Recently, my family and I had enjoyed a day at the Disneyland Resort, where we attended the 2024 Food & Wine Festival at the Disney’s California Adventure theme park. The festival ended on April 22. Below is a selection of the food and drinks I had enjoyed at the festival:
DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE: FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL 2024
BBQ Beef Brisket Slider – This small sandwich with barbeque beef brisket, smoked white cheddar and dill pickles on salt and pepper brioche was my favorite item at the festival. To my joy, I could barely make out the pickles and cheese.
Carbonara Garlic Mac & Cheese – The festival featured a few Macaroni and Cheese dishes with meat (especially pork). However, this old favorite of mine was seasoned with garlic and sprinkled with Nueske’s Peppered Bacon, cheese and bread crumbs. I really managed to enjoy this dish after I had brushed aside the bacon and bread crumbs.
Cheeseburger Bao – This dish was served with Thousand Island dressing, grilled onions, pickle, and tomato relish. This dish seemed okay. But I found the bao pastry too soft and inclined to become soggy. And the ground beef seemed to lack decent seasoning.
Chile Relleno Empanada – I have not eaten a Chile Relleno in years. Eating the dish as an empanada sprinkled with Arbol pepper, salsa and Oaxaca and Cotija cheeses made me remember how much I had enjoyed it. Very delicious.
Huckleberry-Citrus Cooler – This non-alcoholic drink featured Gold Peak Black Tea, huckleberry and agave syrups, grapefruit soda, and lemon and orange juices, garnished with an orange wedge. Quite simply, I found it not too sweet, delicious and very refreshing.
IMPOSSIBLE Beef Stroganoff – I cannot deny that this pasta dish with Egg noodles and IMPOSSIBLE beef, tossed in a mushroom cream sauce garnished with sour cream was delicious. But I was surprised to discover that the IMPOSSIBLE beef did not taste like genuine or artificial meat. Instead, it tasted like mushrooms.
If you had attended the 2024 Disney’s California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, what were your favorite dishes?
Below is an article about the pastry known as Hot Cross Buns:
HOT CROSS BUNS
I have encountered allusions to Hot Cross Bun ever since I was a child. But I never really understood what it was or the meaning behind its use until recently. Basically, the Hot Cross Bun is a spiced sweet bun usually made with fruit and marked with a cross on the top. The pastry has been traditionally eaten on Good Friday in countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, and the United States. Hot Cross Buns is not only available during the Easter holidays, but also all year round in some countries, including Great Britain.
The Hot Cross Bun marks the end of the Christian season of Lent. Different parts of the Hot Cross Bun have a certain meaning. The cross on top of the bun represents the crucifixion of Jesus. The spices inside the pastry represent the spices used to embalm him at his burial. The Hot Cross Bun may also include orange peel to represent the bitterness of Jesus’ time on the Cross.
Although this has never been verified, it is believed that the Hot Cross Bun had made its first appearance in Ancient Greece. It is also believed that the Greeks had introduced the cross on top of the bun in 6 A.D. There is a theory that the contemporary Hot Cross Bun originated in St Albans, England; where a 14th century monk named Brother Thomas Rodcliffe developed a similar recipe called an ‘Alban Bun’ at the St. Albans Cathedral and Abbey in 1361. Brother Radcliffe distributed the bun to the local poor on Good Friday. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, the London Clerk of Markets issued a decree forbidding the sale of Hot Cross Buns and other spiced bread in 1592; except at burials, on Good Friday, or at Christmas. The punishment for transgressing the decree was forfeiture of all the forbidden product to the poor. As a result of this decree, hot cross buns at the time were primarily made in domestic kitchens. Further attempts to suppress the sale of these items took place during the reign of Elizabeth’s successor, King James I.
A food historian named Ivan Day claimed that Hot Cross Buns were created during the early 18th century. Day pointed out that the first definite record of Hot Cross Buns came from a London street cry: “Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs. With one or two a penny hot cross buns”. This first appeared in Poor Robin’s Almanac for 1733. According to Day, there is no previous record of the pastry in recipes or records. The line “One a penny, two a penny, hot cross-buns” first appeared in the English nursery rhyme “Hot Cross Buns”, published in the London Chronicle for 2–4 June 1767.
Below is a recipe for the traditional version of Hot Cross Buns in the Taste of Home website:
Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
Bun *2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast *2 cups warm whole milk (110° to 115°) *2 large eggs, room temperature *1/3 cup butter, softened *1/4 cup sugar *1-1/2 teaspoons salt *1 teaspoon ground cinnamon *1/4 teaspoon ground allspice *6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour *1/2 cup dried currants *1/2 cup raisins *1 large egg yolk *2 tablespoons water
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. In a large bowl, combine eggs, butter, sugar, salt, spices, yeast mixture and 3 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in currants, raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide and shape into 30 balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled, 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each bun. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and water; brush over tops. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool slightly.
5. For icing, in a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pipe a cross on top of each bun. Serve warm.
Below is a list of dishes that were traditionally served for a Christmas dinner during the Victorian Era:
A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS DINNER
Mince Pie – A small, sweet-savory pie filled with a mixture of dried fruits, spices and sometimes minced meat.
Oyster Soup – A soup or stew made from oysters, milk, cream and sometimes mushrooms and chives.
Roast Turkey – The name says it all. It is usually served with chestnut stuffing and gravy.
Sugar Plums – Dragée or hard candy made from hardened sugar and has a round or oval shape.
Potato Croquettes – Small, shaped cylinder of food consisting of a thick binder made from mashed potatoes and a filling. It is usually breaded and deep-fried.
Game Pie – A meat pie with a molded crust that is filled with cooked game – partridge, pheasant, deer, and hare. It is usually chilled before serving.
Spiced Beef – A form of salt beef that is cured with spices before it is braised or boiled.
Nesselrode Pudding – A thick custard cream with sweet puree of chestnut, raisins, candied fruit, currants, cherry liquor and whipped cream. The mixture is molded and served chilled as a bombe with Maraschino custard sauce.
Roast Goose – A roast bird that is an old Christmas staple that is usually accompanied by onion and sage stuffing.
Plum Pudding aka Christmas Pudding – A boiled pudding made from flour, fruits, suet, sugar, eggs and spices.
“BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” RETROSPECT: (4.08) “Pangs”
Season Four has never been that popular with fans of “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER”. It was the first season that did not feature the vampire Angel as a regular character. And it marked the beginning of Buffy Summer’s romance with university teaching assistant/Army demon hunter Riley Finn. And many fans were not that thrilled by the Initiative storyline. I have never had a problem with Season Four. Mind you, I would not count it as among my top four out of seven seasons. But it featured at least two of my favorite “BUFFY” episodes of all time. And one of them is the holiday-themed “Pangs”.
While preparing a Thanksgiving feast for her close friends in the absence of her mother, University of California Sunnydale student and vampire slayer Buffy Summers encounters the restless and vengeful spirit of a Native American, called Hus, whose people – the Chumash tribe – were wiped out by Spanish and American settlers. Hus’s spirit was released during a groundbreaking ceremony for U.C. Sunnydale’s new Anthropology building. Hus managed to murder the Curator for the building’s museum and a local priest who had attending the ceremony. During her frantic efforts to prepare Thanksgiving and deal with Hus, Buffy is unaware that former boyfriend Angel has returned to Sunnydale to keep an eye on her, after a friend of his (former regular character Cordelia Chase) has received a vision of her being in danger. She is also unaware that soon-to-be boyfriend Riley Finn is part of an U.S. Army program called the Initiative, which hunts down and experiments on demons. One of the Initiative’s victims turned out to be Buffy’s current nemesis, vampire Spike, who had managed to escape from his Initiative prison in the previous episode, (4.07) “The Initiative”. Due to his inability to feed upon or commit violence against humans, Spike is slowly starving. He first seeks help and refuge from fellow vampire Harmony, who refuses to have anything to do with him. Desperate, he turns to Buffy and the other Scoobies for refuge in exchange for information about the Initiative.
“Pangs” did provide a few problems for me. One, the episode’s writer, Jane Espenson, erroneously stated that the Chumash had been wiped out. Despite the Spanish, Mexican and American governments; the band still exists. Two, Buffy informed her friends that her mother Joyce left Sunnydale to spend Thanksgiving with an aunt. Why did Buffy, who was eighteen at the time, stay in Sunnydale? Why did she fail to accompany her mother for what was obviously a family gathering? Did Buffy have something against this particular “Aunt Pauline”? Three, during her last fight with Hus and the Chumash spirits he had summoned, Buffy unsuccessfully used her knife on Hus and claimed that he and his fellow spirits do not die. Yet, in a scene later, Angel managed to break the neck of one Chumash spirit and impale another with a knife. Hmmmm . . . I smell inconsistency in the air. And four, Angel’s visit to Sunnydale led to the “ANGEL” Season One episode, (1.08) “I Will Remember You”, which I loathe with every fiber of my being.
Aside from these narrative hiccups, “Pangs” remains a personal favorite of mine. At first glance, it seemed like a stand-alone episode that had nothing to do with the season and series’ plot arc. As it turned out, it did. “Pangs” marked the first time Spike would hang out with the Scoobies. It led to another setback in Buffy and Angel’s relationship. It marked the first time that the Scoobies became aware of the Initiative, thanks to Spike. And it provided another chapter in Buffy’s growing relationship with Riley Finn. This seems like an awful lot, considering that this episode mainly focused on Buffy dealing with a Thanksgiving feast and a vengeance spirit – two topics that were quickly resolved by the end. But Espenson and director Michael Lange. But the best things I can say about “Pangs” is that it featured superb performances and some incredibly funny dialogue and camera visuals.
I tried to think of some of the best dialogue found in the episode and came across several lines. Among my favorites featured Buffy’s ability to remain focused . . . or obssessed with her feast, while discussing their problems with Hus. However, one should not be surprised that Spike was responsible for the funniest moment in the episode in a scene that featured both Buffy and her friend Willow Rosenberg’s reluctance to destroy Hus, due to their guilt over the country’s past with Native Americans:
BUFFY: Will, you know how bad I feel. This is eating me up — (to Anya, who holds up the bottle of brandy) — a quarter cup, and let it simmer — (to Willow, as Anya goes back) — but even though it’s hard, we have to end this. Yes, he’s been wronged, and I personally would be ready to apologize…
SPIKE: Oh, someone put a stake in me!
XANDER: You got a lot of volunteers in here…
SPIKE: I just can’t take this mamby-pamby boo-hooing over the bloody Indians!
WILLOW: The preferred term is —
SPIKE: You won! All right? You came in and you killed them and you took their land. That’s what conquering nations do! That’s what Caesar did, he’s not going around saying “I came, I conquered, I felt really bad about it!” The history of the world is not people making friends. You had better weapons, you massacred them, end of story!
BUFFY: Well, I think the Spaniards actually did a lot of… not that I don’t like Spaniards…
SPIKE: Listen to you! How are you gonna fight anybody with that attitude?
WILLOW: We don’t want to fight anybody.
BUFFY: I just want to have Thanksgiving.
SPIKE: Yeah, good luck.
WILLOW: If we could talk to him —
SPIKE: You exterminated his race. What could you possibly say that would make him feel better? It’s kill or be killed here. Take your bloody pick.
James Marsters really acted the hell out of that scene. And I am not surprised. To this day, I believe that his portrayal of Spike was one of the best television performances I have ever seen . . . period. And he was really marvelous in this episode. So were Anthony Stewart Head, who did a top-notch job in giving a comic twist to a Rupert Giles who found himself manipulated by Buffy into holding the Scoobies’ Thanksgiving feast at his apartment; Alyson Hannigan, who was also superb as best friend/witch Willow Rosenberg, who did not hesitate to express her conflict between dealing with Hus and her guilt over the region’s ugly past in dealing with the Chumash people. Nicholas Brandon and Emma Caufield gave fine support as Buffy’s two other friends, Xander Harris and former vengeance demon Anya Jenkins. Marc Blucas was charming as Buffy’s soon-to-be boyfriend, Riley Finn. And he was ably supported by an exuberant Leonard Roberts. Mercedes McNab displayed excellent comic timing in scenes that featured recently sired vampire Harmony Kendall’s encounters with Spike and Xander. David Boreanaz took a break from his new series at the time, “ANGEL” to give an intense, yet at times funny performance as Buffy’s ex-vampire squeeze, Angel. But the real star of this episode was Sarah Michelle Gellar. She gave both a hilarious, yet poignant performance, revealing Buffy’s somewhat obssessive determination to make her Thanksgiving a success. In fact, I believe I enjoyed her performance even more than Marsters. And that is quite an accomplishment, considering that Marsters is a natural-born scene stealer.
Yes, “Pangs” had a few problems. And its main narrative surrounding the dangers of a Native American vengeance spirit did not exactly strike me as memorable. However, I do believe that the narrative made an interesting comment on how conflicted Americans have become in viewing our county’s history. More importantly, Spike’s comments on the circumstances that led to Hus’ path of vengeance is a brutal reminder of how monstrous human beings can be – a foreshadow of the Scoobies’ future behavior later in the series. Thanks to Jane Espenson’s hilarious script, Michael Lange’s direction and a superb cast led by Sarah Michelle Geller, “Pangs” remains one of my favorite “BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER” episodes to this day.
Below are images of food traditionally eaten on Halloween, Samhain and All Saints’ Day:
TRADITIONAL HALLOWEEN FOOD
Apple Cake – Cakes that incorporate apples in a variety of forms; including diced, pureed, or stewed. They also include common additions like raisins, nuts, and ‘sweet’ spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg.
Beef and Guinness Pie – A meat pie with a filling that consists of Irish beef and Guinness – two of Ireland’s most famous products. The long slow cooking of the filling creates tender beef and allows the flavor of the Guinness to permeate the meat and the vegetables to produce a thick, luscious sauce.
Colcannon – A traditional Irish dish of mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale.
Meatball Soup – A soup that consists of meatballs from various types of meat – beef, lamb, pork and/or poultry. The meatballs are simmered in a broth with various vegetables or pasta, dumplings, or grains such as rice and barley.
Pumpkin Pie – A dessert pie with a spiced, pumpkin-based custard filling. The pumpkin and pumpkin pie are both a symbol of harvest time and are generally eaten during the fall and early winter.
Soul Cakes – Also known as a soul mass-cake, this dessert is a small round cake with sweet spices that resemble a shortbread biscuit. They are traditionally made for Halloween, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day to commemorate the dead in many Christian traditions.
When HBO had first revealed its plans to air an adaptation of James M. Cain’s 1941 novel, “Mildred Pierce”, many people reacted in some very interesting ways. Some seemed thrilled by the idea of a new version of Cain’s story. But there were many who were not thrilled by the idea. And I suspect that this negative response had a lot to do with the first adaptation.
Seventy-eight years ago, Warner Brothers Studios had released its own adaptation of the novel. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the movie starred Joan Crawford in the title role and Ann Blyth as her older daughter, Veda. The movie received several Academy Award nominations and a Best Actress statuette for Crawford. Due to the film’s success and lasting popularity, many fans and critics viewed it as a definitive adaptation of one of Cain’s works. So, when they learned about HBO’s plans for a new version, many regarded the news with scorn. After all, how could any remake be just as good or superior to the classic Hollywood film?
Was “MILDRED PIERCE” as a miniseries just as good or better than the 1945 movie? I will give my opinion on that topic later. I will say that I truly enjoyed both versions. The miniseries benefited from Todd Haynes serving as the director, one of the producers and one of the writers. Oscar winning actress, Kate Winslet portrayed the title role. The miniseries also possessed a talented supporting cast that included Guy Pearce, Melissa Leo, Brían F. O’Byrne, Mare Winningham, James Le Gros; along with Evan Rachel Wood (“TRUE BLOOD”) and Morgan Turner. And I cannot deny that I found the miniseries’ production designs first-rate, despite a few quibbles. But I have come across a good number of movies or television productions with everything in its favor that still failed to win me over in the end. Fortunately, “MILDRED PIERCE” did the opposite.
Todd Haynes had pointed out that his new miniseries would be more faithful to Cain’s novel than the 1945 movie. And he was good on his word. The biggest differences between the Michael Curtiz movie and Haynes’ new miniseries were the running times and the lack of a murder mystery in the miniseries. That is correct. Monty Beragon was never murdered in the novel and he certainly was not murdered in the new version. There were no flashbacks on Mildred’s life, following her divorce from her first (and third) husband, Bert Pierce. And I am grateful to Todd Haynes for sparing the viewers that nonsense and sticking closer to Cain’s plot. I believed that the murder plot unnecessarily dragged the Curtiz movie. And Haynes’ miniseries was long enough. Due to the lack of a murder mystery, the miniseries retained Cain’s slightly bleaker ending. Much to the dismay of many fans.
Since Haynes had decided to stick a little closer to the novel, the miniseries covered the story’s entire time span of 1931 to 1940. Which meant that “MILDRED PIERCE” gave viewers a bird’s eye view of the Depression’s impact upon Southern Californians like the Pierce family. Part One began in 1931 with Mildred preparing a pie to sell to one of her neighbors. Husband Bert has joined the ranks of the broke and unemployed, thanks to the 1929 Wall Street Crash and the economic hijinks of his former business partner and friend, Wally Burgan. Bert seemed to spend most of his days engaged with chores like mowing the lawn or engaging in an affair with a neighbor named Maggie Biderhof. Bert’s announcement that he might spend another afternoon and evening with Mrs. Biderhof proves to be the last straw for Mildred. The couple have a heated quarrel that ends with Bert’s departure from the family and eventually, a divorce.
Mildred realizes that she needs a steady income to support their two daughters, Veda and Ray. Unfortunately, Veda lacks any experience for a position outside of customer service. And being enamored of her upper-middle-class status, the idea of being a waitress, maid or housekeeper is abhorrent to Mildred. She also knows that such professions are abhorrent to her pretentious and class-conscious daughter, Veda. After rejecting jobs as housemaid to the future wife of a Hollywood director and waitress at a tea parlor, the realities of the Depression finally leads a desperate Mildred to take a job as waitress at a Hollywood diner. Unfortunately, Veda learns about the new job, which leads mother and daughter to their first major quarrel and Mildred’s decision to make plans to open a restaurant. The quarrel also marked the real beginning of what proved to be the story’s backbone – namely Mildred and Veda’s tumultuous relationship.
As much as I admire “MILDRED PIERCE”, it does have its flaws. I would view some of them as minor. But I consider at least one or two of them as major. One of the small problems proved to be Haynes’ decision to shoot the miniseries in New York, instead of Southern California. Aside from Mildred’s Glendale neighborhood, most of the locations in the miniseries do not scream “Southern California” – including the beach locations. The director claimed that he had chosen the area around New York City, because it was more cost-efficient than shooting around Los Angeles. He also claimed that it would be difficult to find “Old L.A.” within the city today. Speaking as an Angeleno who has spent many weekends driving around the city, I found these excuses hard to swallow. Los Angeles and many other Southern California neighborhoods have plenty of locations that could have been used for the production. And could someone explain how filming around New York was cheaper than Los Angeles?
“MILDRED PIERCE” has received charges of slow pacing and an unnecessarily long running time. I have nothing against “MILDRED PIERCE” being shown in a miniseries format. But I have two quibbles regarding the pacing. One, the sequence featuring Mildred’s job hunt dragged unnecessarily long. Haynes filled this segment with many long and silent shots of a pensive Mildred staring into the distant or dragging her body along the streets of Glendale and Los Angeles. I am aware that Haynes was trying to convey some kind of message with these shots. Unfortunately, I am not intellectually inclined and the sequence merely ignited my impatience. On the other hand, the speed in which Haynes continued Mildred’s story in Episode Three left my head spinning. Aside from the sequence featuring the opening of Mildred’s first restaurant, I felt that the episode moved a bit too fast . . . especially since so much happened to Mildred during the two to three year time span. I would have preferred if Episode Three had a running time of slightly over an hour – like Episodes Four and Five.
Complaints aside, this “MILDRED PIERCE” struck me as truly first-rate. As much as I had enjoyed the 1945 movie, I thank God that Todd Haynes did not add that ludicrous murder mystery into the plot. Cain’s novel was not about Veda getting her comeuppance for being an ungrateful daughter to a hard-working mother. The story was about a resilient woman, who was also plagued by her personal flaws – which she refused to overcome, let alone acknowledge. Some viewers and critics have expressed confusion over Mildred’s continuing obsession over her older daughter. Others have deliberately blinded themselves from Mildred’s flaws and dumped all of the blame for her downfall entirely upon the heads of others – especially Veda. But there have been viewers and critics who managed to understand and appreciate the miniseries’ portrayal of Mildred. I certainly did.
I have never understood the complaints that “MILDRED PIERCE” had failed to explain Mildred’s unwavering obsession over Veda. I thought that Haynes perfectly revealed the reasons behind her obsession. First of all, he revealed those traits that both mother and daughter shared in numerous scenes – aspirations for entry into the upper-class, desire for wealth, snobbery, and a talent for manipulating others. Mildred’s refusal to consider those jobs at a tea parlor and as the pretentious Mrs. Forrester’s maid struck me as signs of her ego blinding her from the precarious state of her family’s financial situation. And when she finally caved in to becoming a waitress at a Hollywood diner, Mildred considered quitting, because her sensibilities (or ego) could not fathom working in such a profession. Her contempt toward others suffering from the Depression after the successful opening of her Glendale restaurant was expressed in a scene with upper-class playboy Monty Beragon. Episode Five revealed her manipulation of Monty into marrying her . . . in order to lure Veda back to her seemed pretty obvious. But one scene not only revealed the core of Mildred’s character, but also the miniseries’ theme. While despairing over her decision to become a waitress at the end of Episode One, Mildred said this to neighbor Lucy Gessler:
“She (Veda) has something in her that I thought I had and now I find I don’t. Pride or nobility or whatever it is. For both my girls, I want them to have all the cake in the world.”
Judging from Mildred’s comments, it was not difficult for me to see that she viewed Veda as an extension of herself and in some degrees, better. I believe that the quote also hinted Mildred’s personal insecurities about living among the upper-class. This insecurity was revealed in a scene from Episode Three in which Mildred appeared at a polo field in Pasadena to pick up Veda, who was bidding her “babysitter” Monty good-bye. So, this argument that Haynes had failed to explain Mildred’s enabling behavior toward Veda simply does not ring true with me.
Despite my complaint about Haynes’ decision to shoot “MILDRED PIERCE” in New York, I must admit that I found myself impressed by Mark Friedberg’s production designs. The miniseries’ setting did not have a Southern California feel to me, but Friedberg certainly did an excellent job of re-creating the 1930s. He was ably supported by Peter Rogness’ art designs and Ellen Christiansen’s set decorations. But aside from Friedberg’s work, the biggest contribution to the miniseries’ Thirties look came from Ann Roth’s costume designs. Not only did she provide the right costumes for the years between 1931 and 1940, she also ensured that the costumes would adhere to the characters’ social positions and personalities. For example, both Roth and Haynes wisely insisted that Kate Winslet wear the same dowdy, brown print dress during Mildred’s job hunt in Episode One. One last person whom I believe contributed to the miniseries’ look and style was cinematographer Edward Lachman. If I must be honest, I was more impressed by Lachman’s photography of various intimate scenes reflecting the characters’ emotions or situations than any panoramic shot he had made. I was especially impressed by Lachman’s work in Episode One’s last scene and the Episode Five sequence featuring Veda’s betrayal of Mildred.
Along with Todd Haynes’ direction, it was the cast led by the uber-talented Kate Winslet that truly made “MILDRED PIERCE” memorable. First of all, the miniseries featured brief appearances from the likes of Richard Easton and Ronald Guttman, who each gave a colorful performance as Veda’s music teachers during different periods in the story. Hope Davis was deliciously haughty as the Los Angeles socialite-turned-movie producer’s wife with whom Mildred has two unpleasant encounters. In the 1945 movie, Eve Arden portrayed the character of Ida Corwin, which was a blend of two characters from Cain’s novel – Mildred’s neighbor Lucy Gessler and her diner co-worker Ida Corwin. The recent miniseries included both characters into the production. Fresh on the heels of her Oscar win, Melissa Leo gave an engaging performance as Mildred’s cheerful and wise friend/neighbor, Lucy Gessler, who provided plenty of advice on the former’s personal life. Aside from a two-episode appearance in the last season of “24”, I have not seen Mare Winningham in quite a while. It was good to see her portray Mildred’s blunt and business-savy friend and colleague, Ida Corwin.
At least three actors portrayed the men in Mildred’s life – James LeGros, Brían F. O’Byrne and Guy Pearce. Although his sense of humor was not as sharp as Jack Carson’s in 1945, I must admit that LeGros managed to provide some memorably humorous moments as Wally Burgan, Mildred’s business adviser and temporary lover. Two of my favorite Wally moments turned out to be his reaction to the news of Mildred’s breakup from her husband and to the revelation of her romance with Monty Beragon. Brían F. O’Byrne earned an Emmy nomination as Mildred’s ex-husband, Bert Pierce. What I admired by O’Byrne’s performance was the gradual ease in which he transformed Bert’s character from a self-involved philanderer to a supportive mate by the end of the series. But the most remarkable performance came from Guy Pearce, who won a well-deserved Emmy for his performance as Monty Beragon, Mildred’s Pasadena playboy lover and later, second husband. Thankfully, Pearce managed to avoid portraying Monty as some one-note villain and instead, captured both the good and the bad of his character’s nuance – Monty’s friendly nature, his condescension toward Mildred’s class status, his seductive skills that kept her satisfied for nearly two years, his occasional bouts of rudeness and the hurt-filled realization that Mildred had used him to win back Veda.
Two remarkable young actresses portrayed Veda Pierce, the heroine’s monstrous and talented older daughter. Morgan Turner portrayed Veda from age eleven to thirteen and I must say that she did a first-rate job. In the first three episodes, Turner convincingly developed Veda from a pretentious, yet still bearable eleven year-old to an ambitious girl in her early teens who has developed a deep contempt toward her mother. My only problem with Turner’s performance were the few moments when her Veda seemed too much like an adult in a child’s body. Evan Rachel Wood benefited from portraying Veda between the ages of 17 and 20. Therefore, her performance never struck me as slightly odd. However, she miss the opportunity to portray the development of Veda’s monstrous personality. But that lost opportunity did not take away Wood’s superb performance. Despite the awfulness of Veda’s character, I must hand it to the young actress for injecting some semblance of ambiguity. Aside from portraying Veda’s monstrous personality, Wood did an excellent job of conveying Veda’s frustration with Mildred’s overbearing love and the end of her own ambitions as a concert pianist.
I have been a fan of Kate Winslet since I first saw her in 1995’s “SENSE AND SENSIBILITY”. There have been and still are many talented actors and actresses with the ability to portray multifaceted characters. But I believe that Winselt is one of the few who are able to achieve this with great subtlety. Her portrayal of Glendale housewife-turned-entrepreneur Mildred Pierce is a prize example of her talent for acting in complex and ambiguous roles. Superficially, her Mildred Pierce was a long-suffering and hard-working woman, who overcame a failed marriage to become a successful entrepreneur . . . all for the love of her two daughters. Winslet not only portrayed these aspects of Mildred’s character with great skill, but also conveyed the character’s darker aspects, which I had already listed in this article. She more than earned that Emmy award for Best Actress in a Miniseries.
Although many have expressed admiration for “MILDRED PIERCE”, these same fans and critics seemed to have done so with a good deal of reluctance or complaints. I will be the first to admit that the miniseries has its flaws. But I do not find them excessive. This reluctance to express full admiration for “MILDRED PIERCE” culminated in its loss for the Best Miniseries Emmy to the British import, “DOWNTON ABBEY”. I had objected to this loss on the grounds that the British drama – a television series – was nominated in the wrong category; and that I believe “MILDRED PIERCE” was simply superior.
Flawed or not, I believe that Todd Haynes did a superb job in adapting James M. Cain’s novel. He wisely adhered to the literary source as close as possible, allowing viewers a more complex and ambiguous look into the Mildred Pierce character. Also, Haynes had a first-rate cast led by the incomparable Kate Winslet. As much as I love the 1945 movie, I must admit that this recent miniseries turned out to be a superior production. My admiration for Todd Haynes as a filmmaker has been solidified.
Below is a short article about a casserole dish known as Maqluba:
MAQLUBA
Maquluba is a traditional casserole dish of the Arab Levant. It is traditional in many countries throughout the Middle East. The ingredients for the dish can vary from one recipe to another. However, it basically consists of meat, eggplant, and various vegetables; which are all cooked under a layer of rice. The ingredients are placed in a pot, which is flipped upside-down, when served. This is why the dish is called Maqluba, which means “upside down”. Maqluba is traditionally accompanied by yogurt and/or cucumber salad.
I first learned about Maqluba, while watching the BBC series, “THE SUPERSIZERS EAT . . . MEDIEVAL”. According to the episode, the dish certainly existed around the 12th and 13th centuries, when European soldiers first stumbled across it, while they fought in the Middle East, during The Crusades.
Below is a recipe for Maqluba that mainly features chicken and rice from the Mina website:
Maqluba
Ingredients
1 ½ cups Rice, divided ¼ cup Olive oil, divided 1 Large eggplant 1 Large zucchini Salt and pepper 1 Onion, chopped 2 Cloves garlic, minced 1 lb Lean Ground Chicken ½ tsp Cinnamon Pinch Nutmeg 1 tsp Allspice 1 tsp Garam masala 1 Large tomato, sliced 1 (19 oz) Can chickpeas, drained 2 ½ cups Chicken broth
Directions
SOAK rice in water for 30 minutes or until ready to use.
CUT eggplant and zucchini lengthwise into ¼ inch thick strips. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sauté until tender, about 1-2 minutes per side and set aside.
HEAT 1 tbsp olive oil in the same pan and add onion and garlic. Sauté for 2-4 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and spices and cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon until golden brown.
DRAIN rice and set aside.
GREASE a 16 cup heavy bottomed pot with olive oil. Layer zucchini and eggplant alternately in the bottom of the pot and up the sides. Top eggplant and zucchini in bottom of pot with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle ½ cup (125 mL) rice over the tomatoes followed by chicken mixture, chickpeas and any remaining eggplant or zucchini. Press to compact. Sprinkle in remaining rice and press down again. Pour in chicken stock and cover.
BRING the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for 45-50 minutes. If mixture gets too dry before the rice is finished cooking add additional chicken broth or water and simmer until absorbed and rice is cooked.
REMOVE from the heat and let rest, covered for 15 minutes.
REMOVE lid from the pot and place a large platter upside down over the pot. Carefully invert the mixture onto the platter and serve.
Tips: The mixture may not hold its shape completely but that’s okay, simply patch it up before serving. It’s delicious either way.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with plain yogurt on the side. Garnish with pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Recently, my family and I had enjoyed a day at the Disneyland Resort, where we attended the 2022 Festival of Holidays at the Disney’s California Adventure theme park. The festival ends on January 8, 2023. Below is a selection of the food and drinks I had enjoyed at the festival:
DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE: FESTIVAL OF HOLIDAYS 2022
Pork Belly Adobo – This dish consists of braised pork belly, served with Garlic fried rice, chicharron pieces, and topped with green onions. A first bite of the pork belly revealed a strong vinegary flavor. But once I ate it with the rice and green onion, the strong vinegar flavor receded somewhat, and this proved to be a delicious selection.
Lox & Everything Bagel Nachos – Although not a big favorite of mine, I rather liked this dish of bagel chips, cream cheese, diced smoked salmon, everything spice, onions, tomatoes, and capers. I would have preferred if the bagel chips had been softer, but the smoked salmon was deliciously fresh.
Mickey Shaped Gingerbread Cookie – Although I found the sprinkles irrelevant, I really enjoyed this rich gingerbread cookie. I also thought the ginger flavor was strong and perfect.
Churro Toffee Coffee Cold Brew Latte – This coffee latte with Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Mexico Origin Blend Coffee, demerara, cinnamon sugar, vanilla bean, and almond milk garnished with churro syrup, whipped cream, and chocolate toffee crumbles was delicious, but very familiar to me. At the moment, I cannot recall when or where I have drunk something similar before. There is an alcoholic version of this drink with coffee liqueur.
IMPOSSIBLE Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes – This was a surprisingly first-rate dish with meatloaf made from IMPOSSIBLE ground meat and served with mashed potatoes, classic gravy and crispy shallots. Honestly, the meatloaf almost tasted like real meat. Almost
Pumpkin Layered Cheesecake – I really enjoyed this rich and delicious dessert made from layers of New York-style cheesecake, pumpkin gooey cake, and graham cracker topped with spiced Chantilly and a chocolate decoration. The mixture of cheesecake and pumpkin flavors struck me as first-rate.
Brisket Slider – This mini sandwich consisted of smoked brisket with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll. Yes, the horseradish ketchup came off as a bit strong on the first bite, but the brisket was … O-M-G! It was simply delicious and tender. It was some of the best brisket I have ever sampled. Even the pretzel bun was nice and soft
Peri Peri Chicken with Yellow Jollof Rice – This dish was served at the Flavor of Wakanda booth but is not considered part of the official festival. Nevertheless, this was the best thing I had eaten at the festival tjhat day – grilled chicken flavored with the peri peri seasoning from Mozambique and served with the heavily seasoned Jollof rice that originated in the Senegambian region. Superb!
If you had attended the 2022 Disney’s California Adventure Festival of Holidays, what were your favorite dishes?
Below is a list of my favorite episodes from the A&E series, “A NERO WOLFE MYSTERY”. Based upon the detective stories and novels written by Rex Stout, the series starred Timothy Hutton and Maury Chaykin as Archie Goodwin and Nero Wolfe:
FAVORITE EPISODES OF “A NERO WOLFE MYSTERY” (2000-2002)
1. (1.02) “Champagne For One” – In this adaptation of Stout’s 1958 novel, detective Nero Wolfe investigates the death of a young unwed mother at a charity dance attended by his assistant, Archie Goodwin. The latter had been standing in for an acquaintance, who was related to the wealthy hostess.
2. (2.08) “Before I Die” – A notorious gangster hires Wolfe to protect his real daughter, who is unaware of her father’s identity, and stop the woman impersonating her from blackmailing him in this adaptation of Stout’s 1947 novella.
3. (2.05) “The Mother Hunt” – In this adaptation of Stout’s 1963 novel, a wealthy young widow hires Wolfe and Archie to identify and locate the birth mother of the baby left in the vestibule of her townhouse.
4. (1.08) “Over My Dead Body” – A Montenegro woman claiming to know Wolfe’s adopted daughter is suspected of theft and murder at a prestigious fencing club in this adaptation of Stout’s 1940 novel.
5. (2.09) “Help Wanted, Male” – In this adaptation of Stout’s 1945 novella, Wolfe receives a death threat regarding a past case and hires a look-a-like double to temporarily impersonate him until he can identify the perpetrator.
Honorable Mentioned: (2.06) “Poison à la Carte” – When Wolfe and Archie attend the annual Ten for Aristology, a gourmet society, one of the members is poisoned. Wolfe suspects one of the female servers of the crime.
Below is an article I had written about a famous comfort food dish known as Macaroni and Cheese:
MACARONI AND CHEESE
Macaroni and Cheese is a famous dish known throughout Europe and other Western countries, especially the United States. My own memories of the dish date back to my childhood when my parents and grandmother used to serve it to me and my siblings . . . especially from the pre-packaged box form created by the company, Kraft. But I have eaten traditional homemade Macaroni and Cheese every now and then.
Although known today as an American comfort dish, Macaroni and Cheese was a dish made from Parmesan cheese and past that originated in Italy. Pasta and cheese casseroles have been recorded in cookbooks as early as the 14th century’s “Liber de Coquina”, one of the oldest medieval cookbooks. The dish also made its first appearance in England during the same century, in the famous English medieval cookbook titled “Forme of Cury”.
The first modern recipe for Macaroni and Cheese appeared in Elizabeth Raffald’s 1769 book “The Experienced English Housekeeper”. Her recipe called for a Béchamel sauce with Cheddar cheese, which is mixed with macaroni pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and baked. The dish also appeared in the famous Victorian cookbook, “Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management” and included two recipes for the dish.
Many would be surprised to learn that the future third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson may have been responsible for the introduction of Macaroni and Cheese to Americans. He first sampled the dish in both in Paris and in northern Italy, and later incorporated the dish at his Virginia home, Monticello. As the country’s third president, Jefferson served Macaroni and Cheese at a State dinner in 1802. Mary Randolph, sister to Jefferon’s son-in-law Thomas Mann Randolph Jr., included a recipe for the dish in her 1824 cookbook, “The Virginia Housewife”.
Below is a recipe for “Macaroni and Cheese” from the MyRecipe website:
Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
2 cups milk 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 (10-oz.) block extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional) 1/2 (16-oz.) package elbow macaroni, cooked
Preparation
1. Whisk flour into butter
Preheat oven to 400°. Microwave milk at HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes. Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute.
2. Whisk in warm milk
Gradually whisk in warm milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened.
3. Whisk in cheese
Whisk in salt, black pepper, 1 cup shredded cheese, and, if desired, red pepper until smooth; stir in pasta. Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish, top with remaining cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
Claudia's Journal 