A long overdue food-related post

As I mentioned in a previous post, the reason I haven't talked about food in a while is because I was going through a rather intense elimination diet to help pinpoint my IBS triggers. I kind of lost the joy of food last year as I attempted to seek out the things that continued to make my digestive system attack itself. Food was strictly utilitarian until I could figure out what was making me so sick all the time.

I'm happy to say that I've finally started to pinpoint the things that were causing me problems, but more importantly, I know better how to manage my eating so that I can indulge in an amazing meal every now and again as long as I practice more restraint in my every day eating habits. For anyone battling IBS and are beginning to feel hopeless about your condition (I know I was), I highly recommend seeking out a nutritionist who can help you with the Low FODMAP diet. It's not a cure or a magic pill, but it is incredibly empowering to understand your body better. I am so thrilled with how much hope this experience has given me.

So, one of the glorious things I've discovered about this diet is that even though lactose is considered a no-no in the beginning total elimination phase, most hard cheeses have virtually no lactose in them, so I was able to indulge in cheese every day with no problems. That was truly my saving grace. I pretty much don't drink milk anymore because it is a huge trigger for me, and have finally discovered a dairy free milk I can tolerate: rice milk. So much so that the other night I mixed it with some Kahlua and couldn't tell the difference between rice milk and regular milk. ;)


I also was told of this delicious, refreshing Low FODMAP salad from the very awesome Raina Telgemeier: pineapple, bell pepper, green onion, with your favorite herbs (I used mint and cilantro).


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Unrelated to above, last night my husband and I watched The Hundred-Foot Journey and wow! If you are a foodie, that movie is a must-see. It's actually one of the few movies I enjoyed more than the book. I think this is because Helen Mirren played Madame Mallory so much better than the one-dimensional character the narrator made her seem when I listened to the audiobook. Helen Mirren brings out more dimensions in her character than what I experienced listening to the book. Not only that, but you leave the movie feeling absolutely famished. :)

 It probably goes without saying but Chef  is also another must-see movie for foodies. The food porn in it is definitely meant to titillate the senses for sure! Watching both of these movies recently has helped to remind me of why I am a foodie in the first place: because good food is such a rich, sensory experience. As a writer and lover of words, I get excited over the prospect of not only tasting delicious food, but being able to describe it.

Making a case for the MOCKINGJAY soundtrack

I went with my husband to see Catching Fire for the second time yesterday. Even though I had already seen the movie the opening weekend, my husband hadn't and really wanted to see it. So I graciously told him I would accompany him even though I had already seen it. ;)  I am happy to say it was even better the second time around -- maybe because the first time I saw it I was so tired I kept nodding off. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie considering I really preferred the first book to the second, especially when they got to the Quarter Quell.

As the movie ended with its infamous cliffhanger and the last image you see is Katniss's fierce expression, I was reminded again how much I REALLY hope my favorite Muse song "Uprising" is on the Mockingjay soundtrack. I mean, that song is a slam sunk. Not only is the song a battle cry, but with a chorus like:

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

It's kind of perfect, don't you think?

And then there's my favorite line of the whole song:
Rise up and take the power back
It's time the fat cats had a hard attack
You know well
Their time's coming to an end
It's time we unify to watch our flag ascend
So I'm saying this now: whoever's responsible for creating the soundtrack to Mockingjay, you have failed if you don't include "Uprising" on the soundtrack, OK?

Oh, and as a side note, how many of you are totally coveting Katniss's scarf/shawl/thingie she wears in the opening scene of Catching Fire?

I know I am!

Movie Review turned rant: The Five-Year Engagement

When Tom (Jason Siegel), a successful up-and-coming chef in San Francisco proposes to the love of his life, Violet (Emily Blunt), they both assume they will get married, stay in their hometown, and live happily ever after. But when Violet gets an acceptance letter to the University of Michigan for a 2-year doctoral fellowship in experimental psychology, Tom, being the supportive fiance, moves with her to Michigan.

Since San Francisco is one of the few towns in America where chefs go to get noticed, Tom feels like he's giving up his dream for the sake of Violet's, especially when his quest for an executive chef job in Ann Arbor results in accepting a job at Zingerman's Deli instead.

Soon two years in Ann Arbor turns to four, and as they continue to postpone the wedding until they can move back home, Tom's resentment towards Violet builds to a comedic madness. Will Tom and Violet ever get married, or will their continued time in Michigan cause them to grow further and further apart?

When a friend of mine told me that the movie The Five Year Engagement takes place in Ann Arbor, I knew I had to watch it. The premise behind the story didn't interest me so much as the hometown setting did. In fact, I'm fairly certain I never would have watched this movie had it not been for where the story took place, as all romantic comedies seem to have the same storyline these days.

There was a handful of funny, laugh-out-loud scenes but I have to say, I was quite irked at the way my beloved Ann Arbor was portrayed in this movie. I might just be an unsophisticated Midwesterner, but the way we are often portrayed by people from more cosmopolitan cities like New York, L.A., and San Francisco is quite one-dimensional and "lesser than." I felt that same sense of superiority from the creators of this movie. For being "just a Midwestern town", Ann Arbor is very sophisticated, intellectual, and has quite a diverse and exciting food scene. Despite the fact that we will never be able to compete with cities like New York and San Francisco, I love that we are a small town with a "big city feel". There are many exciting things happening on the food scene in Ann Arbor if people would just bother to look. Given that Zingerman's is a nationally and internationally known delicatessen, I was surprised at how inferior they were made to appear, and many of the well-known, real-life, downtown establishments were treated with the same disrespect as a montage of fictional Ann Arbor chefs and owners laughed in his Siegel's face and called him #@%^&*! crazy for moving to Michigan from San Francisco. Granted, much of this attitude has to do with Siegel's character's own perception and resentment of having to give up his burgeoning career to move to Michigan, but the creators of this film never did anything to right that perception once *spoiler alert* Tom came to his senses about his and Violet's relationship.

Despite my distaste for making Michigan a punching bag in this movie, it was still an entertaining storyline that kept me laughing throughout. Still, for as much as I love to complain about my home state, it's a lot like siblings: you complain about them, call them annoying, and tell them how much you hate them, but when someone tries to mess with them, you will do whatever it takes to defend their honor. That is exactly how I feel about my home state, and that's why I spent a great deal of time annoyed while sitting through this movie.

Hugo Trailer

I had heard recently that The Invention of Hugo Cabret was becoming a movie, but I didn't realize that it was coming out so soon - in November. What struck me dumb, however, was that Martin Scorsese directed it! That's just strange to me.

I just watched the trailer. It looks like it will be a stunning adaptation but nothing will ever match the magic of the book. What do you think?

The movie was better than the book? Say it isn't so!

A couple months ago, I declared here on my blog that I had abandoned the book Julie & Julia due to its crassness. Given what an iconic, almost regal figure Julia Child was, it almost felt blasphemous to read such obscenities and narcissism in Powell's memoir of her year cooking Julia's recipes.

So this is one of the few times that I'm actually declaring my love for a movie more than the book. I curled up on the couch this afternoon and popped in the DVD of Julie & Julia that I checked out from the library, and it is one of the most feel-good movies I've watched in a long time. I can't remember the last time I sat down to watch a movie and thoroughly enjoyed every single moment.

Meryl Streep was brilliant, the food made my mouth water, it was funny and endearing without TRYING to be. And yet another pleasant surprise was Jane Lynch's performance as Julia's sister Dorothy. Given how accustomed I've become to watching her play larger-than-life, comedic characters (a la Glee and The 40-Year-Old Virgin), it was lovely to see her play such a dignified, subtle role.

I guess it's only fitting that I watched Julie & Julia today given Meryl Streep's Golden Globe win last night. She not only played Julia, she became her. I loved every second of seeing her on film.

Now that I'm thoroughly starving after watching all of the delectable (and even not-so-delectable, hello, aspic?) food scenes, I'm ready to purchase a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, or at the very least, check it out from the library.

Bon Appetit!