Cardio-Funk

Mark here...Laurel and I are on to the next episode of 90210, "Cardio-Funk".  I've made my first attempt at pizza.  This is a breakfast/brunch version.  it turned out ok, although in the future I will know to thin the crust a bit more.

Anyway, on to the episode...this one was a bit of a snore.  The title refers to the pseudo-aerobics class that Kelly and Brenda have joined.  Of course, Brenda scandalously meets some buff dude who is clearly interested in her.  Meanwhile, said buff dude looks 37 and gay.  But regardless, Kelly teases Brenda and Brenda acts "confused" by the attention. She is after all, dating Dylan...

Dylan has his own distraction.  I forget the girls name but it doesn't matter...he meets a needy girl in AA.  This girl says train wreck from a mile away!  Every scene she is in screams "wah wah..."  Also, the show manages to make entering AA seem like the most life-sucking experience ever!  Like, goodbye life, from now on I'll just wear black and reminisce about when I used to be fun.  Really encouraging!!

There's a subplot about the Peach Pitt getting a karaoke machine...wackiness ensues, but I'll let Laurel divulge that....

Hi Laurel here...Yeah Jim gets a karaoke machine from some client for the peach pit but Jim is the only one who is into it, it didn't create any new business like Nat was hoping.  OMG Jim Walsh is totally obsessed with karaoke.  He only sings songs from before 1965.  That's probably because of licensing the music for the show but it also makes sense that Jim would only croon the oldies.  If he wasn't so terrible it might be funny.

The girl Dylan is trying to rescue is super boring, and of course she is back on the sauce by the end of the episode so his attempts at rescue were futile.

Cocktail moment is anytime somebody goes to an AA meeting, which happens a lot this episode because of that dumb girl.

Our favorite quote this episode...It turns out Brandon and Brenda know the super boring girl from AA because she was surfing drunk one time and almost drowned, but Brandon and Brandon rescue her (the twins nail it again!).   When Dylan tells Brandon that he saw her at he meeting and that she remembers him Brandon replies "That's because I give great mouth to mouth"  Way to be super cheesy and an asshole at the same time Brandon!

Style award this episode goes to...Brenda!  For her sweat pants camel toe.  Way to hike up those cut off sweats Brenda!

Duck Confit Hash

I got the inspiration for this recipe from this blog post, though I changed some details (and made Laurel's with sausage instead of duck):

http://eatlikeagirl.com/2013/12/08/duck-confit-hash-for-sunday-breakfast-recipe/

Ingredients:

Duck Leg Confit (I bought mine from McCall's Meat and Fish already prepared) or breakfast sausage
Duck Fat (The duck leg I bought was great, but did not include enough fat for the potatoes)
Potatoes, cubed for hash
Red Onion, sliced in half moons
eggs
white wine vinegar
salt
pepper
parsley

Begin by boiling the potatoes until tender and then drain.  While they are boiling fry the onions on a medium low heat in duck fat (about 2 tablespoons) until they brown and carmelize. Be careful not to get too hot or they will blacken not brown.

Heat the duck leg in about a 350 degree oven until warm.  The confit doesn't really need to cook so just make sure its warm and the skin is crisp then remove from the oven.  Alternatively, if you are using sausage, heat a tablespoon or so of the duck fat and remove the sausage from its casing and break up in the pan.  Allow it to brown...

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add salt and a few tablespoons of white wine vinegar.

In another pan, add 2 tablespoons of duck fat and brown the drained potatoes until they start to crisp.  Then add the onions and, if using, sausage.  If using duck confit, break up the leg meat and skin with a fork and add.

Drop 2 eggs in the boiling water and poach for about 2 and a half minutes.  Serve hash on a plate and top with poached egg and chopped parsley. Salt and pepper to taste and serve...

And Baby Makes Five

Hey Nine-0 fans!  Laurel here.  We just watched kind of a 3 stooges episode.  See, Kelly found out that Jackie was pregnant.  Meanwhile, Mel is planning on proposing to Jackie.  Donna finds out from David that Mel is planning to propose.  Donna finds out from Kelly that Jackie is pregnant.  then because Donna is involved, slapstick hilarity ensues.

Donna tells David that Jackie is pregnant before Mel knows that Jackie is pregnant.  Donna tells Kelly that Mel is planning to propose after Jackie finds out she is pregnant but before she tells Mel...I know this is confusing, but basically because of Donna's big mouth Jackie thinks that Mel is proposing only because she is pregnant.  Meanwhile Mel has no idea.

It's a total who's on first situation but basically Mel and Jackie love each other but can't seem to talk like grown ups so the kid ruin/save the day.  In the end Jackie and Mel are going to get married and have a baby together.  Yay!

Mark here... Laurel did a great job of describing the episode. It was actually fairly entertaining.  The last few episodes have been entertaining and we're hoping it represents a change of direction for the series! Seriously, finally we're in a territory we remember for the show.

There's a side plot with Andrea picking winning horses at the track with Nat, Brandon and Steve, but really who the fuck cares? And it's not written in any way to make us care anyway...

But the style award goes to Andrea in her Downton Abbey (don't worry we'll get there!) ensemble at
the race track.

I would say the cocktail moment is any reference to Jackie's bun in the oven.

Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout It

Mark here...this episode is called "Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout It", the it in question is sex. And yes, this is another "issues" episode, but given the subject, it's actually kind of funny. It's all a bit of a blur, but there's an initiative for condoms in school and then a survey and then an article in the blaze...all about sex and condoms.  We do get our first appearance of Donna's mom at a parents meeting on the subject of handing out condoms and she proves to be a great future nemesis.  We also see Donna defending handing out condoms, which gives David Silver hope for doing it. Poor David. We later find out Donna is saving herself for marriage.  I remember this being a big deal at the time as Donna is a symbol for kids who want to wait.  Blah Blah.  She's as symbol of a patriarchal society because her dad runs the show and doesn't want his daughter having sex (even though in real life Tori Spelling is!).

In any case, the spearhead of this safe sex movement is Andrea?!  Granted, she's never met a cause she didn't like...but really, maybe you should sit this one out Andrea? Brandon says as much to her.

Hey Laurel here...it's all true.  Andrea, the most awkward 30 year old that goes to west beverly is spearheading the movement for condoms in school?!?  Also there's a new kid at the blaze who's totally nerd cute and clearly has a crush on her, and she totally ignores him and/or is actually rude to him.  I kept telling Mark "Andrea!  Open your eyes!!"  Finally at the end she asks him to go to the movies after they finish passing out sex ed materials in west hollywood.  Ah, nerd dates.  I'm curious if we ever see him again.

Cocktail moments this episode...whenever anyone says "condom" (usually awkwardly), whenever Andrea sighs because she's in a huff about condoms, and...when David Silver tries to do it with Donna and she has to explain to him that she's saving herself for marriage.  Ouch.

Quotes of note this episode...When Dylan tells David "What do I look like?  Ann Landers?"  When David asks his advice about "waiting for the right time"  to reserve a hotel room for him and Donna.   SPOILER ALERT...Um, David, it's never gonna happen buddy, at least not until college.

The second, and this might be my favorite of this show so far... Brandon tells Andrea "Maybe you should get a life of your own before it's too late."  Ok, I know this is super mean, but as you know if you have ever read one other tvdinnernight post about Nine-0, I fucking hate her.

A Competitive Edge

Mark here...this episode is called "A Competitive Edge" and it's another zinger...and by zinger I mean another issues-based bore.  Basically, Brandon quits the Beverly Blaze for a hot minute to join the track team, only to find out the track team is using steroids. So of course, Brandon must rejoin the Blaze to get the story, but now he can be "undercover" since he's left the paper.  Yes, no one would suspect a thing.  It's all very "All the President's Men" with clandestine meetings in parking lots at night to discuss steroid use.  Oh, and Kelly's gay friend Kyle is back.  He's on the track team and becomes Brandons source.  Also, Steve is on the team.  We never see him using, but it's implied.

There's a subplot with Brenda in a car accident getting scammed by a woman who wants money.  It's pretty boring.

Laurel here...I can't believe Kelly's gay friend Kyle came back!  The special friends never come back, I'm glad they decided to make an exception.  Except this time he's the special friend because he's doing steroids.   The Brenda side note to this episode is she gets into a fender bender with a lady who pretends to be injured, but then Brenda catches her doing aerobics in her living room so all's well that ends well.

There's no specific style award this episode, except for that Mark and I have noticed over the past few episodes that "athletes" always wear their sweatpants hitched up and rolled over at the waist so everyone has camel toe, even the dudes.

The cocktail moment is when Brandon gets a wedgie in the locker room at the beginning of the episode.  Because he's just a dumb reporter and not a jock.

Fire and Ice

Hi Laurel here...Mark and I just sat down to another full day of 90210, beginning with "Fire and Ice".  I made us creamy papperdelle pasta with bacon and leeks that is pretty heavy hitting in the calorie department but worth it.  Mark made us a lemon rosemary syrup that you are supposed to drink with vodka, but we found we both prefer it with cava.

So this episode Brandon meets a real nice girl at the ice rink (he is playing hockey and she is a figure skater) but even though she really likes him it turns out she is too busy to have a boyfriend, and ends up going back to Texas (???) to pursue her skating career.

I'll let Mark tell you about Brenda...

Mark here...first I'll give a shout out to Laurel for a delicious meal.  When she first said she was making pasta, I wasn't 100% sold, but the combo of bacon, leeks and cream sauce was amazing! So well done Laurel!!

On to the episode...basically this was a boring but inoffensive episode.  Boring, because who really cares about Brandon dating a figure skater?  Inoffensive because there's no Andrea!!  Anyway, there's also a subplot about Brenda getting a job as a sales girl with a bitchy boss who steals her commission. But once Brenda tells Cindy, they devise the most ridiculous comeuppance scheme.  It involves Cindy dressing as a "rich woman" and letting the boss think she's going to get a huge commission and then not buying anything.  Hilarity ensues, but Cindy's outfit makes it worth it...let's just say it involves a head wrap.

The quote of note this episode has to be when said figure skater breaks up with Brandon and says, "I'll always remember you as the guy who gave me my first burrito"  Really, watching the episode was worth it for this line alone!

The style award goes to...Brenda's bed, although it was a tough call,  what with Cindy's ensemble and a scene with Brandon and Steve's shirts, but really, this bed is hideous!!

Creamy Pappardelle with Bacon and Leeks

Hey guys!  This recipe is originally from Bon Appetite but I found it here at Epicurious.  We are still slogging through season 2 of 90210.  I am serving it with an arugula salad to make us feel better about eating a pasta with sauce made of cream and bacon fat.

It turned out really good!  I did it pretty much according to the directions but I left out the oil and butter in the beginning, which seemed like bringing sand to the beach.  I had been planning to serve it with a poached egg on top to make it more brunchy but I forgot.  It was great on its own.  I will definitely make this again!

Also I wanted to let you guys know at Trader Joes they have this amazing applewood smoked bacon that is around $10 a pound, but they also have "ends and pieces" of the same stuff for $3 a pound which was perfect for this recipe.  I bought a condo so I am frugal now.


Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise
• Kosher salt
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 pound pappardelle or fettuccine
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

Preparation:

Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 5-8 minutes. Add leeks and season with salt. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until leeks begin to brown, 5-8 minutes. Add cream, thyme, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta, Parmesan, and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce and stir to coat. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring, adding more cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta.