1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp hot water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp whole milk
2 cups chocolate chips (or broken up pieces of a few chocolate bars)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and the sugar. The butter should be at room temperature, but not melted. Once the sugar has been well mixed with the butter, beat in one egg at a time. Put the hot water in a separate, small bowl and add in the baking soda. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved, then add to the mixture along with the salt. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing well. The flour should be well packed into the measuring cup you are using. After two cups have been added, mix in the milk. Mix in the final cup of flour. Mix in chocolate chips and chopped up mint leaves. Spoon the batter onto a non-greased baking sheet. Bake the cookies for about ten minutes, then let cool for another five minutes.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Seared Tuna Steak
This is a good light, small meal. In case you were wondering, don't worry about the inside appearing raw when you cut it open. That's how it should be, and it tastes great.
1 tuna steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp ground mustard seed
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
¼ cup olive oil
Handful chopped green onion
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the dressing, juice one lemon and one lime. Mix together the soy sauce, mustard seed, lemon juice and lime juice. Slowly mix in olive oil. Slice some green onion, depending on how much you like green onion, and mix it in to the dressing.
Place an ungreased frying pan over medium-high heat. Wash the tuna steak and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear one side of the steak for one minute. Flip the steak, and drizzle the dressing over it. Sear for a little over one minute.
That's it. Easy and fast.
1 tuna steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp ground mustard seed
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
¼ cup olive oil
Handful chopped green onion
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the dressing, juice one lemon and one lime. Mix together the soy sauce, mustard seed, lemon juice and lime juice. Slowly mix in olive oil. Slice some green onion, depending on how much you like green onion, and mix it in to the dressing.
Place an ungreased frying pan over medium-high heat. Wash the tuna steak and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear one side of the steak for one minute. Flip the steak, and drizzle the dressing over it. Sear for a little over one minute.
That's it. Easy and fast.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Spaghetti and Meatballs
This was the first recipe I ever learned, and was the first meal I ever prepared solo. My grandma lives in the same town in which I was born, so I had no shortage of opportunities to learn from the best. What I make today is quite a bit different (and, admittedly, still inferior), but isn't bad. Again, this makes way more sauce than you will consume in one, two, or three sittings, so try to track down some glass jars for freezer storage. You can use tupperware, I guess, but it might crack in the freezer if it's shitty tupperware.
Tomato Sauce
2 29oz cans tomato sauce
1 29oz can diced tomatoes
1 29oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 15oz can tomato paste
3 cups water
Olive oil
Garlic (6-8 cloves)
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Basil
Oregano
Red wine
To prepare the sauce, first pour enough olive oil (I use extra virgin, personally) into a large pot so that the bottom of the bot is lightly covered. Mince enough garlic to lightly cover the bottom of the pot. I like to sprinkle a little salt on my minced garlic, then crush it well with the flat of my knife. Helps the garlic dissolve a little more in the sauce. Open the cans of sauce, diced tomatoes, and whole tomatoes now, so you can put them into the pot quickly before the garlic burns, which is always bad news. If the garlic is brown, it burned, and you will be able to taste the bitter (literally) difference. Throw the whole tomatoes in a blender and puree them. Put the oil on low heat and throw in the garlic. Watch for bubbles in the oil forming around the pieces of garlic as a cue to add and stir in the tomato sauce. After you add the sauce, add the tomato paste and water. Throw in some fresh basil and oregano (or non-fresh, if you don't have any), and sprinkle in some salt and ground black pepper, to taste. Add some fresh parsley, too. Personally, I like to mince the parsley with a couple more cloves of garlic and add them together. Stir the sauce, and add some red wine (I usually just eyeball it, but 1 1/2 - 2 cups seems safe). I like my sauce very tangy, but if that doesn't suit you, you can always throw in a couple teaspoons of white sugar. Turn the heat up to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower to medium-high heat and let simmer. Leave the lid a little off. Leave the sauce for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally.
After an hour and a half, you can start preparing the meatballs.
2 tbsp Cheese (pecorino romano/reggiano parmigianno)
3 tbsp Italian breadcrumbs
Garlic
Parsley
2 lb Ground beef
2 Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Take the ground beef/chuck/sirloin (the latter is probably the better, as lean as possible) and put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and mix well, using your hands. Add in the breadcrumbs and cheese (I usually go with one tablespoon of each of the grated cheeses listed above, preferably from an Italian deli) and mix again. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Mince some parsley and about four cloves of garlic, add, and mix. The meatballs should be a little larger than golf balls. Roll them lightly and don't pack them too densely. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry about eight meatballs at a time for only a few seconds, moving the pan around to brown the meatballs evenly. After a few seconds, dump the meatballs into the sauce, and lower the heat a little bit (by now, the sauce should have been simmering for around two hours). This part is a little messy. Wear an apron or dark clothing when making this. I guess I probably should have mentioned that earlier. Once all of the meatballs are in the sauce, replace the lid as it was. After another half hour, remove the lid. At this point, you probably will want to start boiling some water for the pasta. Let the meatballs cook for another half hour, boil the pasta, and you should be all set. Try to avoid stirring the sauce for the first twenty minutes after the meatballs are placed into the pot. I personally don't like sausage much, but adding some Italian sausage into the sauce to cook seems to be pretty popular amongst most of my family members.
It's messy, it takes forever, but it's worth it. Just make sure you have about ten to twelve people to serve. My grandma never taught me how to cook small portions.
Tomato Sauce
2 29oz cans tomato sauce
1 29oz can diced tomatoes
1 29oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 15oz can tomato paste
3 cups water
Olive oil
Garlic (6-8 cloves)
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Basil
Oregano
Red wine
To prepare the sauce, first pour enough olive oil (I use extra virgin, personally) into a large pot so that the bottom of the bot is lightly covered. Mince enough garlic to lightly cover the bottom of the pot. I like to sprinkle a little salt on my minced garlic, then crush it well with the flat of my knife. Helps the garlic dissolve a little more in the sauce. Open the cans of sauce, diced tomatoes, and whole tomatoes now, so you can put them into the pot quickly before the garlic burns, which is always bad news. If the garlic is brown, it burned, and you will be able to taste the bitter (literally) difference. Throw the whole tomatoes in a blender and puree them. Put the oil on low heat and throw in the garlic. Watch for bubbles in the oil forming around the pieces of garlic as a cue to add and stir in the tomato sauce. After you add the sauce, add the tomato paste and water. Throw in some fresh basil and oregano (or non-fresh, if you don't have any), and sprinkle in some salt and ground black pepper, to taste. Add some fresh parsley, too. Personally, I like to mince the parsley with a couple more cloves of garlic and add them together. Stir the sauce, and add some red wine (I usually just eyeball it, but 1 1/2 - 2 cups seems safe). I like my sauce very tangy, but if that doesn't suit you, you can always throw in a couple teaspoons of white sugar. Turn the heat up to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower to medium-high heat and let simmer. Leave the lid a little off. Leave the sauce for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally.
After an hour and a half, you can start preparing the meatballs.
2 tbsp Cheese (pecorino romano/reggiano parmigianno)
3 tbsp Italian breadcrumbs
Garlic
Parsley
2 lb Ground beef
2 Eggs
Salt
Pepper
Take the ground beef/chuck/sirloin (the latter is probably the better, as lean as possible) and put it in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and mix well, using your hands. Add in the breadcrumbs and cheese (I usually go with one tablespoon of each of the grated cheeses listed above, preferably from an Italian deli) and mix again. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Mince some parsley and about four cloves of garlic, add, and mix. The meatballs should be a little larger than golf balls. Roll them lightly and don't pack them too densely. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry about eight meatballs at a time for only a few seconds, moving the pan around to brown the meatballs evenly. After a few seconds, dump the meatballs into the sauce, and lower the heat a little bit (by now, the sauce should have been simmering for around two hours). This part is a little messy. Wear an apron or dark clothing when making this. I guess I probably should have mentioned that earlier. Once all of the meatballs are in the sauce, replace the lid as it was. After another half hour, remove the lid. At this point, you probably will want to start boiling some water for the pasta. Let the meatballs cook for another half hour, boil the pasta, and you should be all set. Try to avoid stirring the sauce for the first twenty minutes after the meatballs are placed into the pot. I personally don't like sausage much, but adding some Italian sausage into the sauce to cook seems to be pretty popular amongst most of my family members.
It's messy, it takes forever, but it's worth it. Just make sure you have about ten to twelve people to serve. My grandma never taught me how to cook small portions.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (the last of Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy) at its best represents some of the finest filmmaking seen in any genre, and is almost certainly the cream of the crop as far as Westerns go. Though a bit long at 161 minutes, Leone succeeds in creating a Western that is instantly recognizable as representative of its ilk, while at the same time panning the conventions upon which the genre was built. The result is a sweeping, and at precious few times (so we can appreciate those scenes all the more) breathtakingly riveting motion picture that calls into question the meaning of what it is to be the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The trio, from the start, makes these meanings seem simple enough. The outlaw Tuco (Eli Wallach) is introduced as the ugly, and is apparently a bumbling and scattershot outlaw, though supremely skilled with a weapon. Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) seems to be the prototypical "bad," sporting a black hat and getting paid by two men who want each other dead (both of whom he obliges). Blondie (Clint Eastwood) is the good, saving Tuco from meeting his demise at the hands of a gang of bounty hunters. This apparent simplicity is broken down throughout the course of the film, as betrayals and crimes on the part of all three reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly to be far more similar in their self-interestedness than we at first imagined. After a while, the difference between the emblematic white and black hats is not quite what it used to be.
The plot is simple: there is a small fortune buried somewhere, and all three men desire it for themselves. The complexity comes in the form of the men, and their vastly unique personalities. Leone does an outstanding job getting the best out of his actors, notably from their eyes. Van Cleef's performance in the first third of the film is nothing short of sublime, as his piercing glares reveal a man of sinister intent. It's a shame the film gets away from his character for a lengthy stretch in the middle of the story. Alternatively, Tuco is consistently and appropriately wild-eyed, his attention constantly shifting, always scanning his surroundings. Wallach is fantastic throughout the movie and really ends up stealing the show, making Tuco humorously charming even at his most despicable. Eastwood gives a strong, though not particularly noteworthy, performance. There isn't much need for him to be exemplary, either; Blondie, by nature, simply does not say or do much that does not need saying or doing. His eyes exude a quiet, unwavering confidence that tends to subjugate those around him.
Although the three main characters dominate most of the movie, Aldo Giuffre gives a terrific minor performance as a drunken Union captain in the midst of a battle during the Civil War. The film's anti-war leanings are brought to the fore by his character, who humanizes the despondency of weary, beaten down soldiers with heartbreaking comedic gold. His line about alcohol being the greatest weapon known to man is brilliantly written and deftly delivered.
As great as the film is, not every scene is quite up to snuff. The showdown featuring Tuco and Blondie against Angel Eyes' gang is neither engaging nor suspenseful, possibly because the duo walks down a street casually without cover or protection, against all logic. Any shortcomings are all but forgotten during the final twenty minutes, which showcases some of the best direction ever seen in a motion picture. Set against Ennio Morricone's gripping score, the final standoff is incredibly intense, without a word needing to be spoken. The eyes, and the hands reaching for their respective pistols, tell us all we need to know about where these characters have been and where they are now. Tuco looks crazed and desperate for survival, Angel Eyes looks subtly terrified and out of his element, and Blondie looks calm, collected, and in complete control. And when the dust settles and the final credits roll, we have a new understanding of what it means to be the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The trio, from the start, makes these meanings seem simple enough. The outlaw Tuco (Eli Wallach) is introduced as the ugly, and is apparently a bumbling and scattershot outlaw, though supremely skilled with a weapon. Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) seems to be the prototypical "bad," sporting a black hat and getting paid by two men who want each other dead (both of whom he obliges). Blondie (Clint Eastwood) is the good, saving Tuco from meeting his demise at the hands of a gang of bounty hunters. This apparent simplicity is broken down throughout the course of the film, as betrayals and crimes on the part of all three reveal the good, the bad, and the ugly to be far more similar in their self-interestedness than we at first imagined. After a while, the difference between the emblematic white and black hats is not quite what it used to be.
The plot is simple: there is a small fortune buried somewhere, and all three men desire it for themselves. The complexity comes in the form of the men, and their vastly unique personalities. Leone does an outstanding job getting the best out of his actors, notably from their eyes. Van Cleef's performance in the first third of the film is nothing short of sublime, as his piercing glares reveal a man of sinister intent. It's a shame the film gets away from his character for a lengthy stretch in the middle of the story. Alternatively, Tuco is consistently and appropriately wild-eyed, his attention constantly shifting, always scanning his surroundings. Wallach is fantastic throughout the movie and really ends up stealing the show, making Tuco humorously charming even at his most despicable. Eastwood gives a strong, though not particularly noteworthy, performance. There isn't much need for him to be exemplary, either; Blondie, by nature, simply does not say or do much that does not need saying or doing. His eyes exude a quiet, unwavering confidence that tends to subjugate those around him.
Although the three main characters dominate most of the movie, Aldo Giuffre gives a terrific minor performance as a drunken Union captain in the midst of a battle during the Civil War. The film's anti-war leanings are brought to the fore by his character, who humanizes the despondency of weary, beaten down soldiers with heartbreaking comedic gold. His line about alcohol being the greatest weapon known to man is brilliantly written and deftly delivered.
As great as the film is, not every scene is quite up to snuff. The showdown featuring Tuco and Blondie against Angel Eyes' gang is neither engaging nor suspenseful, possibly because the duo walks down a street casually without cover or protection, against all logic. Any shortcomings are all but forgotten during the final twenty minutes, which showcases some of the best direction ever seen in a motion picture. Set against Ennio Morricone's gripping score, the final standoff is incredibly intense, without a word needing to be spoken. The eyes, and the hands reaching for their respective pistols, tell us all we need to know about where these characters have been and where they are now. Tuco looks crazed and desperate for survival, Angel Eyes looks subtly terrified and out of his element, and Blondie looks calm, collected, and in complete control. And when the dust settles and the final credits roll, we have a new understanding of what it means to be the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Hello
This is actually something I've been meaning to do for a while. Fortunately, my roommate Charlie wanted to do this thing where we review movies, and, in the process, create blogs, thus finally mobilizing my hopelessly lazy ass. So, ostensibly, there will be quite a few movie reviews here shortly. There will be other things, too, when I get around to them. Recipes. Definitely recipes. And so much more. Maybe. If I don't get lazy. Which happens. A lot.
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