December 21, 2007

A friend of mine finally sent me the name of the actor that she pictures when she thinks of Sebastian Vioget. 

His name is Jay Kenneth Johnson….what do you think? I think he could work nicely…if he had curly hair.

December 21, 2007

Like everyone else who's celebrating Christmas–right?

Winners for the Pay it Forward Contest will be posted soon–I have to corral the Music Man ('cause he does all my winner-drawing stuff), and we've pretty much been two ships passing in the bedroom for the last couple days. Music Men are extremely busy this time of year, especially when they work with churches.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

I haven't sent Christmas cards this year. I still plan on it…but they might be more like New Year cards.

You? 

December 14, 2007

I was listening to Fresh Air yesterday with Terry Gross. She was interviewing the producer of Sweeney Todd, which, I'm sure you're aware, is the motion picture version of Sondheim's musical–starring His Hotness Johnny Depp and directed by good friend Tim Burton.

According to the interview, which you can listen to in its entirety here, Richard Zanuck, the producer, hadn't heard Johnny Depp sing until eight weeks before production started.

As he put it: sets were being built, casting was being finalized, costumes were being designed…and he hadn't heard Johnny sing. Eep.

Neither had Steven Sondheim, who Tim Burton had been negotiating and pleading with for years before he gave permission for the musical to be turned into a film. In fact, two of his stipulations for doing the film were that he had to have approval for Sweeney and also for Mrs. Lovett (played by Helena Bonham Carter). 

In fact, apparently, Johnny met privately with Sondheim and all had expected that he'd sing for him then…but no go. Yet, Sondheim approved him anyway. (And why wouldn't he? I mean, really. Who else would be so perfect for the role, singer or no singer?)

And…here's the stunner of them all: even Tim Burton hadn't heard Johnny sing!

But when he finally did, the way Zanuck tells it, Burton walked into his office (which was next door to his) and put a tape deck down in front of him with headphones, and then just walked out, with no explanation. Zanuck didn't know what it was or what to expect, so he put the headphones on and played it.

It was so good that Zanuck rushed over to Burton's office and they were literally crying…they were so pleased.

(Hint: if you listen to the interview above, you'll hear a snippet from one of the songs.)

So, now, of course, I must get the soundtrack. I mean, to hear Johnny sing? Enough to make two grown men cry? *sob* Off to Rhapsody I go….

PS. Is it wrong of me to look at that picture and want to sit in his lap?

December 13, 2007

Ye-ess! It's that time of year again. Holiday (or in my house, Christmas) baking. 

We have several stand-by favorites that I make sure to bake every year, including cut-out cookies for decorating, chocolate dipped pretzel rods (there's something about chocolate and salty…yum), coconut macaroons, and hazelnut lace cookies.

Sometimes I mix it up and add something new, but those are the staples. One year I made sugar cookies with orange and lemon zest in them and they were fantastic–I'm hoping to find the recipe again this year.

So what's your favorite holiday sweet? (Share the recipe if you care to.)

One of my other guilty delights is toffee, especially with almonds and/or cashews. A friend of ours makes it and usually gifts us with a little box that I then fight with my Music Man over. (Heh heh.)

Okay, so Coconut Macaroons are the easiest, and they're pretty common. But have you tried hazelnut lace cookies? Oh. My. God. Yummmmy.

Just 'cause I'm feeling generous with all the Pay it Forward stuff going on, I'm going to share the recipe with you here so you don't have to waste the time (and precious finger strokes) Googling

Steffi Berne's Hazelnut Lace Cookies

(*from The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins, one of my favorite, dog-eared-to-death cookbooks. Has a killer meatloaf recipe too.)

1/3 cup light corn syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, skins removed (bake nuts on a pan, shaking occasionally, for 10-15 mins, then pour them into a dish towel and rub to remove skins)
1/2 cup flour
Pinch of salt

1. Adjust the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment.

2. Combine the syrup, butter, and brown sugar in a heavy saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until the butter has melted.

3. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Stir in the nuts, flour, and salt. the mixture should not be too hot.

4. Using a measuring spoon and a small rubber spatula, drop the batter by level 1/2 teaspoonfuls, about 3 inches apart, on the lined baking sheets. Bake two sheets at a time one on the upper and one on the lower rack, until the cookies have spread out very thin and appear lacy and light brown, 7 to 8 minutes total. After 4 minutes, switch the baking sheets to ensure even baking.

5. Remove the sheets from the oven and immediately slide the parchment onto a flat surface. Let the cookeis cool until firm, about 3 minutes. Then use a metal spatula to carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

6 dozen very thin cookies

So…bake'em up and enjoy! 

December 11, 2007

Went to the grocery for the first time since I finished my book–to my family's great relief. 

(Although I had typed "The End" last Sunday, I still had massaging and tweaking to do, a few loose ends to tie up…and so I didn't finish that and turn it in to my editor until Thursday. So now I am free!…until she gets back to me.)

There were a few things that gave me pause as I traversed the aisles….

1. Why would a woman wear a long faux-fur trimmed wool coat…and flip-flops? Flip-flops? In Michigan in December? (In the Dairy aisle, no less.)

2. They have TUMS in a little shelf display…right by the Mexican food. *snort*

3. Despite the proximity of Christmas, I didn't get a frenetic, desperate sense from people. Everyone, everyone was unfailingly, sincerely polite and calm….

4. There are lots of new kinds of apples: ambrosia apples, pinata apples, honeycrisp apples. Yum.

5. Live lobsters are ugly sons-of-bitches, aren't they?