Toasting Chestnuts-Manner(Men)

“I wonder what your disguise is?  The jeans or the suit?"

"Both.”

Took a second espresso after dinner and, well, you know how these things go.  Bug eyed into the wee hours. What’s on the shelf? 

Heiner Lauterbach(Daniel/Julius), Uwe Ochsenknecht(Stefan) and Ulrike Kriener (Paula) in the 1986 Manner by Doris Dorrie.  A movie I never tire of watching.  Funny; full of great conversation and situations.

The Armbrusts are a comfortable, middle class family.  Anniversary morning and the discovery of an infidelity;  Julius’ wife, Paula, is having an affair.   In an attempt to come to terms with this, Julius moves out and begins an autopsy of the marriage.  More like spying on his wife and her new boyfriend.   Great scene where Julius, after skulking around the property, rides through town after the boyfriend on his son’s bike. 

A chance encounter and Julius (now under the guise of Daniel) takes up residence with the boyfriend (Stefan)to try and understand what his wife sees in this guy.  Stefan covets Daniel’s middle class lifestyle.  Despite the odds, a friendship forms between the two and Daniel, seeing the potential in Stefan, goes out of his way to help him with his career(torturing himself in the process).

Scenes to look for:

~Paula visiting for breakfast-great fun
~Stefan going for a joy ride in Daniel’s car
~watching the football game with bandaged hands
~the haircut (facing middle age)
~discussing the merits of marriage and materialism
~jogging
~trying on the new suit
~celebrating the new job
~the elevator

Some favourite lines:

Stefan: Everything about her is wrong.
Daniel: Which makes her the right women for you? (talking about Paula)

Stefan: And because I wasn’t here, you go bullshit?” (to Daniel, after Daniel destroys the apartment)

Stefan: It’s pretentious, decadent, disgusting. It’s absolutely fantastic. (on the new car.)

Roommate #2: Do you have children?
Daniel: Can you tell by my ass?

 A light hearted comedy that could only be written with men as the leads.  
 Yes, the German sense of humour is alive and well.

What's On The Bedside Table? The Fry Chronicles.

Week three of conjunctivitis and colds and with a day off to recharge the system, tucked in to Stephen Fry's Chronicles.  This is the second in a series of autobiography.  We pick up from Moab Is My Washpot's conclusion with Fry entering Cambridge University after a colourful few years of boarding schools, thievery and prison. 

Enjoyed the candy/sweet obsession. Fry recounts the selection available at the forbidden corner shop of his boarding school years. I was reminded of my local shop and the times I took a handful of half pennies to get a mix bag of the very same sweets.  Memory lane.

If you have any appreciation for comedy, personal history or intelligent writing then Chronicles is for you.  Name dropping to great effect as Fry recounts his Cambridge years, early days at the BBC, radio, Broadway and beyond.   Side splitting moments at his and other people's expense. I do not think you'll find a more honest writer out there.  Lots of tangents and that adds to the charm.  It is not merely a time line regurgitation.  With the BBC under scrutiny at the moment, it is interesting to get Fry's perspective of the institution in the early eighties. 

I was initially disappointed that the book ended when it did as you're left chomping at the bit.  I wait patiently for Volume III- the start of A Bit of Fry and Laurie and another of Fry's dalliances, cocaine.  

After the read,  I hauled out Blackadder, The Young Ones (fortunate to have Bambi in the collection), Emma Thompson's films (including The Tall Guy) and polished off the week with Wilde, starring the man himself.

For more on Fry, do visit his website stephenfry.com
You do not have to be a Fry fan to appreciate the novels, travelogues or collections. 
Try Fry.  Worth the splurge.

Not Caker Cooking-Scallops From Away

After experimenting in Caker Land, it is time to get back to meals that require a little more effort and that produce much tastier results.  I think more nutritious, also.  Ah, the complicated recipe.  Yes, there was a head of broccoli in that casserole, but it just felt wrong to be prepping for, making and eating it.  The empty jar of Cheez Whiz was carefully placed into the recycling bin this week leaving space in the fridge for fresh cheese.  Perhaps we'll crack open the Caker book on the post's anniversary.  I do enjoy the CakerCooking blog, though. I like the tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek style.

I was in the grocery store beginning of the month and someone reminded their partner to go and get the Cheez Whiz.  "Don't do it!" the brain screamed.  "Go to the cheese counter and see what you can do with that!"  Great line from Mother with Albert Brooks.  Mom has a hunk of fossilized cheese she's keeping in the freezer.  "I can tell from the gross weight I'm not going to like it," John says to her as she slices off a piece with the electric knife.

Try this for a month.  Break out of the cheese rut and buy a different cheese each week. Just a few ounces, that's all I ask.  A blue, a brie, a goat, a cheddar.  Go Canadian.  I'm trying to do the 100 mile thing but it is challenging.  Obviously I'm buying bananas that have travelled great distances.  Short of staging a raid on the Gage Park tropical greenhouse, I have to let the guilt go on the banana front.  Likewise with the avocado.  I was mortified to find last week's blackberries came from Mexico.  I didn't realize.  Remember years ago when we debated about South African oranges and Chilean wine?  Politics went deep. See what democracy has done?  Now it's just a matter of how far it's travelled to your doorstep. (Side note on wine-if you think it's Canadian, check again.  Is it 100% local grape or a mix bag of imported grape that is merely cellered locally? Yes, by all means buy the Italian, French or Australian but make sure the local stuff is local.)

This is Frederick.  As you can see, Frederick likes his food. He also likes a drop of wine. Frederick is never without his tasting spoon, but he broke it recently in a fit of kitchen pique. Someone put chicken nuggets in his oven and he wasn't best pleased.  Frederick is a coq au vin kind of guy.  He likes his game bird-pheasant, partridge and quail. 

Frederick has connections.  The scallops in this recipe came hand delivered from Nova Scotia waters.  When I was presented with them, I had about four cents on hand.  I have not forgotten about the IOU. 

A complicated recipe this is not.  This is very simple but very satisfying dish and if you don't have Frederick's connections, some chicken or shrimp will work very well.

1 TBSP butter
2 leeks, sliced
sprinkle of nutmeg
1/3 C chicken stock
1/4 C 35% cream
sea salt
12 scallops or to taste depending on size
curry powder~either the "yellow" stuff, Tandoori, your own blend or try Patak's paste; the choice is yours

Saute leeks in butter; add stock; sweat for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Add cream.
Simmer 'til thickened.

Pat scallops dry.
Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Give the scallops a massage with the powder or paste.
Pan fry in butter, 5 minutes a side.
 

Serve on leeks with a side of rice.
Serves 2; just.  Increase portions accordingly.
Great smell in the kitchen and very tasty. Putting it into steady rotation.

In Remembrance

 

Set aside some time on Sunday morning to take in the Remembrance Day Services.  At the very least, stop for two minutes at 11:00



 

 

BATTLE OF STONEY CREEK WAR MEMORIAL