getting ready for the holiday

Ok, we may be mixing up our holidays here a bit ...

one direction: reaching for the stars

For those who don't have a tween girl in their lives, you may be unaware that British boy band One Direction has been slowly taking over the young minds and hearts of girls in America and around the world. But no fear, to coincide with the recent release of their third album, Midnight Memories, there are also some films, official and unofficial, coming out which chart the band's ever-growing success. Inception Media Group is releasing on DVD and digital video the unofficial documentary One Direction: Reaching for the Stars on December 10, one week before the band's own official documentary, One Direction: This is Us is due to hit stores.

One Direction: Reaching for the Stars traces how the five personable British lads - Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan - went from being young hopefuls on the UK The X Factor to hitting the top of the charts with songs like "That's What Makes You Beautiful," "Live While We're Young," and "Kiss You."

One Direction and their fans, L-R: Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, and Harry Styles. 

The five boys, all from different parts of the UK, all auditioned as solo contestants on The X Factor in 2010. But instead of being sent home after not getting through the first round of auditions, they were instead put together as a boy band, where they had a few weeks to get to know one another and put together an act. With Simon Cowell as their coach they became his last act on the show. One Direction didn't win, or even come in second in the competition, but they ended up becoming the hugest act from the show, and have been gaining popularity ever since.

Fans will be happy to learn that each boy gets a short bio, which also details their romances to-date. The film follows them on the road from The X Factor stage to selling out Madison Square Garden in New York on their world tour. Although the only extra on the disc is a trailer for the documentary, Directioners, or 1D fans, will still be happy to learn a few tidbits about their favorite band member. They may be disappointed that there are no significant clips of the band's music, however. The brief but fast-moving widescreen documentary has 5.1 digital surround sound and an aspect ratio of 16 x 9 (1.78:1) and running time of 68 minutes.

Although heavy on the talking heads, One Direction: Reaching for the Stars also features behind-the-scenes clips of the band's world tour as well as interviews with the boys. It becomes clear after watching the film that music maestro Simon Cowell not only was able to initially spy their talent, but has been involved in everything about their careers - from grooming, to creating tour contract clauses which limit alcohol consumption, to helping pick songs written for them by hot singer-songwriters like Ed Sheeran. The boys are currently at the height of their fame, and this documentary captures that moment in time.

Previously published on Blogcritics: DVD Review: ‘One Direction: Reaching for the Stars’

favorite song friday: the story of my life

My nine year-old has an obsession. One that she shares with a lot of others like her. She loves One Direction, the British boy band that hit it big after appearing on the UK talent competition, The X Factor, in 2010. It seemed to me that nine was a bit young for all of this sort of stuff to start — puppy love, wanting to know everything about the object of your affection, even down to the slightest details: what sort of pet does he like, what's his favorite color, ice cream flavor, etc. And then I had a flashback of kissing the photo of George on the inside of my mother's Sgt. Pepper album. I was six.

It's not Abbey Road, but the parallels continue to be drawn, L-R: Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles,  and Niall Horan

One Direction, L-R:  Liam, Zayn, Niall, Louis, and Harry

So I have smiled as I have watched posters of the boys get torn out of Tiger Beat (yes, it's still around) and go up on the wall of her bedroom. I'm watching the progression in the photos as the boys — Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan — get progressively more and more scruffy and tattooed. BTW, Louis is her favorite. I have also become familiar with quite a few of their songs, either through videos on VEVO or on the radio. The tunes are certainly a step above last year's interest, Justin Bieber, but I suspect that might be more than a little due to their impresario and mentor, Simon Cowell's making sure that they have the best handlers and songwriters, like Kelly Clarkson and Ed Sheeran.

I have to admit that I would have liked their latest song, "The Story of My Life," which has been getting quite a bit of airplay lately, whether or not I had all of the background information courtesy of the kid. It's a really good song. And the video is very clever, including the boys' actual family members in tableaux that are equal parts touching and creepy. These kids are definitely grateful for their sudden fame, but quite clearly also miss a bit of some of the freer aspects of their previous working class, less complicated lives. And it's a bit sad that in order to see their families these days they need to work them into a video shoot.


Pop idol stardom is fleeting, especially as one's teeny bopper fans grow up and search for other icons. One Direction should enjoy this phenomenon while it lasts. I do think that young Harry will be the one, a la a Timberlake, to have career longevity, but we'll have to wait and see.

gordon ramsay's fast food

As an addendum to yesterday's post, I picked up a cookbook, Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food, by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay from our local library. Like Ramsay himself, it is bold and basic in nature. His recipes, from dishes featured on his television series The F Word, range far over various cuisines, but all seem pretty possible to accomplish, as long as one has the right ingredients. Each recipe can be completed in less than an hour, too.

The recipes are all designed to be easy peasy (once your cupboard is stocked with the best ingredients), and span the globe, with dishes from from Morocco to Italy to Indian flavors. There are also adaptations of Thai, Mexican, Spanish, and of course British cuisine.

The photos of food are gorgeous, too.

The book opens up with his lists of some basic items to keep on hand, both in the cupboard and as tools, and his urging folks that good food will always come when one buys the freshest ingredients. Some of my favorite, "have got to try this at home" take-aways from the book include:

Pea & Mint Soup with Prosciutto 

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
4 slices of prosciutto, chopped (or use the bacon from the frittata)
Sea salt and black pepper
Large handful of mint (about 6 sprigs), leaves only
1 pound, 2 ounces peas, fresh or frozen
3/4 cup crème fraiche (or use sour cream) 

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Sprinkle the prosciutto with black pepper and cook over high heat until golden brown and crisp, turning once. Drain in a colander, then on paper towels to remove all excess oil. 

Add the mint leaves to a medium pan of boiling, salted water. Bring to a boil, then add the peas and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes until they are just tender and still bright green. Drain, reserving the liquor. 

Tip the peas and mint into a blender. Add just enough of the hot liquid (about 2 cups) to cover and whiz to a smooth purée. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and all but 4 tablespoons of the crème fraiche. Season with salt and pepper to taste and pulse for a few seconds to combine. 

Pour soup into warm bowls and dollop reserved crème fraiche on top. Scatter over the crispy prosciutto and serve.

Penne, Green Beans, & Goat Cheese 

10 oz. dried penne
seat salt and black pepper
6 tbs. butter
1 red chile, trimmed, seeded, and minced
few rosemary sprigs (leaves only), chopped
9 oz. green beans, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
5 oz. soft goat cheese (spicy six pepper if available)
1/3 c. toasted pine nuts 

Add the pasta to a large pan of boiling water and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan, add the chile and rosemary and warm over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to let the flavors infuse. Turn up the heat, add the beans, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender. 

Drain the pasta and toss with a little olive oil, then mix with the beans. Off the heat, crumble in the cheese and toss to mix, adding a splash of boiling water if the sauce is too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste, scatter over the pine nuts, and serve.

Ramsay not only offers tips on how to stock your cupboard, but includes instructions in the back of the book for creating some basic stocks and sauces to use in his and other recipes. Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food is a great cookbook to give one ideas. It's one not just to enjoy flipping through, but I am sure to actually use. And I won't forget to season my food!