“The Restaurant” (Vår tid är nu), a Review

 

I always enjoy reading blogs where the writer discusses his or her current interests, be it what they’re reading, watching, or doing/have done during the past week. Despite the fact that I enjoy when others do it, I seldom do it myself. I wanted to rectify that by telling you about my current obsession, and given the chance, it will become yours as well. 

The aforementioned obsession, and I have to call it that, is a Swedish television series, Vår tid är nu, that translates to “Our Time is Now,” known to American audiences as simply “The Restaurant.”

This show has none of the elements that would generally attract me. It is Swedish, and I am a big fan of Scandi Noir, but it doesn’t fall into that category. It takes place post World War II, in fact, just as the war is ending, and that is not a timeframe that I, for some reason, seldom find engaging. It’s not a gritty crime show, and there are no mysteries or murders to be solved. But it was highly recommended by so many people that I thought I owed to myself to have a look.

It is as addicting as was “Downton Abbey.” Once I started watching, I absolutely could not stop. It got to be a bit embarrassing to be honest. I kept making excuses to sit down with a cup of coffee, tea, a sandwich, what have you, so that I could watch another episode. Finally, I told myself that I had to earn episodes by getting chores done around the house, otherwise I would’ve been happy to binge watch all four seasons nonstop.

It begins in May, 1945, as peace is proclaimed in Europe. The story centers around the Löwander family, headed by stern matriarch, Helga, who runs their old fashioned restaurant in Stockholm with her two always warring sons, Gustaf and Peter, and their perpetually romantic rebel sister, Nina. The plots and subplots are fascinating, the characters varied and well developed, the acting is stellar, and it is quite intriguing to watch history unfold from postwar 1945 all the way to the civil rights movement. Like many Scandinavian productions, it can be a bit dark, but I was so drawn in that I found myself on edge worrying about the characters.

I highly recommend this series. It’s available for viewing on Acorn TV, AMC+, and Sundance Now. Get your chores done ahead of time, because once you start watching, you are not going to want to stop.

P.S. Yes, there are subtitles. I find that, after a while, I don’t even realize that I’m reading them. The plus in needing to read subtitles is that you can never take your eyes off of the screen. When I’m watching an English speaking production, I will often find my attention divided between it and other things, so I don’t capture every essence of the story. That can’t be the case when you’re reading.

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The Taste of Things, a foodie film review

 

I live on Planet Pattie. I’m comfortable here. I choose what to let in and what not to let in. In addition to being a lover of food, I also have a passion for plants, books, and fine film and TV viewing, the large majority of it foreign. Recently, someone posted online that if something has subtitles, they don’t consider it worth watching. My response was that unless something has subtitles I don’t consider it worth watching. Different people like different things. That was an exaggeration, of course, but only a slight one. My guess is that 75% of the things I watch are foreign productions.

 The recently released French film, “The Taste of Things,” based on the book, The Passionate Epicure by Marcelo Rouff, was recently brought to my attention. It was one of those films, like “Amadeus,” that I intended to look in on for a minute or two to see if I would like it, and didn’t move from my spot until it reached its conclusion, and this film is two hours and 15 minutes long! As much as I loved it, I do realize that it is not for everyone. My aunt who was not as enchanted as I was with “Enchanted April” would hate this film because she would find it slow. I found it captivating. I felt as though the film had completely absorbed me, and that I gradually became part of the setting.

Photo: theasc.com

It takes place at the end of the 19th century. Juliette Binoche plays Eugenie, the cook and sometimes lover of gourmet chef Dodin, a couple who have been together for 20 years. Over the course of those 20 years, Dodin has proposed to her numerous times, each time she has turned him down, preferring their culinary partnership over a romantic one.

In and of itself, the film is simple. What makes it so extraordinary is the cinematography, the long leisurely look at all of the luscious food that is being prepared long before modern conveniences, like digital kitchen scales, refrigeration, and microwaves. At the beginning of the film, the camera dwells on each aspect of an incredible meal being put together. It was like watching a ballet, seeing how all of this so beautifully and gracefully went from a table full of ingredients to a fantastic meal. I generally don’t pay attention to lighting in films, but this was remarkable. It was as though the lighting was another character.

In my opinion, this is the best foodie film ever made, and I have seen all of them. If you lean toward that type of film, you owe it to yourself to have a look at this one. The performances are magnificent. The food so sumptuous I could almost taste it right along with the actors, whose facial expressions depicted the gloriousness that they were devouring.

Photo: theasc.com

 As a rather interesting side note, lead actors Binoche and Benoit Maginel were, at one time, real life husband and wife. I’m not sure if that helped to enhance their performances or not, but they were wonderful. It’s a beautiful film, and certainly deserves your attention. It’s available for purchase or rent on Amazon, or if, like me you subscribe to Acorn TV, it’s available for streaming. There’s even a cookbook of dubious integrity.

 I highly recommend this exceptional film.

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Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie

 Teeny Lamothe wanted to be a lady pie baker, no doubt because her passion for baking and for pie came at an early age, happily learned at her mother's side. But how, she thought, could she accomplish such a feat?  Deep in thought, while noshing on pie, Lamothe came up with the idea for her “Tour of Pie.”  She would take a year off to travel across America, learning pie baking from the nation's finest. The only hitch was getting the nation's finest to be willing participants. A letter writing campaign ensued, and while the responses were not quite as enthusiastic as her letters, she did get a smattering of curious pie bakers to take her up on her offer of a free apprenticeship in exchange for their knowledge. 

Her quest began in Seattle at High 5 Pie where she worked alongside owner Dani Cone, author of Cutie Pies.  It continued as she baked her way through nine states, ending in Littleton, Colorado, at the home of her mother for her final apprenticeship.

This book is invaluable to people interested in learning to bake pies, hone their skills, or increase their repertoire. Sections on equipment describe, in detail, what you will need to bake a winner of a pie, from the simple rolling pin and the many variations, to the pastry blender, crust cutter, and crust shield (something that I really do need).

The chapter on The Elements of Crust is worth the price of this book alone. Amazing detail and insight is provided along with the secret to a crust flakier than the one your grandma made, accomplished by substituting the water for vodka, an ingredient that evaporates more quickly during baking and, as such, yields a lighter, flakier crust. Venting, decorating, lattice, what to do with excess scraps of crust, are all covered in fine detail in this chapter. And the recipes!  Sweet crusts, savory crusts, whole wheat crusts, gluten free, sugar cookie, pretzel crusts, each one more tempting than the other. The section on troubleshooting will help bail you out when your crust has taken an unfortunate turn.

The section on Crumbles and Creams won my heart!  I am a big fan of the crumb topping for pies, largely because it saves me the trouble of working with two crusts on a single pie. Lamothe provides recipes for a variety of crumble toppings, including a savory one for pot pies that makes use of boxed stuffing. This I am definitely going to try!  Recipes for variations on whipped cream abound including an orange version that she suggests pairing with her Chocolate Cream Pie. Imagine the decadence!

Each well-written, concise recipe provides information on the proper storage, coverage, and length of time a pie will last, many include instructions on how to make “teeny” (six inch) pies from the recipe instead of one large one.

The recipes themselves are truly inspired. Simple favorites share space with those filled with unusual combinations for the intrepid baker, such as Green Chile Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust, Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie (Yep, you read that right, and it is delicious!), Rosemary Caramel Apple Pie, Earl Grey Cream Pie, or the savory Reuben Pot Pies with a Rye Crumble and Caraway Crust.

I tried two of the pies, one savory, the other sweet. The savory was the Breakfast Pie with Hash Brown Crust. I shredded my own potatoes to be able to control both freshness and size of the shreds. It, on its own, was delicious. Crispy edges give way to a moist interior with a pleasant potato taste.  The filling was satisfying without being heavy, and a perfect choice for spring with the inclusion of leeks. I added about a half times more than what is called for (2 medium leeks) (because I am wild about leeks), and I also chose shiitake mushrooms; a truly great combination.

For the sweet pie test, I couldn't resist the Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie (recipe below). I tend to embrace oddball combinations of ingredients, so surely she had me in mind when she created this. It's a keeper. People will love this one, definitely recognize the bourbon (though it does not overwhelm), but will puzzle over why this version is better than theirs. You can tell them...or not.

I like a cookbook that I can sit down and read. This book is both readable and informative, with delicious sounding recipes, and a bit of travel info to boot. Before planning my next trip,

I'm going to consult Teeny's Tour of Pies.

Here are the bakeries that she visited, in order:

High 5 Pie, Seattle, WA

Emma's Organics, Ithica, NY

Petsi Pies, Somerville, MA

Sweet Sensations Pastry, Chicago, IL

Pie Lab, Greensboro, AL

Bob Roth's New River Groves, Davie, FL

Pie Shop, Atlanta, GA

I Heart Pies, Los Angeles, CA

Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3 medium eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

2 tablespoons bourbon

4 slices bacon, well cooked and roughly chopped

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 recipe pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in the middle.

Whisk together the butter and sugar with a wire whisk in a large mixing bowl until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Add the salt, vanilla, corn syrup, and bourbon, and whisk until everything is fully incorporated.  Stir in the bacon and one cup of the chopped pecans.  Set aside.

Lay the crust into a 9" pie dish, gently press it in and trim any excess dough from the edge with a paring knife, being sure to leave a 3/4" overhang.  Tuck the overhanging dough under itself and crimp.  Place the lined pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet.

Arrange the final 1/2 cup of pecans in a layer on the bottom of the pie shell.  Give the filling one last stir in case anything has settled to the bottom.  Pour the filling over the pecans and bake until the crust and pecans are a golden brown and the middle of the pie no longer wobbles, 50 to 60 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature until the filling is set, at least 45 minutes.

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley, but the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This post is linked to:

Amaze Me Monday

Metamorphosis Monday

Marvelous Mondays

Tasty Tuesday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday
What’s In The Kitchen 

Create It or Bake It

Full Plate Thursday

Show and Tell Friday

Be Inspired Friday

Foodie Friday