Random Bites: Roasting, Remakes and Aretha's Aria

When we whipped up that way-good Turkey Tetrazzini last weekend, we roasted some brussel sprouts to accompany them. Brussel sprouts are admittedly not my favorite, but when placed on a pan, topped with salt, pepper and olive oil and baked in a 400-degree oven for 10-15 minutes, they were downright delicious. Consider me a roasting aficionado when it comes to vegetables..I have yet to find one that I haven't completely dug after roasting...broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, peppers. I would even challenge folks who aren't big on veggies to try them this way...you may change your tune. Here's a few more of my digs this month....

K and I eat a fair amount of oatmeal. We happen to have a boatload of oats these days and finally realized that they gain a whole new life once ground up in the food processor. We put these ground oats in Mason jars and keep them around for some awesome uses: a spoonful added to my breakfast smoothies or a handful added to bath salts to help combat that annoying dry winter skin. Gee whiz, I feel so Martha Stewart sharing this....yeah, I know. Whatever, Martha.

I'm completely relishing the book I'm reading right now. It's called Eminent Outlaws; written by Christopher Bram and it recounts the history of famous, male gay writers. James Baldwin, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Allen Ginsberg, Gore Vidal and many more are woven into the talented and tempestuous tapestry that was the lives of these men. For me, the book is an engaging read that leaves no dramatic stone unturned. The drugs, alcohol, celebrities, egos and crippling writer's block are all in there. Bram's descriptions of everything from creative process to personal demons are utterly absorbing. My favorite book since The Night Circus.

Holy Alpha Base, Batman, they're remaking another childhood favorite of mine! There was a little cult gem of a TV show that was on during my younger days by the name of Space:1999. The show was utterly overshadowed by the original Star Trek, despite its superior special effects (and sometimes superior storylines). I enjoyed Spock and Company also, but I really loved Space:1999. One episode called Dragon's Domain that would be laughed at these days for its rubbery monsters and lame effects, literally gave me nightmares during the childhood days. It involved some giant creature with a glowing eye and tentacles that ate people and spit them back out as skeletons. Yikes! It was recently announced that they are indeed remaking this show as Space:2099. Considering Battlestar Galactica, I suppose this was inevitable. Should be interesting...

Finally, I offer another video. The Grammys have been on my mind after this last week's crazy but memorable show. I got to thinking about what was the most jaw-dropping moment that I'd ever seen on a Grammy show and it involved a diva that's going to be performing at Whitney Houston's funeral this week: Aretha Franklin. Opera star Luciano Pavarotti was due to perform on a telecast a few years back and had to cancel at the last minute due to illness. Aretha Franklin filled in and many assumed she would simply perform a song from her own vast catalog. Instead, she sang Pavarotti's legendary aria Nessun Dorma and did so in his key: no small feat, that. She nailed it and left that typically jaded audience in a teary and breathless standing ovation. It was a brilliant, transcendent musical moment. Check out the video and see ya next post!