Oscars 2013: Life of Pi

Next movie up, Life of Pi!  After dropping $15 for a matinee in 3DXD, I was a little worried that I had fallen prey to a cinema gimmick. Half way through the film, I realized I had never experienced something as visually stunning as what I was witnessing. My next thought? I’m totally gonna make Life of Pi Fish Pie!

Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, is a magical adventure story centering on Pi Patel, the precocious son of a zoo keeper. Dwellers in Pondicherry, India, the family decides to move to Canada, hitching a ride on a huge freighter. After a shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean on a 26-foot lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, all fighting for survival. – IMDB

Fish pie is not a dish we hear a lot about. I had vaguely remembered seeing a recipe for a fishy casserole in Jamie Oliver’s book, Jamie’s Food Revolution. Many posts  mention my love for Jamie and his recipes. I’ve yet to make one of his dishes that didn’t turn out. Was that a double negative, or only one and a half? I still need to buy Jamie’s Food Revolution, I’ve checked it out from the library many times over, yet haven’t dropped the cash for the actual book. (Birthday, Jy?)

You can find near anything through Google, yet I could NOT find this recipe online, written for an American cook. I had to ask the fishmonger at Sprouts what 1 kilogram of fish means pound-wise. I had a list of fish that I hadn’t heard of before either. Lacking in both math and fish knowledge, I wound up purchasing enough cod and tilapia to equal somewhere close to two pounds.

Life of Pi Fish Pie

Here is what you’ll need:

• 5 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 eggs
• 2 handfuls spinach or kale
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, halved and diced
• olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups grated cheddar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 pounds white and boneless fish
• salt and pepper

The original recipe has a few changes and additions. For the fish, Jamie uses a mix of smoked Haddock, salmon and raw King Prawns. He also adds some tomatoes, fresh chili and celery. For the original British version of this dish, visit Jamie’s site.  The version I recreated was found at Grouprecipes.com and written by the elusive, Debra47.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Put the potatoes into a pot of salted, boiling water and boil for 10 minutes

At the same time, hard boil the 2 eggs and quarter when cooked and cooled

Steam the spinach in a colander over the pan that has the potatoes for 1-2 minutes

When the spinach is done, remove from colander and squeeze out excess water

Drain the potatoes in the colander

In a separate pan, sautee the onions and carrots in a little olive oil for about 8-10 minutes

Add the cream and bring just to a boil

Remove from the heat and add the Cheddar cheese and lemon juice

Put the spinach, fish and eggs in an large casserole dish

Pour the creamy sauce over the fish

Mash the cooked potatoes – adding a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper

Spread the potatoes on top of the fish

Place in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes

I wasn’t sure what would end up coming out of the oven, but I am happy to say this was a seriously comforting casserole. Perfect for a cold winter night, paired with a Hefeweizen (or diet coke) and two fuzzy socks on your feet. Enjoy!

Oscars 2013: Argo

Movies and Munchies has taken some time away, as Mr. Movie Fuel has been finishing up his Master’s degree in old people. Sorry, I still haven’t finished my first cup of coffee. It’s actually a  Masters in Health Care Administration with a focus in Gereontology. If I haven’t mentioned already, Jy is a way better person than I am. He works in a hospital, which I think is just the worst place to be, ever. His hospital is super nice and I loved having my kids there, but I have no desire to work around sick or hurting people. I’m thankful for people like Jy, for Special Education teachers, for all those who work the hard manual labor jobs out there. So thankful for the people who do all the things lots of us could never do. Buy someone you appreciate a coffee today. I will too!

Ok, enough mushy, smooshy. Let’s talk move food! Last year we weren’t able to get in as many movies as I had hoped to, so I’m starting early this year. We will be skipping the movie reviews, so Jy can focus on school. Let’s do this! First up, Argo!

Quick Synopsis –

When six Americans take refuge in the Canadian embassy in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis, U.S. government agent Tony Mendez turns to Hollywood for help.  Working with a producer and a makeup artist, he devises a rescue mission that centers on the creation of a fake film production company scouting locations in Iran. – Source

I loved this movie, even if it stretches some truths and is totally American biased. I’m not looking at it as a documentary and I understand the responsibility of the entertainment industry to be respectful in retelling history. But, it ain’t my fight to fight. All I need to worry about is how to put Argo on a plate for an Oscar night party.

As our good friend Janet, from Rhode Island says, “Not for nothing…”I haven’t actually held an Oscar night party since I’ve had kids.

Wondering what you are looking at here? These are Ghorabiye, Ghoribia, Qurabiya or many other a named cookie, originating in 7th century Persia. The ones on my plate are Ghoribia, and they come from Rad Lisa’s mother in-law, Armine Pechdimaldji. Armine would make these when her and Lisa’s father in-law owned the Olympia Deli in River Edge, New Jersey. How cool is that?

I was given another recipe from an Iranian friend, but it was a little more complicated and opted to make the Armenian version of the cookie. For all intents and purposes, these cookies represent the Iranian people of the movie. If you want to get super Iranian authentic, you might have to do some digging. I read somewhere that people in the Middle East don’t use brown sugar. Is that true? Anyhow, here’s the super easy recipe for Ghoribia cookies, really yummy shortbread bites that are hard to stop munching on!

If you are wondering why a couple of the cookies have pistachios in the middle, I was just having a little fun.

 

Armine’s Ghoribia

• 4 sticks softened unsalted butter
• 5 cups flour (may be slightly more or less depending on water content in butter)
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 t. vanilla extract

1. Beat butter with mixer until fluffy then add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well

2. Mix in flour one cup at a time until dough is no longer sticky

3. Form into balls or “s” shape and bake at 350F for about 15 minutes

After they have cooled, dust them with with powdered sugar and try not to eat the whole batch!

Americans Hiding in Canadian Peanut Butter Dip

I guess I could have also called this AHiCPBD? The inspiration for this dip came from Chockohlawtay and her Canadian Maple Peanut Butter Spread. I just way simplified it.

Here’s the premise: The dip is the Canadians on the Iranian cookie plate. While the two peacefully co-exist, there is a clear separation, as the dip lives in it’s own dish, among itself. But, guess who is hiding in the creamy maple dip? Yes, Americans (as apples).

I know apples did not originate in the United States, but I can only get so technical. Let’s just say apple pie Americans works here, ok?

• 1 cup roasted, salted peanuts
• 2 T. applesauce – homemade if you can
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 t. cinnamon

Blend or food process your peanut butter to an inch of it’s life and there you have it!

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, get yourself to the theater! I’m looking forward to this year’s Oscar food series and a little afraid. What in the name of Osama ain’t livin’ am I going to make for Zero Dark Thirty? I haven’t even seen Beasts of the Southern Wild yet, what is that about? Wild boar or swap gators? This year should be fun. Happy Saturday, friends

The Best Baked Good You Can’t Eat

I found it! I found the best recipe for blueberry muffins! There are millions out there, most of which are heavy flour bombs with some berries tossed in for measure. You lose blueberry muffin world, I have found your leader and I ain’t goin’ back to the oily hunks of cake you love to tout.

 

As you might have noticed, these muffins are not for you. I could not, in good faith, share a recipe I know falls in no healthy category. All processed white flour, white sugar, oil and then more of the same.  However, you all have friends, family, pot-lucks, co-workers and neighbors who sometimes expect you to bring along something yummy…and not sweetened by dates. There are also some children out there who are hard to please and would really love nothing but a nice, sugary muffin. By the way, some of those children live with me.

Also, I taste tested these guys.

Also, I taste tested two more later that day.

This recipe is from AllRecipes.com and titled, “To Die For Blueberry Muffins”. I hate that name and took the liberty of changing it for my own selfish reasons.

 

Blueberry Muffins for Other People

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with the flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3. To make the crumb topping: mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

My Favorite Powder

 

Here are today’s grocery finds, though they are not super saturated in real life, I just have some camera issues. Lots of peanuts to make peanut butter in my Vitamix, lots of pistachios and dried apricots for some super secret recipe testing I have been doing and some cinnamon honey, which is so yummy. I’ve been missing out.

I know that checking out my groceries is as exciting as checking out my socks, so I’ll keep this section short. Apples were .49 cents a pound today and oranges, wait for it…five pounds for $1.00! Sprouts also had my favorite protein powders 25% off and I had to grab two giant tubs before the sale ended.

If you are looking for a protein powder that tastes really good and doesn’t contain sucralose (Splenda), I highly recommend MRM! I’ve tried lots of brands, and this is my favorite, not too sweet and really tasty. Sucralose gives me headaches and is so sweet that you can start to crave that level of sweetness in all your…uh, sweet stuff.  Don’t buy MRM powder from the site I linked to, in case you are tempted. There are some great deals at BodyBuilding.com right now. I’m a little bummed I didn’t snag them there instead of Sprouts.

 

Time for me to exercise. Gonna go bust out my TRX.

I can’t believe I just showed you all my “Before” photo. So embarrassing.  Just in case someone wants to sue me, that last statement was a fabrication. Why does this lady have a room painted blue, with nothing in it? Maybe it’s a really big room and all the furniture is in the other half?

Want to throw this quick note in before I go get sweaty. If you need a good trainer and live near me (if you don’t know where I live, you probably don’t live near me), send me a quick note. I happen to be related to a super star trainer, who works at the giganto 24-Hour in my ‘hood.

 

 

2012, Don’t Let the Door Hit You On the Way Out!

Happy New Year’s Eve FoFo readers! I was so sad to take down our big light display today. We always light up our backyard as you see from the photo above.

For those of you who have visited the Oakland Zoo and perhaps have seen that exact same display there, please don’t ruin it for the rest of the internet by tattling about me lying. Does anyone else have a home that looks super bare without all the holiday decorations? I need some color back in my life!

I’ll be cruising through all of 2012’s top 10’s and looking-back posts around the web, after my kids are in bed. We plan to celebrate NYE New York time, which is 9 pm for those who are even worse at math than I am. My little party planner has tonight all mapped out.

It reads:

• TV
• Cookies
• Barbies
• Slurpees
• Dinner
• Freeze Dance
• Chess
• Countdown

Who says we don’t know how to party? Everyone? Oh, yeah, everyone says that.

My friend Jody gave me a great recipe, which has inspired my second new favorite salad. (My first is a few posts down and it’s buffalo chicken-licious).

Paso Uno (That’s step one, Gringos): Buy a fat pomegranate at the end of the farmers’ market for $1.00

Step Two: Read the photos below. You’ll be slicing off the top, scoring the corners, peeling back the pom and pulling out all the seeds.

Next: Toast some nuts. Any nuts! Pour raw nuts into a dry pan and turn the heat to high. Once the pan is hot, keep the nuts moving for 1-2 minutes and you’ve got yourself some flavor!

Step Twelve:  Use a dressing which is light in flavor. I don’t think you can go wrong with a Poppy Seed or Balsamic.

Step C: Mix seeds, nuts and dressing into a giant bowl of lettuce.

Step Last: Crumble blue cheese, feta, cojita or whatever crumbly stuff you’ve got over the top.

Step Eat: Eat it.

Before I go party with my family in my pajamas, I’d love to wish you all a Happy New Year! 2013 has great things in store for us all. Yes, it will have some poop as well, but it’s all in how we look at it and deal with it, right?

Thank you all for making 2012 a bigger, better year for Food It Forward. As of yesterday, FoFo has had a little more than 82,000 views this year. I plan to triple that number in ’13. Lucky number 13, right! Be safe tonight!

As my Grandfather would love to say on NYE,

“I’m not brushing my teeth until next year,”

Kim

Winter Wake Up Smoothie

I have heard it said that it takes us Californian’s roughly ten days to be sick and tired of winter. I’m a day ahead of the crowd! For those of you in colder climates, I understand how annoying us sunshine state folk are, I really do.

Here is something we can all agree on though, a trip to Hawaii!

I can’t afford to send us all to Hawaii, but I think I can scrape enough money together to maybe ship a shoebox? Not overnight of course, but none the less, it’s going!

While it is a sunny, 40 degree day outside here, I’d love it if some of you would join me for a quick tropical getaway, via smoothie.

To make this tropical smoothie, you’ll need:

• -frozen pineapple
• -ice
• -kiwis (the fruit, not the people)
• -an apple (optional)
• -coconut cream (optional)
• -coconut or almond milk

Check out these hunka-hunkas I found at today’s farmers’ market!

That is one kiwi, one! I know it might be tough to find sweet kiwi this time of year, but it’s worth it. The father-son duo at the market told me how you can use kiwi to marinate chicken. The enzymes of this fruit break poultry down nicely. Who knew? If you have tried kiwi as a marinade, will you drop me a line? I’d love some tips.

This smoothie was made possible by my Vitamix. Ahh. I topped my cup with some shredded coconut and took a virtual trip to the tropics (without my kids). There is a bit of a peppery flavor to this drink and I’m guessing the kiwi is to blame. Jy and Dallas still loved it and I feel pretty jazzy after sipping mine down too.

Now it’s time for me to go clean. Not sweep and put away laundry clean. This is the big stuff. I’ve been useless the past few days with a killer cold and the three males of the house took that as a sign to fling ape poo, leave toy bombs and let our home go south. Not like beautiful, historic mansion south. Like, Honey Boo-Boo’s poor cousin who hopes to get some of HBB’s TLC money south. Bad, real bad.