Foot and Fire

I was looking for a movie to watch on Netflix when I stumbled on this Korean thriller. I was surprised that I liked the film for many reasons. I have not read the webtoon to which the movie was based and I couldn't tell if the movie is a faithful rendition or has some special addition to it.  First, I was pleased that there's no unnecessary comedy the K dramas are known for.  Second, I was surprised that the director was from the movie Train to Busan, a highly successful zombie film which I think just a so-so when you assess it visually and when it comes to character exposures in the story. (To digress, I now recalled that I also liked the Peninsula as the standalone sequel to the Train to Busan). The actors are well-chosen for their roles. The Pastor, the detective and the ex-convict, the triad of the movie are all fit for their roles. The visual cues are all necessary and useful given the 2 hours limitation of a film. The film has tied the loose ends so that the ...

Because I loved Netflix's eight-part series Ripley for a lot of reasons, I was compelled to read the book to which it was based, The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. This was a novel experience for me to  want to read after watching a movie based on a book. Part of it perhaps was because I want to find out more about the paintings featured in the film only for me to uncover that none of them was referenced in the book.     Director and writer Steven Zaillan did deliver a visually stunning film from a book with a valuable addition of allusions to the life of Italian Renaissance painter Caravaggio whose works led the way to modern chiaroscuro , a technique that heavily uses light and dark to which was later referred as tenebrism  from the Italian word tenebroso which means dark, gloomy, mysterious.  The black-and-white wide shots and the micro shots are all necessary ingredients to the film's delectable dish. As homage to the book, the...

After I tasted this in Myanmar years ago, I couldn't forget how the Burmese incorporated cashew nuts in their dishes like stirfried vegetables and noodles just as much I couldn't forget how the Chinese in Beijing/Tianjin added boiled peanuts as side dish and deftly used chopsticks to pick the nuts one by one. There is surely a connectedness in the evocation of places we visited and the evolution of our palates. Today, got a chance to replicate the cashew addition to dishes. 2 bunch Bokchoy 2 bunches Pechay 2 mefium Carrots A handful of French beans Clean vegetables. Slice into serving sizes. Bring water to boil. Set the steaming pan and steam per vegetables for 4 minutes for uniform cooking. Set aside. Stirfried sauce 2T vegetarian stirfy sauce or Hoisin sauce 1T Soy sauce 1T sesame oil 1T mirin 1T rice wine 1T toasted garlic Dash of himalayan salt Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Heat pan and add the mixture then bring into a simmer. Add vegetables and stir for...

Let food be your medicine.  And I bet this soup is one example of a food that really heals. I have been avoiding commercial dressed chicken from the market, the then 45 days had been reduced to 22 days. That number refers to chicken's lifespan from hatchling to being ready for dressing. I only eat such chicken whenever I can't avoid it or simply miss it. So, it is always a joy to find a backyard raised native chicken. Given the convergence of the native chicken, the mongo and the ginger and the lemongrass, the broth is aromatic and tasty. 700g native chicken 2 thumb-sized ginger 150g mongo (mung beans) 200 g ubad (banana pith or core stem) Olive oil 3 cloves of Garlic 1 medium onion Water Lemongrass, tied Nutritional yeast Salt Fish sauce Soak mongo overnight. Drain and let boil until tender and can be mashed. Set aside. Boil chicken pieces and ginger covered with water for 25 minutes, just until fork tender. Set aside. Halve the banana pith or core stem and slice t...