For the last three or four years, me and my boyfriend have been avoiding turkey as much as possible. Not only because turkey is usually dry and rather tasteless,we are also not much of holiday traditionists. I was brought up in China, a land where Thanksgiving does not exist, and he just being generally fed up with holidays after suffering an apparent case of excessive holiday spirit from his childhood in Canada. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's my sudden urge to nest, or that being 28 makes me particularly vunerable to sentiments of tradition, I decided that turkey sounds good this year. As usual, he gamely agreed to cook since Western food is his specialty.
The problem is that it is unreasonable to expect a two person team to cook up AND finish a whole turkey, so he decided to make stuff turkey drumstick. The turkey drustick is first boned, then the stuffing is made. We used ground pork, Crimini, Chantrelle and Shitake mushrooms, shallots, seasoned with l'herb de Provence, moisture is provided by eggs and Brandy. Then we stuffed the turkey drumsticks, wrapped bacon around them, then send them to the oven for one hours at 400C. The turkey was flavorful from the stuffing and the bacon kept the outside moist, great little dish! We supplemented the decadent meat with roasted yam, baked califlower and boiled string beans. A bottle of 97 Schlumberger Tokay Pinot Gris Grand Cru Kitterle was also present, wonderful, most delicious wine!
11.29.2008
6.09.2008
Kung Fu Panda Review
(note: even though I don't go into detail of the plot, there are still some spoilers. Don't read it if you want to see the movie and be surprised. Then again, its Hollywood and a feel good animation comedy, you think you will really be surprised?)
Sure, Dreamworks had disappointed me with Shrek the third, what a lame story! But when all the promo for KFP looked so good. I thought to myself, how bad can you screw up with Jack Black AND Angelina Jolie? Oh, and the gorgeous artistic style, the authentic Chinese colors, great animation of furs and bellies (or just belly, on Po).
1 hour and half later, I was pleasantly disappointed.
As an animation student, I greatly enjoyed the master animation works by the animators at Dreamworks, the stretch and squash, the exaggerated expressions, the anatomy correctness of kung fu moves (did they copy moves from Kung Fu Hustle?), the secondary movement of Po's body fat (for lack of better term), they looked soooooo good! I enjoyed every pretend-wise moment of Oogway, how his lips folds due to lose of teeth, thick folds of skins on his neck. Oogway was a masterpiece of animation! Lastly, kudos to material and texturing ppl, you guys are the bomb! Oh, and the 2D sequence is total awesome!
Of course, just like Shrek the third, Dreamworks story team did not deliver (some heads rolling in the writers department?). Granted, Jack Black did bring his excellent comedic personality into the movies and there were laughes. But there could definitely be A LOT MORE! There is no development in the story, everything felt so rushed, like its being chased by an invisible monster (Tai Lung?). The relationship between Shifu and Tai Lung was briefly explained, but the exposition lacks subtly, and screams for creativity (where is Brad Bird when you need him? o...right, he is at Disney). Does anyone find it a) creepy how Oogway just disappeared into the thin air and blown away with peach petals? b) how come Shifu does not seem to mourn his master, whom he trusts and reveres beyond all others? I mean, if you are going to be all symbolic and mystic about Oogway's final departure, at least give some foreshadows. Here I was, ready to believe in the world of China inhibited by vegetarian talking animals (seriously, do you expect them to put roasted pork in their noodle soup?), some practices martial art, but the most just live like regular humans. And Boom! the turtle is surrounded by pink shimmering light and is blown away with mountain breeze! The movie lost me there!
As a Chinese, I find one terminology confusing here. Dustin Hoffmann's character is called Shifu and master interchangably in the movie. In Chinese, Shifu means master, but its obvious that they used Shifu as a given name to the character.
By the way, does anyone know what kind of creature is Shifu?
Sure, Dreamworks had disappointed me with Shrek the third, what a lame story! But when all the promo for KFP looked so good. I thought to myself, how bad can you screw up with Jack Black AND Angelina Jolie? Oh, and the gorgeous artistic style, the authentic Chinese colors, great animation of furs and bellies (or just belly, on Po).
1 hour and half later, I was pleasantly disappointed.
As an animation student, I greatly enjoyed the master animation works by the animators at Dreamworks, the stretch and squash, the exaggerated expressions, the anatomy correctness of kung fu moves (did they copy moves from Kung Fu Hustle?), the secondary movement of Po's body fat (for lack of better term), they looked soooooo good! I enjoyed every pretend-wise moment of Oogway, how his lips folds due to lose of teeth, thick folds of skins on his neck. Oogway was a masterpiece of animation! Lastly, kudos to material and texturing ppl, you guys are the bomb! Oh, and the 2D sequence is total awesome!
Of course, just like Shrek the third, Dreamworks story team did not deliver (some heads rolling in the writers department?). Granted, Jack Black did bring his excellent comedic personality into the movies and there were laughes. But there could definitely be A LOT MORE! There is no development in the story, everything felt so rushed, like its being chased by an invisible monster (Tai Lung?). The relationship between Shifu and Tai Lung was briefly explained, but the exposition lacks subtly, and screams for creativity (where is Brad Bird when you need him? o...right, he is at Disney). Does anyone find it a) creepy how Oogway just disappeared into the thin air and blown away with peach petals? b) how come Shifu does not seem to mourn his master, whom he trusts and reveres beyond all others? I mean, if you are going to be all symbolic and mystic about Oogway's final departure, at least give some foreshadows. Here I was, ready to believe in the world of China inhibited by vegetarian talking animals (seriously, do you expect them to put roasted pork in their noodle soup?), some practices martial art, but the most just live like regular humans. And Boom! the turtle is surrounded by pink shimmering light and is blown away with mountain breeze! The movie lost me there!
As a Chinese, I find one terminology confusing here. Dustin Hoffmann's character is called Shifu and master interchangably in the movie. In Chinese, Shifu means master, but its obvious that they used Shifu as a given name to the character.
By the way, does anyone know what kind of creature is Shifu?
6.02.2008
5.20.2008
Welcome
Hi friends,
Finally, after years of avoiding land mines online (so-called Blogsphere). I finally gave in and started my own blog.
There is now a place for me to complain about daily life, boyfriend, school, those kids in my apartment complex who won't stop screaming in the middle of the weekend day (I was trying to sleep), hone my writing skill (I do NOT look kindly on ppl who correct my grammar, DON't Do It!), Asian parents and expand my social circle beyond that of 9 beautiful Lady Gouldian finches.
Angela
Finally, after years of avoiding land mines online (so-called Blogsphere). I finally gave in and started my own blog.
There is now a place for me to complain about daily life, boyfriend, school, those kids in my apartment complex who won't stop screaming in the middle of the weekend day (I was trying to sleep), hone my writing skill (I do NOT look kindly on ppl who correct my grammar, DON't Do It!), Asian parents and expand my social circle beyond that of 9 beautiful Lady Gouldian finches.
Angela
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