dinner + movie marathon

Kurt and I spent 3 days centered around food and movies. It's something I could really get used to.

Saturday: (heavenly) Shrimp and Grits, Apple Berry Cobbler, and quirky Woody Allen at Kurt's apartment.

Shrimp and grits recipe here. I could eat my body weight of this stuff. Definitely not healthy but oh so delicious! Kurt did most of the cooking and I threw together dessert. The apple cobbler is a bastardized version of this Barefoot Contessa recipe found via my friend Laura's blog. I added berries to the apple mixture and upped the proportion of crumb topping (really, I just got tired of chopping apples (which I also left the skins on)). Despite my laziness, it still turned out great.

The feast was paired with this movie:

Whatever Works

It was pretty funny and in a roundabout way fit into our (inadvertent) Southern food theme. 

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Sunday: Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli, Gorgonzola Potatoes, and Salad followed by a rugged Western at BAM

Kurt is always cooking for me. He loves it (I hope) and is just so good at it, so I have absolutely no issue playing sous chef. However, Sunday I decided to take on the task of dinner with absolutely no meddling help from Kurt. I made crab cakes, potatoes, and a salad with a lemon-y dressing. 

I have this recipe for Gorgonzola potatoes from my mother but cut the corners on it too much this time. I remember it being much better when she made it. I'm on a mission to perfect it before I post the recipe.

I've been grossed out by bottled salad dressings lately, so I've been working on making my own. I love the combination of olive oil, lemon, and a little bit of minced garlic. I'm also a big fan of feta, if you can't tell :)

After dinner, we took in a late show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music a couple blocks from my apartment. They always have amazing performances practically at my doorstep, but I rarely get around to going. In the two years I've been in the neighborhood, I've literally only been to two movies at the cinema and this was Kurt's first experience. I'm vowing to incorporate more cultural activities into my routine. 

True Grit

The Coen Brothers were skating on thin ice with me after Fargo, but I was pleasantly surprised with True Grit. There were a few cringe-worthy moments when I had to turn away and I might have shed a tear or two for a horse at the end (Mom, you can't watch!) but I really enjoyed the story. The little girl (played by Hailee Steinfeld) was fantastic. I feel like she stole the show. You should definitely see it.

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Monday: Happy Valentine's Day! Budget dinner and an anti-romantic comedy in Cobble Hill.

Kurt and I have offices very close to each other near Union Square. We have a few places we frequent for lunch or after work drinks. One of our favorites is Piola. They have really good, thin Italian style pizza with tons of interesting topping combinations. Plus, they have good weeknight deals (free wine on Ladies' Night?! hello?!) including free snacks during happy hour (apertivo) Monday through Friday. All you do is order a drink and they bring around a bunch of different small plates. You won't be stuffed but it's definitely our little secret to a light and inexpensive dinner.

We had plans to see an 8:30 movie in Brooklyn at the Cobble Hill Theater, which happens to be across the street from Sweet Melissa's. We got a couple cookies as movie snacks but devoured them before the previews started.

It might not have been the most lovey dovey romantic thing we could have seen on Valentine's Day but Kurt and I saw Blue Valentine. Wow. It's excellent but painfully honest. There's no glamour or idealism. It's just raw and heartbreaking. Of course, I've loved Ryan Gosling ever since the Notebook and will admit that I saw Michelle Williams in her early days on Dawson's Creek, but they were great together. It will hurt, but you should see this movie. Bring the tissues and reserve yourself a block of time afterwards to contemplate what just happened.

(Oh, and all the music is by Grizzly Bear which is really amazing. My favorite in the movie is "Foreground". I must have listened to it five times once I got home.)