I read the book ages ago. I should probably check this out-- especially since it has so many actors I enjoy.
If that was the first time you noticed him, maybe you missed A Serious Man, which is so good. A Jewish American film for sure (and I mean that in the best way).
I’m thinking about having my daughter’s USC graduation family dinner in 2026 in one of the private rooms at M&FG. DD was not overwhelmed but I told here that Dad gets to pick one of the meals.
I watched it. Possibly the only Coen movie that did absolutely nothing for me. I had no idea he was in it, but it’s been a while.
A friend recently recommended Godless, which I hadn’t been interested in when it first came out - just not big on westerns, I guess. So far, so good. Jeff Daniels is one mean mofo, tho 
I just love how all these British actors keep getting cast in US shows. This country just doesn’t seem to have any actors who could do the job 
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Looks interesting!
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This parchment method went viral on Tik Tok. Kenji’s been trying all kinds of stuff this way since 
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Interesting! I can’t get past the Bon Appetit paywall right now, but I get the idea. Chefs Gordon and Nyesha didn’t appear to be on Tik Tok. 
Go to your cookies and delete anything BA or Epi, then reload
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Yes indeed, you should.
Oh wow. I LOVE A Serious Man. One of the more underrated and underseen Coen Bros.
It very VERY much is a Jewish-American film. Specifically, a MIDWESTERN Jewish-American film. While the Coens are a little older than me, so SO much about that movie rings true to my upbringing and the stories my parents would tell. The assumptions that appearance is more important than happiness. The seeming inevitability of tragedy. And, like all Coen films, the theme that Man is absolutely alone in the face of an uncaring universe.
It’s one of my favorites, and one my goyishe friends consistently express confusion at.
I wonder if Gentiles watching this film feel the same way I do watching some Japanese films. Like there’s a bunch of cultural context I’m missing that might make this hilarious, and instead it’s surreal and strange (but still fascinating).
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I watched Godless. I had to look it up to refresh my mind, yup, I liked it.
Double feature horror flick night. The first one, Red Dot, was good but uneven.
The second one was bad. Like, really, really, REALLY baaaaaaaad. We’d hoped for at least some slasher-type sorority massacre action, but it was just dumb. Whoda tunk.
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We actually went to the movies last night, which is rare, because I generally find it more pleasant to watch at home. But our local theater has those giant recliner seats, so…
The movie was The Taste of Things, and I think it would be a big hit with this crowd! The story is what it is - involving, albeit not terribly surprising. But the cinematography and the lighting are stellar, and if you’re scarred by The Bear’s terrifying high anxiety cooking scenes, this is a useful corrective. So leisurely! So joyous! So many pretty food shots! Also, you can annoy your companion(s) by whispering the names of all the dishes you recognize as they appear onscreen
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I reckon you recommend going with a full tummy (or have dinner plans immediately afterwards)?
Oh I’m glad it was good! On my list after the npr review.
I did eat beforehand. And a good thing, too, because there’s a crawfish vol-au-vent in there that I would sell my first born for, if I had a first born.
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I think you’ll love it. The reviews made it out to be a tear-jerker, but apparently I am made of stone.
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Nah, I’ll just be staring intently at the food. And doing that annoying thing you described to my companions
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I watched “Lovers and Other Strangers”, a classic 1970 movie that I’ve heard about forever but had never seen because I was about 7 when it was released and it wasn’t something my parents would have wanted me to see…and because I’ve never been able to find it on any streaming service (especially here in Japan). But because I had seen so many clips/trailers of it, I had been really wanting to see it.
I found it on “Vimeo”, a free (for those watching, not necessarily for those uploading) service that I’m a member of (you DON’T need to sign up to watch, nor need to download their app).
It has a fantastic cast and equally good screenplay (written by Renee Taylor & Joseph Bologna…a married couple). If you decide to watch it, look for the screen debut of Diane Keaton. Because it is 54 years old, there are parts of it which are extremely dated and though I really dislike the word “cringy”.
If you’re of the age that has already seen it, you may want to watch it again. My favorite performance in it was by definitely Bea Arthur!
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