Steak with Bearnaise

This is from the East Side Story episode of Beverly Hills 90210... It is a variation on Ina Garten's recipe.

Ingredients:
Steak (We had 2 ribeyes)
Dried Tarragon
Fresh Tarragon
2 sticks of butter
Lemon
3 egg yolks
champagne vinegar
Salt
Pepper

For the bearnaise, set up a double burner and egg, 1/4 cup of vinegar, egg yolks, salt and some dried tarragon. Whisk and slowly add pats of butter to the mixture.  If it gets to hot, just remove from the double burner until it cools, but continue whisking and the return to the burner.  If it starts to curdle place in ice water.  When all butter is mixed in, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and chopped fresh tarragon.

For the steaks, it's best to ask butcher how to cook, as we did.  In this case we salted then browned each side in butter in a frying pan and then placed them in a 375 degree oven for a few minutes to get medium rare steaks.  Different size steaks will vary though.

Home Again

Laurel here...Here we are! At the season 1 finale! It was a slog at times but we made it!

So this episode hinges on whether or not the Walshes are all going to have to move back to Minneapolis. Jim gets a big job offer for double his salary and decides he can't pass it up..The episode basically focuses on all the gang saying goodbye to each other. Steve is a total dick to Brandon because he can't deal with the possibility of Brandon leaving, Dylan and Brenda decide to try a long distance relationship but then Brenda changes her mind and breaks up with him, and Kelly offers for Brenda to stay at her place for the summer. All sort of believable, except for Andrea's reaction. She offers to have sex with Brandon, as a "goodbye present" (your present is me!) AND BRANDON ACCEPTS!!!! Are you fucking kidding me? I am so flummoxed/grossed out I don't even know what to say. What nerdy high school girl offers herself up as a present? Not to mention a judgey higher than thou nerd? What? It just makes no sense.

Mark here...I will say that my one note from the Andrea-Brandon hook-up possibility: "UGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!" (no exaggeration). I realize that all season we are supposed to be rooting for Andrea in some sort of 80s movie nerd-makes-good sort of way, but it doesn't work. We hate Andrea, she's unrelatable. Maybe another actress could have made the character likable, but here you just don't believe Brandon would go for her. I guess that's why nothing ever happens.

One moment I thought was funny is Dylan's reaction to finding out Brenda is moving, "There's so much we haven't done". Given last episode, both Laurel and I had this reaction..."Blow Jobs," "Anal Sex," "69"...etc...

I will say I'm glad we've reached the end of this season...the series doesn't seem to have found it's footing in teen soapiness yet and while the teen stuff we've seen is fun, the "lessons" are unbearable and really a blast from the past...really modern teen shows would never push this moral crap, because it would kill their ratings. Here, I think they will recover because there wasn't anything like this on TV and their photogenic leads...

Laurel here...in the end the Walshes decide to stay in California after all because Jim is so touched by the goodbye party the gang throws for them at the peach pit. The cliffhanger of the season finale...Brenda tells Dylan she is late!!! You know, late.

Style award this episode goes to Brandon/Andrea! For Andrea's outfit in Brandon's dream about their hookup. Let's just say I never really visualized the phrase "$10 hooker" until today.

Cocktail moments this episode: When Steve is fighting with a little tiny jock guy and losing. Brandon tries to comfort him by saying, "that guy was built like a wide load truck". Um, he was smaller than both Brandon and Dylan so I'm not sure which guy he was talking about. Side note... Steve wears an eyepatch for the rest of the episode after getting his ass kicked.

Also whenever Brandon and Andrea have to pretend they have chemistry. At one point they kiss and it looks like Andrea is trying to eat poor Brandon's whole head. You need a drink because it's so awkward.

Spring Dance

Mark here... we've reached the penultimate episode of season one and Laurel has made a caprese salad with heirloom tomatoes, roasted chick peas and a spinach, egg and parmesan soup. Very tasty!

On to the episode...we're at least not dealing with another "Very Special Episode" here, although the writing is a little melodramatic. This episode is called, "Spring Dance" and the gang is preparing for the spring dance. Andrea of course wants Brandon to ask her, but Brandon doesn't want to go...until Kelly asks him. Steve is jealous and there's an annoying plot line of Steve being a jerk and wanting to reunite with Kelly. This whole storyline is just boring and we just don't care enough about Steve and he behaves like too much of a jerk to care. Steve ends up going to the dance with Donna, who's plot line basically involves wearing an impractical dress and trying to sit down.

The better part of the episode involves Brenda losing her V-card to Dylan. Dylan has reserved a room in the hotel and they disappear during the dance to do the deed. It's at least a bit of realism, as we saw Brandon do it back in episode 2. Also, Kelly's reaction and congratulating Brenda is nice. The plus of this episode is that the focus is back on teen drama. Of course, then we have ugly duckling Andrea. First, she sits home in sweats watching some budget version of "Carrie" eating ice cream...but just in time she makes it to the dance in what looks like her mom's pillow case. And of course Beverly Hills is just a hop, skip and a jump from her home in Van Nuys...

Laurel here...I agree with Mark that it's really nice to get back to an episode that focuses on high school stuff and the relationships between the characters instead of yet another episode about racism, tumors, underprivileged kids, stray dogs, etc.

The funniest part of this episode for me is Andrea being indignant about going to the dance, to the point where she stays home and watches a prom horror movie in her sweats while everyone else is having fun when we all know what she really wants is to be part of the gang and hang out with the cool kids. What prompts her to go to the dance in the long run is that she has a daydream after she watches the movie that she is the Carrie character, disgruntled to the point that she tries to kill Kelly with a chainsaw (amazing image by the way, see style award). I think that we are supposed to identify with her and root for her as the underdog but she is just so annoying and unlikeable that it doesn't work. She's the worst.

Style award this episode goes to...Andrea! For her daydream horror chainsaw getup.

Cocktail moments: Brenda and Kelly wearing the same dress to the dance...so embarrassing!

David Silver winning the dance contest with his crazy wanna be hip hop moves. Or move, rather. just one.

and of course, any moment with Donna and her dress!

Gorgonzola Bruschetta

This is from Barefoot Contessa, it's her gorgonzola bruschetta.  This was my first time making it and I made a few mistakes which I will note.  I had to change the proportions since it was only Laurel and I eating it.

Ingredients:
Baguette
Yellow Pepper
Red Pepper
Capers
Creamy Gorgonzola
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cut the baguette on a diagonal into thin slices.  Lay a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and put the slice on top.  Brush each slice with the olive oil.  Put in 375 degree oven until toasted.

Meanwhile, chop the peppers thinly (mine were not thin enough and this will be important)/  Saute in olive oil for about 15-20 min.  Add a teaspoon or so of sugar and give it a few more minutes, then add capers (a tablespoon), salt and pepper, and julienned basil.  Take this mixture and top it on each toasted baguette slice.  Then dab a bit of gorgonzola on top of each (this was where I messed up...gorgonzola's a bit messy and I added too much, it's really just a dab for flavor that's needed). Put back in the oven until the cheese melts and then serve.

Vegetable Risotto

As we're nearing the end of our 90210 Season One run, I'm going to try and catch up on some of my recipes.  This one is from when we did the episode "One on One", it is a version Barefoot Contessa's Spring Green Risotto.

Ingredients:
Olive oil
butter
1 cup of chopped leeks
1 cup chopped fennel
1 1/4 cup Arborio rice
2/3 cup white wine
5 cups of stock (I had game stock from the onion soup)
blanched, chopped asparagus
10 oz. frozen peas
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup grated parmesan
chopped chives
salt
pepper

Saute the leeks and fennel in the olive oil and butter until soft, then add the rice and saute another minute or 2.  Add the white wine and when it is absorbed, begin adding the stock a ladle at a time.  Wait until it is absorbed before adding the next ladle.  Then add the asparagus, peas, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.  If it needs it, add more stock (mine did).  Whisk the mascarpone and lemon juice togther and add to the risotto, then add parmesan and chives.

Spring Training

Laurel here...blerg.

Well this episode was super boring. Brandon and Steve coach a competitive little league baseball team from West Beverly Hills who turn out to be good at baseball but bad at sportsmanship. Do you smell a lesson coming?

Turns out Nat from the Peach pit also coaches a little league team (the Pitts), but they are good at sportsmanship and bad at baseball. Brandon and Dylan spend a few afternoons teaching them some fundamentals, Andrea brings in a ringer (she somehow knows a girl baseball prodigy from the Valley?), they set up a few practice games with the rich kid's team and everyone learns a thing or two.

I wish that the baseball part was the most boring thing about this episode but wait, there's more! A stray dog follows Brenda home while she is jogging and she spends the episode trying to convince her family to let her keep him, but in the end the dog finds his owner, one of the kids on the little league team. Snoozefest!

Mark here... I agree totally, I have to say, some of this season has really been the show finding it's footing and many of the "classic" story lines have yet to happen. So we find ourselves slogging through these filler episodes of "Very Special" teaching moments and "wacky" subplots.... Good grief! No wonder the show was on the rocks about renewal in the beginning. Don't get me wrong, some of the early episodes are awesome when they focus on high school, but the other episodes are painful.

Style award this episode goes to...Steve! for his crazy baseball half shirt style. Runner up is Dylan for his crazy baseball outfit, super high waisted pants that really show off his girlish figure. We think he is actually the skinniest person on the show, except maybe for Donna.

Cocktail moments:

Anytime Brenda is with the dog...those moments need lubrication!

Whenever Jim yells at somebody...his back is out this episode and boy is he grumpy!

April Is The Cruelest Month

Mark here...well another snorefest with this episode, called "April Is The Cruelest Month". Things start out interesting enough with Brandon attempt to interview the school tennis star while "Would I Lie To You?" by The Eurythmics plays. Turns out said tennis star is played by Matthew Perry. Things sort of go downhill from there. Matthew Perry is yet another poor little rich boy who wants Brandon to read his screenplay. Turns out his screenplay is about a son killing his famous dad, which Brandon interprets as a cry for help (Brenda, on the other hand, can't be bothered past page 2 when Brandon shows it to her). So who does Brandon go to for advice...Andrea?! Ug, please. Anyway, the whole episode has this weird cheesy noir/horror attempt going on with some of the lighting, etc. Unfortunately it doesn't really help things. Brandon at one point suspects his friend of being about to murder his father and proceeds to get fingerprints all over the friends gun and break in to his house.

Meanwhile, we get to see Ms. Teasley for the first time I remember. Previously the actress played a school shrink I think, but here she's back as principal. There's a subplot about Donna not doing well on the SATs. Turns out Donna has a learning disability. Ms Teasley helpfully tells her that she's not stupid. From now on the school will just have to read out every question to her and give her as much time as possible to answer. Presumably they will talk as slow as possible too.

Laurel here...poor Brandon! He always has to solve everyone else's problems. He almost always bares the burden of these "very special" episodes, save for the one where Brenda finds a lump. Even then he's the one who keeps it together, while Brenda turns into a bitchy mess. (see pervious episode, "it's just a test"). Also he makes all these great friends during each of these "lessons", none of whom we ever see again. In this episode he becomes bff's with Matthew Perry's character, but you know he's headed to the 90210 guest star graveyard, just like Brandon's black friend, his latina girlfriend, his actress friend, the homeless kid who hangs out at the peach pit, etc.

Style award this episode goes to...Dylan again! This time for his weird purple priest outfit. I get it about the semi-clerical style what with papa don't preach and all that, but was super long shirts on guys ever a thing? It's hard to tell from the photo but really it's dress length.

Cocktail moments: When Brenda finds Donna at "Fred Segal" the inside of which actually looks like the fashion 21 at the Eagle Rock Mall...

When Kelly says that in college she's going to major in "Pre-Wed"...