Monday Bits

Julia Roberts' Latest Flick. I saw Fireflies in the Garden last night. Released this year, this drama was written and directed by Dennis Lee. The cinematography was what I liked best in this movie. Although I prepared myself to watch something out of my usual romantic comedy trips, there was great acting done by the cast. Fireflies in the Garden stars Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Hayden Panettiere, Emily Watson, and Carrie Ann Moss.

Jamie, Oh Jamie. Last week I borrowed these books from my brother and as I scanned through the pages, I think I came to know Jamie Oliver more and more. Then I realized a few things: (1) the rock star chef loves extra virgin olive oil a whole lot; (2) that he cannot cook a certain dish without putting herbs to it; (3) he included a suggested basic list for every pantry that loves to cook i.e. canned tomatoes, almonds, dried pasta; (4) he doesn't buy pasta when he's shopping for ingredients, he makes pasta from scratch; (5) and his influence is more of Italian food, ergo his penchant for soups, salads and herbs.

"The Naked Chef" and "Happy Days with the Naked Chef"

Pork Chops with herbs! This is one recipe I'd like to try.

Another SATC Gift. My sister sent belated-birthday-early-yuletide gifts for the whole family. And although I mentioned about this wish gift from her, I still got all too excited when I lifted it from the box. Yay! The book almost completes my own SATC keepsakes. Sex and The City really got me hooked from day one, and if there's one thing I liked about the fact that they ended the television series with only six seasons, that's gonna give me an advantage to pick up the first five seasons fast. Hehe.

My SATC addiction. Is the movie DVD out yet? =)

New Arrival Coke Bottles. My sister also sent over something from Las Vegas. My husband's reaction upon seeing his new toys was just priceless! Thanks again Alan and Lenlen!

My favorite is the Las Vegas bottle.

Sexy Chef, Naked Chef

Do you know Rob Pengson?  I heard of him once or twice and I know he's one great chef and all. But most people, girls actually, seem to revere him as the "sexy chef". He's an internationally trained chef with a flair of eloquence and charm.  That explains the sexy reference by the ladies. 

I saw his cooking show on QTV11 called "Chef To Go" last Sunday night. With actress Heart Evangelista watching him cook and trying out the dishes, he prepared meals that involved different kinds of cheeses.  There was this bruschetta with mangoes on top and showered with a cream cheese sauce; baked potatoes with onions, mozzarella and two other different kinds of cheese; and aligi pasta with generous shavings of parmesan and mozzarella. I forgot to take down the French names of the dishes but they certainly looked so delicious, easy to cook and gastronomically appetizing. 

With all that said, we could use a little resemblance of Chef Rob to the English cooking sensation Jamie Oliver.  This British chap, meanwhile, is called the "naked chef," but that nickname was used to refer to the simplicity of his recipes and not about nudity.  My brother who worked as a chef for an Italian restaurant collected all of Jamie Oliver's books. To me, he's one rock star in the kitchen. Watch the following video where Jamie demonstrates the use of a food preparation instrument called the flavour shaker.

I love watching this guy cook and talk!