State

Mark here...Laurel and I have just watched the season one finale of Friday Night Lights, called "State."  Laurel made us some Texas-appropriate Armadillo eggs, king ranch casserole and steamed artichokes, all of which were delicious!

This episode was great, a really nice cap off to the season.  The premise is that the Panthers are playing the state playoffs.  At the same time, Coach Taylor has accepted a job in Austin next year, which is understandably disheartening to the team.  Saracen takes it pretty hard considering his father-figure is abandoning him and taking his girlfriend. Tami has decided to stay in Dillon with Julie but they haven't told Julie yet. Also, Tami finds out she's pregnant and Coach's reaction is great. At first you are afraid he will have a negative reaction, but his response is pitch perfect.  I attribute it to great actors but also great writing.

Separately Lyla and Tyra have a blow out and come to realize they are not so different.  It's nice to see their relationship grow beyond catfight territory.  While that's fine for 90210, here it's more entertaining to see the characters grow beyond just hating each other. Landry is still carrying a torch for Tyra that kind of blows up on him in a funny way.  He thinks he and Tyra will have a private drive to state when Tyra asks him to come because she has tickets.  Unfortunately, her mom and sister show up and then Saracen's grandmother...leading to a very girl-centric trip that's nothing like he imagined.

I'll let Laurel go into the rest, but all in all a very good episode that triggered emotions in the best way!

Totally, Mark is right.  Spoiler alert...Panthers win state!  So the cliff hangers for season 2 are...Panthers win state, what's gonna happen next year?  The episode ends with Jason Street giving the guys a talk about how football is a 365 a year job, so they can enjoy the day but the next day they are back to work.  Are they setting us up for Jason being the new head coach next year?!?

The next cliffhanger is Tami is fucking pregnant!!!  The last talk we see her and Coach Taylor having, Eric is ready to give up his dreams to stay in Dillon to tend to his new family.  You would think that Tami would be ecstatic about this but she is like fuck no, you need to follow your dreams in Austin and I need to follow mine in Dillon!  I'm dying to know what happens because I don't remember...

The others are less cliffhangery and just interesting to think about...will Lyla and Tyra become friends? Will Lyla make up with her dad?  Will smash transfer to another school to get more visibility?  Will Landry and Tyra actually against all odds start dating?  Will Matt and Julie stay together?  I can't wait to find out!

Best Laid Plans

Hi Laurel here...So this episode there is so much fighting!

First the Taylor's are fighting because Eric accepted a job at TMU in Austin, but neither Julie or Tami wants to go until Juli graduates.  Eric is saying no way but as we've seen Tami is not one to be steamrolled.

Tyra and Landry are fighting because Landry told Tami about Tyra's assault.  I sympathize with Tyra about wanting to keep it a secret, but I think Landry did the right thing.  Tyra clearly needed help and Tami was exactly the right person to tell.  She made her go to the police which Tyra was sort of humiliated by but of course it's totally the right thing.

Lyla's parents have been unable to reconcile and are getting a divorce.  Jason and Lyla continue to be distant, which comes to a head at the end of the episode, I'll let Mark tell you about that...

Mark here...I agree with everything Laurel said.  All the fighting, for me, contributed to a feeling of tension that built until the end of the episode.  The big roast dinner had so many tense relationships!  The Taylors upset with each other about Eric's new job, Tyra and Landry, Jason and Lyla, Lyla and Buddy (who she's still not forgiven, and now her parents are getting divorced), and a few more I may be missing.

The part between Lyla and  has to do with Jason making a "date" with the blonde tattoo artist from a few episodes back.  She's in town and Jason runs into her and makes plans without telling Lyla.  This ends up with Jason and the blonde kissing and totally getting caught by Lyla.  By the end of the episode, she's had enough and tells Jason not to come by her house again.

Tyra and Landry also make up by the end and though I like both characters, I hope they aren't trying to set up some kind of beauty and the geek storyline.  It just doesn't work for me that she'd date someone who's clearly emotionally younger.  I think she'd definitely be flattered and maybe a few years later...I don't know, we'll see what happens...

The last plotline to note was with Smash and his girlfriend, who lets him know he can have a "hiatus" period during the Roast Dinner, which she has decided not to go to.  Fortunately, he doesn't do anything, but the idea is weird and makes me think she's still unstable.

Mud Bowl

Mark here... Laurel and I just watched the next episode of Friday Night Lights, called "Mud Bowl".  Laurel made us a delicious Lasagna with a side of garlic bread and I made us a caesar salad to accompany it.

This episode was a bit slow to start with, picking up some of what's been going on.  To start with, there's an accident or fuel explosion near the field so the coach is forced to find a different location for the team to play the next game.  They chose a nearby cow field to play on and it ends up raining the night of the game, which is where the title of the episode, Mud Bowl, comes from.  Smash is still dealing with his bipolar girlfriend, who has struck up a friendship with Lyla Garrity.  So far not a lot comes from this except his girlfriend is upset when Smash discloses her condition to Lyla.

Landry convinces Tyra to let him tutor her and promptly misreads their relationship.  Then unexpectedly at the end of the episode, he is late in meeting her and she is assaulted by a guy in the diner parking lot.  She manages to fight him off just before Landry shows up and turns to him for support.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out and if Landry further misinterprets things.  Clearly Tyra is shocked and in need of a friend.

Tim Riggins has also continued his relationship with his older neighbor and it still feels like this won't end well...

Laurel here...I just wanted to elaborate on Tyra a little...she fights off her attacker in the most bad ass way!  He pushes her into HER truck to try and rape her, she pushes in the cigarette lighter and he doesn't notice during the struggle.  then she BURNS HIM IN THE FACE!!!  so awesome.  It gives her enough time to get out of the cab, when he tries to follow her out she slams his wrist in the door repeatedly.  such a bad ass.  Hopefully she will see it that way and not see herself as a victim.

Also Lyla is so awesome this episode.  Jason is feeling sorry for himself about not making the rugby team, and bummed about the lawsuit with the Taylors.  He ends up kind of taking it out on her, not returning her phonecalls and being super mean to her when she comes over to check in.  She throws a glass of water in his face and basically tells him to quit being a fucking baby and do something about it.  At the next law suit meeting he steps up and puts an end to it by making a compromise deal that both sides can live with.  Which seems to resolve things in a way where the Taylor's are off the hook financially.

Also Jason works a lot with Matt Seracen on his QB skills to help him get ready for the big game, and Matt kills it.  Panthers are going to state!  At the very end of the episode Coach Taylor asks Jason if he has ever thought about coaching...is there a job in Jason's near future?  I hope so, I know I am sick of seeing him mope around.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Mark here... we have just watched the next episode of Friday Night Lights, called, "Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes" (boy that's a pain in the ass to type!)...Laurel has made us meatball subs with a kale salad, perfect for the heat we're experiencing right now!  This episode is more a continuation of the last few episodes, in a good way.  Tami has followed through with her desire to help Tyra succeed with school and move on to better things.  Unfortunately this involves reaching out to Tyra's mom, who is so self absorbed she can't deal with the revelation that her daughter may be destined for better things.  She immediately freaks out.  For one she doesn't think they can afford college for Tyra, but the subtext is that she's afraid Tyra will leave her Tyra who has been her rock to depend on.  She finally comes around at the end of the episode but even this is all about the mom.  She chooses to bring Tyra to a father-daughter dance as a way of supporting her.  Meanwhile, Tyra isn't missing a dad, the mom is!

Separately, we see Lyla's family is breaking down.  Buddy attempts to bond with Lyla to bring the family back together, claiming he screwed up once.  Lyla, reflecting on her own one time screw up with Jason, naturally supports her dad.  So when he shows up at her moms door she defends him, leading the mom to bring up past indiscretions by Buddy.  Lyla loses it at this point, telling her dad to go.  She put her faith in him and saw it to be a lie.  Next we see her crashing cars at Buddy's dealership!

The only bad storyline is the continuation of Tim Riggins with the next door neighbor.  I have to say this is the first storyline where the writers of the show have let me down!  The neighbor is of course this sexy 30-something who looks 20-something.  Of course Tim wants to hook up with her, but their interactions are ridiculous.  He's clearly the adult and the writing of their interactions is not realistic, given that he's a teenager.

One good thing about the episode is Smash, Tim, Jason, and Matt getting drunk one night on the field.  I think this is the first time we've seen the 4 of them interacting just with each other and it's a nice scene.

Hi Laurel here...again I agree with Mark on all counts.  The one other story line of this episode is that Coach Taylor gets a job offer from a college in Austin.  It has always been his goal to coach a college team, so of course him and Tami are both on board with moving, but Juli has established roots in Dillon so for her it's a different story.  She has built a life for herself in Dillon including an awesome boyfriend so of course she doesn't want to leave.  At first neither coach or Tami anticipated her objections but by the end of the episode they both get it and it seems they are trying to include her input in the decision whether to stay or go.

The other revelation of this episode is that Jason gets rejected from the Paralympic murderball team, and is devastated.  The girl in Austin who has a crush on him is of course there to comfort him.  She offers him a ride back to Dillon because she has to drop off a fridge for an aunt or whatever near there, and they end up kissing at "stone henge 2"  some kind of stone henge roadside attraction.  He insists to Lyla that "nothing happened", but clearly something in brewing here...

Extended Families

Mark here... Laurel and I have just watched the next episode of Friday Night Lights, "Extended Families".  This was a really good episode.  First of all we deal with the fall out from last episode.  Buddy Garrity fights with his wife and ends up being kicked out.  Where does he end up?  The Taylors!  Tami is none too pleased with Buddy on the couch and neither is Julie.  Next thing we see Tami making Buddy pork chops.  She is pissed about this and Coach Taylor is a bit dumbfounded as to what to do.  At the same time, Coach receives a dinner offer from TMU, a college.  Thinking this may mean a job offer the Taylors take them up on the offer.  This leaves Buddy home alone with Julie, who is not happy about it.  Tami tells her to get over it in a funny moment.  Julie ends up at a party at Tyra's...  Buddy discovers where the Taylors are and, having no boundaries, sees no problem giving the Coach hell about it later.  Coach tells him he should be thinking about his family, not football.  What we see though is that Buddy can't stop thinking about football, it's really the only constant in his life.  He's also oblivious to what's going on in his family, or to the fact that he's imposing on the Taylors.

Meanwhile, at Tyra's, her mom is not handling the break up with Buddy well.  We're see she's taking too many pills.  In the middle of the party she emerges from her room to collapse on a glass table, leading to an ambulance.  Julie of course has to call her parents at their dinner.  Tami rushes to the hospital and takes Tyra and her mom home.  This lead to a bit of a revelation.  Tami has banned Julie from hanging out with Tyra because she's supposedly a "Bad girl".  Seeing Tyra's home life makes Tami realize Tyra is actually the sane one barely holding her fractured home life together.  There's a tender moment between Tami and Tyra where Tami apologizes for not wanting Julie to hang out with her and helps Tyra clean up her house.

There's also a plot line where Lyla runs away to visit Jason and realizes they are growing apart...  And Smash realizes his girlfriend is behaving weirdly.  As the episode progress she shows signs of manic behavior, which seems ok to Smash until the end, when we realize its bipolar behavior and the depression sets in....

Hey Laurel here and again I agree with Mark on all counts.  The only thing I would add is that we see Lyla go through some tough times for a change when she realizes her and Jason are growing apart.  It's obvious that she has lead a charmed life up until the point that Jason hurt his back, but now she is really getting it from all sides.  Her fiance is permanently paralized and is finding a new life without her within the disabled spots community, and now her parents are getting a divorce.  She has 2 younger siblings that she has to take care of while her parents are super vocally fighting in front of all of them.  Tough pill to swallow.  Lyla has had it easy her whole life and now things are finally catching up with her.  poor girl.

Spinach and Prosciutto Lasagna

 This recipe originally came from Cooks Illustrated, though I tweaked it a bit.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb spinach leaves
lasagna
salt
5 tablespoons of butter
4 shallots
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup flour
3 1/2 cups of whole milk
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Prosciutto
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
fontina

First start by blanching about 1 1/2 lb of spinach for a minute in salted boiling water.  Put in ice water then drain and let it cool.  At the same time, fill a bowl with the hottest tap water and add some lasagna noddles, enough for several layers in whatever lasagna pan you will be using.

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat.  Finely chop the shallots and garlic and add.  Stir and let the shallots soften then add 1/4 cup  of flour. Stir about a minute and then slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil and add bay leaves, nutmeg, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Reduce heat to low and whisk for 10 minutes.  Remove the bay leaves and add parmesan.  Reserve half a cup of sauce in a bowl covered in plastic wrap.  Press the plastic wrap to the surface of the sauce to prevent it forming a skin.  Chop the spinach and add it to the main sauce.

I forgot to add prosciutto earlier, so at this point I chopped some prosciutto, fried it til crispy in some butter and added it to the main sauce.

In a food processor mix cottage cheese, egg and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Spread the reserved sauce on the bottom of the lasagna dish, then layer noodles on top add spinach mixture, sliced fontina then noodles, cheese mixture, some grated parmesan, noodles, basically you get the idea.  To be honest I can't exactly remember how I layered it, but the point is to top it with sauce and cheese (the noodles will burn if on top alone.)

I also didn't cover my lasagna, though the Cooks Illustrated version say to cover with foil.  I like a little browned cheese on top.  Cook at 425 for 20 minutes.

I Think We Should Have Sex

Mark here...we've just watched the next episode of Friday Night Lights, called "I Think We Should Have Sex".  Well, the title says it all...Julie and Matt are thinking of having sex.  Julie is very matter of fact about it, assuming this is the next step of their relationship, without giving it much thought.  Unfortunately, Tami accidentally sees Matt buying condoms at the local drug store.  This leads to an awkward conversation with Julie.  Tami is great, in that she sort of says all the wrong things but conveys an honest parent who's genuinely worried.  In the end Julie and Matt don't go through with it, but end up staying out too late one night, freaking Julie's parents out.  But it's a tender moment as Julie and Matt have both said "I love you" and Julie thanks her mom for their talk.  At the same time, prior to this Coach and Tami at least start to come to terms with the fact that their daughter is growing up, and it's not either of their fault that she wants to have sex.

Separately, Tim is realizing that his absentee dad who has popped up again is not really healthy to be around.  Dad steals video equipment from the team and then lies about it. Tyra sees what's going on and in the end has to come to the rescue with Tim's brother when Tim picks a fight with a guy Tim and Dad have wronged. Tim picked a fight in a bar because he couldn't pick a fight with his dad.

Another plot line shows us that Buddy and Tyra's mom have indeed had an affair.  Buddy tries to push it under the rug and pay off Tyra's mom.  Of course she can't handle it, we've already seen she's unstable and dependent on having a man.  She ends up confronting Buddy after mass at the church, much to Tyra's embarrassment.  We see that Lyla has clued in to what's going on though...

Hi laurel here...I agree with Mark on all points.  Can I talk about how good this show is again?  I'm just remembering when we did 90210 and there were all these filler episodes during season one that had nothing to do with anything, and were terrible!  All of the episodes we've seen so far of FNL have been good and relevant and important.

Also I wanted to point out that Julie fully intended to have sex the night her and Matt stayed out to late..but she wanted to because she felt like she was supposed to.  Matt saw through her fake enthusiasm and to his credit called it off even though he really wanted to go through with it.  I was thinking that Coach Taylor must clearly realize at this point that his daughter is dating an awesome stand-up guy, but Mark was like "well he still wants to kill him"  which of course is totally true.  I'm interested to see what happens next.

I also feel sad for poor Tim Riggins.  He's almost a grown up and needs to take responsibility for his own actions but at the same time he's really still a kid and no one is looking out for him, except Billy who is pretty immature himself.  The dad is so awful I hope he ends up leaving again.

Black Eyes and Broken Hearts

Mark here... Laurel has made us chili along with a delicious queso and guacamole with chips.  We're on to the next episode of Friday NIght Lights, "Black Eyes and Broken Hearts".  Laurel here...Tex Mex!

This episode deals with the fallout from Coach Mac's racist comments last episode, as well as the growing friendship between Julie Taylor and Tyra.  The first plot line is the major force of the episode as its clear in the beginning that although Mac issued an apology, he never really believes it.  Buddy Garrity has stepped in to tell Coach Taylor to fire Mac, given that all the black players have walked off the team.  He just wants the whole thing to go away and for the team to still have a chance at the playoffs.  Coach Taylor is reluctant, even though he knows what Mac said was wrong.  Tami gives him advice he doesn't want to hear, essentially saying that if Mac were a teacher, he'd be fired.  At this point the show has given us Mac as solely a villain.  Midway through the episode though, the show switches gears and shows us Mac as a human being, albeit a flawed and ignorant one.  When the black players choose to rejoin the team before the next game (prompted by Smash's mom, who's unwilling to let an issue with a small town coach derail her son's future), he starts to see the full ramifications of the publicity surrounding his comments.  The opposing team acts insanely racist, as does their coaches and referees.  A fight breaks out on the field when Tim Riggins overhears a player insulting Smash (showing the awesome side of Riggs...he may have issues with Smash but he won't put up with this).  Dillon ends up winning the game because of the fight, but 2 local cops attempt to arrest Smash from the school bus on the way out of town.  Mac steps up and tells them to go get a warrant.  It a poignant moment because we get that he's learned his lesson.  Unlike his previous forced apology, he really gets it now, and says as much to Smash later.

The secondary plot shows the growing friendship between Tyra and Julia, much to the Taylor's dismay.  Tami is so right when dealing with the Mac situation but completely irrational when it comes to Julie hanging out with Tyra.  Julie accompanies Tyra to meet Tyra's sister at the strip club her sister works at, Matt and Landry end up showing up, one thing leads to another and all end up in jail.  Tami is furious, seeing this as the first step of Tyra (the girl from the wrong side of the tracks) leading her daughter down the wrong path...

Hi!  Laurel here, I agree with Mark on all counts.  I feel like it's super awesome for a show like this to deal with Racism in such a subtle and realistic way.  Mark and me were talking and comparing it to the Paula Deen situation which I feel like is a perfect parallel.  Even though this episode was from 2006 I feel like there are a lot of similarities.  Both Paula Deen and Mac are racist without realizing that is the case, even though they are public figures.  They say things in public on camera that you would think anyone in the 2000s who is a public figure (to say the least educator) are not supposed to say.  I feel like these people who come from a culture of severe racism, think the fact that they work with black people and talk to black people makes them by definition not racist, without realizing the more subltle racist ideals they may be harboring (or in Deen's case not so subtle).  For example if you think it's appropriate to call black football players "junk yard dogs" or in Deen's case if you think it's appropriate  to plan a "plantation wedding" where all of the servers are black.  I feel like it's easy for us city folk to see how racist this stuff is but if you come from a culture where the definition of racism is slavery, and you've never known any different it's pretty easy to be super racist and not even realize it.  Anyway in this case the black player's walk off actually teaches Mac something, and in the end we get to see that this controversy has changed the way he sees things.  Mac was being ignorant, and by the end of this episode I think he really sees it and realizes his mistake.  Not bad for an old dog.

In regards to Tyra and Julie, Tyra is so awesome she's just from the wrong side of the tracks so she has different standards of what is appropriate.  I'm interested to see how this situation of Tami making a rule that Julie can't hang out with Tyra unfolds...

Spaghetti Carbonara

I found this recipe in Cook's Illustrated, I was intrigued because the article was about cutting back the fat that traditionally goes into Carbonara (like in this Jamie Oliver Recipe).  I thought it was good, but not as good as the traditional.  It's a completely different animal.  Although that being said I appreciate having a lower fat version of the dish to turn to, I have made and enjoyed it several times since, more times than I would ever dare to eat the regular stuff!

My only bone of contention with this recipe is that they have you cook the bacon in water so that it turns out more like guanciale.  I have never tried real guanciale but I didn't like how the regular bacon cooked in water turned out at all.  I have made it with bacon cooked the regular way ever since, I just chop it up and add it in at the end.

The sauce is made primarily of raw egg and needs to "cook" by being tossed with the hot pasta, so once the pasta is drained you will need to work quickly.  I threw the spaghetti back into the still warm cooking pot with the egg mixture sauce instead of in a separate bowl at the end for some extra warmth.  Be sure to toss quickly or you will end up with scrambled eggs.

Also a note about the pasta water, you are supposed to use only 2 quarts of water to cook the whole pound of pasta, this creates an extra starchy pasta water that is later used to help stabilize the sauce since it doesn't have as much fat as normal.

I also added about a cup of frozen peas at the end.  What's Carbonara without peas?

Better, Lighter Spaghetti Carbonara
from Cook's Illustrated #121

8 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 ounces of Pecorino Romano, grated (1 1/4 cups)
3 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
1 tsp pepper
1 pound spaghetti
1 tsp salt
(I also added a cup of frozen Peas)

Bring bacon and water to simmer in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Cook until water evaporates and bacon begins to sizzle, about 8 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook until fat renders and bacon browns, 5 to 8 minutes longer.  Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Strain bacon mixture though a fine mesh strainer set in a bowl (I just used a slotted spoon).  Measure out 1 Tablespoon of fat in medium bowl and whisk in Pecorino, eggs, yolk, and pepper into the fat until combined.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to boil in Dutch oven.  Add spaghetti and salt to pot, cook to al dente.  Drain spaghetti in colander set in bowl, reserving cooking liquid (I didn't do this either, you just need to save 1 cup of the pasta water so I just scooped out a cup before I drained it over the sink).  Measure out 1 cup of cooking liquid and return spaghetti to the now empty bowl (I just used the cooking pot)

Slowly whisk 1/2 c of reserved pasta water into Pecorino mixture.  Gradually pour Pecorino mixture over pasta, tossing to coat.  Add bacon mixture and toss to combine.  Let the spaghetti rest, tossing frequently, until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the pasta, 2-4 minutes.  Adjust the consistency with remaining cooking liquid if needed.  serve immediately.

Mangalitsa Pork Chops

I saw these fancy Mangalitsa pork chops at Cookbook, a gourmet food store in Echo Park near where Mark and I live.  They were really expensive but I have been obsessed with only eating fancy meat lately so I went for it.  It was a little difficult to find a recipe, this breed of pig has much more marbling than traditional American pork,  I read that it should be cooked slower for longer.  Anyway this recipe turned out great.  You can find the original here. The meat was much more flavorful than the pork I am used to and the apple, onion, and sage was the perfect accompaniment.  The apple was especially delicious after roasting in pork fat.  There was some fat we trimmed off the edges of the chop after cooking that I put in the freezer, I'm dreaming of a future recipe where we render it and use it to flavor something...


1 Mangalitsa pork chop

1 small onion, diced

sage leaves

1 small apple peeled, cored, and sliced (I used fuji because I had it on hand)


1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Wash and pat dry chop thoroughly with paper towel. Lightly salt and pepper and let sit for about 30 minutes.
3. Add a small amount of oil to a small, heavy oven-proof skillet. Over medium-high heat, sear chop for about 30 seconds on each side to brown, then remove from skillet.
4. Turn heat down to medium and add 1 small sliced onion with several sage leaves cut or torn into smaller pieces. Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally until browned lightly and beginning to soften. Add 1 small apple, peeled, cored and sliced. Cook for a few minutes to warm apple, then remove pan from burner to cool several minutes.
Add chop to pan and settle into onions and apple. Cover, and place in oven for about 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees (the USDA’s benchmark for safety).
5. Remove skillet from oven, remove chop to a plate, and place skillet back on burner on medium-high heat for a few minutes until juices are reduced, then serve with chop.

Kale, Butternut Squash, and Cheddar Bread Pudding

I made this recipe the first time for breakfast for my family and it was a huge hit!  I used whole grain bread instead of baguette and it turned out great.   When I had this with Mark I paired it with a steak for dinner, which wasn't such a great pairing.  I feel like this dish is more of a main, and more appropriate for brunch.  Maybe with an arugula salad, and some bacon if you are feeling meaty.  Originally from Epicurious

• 2 pounds peeled seeded butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling
• 7 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups half and half
• 6 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 day-old baguette (do not remove crust), torn into 1-inch pieces (about 10 cups)
• 1 cup chopped shallots (about 4 large)
• 2 bunches Tuscan kale (about 1 pound), ribs removed, kale coarsely chopped
• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt; bake until squash is tender, turning with spatula occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.

Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add half and half, wine, mustard, and 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt; whisk to blend. Add baguette pieces; fold gently into egg mixture. Let soak 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add kale; cover and cook 2 minutes. Uncover and stir until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes (kale will be a bit crunchy).

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

Generously butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Using slotted spoon, transfer half of bread from egg mixture to prepared baking dish, arranging to cover most of dish. Spoon half of kale over bread. Spoon half of squash over bread and kale; sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, kale, squash, and cheese. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread pudding.

Cover bread pudding with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered until custard is set and bread feels springy to touch, about 20 minutes longer.

Preheat broiler; broil pudding until cheese browns slightly, about 2 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Butternut-Squash-and-Cheddar-Bread-Pudding-355792#ixzz2aaKLbTnD

Blinders

Hi Laurel here...who would have known...a show about Texas football and race turns out to be an issue?!

So in the beginning of the episode assistant coach Mac makes some racist comments, on camera, in front of reporters.  He's sort of a Paula Deen about it, he totally doesn't even realize that he is being offensive...he refers to his black players as being "junk yard dogs" and thinks that he's giving them a complement.

Anyway it turns out it causes a bunch of race issues at school.  Tami Taylor tries to have a forum at school so kids can hear and be heard and maybe some of the racial tension can be dissipated.  Much to Tami's chagrin it turns out to be too volatile of an issue and the forum blows up in her face.

Smash in the beginning doesn't care about Mac's comments, he only cares about football.  But Waverly convinces him that it has more far reaching implications than just football.   At the same time he witnesses his mom getting turned down for a loan which may or may not have anything to do with her race but the show leaves us with our suspicions.

To Smash's credit he goes to Coach Mac to discuss the issue and Mac overreacts and tells him to "quit his whining".   Aren't educators supposed to listen to their students and respond appropriately?  I know I'm looking at this with liberal 2013 los angeles eyes but I really think this guys should be fired.

Mark here...I agree with Laurel.  The assistant coach is kind of dense about his comments.  What's weird is that Smash, unbeknownst to Mac was actually on his side prior to their confrontation.

The other plotline of the episode is the powder puff football game which Tyra and Julie are forced to join by Tami Taylor for cutting class.  What's funny is that Tyra becomes really serious about it and eventually Julie gets into it as well.  Although she's pissed initially.  Matt and Tim Riggins are coaches of the team and Matt unfortunately picks Julie 3rd for his team.  In any case both shine through, but Tyra develops a chip on her shoulder because of her mom and Buddy Garrity.  She is super suspicious of her mom's new job with Buddy after they suddenly have work to do after hours.  She takes her anger out on Lyla.  Although I've come to like Lyla, I understand Tyra's anger. She calls Lyla out as a spoiled brat.  Weirdly, I'm waiting for these two to find common ground, maybe that's crazy?

Upping the Ante

Mark here... Laurel and I are sitting down for the next episode of Friday Night Lights, "Upping the Ante".  I've made us some blue cheeseburgers with heirloom tomatoes and sweet potato fries with honey mustard dipping sauce.  This episode wasn't totally riveting but there were some interesting points.

The episode picks up on the tension between Jason and Buddy Garrity as the Garritys have Jason over for a barbecue.  The tension between the two of them bubbles over into an argument about Lyla's future and Jason's ability to take care of her.  Jason blows up and announces that they are getting married.  This prompts Buddy and Lyla's mom to walk away.  Later, Lyla and Jason are talking and it's clear Lyla has changed from the beginning of the series.  She's suddenly concerned with going to school and all the things she was ignoring prior to Jason's injury.  She clearly still loves Jason, but isn't willing to just be taken care of.  This isn't to say she thinks Jason is incapable of providing, but its hard to deny the situation has forced her to realize she needs to be independent, something she should've realized before.  Of course, Jason isn't happy with this.

Separately Tyra and Julie form a bond when Matt is pulled away by the football team during a date and Julie needs a ride home.  Tyra proves a good mentor to Julie.  Sure their backgrounds are different, but they are both smart and Tyra's worldly enough to help Julie.  This is particularly clear when Matt asks Julie to babysit his grandmother, she calls on Tyra to help and Tyra excels.  She brings along some white wine and does grandma's toenails!

Another storyline was Tim Riggins needing his absent dad's signature on a form to get out of a speeding ticket.  His brother warns him about going to see their dad, but it ends up being a bonding experience.  There is a point where they are talking and it's clear Tim is drinking beer and the dad is drinking soda...made clear to us by the bottle vs can.  The whole thing plays out well, though I can't help feeling anxious about the ultimate outcome.  The two are playing golf, if Tim wins the dad has to come to a game.  Dad wins and Tim is angry and it doesn't end well, but then at the end of the episode the dad shows up at the game...

Hey Laurel here...first of all dinner was delicious!  Mark started with really good ground beef from our local fancy butcher, McCall's.  but beyond that the meat was seasoned so perfectly!  Might be the best burger I've ever had, at least in a really long time.

Ok on to the episode...The only thing I wanted to add is the situation between Smash and Coach Taylor.  We see Coach giving Smash a really hard time.  Smash is relegated to team manager and forced to do the team laundry, fold towels etc.  But later in the episode Coach goes to visit him at home showing that he does still have compassion for and respects Smash, he's not just making him be the "ball boy" for no reason.  In the end we find out he is letting Smash start in the next game, which as we know is dicey for Coach.  He is really sticking his neck out.

Just to add a little to what Mark said I'm so glad Tyra and Julie are becoming friends.  I feel like they have so much in common, they are both smart independent girls, it's just that Tyra's mom has no self respect and her sister is a stripper while Julie's family is totally perfect.

Also I think it's important to note that Julie and Matt are really on the rocks now because Matt is totally getting sucked into being a football star.  The whole reason Julie was willing to give Matt a shot in the first place was because he was sort of the anti-football player, he was on the team but didn't act like a football A-hole like all the rest of the guys.  But now he is getting into all the attention and accolades (what teenage boy wouldn't) and Julie feels like she's not getting what she signed up for...it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Bubble & Squeak

This recipe come from the 2 Fat Ladies.  Its meant to be hangover food for late nights but we though it worked perfectly well for breakfast as well.  The original recipe militantly called for lard, but we had leftover duck fat, which I think is a fine substitute.  The general idea is that butter won't do the recipe justice...and don't even think about oil!

Ingredients:

cooled cooked potatoes (I used 4 for the 2 of us and had extra, I boiled them until tender)
duck fat
1 onion, chopped
half a cabbage, shredded and blanched
kosher salt
pepper

First mash/chop the potatoes up.  In a cast iron skillet fry the onion in about 2 tablespoons of the duck fat over medium heat.  Add the potatoes and cabbage and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add more duck fat on top, a few dollops around the pan.  Press into the fat and cook about 15 minutes.  Flip or turn over to brown the other side.  Again dollop the skillet with more duck fat.  Once, its all evenly browned and not burned, its done.

Steak & Eggs

Mark here... this recipe was for out steak and eggs breakfast.  It's fairly simple although the steak cooking times will depend on the cut and size of the steak.  We find it's best to ask the butcher.

Ingredients:
2 NY Strip Steaks
2 eggs
butter
kosher salt
pepper

For the steaks, it's best to let them come to room temperature for at least 15 minutes.  While they are doing this, liberally salt and pepper each side.

Once ready, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter over a medium high heat.  Add the steaks and cook roughly 3 to 3 and a half minutes per side.  Remove them from the heat and promptly cover with foil tent to sit for 10-15 minutes.

For the eggs, melt a tablespoon of butter over a medium heat in a skillet. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and remove any shells (be careful not to break the yolk as well).  Drop the eggs into the skillet and cook roughly a minute.  Cover and cook another 30 seconds.  The result should be cooked whites and slightly runny yolks.  Serve!

Artichoke and Red Pepper Salad

This recipe again comes from Ina Garten.  I tweaked it a little because I didn't want to make as much.  I made about the same amount of dressing but didn't use it all.

Ingredients:

2 red peppers
2 boxes of frozen artichokes (defrosted)
Extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 shallot
dijon mustard
lemon juice
champagne vinegar
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
capers
red onion
parsley

First to roast the red peppers, coat with olive oil and place on a sheet pan and roast at 500F for about 35 minutes.  Be careful to line the pan with foil.   When done, let the peppers cool, then peel and set aside

Lay the artichokes out an a sheet pan and roast at 375.  Toss with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Roast about 15 to 20 minutes, tossing them occasionally. Separa

To make the dressing, chop the shallot and put in a food processor ( I cheated and gave it a few pulses in the food processor).  Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon dijon, 1 tablespoon vinegar and a teaspoon of salt and pepper.  Pulse, then add the basil and while the processor is going, slowly add 1/2 cup olive oil.

Put the artichokes in a bowl and coat with dressing.  Add 2 tablespoons of capers and half a chopped red onion.  Cut up the red pepper and add.  Roughly chop a handful of fresh parsley and add. Toss and serve.

Baked Potato with Yogurt / Sour Cream Dressing

This was another Ina Garten recipe and it's really easy!

Ingredients:

2 Baking Potatoes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Sat
Pepper
Greek Yogurt
Sour Cream
Chopped Chives

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and rub with the olive oil, then salt and pepper each side.  Bake for an hour or until tender.

The sauce is just one part greek yogurt, one part sour cream, salted and peppered to taste and with a handful of the chives.

Crack open the potatoes and dollop the sauce on top.

Meatloaf

Mark here...I got this recipe from Nigella Lawson and honestly it's the best meatloaf I've ever made/had.  Key to it I think is using good ground meat and duck fat.  I've tried other recipes involving different meats and none compared to this.

Ingredients:

2lbs ground beef ( I believe we used sirloin from our neighborhood butcher, McCall's)
duck fat (the original recipe calls for 5 tablespoons, I was quite liberal and eyeballed it)
4 eggs
4 onions
bacon
kosher salt
breadcrumbs (I used store bought)
Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Boil 3 eggs in water for 7 minutes.  Peel and chop the onions and heat the duck fat in a large pan.  Once heated add the onions and lightly brown, then remove from heat and let cool.

Separately add a tablespoon of worcestershire to the meat.  Add the (cooled) onion mixture to the meat and add about a cup and a half of breadcrumbs (I eyeballed this as well as I was using store bought and did not want my meatloaf to get too dense).  Finally, crack the last egg into this.  Gently mix with hands, trying not to let the mixture get too dense.

Separate the meat in 2, and mold one part into the bottom of the meatloaf on a sheet pan or roasting tray.  Peel the boiled eggs and nestle them in a row (on their sides) on the bottom meat portion.  Then gently apply the top portion of meat over the eggs and mold the entire thing into a meatloaf.  Be careful not to break the eggs as they may still have soft centers.

Wrap the whole meatloaf in bacon, trying to tuck the bacon so it won't curl up.  Put it in the oven for an hour or until juices are clear, then slice and serve.

Sautéed Kale

Mark here... This recipe is a bit inspired by a recipe from the "2 Fat Ladies"  The original recipe uses swiss chard and real anchovies...

Ingredients:
Butter
Kale
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Anchovy Paste
Lemon Juice

First, I used about half of a bunch of kale (and had leftovers), cut the thick stems out from the leafy parts.  Chop both the stems and the leaves but keep them separate, they cook at different times.

I melted about 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat.  Add maybe 2 inches of anchovy paste and 3 garlic cloves (sliced).  Cook another minute.  Add the cut stems and about a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper.  Stir and cover.  Turn the heat down slightly so the stems steam and don't burn.  Check on them but it should take about 10 min., Once they are soft, add the leaves, some lemon juice (1 tablespoon) and stir.  It should only take a couple minutes until the leaves wilt and cook, then its ready to serve.

Seafood Newberg

Mark here... I originally saw this recipe on an episode of Food Network's show Party Line with the Hearty Boys.  After watching the Mad Men episode where Betty Draper orders it, I thought it would be appropriate.  Laurel doesn't eat shellfish (though I think some day I may be able to get her to try scallops) so I tried to find a firmer fish to substitute.  In this case I used Sea Bass and Halibut.  I also made more than enough and was able to give leftovers to friends.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs of fish (Sea Bass and Halibut in this case)
Salt
10 Black Peppercorns
2 Bay Leaves
1 Large Shallot, chopped
4 tablespoons of flour
butter
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon curry powder
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cream
tomato paste
dry sherry
parsley

asparagus
salt
pepper
olive oil
white rice


First poach the fish in boiling water with about a teaspoon of salt, the bay leaves and the peppercorns, for about 2 minutes.

In a separate pan, heat the milk, cream and add a tablespoon of tomato paste.  Do not let it boil, but bring to a simmer.

In a large sauce pan, sauté the shallot in 4 tablespoons butter for a few minutes, until shallot softens but doesn't brown.  Then add the flour.  Let the flour cook about a minute then add the spices (paprika, curry, nutmeg and cayenne).  Add 1/4 cup of the sherry, and let the alcohol cook off.  Slowly add the milk and cream mixture to this. Finally, cube and add the fish.

Serve over white rice with a side of roasted asparagus (I just tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted on a sheet pan for about 15 min).  Top with chopped parsley.

Farfalle Abruzzese

This recipe was from Mario Batali.  His original recipe called for ground veal.  I couldn't find any and had to go with ground beef.  While the result was definitely tasty, I think the veal would've been better.

Ingredients:

3 oz dried porcini mushrooms soaked in hot water to rehydrate
olive oil
5 thinly sliced garlic cloves
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or veal)
salt
pepper
tomato paste
white wine
basic tomato sauce I used Mark Bittman, which can be found under the Eggplant Parmesan posting)
1 box farfalle
8 oz baby spimach
grated parmesan

First drain (set 1 cup of liquid aside) the mushrooms and chop them.  In a large pan, add olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) and heat over medium high.  Add garlic and cook a minute, then add mushrooms and the meat.  Cook until browned evenly.  Add salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons tomato paste, then cook another 5 minutes.  Add a cup of white wine and the mushroom liquid.  Cook until wine has evaporated and then simmer.

Cook the farfalle in boiling salted water, drop one ladle of the pasta water into the sauce, then add the spinach to the sauce.  Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, tossing it through.  At this point I added some grated parmesan and let it melt through and then added sprinkled some more on each of our plates after serving.

Baked Stuffed Potatoes

Mark here...this recipe was my contribution to the Mad Men pilot night...I believe I may have re-appropriated a Tyler Florence recipe

Ingredients:
2 Baking Potatoes
White Truffle Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
Bacon
Chopped Broccoli
Butter
Flour
Milk
Grated Cheddar
Chives

Preheat the oven to 400.  Coat the 2 potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper and bake for about an hour.

While the potatoes are baking, chop the bacon and fry in a frying pan.  Blanch the broccoli in boiling salted water for about a minute or two.

To make the filling, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large sauce pan.  Add 1 tablespoon of flour and cook another minute.  Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the milk slowly.  Then add about 1/4 cup of grated cheddar. Add the bacon, broccoli and chives.

At this point, when the potatoes are done, I just cut them in half, scooped out some filling and mixed it with the sauce.  Then I re-filled the potatoes, topped with some more cheddar and baked a couple more minutes.

Demi-Glace / Foyot

This recipe is from way back when we watched the Buffy Season finale, "Prophecy Girl".  I won't repeat the recipes for steak or fries.  The Bearnaise recipe is also already posted, the difference with the Foyot Sauce is that I added about a tablespoon and a half of demi-glace.

This recipe uses Anthony Bourdain's recipe as a base, though I was nowhere near as exact as he is about it...:)

Ingredients:

Bones (I had beef/steak bones)
Tomato Paste
Flour

Peeled, roughly chopped onions
Peeled, roughly chopped carrots
Peeled, roughly chopped celery
2 bay leaves
peppercorns
fresh thyme

Bourbon
Peeled, chopped red onion


First preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  On a baking sheet toss the bones with about a tablespoon or so of tomato paste (depending on how many bones) and same amount of flour (just dust the bones). Roast the bones to a brown color.

On a separate baking sheet, add peeled onions, carrots and celery.  The Bourdain recipe says to add about half as many onions as you have bones. I certainly didn't do that.  I probably had equal as many onions, only a couple carrots and a quarter celery.  Be careful about adding salt and pepper.  I may have added a little but remember this will reduce.

When everything has roasted and is carmelized/browned.  Dump into a large pot, top with water, add 2 bay leaves, a bunch of fresh thyme and some peppercorns.  Simmer for several hours. When done, you'll have made stock.

This is where I deviated from the Bourdain recipe.  In another stockpot, I added some Bourbon and chopped red onion, then added all the stock and reduced.  It takes a while and you only get a little demi-glace in the end, but I only use a little each time.  Again, for the Foyot Sauce, I only added about a tablespoon and a half.  The rest can then be frozen.

Little Girl I Want to Marry You

Mark here... We're on to the next episode, "Little Girl I want to Marry You".  This was another really good episode with lots of character development. Laurel and I discussed how the show is so good with conveying even subtle points.  One plot line here is Tyra trying to get her mom to stop being dependent on men and get herself a job.  As it turns out there's a position at Buddy Garrity's for a receptionist.  Tyra convinces Buddy (with Tim Riggins help) to give her mom an interview.  On the way to the interview they have a flat tire and the mom can barely handle fixing a tire.  Tyra has to convince her mom that they can change a tire without a man and the mom is barely willing to even try.  When they finally arrive, it's after the big game and Tyra goes up to tell Buddy his mom is here.  Buddy tells her he filled the position, but once he sees Tyra's mom he conveniently forgets this and hires her.  With just a look Tyra conveys that she knows whats going on.  We've seen the good and bad in Buddy but we can't help thinking the mom got the job because of her looks.  When the mom tells Tyra she got the job, Tyra asks how her mom did with the typing test (it was supposed to be 50 words per minute) and what the salary was.  Her mom responds it never came up.  Tyra at first questions this while the mom is oblivious.  You can see Tyra choose to just let it go...one battle at a time!

Separately Matt Saracen's dad has to go back to Iraq.  Unfortunately he has to leave before the big game.  It's the right decision for all, but it's too bad the dad can't express any emotion.  Even leaving, Matt hugs him goodbye and he can barely manage a hug in response.

There's also a subplot of the Taylors going to dinner at the Mayor's house.  The town mayor is a tough salty older woman, who apparently has a female partner the town is unaware of.  Laurel and I talked about how the town doesn't see that the mayor is a lesbian.  I think the town just sees what they want to see. Also the fact that the mayor is an older women means that (unfortunately), the town just doesn't see her as a sexual being, so it's easier to just see her as a single older woman.  In any case, she wants Tami Taylor to be a part of her re-election campaign.  I can't help but thinking trouble is ahead, this being a small town in Texas.  The coach is clearly uncomfortable and thinks the mayor just wants the coach's wife on her campaign (probably true).  But Tami's response is classic, "Get Over It".  She knows this may be true but she sees potential for what she could get done.

Also, Smash's steroid use is finally discovered by his mother.  It sorts itself in a not so dramatic way though.  Eventually Coach and his mom forgive him and it seems like all are willing to brush it under the rug, provided Smash agrees to private drug testing. It's a bit anticlimactic to be honest, but Smash is an interesting character so its good he didn't get kicked off the team.

Hi Laurel here..I just wanted to add in the Smash situation what a tough position both the coach and Smash's mom are in...The mom immediately ran to the coach to chew him out when she found the steroids because she couldn't even imagine that her son would have done this on his own.  This put coach in the terrible position of reporting this like he should and ruining Smash's football career, or keeping it to himself and sticking his neck WAY out in the process.  We'll see what happens but it's not a good situation for anyone.  It just goes to show how much pressure these kids are under, and that they don't see any other path besides being successful in football whatever the cost.

Also I think it's so awesome that the show is exploring a lesbian character.  The whole town is obviously totally in denial about the Mayor's sexuality and it would be super easy for the show to not address this but I think it's a real credit to the writers that they are making this an issue, even if it doesn't go anywhere.  At this point it remains to be seen...

Also Mark and me talked a bit about Tyra and her mom.  I think their whole family (mom, Tyra, and sister) are stuck in a situation that they all decide to handle in different ways.  They are all super hot, and of course they all want to use their feminine wiles to their advantage...The mom in just oblivious that men are trying to take advantage of her, the sister is fully aware and just goes with it, but Tyra is trying to walk the line somewhere between the 2.  She is too smart to ignore her feminine powers completely but also knows she is much more than that and she shouldn't put herself in a position to be disrespected.  I see both sides it's tough to know where to draw the line with that stuff.  We'll see what happens...

What To Do While You're waiting

Hi Laurel here...pretty good episode!   Lot's of character development which me and Mark both like.  First of all Julie really gets to see some of what Matt is going through.  He stands her up for a date at he library so she comes over to his house to give him a piece of her mind.  Instead she finds his house in total turmoil!  He is in the middle of chaotic cleaning, making dinner, and dealing with his grandma.  It gives her a little perspective and comes home to tell her parents how much she loves them and they are the best parents in the world!  I'm glad she got to understand Matt a little better and understand that she has it really good in comparison.  On the plus side Matt's dad decides to own up to his responsibilities and stay and help out with grandma, on the minus side it becomes obvious that he is totally miserable and it wont be good for any of them if he stays.  But at least he tried, and everyone including Matt gets to see that the next best thing is for them to keep doing what they have been doing and try to make it work.  Matt's dad will go back to Iraq and Matt will keep taking care of his grandma.

The second big thing this episode is Jason finds out he is suing Coach Taylor because he reads it in the paper at the local market.  I'll let Mark tell you more about this because he seems to have a more balanced perspective than I do.

We also learn a little more about Tyra's situation.  Her mom has a terrible boyfriend.  They get into a huge fight and the guy ends up hitting Tyra's mom in front of her.  Tyra is so awesome!  She grabs a fireplace poker and goes after the guy, chasing him out of the house.  Her mom is obviously sort of weak willed and one of these women who always has to have a boyfriend, whatever the cost.  When he finds them at the rodeo and begs Tyra's mom to take her back the mom at first seems like she is going to take him back, but Tyra wont have it and tells the mom she will move out if the mom let's him move back in.  She is literally packing her bags when the mom comes in and tells her she would never choose a man over her daughter.  I don't have a lot of faith in their situation, I still think the mom is weak and may continue to make bad decisions but at least Tyra got through to her mom on this one.

Mark here...I agree with what Laurel said about Tyra.  Its nice to see a bit of character development with her.  We see why she's a bit of the town bad girl and why she's sort of used dating men as an excuse.  We also see why she's drawn to town bad boy Tim Riggins.  But when Tim tries to get back together she turns him down, determined not to fall into a destructive pattern.  I don't feel like this is the end for them, but it's nice to see Tyra stand up for herself and say, no you can't just get back with me because Lyla is back with Jason.

Onto Jason...I agree with Laurel that the lawsuit is bad.  However I sympathize with the parents.  They are looking at crazy bills and clearly a lawyer has told them they can get more money.  Faced with an uncertain future for their son, I can't really say I don't understand their decision.  They decide to sue the school, against Jason's wishes.  But they really aren't seeing other options.  They live in Texas, where state help is minimal at best.  Sure the town says they'll help them out, but Jason is facing years and months of rehabilitation.  Can they be sure the town won't forget them when next season rolls around?

One more thing...the part with Matt Saracen and his dad...there's really no win here.  Matt could get sent away to Oklahoma, his dad could stay and try to work in Dillon (his future as a car salesman was not looking bright), or dad returns to being a soldier.  They chose the latter but I think Laurel's right in that Matt needed to see his dad trying to make it work to realize it wasn't going to.  Soon Matt will be off to college and the grandmother will need to go to into some sort of assisted situation sooner or later. Meanwhile the dad will have given up the only career he was good at to live in Dillon.  The best part of this storyline was after Julie sees Matt's life (as Laurel describes above), she goes home and declares to her parents, "I love you guys so much and you're the best parents and the world!"  On hearing this Coach Taylor smiles and goes back to his football game...Tami Taylor's reaction is priceless!  She turns to Coach and goes "No!" as in, no your daughter didn't just come home to say this because something good has happened.  The two of them both get up to talk to Julie then, but Tami's reaction is amazing (as is Coach's).

Another plot line was we see a bit of Smash trying to make it work with the preacher's daughter.  We're left not sure of their future.  Smash is very into himself but seems willing to work on this relationship.  She does seem into Smash, but she's still in the dark about his steroid use...

Nevermind

Mark here...Laurel and I are watching the next episode of Friday Night Lights.  This on is called "Nevermind" and Laurel has made us some delicious BBQ pork sandwiches (using part of the leftovers from the Pot Roast dinner with some homemade BBQ sauce), Blue Cheese Coleslaw and Corn Pudding.  This episode opens with Jason Street rummaging through his house to find his Nirvana CD.  When he can't find it he chooses to wheel down to the record shop to purchase a new copy.  WHile there he runs into Lyla and one thing leads to another.  Soon the two are back at his house trying to get it on, which doesn't go so well.  Apparently, he's physically not capable.  The rest of the episode finds the two of them trying to work this out (and figure out if they can actually work things out between the two of them).  Lyla comes across as a bit too over eager to fix things, at one point suggesting they watch a video on sex with spinal injuries.  This is too much for Jason, who after talking to his friend, realizes that there is no quick fix and that it may take quite a while before he can have a healthy sex life again.  For Lyla's part it seems like she may be trying to get over her guilt by "supporting" Jason, but again she comes across as a bit too eager.

There is another plot line with Matt Saracen's dad coming home for leave for 2 weeks.  At first this seems like a godsend.  He will come home and take care of everything.  It quickly becomes clear that the dad isn't equipped to deal with what's going on at home.  His mother, Matt's grandmother is suffering from alzheimers and the dad has no idea how to cope.  At the same time he offers Matt little support, leading Matt to blow a football game and blow up at his dad afterwards.  The impetus for this is his dad's idea of sending Matt away to live with an aunt in Oklahoma and putting the grandmother in a home.  By the end of the episode, things are still unresolved.

One last plot line is that Tim Riggins has apparently been skirting by his studies by getting others to write his school reports.  Tami Taylor picks up on this right away and lets him know he won't be cruising through anymore.  To her credit she sees Tim is smarter than he lets on, but he's never challenged himself.  He also seems to realize people expect little of him.  Tami assigns Landry to work with him.  At first Tim is reluctant to do anything, but as the episode goes on he starts to pull through.  By the end of the episode, he thanks Landry for his help (showing up to see Landry's band, Crucifictorious, who sound as band as their name!)

Hi Laurel here..I agree with Mark on all points.  I feel sort of bad for Lyla because she's a teenager and your partner having a traumatic spinal injury is a lot for anyone to deal with, but she is handling the situation all wrong.  She keeps trying to fix things and this situation is just unfixable.  She needs to start empathizing with Jason instead of trying to make everything OK.  Everything is not OK.

Poor Matt Saracen!  He thinks his Dad coming home is going to be a blessing, and he's finally going to get some help with his tough situation but the Dad is just trying to delegate all of his responsibilities so he doesn't have to deal with anything.  It's really disappointing.  Also Matt has really become a man while his Dad has been away but his Dad still treats him like a kid.  It's really disrespectful considering what Matt has been going through.

Tami is totally right about Tim Riggins, he really hasn't been living up to his potential, and is way smarter than he or anyone else gives him credit for.  Side note Tami and Eric have a fight about Tim's academics and how to proceed...they are so good at fighting!  They both get heated but the whole time they are really communicating and hearing what the other has to say.  It was very constructive.  I wish I was so good at fighting.

It's Different For Girls

Mark here...Laurel and I are watching the next episode of Friday Night Lights.  This one is called, "It's Different For Girls".  I've made us some sausages with sauteed peppers and onions and a potato salad (keeping with the Texas football theme).  Laurel made us some cocktails (called "the Derby") to go along with.

The episode title is fitting for what happens. Lyla is facing the fallout from her affair with Tim Riggins. Sure, Tim got his car bashed in last episode but Lyla bears the brunt of things.  She's marked a la "Scarlet Letter" as a school slut and another girl even creates a website dedicated to calling her out as a whore.  I mean who but a teenager has that much time on their hands?  Lyla really gets beat up on this episode, but it gives us a chance to see a deeper side of her personality.  It also shows us a softer side of her father, Bud Garrity, which is nice. We saw a bit of his sensitive side last episode, but it's nice to see the writers following through with it.  Lyla's two men also show a bit of sympathy...Jason is tortured and a bit of a jerk, but definitely shows a bit of heart towards her.  Tim shows he may have stronger feelings for her (called out by Tyra).

The second plotline is Matt Saracen trying to work out dating Julie, Coach Taylor's son.  It plays out a bit comically as Coach tries to impede things wherever he can.  Tami Taylor is awesome once again in calling out Coach's ideas "worst idea ever" and such.  Tami's not thrilled about her daughter dating either but clearly knows to stay out of it as much as she can, to avoid fanning the flames.  The coach however can't resist attempts to break them up, unsuccessfully.

We also see a bit more of Smash as he tries to date the Reverend's daughter.  She has been away in Africa supposedly.  We later gets hints that that may not have been the case.  She also clues in that Smash didn't use his money from church for SAT classes.  Also, Smash's steroid use is catching up with him, in the form of nose bleeds...

Hi Laurel here...this is such a good episode!  This is one of those where the amazing writing on this show really comes into play.  All of there characters are so complete...we see the good side of all the "villains" and some of the flaws int he saintly characters.  Until now there has been no reason at all to like Buddy Garrity.  The father of the girl who starts the website comes to the dealership to apologize to Buddy and let him know about what's on the internet.  Buddy really takes it to heart..it really effects him and he is so supportive of Lyla after.  Who knew?  Buddy actually is a good guy, it's just that his methods are usually all wrong.  We see a new side of Lyla too.  She seems like kind of a bitchy priss with a silver spoon in her mouth, but with the fallout from the cheating thing we see her really taking her medicine, and do so with grace.

On the flip side we see more of the chinks in Coach Taylor's armor.  Since he's such a good Coach we ususally see him making the right choices all the time (the Voodoo incident being an exception), but in this episode we see him succumb to his emotions and do all of the wrong things.  All of his silly dad attempts to squelch Matt and Julie just backfire and bring them closer together.  He sends Matt home for the weekend with a bunch of game tapes to study so that Julie and him wont have time to hang out, but Julie ends up spending even more time with Matt because she decides to help him study the tapes.  In your face Coach!

It's also interesting to see Smash take a real interest in a girl that's not just about putting another notch in his bedpost.

I can't wait for the next episode!  I really want to see if his girl is in fact laying about going to Africa, and if so what did she REALLY go away for?

Full Hearts

Mark here...another great episode! This one deals with the blowback from the Lyla-Tim affair being found out.  Tim and Lyla each pay a price. Tim has several members of the team take baseball bats to his car.  Lyla has to deal with Jason breaking up with her and being the subject of high school gossip.  It ends up being an opportunity to see the better side of Lyla's dad for a change.  When Lyla has to leave the field (during cheerleading), Bud goes to comfort his daughter.  It's a rare bit of humanity from Bud, who up to this point had been nothing but smarmy.  When Lyla confesses being unfaithful, he hugs his daughter and shows his love for her.  At the time of the game we also get to see Tyra and Jason...not getting romantic!  Tyra shows up to Jason's room with a bottle of liquor to mutually drown their sorrows.  It's a nice scene.  At first I was worried Tyra was just showing up to try and hook up with Jason to get back at Tim, but it turned out she just wanted to commiserate.

We also get to see more of Smash as they head back to his former hometown for a game.  He's still taking steroids and under pressure.  He has some heart/anxiety issues and confesses to his sister that he's taken steroids.  Nothing more really comes of that.  We also learn that his father died and that there are some issues there.  His mother shows some depth as well.  Previously she had sort of been the "sassy black mom", but in this episode we get a bit of background and learn that Smash's dad may have had issues.  The mother makes a point of avoiding talking about him, but finally confesses she really loved him but clearly still has a complex relationship with him, even with his death.

There's also a subplot with Saracen taking Julie Taylor on a date.  The date goes awry when Matt has to go back home to take care of his grandmother.  He thinks this makes the date a disaster but ironically it makes Julie see a more sensitive side of Matt, so maybe there's a future there?

Hey Laurel here.  Again I agree with Mark on all counts.  I hope in the end that Jason, Lyla, and Riggins all become friends again.  I know Lyla and Tim did this terrible thing and Jason has every right to be mad at them, and should be, but I hope that with time they can all get over it and be friends again.  You don't find good friends every day, and even though they totally fucked up I think at the end of the day all 3 of them really have a chemistry with each other.

Also regarding Matt and Julie, after the game Matt kisses her!  She freaks out and says she has to go but that could mean anything?

Also at this point one of the things that Mark and I really both like about the show is that all of the characters are whole characters.  They all have their good and bad sides, and when the characters do bad things you can sort of see why they do them, even if you don't agree.  Until now Buddy has really been nothing but smarmy but this episode with the way he treats his daughter and the way he works with Tammy Taylor we sort of see another side of him.  (side note, with Tammy he has to negotiate with the opposing team and realizes that they would be an effective "good cop bad cop" team, where he is the bad cop).   There are lots are multi-dimensional characters - Tim and his brother are bad boys with a heart of gold, Tyra is the bad girl who tells it like it is but she is also kind of a genius, Lyla is the goody good girl but she does a really bad thing,  etc.  It makes for a really interesting show and you can't really predict what happens next.

Crossing the Line

Hi Laurel here...pretty good episode!

We find out a little more about Tim and his brother.  Apparently their parents are still alive but have run off someplace.  Tim and Billy get into a huge fight because they can't see eye to eye about their relationship...Billy seems to feel unappreciated because he is trying to fill in for Tim's parents...looking out for him, going to his games, paying the bills, etc.  Tim seems to feel that Billy is being overbearing and trying to be his father when that's not his place, and doing a shitty job of it at that.   I feel like it's one of those things when they get older they will both see that both of them are a little wring and a little right.  Tim will see that Billy really was trying to make a huge effort on his behalf, and Billy will see that he was just too young and dumb at the time to do a good job of it no matter how good his intentions.

Also this episode there is a lot of progress with Jason's situation.  Against his physician's advice (because his spinal fusion is still healing) he participates in his first game if murderball and does pretty well.  I have to say it even though it was clearly a bad idea it was good to see him playing sports again, since it has been a super important part of his life.  He really looks alive and shines while he is playing.  On the flip side Tim and Lyla both come to his game, and he confronts them at he end about having an affair while he was in the hospital...he ends up clocking Tim which obviously he deserves.  Part of me wishes Jason had never found out about the affair and could just go on being friends with both of them like normal, but part of me is glad that he knows and that he stood up for himself.  Like his friend in rehab (whose name escapes me, update to follow) told him "Just because we are cripples doesn't mean we have to take the crumbs"

Mark here...I agree with what Laurel said.  I'm glad that the situation with Lyla-Tim-Jason is on the table.  Earlier in the episode we see Tammi Taylor giving Lyla advice not to tell Jason what has happened.  This is actually good advice, despite the instinct to tell the truth.  Given Jason's condition, the truth would only serve to make Lyla and Tim feel better.  That said, It's good to see Jason unwilling to let himself be the victim.  He suspects something and is not going to just be silent because he feels sorry for himself.  On a side note, Tim hooks up with his ex, Tyra in this episode and coincidentally Lyla stops by the next morning.  Tyra is on to them both instantly, though only with a passing glance.

We also get to see a bit of Smash's descent into steroids.  He clearly is desperate for money to support his habit and goes to his mother, pretending he needs money for SAT prep classes.  When this doesn't work he asks Saracen to get him a job where Saracen works.  He is not exactly the best employee and at one point Saracen catches him about to steal money and calls him out on it.  Next, we see him at church where his mom has asked for donations to help with his "SAT classes".  I sort of thought this would be the point he realizes what he's doing is wrong, but no! He takes the money and goes straight to his steroid dealer (who happens to be a buff looking lady, going against stereotypes!)

Homecoming

Mark here... We're on to the next episode, called "Homecoming".  This episode has several dramatic plotlines going.  First we see Jason Street making his first public appearance at the homecoming.  It's a bit awkward because he is suspicious of Tim and Lyla.  It's made even more awkward when Tim proves to be the star of the game and gives the winning football to Jason after the game, proclaiming him the heart of the team. You can see the apprehension in Jason's face when looking at Tim.

Separately, Smash is being scouted by a guy from I think the University of Austin.  This causes him to freak out and blow his chances.  Its tense, because prior to the game Smash is convinced this is his ticket out of town, and then he flips out during the game...causing Tim to end up being the star.  Tim, coincidentally has quit drinking, so he really shines.  While the coach is supportive of Smash and tells him to focus on the game because there will be many scouts, Smash can't let it go.  After the game we can tell he is freaking out - which leads him to steroids!  We see him injecting at the end of the episode after the scout is unwilling to tell him whether he's made his recruiting list (most likely not, given his performance during the game).

The last major plotline has Tyra teaming up with Tim's older brother as party planners.  They host a party out in the middle of nowhere and it turns out a great success financially.  The partnership seems awkward and Tyra's older sister is skeptical of the brother.  It seems to go well, though I can't help thinking there's something wrong here.  At the very least, it's weird Tyra is so quick to team up with her  ex's brother...

Hi Laurel here I agree on all counts.  I feel pretty bad for Jason (again).  It must be so hard to show up at a game in which normally you would be the star but now you are stuck in a chair.  Although the crowd gives him a very warm welcome which is nice at least...

Also call me crazy but Julie Taylor, who has been kind of a bitch to Matt Saracen so far the whole series, seems to now have a little crush on him?  Anyway Matt finally asks her out on a date this episode but there is a cut away before we hear her answer.  Will they or won't they?

Also this episode a former player of Coach Taylor's (who only played with him 1 season) comes back to town and asks him for a job as an assistant Coach.  The Coach looks into it but after not finding any money in the budget for another position, has to tell they guy there is no room for him right now.  The guy gets pissed with the Coach, as if he should be entitled to a position.  I feel like it just adds a little context so that we really understand the kind of pressure Coach Taylor is under from all sides.  Not only does the whole town expect him to deliver a championship, but there's plenty of people looking for favors from him too.  So stressful!

El Accidente

Hi Laurel here...Mark and I are sitting down to a delicious brunch and more FNL.   Mark made Mark Bittman's huevos rancheros with tequila sunrise cocktails.  The huevos are so good!  Mark even made the salsa from scratch.

So this episode there's more trouble with Voodoo.  The football players are all waiting to hear if they are going to be stripped of their victory over Arnett Mead.  There's accusations of illegally recruiting Voodoo, and he played a bit that game.  If he's deemed ineligible they will lose the win.  To add insult to injury as you may recall he played terrible that game, was totally insubordinate to Coach Taylor.   Now they might forfeit because of him?

Also Voodoo stirs up a bunch of trouble this episode.  He runs into the team at their hangout and calls Reyes a wetback, but Riggins steps in and stops the fight that was about to go down.  However Reyes is still riled up and ends up taking it out on this kid Castor (friends with Landry and Saracen) in the parking lot, and puts him in the hospital.  Reyes is then arrested for assault, and resorts to lying about the incident saying (on television) that Castor called him racist names.  Matt is in a tough position because he doesn't want to get Reyes in trouble but he knows that Reyes is lying about his friend.  In the end he decides (with some pushing from Landry) to tell Coach Taylor what he knows and Reyes is kicked off the team.  I think more for lying than for beating the Castor up, if he had admitted his mistake in the first place I think he would have been punished but could have kept his spot.  In the end it's all for nothing, Voodoo ends up telling a reporter that he had been illegally recruited and they are stripped of their victory over Arnett Mead anyhow.  On the plus side Voodoo has left to go back to Louisiana so he won't be around to screw things up anymore.

Also this episode Riggins breaks Jason out of the rehab center for a field trip, Lila runs into them in the parking lot and ends up coming along.  Awkward!  They have agreed they don't ever want Jason to know that they hooked up while he was in the hospital but the truth has a way of coming out...

Mark here...I agree with what Laurel said.  The clincher at the end of the episode is that after Jason gets dropped off at the rehab center he watches his friends (Lyla and Riggs) hug from the window.  We get the impression that he sees something more between the two of them.

The plotline with Reyes and Castor is interesting in how other characters respond to it.  Tammi Taylor doesn't buy Reyes accusation from the beginning.  The coach wants to believe that Reyes wouldn't lie to him, though you get the impression that he knows the truth.  Saracen hems and haws over telling the truth but in the end he comes clean.

We also get a brief scene between Tyra and Tammi Taylor in the guidance office.  Tammi tries to identify with Tyra saying, "I was once like you..." to inspire her to keep up with her algebra.  Tyra of course says "I don't want to be you!".  Its interesting because Tammi Taylor doesn't flinch and still feels sympathy for Tyra. At the same time, you can see Tyra growing up to be Tammi.

Git "Er Done

Mark Here... another good episode, this one was called, "Git 'Er Done"...This episode was basically about Coach Taylor's struggle with starting Matt Saracen vs Voodoo (the Louisiana QB Buddy Garrity brought in).  The outcome was easy to predict. Coach started Voodoo  of course because Matt was really a bit bad during practice.  Even though Coach knew Matt was morally the best choice he starts Voodoo.   He ends up going rogue, which initially works out for the team, but eventually he has no understanding of the team working together and Coach is forced to put Matt in the game.  They win the game and at the end of the episode there are questions about how Garrity got Voodoo on the team.  Of course weasel that he is, Garrity puts it on Coach Taylor.

Separately, Tyra hooks up with some guy who comes to town to check out the oilor soemthing.  It doesn't matter, we know this guy is bad news and so does Tyra.  She's just so obviously desperate for someone to take her out of this small town life.  In the end he leaves town...

Hi Laurel here..once again I agree with Mark on all points.  As a die hard believer in the power of team sports for shaping young minds I was super convinced from the beginning that it would be a bad idea for him to start Voodoo, who is the exact opposite of a team player.  It teaches all the wrong lessons, and however strong the pressure from the town is, these guys are teenagers after all.  At the end of the day you can't successfully incorporate a player on a high school team (or any team actually) who has no thought of the team and is only out for himself.  From the beginning Voodoo has been confrontational with both the players and the coaches and no matter how talented you are that attitude will not serve you or the greater good in a team sport.   Anyway, like Mark said Voodoo goes rogue during the game leaving coach Taylor no choice but to take him out and put Matt in.  Much to my satisfaction Matt inspires some awesome team playing and Panther's win the game.  Fuck Voodoo.  I don't like this kid's attitude.  I'm hoping this is he last we will see of him.  Hopefully Matt can get the job done.

Also regarding Tyra she has been nothing but tough so far and this thing with the douche from LA shows us that she is still a kid after all, no matter how tough, and she is vulnerable after all.  It was a bad decision to get involved with him, but seeing this vulnerable side of her only makes me like her more.

I hope the Panthers don't lose this win on their record because Voodoo is ineligable!  This jerk with a bad attitude comes in a screws everything up for 2 quarters then may cause them to lose the win on top of it?  Blerg.

Who's Your Daddy?

Mark here... Laurel and I just sat down for the next episode of Friday Night Lights, "Who's Your Daddy?".  I've made us a Spinach and Prosciutto lasagna.  This episode was a real good one.  The general plotline has the new QB from Louisiana that Buddy Garrity brought in vying against Matt Saracen for the starting position.  But we also get to see a bit more of Tammi Taylor's character.  Coach Taylor springs a party for the football team on her and she shines despite the last minute notice.  The Coach sees no problem with whether the party is for 50 or 150, but Tammi, despite being pissed off, recognizes whats going on and pulls it off.  Separately Matt clearly has a crush on the coach's daughter.  This is a bit funny because early in the episode when Coach is giving Matt his "get your head in the game" speech, he tells him to get the girl he likes in the backseat of a car.  Later in the episode the coach figures out who the girl he likes is.

We also get to see Jason Street in his rehabilitation center and his new roommate, who's a bit rough with him.  At the end it turns out to be some tough love.  Tyra makes an appearance to urge Jason on in one scene, but its a good scene, especially considering that both their significant others are fooling around. Which is interesting...I sort of forgive Lyla a bit because she at least feels guilty and has visited Jason. Tim Riggins is sort of a real dick.  He hasn't visited Jason in the hospital and yet he's kissing his girlfriend (and making a point to tell her how much he thinks of her).  I mean, come on! You are so torn and guilty you can't visit your best friend, but you have no problem making out with his girlfriend...and then chasing her?!?

Hi Laurel here.  First of all, Mark's lasagne was amazing!  Second I agree with Mark on all points.  I really love this episode, it's the first we've seen that really embodies what I love so much about FNL...delving into the lives of all these people who so far we have just seen a glimpse of.  We see for the first time the dynamic of Coach Taylor's marriage...Sometimes they disagree and sometimes they are upset with each other but at the end of the day they totally have each other's back and really go to great lengths to support each other.  Some other wives would have used the poor party planning on coach Taylor's part to prove a point and let the party fall on it's face, but Tammy goes to great lengths to pull off the party to support her husband (and maybe to save face in the town but I really think it's mostly to support her husband).  Her daughter does a lot to help out too, even though up to this point she has seemed like a bitchy rebellious teen in this episode we see her strong side.  At the end of the day she too is willing to go to great lengths to support her family.

Also in keeping with what I really love about FNL is that we really get into Matt Seracen's drama this epsode.  I love that the show really shows you a slice of life of what each of the characters are going through,  and this episode we start to get a glimpse of what Matt is dealing with.  Poor guy.  His grandma has dimentia, and his Dad is away in Iraq so he is saddled with the responsibilty of caring for her.   And from what we've seen of their interaction during videochat his dad doesn't really believe in him.  It will be interesting to see how this effects Matt's choices.  Right now he has a choice in his personal life and in his football life whether he is going to step up to the plate or whether he is going to retreat, we will have to see which way he goes for both.    Also he gets beat up by a rival football team this episode and coach Taylor is the one who comes to pick him up from the hospital.  Coach Taylor is put in the position of being his substitute father figure which maybe is good for both of them?  Also Tyra is so awesome this episode.  She goes to see Jason, who she is not super good friends with and gives him some straight talk (which he hasn't really heard from anyone so far about anything) about why Tim hasn't been to see him.   (basically because he is being a baby.)  but like Mark said Jason's new roommate gives him some straight talk this episode too which we can tell is good for Jason.