btwinnipeg

Out with the new and in with the old…at least in the theatre!

 Lots of great blockbusters coming out this year including the Avengers movie and the final Dark Knight flick, BUT we’ll also be seeing a lot of retro shows on the big screen.

 

Ferris Bueller, Marty Mcfly, and many others will be returning to the big screen at SilverCity Polo Park as part of the Great Digital Film Festival. Full details available here and I’ve posted the schedule below, what do you think of the selection?

 

If it was up to YOU to pick any movie from the past and bring it back to theatres what would you like to see? We’re not talking about rebooting a movie, we’re taking the movie you saw when you were growing up and putting it back in theatres in all of it’s original glory!

 

Some movies are meant to be experienced on the big screen, so what movie would you like to see come back to theatres?

 

 

Friday, February 3, 2012            Saturday, February 4, 2012                    Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Terminator                               Stand By Me                                                      Back To The Future

Robocop                                          Ferris Bueller’s Day Off                                  Back To The Future 2

The Big Lebowski                          Sixteen Candles                                                Back To The Future 3

Pulp Fiction                                         Jurassic Park                                                      Spaceballs

Scarface                                              Serenity                                                                Shaun of the Dead

 

 

Monday, February 6, 2012         Tuesday, February 7, 2012             Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Scarface                                                 Jurassic Park                                                      ¡Three Amigos!

Pulp Fiction                                               Serenity                                                                Airplane!

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off                       ¡Three Amigos!                                                      Spaceballs

Sixteen Candles                                      Airplane!                                                             Stand By Me

                                                         Lost Boys

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Stand By Me

The Big Lebowski

The Terminator

Robocop

Sword fighting in movies is cool…sword fighting in real life is EPIC!

The Manitoba Fencing Association is an amazing organization in the city that brings people and the sport of fencing together. Quite often we’ll see things on TV or in the movies and think, “Hey, that’s neat! I should try that sometime,” but we never do. Today I tried fencing and it is SO fun!

In terms of a workout, for me, five minutes of fencing training felt like 20 minutes on the treadmill but instead of keeling over in exhaustion and thinking about my next double cheese burger with bacon, I was thinking about how excited I was to play again.

The BEST PART is that you can drop by any of the fencing clubs in Winnipeg and try out the sport! These clubs are VERY welcoming and eager to show YOU how fun their sport is. They supply the gear, and instruction, and you can show up with a friend, spouse, co-worker or whoever and enjoy a fun new sport!

Check out the website for the Manitoba Fencing Association by clicking here and find out what night the clubs in your end of town are meeting!

Soon you’ll be able to get alcohol when you go see a movie at the theatre on McGillivary in Winnipeg. It’s part of a new VIP service planned for the theatre where you will be able to have a few sips in comfier seating in select theatres inside of the building.

Question is: do YOU like this idea? Let’s pro/con it up!

 

PROs:

-Going to the movie is a luxury! Tickets are pricey so once you’re in you should be able to enjoy the movie however you like!

-While drunk, I would imagine Sarah Jessica Parker is tolerable in movies (sorry SJP fans!)

-Watching a bond movie with a martini in your hand seems like the ultimate in cool

 

CONs:

-If popcorn and a drink is like 15 bucks, how much will nachos and a beer be?

-Movie theatres are pretty comfy as it is, throw booze in there and staying awake during the slow parts in an action movie are going to be WAY harder!

-Think about how often people have to get up for bathroom breaks during regular movies. Now add beer into that equation. Do you really want to be sitting next to that guy?

 

What am I missing? Help round out the list with your pros or cons!

thanks to everyone how added to the list of “bannished words” here at BT we added in Nach (Jenna’s short form of naturally) Sean’s suggestion of saying LOL and OMG, and my using “then I’m like” instead of the proper ‘then i responded”.

here is the full list from LSSU, have a happy (but not amazing) New Year
Jeremy John

Lake Superior State University 2012 List of Banished Words

AMAZING
Received the most nominations. LSSU was surprised at the number of nominations this year for “amazing” and surprised to find that it hadn’t been included on the list in the past. Many nominators mentioned over-use on television when they sent their entries, mentioning “reality” TV, Martha Stewart and Anderson Cooper. It seemed to bother people everywhere, as nominations were sent from around the US and Canada and some from overseas, including Israel, England and Scotland. A Facebook page – “Overuse of the Word Amazing” – threatened to change its title to “Occupy LSSU” if ‘amazing’ escaped banishment this year…

“It’s amazing that you haven’t added that word to your list over the years. Totally, absolutely, really amazing. Not quite astounding, but still amazing.” Charles Attardi, Astoria, NY

“Although I am extremely happy to no longer hear the word ‘awesome’ used incorrectly and way too often, it appears to me it is quickly being replaced with ‘amazing.’ Pay attention and you will no doubt be amazingly surprised to find that I am right.” Gregory Scott, Palm Springs, Calif.

“People use ‘amazing’ for anything that is nice or heartwarming. In other words, for things that are not amazing.” Gitel Hesselberg, Haifa, Israel

“Every talk show uses this word at least two times every five minutes. Hair is not ‘amazing.’ Shoes are not ‘amazing.’ There are any number of adjectives that are far more descriptive. I saw Martha Stewart use the word ‘amazing’ six times in the first five minutes of her television show. Help!” Martha Waszak, Lansing, Mich.

“Banish it for blatant overuse and incorrect use…to stop my head from exploding.” Paul Crutchfield, Norwich, Norfolk, UK

“The word which once aptly described the process of birth is now used to describe such trivial things as toast, or the color of a shirt.” JP, Comox, British Columbia, Canada

“Anderson Cooper used it three times recently in the opening 45 seconds of his program. My teeth grate, my hackles rise and even my dog is getting annoyed at this senseless overuse. I don’t even like ‘Amazing Grace’ anymore. Sarah Howley, Kalamazoo, Michigan

“The word has been overused to describe things only slightly better than mundane. I blame Martha Stewart because to her, EVERYTHING is amazing! It has lost its ‘wow factor’ and has reached ‘epic’ proportions of use. It’s gone ‘viral,’ I say! ‘I’m just sayin’!’ Alyce-Mae Alexander, Maitland, Florida

BABY BUMP
Although nominated by many over the years, this phrase came in as a close second to “amazing” this year.

“This is a phrase we need to finally give birth to, then send on its way.” Mary Sturgeon, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

“I’m tired of a pregnancy being reduced to a celebrity accessory. Or worse, when less-than-six-pack abs are suspected of being one.” Afton, Portland, Oregon

I am so sick of that phrase! It makes pregnancy sound like some fun and in-style thing to do, not a serious choice made by (at the very least) the woman carrying the child.” Susan, Takoma Park, Maryland

“Why can’t we just use the old tried-and-true ‘pregnant?’ I never heard anyone complain about that description.” Eric, Poca, West Virginia.

SHARED SACRIFICE
“Usually used by a politician who wants other people to share in the sacrifice so he/she doesn’t have to.” Scott Urbanowski, Kentwood, Michigan

OCCUPY
“‘Occupy Wall Street’ grew to become Occupy ‘insert name of your city here’ all over the country. It should be banished because of the media overuse and now people use it all the time, i.e. ‘I guess we will occupy your office and have the meeting there.’ ‘We are headed to Grandma’s house – Occupy Thanksgiving is under way.” Bill Drewes, Rochester Hills, Michigan

“It has been overused and abused even to promote Black Friday shopping.” Grant Barnett, Palmdale, California

“Why couldn’t they have used a more palatable kind, like pecan or peach?” Bob Forrest, Tempe, Arizona

BLOWBACK
Sometimes exchanged with “pushback” to mean resistance.

“‘Blowback’ is used by corporate (types) to mean ‘reaction,’ when the word ‘reaction’ would have been more than sufficient. Example: ‘If we send out the press release, how should we handle the blowback from the community?’” John, Los Angeles, California

MAN CAVE
“Overused by television home design and home buying shows, has trickled down to sitcoms, commercials, and now has to be endured during interactions with real estate people, neighbors and co-workers. Jim, Flagstaff, Arizona
“It is not just over-used, it is offensive to we males who do not wish to hunker (another awful word, often misused) down in a room filled with stuffed animal heads, an unnecessarily large flat-screen TV and Hooters memorabilia. Not every man wants a recliner the size of a 1941 Packard that has a cooler in each arm and a holster for the remote. So please, assign ‘man cave’ to the lexicographic scrap heap where it so rightly belongs.” David Hollis, Hubbardsville, New York

THE NEW NORMAL
“The phrase is often used to justify bad trends in society and to convince people that they are powerless to slow or to reverse those trends. This serves to reduce participation in the political process and to foster cynicism about the ability of government to improve people’s lives. Sometimes the phrase is applied to the erosion of civil liberties. More often, it is used to describe the sorry state of the U.S. economy. Often hosts on TV news channels use the phrase shortly before introducing some self-help guru who gives glib advice to the unemployed and other people having financial difficulties. Robert Brown, Raleigh, North Carolina

PET PARENT
“Can a human being truly be a parent to a different species? Do pet ‘owners’ not love their pets as much pet ‘parents’ do? Are we equating pet ownership with slave holding? This cloyingly correct term is capable of raising my blood sugar. Lynn Ouellette, Buffalo, New York

WIN THE FUTURE
A political phrase worn wherever you look – to the left (President Obama) or the right (Newt Gingrich).

“On its very face, it’s an empty, meaningless phrase. It basically says that anyone who opposes anything meant to ‘win the future’ must want to ‘lose the future,’ which is highly unlikely. But, hey, you may already be a winner.” Jim Eisenmann, Madison, Wisconsin

TRICKERATION
“Why? Why? Why? This one seems to be the flavor du jour for football analysts. What’s wrong with ‘trick’ or ‘trickery?’ No doubt, next year’s model will be ‘trickerationism.’” Gene Bering, Seminole, Texas

“A made-up word used by football analysts to describe a trick play. Sounds unintelligent. Perhaps they’ve had a few too many concussions in the football world to notice.” Carrie Hansen, Grayling, Michigan

GINORMOUS
“No need to make a gigantic (idiot) out of yourself trying to find an enormous word for ‘big.’” Coulombe, Sanford, Florida
“This combination of gigantic and enormous makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck every time I hear it. Each utterance reminds me of the high school drop-out that first used this offensive word in my presence. Gina Bua, Vancouver, Washington

“This word is just a made-up combination of two words. Either word is sufficient, but the combination just sounds ridiculous. Jason, Andover, Maine

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
“Usually followed by ‘for your cooperation,’ this is a condescending and challenging way to say, ‘Since I already thanked you, you have to do this.’” Mike Cloran, Cincinnati, Ohio

Yay for 2012! It’s a new year where you can start fresh on all those things you’ve been meaning to do. If one of your goals for the New Year is to eat better, good for you, it’s one of mine too! However, if you’re like me your diet consists of lunchables, poutine, and Kraft Dinner so it can be hard to learn where to start. Here are some pro tips from The Food Studio about how to eat better in the New Year.

1) EVERY Meal You Need…

You’ve probably heard before that instead of three big meals a day you’re supposed to eat smaller meals more often. The magic number is 6 meals a day. A meal can be a small as an apple and some almonds or as big as steak and potatoes, but if you’re going to indulge in something unhealthy do it for lunch. By lunch your metabolism is primed and warmed up PLUS you have the whole rest of the day to burn it off. 

EVERY meal should have a protein (find it in eggs, salmon, lean chicken) and complex carbohydrates (whole grains, oatmeal, fruits & veggies) if you want to grow up to be big and strong.

 2) HOW to read the label

Do you REALLY know how much sodium, carbs, or sugar is good or bad for you? Me neither. So instead of learning, let’s do this because it’s way easier. If you look at the ingredients list and you can’t pronounce more than half of the stuff on there, then it’s probably bad for you. Also lots of ingredients usually equals lots of preservatives which is bad. A short list of ingredients usually means you’re eating something healthy.

3) No Excuses!

Fun fact! The way your body looks is based on your genetics, your exercise routine, and what you eat, but do you know what the breakdown is?
-10 per cent genetics
-10 per cent exercise
-80 per cent what you eat!!!!
-5 per cent how “real” you keep it*

*5 per cent margin of error

Eat healthy and stay in shape, don’t and you won’t!

These are just a few tips I learned from Maria at The Food Studio. They have an AMAZING program to help teach regular folk like you and I how to become more skilled in the kitchen. Through their cooking classes you can learn a bunch of different styles of cooking from the bare-bones basics, to pastry baking, to sushi rolling and more! Check out their website by clicking here.

There is this incredible grocery/wine/bakery/everything market in Winnipeg called Piazza De Nardi. It’s a family-owned company which has a steep history in Italian cuisine. I got to spend my morning with them and am brining back my top 3 tips of what you can do to impress your guests.

1: Champagne

Champagne goes with everything. Whether it’s the beginning of the night and you want to serve something with appetizers, you need something classy for your main course, or you need something to sip on with dessert, champagne is versatile, classy, and fun!

2: Know Your Cheese

Their are four types of cheeses (Soft Cheeses, Medium Soft, Hard, and Extreme). Extreme is the most impressive (obviously…it’s called EXTREME) and theycan feature fun things mixed in their like mango or even ash (yep, like burned charcol).

3: Chocolate and Wine

If your dessert has chocolate (or your trying to push the gross left over chocolates from the holidays that no one in your house will eat so you’re hoping your guests will) serve up a glass of red wine. The “tannin” of the wine should match the tannin of the chocolate, so if you have a bitter tasting chocolate, go with a wine that has a stronger tannin (that mouth drying sensation when you sip certain wines).

If you know you want to serve your guests something fancy but you don’t know how to pull it off, honestly, visit Piazza De Nardi. I know nothing about fancy dinner entertaining, but having gone their one time, I know enough to trust that if I go to Piazza, tell them how many people are coming over, and the types of things I like, they’ll be able to help me find something. Check out their website by clicking here.

The holidays are all about reconnecting with family and being with those you love. One of the perks that sometimes goes along with this is getting great gifts!

 

Now that you’ve had a couple of days to try on, plug in, and try out all of these nice things your friends, co-workers, and/or parole officers got for you, does anything rise to the top?

 

For me, it’s a video game. It’s been a few years since there has been a game that came out where I can’t stop thinking about the game. When I’m at work, I’m wanting to play the game. When I’m eating dinner, I’m wishing to play the game. When I’m in the shower, I’m calculating how expensive it would be to mount a water proof screen in the bathroom.

 

The game is called “Deus Ex: Human Revolution” and you’re basically a high tech cop living in a time where people can upgrade their bodies using technology. Need to be stronger? There’s an “augmentation” you can use to upgrade your body. Need to be faster, there’s an “aug” for that. Need to be a better cook? Sorry, play something else.

 

How about you? What has topped your list? What was your favourite gift this holiday season?

My friends at the Fairmont invited me down to get some pro-tips from their 3 top chefs. Each chef prepared a unique, non-turkey holiday recipe. Try ‘em out yourself to delight your friends and the ghost of Christmas deliciousness!

French Canadian Meat Pie

By Eric Beaupre, Executive Sous Chef

 

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

 

Ingredients:

• Pate Brisee or store-bought pastry dough for a double crust
• 1 tablespoon light olive or canola oil
• 1/2 pound diced pork
• 1/2 pound diced Beef
• 1/2 pound diced Faison
• 1/2 pound diced Bison
• 3/4 cup chopped onion   
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 1/3 cup diced Yukon potato 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 2/3 cup beef stock
• 2 teaspoons Cognac
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/16 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F. Roll the pastry dough into 2 equal-sized circles to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Line the bottom of the pie pan with 1 circle and set aside the prepared pie pan and remaining pastry for later.

Using a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the pork, beef, bison and the Faison, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until the vegetables are tender and the meat is cooked through. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Add the beef stock, Cognac, herbs, and spices to the meat and vegetables; simmer the mixture over low-medium heat, covered, for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the dry breadcrumbs into the mixture. Allow the meat filling to sit for 3 minutes. Spoon the filling into the prepared pie pan and top with the remaining pastry dough. Crimp the dough shut, flute the edges, cut vents in the top, and bake the pie for 12 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350F and continue baking the pie for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

This recipe makes 6 to 8 servings.

 

 

 

Christmas Duck Curry in the Nazareth House

By Craig Nazereth – Banquet Sous Chef

 

Ingredients:

• 1 whole duck cut into sauté pieces
• Vegetable oil
• 3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 6-8 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1-2 birds eye chilies
• 4 tbsp good quality curry powder, mixed with water
• 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 10 stalks of fresh young curry leaves
• Half a bunch of washed coriander, coarsely chopped
• 4 medium sized ripe tomatoes remove pulp and diced coarsely

 

Preparation:

In a mortar and pestle crush ginger, garlic and chili with a pinch of salt to form a paste.

Remove all the excess fat and skin that hangs from the sides or ends of the duck, leaving only the skin that sits on top of the meat. Cut the duck into 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, and 4-breast quarter and the rest into same size pieces. Place in a bowl, season well with salt and fresh ground white pepper and toss.

Heat a large heavy sauté pan on medium to high heat. When it is hot, put in as many duck pieces as will fit easily, skin side down. Quickly brown the duck on both sides. Set the browned pieces aside. Continue to brown all the duck pieces in the same way. (Do not burn the bottom of the pan) Reduce to medium heat.

To the same hot pan, which should have enough duck fat for frying, add the onion and sauté until light brown. Add the garlic, chili and ginger paste. Sauté and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the curry leaves and curry powder mix, stirring and cooking over medium-low heat for another 2 minutes until the paste bubbles and cooks out.

Add ½ cup water, the cooked duck pieces and any juices from the bowl.

Mix well and add another cup of water to bring the liquid level to half way up the ingredients. Check seasoning.

Bring to the boil then cover and simmer on a low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour until meat is tender (almost falling of the bone). Stir gently every 20 minutes or so during the cooking period, turning the duck pieces over now and then.

Remove lid and add chopped tomato. Allow the tomato to break down into the sauce, gently turning up the heat to reduce. Check the seasoning and just before serving add the chopped coriander.

Serve with long grain or basmati rice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whiskey Glazed Short Rib and Pancetta Wrapped Scallops

Sweet potatoes with brown sugar and candied pecans, red wine cranberry chutney

By Michael Fitzhenry – Restaurant Sous Chef

 

Short Ribs

 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs beef short rib, deboned
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 sprig thyme, fresh
• 1 sprig rosemary, fresh
• 4 cups beef stock
• 1 cup red wine
• Salt and pepper
• Canola oil

 

Preparation:

Season the short ribs liberally on all sided and brown well in an oven proof pot. Remove from pan and reserve add vegetables to the pan and brown slightly add red wine and the herbs to pan and cook 2 minutes. Add beef stock and bring to a simmer. Return the short ribs to the pan. Cover and place in 325F oven for 2-3 hours until very tender. Strain liquid and reserve.

 

Red wine and Cambazola sauce

 

Ingredients:

• Reserved liquid from short ribs
• 2 oz Canadian whiskey
• 2 tbsp minced shallots
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 3 oz heavy cream
• 2 oz cambazola cheese
• 1 tsp butter

 

Preparation:

Heat butter in sauce pot large enough for all of the liquid. Sautee shallots until translucent add whiskey and parsley to the pot and reduce for 30 seconds. Add the cooking liquid and cream and reduce to ¼ until sauce is thickened. Stir in cambazola cheese to finish.

 

Cranberry and Red wine chutney

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh or frozen whole cranberries
• ½ Red onion, small diced
• 1 cup red wine
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

 

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a small pot and reduce until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Sweet potatoes with brown sugar and Pecans

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp butter
• ¼ cup toasted chopped pecans
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• Salt and pepper
• Pinch nutmeg

 

Preparation:

Steam or boil sweet potatoes until tender. About 20 min. Mash. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Panchetta Wrapped Scallops

 

Ingredients:

• 8 large scallops
• 8 thinly sliced strips pancetta
• Salt and pepper
• Canola oil for searing

 

Preparation:

Pat dry each scallop and season with salt and pepper. Wrap each scallop with 1 strip pancetta and fasten with a toothpick. Sear the scallops in a hot non stick pan for 1 minute each side, until golden brown. Place scallops in a 400F oven for 1-2 minutes until cooked medium.

What’s it about? An intricately woven story about the interconnected relationships of a an all-star cast of characters as they prepare for their New Year’s Eve festivities.

When’s it out? Friday, December 9th.

Who’s in it? Pretty much every famous person ever. Ashton Kutcher, Halle Berry, Robert De Niro, Sarah Jessica Parker, Josh Duhamel, Jon Bon Jovi, and MORE!

 

The Good: Amazing performances by everyone involved in this, but Robert De Niro stole the show! This is an excellent date movie, to kick back with and be easily entertained.

The Bad: Even by romantic comedy standards there were some major rolling-the-eyes moments. At times the story crosses the cheese line a little too much.

The Verdict: A really great story, and excellent performances, but sometimes just a little TOO over-the-top. Bon Jovi does a great job as Catherine Heigl’s love interest and the quirky relationship between Michelle Pfeiffer and Zac Effron’s characters is comical.Get in the frame of mind that anything is possible on New Year’s Eve, and you will really enjoy this movie!

Worth $7.50 of your $12.00 movie ticket.

What’s it about? All the fun of the Mario Kart games you’ve played and loved with a new twist! You’ll find power-ups like the Tanooki-tailed leaf, fire flower, and more! Plus new customizable carts that can soar through the air or drive underwater.

When’s it out? Sunday, December 4th.

Who’s in it? Mario, Luigi, DK, Bowser and more race head to head in 4 classes of new levels and 4 classes of retro-inspired courses.

 

The Good: It feels, looks, and handles just like all the Mario Kart games you love, which is a great thing. Also, the hours of play with this game are infinite because once you get tired of red shelling your way past Yoshi and Peach on 150cc, you can go online and compete against players from around the world on the Mario Kart Channel, a feature previously only available for the Wii.

The Bad: If you are a frequent “drifter” like I am, your hand gets cramped after too much game play. It would have been nice to have customizable buttons so you’re not constantly mashing the R pad with the side of your finger; but maybe the cramp is because I played the game for 6 race classes non-stop.

The Verdict: It is everything you want a Mario Kart game to be. The new power-up fit in perfectly with the blue shell and bananas. The “retro” courses features re-vamped favourites (you won’t cut through Koopa Beach the same as you did on N64). The customizable cart options are neat, but at the end of the day, we know it’s the driver, not the kart that will get you through the hairpin, guard-rail-free turns of Rainbow Road.

Worth: $35.99 of the $39.99 price tag.