GQ Men of the Year

When it comes to magazines, there's only one thing I look forward to more than EW's Oscar preview and that is GQ's Men of the Year issue. I don't know when the obsession began but I definitely have one in regards to photographs of actors. Next to my family, music, and red wine, actors make me happier than anything in the world. For me, they aren't just eye candy. I actually find myself more turned on by their talent and passion because, in my opinion, those are the attributes that seperate men from "guys". I believe actors embody talent and passion better than any other type of man and if you can get a great photographer to capture this with one click of the camera, well that picture is worth holding onto forever.

I think this year's issue is by far the best one GQ has ever put out. When I was waiting in line to buy my groceries last night, I opened the magazine and immediately saw the magnificent Casey Affleck spread. I knew at that moment I would have to buy it even if he was the only interesting 'man of the year' in the entire issue. Little did I know that I would discover much more once I got home and started leafing through it. So now I'm going to stop blabbing and let the pictures speak for themselves. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Casey





Daniel



Judd and Co.



Josh



Jason



James



John



Javier

The ultimate grilled cheese and soup

As food begins to run low in your kitchen, what kind of person do you become? The kind who opens the fridge, sighs with disappointment, and heads to the nearest fast food restaurant, or the kind who is excited about making something unique out of such limited resources? I'd like to think I fall into the latter category. Every night is a Top Chef Quickfire challenge for me. You see my day job is totally void of any opportunities for creativity so when I come home, I pour myself a glass of red wine or mix up a quick Tanqueray and tonic, then I sit down and brainstorm. When the kitchen is stocked and the possibilities are endless, I feel almost overwhelmed by the choices. When the kitchen is bare, however, and I have only a few choice ingredients, my imagination, and not much else, that's when things really get interesting.

The only thing I knew for sure when I arrived home from work yesterday was that I wanted grilled cheese. I picked up a wedge of chipotle gouda earlier in the week and was chomping at the bit to, well, chomp it. I also had a can of tomato soup in the pantry that I thought about jazzing up but that didn't really feel challenging enough. The wheels began to turn once I saw the half a can of pumpkin puree I had left over from the pumpkin bread I had made for Thanksgiving. I also remembered that I had recently bought a sweet potato for no reason whatsoever. Perhaps when I picked it up in the store I subconsciously knew this glorious moment would present itself.

What followed was some serious makeshift cooking. Without a lot of the staples one might use to make soup - onions, celery, carrots - I decided just throw a bunch of shit in a pot and hope for the best. I knew the grilled cheese would be stellar but the soup was a bit of a gamble. After consuming the final product I have to say...the gamble paid off, and then some. There's no doubt in my mind that like my Kung Pao chicken, coconut lime tilapia, black bean cakes, and BBQ nachos, this dish is destined to become a classic in la cucina della Z.

Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup

-one sweet potato, cubed
-half a can of pumpkin puree (about 7 oz)
-three garlic cloves
-two cups of chicken broth
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 tablespoon of honey
-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
-a pinch various spices (this is dependent entirely on taste):
--cumin
--nutmeg
--allspice
--cayenne

First peel the potato and cut it into cubes. Boil the potatoes in water until they are soft enough to mash. Drain the potatoes and transfer them back into the pot along with the pumpkin puree. Mix the potato and pumpkin together until well incorporated. Smash the garlic cloves and add them to the potato/pumpkin mixture. Keep the mixture over low heat and add the butter, honey, salt, pepper, and spices until everything tastes well-balanced. While mixing these ingredients, heat up the chicken broth. Once the broth is hot, whisk it into the potato/pumpkin mixture until smooth then remove the garlic cloves. Adjust seasonings accordingly, serve, and enjoy!

No Country for Old Men

"What's this guy supposed to be, the ultimate badass?"
It's almost the end of November and I think I've finally found myself the best movie of 2007. While there is still a month to go and plenty of Oscar-fare left to see, I doubt anything can top No Country for Old Men. It may not have the soul-stirring edginess of Gone, Baby, Gone or the action-packed slickness of 3:10 to Yuma but it does have two things no other film has this year: Joel and Ethan Coen.

The Coen brothers have kicked out some of the quirkiest cinematic gems of the past 20 years, but after two critical and box-office flops (Intolerable Cruelty and The Lady Killers) in the last few years, I began to wonder if the creative pool was drying out. Perhaps that's the reason I was so enamored with No Country. It proved my theory wrong and with a vengeance. Like Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and O Brother, No Country is a world more than it is a film. While the movie is not based on an original screenplay (it was adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name) you can't help but feel as though this story was written solely for the purpose of becoming a Coen brothers film some day. From the sound design and cinematography to the wardrobe and locations, every element of the film plays a key part in bringing this fictional world to life. Some people reduce the Coens' success to their skills as writers and the talented people they cast in their films. However, it is so important to realize how brilliant they are as filmmakers. Only a true visionary can take a simple story and turn it into something palpable.

Now I couldn't write a review of No Country without calling attention to the cast. Every actor in this film, whether in a bit part or a starring role, is fantastic. I give Joel and Ethan Coen mad props for making some rather unconventional choices in the casting decision. Here's a quote from an interview Entertainment Weekly did with Javier Bardem that illustrates precisely what I mean:

"When the Coens called, I said, 'Listen, I'm the wrong actor. I don't drive, I speak bad English, and I hate violence.' They laughed and said, 'Maybe that's why we called you.'"



The Coen brothers have a great knack for knowing when an actor will absolutely nail a character and their decision to cast Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh is no exception. Chigurh is one of the strangest and most haunting individuals in recent cinema history and much of that is because his appearance is so off-putting. He doesn't look or sound anything like your typical psycho-killer and I give a lot of credit to both the Coens and Bardem for putting so much thought into the portrayal of Chigurh. Bardem gives the character this sort of soft-spoken madness that is extremely scary to watch yet at the same time totally fascinating.

I also love that they cast Josh Brolin as the protagonist, Llewelyn Moss. This seems to be Josh Brolin's year (he's had starring roles in Grindhouse and American Gangster) but before 2007 he was pretty much the guy that was hired for the bit role because he was cheap. Brolin is not a critically acclaimed actor nor does he have box-office appeal. The Coens really took a chance giving him such an important role and I think it paid off beautifully. Brolin has a fantastic every-man quality and as Llewelyn Moss, he reminded me a lot of the great leading men of '60s and '70s Westerns.

Tommy Lee Jones is flawless as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell which shouldn't surprise anyone. What I really loved about his character was how similar it felt to Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson in Fargo. Sheriff Bell is the glimmer of hope amongst all the bloody chaos and nihilism, and while the film doesn't make any attempt to provide resolution or closure, he is the one element that allows you to walk away feeling slightly optimistic. I attribute that not only to the greatness of the character as it was written but also to the warmth and compassion Tommy Lee Jones brings to the role.

I don't think there's anything left to say other than that everyone should see this movie as soon as is humanly possible. Yes, ticket prices are indeed ridiculous and you probably feel like you should be spending your hard earned dough on blockbusters rather than indie fare. However, I still encourage you to see No Country for Old Men in the theater because crappy popcorn movies will always be playing on the big screen but a classic Coen brothers film will not.

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving so I should be listing off all the things I'm most grateful for, right? Well, I'm struggling a bit there. Lately all the misfortunes of the past month have been catching up with me. I won't explain them in detail because I'm not that kind of blogger. I will say that I feel misplaced. I feel like my life needs a major facelift. Luckily I've been given the opportunity to find a new job which in turn will lead to new friends and possibly some interesting prospects in the romance department. I'm hoping so anyway because I really need it. There's so much about myself that's being wasted in this life I'm living now. Please God, I need that windfall...and soon.

The World's Greatest Nachos

Last night I finally took it upon myself to try and recreate the greatest food I've ever put in my mouth. What was it, you ask? None other than the infamous BBQ nachos from the Rum Boogie Cafe in Memphis. I'd been having barbecue almost every day for the last week before we rolled into Memphis but I knew the moment we arrived there I was about to encounter the best of the best. I was right. The ribs from Blues City Cafe were fantastic and utterly authentic. This wasn't really a surprise though. I fully expected to taste great ribs in Memphis. What I didn't expect was to find the world's greatest nachos.

Whoever decided to put BBQ sauce on nachos instead of taco sauce or salsa...well they deserve an automatic place in heaven. The taste is unparalleled and I'm now going to add it to my nachos any time I have the opportunity. So while I know I'm never going to be able to replicate the actual barbecue found in the Rum Boogie Cafe nachos, I think I've created a recipe that is a fantastic substitute. Give this one a whirl...you won't regret it.

Z's BBQ Nachos (makes 2 servings)

-half of a rotisserie chicken, chopped
-cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 cup BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory & Brown Sugar)
-a few handfuls of tortilla chips
-1/4 cup green onions
-1/4 cup pickled jalapeno peppers
-1/2 cup chopped lettuce
-1/2 to 3/4 cup of Velveeta cheese, melted

Besides just throwing all of this stuff on top of the chips, the only thing you really have to do is season the chicken. I toss it with the spices listed above and I also recommend heating the chopped chicken pieces in a small saute pan with half of the BBQ sauce. The remaining sauce can be drizzled on top of the assembled nachos.

This recipe can be altered in a thousand different ways but this one is almost exactly the same as the original. And trust me...the original is as good as it gets.

Enjoy!

Hot guys, PSLs, and simpler times

I'm taking a few minutes away from my crazy day to blog. Yeah I promised not to blog about anything too stupid and pointless but I feel like these particular sentiments deserve some attention.

I've had a rough couple of weeks. Despite the overall awesome month I've been struggling with some personal relationships and issues at work. I haven't done the best job of keeping a positive attitude but I attribute a lot of that to the fact that I was just too exhausted to rise above it. Now, however, I think it's absolutely necessary that I rise above it. I want to be happy and wallowing in the negativity because I'm "too tired" to do anything else is just stupid. I will say that several things have kept me from throwing myself off the roof of the building and I want to take this time to appreciate those things.

Every time a hot guy saved my sanity I thought of this fantastic quote from the film Beautiful Girls:

A beautiful girl can make you dizzy, like you've been drinking Jack and Coke all morning. She can make you feel high full of the single greatest commodity known to man - promise. Promise of a better day. Promise of a greater hope. Promise of a new tomorrow. This particular aura can be found in the gait of a beautiful girl. In her smile, in her soul, the way she makes every rotten little thing about life seem like it's going to be okay.

I've always felt this way about hot guys and it proved especially true this past week. Whether it was the yummy new apartment manager smiling at me in the hallway, a co-worker who helped me out when I was drowning in paperwork, or the sexy bartender who talked to my step-dad about beer while simultaneously shooting me flirtatious grins, I was reminded that the world can be such a beautiful place when I'm in the presence of an attractive guy who makes me feel attractive. There's nothing better in the world.

The other thing I found to be helpful is having your senses comforted. I never really realized it until my sis pointed out a passage from a blog she found but it's so true. A warm bath, a soft blanket, happy music, or a hot cup of yummy such as a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks always, always makes a person feel better after a hard day.

Lastly, I think the best thing anyone can do is simplify. Like my sis mentioned in her blog, our mantra lately has been "simpler times." Eating pizza and drinking cocktails with good friends before the Aussie Floyd show. Watching Alien Resurrection the night before Halloween and then reading all about the Alien series on Wikipedia the next morning. The crazy little things that at the time seem so insignificant...those are the things that matter. Why focus on how unfair life is or how stupid people can be when you can focus on the "simpler times."

I hope I can remember to keep all of this stuff in mind in the weeks to come. It's easy to revert back to my pessimistic ways but right now, at this moment, I can't think of a single reason to be unhappy.