The Void and Neztra

My friend HP Sauce has inspired me to write about food, which is, if anyone has ever met me, obviously a love of mine. I love to cook. I am not a genius in the kitchen, but I try hard and like to think that I have a slightly above average pallet. So I am going to start posting recipes as I try them if they are truly good. This weekend, I made a Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice Salad. This recipe smells SO GOOD when cooking and whets the appetite of your dinner party well before it is ready to eat. It was sheer perfection with grilled salmon, asparagus and green onions. I highly recommend the combination. Here's the rice recipe. I found it in Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill, but changed it up a bit to suit my taste:

2 cups of well rinsed and drained basmati rice
1-14 oz. can of unsweetened coconut milk
2 1/2 cups of water
1 medium sweet, white onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 medium cloves of garlic, finely minced
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
10 large green onions, sliced
1 cup raw cashews, halved
3/4 cup shredded coconut
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 3 Tbsp. of vegetable oil in a large sauce pan with a nice, thick bottom over medium-high heat. Add the sliced white onion, minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook for about five minutes or until the onions are translucent in color, but not browned.

At the same time, in a seperate pan, heat the water and coconut milk over medium heat.

Add the rice to the onions in the sauce pan and saute for about three minutes. When the coconut milk and water comes to a soft boil, pour the liquid gently over the rice and stir quickly to mix. Immediately cover the pan and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Let cook for 20 minutes. DO NOT STIR, MIX, REMOVE LID, OR LOOK AT THE RICE TOO HARD. Seriously, don't touch it for 20 minutes, even though you'll want to.

While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. of vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the cashews and saute until they begin to brown. Turn the cashews out onto some paper towels to drain and add salt to taste.

Turn the shredded coconut out into the heated pan and toss continuously for a minute until some of the coconut starts to brown. Do not cook until all coconut is brown. you are going for a light toasting, which means about 25% of the coconut pieces will be brown.

Toss three-fourths of the cashews, the toasted coconut and the sliced green onion in a large mixing bowl.

After twenty minutes, fluff the rice with a fork and then add to the bowl with the cashew, coconut and onion mixture. Toss gently to incorporate. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When plating, garnish with a few of the reserved cashews for added presentation.

Yields: A lot more rice than I thought. Enough for six people to have really big servings.

Not sure how long this is going to last, but I am going to try to start reviewing movies I watch. They will be rated as follows:

Infinity winks - Movie Nirvana. There will never be a better film than this (you'll most likely never see this rating)
5 winks - OMG, this is going on my top ten movies of all time list
4 winks - Great film! I will see this again and add it to my DVD collection
3 winks - Solid entertainment. I may or may not see it again. Didn't blow my mind, but wasn't a total waste of money either.
2 winks - I wish I could get my money back. Help me save you some money. Don't bother, unless you are ab avid fan of this genre of film.
1 wink - OMG, I want my money AND my two hours back. What a waste of film. Please, for the love of all that is good in this world, please dont' go see this film.
Eyelids taped so I can't wink - It would be better to end civilization as we know it than to allow one more poor, unsuspecting soul to be forced to watch this film (I sincerely hope I never have to use this rating)

So this weekend, I saw two movies. Here's the run-down:

The Bucket List, starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson
I am sure that there are many out there that would give this film a higher rating. I'll admit, the acting was great and the story line was solid, but I really think that films like this bank way too much on what I like to call the "misty eye" factor. In other words the philosophy is crying = good film. I don't buy it. yes, I got misty eyed at the end, but just because it envoked an emotion response from me does not mean it was a good film. If you want to feel crazy emotions while watching a movie AND see a truly stellar film at the same time, watch the french film "Love Me If You Dare", then go back and witness the difference. The Bucket List will seem trite after that.... and it is, a bit. Still, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson are worth watching and their on-screen partnership is fascinating. My rating: 3 winks

10,000 BC, starring some people I have never heard of and the voice of Omar Sharif
(I know, I know, I could do some research. This is lazy-woman's film rating, but I never promised you critical reviews on par with S & E circa 1989 - so get over it)

I have no idea how historically accurate this seemingly historical fictional plot truly is, but it was surprisingly fun to watch. I had a hard time trying to figure out where in Africa these people might have lived where they could be up in a snow covered mountain rangeone day, in a tropical rain forest the next, the savannah and the desert, all in what appears to be the matter of perhaps a few weeks, maybe a month of walking. I mean, how fast can a person walk in a day?? Or maybe my understanding of climates in 10,000 BC is flawed. Who knows. Ultimately though, historical merit aside, this was a fun-ish movie to watch. The acting was nothing special, not was the plot, but there were some beautiful vistas (CGI though they may be) in the film and there was enough variety, action and story to keep the film moving along at a pretty good pace. Not bad! My rating: 3 winks

This blog is starting to feel a bit like the journals I tried to keep as a child. I would write a few times and then the journal would disappear under my bed, only to be pulled out a year later, dusted off and used again. This time, I am going to try to be better about keeping up with my blog. Not that anyone reads it. Much like the journals of my childhood. And that is OK. I wouldn't want to bore anyone to death.



This past weekend, I drive down to H-town to visit my eight month old nephew, Jacob. Yes, he was hatched back in October. I know last time I wrote, he was still baking and was only about half-done. My sister-in -law went through quite a hard time to have him, ending up in the hospital for 10 weeks flat on her back, fearful the entire time. But enough about that... Jacob is a true miracle baby.



I know everyone says that their child or a child that is important to them is beautiful, but honestly, this kid is a knockout. I will post a picture to prove it. He's adorable. And the personality on this kid - he's just perfect!



Top ten reasons why he is the cutest kid ever:



1. Jacob sleeps with his little arms and legs tucked under his belly and sleeps with his butt in the air.

2. When he wakes up, he usually toots, no matter who is in the room or their level of importance in the grand scheme of life. Ah... to be that unself-conscious....

3. Jacob is a narcissist. When he sees himself in the mirror, a huge grin lights up his face, like he has found a long-lost friend.

4. Jacob is caught up in a torrid love-affair with Daffy Duck - the look of love and affection that crosses his face when he sees his stuffed ducky can bring you to tears.

5. Jacob is a couch potato. Food Network or Mario Galaxy for Wii, if there are lots of colors and interesting sounds, Jacob is mesmerized.

6. Jacob thinks it is funny when his mother sneezes and when his Daddy passes gas.

7. Jacob has aspirations of being a ballerina (ballerino? balletist??? I have no clue what the name for a male ballet dancer is). He likes to bounce in his Jumper-roo on his toes.

8. Jacob loves it when I blow raspberries on his tummy.

9. Jacob has the cutest little fat rolls on his legs and soft little baby heels.

10. Jacob is never sad for long and always perks up with a little love and attention.



Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a cotton candy, pink hearts and unicorns person. But this kid has definitely chipped away at my cynical side. Brat....