The "Child" In Me...

With a nod to my fraternity brother Ricky Lyons' uncle Jeffrey (and cousin Ben, for that matter), I hereby doff my movie reviewer's cap to "Julie & Julia," which I just returned from seeing. What a well-told story, with tremendous acting, scripting, and even scenery (not the part shot in Queens, but the part in Paris!). Meryl Streep was in top form, as you could imagine, Amy Adams continues to pad her increasingly impressive and diverse filmography, and I always love Stanley Tucci (one of our most underappreciated actors). I knew I was engrossed in this flick when every time the scene would switch from 1950s Julia Child to 2000's Julie Powell, I was disappointed, only to feel the same way when the reverse happened. It in some way felt like two movies in one, although I doubt either could stand on its own as a feature; rather, the two storylines bolstered each other, making it each that much more realtable and enjoyable. Certainly didn't hurt that the food in the movie (and really, the recipes even more so) should get consideration for Supporting Actor come Oscar time!....
With that said, it would be criminal not to include a recipe I used the other night for dinner, which was both simple and sensationally summerific...
& as Juila would say, "Bon Appetit!" ...

Grilled Chicken with Peaches & Arugula

• Season chicken breasts (I used thin cuts, so make sure to adjust grill times depending) with salt & pepper and brush with EVOO. Grill for a few minutes on each side.
• Slice 1 large red onion into 1/2 inch slices. Slice 3 peaches into quarters. Toss in a medium bowl with EVOO, salt & pepper.
• Grill onions until tender.
• Grill peaches a couple of minutes on each side until you get some good grill marks.
• Add about 4 cups of arugula to mixing bowl. Return grilled onions & peaches to bowl and toss, with balsamic vinegar.
• Serve next to grilled chicken, and top with crumbled blue cheese.

A Vote For Me...

It's official...I am a finalist in an online reality cooking show called "Home Cooking Star." Please visit www.homecookingstar.ning.com/group/richhollenberg to vote for my BBQ recipe!!!

Also, as an aside..the Fab 5 Hollenbergs went to see "Up" this afternoon...what a treat. Sensational. Everything Pixar does is awesome, but this may be their best effort. Tugs at the heartstrings...almost pee yourself laughing... and you can wear funny-looking glasses and watch in 3-D, like we did!

Tomorrow is my sports radio debut ... http://www.espn1040.com/ from 11a-1pm. Or you can check it out after the fact on http://www.thegameradio.com/

Random Thoughts... & Fish

My brain is not necessarily firing on all proper synapses these days, given the upheaval of my sleep schedule, courtesy of young Bryan Wade. If a lack of sleep is the worst of it, we're in damn good shape. He's 2 weeks old now, and getting cuter every day. Just had my side of the family down to give my newborn (and his big sister) a Hebrew name. Bryan now has a bit of Bernie Gillman to carry with him, which is a good thing. Lindsey has a double honor, being that the names of her great-grandmother (Seena) and great-great grandmother (Sadie) both begin with the same letter. After a healthy amount of "Amens" were doled out, the weekend belonged to all the cousins reuniting and enjoying every minute of each other's company. Family...what it's all about...and it's too easy to forget that. Glad there will always be moments like this to remind me of it...

I give credit where it's due for discovering new music: my brother-in-law Darin (in town the week before to meet his newest nephew), and my nephew Zach. Thanks in large part to them, I am able to stay somewhat current. My latest revelations: Spoon, O.A.R., My Chemical Romance, Kings of Leon. They all come highly recommended... also, a shout out to the Dino 5, a kiddie hip-hop outfit that was an instant hit with Jason and Lindsey (Jason's only previous hip-hop exposure was Run DMC's "King of Rock".). To all the parents out there looking for palatable music good for the front and back seats of the car/minivan, this ranks right up there with Laurie Berkner and Dan Zanes...

More music notes: Bruce announces he's closing Giants Stadium, in October. COUNT ME IN. A definite, "I gotta be there" moment for me...

Just got back from a much-appreciated night out with Jill, while my mom-in-law watched the two big(ger) kids. We took Bryan with us, and he slept the whole time, just like we planned. Too bad for him -- he missed a great meal: Chilean sea bass with mango salsa, a nice, cold glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and a shared slice of homemade Key Lime Pie to cap it off...

Watching "Apocalypse Now" as I type. There is no other movie that defines the term "epic" quite like this one. How did Coppola make it so massive and so intimate at the same time? Genius, pure genius...

Just landed a gig co-hosting a sports radio talk show on the local ESPN affiliate (www.espn1040.com). So in the spirit of tapping into the reserves of my sportscasting mode, I accepted an invite to IMG Academy in Bradenton, where my good friend David Thorpe heads up the Pro Training Academy for basketball. He's assembled a pretty impressive roster of clients, and today, a dozen NBA'ers and some hopeful draftees were in attendance. Kevin Martin (24 ppg for Sacramento) and Joakim Noah (Chicago Bulls) were in the house, working (almost) as hard as the other wannabes. The standout for me was a kid by the name of Ahmad Nevins, the A10 Player of the Year from St. Joe's. Wait til you see him in the NBA -- think Dwight Howard, albeit with a smaller set of delts, and you'd be on track. Great looking skills, athletic ability, jumps outta the gym, and was smiling the whole time he was working his ass off... you heard it here first...


I am about ready to unveil some of my favorite cook book recipes from my collection, a Herculean undertaking if I do say so myself. Until then, I will keep offering up other favorites in small doses, like this...

I must have fish on the brain due to my meal, and Jill's (she had salmon, more to the point), so I hereby submit two of the easiest, tastiest ways to prepare salmon...

CRUNCHY SALMON
4 ingredients. 15 minutes. That's what I call easy. Taken from Parents magazine, but still, nice texture and balance between flavors. And no fishy taste, a prerequisite in my household...

• Brush 4 salmon fillets with honey mustard. Top with canned french-fried onions.
• Bake in foil-lined baking pan at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
• Microwave a bag of spinach. Serve salmon on top of spinach.

BOURBON-SUGAR SALMON

This is a bit more involved, because of the marinade, and not as family-friendly as the first, but a winner nonetheless. Crunchy. Flaky. Sweet. Tart. And, it has bourbon in it...!

• Combine 1/2c packed brown sugar, 1/2c bourbon, 1/2c apple juice, 1 tsp black pepper in a large, resealable palstic bag. Add salmon fillets, skin on. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Bake 1c chopped pecans on baking sheet in 400 degree oven. Combine toasted pecans with 1 tbsp melted butter, pinch of salt.
• Place salmon skin side down on broiler pan (coated with Pam). Reserve marinade. Sprinkle salmon with salt. Press pecan mixture on top of salmon.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
• Boil marinade in small saucepan for 3 minutes.
• Serve on top of angel hair pasta (I like to add butter and some lemon zest to the pasta).