MMX Wrap Up

A final wrap up of my favorites of the year.

FILM*

- A Prophet (debatably a 2009 film)

- The Social Network

- Exit Through the Gift Shop

honorable mentions

- The Fighter

- Boogie Woogie

TELEVISION

new:

- Boardwalk Empire

- How to Make It in America

returning:

- Entourage, season seven

- Gossip Girl, season four (can't resist the clothes and drama)

MUSIC

songs:

Bodyaches by Sugar & Gold

Bulletproof by La Roux

Fuck You by Cee Lo Green

I Need a Dollar by Aloe Blacc

Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

Tighten Up by The Black Keys

Swimming by Florence & the Machine

albums:

Broken Bells by Broken Bells

Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons

The Orchard by Ra Ra Riot

remixes/mashups:

Cosmic Love (Short Club Remix) by Florence & the Machine

Downtight (Chambaland Mashup) by Stevie Wonder vs. Jay Sean featuring Lil' Wayne

Evil Woman (ft. Hoodie Allen & ELO) by Mike Posner

I Hate College by Samuel Adams

Golden Ghostwriter (Jurassic 5 vs. RJD2) by Tone-E

Skinny Love (Das Kapital Rerub) by Bon Iver

((*disclaimer: i still haven't seen Black Swan or The King's Speech))

2010 Pop

NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS DJ EARWORM'S 2009 MASHUP, BUT HIS 2010 MIX IS A GOOD OVERVIEW OF THE BIG POP SONGS OF THE YEAR.

CHECK IT OUT IN THE LAST HOURS OF THE YEAR.

The Avett Brothers - Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise

Undeclared

Since I was thirteen when the show aired, I'll excuse myself from not knowing of Judd Apatow's "Undeclared." Though that doesn't quite excuse the fact that those annoying previews for movies and shows on OnDemand is what introduced me to this gem. The show follows college freshman, specifically one group of geeky guys, on their exploits to get girls, pass their courses, and avoid getting beat up. It's seriously hilarious. Personally, I don't think it's quite as good as "Freaks & Geeks," but I'm not complaining.

The cast includes Seth Rogan, Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, Tropic Thunder), Charlie Hunnam (Greenstreet Holigans), and the glorious Jason Segal. A decade later, it seems college hasn't changed much...well, except for floppy disks.

Watch now on IFC OnDemand!

Green Fall, a film by APB

GREEN FALL from Alexandra Byer on Vimeo.

this may be a shameless plug (it definitely is), but here is the short film i made a couple months ago. an homage to the fall foliage.

The Gigante Bean

My mother added gigante beans to her antipasto platter at Thanksgiving, and I had no idea what to expect. This is a bean that originates from Spain and Greece, and is in the white bean family. It's much larger than a normal bean and carries a full creamy, sweet taste. I have yet to try cooking with it on my own, but love the ones from Whole Foods (found in their antipasto salad bar). The marinade is simple, fresh, and still allows the bean's own flavors to really come through. Definitely my favorite bean of the moment.

so, how 'bout it then?

i know it's terrible, but i constantly wish that i grew up in the 60s. i am fully confident that my parents did not take advantage of it the way i would have, i've been obsessed with the icons of the 60s at a young age, and the thrill of the then burgeoning rock & roll thrills me (even though i am approximately forty-four years late. i would love to streak on thick top liquid eye liner and maybe some falsies, grow long bangs and straighten my hair with an iron, and wear polyester mini-dresses. i think a lot of this has to do with the energy and excitement of the changing social landscape of the sixties. people seemed vibrant, willing to make a difference, and there seemed the possibility of creating something fresh and cutting-edge. it's hard for me to have a clear view if this is being done by my generation now. the new york times magazine things it is.

so, maybe i'm wrong. this is all brought on because i just watched pirate radio for the first time. all i can say is that i want big hair, bright mini skirts, and music to be as meaningful as it was to rock radio.

don't ask, don't tell repeal

January 22, 2010. History.

sigh no more

Mumford & Sons "Little Lion Man" from pat howley on Vimeo.

i only recently got Mumford & Sons' 2009 album "Sigh No More," and i can't stop listening.

above is a live recording of one of my favorites.

Pop Culture Pencils

Pencils that ask the important questions in life.

$8 for a pack of 8 from Greenwich Letterpress.

Pop Culture Pencils.

sleep until 11, you'll be in heaven.

PORTLANDIA

Put away your Juicy jumpsuits and don your flannel. I've always wanted to visit Portland, Oregon and even though a trip West doesn't seem in the cards for me any time soon, luckily I get to see the city Fred Armisen's way. IFC launches a new television series called Portlandia this January about quirky life in Portland, where life seem stuck in the 90s and it's like "Gore won" and the Bush presiden

cy never happened. The show is created by, written by, and starring Armisen.

Premiers Friday, January 21, 2011

10:30pm

Also, Portland continues to show off it's coolness with this vintage store that's inside a 1965 double-decker bus.

potomac boys club remix

Winter Solstice Cake

With snow falling just in time for the winter solstice and nothing else to do, I decided to make Thomas Keller's pink grapefruit cake. I used the recipe, which was posted on Playing House. The cake was incredible. A perfect combination of tart grapefruit flavor with the sweetness of traditional cake. It's a heavy, moist cake so I paired it with a light dinner of soup, to insure no one was too full for dessert. The recipe can be found at Playing House and in Ad Hoc at Home, Keller's cookbook.