Waiting for Godot

Or waiting for word on postdocs. Same difference--idle talk, moving nowhere.

In the meantime...Alison and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire last night (fair warning: my discussion of this movie will include some mild "spoilers"). It was a sweet, funny, disturbing, saddening, and hopeful movie, all in one. A "made for Oscar" movie, in other words. I don't know if I hope they win, though. I liked the movie, particularly the first half or so. It kept me entertained, and the acting was excellent (particularly the star and the game show host--awesome). However, I was disappointed in the end, although I think this is largely because of all the hype. I expected the movie to be an out-of-the-box, thought-provoking film. But it hewed too close to a typical Hollywood script to be all that innovative. It wasn't an Indian film, it was a film set in India. And that was too bad. I was also continuously distracted by the juxtaposition of the good brother's light skin and the misguided (to put it kindly) brother's dark skin. I think this was less about racism than classism, but it still bothered me. I also thought the brother's change of heart at the end was entirely out of character--more a plot device than anything. That said, I did enjoy the movie a great deal. I think the cinematography was amazing, the acting solid to great, and the story was innovative. I just wished it really had been as much an outsider film as the critical acclaim suggests.

In other news, I thought I would post another recipe. This is a soup I've been making a lot lately, and Alison and I love it. You can leave out the bacon, and it would be a great vegetarian soup as well.

Guilty Pleasures Soup
1 package of bacon (10-12 strips)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 tbsp flour
2 cups low salt chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced (or equivalent if russet not avail)
1.5 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
tobasco to taste
sea salt to taste

1. cook bacon in skillet, and transfer to plate with paper towels to soak grease, set aside
2. cook carrots, onion, and thyme in separate pan with oil and a little remaining bacon grease (either use big pot or transfer to pot when done)
3. sprinkle flour and stir
4. gradually whisk in broth
5. gradually whisk in milk
6. add potatoes and bring to boil
7. reduce heat and simmer until potatoes tender (@20 min)
8. add cheese 1/3 cup at a time, stirring to melt
9. chop bacon into squares and add to soup
10. season with tobasco and sea salt to taste

--Goes well with sourdough bread. :)