Friday, April 05, 2013

Hey Nineteen


I think Jamie Oliver is adorable. I'm not old enough to be his mother, but I'm old enough to be his mother's younger sister and I would be proud to be his aunt. I'm training myself to think and say "I would proud to be his aunt" and "I would be proud to be his mother." It is time. Not in every situation -- please! -- but where age appropriate. Do you remember when everyone was talking about cougars? I'm glad they stopped.

I've been choosing random recipes to cook before we leave for Japan and since there was a cauliflower in the refrigerator, made Jamie's cauliflower risotto last night. The recipe comes from Jamie's Italy but is also here.  Unless you are on a diet, MAKE IT. As Jamie writes at the end of the recipe: "So, so good!"

He is so, so right! And so, so enthusiastic!

His section on risotto begins: "You're going to absolutely love this chapter," but he often saves his loudest hurrah for the last line of a recipe.  He ends his recipe for eggplant parmigiana: "You'll love it!" Flash roast beef: "Tasty, tasty, and very gorgeous!" Grilled and marinated rabbit: "Simple, honest, and bloody good."

Owen declined to taste the risotto: "I don't like risotto, it's all gooey and unpleasing." I declined to care.  Since Isabel had late dance class and Owen was dining on yogurt, Mark and I watched the finale of Girls while eating the risotto.

A few words about Girls: I have come to hate this show. I'm going to have to think hard next season about whether my desire to know what people are talking about outweighs my dread of watching Lena Dunham stick sharp objects in her ears and Adam Driver do that thing he did in the penultimate episode. In every episode there are at least five moments when I want to bury my head in the sofa cushions and cover my ears. This is not counting my aversion to seeing Allison Williams do anything at all. Am I old and falling out of step? Or is the show in fact depressing and needlessly grotesque? Either is possible. When you fall out of step you don't know it. That is part of falling out of step.

We're leaving the house sitters detailed instructions and a bottle of iodine in case Natalie kids while we are on our trip. She's due on May 2, but is already big as a cow. Japan should be fun so long as North Korea doesn't drop any bombs. Thank you for all your suggestions. They are printed out and tucked in my bag. I will report.

7 comments:

  1. Hi there,
    I also love JO. I think it is amazing how much work he has done to get public school lunches healthy! I just love watching him cook too because he is so enthusiastic about every dish. Makes me feel like I should be shouting while cooking about how wonderful tomatoes are in every recipe.
    As for Girls, I have only watched a few minutes of one show where the lead actress was wearing this see through shirt (actual boobs showing) in a public club and doing coke. That was enough for me. I don't mind gritty but dang, it was kinda gross. I am a little creeped out by what you describe.
    I say, try out Once Upon a Time or White Collar.
    Enjoy your trip,
    Eliza
    P.S. I am 41.

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  2. I'm 32 and I love both J. Oliver and girls.

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  3. I think I may have fallen out of step a while back, but I am ok with it. Falling out of step may be partially related to age, but it is also related to taste. I hate Girls. I wanted to like it, but it seems quite tasteless, and I don't find it funny. If full disclosure is the new thing, then the world is in trouble. As a nurse, I have seen a lot of things that I can assure people they do not want to see, really. Have a great trip with lots of fun, food, and frivolity!

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  4. Naked Chef episodes used to be on Netflix. Watching that show makes you want to cook because he's so enthusiastic and it makes it look so easy.

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  5. Have a marvelous trip! I'm looking forward to your posts about the very interesting food you'll undoubtedly encounter and will hopefully enjoy.
    As for Girls, I find it completely cringeworthy and unimaginative. I'm 50 .

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  6. I have also had mixed feeling about Girls. For me though, that is part of the artistry...it's not boring and pushes the envelope. BTW I'm in my 60's! But I still remember being a girl.

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  7. Ohh give Girls a chance! I love to hate that show, but also love it (does that make sense?). There are scenes that make me squeamish, depressed, confused, and a lot more things.

    I could do without the excessive and unnecessary nudity, but I also admire the purpose behind the nudity and how not elegant or beautiful or perfect she looks. Her clothes aren't supposed to fit either -- it's all for the character.

    Lena is an anti-hero, through and through. She's spoiled and self-centered, but has redeeming qualities and her mother is a real piece of work.

    Anyway, I'm in my late 20s and I have to say that the show's themes and episodes really do explore things/emotions/situations that I've encountered in my life. Every time I watch that show I thank my lucky stars that I'm married and now in my early 20s anymore. What a confusing, exhilarating, but exhausting time that was. I think they call it the quarter-life crisis now.

    I wanted to ask if you'll be reading or cooking from GOOP? I am dying of laughter reading some of these reviews (The Washington Post most recently).

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