Houston, We Have A Problem...

So it occurred to me as I was cleaning my apartment yesterday...I can't do the dishes worth a dime. Every item I put away had some sort of streaks on it that required further polishing to remove. And beside that, when I was finished, everything in the kitchen was wet with dishwater. So I did some research (yes, that may sound stupid to research dishwashing. I know), which led me to the error of my ways. There is actually a trick to this whole thing. Firstly, one must have two seperate containers/compartments for soaking/washing and rinsing. For me, I have a single-basin sink, so I have a plastic dishpan I use beside the sink for the soapy water. So far, so good. Second, there is an order as to which dishes to wash first. Ah, here might be my problem... First wash the glassware, then the china, then the silverware/utensils, and finally the cookware/bakeware, and anything else that is crusty and disgusting. AHA! This is indeed my problem. I never really bothered to form an orderly washing line...I just washed whatever was nearest to me first. As for the water splashed all over the kitchen, well I'll just have to be more careful I guess. You learn something new each day!

Birthday Dinner Recipe

Here's a recipe for your files which I devised. I made this for my birthday dinner on Sunday, and served it with the side dishes that follow. It turned out great.

Pork Schnitzel

1½ c. Unseasoned Breadcrumbs

1c. AP Flour

2 Eggs, beaten

6 Pork Cutlets

2T. Fresh Parsley, Chopped fine

Vegetable Oil

Lemon Wedges

Salt

Pepper

1. Set out three shallow bowls, one for each: Flour, Eggs, and Breadcrumbs.

2. Combine Parsley, Breadcrumbs, Salt and Pepper to taste.

3. Dredge pork in Flour, shake off the excess, then in the egg, and then in the breadcrumb mixture.

4. Lay them on a foil-lined cookie sheet to rest until cooking.

5. Pour approximately ¼ inch of oil into a 10 inch skillet, and heat to 350 Degrees F.

6. Place the cutlets in the pan with space in between each cutlet. If they do not fit in the pan, cut them in half before frying.

7. Cook each side until just golden and flip once.

8. Remove to a paper-towel lined dish to drain.

9. Serve with lemon wedges.

Recommended side dishes: Pickled Red Cabbage (my favorite is Kuhne brand) combined with fresh diced apples and caraway seeds; Spaetzle with butter and parsley; German-style pumpernickel rye bread.

Pickled Red Cabbage:

2 Jars of Pickled Red Cabbage
1 Empire apple (or similar)
1/2 tbs. Toasted Caraway Seeds

Mix the three ingredients together, and allow to reach room temperature. It may be heated or served chilled if desired.

Spaetzle

1 Bag of Black Forest Girl Homemade Spaetzle
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 C. of chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1.) Prepare the Spaetzle according to the directions on the package.
2.) Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish
3.) Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.

Mr. Bean's Holiday

I am the proud, yes proud owner of Mr. Bean's Holiday on DVD. Now I shall first post a disclaimer before continuing. I am partial to Mr. Bean, and his style of comedy, and the following review assumes this fact. I also fully realize that there are those out there who dislike Mr. Bean's comedy with a passion. You are entitled to your opinion, just keep my viewpoint in mind while reading.

CAUTION: THE FOLLOWING WILL INCLUDE SPOILERS!!!

Mr Bean's Holiday is basically about Mr. Bean winning a trip to Cannes to spend a week on the beach. He also wins a Sony Handycam camcorder to take along on the trip. Through Mr. Bean's many trials and tribulations, he befriends an attractive French actress, and returns a lost 10 year-old boy to his parents, before finally making it to the beach at Cannes.

It is a well-thought out film, with a solid plot that doesn't jump around much. The comedy in it is top-notch for Bean, though it would have been nice if they didn't cut out some of the scenes that they did (see the special features on the DVD). For example, in the trailers for the film, they show Bean getting his tie stuck in a vending machine, and missing his train, which is subsequently cut from the final film (though rumor has it that the European version of the DVD still includes this scene).

It should also be noted that this is very likely the last appearance of the Mr. Bean character, which makes the ending that much more meaningful. When the entire crowd on the beach is standing, and singing along to "La Mer" by Charles Trenet. It is one of those scenes that will bring you chills as you say a final goodbye to Mr. Bean.

I highly recommend this to anyone who likes Mr. Bean's comedy style, and please let me know what you think if you have seen it already. Thanks!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new Blog. Here I hope to post various tidbits of information (How-To's, Recipes, Reviews, etc.) for your enjoyment/use. I'm always open to hearing your suggestions, comments, and ideas, so please leave your comments! I hope you enjoy your visit here to my blog! My first post is soon to come. Coming topics will include Mr. Bean, a recipe for Wiener Schnitzel, and a review of a Sony DCR-HC96 camcorder. Stay tuned!