The Other Guys

Will Farrell's new movie, or is it Mark Wahlberg's new movie, looked like a redeeming movie after Land of the Lost. Wahlberg's last movie, Date Night, needed no redemption. The trailers looked funny. With Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson as the cool, hero cops playing against Will Farrell's accounting cop, the movie looked promising.

Basically, Will Farrell and Mark Wahlberg are partners. Farrell's character, Allen, is perfectly content to sit behind his desk without seeing any real action. He even happily volunteers to write up Johnson and Samuel's character's police report after an incident. Wahlberg's Terry, couldn't be more annoyed by Allen. After an unfortunate incident, Terry is forced to sit behind a desk and his career in homicide takes a nose-dive. But Terry gets the great idea to redeem himself and show Allen what it's like to be a "real cop."

Like I said before, the trailer was hilarious and seemed to be well received by audiences. So there seemed to be much anticipation to this movie. And the movie was funny. Much to my surprise (or not) the trailer is basically the first 10 minutes of the movie. Does that mean all the funny parts are in the trailer? I don't know that I'm one to really judge that. After all, I don't think I paid much attention to the movie because I was fighting to keep my eyes open after the first 10 minutes. I heard lots of laughter and it was a classic Will Farrell movie. But after the late night from Dinner with Schmucks, I couldn't concentrate on this movie. A full body twitch in the middle of the movie caused Wes to ask me if I had fallen asleep. So what if I closed my eyes for a few minutes?

Anyway, the movie's plot, from what I could discern, seemed to move a long at a snail's pace. After all, they needed to make room for all the crazy antics and comedy of Will Farrell. While he was in classic form, I did enjoy Mark Wahlberg in the movie as an up-tight cop. His comedy chops didn't quite come through, but I liked him enough in the movie. Michael Keaton, did an ok job as the police captain. Not sure if he's trying to revive his career or not. This wasn't the movie that's going to do that. I actually really enjoyed Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson and wish there was more of them in the movie. I think their characters could have played against Farrell and Wahlberg nicely for a really funny aspect. But that would've been another movie.

If you like Will Farrell movies, then you'll probably like this one. It didn't quite live up to Wes's expectations, but had its funny parts. Me? I don't really have an opinion since I was half-conscious during the movie. (I have a knack for falling asleep during movies - at home or in the theatre.) So if you're even slightly curious, go see it in the theatre. It'll be funnier with a whole bunch of people who think it's hilarious. Or, wait until it comes out on video and watch it with friends.

But don't give this review too much credit. I was the one in the front row snoring.

Dinner for Schmucks

You've seen the trailer for this: Paul Rudd's character Tim is going to get promoted big time in his company. But before it's official, the owner or CEO throws a "Dinner for Idiots" party. The person who brings the "best idiot" wins. Enter Steve Carell's character, Barry. He's the lucky schmuck that Tim decides to take to dinner, much against the advice of his girlfriend.

I think I had somewhat high hopes for this movie. The last time Steve Carell and Paul Rudd were in a movie together, it was The 40 Year-Old Virgin, which is a classic to some. Paul Rudd has been on a roll with leads in various movies (I Love You Man) and Steve Carell wasn't doing to shabby either with Date Night. However, this movie didn't live up to expectations.

Steve Carell's character, Barry, is incredibly, incredibly socially awkward. He's a taxidermist and creates scenes with dead mice that he dresses up. He doesn't know when to shut up and butt out. The insanity begins when Barry mistakes the dinner party for the wrong night. And it just snowballs from there. Maybe I was tired (we saw a 10 PM show on Thursday night), but instead of Barry's antics being funny, I found myself getting incredibly stressed out by all the situations.

Paul Rudd's character, Tim, spends 90% of the movie trying to correct all of Barry's "good-intentions." He gets pulled between what's morally right and what he thinks is right for his future. Of course, a movie like this is somewhat predictable and what's morally right ends the movie. Sorry for the spoiler, if you call that one.

There were a few laughs during the movie. Mostly coming from Wes and mostly because other people in the theatre were laughing. Steve Carell did a good job of being a socially awkward person. He's usually able to play those goofy characters with no problem. Probably pulling from some of Michael Scott. I have to say that I really enjoyed Paul Rudd in this movie. It was refreshing to see him in a role where he's not always the goofball or sidekick. Really glad his career is taking off.

Dinner for Schmucks is probably funnier watching it with a bunch of people. If you enjoy I Love You Man and other Paul Rudd movies, you'll probably enjoy this movie. But maybe save it for a Redbox rental one night. Oh, and side note, I don't think the word "schmuck" was uttered once during the entire movie.

P.S. Saw a trailer for Little Fockers. Yes, Meet the Parents lives on!

P.P.S. Hopefully The Other Guys is a lot funnier than this movie. Stay tuned for a review of that.

Mozzarella & Sun-Dried Tomato Ravioli

In my little herb pot, I started off with thyme, cilantro, basil and parsley. Cilantro and basil are probably my two favorite herbs. Sadly, my cilantro plant didn't make it. It's still there, but apparently it's "gone to seed." No more cilantro. My basil however has exploded. I had to look up basil recipes because I have so much, I don't know what to do with it.

Enter The Pioneer Woman. I like to drool over her cooking and her pictures of food. She had this recipe for basil ravioli.

Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomato Ravioli with Basil Cream Sauce

For Ravioli:
4 whole sun-dried tomatoes
4 basil leaves
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 whole egg, beaten
1 package wonton wrappers (or egg roll wrappers cut in quarters)
1 whole egg white

For Sauce:
10 basil leaves
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tb. unsalted butter

For Ravioli: Rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes in boiling water for 30 minutes. Pat dry and grind with 4 basil leaves in a food processor. I used tomatoes packed in oil, so I didn't have to rehydrate them.

Mix the tomato-basil and cheeses in a bowl and taste, adding more cheese if desired. Add the egg and mix to coat.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay out 24 wonton wrappers (give or take, depending on how full you make them) and divide the filling between them. Place a spoonful in the center of the wrapper, leaving space around the edge. I used about a tablespoon of filling in each. Be careful not to make them too full or they won't seal well.

Brush the edges of the wrapper with egg white and place another (new) wrapper over top, sealing the edges together. Pick up the now assembled ravioli and press the edges together firmly and place on the wax paper.

Once they are all assembled, boil a pot of water, add salt, and boil the ravioli for 4 minutes. Keep cooked ravioli warmed on a plate in a 250 degree oven if working in batches.

For sauce: Puree the 10 basil leaves, wine and garlic in a food processor.

Transfer to a saucepan and add the cream. Whisking frequently, simmer over medium/medium-high heat for around 15 minutes or until reduced by half. Add the butter and whisk until melted.

Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over ravioli and serve.

Note: Sauce will have a mild basil taste with 10 leaves; add more if you prefer a stronger basil flavor.

They may not look so pretty, but it tastes oh, so good!

I wasn't too sure how this recipe was going to turn out. I mean, wonton wrappers in place of pasta dough? Even though the wonton wrappers were a little more delicate than pasta dough, it was actually a nice alternative. It was light and a thin sort of dough. Since I didn't fill the ravioli's very full, there was a lot of extra dough. If it had been regular pasta, that would've been too much pasta with no filling. But with the wonton wrapper, it's not super dough-y.

The ravioli's don't really take 4 minutes. Since the dough is so thin, it took maybe 2 minutes total. I waited until they floated to the top and were translucent to tell when they were done. They're not the prettiest raviolis ever, but they are tasty! The sun-dried tomatoes are nice and sweet and with the mozzarella, it makes them cheesy and gooey. Mmm....

The basil cream sauce is delicious! I did add a few more basil leaves, but I'd probably even add more. It smelled so good and it's garlicky and creamy. The butter at the end adds a silkiness to the sauce that just flows over the pasta. A nice paring with the sun-dried tomatoes. Actually those two seem to go well together. Remember this recipe?

Anyway, the filling only made about 14 raviolis for me. Which was just enough sauce for me and Wes with some leftover. I'd definitely double the recipe next time and fill the raviolis a bit more. Definitely double the sauce if you double the pasta. This would also be yummy as baked ravioli and a pesto cream sauce.... mmmmm...... You can also just use one wonton wrapper and fold it over itself to make a triangle ravioli instead of adding another wrapper on top. This will save wonton wrappers for this dessert and make the raviolis a bit smaller and easier to manage.

Super easy to make and it was yummy! Next time I'll add some grilled chicken so Wes can have a little more subsistence. Happy cooking!

Salt

Is she a Russian spy or isn't she? That's the premise of Angelina Jolie's new movie.

I think that's the easiest movie synopsis ever. Ok, it's not exactly that easy. Basically, Jolie's character, Evelyn Salt, is accused of being a Russian spy who is going to kill the Russian president at the United State's vice president's funeral. Don't ask me why. In fear, she runs. The CIA chases her and the story unfolds from there.

It was an entertaining movie. The action is non-stop, with little down time. I have heard it compared to the Bourne movies. Jolie does a good job as the title character. She is probably one of the few female actresses out there who can hold her own in an action movie. The only other actress I could think of that could possibly do this role would be Charlize Theron. Jolie does a lot of running and punching and general butt kicking. Wes's only thing with her as the lead was that she's such a tiny human that it's a little unbelievable that she can generate a lot of force to fight toe-to-toe with some of these bigger guys.

Although there's not a lot of downtime in between chase scene and chase scene, the movie does explain itself along the way. Some interesting things come up, and although Wes was able to predict it, I found myself second guessing everything. Hope that doesn't give things away.

Did you know that Tom Cruise was originally booked to play the lead role for this movie? He pulled out for whatever reason, probably to do his dud Knight and Day, and the role was re-written for Angelina Jolie. Knowing this, I tried to picture Tom Cruise in the role at various times during the movie. I have to say that I like Jolie better in this movie than I would Cruise. Having a woman in this role gives the movie a different dimension than if the lead was a man. No offense to you guys out there.

Overall, an entertaining movie. Not a have-to-go-see-it-in-the-theatre-movie, but if you want some entertainment, it's worth a rental.

Chipotle Chili Bean and Rice Wraps

Who doesn't like the ginormous burritos from Chipotle and Qdoba? Now you can make your own! Although that doesn't necessarily require a recipe, this recipe comes pre-eety close to what those gluttonous burritos taste like. Oddly enough, I had this recipe laying around for quite a while. Maybe even before I even liked Qdoba (my place of choice). While this recipe is vegetarian, I did add some chicken for additional protein.

Chipotle Chili Bean and Rice Wraps

1 Tb. vegetable oil
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed
2 canned chipotle chilies, chopped
1 tsp. adobo sauce from chipotles
1/4 tsp salt
4 large burrito-size flour tortillas
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup prepared mild salsa
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium meat. Add onion and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook 1 minute more. Stir in black beans, chipotles, adobo sauce and salt. Simmer to heat through, about 5 minutes.

Heat tortillas on a hot skillet, turning frequently until hot and pliable. Spread tortillas with about 1 1/2 Tb. sour cream. Lay 1/2 cup of rice in a thick horizontal strip about a third of the way from the bottom. Top with a quarter of the black beans, salsa and cilantro. Fold in the two sides and roll the wrap away from you.

Can be made up to 24 hours ahead and wrapped in foil and refrigerated. Heat in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to warm through.

For chicken: Pound chicken to 1/2" thickness. Mix 1 tsp. each salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne and 1/2 tsp. cumin on a plate. Dredge chicken in spice mixture and bake in a 450 degree oven for 14 minutes. Can also cook on the grill.

Please excuse the gross pictures. I bit into the burrito then thought, "Maybe I should take a picture."

I have to say, I was impressed with this. I almost couldn't tell you the difference between this burrito and a chicken burrito from Qdoba. The chipotle black bean mixture substituted for the hot salsa. I don't think I even added any additional salsa to the burrito and it was hot enough. The kicker though was the rice. Qdoba has this lime infused rice. So what did I do? Cook the rice, add a few splashes of lime juice and stirred in the chopped cilantro. Voila! Rice that tastes like the restaurant's!

These burritos were stuffed to the rim too. How people making the burritos fold and roll them is beyond me. Probably why they're wrapped in foil - so they'll stay together! The chicken added a nice element of spice to the burrito also. You could do any meat and cook it anyway. I personally think that this recipe as is, is a little boring. If you're going to stick with vegetarian, add some peppers or something else for substance.

I ended up with enough for about four burritos. Love that this gives you the same taste and feeling of one of those tin-foil wrapped burritos and that you know what's wrapped in your tortilla. Simple recipe and easy to tweak to your liking.

Happy cooking!

Chicken Fried Steak

Anytime I think of chicken fried steak I always think of my dad. Is it weird that I have a lot of memories associated to food and my dad? On Sundays, after church, we'd always go to Chili's for lunch. Well my dad always got chicken fried steak. I was never sure of what chicken fried steak really was. Was it chicken? Was it steak? All I knew was that it was not the healthiest dish.

For some reason I had the desire to try this meal out. Never had it in a restaurant, but I decided to give Rachael Ray's version a go:

Chicken Fried Steaks and Creamed Pan Gravy with Biscuits

1 1/2 lbs (1/2" thick) round steak - I got the thin cut kind
1 cup + 2 Tb. flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 eggs beaten - Could probably get away with using only 1 egg
2 Tb. water
4 Tb. vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups of beef broth or stock
1/4 cup half and half or cream
1 package back-off biscuits, prepared according to package directions
Wax paper

Preheat large, heavy skillet over medium high heat.

Pound steaks to 1/4" thick between two pieces of wax paper. Pull steaks off work surface and set aside. Pour 1/2 cup of flour into two different piles or dishes. Add cornmeal, paprika, salt and pepper to 1 pile of flour. Beat eggs and water in a pie plate or shallow dish.

Cut steaks into four portions and coat in flour, then eggs, then seasoned flour and cornmeal.

Add 2 Tb. oil to hot pan and cook two steaks at a time. Brown steaks about two minutes per side or until cooked. Remove from pan. Add 2 more Tb. of oil to the pan and repeat with remaining steaks. I heated my oven to 200 degrees and put the finished steaks on a pan in the oven to keep warm.

When the second batch is finished, pour off all but 2 to 3 Tb. of the drippings. Add 2 Tb. of flour to drippings and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in broth and season with salt and pepper. Whisk half and half or cream into gravy. When gravy bubbles, remove from heat.

Serve steaks and warm biscuits with gravy on top.

Mmmm.... Golden crust with creamy gravy.

The first time I made this dish, I over cooked the meat and it was tough. This time, I bought thin cut meat and even though I didn't pound it to 1/4" thickness, I didn't over cook it this time. I figured the more important thing was to get the breading nice and crispy. If the meat was a little pink on the inside, it'd be ok.

Luckily the meat was nice and tender this time around. The crust, while it wasn't crunchy like a fried chicken breading, still had a good texture. I really like the cornmeal mixed in because it gives it a grittier feeling. Of course, the gravy made the dish. I used cream instead of half and half, which gave it a smoother and thicker consistency. It also packed a lot of flavor with the pan drippings.

Wes couldn't get over this dish. He had this meal twice for leftovers and even asked if there was more a few days later. I think it ranks pretty high on the list of meals I've made. I served this with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. No biscuits. Pretty southern meal if you ask me.

I told my dad about this meal with Wes raving about it and my dad got pretty excited about it. Now if only my mom would make it for him. It's an easy recipe to make with few ingredients and steps. The most difficult part is knowing when to take the meat out so it doesn't over cook. Since the meat is thin, it doesn't take long to cook either. It's actually a pretty quick meal. I think the mashed potatoes took the longest to cook.

If you're craving some Southern comfort food, give this quick and easy meal a try. Happy cooking!

Eclipse

Yes, I went to go see Eclipse. I'm no Twilight fan, but I have to admit, I am curious about what happens. Haven't read the books, but I did read the Wikipedia cliff notes, so I have a basic understanding of the conclusion.

Here's the synopsis of Eclipse: Bella and Edward love each other. Bella wants to become a vampire. Edward doesn't want her to be a vampire. Victoria, a vampire, wants to kill Bella to avenge her lover's death. Jake, a werewolf, is in love with Bella and wants her to choose him. Thus the teenage love triangle continues in this third movie of the Twilight installments.

I went to go see the second one, New Moon, with my co-workers and it was a lot of fun. Mainly because there were a bunch of teenage girls swooning over Edward and Jacob. I asked some of them if they had seen Eclipse and what they thought. They all said that it was a good movie. So I went and spared Wes the googly-eye and giggles of the movie patrons.

The movie was filled with teen angst and teen love and a battle of life and death. The acting was on par with the other movies, which isn't saying much. I think Kristen Stewart hardly ever looks at her co-stars. She's always staring at the ground. Maybe that's how she interprets how love-struck teenagers act. Jacob, still pines for Bella and I think Taylor Lautner spent 90% of the movie without a shirt on. And the group of teenage girls in the front row loved it. I think they're on Team Jacob. Best line of the movie: Edward to Jacob, "Don't you own a shirt?" Or something like that.

I do wish the fight scene was a little longer. That was probably the best part of the movie. The Cullen clan teamed up with the Werewolves to fight the evil newborn vampires (who are supposedly stronger the first few months of their "lives"). Another observation: to be cast as part of the Cullen clan I think you're required to wear really bad wigs and be pale. Good thing Kristen Stewart already has those two things. She'll be a shoo-in no problem. I did also appreciate more of the back stories of the Cullen clan. That was interesting.

Overall, not the greatest movie (are you surprised?). Acting was cheesy and the story-line didn't develop along like the first two movies. Definitely a rental if you're even into the Twilight franchise. And if you're a fan, you've probably already gone to see this in the theatres. Good thing the tickets were free.

Oh, and go Team Jacob!