Julie and Julia

I am still thinking about the Julie and Julia movie I saw with hubby last night. And if I'm still thinking about a movie I've seen the day before -- that's always a good sign. The movie was well worth the dinner we sacrificed (no sit-down dinner for us, just a quick trip to Wholefoods).

It's not just because the movie was shot so well (remember the shot of Julie and her sister having an arm-hug while dancing at the wedding, and their husbands shaking hands; remember how good the food looked). Nor was it just because the cast were well-chosen and acted superbly... no, no. I have seen movies that were excellently shot and excellently acted, yet I forgot about them right afterwards (case in point -- "Public Enemies").

And it's not because I'm nostalgic, either. I have never seen Julia Child until I recently googled her and saw a clip of her on youtube. We didn't have her shows in the Philippines. I went into the movie sans any nostalgia. Yet it was moving and inspiring nonetheless. This is not a drama but I teared up a few times. I liked seeing 2 very different couples in healthy marriages -- how refreshing. I liked how Julia reacted to life's curve balls -- such a sportive spirit -- she's a real child of that golden generation who were grounded and "knew how to deal". And I liked how she revolutionized the Art of Homemaking. I hesitate to say she "professionalized" homemaking -- no that would be too cold. What she did was take it seriously, give it a lot of heart and treated it like a science, yes a science -- I believe that's how she elevated it into an art form that people can relate to. Even people like myself who have never seen her show or read her book. Julia wasn't about perfection, she was about Excellence.

There's certainly something in this movie for wives and a lot for husbands too, and for all of us inner-cooks :)

Craving Filipino Food

The thought of Filipino food is driving me crazy with craving these days. Maybe I'm just a little homesick, or perhaps just too excited about our upcoming trip to the Philippines. Hubby does not share my enthusiasm for Pinoy food -- he thinks the dishes that taste great tend to be unhealthy (like lechon kawali) while the ones that are healthy taste bland (he once had a soul-less lumpiang ubod from Max's). But I disagree -- I think he just hasn't seen enough variety to make a sound judgement. Wait until he tastes the yummy grilled seafood in Iloilo.

I am trying to locate a good Pinoy restaurant here in LA -- so far I've been to Max's (expensive), Goldilocks, Pinoy Pinay, Asian Noodles in Chinatown and this little grill place along San Fernando Mission. Any other suggestions?

Do you wanna Harambee?

I have a new project with some friends -- "Harambee"! This is a project that aims to "help Africa help itself". We will help fund education and health projects in Africa, while at the same time educating the world about Africa -- its culture, its problems, its strengths.

Harambee Intl was started in Rome in 2002, and Harambee USA was founded in NYC in 2007. But very few people have heard about Harambee ("All together for one" in Swahili) here in Los Angeles. We are trying to change that.

Projects to be funded include: Educating women in Kenya and the Cameroon, and teachers' training programs in Sudan and Kenya.

We are in the "gestation stage" and are about to cook something up for Harambee. Will keep you posted!

http://harambee-africa.org/