Jacques Pepin, one of my all-time favorite chefs, is turning ninety this month. His skills would be almost intimidating if he wasn't such a nice person and so down to earth. He can cut up a chicken in thirty seconds and he'll show the rest of us how to do it too. Maybe it'll take … Continue reading Cooking With (Another) French Chef: Three Favorite Jacques Pepin Recipes
Who Likes Leftovers? (Turkey Shepherd’s Pie and Turkey Pockets)
As those of you who read my "Cooking With the French Chef" post yesterday know, for this month's installment, I transformed three chickens into five meals. We're all looking for ways to use up leftover turkey for the holidays, and I thought I'd throw my hat into the idea ring, only using chicken as a … Continue reading Who Likes Leftovers? (Turkey Shepherd’s Pie and Turkey Pockets)
Which Screen Burger Would You Eat?
Who doesn't like a good burger? I had an In-N-Out Double Double today and it was fabulous (Cue knowing nods from any Californians). Anyway, I kept thinking about all the times burgers appear on TV and in movies, and decided to compile a list of some of them and a couple of near-burgers. Some of … Continue reading Which Screen Burger Would You Eat?
Let Them Eat Movie Cake
In a previous post we talked about how we never see crab cakes in movies. Regular cake, on the other hand, is obviously a different story. If there's a wedding, there will probably be a cake. If there's a birthday, there will probably be a cake. If there's an office party, there will probably be … Continue reading Let Them Eat Movie Cake
Hanging Out In Julia Child’s Kitchen
"Julia Child's kitchen" is a truly magical phrase, right up there with "Aladdin's cave" or "the lost city of Atlantis." Or maybe even "Powell's City of Books," but I digress. Anyway, America has plenty of iconic chefs, and after Hannah Glass, Amelia Simmons, and Fannie Farmer, Julia Child is a towering presence in more ways … Continue reading Hanging Out In Julia Child’s Kitchen
Movies That Need Fish Cakes
Has anyone ever seen a fish cake in a movie? I have yet to see one. Fish, yes. Fish cakes, no. Maybe it's because they're too easy to mistake for other things, or they're too high maintenance for multiple takes, or they're too rich to nibble on all day. Who knows. Either way, they're not … Continue reading Movies That Need Fish Cakes
Tea In Wonderland
Probably the most infamous scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland is the Mad Tea Party, and we all know how it happens. Alice comes upon the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the Doormouse, sits down to have tea with them, and is rather put out at their rudeness. Here's an audio version of … Continue reading Tea In Wonderland
A Gallery of Graduations
Graduation, of course, is on the horizon for so many, my son and nephew included, and the bittersweet feelings are thick right now, as is the nostalgia. What better way to tap into that than watch some movies centered around graduation? Or at least have a graduation scene in them? It all works. In that … Continue reading A Gallery of Graduations
Some Things Were Lost (Three Out-of-Print Recipes)
It seems funny to us in this age of DVDs and Blu-rays, but there was a time when studios thought the moviegoing public wouldn't be interested in deleted scenes. In the documentary, When the Lion Roars, Debbie Reynolds remembered that MGM and other studios would burn trimmed scenes in trashcans. It's amazing any of it … Continue reading Some Things Were Lost (Three Out-of-Print Recipes)
Five Movies That Get Nature Calling (In More Ways Than One)
We all know that movies can do funny things to us. And some say that the test of a good movie, or a good performance in general, is how much it keeps a person in their seat, even when nature calls. Sometimes nature calls in a different way, of course, but either way, it calls. … Continue reading Five Movies That Get Nature Calling (In More Ways Than One)
Mushroom Love In the Movies
As we talked about yesterday, who doesn't love mushrooms? Hollywood sure does, and here are a few of the times mushrooms have adorned the silver screen, magic and otherwise. Obviously this isn't an exhaustive list, but just a snapshot (Hollywood really loves mushrooms). And as a bonus, I didn't think stills would do our favorite … Continue reading Mushroom Love In the Movies
Fifteen “Gilmore Girls” Songs
It's hard to believe Gilmore Girls is turning twenty-five this year. The show is going strong on Netflix and just recently appeared on Hulu as well, plus people are still asking for a second reunion show nine years and counting following 2016's A Year In the Life. It's pretty safe to say Stars Hollow isn't going … Continue reading Fifteen “Gilmore Girls” Songs
I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas Sandwich
When we think of White Christmas, we naturally think of the great music and the comedy and all the elements that made that movie the classic that it is. What's not as readily apparent, though, is that these characters do a lot of eating. There's food all over this movie. We can't always tell what it is … Continue reading I’m Dreaming Of A White Christmas Sandwich
An Ode To Sidekicks (Lemon Butter Orzo and Sauteed Mushrooms)
The holiday season has arrived! It's finally cold in my neck of the woods, and everyone I know is extremely happy about it. It's been a long, hot summer. I was going to do something about Gilmore Girls for this month's Club 15 post, but that will all have to wait, because a Campbell's Soup … Continue reading An Ode To Sidekicks (Lemon Butter Orzo and Sauteed Mushrooms)
Dining With Dracula (Mom and Grandma’s Baked Chicken)
Next to garlic, chicken is the food named more than any other in Bram Stoker's novel and in Dracula lore (See a list of other foods mentioned here). Why was it such a favorite? Who knows. Bram Stoker may have just liked it. When Bram Stoker's original novel was published in 1897, chicken was a … Continue reading Dining With Dracula (Mom and Grandma’s Baked Chicken)
Chatting With the Oracle (Judy’s Chocolate Chip Cookies)
And here's our first post in the Club 15 Tier! Why is it called Club 15? Well, it's a reference to 2015, the year Taking Up Room began. All right, I hope you enjoy... We all have something resembling an Oracle in our lives, whether it's a flesh-and-blood person or something intangible. When everything feels … Continue reading Chatting With the Oracle (Judy’s Chocolate Chip Cookies)
Taking Up Room 