A couple of weeks ago, I made a list of the top ten shows that influenced me growing up. Now if I were to come up with a list of the shows that have greatest influence on me today, one would easily top the list. Road Tasted, which airs on The Food Network, is hosted by Bobby and Jamie Dean, two amiable brothers who, I can only assume, intend to eat their way across America over the course of their series. They are my advance team, scouting the daunting, mysterious culinary terrain ahead, eventually sounding the all-clear that allows me to follow their lead into the deep, dark, tasty unknown. When they were in Seattle, they visited The Alaska Silk Pie Company where they sampled a decadent 7 layer dessert called the Café Diablo. The day after the episode aired, I placed an order with The Alaska Silk Pie Company for three desserts, including the Café Diablo (February 27, 2007 entry). When Bobby and Jamie Dean went to Colorado, they checked out Wen Chocolates. Fast forward to my chocolate soiree (April 22, 2007 entry) where the Wen Chocolates I special-ordered for the event were the hit of the party (and the writers’ room some two and half weeks later – May 10, 2007 entry). The other night, watching the boys go to town on The Blue Owl Restaurant & Bakery’s signature Caramel Apple Pecan Pie, I was all set to place a special online order. At 12:30 a..m.! And I don’t even like apple pie! Beside scoring that mountainous pecan-encrusted work of sugar and love, they also found the time to visit St. Louis’s Volpi Italian Meats which had my wife and I dying for a good bratwurst – six hours after we’d finished dinner.
So the following evening found us at Granville Island, the only place we knew where we could enjoy a sit down sausage meal. Well, maybe not enjoy. Have anyway. Fondy and I ordered three grilled sausage sandwiches with sauerkraut (a double beef smokie, spicy bratwurst, and a regular bratwurst). They were a tad on the, how shall I put it, “not very good” side. Dry, overcooked, but all in all well-complimented by some stale sandwich buns. Wholly unsatisfied, we wondered over to the Oyama Sausage Co. where we eyed the tasty sausages we could have enjoyed instead (had we had we possessed the strength of will to actually cook at home). Andouille, Spicy Buffalo Smokie, Chili Cheese, Truffel Bratwurst! A friend of mine once warned me: “Don’t go food shopping when you’re hungry.” I would now add: “..and dissatisfied with your dinner.” I ended up picking up a bunch of snacking sausages and cold cuts for a back-up dinner: Spicy Sopressata, Rosette de Lyon Salami, Italian Country Salami, beer sausage, lamb sausage, Chorizo Asturias, Wild Boar Chorizo. Needless to say this was one night I skipped dessert.
Today’s pics: second dinner, the Ancient easy-chair, the piano all lit up, the third part of the mid-season two-parter, and Martin Gero’s hard-partying lifestyle seems to be catching up with him.
Q&A –
Alipeeps writes: “Don’t the wraith ever get bored of the same old hairstyle?”
Answer: Check out the new do the Reunion wraith is sporting. He reminds me of my grandmother in a cute/terrifying sort of way.
Katherine writes: “Are you approached to do the commentaries or do you ask to do specific ones?”
Answer: The writers are approached to the commentaries. And I will only provide commentary on episodes that Paul and I have written.
Mel writes: “If any one animal species were to take over the world and seize power from human beings, which do you think it’d be and why?”
Answer: I’d have to go with gorillas because it would be fairly easy for them to slip into our clothing and foment their revolution incognito.
Maiz writes: “In season four will we see any of Ronon and Teyla on Earth? Who would you say is the biggest pain in the a$$ out of the entire cast? And, Is there any chance you’ll bring Weir back in future seasons?”
Answers: Yup. Er…no comment. There’s always a possibility.
Joshua Meyers writes: “What was the purpose of going to the artic with the actors.
Was it just to shoot a specific amount of scenes that needed the surrounding ice?”
Answer: Yup. We shot on location.
ScifiFan writes: “I was just wondering, is there a reason you haven’t answered my last two questions? Is it because of what I asked or because you had too many other letters to answer?”
Answer: It could be. Or it could be because I found out about that thing you did that you thought no one would ever find out about. But I did!
Anonymous #1 writes: “ a) since you’re now a show runner, does that mean that you’re like a dictator and nix all the episodes you hate? Or do things run a bit more democratically? b) what would you say is THE WORST episode of either of the gates?”
Answer: A) Stargate has always been a benevolent democracy. To a certain point. B) In my humble opinion, the episodes from each show I disliked the most were Emancipation (SG-1) and Irresponsible (Atlantis).
Anonymous #2 writes: “I know Christopher Judge has written an episode, as well as other actors on the show. Do actors come to you, or do you go to actors? And how do you give them critizism without hurting thier feelings?”
Answer: If the actors are interested in pitching a story, they know that our door is always open to them. As for giving them criticism without hurting their feelings – we drastically cut back on the name-calling and general belittling (they’re actors, not writers after all) and usually make them do a shot of Jack Daniels for every script note we give.
Lauriel writes: “With different writers doing different episodes, is it difficult to keep characters, well, in character? do the actors have input into this, or do the writers all have a pretty good feel for the characters?”
Answer: I’d say that at this point, we all have a fairly firm grasp of the characters. All the same, we’re not above letting the actors tweak their own dialogue.
Jen, the cow hugger writes: “1) Do you ever go to any of the conventions? 2) Do you watch any of SCI-FI’s other shows? 3)What would you do with a billion dollars?”
Answers: 1) Not really. Although I’ll probably be doing Anime Evolution this summer. 2) Nope. 3) Go on a round-the-world gourmet tour before coming back home to green-light my own original series.
Arctic Goddess writes: “Okay, it’s been six, count ’em, six times you have ignored me.”
Answer: Seven! Count ‘em. Seven times!
Anonymous #3 writes: “Well, I will ask again * I am persistant:)* Is the father of Teyla’s baby a human??”
“*sigh* Here’s something for you to think about… do you really want this question answered? Do you really want the detailed answer to a major Season 4 plot point now, months before the episode is going to air?
Spoilers are one thing – and I admit I love a good hint or spoiler or two – but asking for details of major plot points is self-defeating.. a) because it’s common sense that Joe is never going to answer them and b) because what would be the point of watching the show if you already know all the answers? You do want to watch the show, don’t you?”
Is Alipeeps your agent/friend/hired gun, obsessed fan-type, or what? I can’t stand it when other people are constantly horning in to make a response to what someone else has asked you directly.”
Answer: I couldn’t agree more. In answer to your question about Teyla’s baby –
Do you really want the detailed answer to a major Season 4 plot point now, months before the episode is going to air? Spoilers are one thing – but asking for details of major plot points is self-defeating.. a) because I will never answer them and b) because what would be the point of watching the show if you already know all the answers? You do want to watch the show, don’t you?
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