Yummies: Volume 8

I was somewhat delirious when I made my Sunday trip to the Farmers Market this past weekend. I had just experienced a major sinus attack and I wanted to be in and out of there as quickly as possible. In my delirium, I purchased an eggplant, a pint of cherry tomatoes, a head of kale, an onion, two carrots and a red pepper. I stopped at my local health food store on the way home to acquire some proteins for the week and I picked up a quinoa-polenta log, feta cheese, and some chicken-sausage - amongst some other snacking items. When I got home I just put everything away and forgot about it for a couple of days, until I had to make a meal for myself last night. Not remembering the last time I prepared eggplant, and kale being somewhat of a new addition to my Nor Cal diet, I was racking my brain for a tasty meal that incorporated my produce and wouldn't take too long to prepare. (Side note: Most of the brain-racking happened during my after work swim. I tend to get most of my culinary inspiration during workouts, probably because I can't wait to eat). So I made a quick decision to buy some tomato sauce on my way home from the pool, hoping that my purchase would somehow bring everything together. I knew I wanted to use the oven in some way so that I could multi-task while I prepared dinner. Just whip something together, throw it in the over, shower, eat and watch Glee. And that's exactly what I did.

Polenta Eggplant Saucy Deliciousness
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• polenta log (like the one pictured above)
• two large tomatoes (I used cherry, but larger ones are easier to layer)
  
• one large eggplant
• one head of kale
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• two Tablespoons of olive oil
• salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Preparation:

• preheat the over at 375 degrees
• drizzle 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a 9x13 glass baking dish
• slice the polenta log into circular discs and lay across the dish
• top with sliced tomato
• top with sliced eggplant
• drizzle 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over the eggplant slices
• rip up the kale into smaller pieces and blanket over the eggplant
• cover in tomato sauce
• top with feta cheese, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes
• place in the top shelf in the over and bake for 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is starting to brown or melt
• let cool for a few minutes and serve

Notes:

• if you want to make a smaller portion, cut the recipe in half and use a round glass pie dish
• if you have leftovers, it makes for great lunch heated up for two minutes in the microwave

Franco is Ralston

On Friday I went to see 127 Hours with my boyfriend. I knew he would be one of few people that would see it with me, considering the plot and inevitably gory conclusion. When I first heard about the movie based on Aron Ralston's incredible true story, I was very eager to see Danny Boyle's interpretation of the story; and it was just as moving as I hoped it would be.


In the first scene of the film, Aron (James Franco) prepares himself for a seemingly routine trip to Blue John Canyon, Utah. He quickly moves around his apartment collecting various items (Gatorade, about a liter of water, oranges, burritos, climbing gear, a multi-tool knife, a video camera and a digital camera) as his answering machine plays a message from his sister, who is irritated that she hasn't heard from Aron in what seems like anywhere from a few days to a few months. As the first act progresses, our impression of Aron is an adventurous and somewhat quirky outdoors man. He moves eagerly with an air of experience, acting as though he grew up in these canyons. He knows the history of the area and the ins and outs of all the crevices. I found myself becoming envious of someone who could be so brave and sure, willing to take risks and go off on his own adventure, seemingly without any obligations to his friends and family. This envy quickly turned into concern in the second act of the film when Aron finds himself trapped in a canyon after a rock falls and pins his arm.


As he's stuck there for five days, he toils through the emotions of panic, pain, regret, sorrow, delirium, bravery and determination. Throughout the film, Boyle inserts sequences of Aron's memories, delusions and premonitions - everything that goes through the mind of a person who is determined to live but prepared to die. The combination of Franco's incredible acting and Boyle's artful direction accurately and eloquently depicts the most harrowing story of survival that I have ever encountered.


If you haven't heard the rest of the story, I recommend reading this. Not to ruin the ending of the movie, but he amputates his own arm. It's really not all that unbearable to watch if you don't squirm at the sight of blood; and honestly, it has to be a little gory for it to be an accurate portrayal of Ralston's experience. But it's all worth watching for the last five minutes of the film, where I found myself so moved by the sight of his freedom that I was sobbing uncontrollably. I can only imagine how Aron felt.