Hot soup on an empty stomach

[erastes]

Ouch!

dinner was an unmitigated disaster – I tried to make a pasta bake with one of those sauces – never done it before – the only pasta I had was spaghetti and it doesn’t seem to work with that. It remained hard.  Story of my life!  *g*

I watched "UP" last night. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was really charmed by it. I didn't see it doing huge amounts over here, particularly, but it's certainly a keeper for me. I was in floods of tears for the first 30 mins or so, for obvious reasons, and then was won over by all the great characters - even though I'm not generally mad on animation that's not cute non humans. The dogs were brilliant. In fact it was all brilliant. Pixar rocks. Big ones.   the dogs playing cards made me laugh so much – such an icon of “art” and it was almost a throw away scene lasting only a few seconds.

Then I started to watch “The Tale of Despereaux” and coming right on top it was good to compare them both. Not at all the same kind of thing, again, I don’t think it did much over here, but I’m enjoying it for different reasons – it’s DARK, an hour in, and it’s unremittingly dark, like a proper Grimm fairy story and the “look” of the animation is like a Dutch master – Van Meer or something - really beautiful on the eye.  An incredible cast of voice talent too. Haven’t finished it yet.

- - - - -

Comments

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Have a few "baked pasta" recipes:

World's Best Lasagna

Three Cheese Manicotti

Missy's Lasagna

I've been avoiding Despereaux because the main character is either a mouse or a rat. (Yes, even Pixar ones bother me.)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

but you like peter!

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

I do. I just don't like images of them.

[taylorbooks.livejournal.com]

Up is great! I was laughing when I thought of Alpha's voice for days after I saw it. And I don't usually think anything in movies is funny.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

The squirrel things killed me too.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Up was wonderful and the dogs were the best! I want those collars for ours...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*laughs* SQUIRREL!!!!

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Hee! Yes! Though my favourite was at the beginning: 'We have just met. You are my master and I love you." Because that is exactly how our dogs behave.

[girlofavalon.livejournal.com]

I liked the dark atmosphere of Despereaux too. And I found it curious that Emma Watson acts so much better when she doesn't appear on the screen.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

She was the only jarring element, so hard to ignore her whiny voice! Character actor she certainly isn't.

It remained hard

[baritonejeff.livejournal.com]

I believe they call that "ow dental" ;)

I enjoyed UP immensely. And, the animation in Despereaux is the most sensuously beautiful I have ever seen.

Re: It remained hard

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Wasn't it lush? I loved it. I may have to buy the DVD just to wallow in it again and again.

[spirit-serpenti.livejournal.com]

I've seen The Tale of Despereaux and loved the animation and the dark atmosphere - though I have to say, Emma Watson annoyed the hell out of me. Even when she's only voicing an animated character, I can practically see her doing that eyebrow thing she does when she's talking.

And speaking of rats, I'm planning to watch Ratatouille tonight - it seems very promising, even though I'm not much of a Pixar fangirl. Have you seen it?

You're the third person to recommend UP in a matter of days, so I think it will be next in my list. :)

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Ratatouille is very good - I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

And I totally agree about Emma W - she was the only thing that spoiled it (oh that, and worrying about the cat)

[ejab62.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure about UP but after reading your entry I'll definitely give it a go.

Did see a classic last week - Dombo. Oh god, I feel stupid but that one always gets me crying. The same with Bambi.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Bambi traumatised me and an entire generation of children when they rereleased it in cinemas sometime in the mid-1980s. Between that and The Land Before Time, there seemed to be an upsurge in films where someone's mother died horribly!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

yep, and the original generation was traumatised too!

And the scene with Dumbo and his mother singing to him makes me weep BUCKETS every single time.

[ejab62.livejournal.com]

I know! Better not investigate that line of thought further... :D

[kittymay.livejournal.com]

"It remained hard. Story of my life!"

C'est vrai? What's your secret??

[mysid.livejournal.com]

"It remained hard."

You did boil the pasta in water before adding it to the sauce and baking it, didn't you?* I've never yet met a pasta that "remained hard" after being boiled in water. If I found a pasta that did, I'd definitely blame the brand of pasta, not myself.

My brother's fiancee introduced me to a really easy, really good, baked pasta recipe. It's called "Lazy Man's Lasagna" because it tastes like lasagna, but it's ridiculously easy. Buy frozen cheese ravioli, but it has to be the large size, not the bite size. Boil it according to package directions. Meanwhile, shred some mozzarella. Then, in a baking dish, layer sauce, ravioli, sauce, and mozzarella. Repeat. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is slightly browned.

*The only exception to that rule are specially made "no boil lasagna noodles", but you have to add extra sauce on both side of the noodles to compensate for the noodles not being re-hydrated yet.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

No - the pasta sauces don't need to have the pasta cooked in advance, it's their claim to fame. However, I don't think they mean you to do it with spaghetti - I know it always works perfectly well with other types of pasta.

you can't get frozen cheese ravioli here, though.. I'm actually a very good cook, it was just that particular day i was feeling lazy. serves me right!