Success! I finally completed a first draft of episode 10, Resurgence. It’s a little rough, granted – but it’ll do. I’ll spend the weekend revising it and deliver it on Monday. Normally, it takes me about an hour to write the fifth act (usually in a white heat, coming off the momentum of the fourth act break), but this script was anything but normal. It never got any easier and I ended up spending the afternoon writing and re-writing those last five pages. But the important thing is that I’m finally done and pleased with most of the results. And as for those aspects of the script I’m still a little iffy about – well, I’m sure I’ll grow to love ’em.
Hey, thanks to author Ellen Kushner for dropping by and introducing herself in advance of the June Book of the Month Club discussion on her novel, Swordspoint. Those of you who missed Ellen can check out what she has to say in the comments section of my April 27th blog entry (https://josephmallozzi.com/2010/04/27/april-27-2010-junes-book-of-the-month-club-cynthia-cooks-puppy-pics-chotto-mailbag/#comments). She even shows off her French for Anais and Jordan.
Well, I saw Cynthia off this morning, but not before she showered me with goodbye presents: chocolates, macarons, and cookbooks. Since last night was her final evening in The Land That Sun Forgot, I saved the best for last and took her to Refuel for the “above the shoulder” pork dinner. It was very different from the last time I went (https://josephmallozzi.com/2010/03/26/march-26-2010-whole-confit-pig-head-alert-avert-your-eyes/) where the meat was carved table-side and enjoyed medieval style: copious amounts of meat served alongside a dozen sauces and spices. This time, following a brief presentation, the head was whisked away and we were served several chef’s courses highlighting the various cuts.
- The house cured plate: a terrific assortment of cured meats.
- Crispy pig ear with salsa verde and fried pig brain. The brain had a nice creamy consistency and was quite tasty, surprisingly devoid of the metallic aftertaste I’ve come to associate with it. The ear was fantastic – crispy, somewhat chewy, but delicious. The salsa verde was the perfect accompaniment.
- I recognized it the moment it was set down in front of us: pork cheek, the most luxuriously unctuous morsel you’ll find. Here, swimming in a rich chicken-beef-lamb-veal-duck broth(!). Marvelous. I’d happily come back just to have the broth.
- It’s too bad most are scared off by the idea because the meat in the head area is, by far, the most tender. The jowl, for instance, is nicely marbled without being overly fatty. Here, served with mashed potatoes and some sort of greens that reminded me of broccolini.
- Another tasty contrast in textures. Here, the meat is accompanied by more crispy ear, and greens. Cynthia thought the dollop of fresh ricotta unnecessary but I thought it married nicely with the pork.
A big thank you to Tom and Chef Rob for organizing the meal, Chef Ted for designing the various courses (hope you guys are enjoying Tokyo!), and Chef Jane for the flawless preparation.
After dinner, we stopped by Chapters where I picked up a couple of books (recommendations from one of my very favorite authors, Jeffrey Ford, who is, by the way, the most whimsical and outrageously inventive writer publishing today – http://www.well-builtcity.com/index.html).
Anyway, you’re all busy watching/commenting on tonight’s episode, Lost, so allow me to get out of your way. But first –
Mailbag:
Debra writes: “What happened to your dining partner who didn’t want to be photographed?”
Answer: Denise is presently reading and eating her way through New York as part of an 11-day research trip.
Thornyrose writes: “Now,will you please manage to push through the script so I can quit trying to come up with these ridiculous comparisons?”
Answer: Done. Ish.
PG15 writes: “1. So, which episode in the 1st half of the 2nd season was once the elusive 17th episode of the 1st season?”
Answer: Episode 7, The Greater Good.
PG15 also writes: “2. This is a downer but…given how the ratings are going, IF Season 2 gets to be SGU’s last, will you guys have time to put in your planned series finale at the end of the season?”
Answer: By the time we find out whether or not we’re picked up – probably no until late 2010 – we will have already wrapped production on the show’s second season.
PG15 also writes: “3. How do you think SGU will deal with the heavier competition and higher expectations of a Tuesday timeslot?”
Answer: I think the move to Tuesday nights will be a good for the show and look forward to our new night.
Ishak writes: “also did i just read you like animes??? my favorite is Evangelion (if I had to pick one), what’s yours?”
Answer: Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Berserk, Now and Then Here and There, GTO, Kino’s Journey, Death Note, Last Exile – to name a few.
PJR writes: “A writing question, for what happens In The Room. Specifically, when you plan series arcs and character arcs and episodes, and get to pitching broad story possibilities to fit, and divvy them out, how detailed do you go?”
Answer: We have a general sense of the various story and character arcs with enough wiggle room to shift gears if something isn’t working, if someone comes up with a different take, or if real life intrudes on the production and necessitates a change. Sometimes, the challenge with these arcs comes in getting from point A to point Z, especially if you assume you’ll be hitting point P in your script – only to have it happen an episode earlier, forcing you to revise the scene to hit point Q instead. Simple, no?
PJR writes: “Hope the camera upload behaves. Wire transfer (old mac) or card slot (new mac)?”
Answer: Card slot?! My problem is fixed!
Teal’c_PI writes: “Well, this is a totally random question, Mr. M. (and I’m sure you won’t be doing a mailbag tonight 
) but do you know the Japanese band Kalafina?”
Answer: Sorry. I’m not familiar with their work.
dasNdanger writes: “Joe – the spiders were your idea, weren’t they?”
Answer: I was thinking of you.
Leave a Reply