This morning, I came across this interesting article that offers up a list of 11 t.v. characters originally slated for death who were granted a reprieve by the show's producers: http://www.avclub.com/articles/i-can-kill-you-whenever-i-please-but-not-today-11,101147/ Some surprising names on the list including The X-Files' Melvin Frohike (the bespectacled member of the Lone Gunmen), Battlestar Galactica's Karl "Helo" Agathon, Jack…
July 27, 2013: Books! Dogs! And foodtrucks!
My latest book haul. As I mentioned in yesterday's entry, my days of shopping at the local Indigo/Chapters mega-chain are a thing of the past. Instead, I'm supporting the smaller, independent bookstores - in this instant, White Dwarf Books (WHITE DWARF BOOKS - Dead Write Books) over on 10th Avenue. It's your one stop shop…
July 23, 2013: Akemi on a culinary tear! And Cookie Monster’s next movie review will be…
This morning, I woke up to this: And, later, came home to these: These delectable chocolate ganache macarons are just the latest in the long line of culinary creations Akemi has put her little heart into. Check 'em out... I feel fortunate that her interests don't run to less delicious pursuits like macrame or the…
July 19, 2013: My Japanese expressions! A cook book signing! And a movie poll!
"I have a headache,"I informed Akemi as I picked her up following her afternoon English class. "Do you know what that's called?"she asked me. The Japanese seemingly have a term for everything, so I was expecting something along the lines of atama na atsui (hot head) or tayo nemutai (sun sleepiness) or even kanso nomiso itai (dry brain pain). Instead,…
July 18, 2013: Meetings, mellophones, and munchies!
This morning, Paul and I met with a potential production partner (our fourth in four days) to discuss a series we'll soon be developing for an interested broadcaster. Everyone we met to date has been very nice, seemed very smart, very capable and, most important of all, responded favorably to the script. One more meeting…
July 11, 2013: Being born the leading cause of death in countries with people!
Yes, it's true. Research I have just completed, drawn from personal memory and thousands of kilobytes of information gleamed from online sources, finds a direct link between being born and dying. Fully one hundred percent of individuals alive today will die at some point in their lives (+/- a statistical variance of 1%). Hard to…
July 9, 2013: The L.A. Wrap-up!
Sadly, all good things come to an end, be they vacations, bacon-infused chocolates, or long lived scifi t.v. shows. The other day, Akemi and I bid L.A. a fond farewell in fine style - with dinner at Jose Andres' Bazaar,compliments of Martin Gero, and his lovely better half, Chelan Simmons. The evening took me back…
June 29, 2013: Oh, and another thing! Not so fast, Cookie!
Oooh, check 'em out. Macaron ice cream sandwiches. They come in four flavors - strawberry cheesecake, coconut-mango, raspberry-pistachio, and chocolate on chocolate with cocoa nibs - now available at Payard. Read all about them here: http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2013/06/payard-macaron-ice-cream-sandwiches.html. Thanks to sis for the heads up. Also pursuant to our macaron discussion my macaron rant in yesterday's blog entry,…
June 27, 2013: MasterChef screws up macarons! Let’s all chip in and get the Golden Boy something nice!
Dear Gordon Ramsay, Joe Bastianich, and Gordon Elliot, THIS - - is a macaroon, while THIS - - is a macaron. MACAROON - MACARON - They are two strikingly different desserts in terms of taste, texture, and appearance. I can cut a fledgling home cook some slack for getting the two confused, but you…
June 11, 2013: Back in Van!
Look at what awaited me upon my return to Vancouver. Yes, Joreos! Akemi woke up early yesterday morning to make them. Apparently, it was a surprisingly long and involved process that saw her start at 7:00 a.m. and finally finish at 2:00 p.m. Can't wait for the instructional video for this particular recipe. The dogs…
June 8, 2013: Alex! John and Nancy! Jelly! And pizza!
Last night, Paul and I got together with our former Stargate script coordinator Alex Levine who, since moving to Toronto, has been busy forging a successful writing career. He has worked on a various productions, most notably Flashpoint and the critically-acclaimed Orphan Black (Check it out!). He's come a long way from his very first…
June 7, 2013: I brushed my teeth with Johnny Walker Red Label last night! Win a set visit for a series that doesn’t exist yet! My sis says thanks!
So far, this trip has been marked by seating issues, a late cancellation, general misfortune, and the mid-brush realization that what I'd packed was not, in fact, toothpaste but a topical ointment for rashes. All in all, an inauspicious start to this east coast swing. Back on the west coast, meanwhile, my pug Jelly is…
June 6, 2013: Travel Day! Cobbler!
My pug, Jelly, hates it when I travel. A couple of weeks ago, as my buddy Cas was wrapping up his stay with us, Jelly spotted me wheeling his carry-on bag out the door. She scrambled up (as best she could given her hip dysplasia) and hurried over, barking as if to say: "Whoa! Where…
May 30, 2013: Desserts – doggy and otherwise!
Back when I was working in Toronto, Akemi used to send me off every morning with my own breakfast bento box stuffed with oatmeal and fruit lovingly shaped into cartoon forest animals. Well, given the fact that I've been freelancing from home of late, Akemi hasn't had the opportunity for much creative bento expression. Until…
May 22, 2013: The Chapters (Indigo Books) Cheat! Spectacular Sancocho!
I was at my local bookstore, Chapters/Indigo Books, the other night and had just lugged a stack up to the checkout counter. Some ten books, they were all research materials for an upcoming project. The cashier rang up the sale and, as I swiped my credit card, I asked how much I was saving on…