hold on to your loins, lovers of tall, dark and handsome men in old-timey suits; goran visnijc is one hot piece on pan am:
love your tiny teddy, luka
yes, we are still watching the cheese fest that is abc's pan am. we feel slightly obligated to, as b's mom was a twa flight attendant in this era and we are predisposed towards vintage-y type things.
i was starting to lose interest in the whole thing... until goran visnjic (better known as dr. luka from er and your sexier medical dreams) sauntered into last sunday's episode as niko lonza, the deliciously smooth eastern european race car driver that swept stewardess-turned-cia-operative kate (kelli garner) off her feet and into his bed in monte carlo.
yes, he will probably turn out to be a counter agent, but that steamy sex scene and him in those suits made me want more.
what do you do when you wake up and the world has been taken over by zombies? make pumpkin soup, of course! and then maybe get a blunt object to defend yourself. all the right things in all the right time, people!
'tis the season for all things spooky, scary and pumpkin-related, so in this special halloween-themed edition of television dinner, we'll cover a little bit of both: the first episode of amc's the walking dead and a recipe for something we thought might be a trick, but ended up being a treat, thai lime-pumpkin soup.
this week, our friend lil c joined us for the festivities, which included shoe judging, ingredient guessing and pure naked fear.
THE DINNER
the eats:
thai lime-pumpkin soup with
fresh french bread and
alouette cheese spread
beverage of choice: shipyard pumpkin head ale. not as awesome as pumpking, not as gross as punkin by dogfishead. i'm thinking we need to have a pumpkin ale fest and rate them -- what do you think?
dessert: pillsbury pre-cut sugar cookies with pumpkins on them. so grown up and classy, i know.
how to:
ingredients
1 container of fabulous thai coconut curry broth by College Inn
1 small can (15 ounces?) of pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
1 small can of white beans (drained)
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped into discs 1/2" thick
1. In a large stock pot, over medium heat, add broth, pumpkin, beans, and carrots.
2. Add 1 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, and a pinch of black pepper.
3. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.
4. Add almond milk.
5. Turn off heat, and add spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted.
Optional: Slice mushrooms thinly, and saute in 2 tBsp of butter. Add on top of soup!
Serve with crusty delicious bread and fabulous french cheese!
the result:
a couple of years ago, right around the time that d + b started doing television dinner, in fact, i discovered college inn's thai coconut curry culinary broth. i know, most chefs advocate that you make your own from scratch, but, this broth is truly da bomb. we've also made the coconut lime curry soup recipe on the back of the box and it's kind of out of this world. creamy, lime-y, slightly spicy. ugh. want.
to be honest, we were all kind of worried as we mashed up two different recipes to make this week's soup: verses from my kitchen's pumpkin, coconut and lime soup and a white bean, spinach and pumpkin soup that d's mom had made the week before. at some point, we just started throwing ingredients in there willy-nilly -- sure, add cumin! why not carrots?! bring on the beans! -- and while it all bubbled in its cauldron, we worried that we had made a puking pastille instead of a love potion.
and yet -- resounding success! it all somehow worked together to create a hearty, sweet but slightly spicy soup perfect for a chilly fall evening filled with spooky programming. speaking of...
as we all probably know by the proliferation of slutty everything costumes appearance of plastic dead people on our neighbors' lawns, halloween season is upon us and what better way to kick off all the gore and pumpkin-core than with amc's comic-turned-tv-show the walking dead?!
welp, d and lil c did not quite see it that way. while ladies of sufficient bamf-ery, those two are absolute wimps when it comes to scary things. these freaks can't even watch E.T., okay? so, i had to kind of, sort of, a teensy little bit trick them into watching the walking dead. whoops.
we opened innocently enough with an enjoyable episode of up all night, will arnett and christina applegate's hilarious new nbc comedy (which i intend to review in the future). i then just sort of let the netflix rip and ta-da! it was playing! can't stop it now! (actually quite easy to stop).
while they quivered under their blankets, i was sucked in to the small-town setting of the walking dead and a new(ish) take on the trope of the old west ghost town. the walking dead certainly has westerns in mind, what with the protagonist (andrew lincoln from love, actually) being a sheriff, the transportation by horse bit and the frightening new frontier tone that pervaded throughout the episode.
horse with no name... because it was eaten by zombies
much of the mythology will be familiar to zombie devotees: rag tag groups of survivors going underground, one must destroy the head or neck, their slow walk and dead eyes. not much innovation there. where the walking dead piqued my interest was in its take on starting over after the fall. we're all so addicted to our conveniences, what happens when these are taken away? how does a community start from scratch, after the fall?
getting back to the westerns theme, i appreciate that the show is distinctly american (as shaun of the dead was distinctly british). the hero as sheriff (as mentioned above); the hero's progression in his vehicle choice from bike, to horse to tank are all pieces of americana. our hero himself is a stoic, quiet, john wayne-type who don't like to air his feelins. here, the world after the fall is akin to the wild west, where vigilantes and outlaws rule the day as our heroes progress towards some kind of new beginning.
it also had some fear factor. the most lasting image from the episode, for me, was of the half-woman zombie pulling herself weakly along, aching for scraps of meat. the show was able to render the main antagonist of the show as a pathetic, maybe even empathetic character who deserved our pity.
and while all the zombie stuff is a bit been there done that, the walking dead had enough other things happening that made me want to see more. i'm excited that this show has only 6 episodes as well -- a good, short run that is sure to be packed with thrills, chills and thought pills(?).
highlights:
the virtually dialouge-less scene from when the sheriff wakes up from his coma until he reaches his house. andrew lincoln's silent portrayal of a man who woke up from a dream into a nightmare is extremely affecting. especially the part with the matches in the hallway.
the creepy opening with the child zombie. d tried to watch that part alone and had to turn it off before she turned around because it was so scary!
when the father attempts to kill his now-zombie wife, as his son weeps below. i totally dig the father-son on the run relationship here. their dynamic reminded me of michael and walt from LOST and the father and son from cormac mccarthy's the road.
memorable lines:
Glenn: [Right after Rick got stuck in a tank surrounded by zombies and he lost all hope, a voice comes through the radio] Hey you! Dumb ass! Hey you in the tank! Cozy in there?
episode mvp: can i mark it as a tie between andrew lincoln and the half-corpse? this whole scene is really the mvp for me.
that's about it ghouls and gals. any zombie fans out there with opinions on the walking dead? what's the scariest movie you've ever seen (me: the ring)? got any recipe or show ideas? hit us up in the comments!
last night, i was enjoying some food network before bed (food on tv before bed = good; food AND tv before bed = indigestion), and finally got to watch the ridiculousness that is SWEET GENUIS. the first time i saw a promo from this show, i think i literally did a spit take:
i desperately tried to find the promo where he says "A FABERGE EGG" but the internet was not cooperating.
sweet genius is just as ridiculous as the promos suggest. in last night's episode entitled, "glistening genius" (you can refer to me as such from now on), the sweet genius, ron ben-israel, requires that the contestants make a frozen dessert inspired by jellyfish, with the mandatory ingredients of tater tots and lemon candies. yep, really.
you would think that it couldn't get more absurd, but he then asked them to bake something using duck fat (shudder). weird enough? yes. but then, he presented the second mandatory ingredient and i fell off the couch.
sweet genius: and just when you are getting into your groove... FUSILLI!
THIS IS THE MAD LIBS OF COOKING, PEOPLE! HOSTED BY PROFESSOR X'S ECCENTRIC HALF-ROBOT COUSIN!
in other words, you must start watching this show. immediately.
what do you get when you combine 100,000 nerds, mario batali's italian paradise and aziz ansari swathed in cashmere and velour?
a hella busy weekend for the ladies of television dinner.
through b's place of employment, we were able to score pro passes to new york comic con, the annual mecca for east coasts geeks of all varieties.
and while we scored some sweet swag and spotted some badass costumes, we were too poor to pay the $100 that mark hamill was charging for his autograph and left the con feeling the need for gastronomical satisfaction.
lo, and behold, just 10ish blocks away, the food mecca known as EATALY!
eataly is chef mario batali's part-market, part-restaurant, part-smorgasbord of overwhelmingness that opened right across from the flatiron building last year.
there might as well have been a montageà la the karate kid as we sampled eataly's wares and waited to be seated at birreria, eataly's rooftop beer garden.
while waiting for the hostess to text us that we could go up to beer heaven, we came up with this delicious menu:
THE DINNER
fancy comfort food: eataly stuffed shells with pancetta
eats:
medium-sized pasta shells stuffed with
fresh basil and parsley ricotta
served with sweet marinara with pancetta
beverage of choice: yellow tail cabernet sauvingon (too tired to pick out anything fancy)
how to:
ingredients
Not huge, but not mini shell shaped pasta (~36 shells)
1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 lb of pancetta, cubed
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 small-ish (like a pint?) container of fresh ricotta
1 large bunch of basil
1 medium bunch of parsley
1 cup of finely grated low moisture mozzerella
salt and pepper
make your sauce:
1. Over medium heat, render pancetta until crispy. Remove from pan, and set aside.
2. Leaving only about 2 teaspoons of pancetta fat in pan, and saute garlic until fragrant. Add sauce and pancetta.
3. Let simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
shells:
1. Boil shells until al dente. (Better to be less cooked than more cooked because they will be cooking again in the oven.)
2. Finely mince basil and parsley, mix into ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Strain shells, and rinse with cold water.
shells assemble!
1. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish.
2. Using a teaspoon, fill each shell with ricotta mixture.
3. Lay shells in pan evenly, and cover with sauce.
4. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cheese has melted, or you're just so hungry you can't wait anymore.
the results:
i wish we would have taken some more pictures to do this delectable pan of melty cheese and basil awesomeness justice because this was truly fantastic. the fresh basil inside the ricotta gave a fresh zing to the traditional italian flavors of red sauce and mozzerella.
and, can i say, how fairly easy it was to put together? i am always of fan of sticking something in the oven and walking away.
now, to fully appreciate how much this episode spoke to us, you must know that b + d met at girl scout camp, where they were both camp counselors. we've both been dirty girl scouts, as we are wont to call ourselves, for over a decade and have a special place in our trefoil-shaped hearts for the gsusa.
not to mention that b's boyfriend is an eagle scout, and there is oft a discussion on whether boy scouts or girl scouts are superior. in fact, b and her beau went on a camping trip this summer which involved an ultimate battle for scout supremacy. girl scouts won yet again, if only because HE HAD NEVER HAD S'MORES BEFORE. boy scouts are truly the worst.
and although the pawnee equivalent of girl scouts was the clear winner of leslie's perceived competition with ron, both the a and b plots of p&r came out on top. last week's foray into joan calamezzo's place and the reveal of leslie's eagleton origins had fallen a little short of parks' usual brilliance. it was just a bit too mean and a bit too sad.
not the case with "pawnee rangers"; i can't say which plot i liked better, the freakin' awesome gender battle or the glorious treat yourself day with tom, donna and ben.
i gotta say that donna and jerry are way underused and i am so glad to see the series featuring them more.
the only thing i could have done without chris trager's complete obliviousness in attempting to score jerry's daughter. it just was way too off even for his eccentric character. and WHAT IS UP WITH HIS HAIR?
highlights:
uh oh, batman's crying. ben's splurge on the batman suit.and then him crying in the batman suit.
and then a puppet show about the bill of rights set to "party in the usa" by miley cyrus. followed by lasso training and a smores off.
the swansons: this will be no fun at all. leslie made right by creating a space for those outdoor kids who really do like to make shelters out of tarps.
ann's sad cornhusk dolls. ann's keeping us warm. and that's important.
memorable lines:
i made a gertrude stein!
-- pawnee goddess lauren, the perfect mixture of ron and lesley
tom: once a year, we spend a day treating ourselves. what do we treat ourselves to?
donna: clothes.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: fragrances.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: massages.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: mimosas.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: fine. leather. goods.
tom: treat yourself!
donna: it's the best day of the year.
episode mvp: retta. "t-mobile!" "oh lord, is he eating soup, on a bench, alone?" the character of donna could be just an enjoyable character, but retta's portrayal of donna's kindness towards others makes you want to be her friend instead of just listen to her jokes. also, her facial expressions. brilliant.
this is definitely the best episode this season. it makes me smile just thinking about it. in fact, let's just watch this video over and over and over again until we fall asleep.
this week, television dinner will be reviewing the most recent episode of parks and recreation, pawnee rangers. in honor of his awesome performance as a crying batman with a broken heart, we've compiled a list of the top ten things about mr. scott that make us swoon.
I actually auditioned for [parks and rec] before it was even on the air. I really wanted it and didn't get it; I actually kind of blew it, and so I was obviously pretty upset—I really wanted to be a part of it from the beginning. So when the opportunity popped up again a couple years later, I was really excited.
hello, dear readers, and welcome to the inaugural post of television dinner! tvd aims to chronicle two ladies' adventures in television and gastronomy.
THE AUTHORS
d (aka marissa) is the chef; she's got a knack for whipping up delicious things out of nowhere and using unconventional ingredients.
b (aka mary) is the critic; she knows all the thangs about tv and entertainment -- what you should be watching and when. she began her life in tv blogging with her LOST blog eye of the islandand has been addicted ever since.
but enough about us. this week, we are chronicling our desire for fall-themed treats: the warm comfort of roasted autumn vegetables and the orange cardigan chilliness of mad men.
THE DINNER
over the long weekend (columbus freakin' weekend, as it has affectionately been called), b was upstate and picked up a lovely spaghetti squash at a fall festival in harlemville, ny. in the spirit of crunchy leaves and dreams of sweaters (was it seriously 80 this weekend?), d took this random vegetable acquisition and came up with the menu:
it's fall and it's roasting [time]
eats:
roasted spaghetti squash with a mushroom parmesan cream sauce
roasted purple and green asparagas; carrots; tomatoes
preheat oven (and, if you only have one rack, comme moi, your convection oven) to 350 degrees.
clean all veggies. cut carrots into chunks and tomatoes into 1/8 inch think slices. slice about 3/4 to 1 inch off of the bottom of asparagus.
arrange veggies on ungreased baking sheets and drizzle lightly with olive oil. sprinkle liberally with roasting spices such as the rub it in roasted veggies mix. roast until tender with a fork.
puncture holes in spaghetti squash with a fork (we probably made out 20 jabs all around the squash). stick on baking sheet and put in the oven for 1 hour.
mushroom parmesan cream sauce: cut and sautee some mushrooms. add half cup almond milk. saute for about 15 minutes, stirring contstantly. also: grate some cheese. more details on this shortly.
now, i thought mad men had some crazy moments before -- lest we forget this barfariffic gem -- but roger sterling's HE DID WHAT performance at their garden party was the nuttiest yet. yep, folks, it was 2009 and someone on tv performed in blackface. more review here.
wait, wtf just happened?
and how about that peggy? i was wondering what she was doing all that time leaving those xy chromosome bozos to themselves, but i'm glad to see her step up to bat with the big boys. more review here.
highlights:
peggy getting high, natch
drunk jane, and her inability to even hold a plate steady
that old fashioned that don makes connie. can i get me one of those?
JOAN AND THE ACCORDIAN. you thought she couldn't get any better.
memorable lines:
my name is peggy olsen and i would like to smoke some marajuana.
episode mvp: elisabeth moss. our gal peg is not always my favorite, but moss kicked it out of the park on this one, especially in the scene with her secretary.
... and that's about all for now. leave your suggestions, thoughts and joan admirations in the comments below.
