They turned out pretty well. I did about half the recipe normal and half filled with cheese.
Some Tips:
Cool the butter before placing it in the mixer - I had some dough that semi cooked, it didn’t ruin the flavor but made it hard to work with.
Stop the mixer occasionally and work the dough by hand - While Alton never says to do this, a little hand kneading is really helpful to make sure the dough combines correctly
When adding cheese to the center, do it before you boil - I tried it both ways and the dough just gets a lot harder to work with after you boil it.
Make all your pretzels before you boil! - As the water boils off the baking soda you add for taste gets stronger and stronger. By making up all the pretzels before hand you can boil them as a group, this lets you get them all boiled before the baking soda to water ratio is all fucked.
Next I tried my Grandpa’s Popover Recipe
Popovers are yummy little egg cake pastries that are supposed to pop up at the top so they have a little spot in the middle where you can put toppings. While the flavor was spot on I did not get them to pop : / My Mother told me not to mix it up much so it will pop better, and I tried that but it didn’t work out. Im going to try and do it next time with even less mixing, and then again with even more mixing so I really get the eggs frothing. It would seem to me more air in the mixture is better…
I think next up Im going to try Pizza dough!
Thanks to Evelyn-Everywhere for the great pictures!
Movies Challenge 2011 - Failure or Success? Part 2
Well its been a bit of time since I did the first part of this, but now seems like as good a time as any to finally finish it up.
Manhattan Murder Mystery - Definitely an interesting movie in the Woody Allen catalogue, it combines his interest in Noir but updates it to a more modern setting, unlike something such as Curse of the Jade Scorpion. The movie shares some similar traits with Husbands and Wives, though where Husbands and Wives is dark and depressing this is a mostly light hearted affair. For those of you who only know Modern Woody, I would say its more Scoop, then Match Point. All in all its not bad. I will watch pretty much anything by Woody Allen, but this is definitely one of the good ones.
The Living Wake
I remember seeing a trailer for this and thinking it looked odd. And it is. It is a dark comedy centered around one eccentric (and not particularly well liked) K. Roth Binew as in his last hours as an unknown disease takes his life he plans and holds his living wake. The movie is pretty interesting from a visual standpoint and some of the dialogue is good, even if the movie as a whole doesn’t hold up that well. Jesse Eisenberg also has a small part in this before all that Social Network fame. If you have netflix or are just into eccentricity and indie movies check it out, though Im more excited to see a movie with a similar concept and with better actors Get Low.
Harvey - The origin of the Bugs Bunny George routine (CLICK!) this interesting James Stewart vehicle is another classic. Overall it is a whimsical movie about a man whose best friend is an invisible pooka (giant rabbit creature) and the trouble it causes with his family who thinks he’s crazy. As usually a great preformance from Mister Stewart, it is a movie that would almost seem cheesy by todays standards but it is full of heart. According to wiki Steven Spielberg might make a remake, it seems right up his alley.
Archer season 1 - Cannot wait to watch season 2!
Arthur(1981) - Supposedly a classic, but not for me. Must have done well enough considering they made a remake.
Please Give - decent movie, if its still on netflix instant give it a view.
Mystery Team - Funny movie from the Derrick Comedy group (you know with the guy thats all the tumblr rage Donald Glover ). The comedy is in more of the modern sensibility in the vein of things such as 30 Rock or some of the Funny or Die stuff (make sense given the groups influences) probably one of the most unexpectedly pleasurable movies I saw last year.
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - Nic Cage as a drug addled corrupt police detective in New Orleans now with Lizard Vision???? count me in! Werner Herzog must have specifically crafted this movie for the Ghost Rider because how else could he have thought to create greatness such as this
Supercop - Is there an old Jackie Chan movie that isn’t great?
Initial D - This chinese film captures the whole of I believe the first series of Intial D. Its fine, not great, just fine. Watch to see Jay Chou before his hollywood break in Green Hornet.
The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco’s Medieval Holmesian(is this a thing or did I just make it up?) tale of William of Baskerville (the incomparable Sean Connery) and his apprentice (young Christian Slater) as they try to solve the mystery of the dead clergy at a Benedictine Abbey in Northern France. Big surprise just how good this movie turned out to be. I don’t know if this book could be commited to celluloid in a better fashion than this.
Mr.Hobbs Takes a Vacation - standard 60s comedy, enjoyable.
SubUrbia - Richard Linklater directs another movie about growing up in the 90s. Its okay, though Slacker is so much better, this movie feels to studio and is a overbearing. Also it makes being a teenager in the early 90s seem like a fate worse than death.
Hannah and her Sisters - When we think of Woody Allen with think of classics such as Manhattan or Annie Hall but I (and apparently Roger Ebert) think that one of the lesser known (at least to the public at large) classics of Woody Allen is Hannah and Her sisters. Using the reoccuring Holiday of Thanksgiving as the the central event in all of the characters lives, Woody Allen talks about all the things we best know him for, the nature of relationships, cheating, what it means to be a middle aged adult. Hannah and her Sisters is certainly one of his best films. This is prehaps one of my favorite Michael Caine rolls before he started playing old people.
James Bond - Thunderball - If its Connery and its Bond its one of the good ones.
Hyperdrive season 1 - British Sci-fi show starring Nick Frost as an inept space captain. Follows in the foosteps of shows such as Red Dwarf. If you know what that means that you should probably give this show a chance.
James Bond: You Only Live Twice - James Bond Goes to Japan! Ninjas! Flying Helicopter things! Ernst Bloefeld! You can tell Bond was getting pretty cheesy at this point, but this is much more enjoyable then some of the other crazy Roger Moore Bonds.
The Conversation - I had never heard of this masterpiece by Francis Ford Coppola. The pacing on this 70s thriller is agonizingly perfect. Gene Hackman plays a surveillence expert who is hired to record a conversation between a couple. He quickly begins to suspect that they will be murdered and begins to have a crisis that threatens to unravel his whole life while deciding what to do with this information. A must see.
James Bond: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service - Lazenby’s only Bond. Its not terrible, it just wasn’t Connery.
James Bond: Live and Let Die - Only a significant entry in the Bond franchise due to the genre mixing with Blaxploitation. It is interesting to see just how popular this common grindhouse sub-genre became, though a lot of this movie just comes off as overtly racist.
Who’s the Caboose? - Early Sarah Silverman film. It is done in the style of a documentary following an up and coming New York Comedian as she tries to make it in LA. Good film and its interesting to see all the young 90s comedians before they did (or didn’t) make it big.
James Bond: Man with the Golden Gun - One of the better Roger Moore bonds
James Bond: the Spy Who Loved Me - One of the worse ones… Roger Moore is such a cheese ball.
Grey Gardens - yeah yeah yeah, I know everyone already saw this, whatever! I feel sorry for the guy who bought Grey Gardens I bet there is still some cat shit he missed somewhere.
The Graduate - Yet again another classic I missed.
Bill Burr: Let It GO
James Bond: Moonraker
Chops
Nick Swardson: Seriously, Who Farted?
Blade Runner - More of the same, but come on its literally impossible for me to already have seen every good movie that has ever come out. So cut me some slack.
Malcolm X - Denzel Washington is amazing as this iconic leader. I had never seen this particular “joint” but Spike Lee turns in one of the finest biographic films I have seen.
Bad News Bears(2005) - Original was better.
Double Dare - Interesting documentary about stunt women. Mostly follows around Zoe Bell as she tries to make it to become Uma Thurman’s stunt double on Kill Bill.
Something Wild - An Early Jeff Bridges, Melanie Griffith movie, it starts out interesting but quickly becomes another 80s film.
Born Rich
Out on a Limb - Terrible 90s comedy staring Matthew Broderick (he really wanted to try and be Michael J. Fox I think) also staring Jeffrey Jones from other great 90s Comedys such as Stay Tuned and Mom and Dad Save the World. Randomly John C. Reily is also in this movie.
Pawn Stars season 3 - Yay Pawnstars!
Ramsay’s Best Restaurant Season 1 - Ramsay’s British tv shows are so much better than the ridiculous drama filled ones in America.
Knockaround Guys
Visioneers - Zach Galfinakis hype train got me to watch this movie its only okay.
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
Bunny and the Bull - From Paul King of Mighty Boosh fame this British Surreal Roadtrip movie had some of the most interesting visuals I saw in a movie last year. Funny and sad, it was a creative and engrossing film.
Get Carter
I Do: How to Get Married and Stay Single - Frenchy Rom Com with Charlotte Gainsbourg. Pretty good.
Lost in La Mancha
Happily Ever After
The Hustler - Paul Newman plays a pool hustler Fast Eddie who tries to take on the great Minnesota Fats (played by a keenly subdued Jackie Gleason). One of Paul Newman’s classic roles, Fast Eddie loses and learns what it actually means to win and to be the best. The characterizations in this film are beautifully portrayed. A great film that should not be avoided.
Jackass 3
kung fu dunk - Like a terribly unfunny Shaolin Soccer
Law Abiding Citizen - Somehow this movie is both a thriller and entirely ridiculous. I don’t even know how you do that, but here it is.
The Red Violin
On the Shoulders of Giants
Super - Interesting take on the “a guy dresses up like a super hero” idea. It is terribly violent and a bit disturbing but still a good movie. Great opening credits
Hanna
This spy/thriller film follows a young girl (the titular Hanna) as she Journeys out in the world for the first time after being kept and trained up near the polar north by her ex-cia father. As she Journeys out into the world a maniacal CIA agent played by Cate Blanchett will do anything to capture her. Visual stunning, with a strong story line and a strong cast, I was excited for this film from the first trailer. My favorite part is the interweaving of fairy tale elements into the main narrative and the visual styling givng the movie an ethereal fell. There is rumor that a sequel may be planned, which of course gives me feelings of excitement and worry. Sequels can be good but I enjoyed this movie so much I fear it could ruin it.
Bert the Conquerer season 1
Santa Clause 2
american pickers ssn2
The Big One
Not Quite Hollywood - Documentary on Ozploitation films. More grindhouse goodness.
Crank 2 - Worse than the first crank. at least 10 times as ridiculous but 5 times stupider.
Jack Goes Boating
L’emmerduer (remake)
Nursery University
The Paper Chase
Cheers Ssn1
Nova Science Now “The Next Big Thing”
Paul
No Strings Attached
Limitless
Pulp
Hall Pass
The Killing of a Chinese Cookie
The Benson Interruption SSN:1
Tangled
Tales from Earthsea - Not a bad start for the younger Miyazaki. Not as skilled a telling has his father and quite a bit darker than his fathers work, but still good.
I love you philip morris
30 Minutes Or Less
Heaven Can Wait
Safe Men
Sabotage
Glory Daze
I am comic
Escape from New York
Casino Jack and the United States of Money
Our Idiot Brother - Cutsey film with a fantastic cast. This movie may have been mostly fluff, but it was enjoyable. Also Rasheeda Jones makes the perfect Lesbian.
Secrets of The Dead: Lost City of Z
ASSSSSSCAT
The League SSN 1 & 2 - So good it almost makes me want to play fantasy football
Yo Gabba Gabba SSn2
Mad Men SSN1 SSN 2
You Again
For Your Eyes Only
Beavers
The National Parks America’s best idea
Ken Burn’s tribute to our National Park system is always engaging and inspiring. As a country we may not do everything right but this is something we did get right and we should all do our best to enjoy and preserve our grand outdoor spaces.
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” John Muir
Hugo - I saw this in 3d. It probably didn’t need to be even with all the touting. Still the movie was amazing. A perfect tribute to Martin Scorsese’s love of films. You can see him as a young unhealthy boy living his dreams out through the films he so obviously loves. Even with the 3d it was still a great film.
The Rum Diary
Call Me Clause - Worst chrismas movie ever? Probably.
Page One
The Adventures of Tin Tin
Dive: Living off America’s Waste - gross hipsters being gross. Raises interesting points, but is also gross. I think if I was going to educate people about problems with US food production I would do it in a less gross way. gross.
Cheers SSN 1-3
Waiting For Superman
Curious George 1
Fraiser SSN 1
Beer Pong Saved My Life
Dr. No James Bond
The Colony SSN 1
How Stuff Works SSN 1
How Stuff Is Made SSN 1
Octopussy James Bond
Expendables
Drive - I should make another post expounding upon my love for this move. But lets just say in my opinion, visuals were perfect. Sound track was perfect. Acting was Perfect. man great movie. I will write about it again maybe after Ive watched it again.
Random Favorites from the Year
Drive
My Man Godfrey
Virgin Suicides
Hanna
National Parks: America’s Best Idea
Cosby Show
After writing all this out I have come to the definite conclusion that this whole thing was a success. I was able to watch a lot of good things with my favorite person. Start intersting discussion because of them, find out about great music. All in all it was great and Im happy to be doing it again this year!
Well as this year is well underway hopefully I’ll have a new movie post to cover some of the stuff we’ve already seen this year. But here’s a preview of one of my early favorites
And we’re back from our brief hiatus. More great Toriyama-san artwork and creations starting NOW!
Just to clarify, this Tumblr is MOSTLY to showcase Toriyama-san’s own artwork, but it is not limited to that. There will also be stills / clips from his various animations, products inspired by his creations, maybe even some top quality cosplayers. Everything in the Toriyama-verse is fair game! (But MOSTLY his artwork!)
I love Sandland
Agreed Sandlord originally got me into manga thanks to Toriyama’s World!
I don’t know this is just so cool I can’t not post it! But if you don’t care about fighting games probably best to ignore this.
Abegen landing cross up clothesline with she-hulk on an incoming character at Kubo’s Garden tournament in japan. Basically this setup allows for a 50/50 situation against probably any character without an airdash/air super/double jump. I haven’t tested it but I bet it beats most normal incoming attacks. So now she hulk kills your character you either get hit from the front or back into a big combo! Pretty nice. Abegen with that nasty tech. Lets go low tier hero!!
