Mandatory for vacation: some reading material

My vacation helped me reach my goal of reading 10 new books this year. Before I took a week off in August I wanted to make sure I had some good books to read. I'll admit I'm kind of a nerd for going to the library the Saturday before my boyfriend and I headed for a few days on the Central Coast to make sure I was well prepared.

I wanted a mix of books so that if one turned out to be a dud, I'd have some others for back up. I picked a few books that looked like light reading such as one about a chef who works for a morning show and a senior citizen who turns back the clock to the age of 29 for one day. I also got a few more that seemed a little hardier, such as one about a single mom raising her daughters and a young girl growing up in the South during the 1980s.

When we were packing my boyfriend asked which books I'd be bringing with me, to which I replied that I would be bringing them all. I knew I wouldn't read them all, but I wanted to have a few options. The first night when we stayed at a hotel in Cambria that had an oceanfront view, I started reading "Bitter in the Mouth" by Monique Truong. The book was not light reading, but it was well-written and kept me interested all the way through. In the book, Linda is a lawyer who looks back on her life in a small Southern town. She loves her great uncle and her father, but she clashes with her mother and her grandmother. Linda has the strange ability - or curse - that when she hears certain words she has a strong taste of something in her mouth. The sensation seems almost science fiction, until later in the book the author has her main character discover a brain disorder called synesthesia, in which the senses get mixed up. The book has a lot of dark moments in it, but it written in a way that really brought Linda to life. I read the book all through vacation, finishing it on our last night in San Simeon.

When I got home I still had a stack of books left so I started another one that wasn't nearly as well written. "Romantically Challenged" by Beth Orsoff had some funny moments but I mostly found the main character irritating. She is a single 30-something lawyer who doesn't want to end up alone, but she nitpicks at every person with whom she goes on a date. She finds something wrong with every single guy and is whiny about it without acknowledging her own short comings.

The next book had something of the same attitude. Ellie is a senior who is turning 75, but she is unhappy about getting older even though she still has her own apartment, all her capacities, her best friend lives upstairs and her grandaughter visits often. Ellie wishes to be young again on her birthday - and she wakes up the next morning to find herself 29 again. Written by Adena Halpern, the secondary characters are not very well developed. The writing is rough and the dialogue is awkward.

From there I moved on to "Last Bite" by Nancy Verde Barr. The book is about a chef who works on a morning show, preparing the cooking segments. It is written by a woman who worked with Julia Child so its no surprise that one of the main characters seems to be based on Child. The key character, however, is the 30-something chef whose dentist boyfriend has just broken up with her. She is unlucky in love and when a troublesome agent comes into the life of the TV chef personality, her job also comes into jeopardy. She quickly finds another love interest in an Irish chef who has opened a restaurant in New York and does a guest appearance on the show. She is skeptical about him, though, and assumes he is a player. The storyline is unbelievable, but a fun read. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that instead of developing some of the side characters, such as the prep chef's parents, they became caricatures of the typical Irish or Italian family.

The last book I read, to complete the 10, was "Juno's Daughters" by Lise Saffran. This book was back into the serious realm with its topic. It is about a single mother raising her two teenagers on a secluded island off the coast of Washington State. The central premise of the story is that two island residents put on a professional production of a Shakespeare play every summer, inviting professional actors to try out for it. The islanders get bit parts in the play and help out behind the scenes. The main character has often helped with the costumes and set pieces but she has never been in the cast. This year to appease her 17-year-old daughter she signs on to play Juno from the play "The Tempest." Her daughters have the roles of other spirits in the play. The main conflict in the book is that the oldest daughter happens to be interested in the same 40-something actor as her mother. The youngest daughter is dealing with abandonment issues as her best friend moves away, and then her sister departs for college. The book had the good skeleton of an idea - an abused mother leaves her husband to raise her two children alone and now is struggling with them becoming independent - but Saffran glosses over the impact that the early abuse had on her and the girls. More than that, her interactions with the two girls ring false.

Before I read this batch of books I'd also read "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett, which I enjoyed even though I felt the movie version released in August fell short. I also read another book I checked out of the library whose title and author elude me now. I do remember it was about a woman who lost a bunch of weight, opened a store to sell healthy home-cooked meals and whose husband left her for a much fatter woman. This was another book whose main character came across as whiny and whose secondary characters where more caricatures than realistic people.

For now, it's back to the New Yorker magazine, which I've been neglecting since July.

A sweet vacation

One of my favorite parts of taking a vacation somewhere new is being able to eat out - and since I have a sweet tooth that includes desserts. It's no surprise then that two of the stops on a recent vacation my boyfriend and I took to the Central Coast revolved around places to get sweet treats.

I had a few leads on finding places because a friend suggested that we stop in Cayucos, a small coastal town about 10 miles north of Morro Bay and another friend said Linn's in Cambria was a must try.

We stopped in Cambria first and checked out Linn's which serves a comfort-food menu that includes basic sandwiches as well as pot pies and quiche. I had a club sandwich that was typical of other places and my boyfriend had an asparagus and sun-dried tomato quiche. He thought the asparagus was the overwhelming the flavor of his meal, but he liked the flaky crust on the quiche. We didn't want to miss out on the olallieberry desserts so we took a couple items to go. We ordered an olallieberry and cream cheese muffin and an olallieberry cream puff. The muffin was surprisingly devoid of olalliberries and cream cheese, except for on the top and the bottom. The cream puff was tasty though it was quite a mess to eat when the cream and the easy-to-stain olallieberry syrup oozed out.

Cayucos is the home of the Brown Butter Cookie Company, whose owners created a delicious shortbread cookie made completely with brown sugar and brown butter. We stopped in Cayucos on the way from Cambria to Morro Bay on our second day, enjoyed a fresh cooked breakfast from a take-out window before we stopped at the cookie shop.

When we walked in, the room smelled of sugar and butter as workers were busy rolling out the round shortbread cookies. We were offered samples immediately from one of the owners, including an original sea salt brown butter cookie and a cocoa brown butter cookie. They had a sweet flavor finished off with a slight salty taste. I normally don't like shortbread cookies, but these were a lot more moist than the average cookie. We ended up buying a few to share later that day as well as a couple dozen to share with my family and our co-workers when we returned from the trip. The shop makes the brown butter cookies as well as traditional sugar, oatmeal, chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. All cookies are for sale individually, or can be bought in a package. The Brown Butter Cookie Co. does sell their cookies online for those who want to try them, but can't make it down the coast.

After the trip to Cayucos, we continued south to Morro Bay, where we spent the early afternoon out on the water on a kayak. We shared a double kayak, and it was the first time we'd been in one for both of us. Luckily, my boyfriend had some canoe steering experience so we quickly got a handle on navigating the water. We judged the kayaking a success as we did not bump boats, we didn't tip over and we didn't get stuck in the sandy, shallow water.

After the kayaking, we enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant and walked around the shops near the bay. I checked out a few different candy stores and ice cream shops before settling on one that served SLO churned ice cream. The small serving came with two scoops so I got a scoop of black cherry that included bing cherries as well as a scoop of rocky road. I got it in a waffle cone because my boyfriend isn't a fan of ice cream, but likes the cones.

On the last night of our trip, we opted to eat close to our hotel in San Simeon. We went to a place called the San Simeon Beach Bar and Grill. There weren't many places from which to chose in San Simeon so we picked the place with a mix of seafood and other typical American fare. The appetizer of sherry sauteed mushrooms was delicious, but my boyfriends seafood platter was mediocre and my burger tasted like typical dinner fare. We decided to order dessert to share, and had a lemon creme cake which had moist cake and just a light lemon taste. It was pretty tasty.

I enjoyed the desserts on the trip, but it was nice to get home and cook a meal of fresh ingredients as well as swapping out the sweets for fruits and vegetables.

A savory dish and a dessert from new ingredients

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, I am much better at keeping them than I am about reporting back about them. So here is the first of several updates on how things have been going and a resolve to update things a little bit more frequently.

First off, I finished up resolution No. 12 to cook with five new ingredients quite before spring even got under way. But that doesn't mean I stopped trying out some new ingredients. This year I've tried to push myself to try new foods, recipes and cooking techniques though I still haven't tried any fish-related foods.

A few months ago, when it was still cold and rainy outside my boyfriend and I decided to cook up some beef ribs. But since it was not yet grilling weather, we found a recipe to use his pressure cooker. I'd never used a pressure cooker before, but I know from watching "Iron Chef" that it speeds up the process of cooking slow-cook items - and it can be a dangerous appliance if not used properly.

The new ingredient for me on this recipe was the beef ribs which I had never cooked at home. I wasn't sure what to expect from the process, but we looked over the recipe carefully and gathered all our ingredients. The first part was easy - we just had to cook the ribs with a season blend, sear them on all sides in a saute pan and them put them into the pressure cooker with some vegetables and beef broth. From there the pressure cooker would do the work - except that this recipe called for opening up the pressure cooker halfway to make sure the ribs were not sticking. The problem with opening up a pressure cooker is that you can't do it until it cools down enough to release all the steam from inside.

I was okay with skipping the step, but my boyfriend, armed with a long bread knife and a potholder as a face shield held the steam release valve open so all the steam escaped and we were able to check on the ribs. It is a step we would skip if we made the ribs again since there was no sticking going on. Once the ribs were cooked, we added in the barbecue sauce, which had a nice kick to it thanks to some cayenne pepper. We both enjoyed it and the meat turned out perfectly tender in under an hour.

More recently, I ended up trying a new ingredient on the spur of the moment. When I went grocery shopping with my mom a few weeks ago I saw key limes in a bag on the shelf. I've never noticed them at the grocery store before, but since they have made the dessert that bears their name so famous, I thought I would try to make a key lime pie at home. The recipe was simple, using just key lime juice, condensed milk and eggs. I cheated and used a store-bought graham cracker crust to save the time of making one at home. If I were to do it again, I would go the extra step and make the crust. The pie filling was perfectly creamy, tart and sweet at the same time, but the pie crust was a little dried out. The season for key limes is short so I probably won't be making another one soon. It was a major improvement over the frozen pie versions I've tried.

I'm sure there will be some more new ingredients to try before the end of the year, but at least one resolution can be crossed off the list.

Photos by MELISSA FLORES

Beef ribs are served with plenty of homemade barbecue sauce on top.

Key lime pie is served with a sweetened sour cream mixture on top.

A couple humorous reads mix in with the serious fare

I've made some progress on Resolution No. 10 by reading three books so far this year.

But I have to say that when I said I would try to read some lighter fare this year, it hasn't really worked out that well. I don't know if I just happen to pick up books that are filled with heavy issues or if that's just what most authors write about these days. It seems even when I don't pick out a book for myself - as was the case with the last novel I read - it still turns out to be a bummer.

I just finished reading "The Year of Fog," by Michelle Redmond. My mom randomly picked it up at the Gilroy library because it had a sticker on it that said "Silicon Valley Reads." I don't know if it is part of a book club offering, or if that sticker means the author is from the Bay Area, or perhaps if the sticker was just because the novel is set in San Francisco.

I kind of knew what I was getting into, though, when I read the book jacket about how the main character Abby spends a year looking for her fiance's missing daughter. A missing 6-year-old has to be a downer. The story is told from Abby's point of view as she continually goes back to the day on the beach when she looked away and her fiance's daughter disappeared. She is convinced the little girl is still alive, though as time passes others become more sure she has drowned in the rough waters off the Bay. The author mixes in a lot of facts about photography and memory - Abby is a photographer and she is obsessed with memory because she is trying to remember important details from the day that Emma disappeared. The details of all this memory and photography stuff might be enthralling to someone who knows less about it than the average person, but as I studied photography in college and worked in a psychology lab that did research on memory, all the details seemed confusing to the story. Sure, all the case studies Abby sites are real, but they don't really have anything to do with Abby's search except that they make the book twice as long as it needs to be. The characters don't seem real enough to make their despair matter.

The first book I read this year is one I got from the library as well, but for the life of me I cannot remember the name of the book or the author. It was by an Irish author, but no one well-know such as Roddy Doyle or Frank McCourt. In fact, the one thing I liked about the book was that it was set in Ireland, but that wasn't really the focus of the story. In a lot of books I've read by Irish authors, the country or city almost becomes a character in itself. This story was set outside of Dublin and the fact it was in Ireland was beside the point.

The story is about a widowed man who raises his young daughter alone. He and his wife are unhappy together, but he is saved from leaving her when she dies in a car accident. He doesn't miss her when she is gone - he's mostly just numb. The early part of the story, about him helping his daughter recover from the loss of her mother is juxtaposed against another great lose for the man - one that he seems unable to overcome. The book was well-written and the characters were mostly interesting, including the mother of his daughter's best friends from down the street who helps him grieve after both deaths with which he has to deal with. But I really disliked that in the last thirty pages of the book the author reveals something that changes the meaning of most of the book. It seemed to come out of nowhere, with little foreshadowing and there was not enough space in the last pages to make it all make sense. I don't mind a surprise ending in a thriller or mystery novel, but not in a dramatic book such as this.

In between these two novels, I read the latest from David Sedaris, "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk." The book is a departure from Sedaris' other work, which is usually essays about his adventures in life. I enjoy his pieces and love when one shows up in "The New Yorker" in between books. This latest endeavor however is fiction. Each story tells some cynical insight into humor nature through the point of view of animals. The stories are dark, some a little on the morbid side, but they work because in almost all of them I could think of at least one person that I could pin those characteristics on in real life. There is an owl who looks down upon is own family because he sees himself as so much better than them. There is a motherless bear who seeks out pity from all she meets. There is the Chipmunk from the title story who gives him to pressure from her family not to date someone different.

Now I am partway through a copy of "Bossypants," a book of essays by Tina Fey. So far, it's funny even though Fey has the same self-deprecating humor that she uses as Liz Lemon on "30 Rock." It's not really a biography, but Fey does share some bits about her life and how she ended up where she is. One of the funniest chapters so far is her recap of her honeymoon in which she and her husband took a cruise because he is afraid of flying - alone to have a fire break out on board the ship. I've always seen a lot of similarities between Liz Lemon and myself - and that might extend to Fey herself as she admits partway through the piece that she really doesn't like the cruise. The one time I went on a cruise, I felt the same way.

A resolution completed at Grill on the Alley

Over the last few weeks, I finished Resolution No. 13 without really thinking about it. Though I like to cook at home - and I do often cook on weekends with my boyfriend - there are plenty of times when we find ourselves going out to eat spur of the moment. Since I found myself wanting to share with him lots of my favorite restaurants - like My Pizza, in Morgan Hill, or the 19th Hole, in Tres Pinos, it turns out it wasn't so hard after all. But it turns out we eat out enough that there has been a good mix of old and new.

A few weeks ago, after running a few miles at the track and running some errands, my boyfriend and I decided to check out the Campbell farmers market. I was on a hunt for Jerusalem artichokes (one of the new ingredients I cooked with for Resolution No. 12.) It was close to 2 p.m. and many of the vendors were closing down for the afternoon. We used the time to check out what types of vendors were there and I actually found the Jerusalem artichokes.

We had just a light breakfast so the smells of some of the food vendors, who were selling crepes, tacos and more, made my stomach growl. Since the vendors were in the process of shutting down, we decided to grab a bite at one of the restaurants. Downtown Campbell has a lot from which to choose. We decided to try out Sonoma Chicken Coop, since I'd never eaten there before. The restaurant is set up so that guests order off a menu at a cashier, choose a table and then pick up the meals. It has the atmosphere of a sit-down restaurant, but without the waiters or waitresses.

The restaurant shares a space with the Campbell Brewery and that side of the restaurant feels a lot like a sports bar. When we arrived at the restaurant on Sunday, the brunch menu was still in effect. It was great because I was able to order a waffle with strawberries and whipped cream while my boyfriend got a pesto chicken sandwich, mixing up the breakfast and lunch flavors. The chicken sandwich was my second choice, so I got to have a few bites of his sandwich, too. The waffle was good, but the whipped cream didn't taste like real whipped cream to me. The sandwich and french fries were tasty, however. If I went back, I would go for lunch or dinner.

Another Sunday afternoon, before I had to head home for the evening, my boyfriend and I decided to grab a quick bite to eat a little Taqueria near his house. I never even paid attention to the name of the place, but I drive passed it every time I visit him in Santa Clara. It is within walking distance of his house so it required only throwing on a pair of flip flops and we were ready for dinner out. The restaurant offers the typical taqueria offerings of burritos, tacos and quesadillas, but it also has dinner plates. He was able to get two tacos - one with carne asada and one of al pastor - and I was able to get a enchilada combination plate.

We sat outside on the patio since the weather was warm and snacked on the help-yourself-chips-and-salsa bar that is in the center of the restaurant. There are only a few seats inside, but while we were there a few people were eating inside and out. The rice was tasty as were the refried beans. The corn tortillas of the enchiladas were soft and I had enough left over to take home for lunch the next day. It was a nice two-for-one meal.

From a low-budget taqueria, I finished off my resolution at an upscale restaurant in downtown San Jose. When I signed up for memberships at the Tech Museum a few months ago, one of the perks was a coupon from the Convention and Visitor's Bureau to save $10 at each of 18 downtown restaurants. The coupon expires in August, so my boyfriend and I had plans to hit as many of these restaurants as we can - although I'd be happy if we skipped Scott's Seafood since I don't eat any fish.

So when I had a free Thursday evening this week, I decided to drive up to San Jose to meet the boyfriend for dinner. I suggested Grill on the Alley since it is one of the coupon restaurants and it has great happy hour specials. Grill on the Alley is an upscale bar and steakhouse. Most of the people in the restaurant looked like well-off young professionals. But even if they weren't the happy hour specials are set at a price to let people play the part.

While regular mixed drinks - like the blue and black mojito I had - are $13, during happy hour there are a few martinis set at $6 and well drinks are $5. A handful of beers are available on tap for $5. The best thing, however, is that they have food specials that beat the bar food I've had at any restaurant. The food specials range from $3, $5 or $6 for small plates such as onion rings, spinach and artichoke dip, or loaded mac and cheese, which we chose. There are also some meat and fish offerings for $10 and burgers for $8-9. I ordered a filet medallion that was served with a roquefort sauce and mushrooms. He ordered a lamb chop with a mint sauce and mint mashed potatoes. The amount of food turned out to be just right. We split the mac and cheese, and the filet was just the right size for me. I even tried a bit of his lamb chop, a food I've never eaten before. The loaded mac and cheese came with bacon and mushrooms mixed into the creamy sauce. The top had a bread crumb and Parmesan crust that gave it the perfect crunch.

I would definitely be back at Grill on the Alley - probably for Happy Hour, since the regular dinner menu prices are upwards of $30-40 per entree. Plus the drinks are great, if I have a designated driver with me.

This probably won't be the end of my eating out at new restaurants for this year, so I'll be sure to continue with the updates.

Photos by Melissa Flores

A filet medallion is served with roquefort sauce and mushrooms.

A lamb chop is served with mint mashed potatoes.

Loaded mac and cheese has bacon and mushrooms mixed into it.

A few good shorts

The 21st annual Cinequest Film Festival is finishing up this weekend in downtown San Jose. Though the festival runs for 12 days - and I love movies - I opted just to catch two shorts programs so far this year. The festival has a variety of feature films and documentary films, as well as visits from a few celebrities, including AnnaSophia Robb and John Turturro.

One of my favorite parts of the festival is the shorts programs because it's one of the few venues to see good quality short-format films locally. This is not the stuff of YouTube videos.

Some of these shorts have budgets up to $10,000 or credits that run as long as a feature film. I sat through two shorts programs last Saturday, "Expectations," which included 11 films and "Slanted," which had five films. The pieces are as unique as the many filmgoers who filled downtown venues throughout the week. Some of the shorts were funny and light-hearted, while others tackled taboo subject matters that were difficult to watch.

The funny thing about the first shorts program being called "Expectations" is that it turns out that my expectations for the day versus my boyfriend's expectations were much different. I wanted to see the first program, which seemed like it might have more fun stuff in it and he wanted to see the darker movie in the second set. I suggested we buy tickets for both and then grab lunch in between. He said we should watch the first screening and then see if we felt up to seeing the second one.

I finally figured out why he hesitated at seeing not one, but two shorts programs, when we excited the theater after watching "Expectations." His first response was that the films were way better than he had expected. It seems he was anticipating low-budget films, with poor quality acting - sort of the stuff you might see on YouTube or in a student film festival. But he was pleasantly surprised by most of the films and I was content with them as well. He liked them enough to sit through a second batch of movies later in the day.


The person in charge of the Cinquest short films sets it up so that the movies are divided into several programs - so viewers can expect to see films that have something in common. Last year I saw films about kids growing up. The "Expectations" movies all have some sort of twist in the end that plays with what viewers' expectations are for the outcomes. "Slanted" was described as a slate of movies about people who have a skewed view of the world.

The first film for the "Expectations" set was probably exactly what my boyfriend was expecting for all the films. It was low quality and it was titled "Dry." It showed a person looking into a refrigerator at a bottle of booze. And then closing the refrigerator. It was short, probably under a minute long, with no dialogue and bad lighting.

But the great thing about a shorts program is that you get some bad films, but since you are seeing several movies chances are there will be some really good ones, too. With Cinequest, if you pick a random feature film, it's either bad or good. It's hard to know from the short descriptions in the program guide.

Of the 11 films, I liked eight of them. "Dry." was the only one I really disliked and the rest were okay. A short film can really be a challenge. It's like a short story - it shouldn't feel like a chapter in a book, but an entity that can stand on its own. It should feel complete. It needs to have enough background and characters that are well-enough developed to grab our attention in way less time than a feature film. It should make us feel something.

Some of the pieces felt a little bit like a prelude to something more or like something was missing. That was the case with "Wonder Boy," a movie about a college student who gets caught up with dealing drugs. The movie didn't have any clear closure, and the filmmakers, who talked after the screening, said they were making it with hopes of expanding it to a feature.

"Liv," a foreign film about a young girl who is a little on the wild side, also seemed a bit incomplete to me. The movie was funny, but it alluded to things that were never touched on again. For instance, the film starts with a blond-haired girl talking to her mother on the phone about how her father likes boys now and his boyfriend has moved in. In an off hand comment the boyfriend notes that the child's mother is dead. But no more is mentioned in the film and it ends on a jokingly upbeat note.

One of the pieces that felt most complete to me was "Mam," a black and white Scottish film. In it, a young teen gets his siblings up and off to school. Their mother is sick in bed. The movie had a lot of characters, but the focus remained on the teen and everything the other people did just added to explaining what he was all about. The movie has a twist at the end, which wasn't entirely unexpected, but the acting was good enough to make it one of the better pieces.

I also liked "Capture the Flag," one of two movies that featured an actor who has been seen in mainstream pieces. The movie is about a teenage girl who is going to the woods with her father and a group of friends or neighbors to play a game of capture the flag. She wants her father, played by Scott Cohen, to allow her to capture the flag this year. He has a boy from another family selected to be on the offense, and says he needs her on defense to guard the flag. The film is set in the 1960s, and what we know is that her mother is in a mental institution. She is on the cusp of adulthood - a lot of the other teens have moved on to not caring about the game. The movie captures the loss of some innocence for her.

One of the crowd favorites seemed to be a short called "The Same Old Story." It was in Spanish and starts with a guy standing on a bus, talking loudly on a phone. At first, the other bus riders seem annoyed with him, but soon enough, they are drawn into his tale of woe. His wife has left him and is at the house looking for a piece of jewelry while he has been out looking for a job - he is unemployed. He begs his wife to stay just long enough so that he can get home to see her - not for another chance, but just to see her for a few minutes. The other riders get so engrossed they stay on the bus past their stops and the driver speeds through a tunnel so the man won't lose his cell phone signal. I even found myself getting a little teary-eyed at his speech and recall of his happier times with his ex-wife. But since the name of the program was "Expectations," I should have known there was a twist. The film got me with the twist, and from the sound of the laughter in the theater, almost everyone else in the theater. I won't give away the ending for anyone who is lucky enough to see it.

As for "Slanted," some of the movies were exceptionally well made, but the movies were exceedingly hard to watch.

The first film was called "The Dive," and its about a bartender who has just gotten into med school in another state. The movie starts with the young man at a hospital, picking up a woman who has attempted suicide. It turns out to be his mother. So we know things aren't perfect with his life from the start. But things take a sudden turn when a man walks into the bar late at night to order a drink. He instantly recognizes the man, but we don't know why. The filmmakers talked about the movie after the screenings and said they wanted to make a story about people who have a hard time letting go of the past. The film slowly reveals how the young man knows the older one and why he is not able to let things go.

The movie was a downer, but not nearly as much as the second one. The movie was made by a group of filmmakers who got funding from the American Film Institute, and the film was made for under $30,000. The acting is good, but the movie's subject is gritty and in your face. "Silencio Fuerte," or "Hard Silence," follows a girl in her late teens or early 20s as she struggles to get away from an abusive mother - physical, verbal and sexual abuse. The footage is raw and graphic, and even days after seeing it, I couldn't get it out of my head. It was a well-made film, just not something I would have willingly chosen to watch. The filmmakers talked about making the film after the screening and they said they wanted to open dialogue about a subject that is not discussed.

Of the other films, one of them was a bit of a bizarre Swedish film, in which two guys roam the country side in search of a cup of coffee. It wasn't very funny and I didn't really get the point of it. The last film was called "Hollow," and it followed a couple who try to get clean from heroin before their baby is born. The actors had a Scottish or some sort of British accent, and the film felt a little bit like "Trainspotting"-Lite. It wasn't long enough to really draw out the characters the way I wanted them to.

The only film in the "Slanted" program that I liked was "Tapeworm." A teen at an all-girls school has such bad body image that she wants to eat a tapeworm so that she can lose weight. Her much skinnier, perkier best friend, however, wants the tapeworm for herself. The movie was an interesting look at how skewed a woman's perception of herself can be and also how mean girls can be to each other.

I liked enough of the films to make the day worthwhile, and I think I have a willing partner for next year's Cinequest.

Lentil soup warms a cold, winter evening

It's only March, and I've made quite a bit of progress on resolution no. 12. Of course, it is an easy one since I like cooking, and the food column I write for the Pinnacle life section gives me plenty of reasons to cook new recipes almost every week.

I am not an adventurous eater so sometimes I need a little coaxing to try something new. In fact, until a few weeks ago I am not sure I had ever eaten a lentil before. The only reason I did try lentils is because my boyfriend was nice enough to take me to my favorite Italian restaurant for dinner in downtown San Jose. Il Fornaio offers a special passport menu for a couple weeks each month and our Feb. 13 meal happened to coincide with the Puglia region of Italy. I persuaded him to order the taste of Puglia, a three-course meal that includes a small salad or soup, a small pasta dish and a full-size main course, so that I could try a baked pasta and meatball dish, but still order my old favorite standby.

For the first course, he ordered a lentil soup with farro, barley and vegetables. I didn't really have any intention of trying the soup, but since he offered to share it I thought I would give it a little taste. I am sure I've never eaten farro or lentils before, and I was pleasantly surprised that I actually liked it quite a bit. We ended up splitting the soup about evenly between us.

About a week later, when the weather turned wet and rainy, I decided it was time for a column about soup. And inspired by the meal at Il Fornaio, I decide to try my hand at making a lentil soup at home. The great thing about soups is that they usually don't take much work beyond chopping up some vegetables. And it's easy to speed them up for weeknight meals by using store-bought chicken broth as a base. My mom did most of the prep work for the soup one Thursday night before I got home from work. In fact, my main job was to bring it all to a boil, then lower it to a simmer and cover for about 30 minutes, checking on the tenderness of the lentils.

The recipe incorporated some of the same flavors I remembered from the restaurant dish, such as carrots, celery and onion. At the very end, elbow macaroni or another kind of pasta can be tossed in to add a little more hardiness to the dish. My only problem was estimating when the lentils would be done. I didn't want to overcook them, so I tossed in the macaroni about 40 minutes after the lentils had been simmering. The pasta cooked in about five minutes, but the lentils could have cooked a bit longer. Unfortunately, at that point, I risked really overcooking the pasta.

The soup was dished up, served with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and then drizzled with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. Everyone liked it, and my boyfriend even drove more than an hour in stormy, rainy weather to eat some of it. I gave him most of the leftovers to take home, for his effort. The soup held up well for lunch the next day. It's definitely a soup that has made its way into the winter rotation.


Photo by MELISSA FLORES

Lentil soup is cooked with vegetables and chicken broth, with elbow macaroni added in just for the last few minutes of cooking.

Cinequest turns 21

The only film festival I've ever been to is the Cinequest Film Festival, hosted in downtown San Jose. It's not Sundance or Cannes, but it's close enough that I can usually hit a screening or two each year and it's affordable enough with tickets selling for $10 per screening (a little more for special events.)

It may be in the heart of Silicon Valley, but I've had the chance to see plenty of celebrities at the various events I've attended. Each year the film festival gives a Maverick Spirit Award to a filmmaker or actor of note. In recent years, they have also added events with "emerging" Mavericks, up and coming filmmakers to watch, such as AnnaSophia Robb.

Through the years I have seen William H. Macy, Michael Keaton, Lili Taylor,Edward James Olmos and Benjamin Bratt. This year's maverick is John Turturro, who is featured at tonight's opening night event.

One of the cool things about the festival is that even at the regular screenings, not just the special events, a lot of the filmmakers come into town so guests have a chance to ask about the films. I've heard from actors, directors and producers about what it was like to make the movies that are shown at the festival.

Each year I try to see a shorts program since it is one of the few opportunities to see short films. I like the way Cinequest comes up with new ways to group the short films into three or four programs. In addition to the short films, there are plenty of feature films and documentaries to watch as well.

The hardest thing about Cinequest is trying to decide what to see since there are so many movies from which to choose. The festival runs today through March 12. I won't be able to catch any of the showings on weeknights, but I am looking forward to catching a few this weekend. I plan to catch a shorts program, and hope to hear from at least a few filmmakers.

83rd Academy Awards

I wasn't sure what to expect of Academy Award hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway, but they did okay with the opening montage. Using "Inception" as the concept for the montage made it really easy for the two to seamlessly mention every movie in the best picture category. Alec Baldwin and Morgan Freeman's cameos were very amusing. The best spoof was that of "The Fighter," in which Anne Hathaway channeled here inner Massachusetts rough girl and then socked James Franco.

Anne Hathaway's play on "On My Own," seemed only to be a way to lead into a joke with James Franco in a dress with a Marilyn Monroe wig on. It might have been worth it for his jab at Charlie Sheen who has lately been off his rocker more than normal.

Overall, the skits with Anne Hathaway and James Franco weren't all that funny. About 7:30 p.m., I was really ready for it to be over, but I stuck it out to see the top awards.

Now a bit about the winners in some categories:

Art direction
Alice in Wonderland takes home for the best art direction. Though I didn't like the movie all that much, it did look pretty cool.

Cinematography
"Inception" won and it is deserving for the crazy, upside down dream world the cinematographer caught on camera.


Supporting Actress
So it seems that the Academy does like to honor women who make themselves look awful on screen for the sake of their art. Melissa Leo wins for her turn in "The Fighter," as mother/manager of boxer Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg). For the movie she looks 20 years older with frosted blond hair and a trashy '80s wardrobe. She did a good job since there wasn't much likeable about her character.

Animated feature
The other films in this category never really had a chance. "Toy Story 3" has a history with it as the final chapter in a franchise that many film goers grew up with. It has a feeling of nostalgia that appeals to adults while the Buzz Lightyear and Woody characters certainly appeal to kids. Any movie - especially if its animated - that can make grown men cry deserves an award.


Adapted screenplay
No surprise that Aaron Sorkin won for best adapted screenplay for "The Social Network." The screenplay is based on a book about Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook. I'll give him credit for turning a movie that is essentially about lawsuits into a tense movie that was interesting to watch. Who knew computer geeks could have such intense lives?

Best original screenplay
I would have guessed "Inception" would take the win with its crazy dreamscape, but "The King's Speech," actually won. It is great to see David Seidler win for his screenplay since he waited so long to make the movie. He joked that he might be the oldest person to win the award. He had the idea for a film about Kind George, and his struggled with stammering, decades ago. But he held off until the King's wife passed away because she said it was too painful to relive the memories in her life time. The movie is a great watch, and my favorite of the year.


Supporting Actor
I said a couple months ago that if Christian Bale is nominated for an Oscar, the other actors should just bow out. Bale deserves the win for his turn as Dickie Ecklund, a former boxer who became a drug addict before getting clean. While the movie is focused on Micky Ward, Dickie's half brother, Bale really made it. It was great to see Bale get joked up as he accepted his award since he is such a great actor - it was a just to see him as himself. A testament to what a great actor he is - when he started speaking in his natural British accent, my mom said, "He's English? I didn't know that."

Visual effects
"Inception" takes home the prize over such movies as "Alice in Wonderland," "Harry Potter," and "Iron Man 2." It's not a surprise since the movie includes plenty of effects, what with the multiple layers of dreams in it. They deserve the award for the slow-motion fighting scene in the hotel hallway.

Directing
Tom Hopper takes home the award for "The King's Speech." He drew out some great performances from all of the actors with whom he worked. During his speech he talked about how his mother was actually the one to discover the movie and recommended it as his next film.

Best actress
I only saw two of the five performances in the best actress category, but Natalie Portman got my vote. Even though I didn't really enjoy Darren Aronofsky's take on Swan Lake, I though Portman did a great job in "Black Swan." She stretched herself for the role, losing tons of weight and practicing ballet moves for months. She balanced the vulnerable role of Nina with a dark decent into madness.

Best actor
First off, Sandra Bullock was the best presenter of the night as she introduces the nominees for best actor. She had a natural way with the usually canned banter that the presenters read off the teleprompter. Her jokes her funnier than anything else on the show and better delivered than anything the hosts had to say all night.

Now for the winner, Colin Firth won for "The King's Speech." He was nominated last year for "A Single Man," and while his performance was good in that movie, he was even better as the king with the stutter. He showed the restraint that is required of a royal, but had enough depth to play through the occasional outbursts. He made a movie about a man with a stutter exciting to watch.

Best motion picture
Of the 10 movies nominated, I saw eight of them. I had my own personal favorites, which I have blogged about before. "The King's Speech" was at the top of my list. I wasn't sure what to expect of it since I knew it was a movie about a king with a stuttering problem. But the movie is really about much more than that. Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth portray two men who become unlikely friends, forming a bond that last the rest of their lifetimes. The movie was my favorite of the year and I've been recommending it to everyone who asks about it. I was glad to see a movie I personally enjoyed win for best picture.

A breakfast item from north of the border

After eating a whole pile of sweets - Valentine's day chocolates, cupcakes, homemade banana bread, lemon bars and slices of lemon tart - not to mention eating out twice in one day last weekend - I thought it might be a good idea to find some healthy recipes for the week.

I spent some time on the Food Network under the "heart healthy" link and found quite a few dinners that seemed appealing. But I also found one breakfast option that seemed perfect for a light morning meal and also offered a chance to try out another ingredient. The recipe, from Ellie Krieger, was for healthy breakfast sandwiches and the ingredient is Canadian bacon. Sure it's not really an exotic ingredient, but it is one I haven't used before so it counts toward Resolution No. 12. In fact, I rarely cook bacon at all unless you count tossing some bacon bits on a meal.

I don't really like the smell of bacon frying and the need to get rid of all the grease that is leftover after cooking it. But Canadian bacon offers a lighter option without all the messy clean up.

So Sunday morning I put the recipe to the test after my boyfriend and I went for a three-mile run in Campbell (despite the temptation to stop at a place called Psycho Donuts that is right down the black from the track.) The recipe is basically a healthy take on egg McMuffins. It called for one whole egg and one white egg per serving - I even used brown eggs that my boyfriend's mom gave us when we visited a couple weeks ago from her chickens (those eggs also went into some of the lemon desserts.) To give the eggs lots of flavor, I finely chopped fresh parsley, chives and basil, mixing the herbs into the eggs. I cooked the mixture in an omelet pan and then folded it over into quarters to fit on a toasted double fiber English muffin (Orowheat actually makes great double fiber wheat bread and muffins.)

To cook the Canadian bacon, all I had to do was add a little cooking spray to the pan and brown it up over medium heat. It was way easier than using regular bacon and I actually liked the way it added just enough saltiness to the meal. From there, the egg and Canadian bacon was topped with a slice of tomato.

I thought it tasted great and it was filling even after a long workout. My boyfriend liked it, too, though he admitted that the few ways he thought to improve the dish (like adding cheese) would only make it unhealthy. In the future, I might compromise and add a little Parmesan cheese in with the egg mixture.

Photo by MelissaFlores

Healthy breakfast sandwiches include an herb omelet, Canadian bacon and tomato on a whole wheat muffin.

Hot stuff - trying out a new ingredient

In between all the eating out, I have been cooking at home but I haven't devoted much time to those five new ingredients (Resolution No.12) I want to try this year.

I actually bought a bag of sunchokes at the beginning of the year, but I didn't get to cooking it that week and by the time I got to them they just didn't look that appealing anymore. Sunchokes are not much like artichokes, but more of a root vegetable. The recipe I had for them also called for saffron, which turns out to be about $20 for a couple strands so if I see them in a grocery store I might buy the sunchokes but find a different recipe.

The one new ingredient I have cooked with so far this year is one that is quite familiar, but one that I usually avoid. Last month, when I was on a healthy cooking quick I decided to make some chicken and vegetable fajitas. The key to the recipe was to marinate the chicken and vegetables for a few hours with a strong mix of ingredients. The marinade included a mix of green onions, cilantro, spices and jalapeno. Now usually when a recipe calls for jalapenos, I just leave them out because the pepper is a little too hot for my palate. But this time since I was cooking for a couple people who like dishes that are a lot spicier, I decided to put in a little bit of it. After roasting the pepper over the flame on the gas burner, letting it sit in a plastic bag for a few minutes and peeling off the skin, I tossed in about one and a half peppers into the blender with the other ingredients. Perhaps it was the mix of other items, including honey and chicken broth, but the marinade had the slight flavor of the jalapeno without all the heat. Of course, I didn't actually use any of the seeds from the pepper.

For the same meal, I made a side dish of chile-cheese rice. The rice called for chunks of poblano peppers. I bought the largest peppers available in my grocery store, a couple of light green Anaheim chiles. Since I cooked a dish at a different kitchen than my own, I had to improvise on getting the skins off the without a gas flame. Instead I cooked the peppers in the oven for a few minutes, then slipped them into a plastic bag. When I pulled them out, the skin slipped off easily on one side of the pepper, but it wouldn't come off on the side that was face down on the cookie sheet in the oven. It seems it needs to get a little cooked on both sides so I had to put it back in the oven for a little more time.

The Anaheim chiles were mild enough for me and they packed in a lot of flavor into the rice dish. It was a perfect compliment to the chicken and vegetable fajitas. Since these ingredients are so similar, I'll count the jalapeno and Anaheim chiles as one so I've got four more to go before the end of the year.

Photos by MELISSA FLORES

Chicken fajitas with guacamole sauce and chile-cheese rice.

An easy resolution - eat out more

So far this year, some of my New Year's Resolutions have been easier to keep than others. I'll be honest and say I've been more focused on the early stages of a relationship than on meeting those 14 goals I set for myself. One of the easiest, of course, is the one thing on the list that fits easily in with dating.

Resolution No. 13 is to eat at five new restaurants this year and just two weeks into February, I'm more than half way there. A few weeks ago I dined at Flames Restaurant in downtown San Jose. I was torn whether to include this visit as one of the "new" restaurants I had tried because I visited the Flames Restaurant on Winchester Boulevard more than 10 years ago. But I didn't actually eat there. I barely had a drink there. I was out on a date with a guy who had taken me to dinner at the Elephant Bar Restaurant nearby. We were to follow up the meal with a movie, but it wasn't quite time for the next showing. He asked if I wanted to hang out at Flames to kill a bit of time. I said okay, assuming we would order a drink or dessert. Once we were seated inside, he said we should just order water because he didn't want to spend anymore money. For anyone who hasn't guessed it, that was the last date for him.

But my companion on a recent Sunday was much better company. We originally planned to have lunch at Flames, on the corner of Fourth and San Fernando streets, before a trip to the Tech Museum. We arrived to a busy crowd and put in our name for the half-hour wait. But as the wait stretched to 45 minutes, and we realized we really weren't that hungry since we had a late breakfast, we opted to leave before our names were called. Instead we returned later in the afternoon, when the crowd had moved on.

We ordered a tri-tip sandwich with sweet potato fries along with an appetizer of asparagus fries. For anyone who is wondering what asparagus fries are, they are dipped in batter and deep fried into crispy goodness, served with a dipping sauce. The sweet potato fries were tasty and seemed a little less greasy than typical French fries. The sandwich was tasty and filling enough to split. Though the restaurant had a full display of desserts in a case near the entrance - including cookies that we decided were about the equivalent of five regular-size cookies - I opted against dessert. I am sure we will go back and try out some more things in the future. I'd love to go back in the evenings for one of the exotic drinks on the menu.

A couple weeks later, I dined at a Mexican Restaurant in Merced called La Nita's Restaurant. The reason for being in Merced is a long story, but we were there in the late afternoon and I'd developed a headache from not eating enough or drinking enough water throughout the day so by the time I arrived at La Nita's, it was more about sustenance than good food. I ordered a two-item combo with an cheese enchilada and a shredded beef enchilada. Those were pretty average. But the one thing I loved on the plate was the rice, which was fluffy and moist in a way I can never manage to get Spanish rice to behave at home. I also liked the warm tortilla chips that a dinner companion claims are made fresh. If I end up back in Merced, which is not too likely, I'd eat there again.

I'm not really counting this in the tally, but I did eat at Bill's Cafe in Willow Glen over the weekend. I'd already eaten at another Bill's Cafe a few miles away, but my boyfriend said the one in Willow Glen has a better atmosphere. When we arrived for a Sunday morning brunch, I understood what he meant. Despite a large crowd, we were seated in under 20 minutes. Prior to seating, we ordered drinks from the bar - a mimosa for me and a drink of beer and lime juice in a glass rimmed with salt for the boys. We were seated on the patio, perfect for the unseasonably warm weather.

Bill's menu is great and there are so many more things on it that I'd like to try. They offer half a dozen different takes on eggs Benedict, a bread pudding French toast and tons more. Last weekend I went with an egg white scramble which included tomatoes, Jack cheese and mushrooms. It seemed like a lighter option given the mimosas. The waiter was attentive and the service was quick, without feeling like we were being rushed out.

Photo by MELISSA FLORES

Enchiladas, rice and beans from La Nita Restaurant in Merced.

When a restaurant is named 'burger' its easy to guess what's on the menu

When I went to Santa Cruz a few weeks ago, I figured it would be a great opportunity to meet a one of my New Year's resolutions to eat at five new restaurants (Resolution No. 13.) Driving on Hwy. 1 toward Natural Bridges State Beach, I noticed a brick red restaurant along the road called simply Burger.

So after walking around to visit the monarchs and visiting the beach for a time, I was ready for a late lunch. As I drove back up Hwy. 1, Burger again got my attention. My boyfriend and I decided to stop there since we were pretty sure we knew what would be on the menu.

Burger has just that on the menu - plenty of burgers. But they also have a full dinner menu with a lot of other items. The burgers are just the typical cheeseburger, bacon burger or barbecue burger. The menu runs the gamut from burgers topped with unique items such as the Don Ho - garlic aoili sliders with a slice of pineapple on top - or the Bada Bing Boy - meatball sliders served with garlic fries. There were also vegetarian burgers, salmon burgers and turkey burgers.

In addition to the burgers, there are milkshakes on the menu and though we didn't try it, they even serve beer shakes and beer floats. There is a bar full of a variety of beers, although my boyfriend laughed that several of the TVs in the bar area were atypically showing something other than sports.

Customers order at a central cash register area and then are given a picture of a movie star instead of the typical number to let staff know where to deliver the goods. We got an '80s shot of Winona Ryder, pre-shoplifting charges. Other tables had Keanu Reeves circa "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" or other stars from yesteryear.

The bathroom walls had a monster theme, including werewolves painted in the bathroom.

More important than the decor was the fact that burgers were really tasty. The burgers are made with free-range beef. My sliders were tender and tasty. The hawaiian sweet bread complimented the tart pineapple well. The fries were crisp. The only complaint I had was that my meal came out well before my strawberry shake.

The sliders we order were reasonably priced and if we didn't have to drive home on Hwy. 17, I'm sure the drinks or beer would have been great, too.

Photo by Melissa Flores
The Don Ho sliders
The Bada Bing Boy sliders

Academy Awards noms get some right, some wrong

I see a lot of movies, but most years I don’t see a lot of Oscar nominated movies until after the awards ceremony or when they come out on DVD. But this year I managed to see eight of the 10 movies nominated for best picture.

Now first, I have to say that I still don’t really like that the Academy decided to open up the field from five nominations to 10. I understand the reasoning of doing it so that more popular movies have a shot so that it’s not just all about high-brow art movies that no one ever sees. But the truth is most years there aren’t even 10 good movies, let alone 10 that deserve to win a best picture award. So in some ways the increased number of movies nominated kinda dilutes what it means to be Oscar-nominated. Of course, we all know some of the movies don’t really have a chance.

Though I loved “Toy Story 3,” and I am happy to admit it tugged at my heart strings in a way that most movies don’t manage to do, I don’t really think it deserves a best picture nomination. As an animated film, its unfair to compare it to movies that have to deal with actually actors. Sure, the voices are great in “Toy Story,” but it’s really not acting in the same sense as say, Natalie Portman in “Black Swan,” or Jeff Bridges in “True Grit.

The two movies on the list that I haven’t seen yet include “127 Hours,” which is now in general release, and “Winter’s Bone.”

Of the best picture movies I have seen, my vote still goes to the one I thought should have won the Golden Globe. “The King’s Speech” was the best 2010 movie I saw, and perhaps I am biased because I’ve always loved Colin Firth in anything, but the movie was the one that seemed to tie everything together – acting, directing, screenplay – and so I think it deserves the win.

The one movie I did see that I really don’t think deserves the nomination is “The Kids Are Alright.” I know the critics loved it and all the reviews talk about how it was a movie that broke down the barriers of what it means to be a family or a married couple – but my big gripe with it remains that at its center I find it hard to believe that a lesbian woman (Julianne Moore) would just fall into bed with the first donor dad (Mark Ruffalo) that comes along. Really?

As for “Black Swan,” I have mixed feelings about it. I think Natalie Portman did a great
job as a driven ballerina, and she deserves the nod for best actress. But overall, I just didn’t really enjoy the movie. Maybe Darren Aronofsky’s deeper meaning was lost on me, or maybe I’m looking for a deeper meaning where there is none.

“The Fighter” is another movie that deserves the supporting actor nods for Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Amy Adams, but overall the movie isn’t strong enough to win the best picture nod. It feels like a story that’s been told before.

“Inception” is a story that feels completely new, even though its heart it really is a story about a man trying to get over his heartache. This movie should win for best original screenplay and art direction, but it’s not as strong a contender as some of the other films. In a field of five, this more mainstream movie probably would not have been nominated.

“The Social Network” won the Golden Globe for best dramatic movie so it’s likely to make a showing at the Oscars. The movie was good, given that it was basically about two lawsuits filed against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin took something everyone is familiar with and gave sort of an insider’s view of how it started. I think people – and critics – like the movie because of the juxtaposition that one of the biggest ways people stay connected with friends was founded by a guy who allegedly screwed over his friends. Personally, I think Facebook is overhyped enough without the movie winning a best picture Oscar.

“True Grit” was the last movie I saw in 2010, on New Year’s Eve, and it was one of my favorites. I guess I just like Jeff Bridges as a grizzly old man. I did enjoy newcomer Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross. I don’t like westerns, and I enjoyed this movie, so maybe that’s why I think of it as a favorite. But Bridges character might have been a little too close to his turn as the alcoholic country singer in “Crazy Heart” last year to edge this into the best picture win.

For best picture, my pick is “The King’s Speech,” though I think the Academy will go with “The Social Network.”

Some thoughts on other categories:
Lead Actor – I saw three of the two movies in which people are nominated. Colin Firth is the clear lead for his turn as a stutterer in “The King’s Speech.” Not only was his stuttering superbly painful to watch, but he also showed the way in which royalty can stunt one’s emotional growth.

Supporting actor – I saw four of the five movies nominated and I think if ever Christian Bale is nominated, the Academy should just cross out all the other nominees. I’ve never seen Bale turn in a bad performance and he changes not only his appearance, but all his mannerisms when he becomes a character. According to magazine reports, residents of Lowell mistook Bale for Dickie Ecklund, the jittery boxer turned drug addict he plays in the movie. I believe it.

Lead actress – I saw only two of the five movies in this category so it’s kind of hard for me to make an informed comment on this category. I didn’t really like “The Kids Are Alright” or “Black Swan,” the movies I did see. I give the edge to Natalie Portman over Annette Bening, though Bening won the Golden Globe and is probably a shoo-in for the Oscar.

Supporting actress – I saw four of the five movies and my vote goes to Helena Bonham Carter, in “The King’s Speech.” She proved that she can play a role that is not outlandish (as she often plays in Tim Burton films) and still be phenomenal. I like Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit,” but I just don’t like that studios can campaign to have an actor in the supporting actress role instead of lead so they have a better shot at it. Steinfeld was clearly a lead actress in “True Grit,” as a main character, but the studio campaigned for her to be in the supporting character because of her age. She is still unlikely to win.

Animated feature film – I didn’t see “The Illusionist,” and I probably never will since I tried once to watch “The Triplets of Belleville” from the same creator and I just didn’t like it. “How to Train Your Dragon” is a fun film, but it’s “Toy Story 3” that really has heart.

Art direction – I don’t really know what the academy members think about when they choose best art direction, but I think “Inception” was pretty damn artful in creating dreamscapes that feel real, but are just off enough to feel like an alternate reality. The thing that makes me vote for “Inception” is that it created so many different realities, including the heartbreaking world that Cobb longs for with his wife and children.

The winners in these categories, and all the rest, will be announced Feb. 27, at 5 p.m.

Golden Globes miss the mark with two 'best' categories

Award season is officially started with the Golden Globes, the awards ceremony put on by the Hollywood Foreign Press to honor work from the small and big screen.

Click on movie titles to read the movie reviews that ran in the Pinnacle newspaper.


The Golden Globes are no Oscars for a couple of reasons. First, they honor both television shows and films. Second, they divide up movies into two categories - drama and comedy/musical. It is the later with which I have some issues. I like the way the Oscars does it - all the best picture movies go into the same pool so there is only one best picture. With the Globes, you get two best pictures of the year, though one is almost inevitably better than the other. With the two categories, there are certainly movies nominated that don't really deserve the nod.

The two categories follow into the best actor, best actress, supporting and director categories, so again twice as many people are nominated as would be for the Oscars. The field would certainly be more narrow if there were just one category for all those - and though I loved "Easy A," I am not sure Emma Stone gave one of the best actress performances in 2010.

The one thing that miffed me the most at the Golden Globes is that many of the movies, actors or actresses nominated for comedy/musical didn't actually seem to be in movies that fit the category. The best picture winner was "The Kids Are Alright," a movie that critics seem to love but that I didn't really like all that much. The movie is much more of a drama, with its storyline of two teens raised by lesbians who decide they want to meet their donor dad. The donor dad disrupts the family in all kinds of crazy ways and the movie isn't very funny. If the movie had been nominated in the drama category it would not have won out.

The best actresses nominated in the comedy/musical category also seemed not to be in very funny movies. I enjoyed Anne Hathaway's "Love and Other Drugs," and it had a few funny moments but overall it was more of a melodrama than a ha-ha film. Two of the actresses (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore) nominated were from "The Kids Are Alright," which I've already said I don't believe should have been dubbed a comedy. The other movies included "The Tourist" with Angelina Jolie, which I thought was an action film and the aforementioned "Easy A."

I saw four of the five movies nominated for best picture - comedy or musical and I think my vote would have gone to "Red" because it was the movie of the bunch that made me laugh the most. Helen Mirren sports semi-automatic weapons - what could be funnier than that.

For once, I saw all the movies nominated in the best picture - drama category. I enjoyed all the movies, except for "Black Swan," which I have to admit was a little "artsy" for me. Natalie Portman's acting was great, but I didn't really get or like the ending of the film. "The Social Network" won for the category and I can only imagine it was because everyone is so familiar with Facebook and hardly anyone knows someone with a stutter or a British monarch, the subject of the movie that should have won the honor. "The King's Speech" was the best of the movies I saw that were released in 2010. It turned a movie about the British monarchy and a man with a stutter into a taut movie that kept me engaged throughout. At least Colin Firth won the best actor award for his performance.

If I were to rank the best picture - drama nominees in order of my favorites it would be "The King's Speech," "Inception," "The Fighter," "The Social Network" and in a very distance last place "Black Swan."

I'll look forward to seeing how my favorite picks line up with the Oscar nominations, especially since he best picture field has been expanded to 10 since last year. I am sure a lot of the same movies will be nominated, but it will be interesting to see what of the actors/directors/actresses get dropped when the other categories drop down to only five slots.

Chewy chow mein - a new ingredient goes awry

I started off my resolution to cook with five new ingredients with a recipe for vegetable chow mein. The recipe served two purposes - the first was to kick off the new year by eating some more vegetables to make up for all the junk food I ate through the holidays - and the second was to try out a new ingredient, per Resolution No. 12.

I've cooked with plenty of noodles before, mostly the kinds of dry pasta available in the dry goods aisle. Angel hair, spaghetti, penne, ziti, orzo ... get the picture. I have never cooked with chow mein noodles, which are made with a different ingredients than pasta. I bought a couple packages of fresh noodles that were in the organic refrigerator section, near the tofu and organic polenta. The directions from the recipe and on the packaging were simple enough. I was supposed to add the noodles to boiling water, separating them and cooking for three to four minutes.

But when my mom and I put the noddles into the water, instead of separate apart, they clumped together into a ball of gooey mess. Or more accurately, several balls of gooey mess. I thought we might be able to salvage the noodles by tossing them into the saute pan with the vegetables and sauce. The noddles just stayed stuck together, but worse than that they were starchy and not very palatable. The sauce, which included ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, chicken broth and soy sauce, and the vegetables tasted great so we just picked those out and left behind the noodles.

I would try the recipe again without the noodles, or perhaps using dry noodles. I might even stop by an Asian food store in hopes are finding something better than I can get in the limited section at the grocery store.

One ingredient down, four to go.

Photo by Melissa Flores

Chow mein includes a mix of vegetables.

Trying to find some balance in the pilates studio

Since last year I've wanted to take pilates. Last summer for my birthday my parents actually gave me a gift certificate to do some pilates lessons with a trainer at Snap Fitness, the gym where I work out. But I ended up using it for the first of many boot camp sessions and since I liked the boot camp, I stuck with that.

The trainer I work with opened a yoga and pilates studio a few months ago and I had been meaning to check out one of the classes at her place, Invoke Yoga and Pilates Studio, in Gilroy. The classes are $15 each for drop in, or $130 for 10 prepaid classes. But I still didn't manage to stop by to try out either the yoga or pilates classes. So I had it in my head that I should make it a New Year's resolution to at least try one of the classes out (Resolution No. 1.)

Then around the holidays my trainer offered me a free session on the reformer, the machine that was originally adapted by Joseph Pilates to help WWII soldiers recuperate from injuries. And then the same week, my company offered employees a choice of membership at several local gyms or fitness centers as our annual Christmas gift. Invoke Yoga and Pilates was one of the options to take a class once a week for a year. It seemed like I had no excuses left.

So last Thursday I made a point to stop for the pilates class at 6 p.m., to be followed by a one-on-one hour session on the reformer with my trainer. I wasn't sure what to expect of the class, but I dressed in my regular gym clothes and brought a bottle of water. The yoga mats were provided and there was only one other person there for class which made it less stressful for a first session. For class, we did a variety of stretches and exercises from a standing position and lying down on the mat. The only equipment we needed was the mat and some rubber bands to add resistance to some of the movements. Some of the exercises were familiar from my boot camp class, since it is with the same trainer. I had no problems with the ab work or the arm work, though I was surprised at how much some of the simple movements could make my muscles tired without lifting any muscles, just due to the number of repetitions.

My biggest challenge in the class were some of the balance exercises. I am not very coordinated and I am not very good at anything that requires balance. So when the trainer had us get into downward facing dog pose, I was fine - until she asked us to lift one foot off the ground and then one arm ... It was about then that I started to topple over. There was one other pose with arms out and one leg lifted that was also tough for me. But I am confident if I keep going to the class every Thursday, I will see the same improvements I've seen in the exercises I do regularly in boot camp. And perhaps the best thing about pilates is that the slow, controlled movements are much more relaxing than the high-energy boot camp. It's a nice way to workout in the late evening.

So after my classmate departed, the trainer pulled out the reformer. The machine has a bench that slides back and forth, as well as some straps that can be wrapped around the feet or hands. Underneath the bench are different springs that can be adjusted to increase the resistance. It's kind of hard to describe, but this video shows some examples of exercises that can be done. I went throw several sets of exercises for legs, arms and the core. The best thing about the reformer was the ability to get some really good stretches that are nearly impossible to get on my own. It did feel a little weird doing some of the exercises because I was not quite sure how the machine would move, even though the trainer demonstrated each exercise for me. Overall, the two hours left me exhausted, but I wasn't really too sore the next day. I did have a little bit of a dull ache in most of my muscles the next day, the sign of a good work out.

The trainer offers one-on-one sessions with the reformer but for now I am going to stick with the class. I can't wait to go to class again this Thursday.

Another year, another round of resolutions

Until last year, I was never one for resolutions. But when I sent out a bunch of goals for myself last year - mostly ones that would be fun to complete - it was kind of cool to have something to work for all year outside of work stuff.

So this year, I wanted to set out to complete another batch of resolutions. Some of them are the ones I didn't get to last year, such as learning to make gnocchi or cleaning out the garage. Others are ones that I completed successfully last year, but that I'd like to try again such as cooking with new ingredients and eating out at new restaurants. It was a nice touch to get me to try new things, since I tend to be a creature of habit. The first part of the list are new things I'd like to do this year, and I am sure I will continue to add to it in the next few weeks. But for now here is the list as I start out with 2011.

1.) Take pilates.

This one should be easy enough to complete since my company's Christmas bonus to us is a membership to a yoga/pilates studio where I can take one class a week for a year. Plus, the instructor of a boot camp class I take at my gym, who happens to work at the pilates studio, is offering me a free session of pilates. I'm hoping to add pilates in as a regular part of my workout routine.

2.) Work up to a five-mile run.

I successfully completed a 5K run last year and went on to run in two more throughout the year. I love the challenge of trying to beat my time each time and I would eventually like to work up to a 10K. But for now, I will try to get past the 4-mile mark, which is the furthest distance I've ever run at one time.

3.) Plant a new type of vegetable in my garden.

I don't really have the greenest thumb, but I'd like to try growing something in addition to tomatoes and basil. I'm not sure what I'll put in, but when spring comes around I will check out what kind of transplants are available at local stores.

4.) Take a day trip to San Francisco.
I've lived in the Bay Area all my life, but I rarely make it up to San Francisco. There are things I've never done there, such as visiting Alcatraz Island or seeing the museums in Golden Gate Park so this year I'll make a point to get up to the city more often.


5.) Learn to make gnocchi from scratch.

This is a resolution left over from last year and hopefully I will complete it this year - as soon as my aunt is free to teach me how to make the potato gnocchi that is the family recipe. I'd also like to learn to make a basil potato gnocchi my cousin made for the holidays.

6.) Watch all the Academy Award best picture winners.

I didn't make any progress on this one because I was too busy watch old TV shows on DVD and Netflix instant play. I vow to start watching some of the best pictures this year - before another one is added to the list with the 2010 Academy Awards.

7.) Clean out the garage.
I didn't work on this because, well, cleaning out the garage is just not an attractive chore. But I would still like to make some progress on getting rid of some of the things in my parent's garage this year and de-clutter the house a little bit.

8.) Write a short story.
I wrote a few things that could count as short stories, but nothing really felt complete to me. I'd like to continue to write some fiction stories since it's something I really enjoyed when I was younger.

9.) Scan old photos of family and friends.
We have storage bins full of photos in my house and I'd like to scan them - not necessarily to post on Facebook. It just seems like a good idea to scan some of the old photos before the quality degrades anymore and it would make it easier to share them with people.

10.) Read 10 new books.
I finished off this resolution easily last year, but I did enjoy reading a lot of different things in 2010. I actually read two more books after completing the resolution. This year, I'd like to make a point to read some lighter fare since a lot of what I read last year seemed to be pretty serious and dark. Perhaps I'll try out some New York Times bestsellers.

11.) Take a class.
Last year I took a cupcake decorating class. This year I'd like to take something else, though I am not sure what. I might check out other cooking classes offered through the local community college or Sur La Table, which offers classes on the weekends.

12.) Cook with five new ingredients.
This resolution last year helped me discover a few things I really like, such as roasted root vegetables, and some things I really disliked, such as quinoa. But all in all, it was a great chance to try some new things and I'd like to do it again. I haven't identified what new ingredients I want to use, but I am sure I'll be able to find five things I haven't used before since I am such a picky eater.

13.) Eat at five new restaurants.
I really liked trying out new places last year and found some restaurants I really liked - though some are far-flung in Indiana or San Diego. I did find some new places nearby that I liked and I am hoping to visit a few new places in 2011.

14.) Keep up the gym routines.
I did really well with keeping up my gym routine -which included running, weight training and other exercise machines five or six days a week, yoga three times a week and walking the dog in the morning every day of the week. I even signed up for a boot camp class at my gym that meets twice a week and pretty much kicks my butt. For the last two months, I know I've gotten a little lax with my workouts because of the holidays, a prolonged cold and spending time with someone, so now that the holidays and the cold are gone, I'd like to refocus on the routine.