DINNER AND SOME MOVIES

I keep printing out recipes from the internet and clipping recipes from magazines and newspapers. I have so many recipes that I want to try, and I'm really, really going to try to work my way through all the recipes I have before I add more...unless of course I find something that's just too irresistible.

Today I tried one of the many recipes I have for chicken. We all know what a wonderful convenience boneless skinless chicken breasts can be, and we also know how BORING they can be! This dish, prepared on top of the stove uses just two pans...one for the chicken and one for the pasta. It can be prepared in less than 40 minutes and is different but not weird.

In Italy there are many meat recipes that are prepared on the stovetop. the reason for this is that until fairly recently, ovens weren't all that common in most Italian kitchens. Most kitchens had a cooktop and a fireplace, and the baking was done either in an outdoor bread oven, or going back even further, in a communal oven.

CHICKEN W/SUN-DRIED TOMATOES & BALSAMIC VINEGAR


4 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, sliced
½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
½ cup pine nuts
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup capers
¼ cup brandy (one of those little airplane-sized bottles is perfect!)
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup crushed tomatoes
¼ cup chopped basil
salt & pepper
¾ lb. shell pasta

In a large skillet combine olive oil, onion, garlic, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts. Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes.

Add the chicken, vinegar and capers and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add brandy, stock, crushed tomatoes, basil and salt & pepper. Simmer 15-20 minutes.

Cook pasta while the sauce simmers. Drain the pasta and combine w/sauce. Serve w/grated cheese.

Now for the movie portion of our report. While we were in the states we saw several movies, not as many as I would have liked, but we did make a dent in our long list. The first movie on my list was "The Departed", directed by Martin Scorsese. Yes, I know his movies are brutal and bloody, but I just love them. "The Departed" was no exception. Another interesting character study, showing a world as repulsive as it is fascinating.

The next film we saw was "Flags of Our Fathers", the story of the flag-planting on Iwo Jima during World War ll. After about thirty minutes I thought the reviewers had been wrong...I thought I wasn't going to like the movie because I was having a hard time keeping all the characters straight. They all seemed to be mud covered men in uniforms, and I was having a a tough time. By the end of the movie though, I was clear on the characters and truly interested in the story. This is one of those movies like "Saving Private Ryan" that every gung-ho, testosterone-filled teenage boy ought to be required to see before signing the final enlistment papers. Definitely a winner.

My sister and I went to see "The Queen". Just before we left I said to Art "Why am I going to see a movie about a bunch of ruthless cold-hearted people who I already know I don't like, especially when I know this movie is set during a time when they displayed their faults for all the world to see?" Not surprisingly, I didn't like this movie. Yes, Helen Mirren gave a great performance, but let's face it, an iceberg could have portrayed Elizabeth ll and got it right. The movie just seemed pointless to me. We already know that Elizabeth didn't like Diana. That Elizabeth's a cold fish. That the queen mother wasn't quite the cute little grandma she was made out to be. That Charles is a spineless, cheating dog. Really, what WAS the point of this movie???

We also saw the latest installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean", and we may be the only two people to be let down by it, but we were. Maybe we should have re-watched the original, but somehow this second installment just didn't work for us. And I didn't really even get to oogle Johnny Depp....I'd much rather see him as the pirate in "Chocolat" than with all that make-up in "Pirates"!

We also found "Memoirs of a Geisha" disappointing. Seeing the movie made me want to read the book, but also made me realize just how much richer the book must be. Perhaps this movie is like "The DaVinci Code", with just way too much detail to fit into a standard 120 minute movie.

"The Devil Wears Prada" was cute...light and fluffy, but really, why all the fuss? Oh, and the last movie we saw was "Babel". another thumbs down I'm afraid. The movie, although apparently trying to impart a very important message just never came together. It wandered all over the world then just ended. I understand the message but thought the delivery left a lot to be desired. But at least I got to look at Brad Pitt.