several images from the booklet were scanned and posted in my Cool Vintage Illustration flickr set.
Speaking of Betty Draper, we’re finally getting into Mad Men. Seemingly everyone I know was raving about the show when it first premiered, and I subsequently checked out an episode. It was … just okay. Beautifully crafted with a committed cast, but also cold, excessively dour and (worst of all) having a smug, revisionist attitude about the ’60s. I decided to give it another try when Amazon had a sale on the DVDs last year. Although the first few episodes still have that annoyingly smug tone, both of us were soon wrapped up in the drama and storylines. There were still a few so-so episodes from that year, but now we’re halfway through the second season DVDs and there’s a noticeable improvement in the acting and plot development. Can’t wait to check out the following two seasons — what an enthralling drama.
Anyhow, let’s indulge in something that Betty Draper would obviously find quite handy (whenever she isn’t fretting about her heel of a hubby):
Creepy Cookbook Kids
It’s been a while since I’ve shared some weird ephemera from the past. The illustration below comes from the back cover of Ground Beef Cookbook, published by Favorite Recipes Press in 1967. An enterprising indie band ought to make these two their mascots.
Retro Refreshing
Strolling the soda aisle at the local Safeway, I was delighted to find enticing stacks of Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback on display. You might remember that the Throwback sodas (with cane and beet sugar replacing corn syrup as sweetener) were introduced in a frustratingly short run last Spring. Now they’re back, and with more authentic looking packaging, too! BevReview.com has posted a review of the new Pepsi Throwback, along with somewhat disappointing news that this, too, is a limited run. I bought a 24 pack of the Mountain Dew and am looking forward to its citrussy sweet goodness.
Something else that will brighten up my 2010 — Dr. Pepper Heritage. I’m sure my dentist will love that one.
Weekly Mishmash: November 15-21
Fifteen years ago tonight, Christopher and I first met at a theatrical performance of the Gershwin musical Crazy for You. He was there to review the show for our local afternoon paper, and I was the stray person who took his extra comp ticket. I can’t say that we totally clicked that night, but we were friendly enough to arrange a date later that week — and we’ve been talking every day since then. The newspaper he worked for in 1994 is long gone, but the two of us are still together. You could even say that “Our Love is Here to Stay.” Happy 15th, and here’s hoping we’re together for several more anniversaries!
The American President (1994). You know this one: Michael Douglas as the president of the United States, and Annette Bening as the lobbyist who captures his heart. I was attracted to this for Aaron Sorkin’s script, since it came out in between A Few Good Men (which I haven’t seen) and the TV cult favorite Sports Night. Sorkin’s stylized dialogue isn’t in any way realistic to the way people really talk, but it never fails to be spot-on and funny. This was no exception, but the film itself tends toward the formulaic and Bening’s overacting is insufferable (akin to the more recent film where she played a stage actress and inexplicably got an Oscar nomination). Minor quibbles aside, I enjoyed it. Many of the points that Sorkin brings up here were remarkably prescient in light of the Clinton/Lewinsky fracas and the relentless stupidity of the Bush II era.
Old Man Rhythm (1935). A silly RKO musical broadcast during Turner Class Movies’ salute to songwriter Johnny Mercer. This college-set fluff served as a vehicle for long in the tooth silent star Charles “Buddy” Rogers, but it’s now better known for having Mercer in a rare acting role and a young (and incredibly cute) Betty Grable in support. The film’s many songs are actually quite clever, if deficient in the memory retention department. Mostly I recall the fat guy doing an athletic dance during one number. This film is also notable for having not one but two of the great “sissy” character actors in Eric Blore and Donald Meek. People like those two make even the worst time-waster bearable.
Tim Tam chocolate biscuits. A package of these delectable Australian cookies came as a special surprise from Kris, along with the scarf she knitted for me. Chocolate covered wafers of bliss, they are.
Various – Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia. I originally didn’t intend to have this four disc, 71-track monument to the ’70s peak of Philly Soul. But… emusic.com lured me back with 75 bonus songs and this box set seemed to murmur “download me, baby” in Barry White-esque tones. It’s an excellent and classy set, mostly dealing with the unprecedented string of hits legendary songwriting/production team Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff shepherded with Philadelphia International Records. A few side trips with producer Thom Bell and The Spinners epitomize the breezy and upbeat sound that characterized the genre (really, I dare you to hear “I’ll Be Around” or “Then Came You” and not smile). It’s interesting to hear the first pulses of disco in the swinging rhythm of “The Love I Lost” by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, then having it culminate in the joyful noise of M.F.S.B.’s Soul Train anthem “T.S.O.P.” Along the way are plenty of dazzling numbers from both lesser lights and the likes of Teddy Pendergrass and The O’Jays. Although the set has its share of draggy ballads and overlong album cuts, it’s amazing the way it documents the rise and fall of a style of music. From the ’67 golden oldie “Expressway to Your Heart” to Patti LaBelle’s polished R&B hit “If Only You Knew” — Gamble and Huff’s last hurrah from 1983 — one can only be wowed.
Sugar in the Morning, Sugar in the Evening
Having just polished off a package of delicious vanilla Zingers, I wanted to share a couple of swell Dolley Madison commercials featuring the Peanuts gang from the early ’80s. Notice that the Zingers in these ads have a swirl of white icing on top, a la Hostess Cup Cakes. I don’t remember that detail at all.
Meat That Can’t Be Beat
Let’s talk ground meat. Especially the myriad ways ground meat could be prepared for that idea-strapped ’50s housewife. Exciting, eh?
Then again, maybe not. Let’s instead focus our energies on the chapter heading artwork from The Ground Meat Cookbook, forgotten bits of ephemeral cuteness which count among the latest additions to my Cool Vintage Illustration flickr set (note: this isn’t the first time I’ve been enamored of a Culinary Institute cookbook, nor will it likely be the last). Drawn by a lady by the name of Selma Quateman, these illustrations have a clunky charm that brings to mind some of Warhol’s pre-Pop Art stuff. It’s always funny to me how these old meat-based cookbooks never fail to sport drawings of adorable cows, horses, lambs, etc. The one of farm animals sniffing out a succulent meal is particularly sick. Have a looksee:
Weekly Mishmash: May 10-16
Factory Girl (2006). Showtime recording. Remembering the mixed reviews that this Edie Sedgwick bio got, this one got avoided until Christopher put it on the TiFaux recently. Sedgwick’s life, as a ’60s socialite turned habitué of Andy Warhol’s Factory turned burnt out druggie, certainly has the makings for a good film. Too bad this superficial thing isn’t all that. Going by the dim memory of reading Jean Stein’s terrific oral biography Edie: American Girl in high school, I could tell the filmmakers took many liberties with facts, hiding behind it with music video-like flash and dazzle. No doubt about it, this is Edie for Dummies. Not that everything here is awful; I thought Sienna Miller did an admirably good job as Sedgwick, and Guy Pierce did the best of any actor in capturing Warhol’s creepy narcissism. 1996′s I Shot Andy Warhol was an infinitely more rewarding and realistic portrait of that scene. For those who are curious about Edie, the only thing I have to say is — read the book.
Full Moon High (1980). Flix recording. While we’ve been enjoying the free premium cable, I’ve been checking out plenty on the unwanted stepchild in the Showtime family — Flix. This must be the place where all the weird little old movies that nobody really asked for on DVD go, including this genial werewolf spoof from z-budget movie auteur Larry Cohen. A youthfully cute Adam Arkin stars as a ’50s teen who ventures to Romania with his wingnut dad (Ed MacMahon), only to be bitten in the wrong place at the wrong time. As parody, this movie is an unfunny failure. Its cheesiness and “throw it against the wall and see if it sticks” humor reminded me, in a bad way, of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Mostly I enjoyed it for the oddball cast: Kenneth Mars, Bill Kirchenbauer, Roz Kelly, Elizabeth Hartman, Demond Wilson, Pat Morita, Bob Saget, Jm J. Bullock. Adam’s dad, Alan Arkin, even shows up as a straight-shooting doctor. You would never see that constellation of actors together on anything, outside of a Love Boat repeat.
The Lookout (2007). Excellent indie suspenser with Joseph Gordon Levitt as a former high school hockey star who is left brain damaged after a terrible auto accident. Falling in with a manipulative young man (Matthew Good, unrecognizable from Match Point), he becomes coerced into participating in a heist at the bank where he works. Although some of the characters seemed a bit cut-and-dried, this was a dynamite story with a nicely desolate small-town atmosphere. Levitt was outstandingly good; that Third Rock from the Sun kid has really matured into a good actor.
There Will Be Blood (2007). Showtime recording. Also excellent, although I think we missed a lot of the gorgeous photography in this regrettably panned-and-scanned showing. Daniel Day Lewis definitely earned his Oscar here. Compelling story, long but richly rewarding. Both of us could tell that he used John Huston as his vocal inspiration, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Thomas Kemper Black Cherry Soda. Yep, it’s been several months and I’m still making my way through the specialty bottled sodas I bought last Fall. Truthfully, I need to be in a special mood for a full-on serving of sweetened soda. Whenever I want something sweet, it’s more than anything else likely that I’d do a mixture at a restaurant soda fountain (try four parts Diet Pepsi to one part Manzanita Sol Apple; it’s delicious). Bottle-wise, my next victim was the honey-sweetened black cherry flavor from Portland-based Thomas Kemper. This was really good, fizzy in texture with a subtle woodsiness to the cherry flavor. The sweetness didn’t hit me over the head, which is just the way it should be. The root beer is Thomas Kemper’s signature flavor; now I want to try that.
Eating Doritos and Writing About Them
Yesterday, during one of my periodic jaunts to the corner convenience store, I spied a new snackfood on the shelves. In an apparent bid to catch the Pineapple Express audience, Doritos has introduced two flavors going by the names Late Night Tacos at Midnight and Last Call Jalapeño Poppers. I snatched up a bag of the taco chips. Pathetically, I intend to write about them here.
A little background: I savored the original Taco flavored Doritos as they existed in the ’80s, especially when one would find the odd chip with a crust of excess taco powder. It makes my heart beat faster just thinking about that stuff. After a long dry spell without my precious Taco Doritos, the company reintroduced them into the market a few years back. Unfortunately, the new taco chips can only be bought as part of their Collisions line, sharing bag space with blah chipotle ranch chips. They also taste subtly different from the old formula — but, hey, I’ll take ‘em any way they make ‘em.
This bag of Late Night Tacos at Midnight made for a subversive afternoon snack. Immediately I wondered if the formula on these is different from the Collisions chips. They are. For one, they smell exactly like a real taco — with tomato and lettuce, even! My hat is off to the nameless Frito Lay test kitchen employee who came up with a way to make a tortilla chip smell as if it contains lettuce. Luckily, the leafy green scent doesn’t translate to the taste. Actually, they taste somewhat wimpy and unappealing. Guess you have to be a pothead with the munchies to truly enjoy these.
p.s. I haven’t tried the Last Call Jalapeño Poppers Doritos. A tweet from my pal Bob calls them “disgusting.” Think I’ll pass.
Turning Trix
So cool: General Mills is rolling out a series of retro cereal boxes in certain stores. Look at the side-by-side comparison of the ’60s-era Trix box with a new one; those old boxes are so much simpler and more appealing. We looked for these in our local Safeway and couldn’t find them. Guess I’ll have to check out Target next. TheDieline.com is a weblog devoted to package design and re-designs (thanks to Eric for pointing me there).
Pop Cultures
Mental Floss magazine explores the origins of our favorite Muppets (via Pop Culture Junk Mail). Lots of interesting tidbits that I never knew there.
Also, how happy am I that Pepsi is planning “throwback” versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew containing genuine sugar sweetening (not icky high fructose corn syrup). This also comes via Pop Culture Junk Mail — Gael is on a roll! More info here; April can’t come fast enough.
Soda Review: Jarritos Jamaica
Nestled in the Hispanic foods section, my local Safeway stocks a tasty little display of Mexican bottled sodas made by a company called Jarritos. As soon as I spotted these popular drinks sitting there with their rainbow colors, I knew I had to try a couple. Already familiar with the Mexican preference for hyper-sweet everything, I knew that the strawberry variety would be delicious and I wasn’t let down. For my second bottle, I decided to go more exotic and try the jamaica flavor. How can you resist a soda named after a country? This jamaica, it turns out, is an indigenous Mexican plant. The soda derives its flavor from a hibiscus-like flower known elsewhere as Roselle. Right away I was attracted to the pleasing cranberry red of this soda. Flavor-wise, what it most tastes like is — wait for it — prune juice, with a little bit of a tea-like earthiness. The sweetness of pure cane sugar overwhelms the flavor a bit, leaving a lingering aftertaste. Overall, I actually enjoyed it. As an occasional sweet treat, this soda was muy bueno in my book.
Weekly Mishmash: December 14-20
Time for another mishmash, and all I want to do is try and figure out why the shooting victim in Trauma Center: New Blood keeps dying on me. Oh well…
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969). Another live action Disney discovery courtesy of TCM. This was the first of three films starring Kurt Russel as happy-go-lucky college student Dexter Reilly. This outing finds an electrical accident giving Dexter the knowledge of a computer, in a plot that appears to be Tron in reverse. Silly hijinks of the type found in a typical I Dream of Jeannie episode ensue. Overall, I preferred the third Dexter Reilly movie (The Strongest Man In The World) to this one, but like Ivan I found this a pleasantly brainless experience. Hands down my favorite part of the movie was the opening credits sequence, featuring vintage computer-y visuals and a title theme with some of the weirdest tongue-twisting lyrics ever. “Never met a groovier dude, an electric kind of guy” — yeah, baby!
Oh, and everyone needs to check out TCM’s beautifully done documentary The Age of Believing: The Disney Live Action Classics. It repeats on December 28th. Don’t be fooled by the toothache-inducing subject matter; it’s excellent.
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007). Heard a lot of good things about this when it turned up on several critics’ “Best of” lists last year. This grim Romanian drama follows two college co-eds as they attempt to arrange an illegal abortion. Although the film is a period piece set in the ’80s, it reaffirms the fact that Romania is one of the few places on earth doing original, thought-provoking films. Not an uplifting piece, for sure, but I loved the aching, lovingly detailed milieu Cristian Mungiu sets forth with a small cast of fascinating characters. The film is deliberately paced but never boring, and beautifully photographed with many long unedited takes. One scene in particular, with actress Anamaria Marinca dutifully attending her boyfriend’s family dinner party while her mind is obviously elsewhere, is an understated marvel.
Sprecher Cherry Cola. I’ve been falling behind on my soda reviews, but just wanted to mention this super-sweet delight from a bottler in Wisconsin. Ever have a Coke with a shot of cherry at Sonic? This concoction is like one of those with ten shots of cherry. It’s cherrilicious to the point that the cherry taste bludgeons the cola taste to death. Just thinking about it again makes my mouth water.
10,000 Maniacs — In My Tribe and The Ramones — Ramones. A couple of classic albums to fill out my iTunes library. Amazon had the digital edition of In My Tribe, an album whose grimy cassette I wore out during my college years, for just $1.99 this week. Revisiting confirms that it has not a single dud track, although Natalie Merchant’s earnest preachiness grates more easily now than it did in ’87. This particular download lacked the band’s cover of Cat Stevens’ “Peace Train,” but I did manage to find it elsewhere (sure, it seems like a label-induced sales gambit, but the album doesn’t feel complete without it). I always wanted to hear the Ramones’ debut. Although the album cuts don’t measure up to iconic tracks like “Blitzkrieg Bop,” the album is as raw and goofy and fun as everyone has said. I liked the extras on the CD edition, too — strangely enough, the early version of “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” might be the only example of a song where the demo is more polished sounding than the final product!
Attempted Layer Cake
My first attempt at baking a layer cake came out … interesting. It’s very lopsided and I ran out of cream cheese icing for the sides, but this cake is just for us — so it only has to taste delicious (for that it gets a blue ribbon). For extra specialness, I drew a smiley face on top. This is a tomato soup cake from a ’70s reprint of Campbell’s Cooking with Soup. The recipe can be found here.
