Carrot Kugel and Hard Candy

Whatup queers. We're here with episode twooooo. 


Recipe:
... I don't remember where I found the recipe that I found.
The point is that Kugel can be made in a variety of ways and with a variety of ingredients. It is a jewish dish made as a type of pudding or casserole. I think it is supposed to function more as a side dish ... and it also seems like people generally tend to make it into a sweeter dish.
We made a more savory casserole ... and I think that it was okay. So, I won't really share the exact recipe that we made (also because I can't find it and don't remember it).

We cooked 8 carrots and 1 potato. Mashed them all up. Added sugar, flour and an egg. Mashed more. Greased a casserole dish. Put the mashed food in the pan. In the oven for about 30 - 45 minutes. Wonderful.
-Lore

What? Ok, this is me not being recipe-neurotic and finding a recipe. You'll figure it out.
-Syd

Hard Candy (2005)
Directed by: David Slade
Trailer

So we may have chosen this movie largely because we just wanted to watch it, not because we were looking for something super queer. (Although there are things on the internet about Ellen Page. Whatever.) Still, in it's own way it is pretty out there. The movie starts with young Hailey (baaaby Ellen) meeting up with significantly older Jeff in a cafe. They've been chatting online, and it seem Hailey is really interested in getting to know more about Jeff--so much in fact she convinces him to take her back to his place. 

Of course the viewer is thinking "no no no creepy old guy!" but that is of course not how things go down because Ellen Page always plays bamfs. Hailey suspects Jeff in the murder of another young girl and has been planning her revenge for a long time. When Jeff tries to plead innocent, saying he only took Hailey home because she "acted like an adult!" and that she "asked for it" Hailey points out that she's not an adult, he is, and it is still his responsibility to behave like one. I think our rape culture has a lot to learn in that little statement.

So I'll leave it at that and not give anything away, but this movie get's more intense than you might suspect. It is also awesome. It is also deliciously color corrected, so art eyes may want to look into it for that too. 

Also don't mess with Hailey/Ellen Paige, she's an honors student. 

Queer Rating: (out of 10 carrots)
Lore: 3
Syd: 1.5 carrots

Overall Rating:
Lore: 3-7, depending on mood
Syd: 6.5

See you later! -s

Season Two! Mazorcada and Les Amours Imaginaires

Heeeeeey!
Welcome back. Where have you you been? We've been on hiatus! So I guess this is season 2?
The lateness of this is due partially to the loss of an audio clip that neither of us could find. Partially.
This week we watched Les Amours Imaginaires and made Mazorcada. Get it.


Ok, so lets talk about this mazorcada. It is crazy delicious and super easy/flexible. 

You need:
corn (fresh off the cob is far superior!)
potato chips

Then you can add:
onion
tomato
chopped sausage/hotdog/chorizo
cheese
bell pepper
whatever!

And you just fry things, in oil or butter, in a reasonable order. I usually add the corn last so it retains some of its raw crispiness. The chips you crumble and put on top once you're done. Usually you'd use these little potato shreds called "fosforos" (matchsticks) but I haven't found them in the States. Seriously, this is ridiculously delicious for breakfast (add an egg?), lunch, dinner, after drinking. 

All Corn All The Time might be my secret motto.
-Syd


Les Amours Imaginaires
aka Hearbeats
2010 . directed by Xavier Dolan
Trailer

The French title of this movie is the perfect summary... imaginary loves. I don't really know why they decided to go with "Heartbeats" for the english title, but that does generally happen with foreign films, doesn't it?

This is a Canadian film about two close friends who fall for the same person. Initially, Marie and Francis pretend they have no interest in the dashing young man they meet at a dinner party... but as the three become close friends, we find them competing, rather uncomfortably, for Nico's affection.

It's hard to say whether the interactions we see Nico have with the two friends is purposefully teasing and romantic, or if it's all just in Francis and Marie's own heads. I think we can probably all relate to this kind of situation though. Sometimes we just don't know if someone is into us or if we're being crazy... or if they're just fucking with us. It definitely kicks up the anxiety and crazy behaviors in us.

The film is very visually pleasing and has a great soundtrack as well. The story is also intertwined with clips of random, hip French Canadians talking about distraught love. It's quite enjoyable.

That's basically it. I liked it. Francis is my favorite. He's adorable.

-Lore

RATINGS!

Queer
Lore: 1/2 cob of corn
Syd: 1/2 cob of corn

Overall
Lore: 3/4
Syd: 7/8

See ya!

Well-Adjusted Queer Kids

So, this is not exactly a real update, I apologize if I got your hopes up. Then again, I don't, because this is just as awesome. 

So another one of my friends, Audrey, and I recently started a tumblr where we will put queer-related things we make. It's called Well-Adjusted Queer Kids because we are hoping to flesh out the queer narratives one often encounters that are usually depressed gay people or gay people as comic relief, when really queer people are pretty much just people (but cooler. jk. maybe). Anyway, check us out!

We will hopefully return to out regular programming in the not-too-distant future. -S

Intermission

Drunk Pop Songs #2

Halloween cover of Kesha's Tic Toc

This isn't a real entry involving a recipe and a movie review. This is just our accidental hiatus.

womp womp

-Lore

Yeeep. Number 1 is somewhere at the beginning of some video. I could hunt it down for you, or you could take a gander down memory lane and find it yourself. Guess which one I'm choosing.
-Syd

Surprise Soup and The Wedding Banquet

Hello hello! I'm glad I'm getting this done before the end of the world happens!
Excuse the tardiness, I've been preparing to travel ... and watching some Real Housewives of Miami in preparation of course.
I had nothing in mind to cook when Syd came over. That said, I think one of the things you should be able to do, as someone who says they cook, is just be able to take whatever you've got in your cabinets and wing it! And that's what we did. It was delicious.


Here's what we worked with:

Cream of mushroom soup
Black Beans (canned)
Corn (canned)
Chicken breast
1/2 an Onion (chopped)
Garlic (diced)
Salt and Pepper
Hawaiian bread rolls

Boil the chicken to thaw (not recommended by all, but as we've mentioned before, this is how we roll) in a medium sized pot.
In a small pot combine corn, black beans, salt & pepper, onion and cream of mushroom.
When the chicken is cooked, take it out of the pot and shred/chop it up. Pour some of the chicken water out, but leave a nice amount for the soup part. Combine shredded chicken and all the contents of the smaller pot into the original chicken pot. (I added some spices, I don't really remember which. But yeah.)
Let it all simmer a bit.
Scoop into bowls.
Eat along with bread rolls.

Yum!

I will be out of town for a week, so expect us back sometime in the New Year!

-Lore

The Wedding Banquet (1993)
Directed by Ang Lee
Trailer

Relationships can be trying things, and according to movies and the teevee, weddings seem to be the ultimate test. Like, the actual thing, not the idea of marriage. But this movie is from the 90s, so it is not the happy gay couple Wai-Tung and Simon getting married, it is Wai-Tung marrying Wei-Wei, his starving artist tenant, so she can get a green card and he can get his parents off his back. Of course the parents want to show up for the thing.

Naturally they have to try to play the right parts, but Wei-Wei can't actually cook so Simon sneakily does everything, Wai-Tung creeps off to Simon at night, and things get awkward when Wai-Tung tries to fake affection. Still, they almost pull it off, until at dinner they run into an old family friend who insists he host a huge wedding banquet for them!

Things get bad but end up surprisingly good, watch it and see for yourself! Also, I would like to say I really enjoy the tagline: "A little deception at the reception." Top notch.

Queer Rating
Lore: 6
Syd: 6.5

Overall Rating
Syd: 5
Lore: 4

See you next year!
-Syd

Fried Avocado Sandwiches and Heavenly Creatures

Sometimes I enjoy editing the video because I get to check in on how my haircut looks. I cut it myself, so it is always kind of an experiment in progress. I know that sounds narcissistic and irrelevant, but really no part of my regular life actually ties in with this crazy movie. I was so put off that I said "like" probably as often as a valley girl. 




So, these sandwiches are probably the best snack-food-for-a-meal thing ever. Crispy and filled with avocado. A friend introduced me to them in high school and they blew my mind, and I have continued to pass on the delicious since. 

Ingredients:
It's like, ¾ of an avocado per person if you like your sandwich stuffed, but ½ is fine, especially if you're adding things.
bread
butter/butter substitute
salt & pepper
veganaise (optional)
tempeh bacon (optional)

Mash up your avocado and add salt & pepper to taste. Sometimes I add garlic or whatever I feel like. You're not really going for guacamole, more savory. Cook the tempeh bacon. (I guess you could use real bacon, but I really like the tempeh texture. Also I can pretend I'm eating well.)

Butter one side of each piece of bread, this will be the outside. This is the secret to perfect crispyness. Slather avocado and some veganaise on the inside of the pieces, lay in some bacon, and put it together and fry it. Devour. (I often cut it in half because it can be kind of messy.)

-Syd

Heavenly Creatures 1994 

Trailer

Directed by Peter Jackson (yes, THE Peter Jackson)

Starring Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey

Oh my goodness.
This movie was so intense... it made us both decide that we never, ever want to have children, because kids are nuts. And murderous. The scariest part is that it was all based on a very true story (yeah, all of it, we wikipedia'd it!)

So. This movie is about these awkward outsiders who meet in private school in New Zealand in the 1950s. They are portrayed by Kate Winset (as Julie) and a scowling Melanie Lynskey (as Paul/Pauline/Gina/Yvonne) in their debut as young aspiring actresses. You all probably know Kate from Titanic and numerous other roles and films. Melanie may not be as familiar to you, as she has not had as many starring roles. BUT, she was in But I'm a Cheerleader, The L Word... some other random things... and unfortunately Two and a Half Men. I like her very much.

ANYWAYS. These two girls are kind of weird and in their own heads a lot, and nobody understand them, etc. Kate is really rich and worldy and Melanie is kind of poor and her family is a little less cultured. They become friends and bond over being creative and artsy, kind of sickly, and super cray. We see their friendship turn into a kind of love and then obsession with each other. It quickly goes from being kind of cute and funny to really scary and dark when people get in the way of their relationship.

It's a wonderfully made movie. The acting and cinematography is brilliant. But it leaves you with this terrible feeling in your gut and your heart... which I guess, speaks for its success as a movie. Regardless, I never want to watch it again.

Queer Rating
Both: 2 out of 10 tempeh bacons strips
Though there was girl on girl loving... it was more in an obsessive, crazed nature, and not about identifying as gay. In fact they were pretending to be other people.

General Rating
Lore: 2
Syd: 4

On a brighter note, the sandwiches were absolutely delicious.
-Lorena

Sweet Potato Gnocchi and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Surprise hiatus! But we're back! Since we're already on a roll with being timely, it should come as no surprise that only recently have Lorena and I watched Buffy. Ok so Lorena plowed through it all, I am actually just on season 4. I have a low TV tolerance. Anyway, I was surprised at how easy it is to make gnocchi. I guess I assumed it's deliciousness must have more secrets? Well, it doesn't.


Sorry it's a little longer than usual.... we had a lot to say. There was a TON I cut out. Syd will discuss in text.   I'll keep this part short. Here is the recipe:

Sweet Potato Gnocci

Okay, this is really easy.
Cook a Sweet Potato/Yam in an oven until it is soft.
Mash it up
SLOWLY add one cup of flour per sweet potato/yam and kneed into a dough. Add more flour if the dough is still sticky.
Roll the dough into thin little snakes and cut them up into little gnocci shapes.
Boil water and add gnocchi.
Cook. Strain.
Add sauce of your liking.

(I think you could season the dough if you felt so inclined. Maybe add some rosemary or something.)

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (Seasons 1-3)

Created by Joss Whedon (Firefly, Toy Story, Dr. Horrible)

Season 1 Trailer

Where to begin. Ok, "In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer." Enter Buffy, an attractive young California high schooler who's always got a snappy comeback ready, whether it be for the school bully or a lumbering vampire. Sunnydale High happens to be situated on top of a hell mouth—an opening into hell, duh—so Buffy and her friends are plenty occupied with not only the usual highschool drama, but also the various creatures attracted to the hell mouth or trying to come out of it. 

So think your usual cast of enjoyable characters, plus supernatural hijinx! It's a surprisingly thoughtful show at times, moral issues are not black and white and sometimes things don't get a satisfying resolution. Regardless of vampires, it is no ideal other world the show is set in—popular kids and sports rule the school, parents are absent or divorced, college is impending but not a given—it is very relatable. Also, it's way 90s, heh. Also also, we think it's kind of queer. Despite what seems like the obvious setup of the hot  female superhero trope, Buffy is no shallow object, and she will not have you patronizing her. Being a Slayer was not her choice, but being femme is. Also there are actual lesbian happenings but not till season 4, but you should know it is still worth watching to get to that point. 

General Rating:
Lore: 10/10  loves it.

Syd: 8/10

Queer Rating:
Lore: 6/10
Syd: 5/10

Have a good week! Also, for those of you who have seen it, Giles is my favorite.