A Trivial Quiz And My Totally Biased Answer

Question: What do these books and authors have in common?

Canterbury Tales

The Bible

Shakespeare

Walt Whitman

Huck Finn

Tolkien

Dr. Seuss

Answer: You linguists out there might be thinking that these are the definitive English works.  Well, if you are, you're wrong.

Name a better character than Piglet.  Hamlet--close but no cigar.  How about Pooh?  Sorry, Bilbo.  How about Tigger?  Puck is Shakespeare's best attempt, but Tigger is better.  And he's not obnoxious.

The definitive English work is Winnie the Pooh because it is really funny and I said so.  You need to stop arguing and go read it, okay, because then you'll know that I'm totally biased and right.

The Black Stallion Returns...Only to Be Eaten

I love the Black Stallion.  It's a fantastic and beautiful movie directed by Caroll Ballard (another man named Caroll) and starring Mickey Rooney and Teri Garr and a really cute little kid, Kelly Reno (that's a boy named Kelly--what's with these film men with girl names?).  Melanie went to the library last week and checked out "The Black Stallion Returns" because she thought Joseph and I would like it.

Joseph enjoyed it.  I never got a chance.

Here's his mugshot.  Joseph was taken in for questioning regarding the eating of a local library DVD.  He reluctantly confessed.

 

 

 

The Third Man

The Third Man is one of my favorite movies.  With a bit of noir, a bit of romance, a bit of cynical comedy, this post-war film shot in Vienna is one of the best of all time.  It's Casablanca + steroids + more mood - the great lines + some grit.  It stars our old Citizen Kane/War of the Worlds buddy, Orson Welles, and the painfully underrated Joseph Cotten.  The music is all zither from Anton Karas--the theatrical trailers said "his zither will have you in a dither."  I'm sure that's the corniest thing I've ever heard, but the music is amazing and I've never heard a more appropriate score.

The movie is directed by Carol Reed.  Isn't Carol a woman's name?  Not on your life, Buddy.  Carol's only the greatest British film director ever, ever, ever, of all time, ever.

If you want great shots, great music, great acting, great location, and the first ever sewer chase scene plus death threats from the top of a ferris wheel, this is the movie for you.  Check it out, you won't regret it...unless you can't get the music out of your head because it has you in a dither.

Adelaide, oh, Adelaide, ever-lovin' Adelaide

Go to the 23 July 2009 posting on this blog and you'll see one key-OOT little girl (you should see her mom...grrr).
giovannalou.blogspot.com

 

 

 

She is the princess to all princesses.  She likes the dressing up, the parties, the fundraising socials, the ceremonies, the hors d'oeuvres the limousines, and the catwalks.  Give her what she wants and get out of the way.  Girl Power!

The Great Buck Howard

The Great Buck Howard has Napoleon Dynamite flair and rocking soundtrack but with a plot and an awesome cast with John Malkovich, Colin Hanks, and Emily Blunt.

This is one quirky, funny movie that all Howlands and Ellsworths will soon be quoting around the dinner table as they choke on their last bite of ham.

Buck Howard is a grumpy, demanding has-been entertainer who still thinks he's at the top of his game (do you see how this guy could easily fit into the family?).

Everybody go see it tonight.

This isn't the OK Buck Howard, or The Pretty Good Buck Howard.  This is the GREAT Buck Howland.  I mean Howard.  The Great Buck Howard.

My Revolutionary Twin

Revolutionary Twins

It's a little unnerving to read about yourself in a history book.  I would have liked to meet him, but would hate how much he cramped my style.

At 33, Nathanael Greene was an officer in the American army, had been a full-time soldier for only six months, had never served in a campaign, and had never been on a battlefield.  He was a Quaker of "robust physique" though had a slight limp since childhood and mild asthma.

David McCullough says he was "no ordinary man.  He had a quick, inquiring mind and uncommon resolve.  He was extremely hardworking, forthright, good-natured, and a born leader...Washington had judged Nathanael Greene to be 'an object of confidence.'"

He was a "'cheerful, vigorous, thoughtful' young man who, like his father, loved a 'merry jest or tale,' who did comic imitations, and relished the company of young ladies, while they, reportedly, 'never felt lonely where he was.'  Once, accused by a dancing partner of dancing stiffly, because of his bad leg, Nathanael replied, 'Very true, but you see I dance strong.'"

"His defects were perceived to be a certain 'nervous temperament' and susceptibility to poor health, impetuousness, and acute sensitivity to criticism.  Full-grown, he was a burly figure...with the arms and shoulders of a foundryman, and handsome...A broad forehead and a full, 'decided' mouth were considered his best features, though a soldier sent to deliver a message to the general would remember his 'fine blue eyes, which struck me with a considerable degree of awe, the I could scarcely deliver my message.'"

I have fine green eyes, not fine blue eyes.

He believed that anyone could "learn whever was required...by the close study of books."

"Whatever he lacked in knowledge or experience, he tried to make up for with 'watchfulness and industry.'"

So, maybe he's not my twin, but you may recognize more than a few similarities.  Half of me was bummed when I read this: I thought my character was unique.  Oh, well.  The other half of me wanted to meet this guy after I give up my acute sensitivity to criticism and my nervousness.

Pizza, Pizza

Have you ever had a great pizza at home? I mean one that wasn't delivered and that has less salt than the Dead Sea. Have you made a pizza at home but the dough didn't cook or it just tasted bland? Here's a pizza recipe that will put pizza delivery and even gourmet pizza parlors out of business. This is better than the best pizzas most people eat--and it's easy. Thank you, Wolfgang Puck!

In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve 2 1/2 tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast in 1 cup warm water. Add 1 tsp honey and stir together. Let sit for 3 minutes and stir in 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil.

Combine 3 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp salt and add to yeast mixture. Mix all together and knead at low speed for 2 minutes, then at medium speed about 5 minutes.

You can finish kneading by hand for 2 minutes, but I don't think it is necessary.

Lightly oil a bowl, put dough in on one side, then flip to the other so both sides are oiled. Tightly cover the bowl and leave in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes or more.

Divide the dough (I divide into 2 or 4 pizzas, depending on what size pizza I want) and shape each ball then roll around under your palm until smooth and firm. Cover the balls and let rest for 30 minutes. You can put them in the refrigerator for use later or use the dough right after it has rested.

When ready to cook pizzas, preheat oven to 500 degrees. Heat baking stone or baking sheet in the oven. Press out the dough--begin by pressing down the middle of the ball with the heel of your hand and spread it out from there into a circle. Form a slightly thicker, raised rim around the edge of the pizza.

I put the pizza dough on some foil so I can easily transfer the pizzas to the hot baking stone or baking sheet. Brush some olive oil on the pizza, but not on the rim.

Put some marinara or pesto sauce on the dough. Top with cheeses--try mozzarella and fontina, or some Gruyere.

Pizza 1. I love it with just our homemade pesto, Parmesan, and fontina.

Pizza 2. I can't resist a marinara, mozzarella, goat cheese, Italian sausage, pepperoni, thin-sliced ham, and thyme pizza.

Pizza 3. Melanie likes a marinara pizza with mozzarella, fresh pineapple, and thin-sliced ham.

Pizza 4. Recently, she has been eating veggie pizzas without cheese because the baby doesn't digest dairy easily. She starts by putting a marinara sauce on the pizza. Saute sliced portabellini mushrooms in olive oil, fresh oregano, and garlic. Put mushroom mixture, artichoke hearts, and sliced tomatoes on the pizza.

Bake the pizzas at 500 degrees for about 10 minutes. Make sure the baking stone or baking sheet is preheated or you'll have a soggy inner dough. The cheese should be bubbling and the crust should be golden brown.

Remove the pizzas, cut into slices, and eat it up, yum.