SO FAR SO INTERESTING….

This week this old biddy is making up for all those weeks spent snowed under nursing that nasty sinus infection and bad knee. Monday night a friend and I went to the main library for a free screening of “Defendor”, the Ohio premier of Woody Harrelson’s new movie. I wasn’t sure what to expect but was both surprised and pleased by this dark version of 'ordinary citizen turned crime fighter'. Except Woody’s character is anything but an ordinary citizen, he’s mentally a bit slow, and although he has moments of insight, it's just slightly scewed. He’s concocted his super-hero, Defendor, out of odds and ends, including the duct tape forming the D on his costume. At first you think this movie might be a comedy but it’s anything but. Throughout the film you get a glimpse of this character’s past that makes his playing at super hero inevitable. At times he does seem to have superhuman abilities - disappearing in a blink of an eye - but he gets beat up a few times and although he claims bullets will bounce off - they don't.

The film never really made it to the big theaters and has already been released to DVD. If you get the chance to see this, please do, it’s well worth the time.

MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!
Last night we spent at EJ’s Stage Door attending the first in the series of concerts for this year’s annual UA Jazz Fest. It’s easy to say that the people that should have been in attendance at any of the 150 or so empty seats missed a truly wonderful experience. For $10 the evening was filled with funky sounds from the Boston Horns, a premier jazz group from Boston. This group came in to teach at the UA Jazz school and then stayed for the performance last night.

Sitting in with the group were two UA students, Chris Jenkins on sax and Theron Brown on piano (hope I got the names right!). Jazz director Jack Schantz sat in for a bit too. The UA Jazz school has some great talent that will no doubt be moving on to big things in their future, Chris and Therrod among them.

The gal that went with me to this show declared it “the best $10 I ever spent” for the ticket. The music was funky, jazzy, cool and horn forward. The band members were professional and willing to share the spotlight with the students who stepped up and did fantastically.

This week the Jazz Fest continues and I’m looking forward to more wonderful music. It's simply a shame that more people don't attend these shows - they're fantastic kids and the Jazz Fest showcases just how much local talent we're incubating here at UA.

STILL TIME TO EAT!
Even with all this running around there was still time to try out a new recipe. I’d hoped to spend the month of February trying out Indian cuisine at home and that didn’t work out so well (what with the above mentioned sinus crud), so I finally managed to try out one recipe that looked especially delicious.

This meal turned out well and I managed to pack it up for a pre-concert picnic over the weekend. With the addition of a simple cucumber-radish salad and a refreshing mango lassie, it made a great meal.

CHICKEN THIGHS IN YOGURT

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed into 1.5 inch size
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup lite coconut milk
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbls. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbls. garam masala
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small hot chili pepper, minced

Put all ingredients except chicken in a bowl and combine well. Add chicken and let marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and arrange a rack over a sheet pan and rub some oil on the rack so that the chicken won’t stick. Take out chicken pieces and arrange on rack and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until chicken tests done.

Serve this over the following rice recipe!

COCONUT JASMINE RICE

2 tsp. oil
1 cup brown and wild jasmine rice
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup coconut milk
¾ cup frozen peas
½ cup chopped unsalted roasted cashews

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Add the rice and stir to coat rice. Cook over medium-high heat until rice just begins to toast. Add stock and coconut milk, cover and let low-simmer for 25 minutes. Remove lid, add frozen peas and let heat until they are warmed through. To serve, fluff rice with fork, add cashews and a sprinkling of fresh chopped cilantro.