The first was a showing of Western Stars, a complete run-through of Bruce Springsteen's new album of the same name. The concert was filmed live in a big old barn on Bruce's horse farm in New Jersey, complete with a 30-piece orchestra (lots of strings and some brass, but no bassoon, alas). There were also some clips of Bruce from bygone days, together with a voiceover and some ludicrous shots of Bruce, the consummate New Jersey boy, in Western gear filmed in Joshua Tree National Park in California. Despite being a huge fan, I have to say it was pretty self-indulgent, though, as always with Bruce, there were moments of beauty and plenty of truth.
Thursday evening paled in comparison to Friday, when Mom and I went to a fortieth anniversary screening of one of my all-time favorite movies, and probably the best "sports" film ever made, Breaking Away:
As you are all aware, since I "forced" all of you to watch it with me (Brad and Cassie most recently, just this past summer), I have loved Breaking Away since I first saw it with my high school buddies back in 1979. I will never forget how they busted my chops after the famous scene when the Italian bike rider from Team Cinzano jammed his pump into the spokes of the protagonist's front wheel, sending him over the handlebars and out of the race in which he was competing against them all too well for their liking. The finale was met with thunderous applause and a standing ovation, as was Dennis Christopher, the actor who played Dave Stoller, who was visibly moved when he came out for the Q&A moderated by Elizabeth Flock after the screening. Christopher turned out to be a warm, joyous fellow with plenty of stories to tell about Breaking Away and Hollywood in general, including working with such famous directors as Quentin Tarantino, Federico Fellini, and Robert Altman. He was happy to speak with anyone who wanted to meet him face to face, so I said what the heck and approached him after the Q&A and let him know how much the film meant to me and that I had coerced all of my children into watching it with me, but that you all had liked it, too, so that it spoke to people across multiple generations. He was glad to hear it and graciously agreed to let Mom take a few photos of us together (my new Harry Potter scar isn't too visible in this shot, fortunately):
All in all, it was a pretty fantastic experience, and a moment I will treasure.
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With Breaking Away on the brain, I have to include a recipe for some Italian food. This is a riff on the standard Risotto with Parmesan that I worked up myself, and it was mighty tasty, if you're a fan of mushrooms and risotto.
Mushroom Risotto
Time: ~1 hour
To make this using low-sodium bouillon cubes, dissolve 2 cubes in 5 cups (1,180 grams) simmering water in step 2 of the recipe; go with ~1 tablespoon (18 grams) if you're making the broth using Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base. I make extra mushroom powder to use in Black Bean Umami Chili (see step 1 of that recipe for how to make it) and store it in a glass spice jar, so I always have some on hand for other uses, too. It adds depth of mushroom flavor (and umami) to this dish, but it will be fine without the mushroom powder.
10 ounces/283 grams cremini or white button mushrooms
5 cups (1,180 grams) chicken or vegetable stock or low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (see note)
1 tablespoon (13 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter, divided
1 large shallot, minced (~½ cup minced shallot)
1½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
kosher salt
1½ teaspoons mushroom powder (more to taste), optional (see note)
360 grams (2 cups) Arborio or Carnaroli rice
118 grams (½ cup) dry Marsala or white wine (like Sauvignon Blanc) or Port or dry sherry
30 grams (~½ cup) freshly grated Parmesan or Grano Padano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
1. Rinse the mushrooms, then cut them into halves if they’re small or quarters if they’re large. Let the mushroom pieces air dry a bit while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Bring the stock or broth to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat (see note). Reduce the heat to low.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucier or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms are starting to brown, about 7–8 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, add 1 tablespoon of the butter, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are a rich, golden brown, about 3 more minutes.
4. Stir in the shallot, thyme, a good pinch of salt, and the mushroom powder (if using), and cook, stirring regularly, until the shallot is softened, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated. Cook, stirring regularly, until the grains are translucent around the edges, about 2–3 minutes. Add the alcohol and cook, scraping up the brown bits (fond) on the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 1–2 minutes.
6. Add about 2 cups of the broth and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring as needed, until the broth is mostly absorbed. Don't let the rice dry out completely. Add another cup of the broth and cook, stirring as needed, until it is mostly absorbed. Repeat with half cups of the broth, continuing to stir as needed and tasting occasionally for doneness. You need to add just enough broth so that once it is absorbed, the rice is al dente—tender but still firm to the bite.
7. When the rice is done, turn off the heat, then stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the cheese. Taste and adjust for salt. Serve promptly, passing the pepper mill at the table. Serves 4.
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