It gets better - a message for gay youth (B&S cast & crew)

Brothers & Sisters S5E8

"The Rhapsody of the Flesh"

This episode was directed by Matthew Rhys.

Side Dish - 14th Nov

Side Dish from ABC, Brothers & Sisters.

Homemade Hummus

It’s time for one of Kevin’s favorite foods: hummus. Sure it is one of those things you can easily (and cheaply!) buy premade in the supermarket, but if you have a food processor you can have your own delicious homemade hummus in just a few minutes. Homemade hummus will taste less like drywall compound and more like a trip to Mykonos.


Basic hummus includes garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), sesame tahini, olive oil, garlic and salt/pepper to taste. And if you take one quick look at your refrigerated deli case, you’re bound to see many different flavors of hummus (garlic, roasted red pepper, pine nut, sun-dried tomato, etc.) or hummus made with beans other than garbanzos (i.e. white beans, etc.). Learning a hummus recipe is again about learning a technique that you can adapt for your needs.

In my experience, hummus is universally loved. Besides being a delicious side that is easily enjoyed with carrots or homemade pita chips, hummus also makes a delicious (and healthy!) spread on a vegetable sandwich. Yummmnm!

Today I’ll share a hummus recipe from Luc’s mom who was in town visiting. Apparently she redecorated Nora’s house into something more Casablanca than Pasadena but you can still enjoy hummus with nothing more exotic than pita bread!

What are YOUR favorite flavors of hummus?


HUMMUS
Makes 1 ¼ cups

Ingredients

One 15 ½-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 small garlic cloves, minced
¼-cup olive oil
¼-cup minced parsley
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, sesame oil, and garlic in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until the chickpeas are finely chopped. Add the olive oil slowly with the motor running and continue processing until the hummus is the consistency of a coarse puree.
Transfer the hummus to a mixing bowl and stir in the parsley, scallions and salt and pepper to taste. Store the hummus, covered, in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature about ½-hour before serving.

A few quotes from Luke's speech at HRC

Thanks to the magnisifant Luke's website, Luke Macfarlan Online, we have some quotes of Luke's speech from HRC.

Social Lite (blog by Paul Blackburn): HRC Gala!!!
Luke Macfarlane was the guest speaker for the evening and I must say he did a terrific job. He spoke of his coming out story not only to his family, but also to himself and to his life in general. He went on to say how important it is that we do not hide who we are. He was not saying that we should dress in all pink and shout "hey girlfriend!" but he said that we should be proud of who we are and not hide it. If someone asks us if we are gay, we should be honest.

One comment Luke said made me smirk. He said "this is as simple as requesting ONE bed at a hotel instead of two when you are checking in with your partner." I mention this because this past Friday I attended a wedding with Edward. As we were checking in the woman helping me asked "Mr. Blackburn, I see you only reserved ONE bed, did you want two?" I simply smiled and said "No, one will be just fine."

Heart Mind Strength: First United Church of Oak Park (blog by Julie R. Harley): Coming Out About Our Faith
Another award for visibility went to Luke Macfarlane, an openly gay actor who stars in a TV series called "Brothers and Sisters." Luke told a story that I found to be very moving.

Luke has known he was gay since his early teens. He grew up in Canada (worshiping in the United Church of Canada), then moved to NYC for his acting career. In his mid-20s, Luke moved to LA. At a cocktail party, a casting agent greeted him and welcomed him to Hollywood, then said, "Luke, I heard a rumor that you're gay." In that moment, as a newcomer in an unfamiliar place, Luke suddenly lost his nerve. Not sure how he would be received by a potential employer, he denied his true self. "No, I'm not gay," he told the agent. And she promptly asked him out on a date.

Luke confessed to all 650 of us at the banquet that he was ashamed by his failure of nerve. Though he had come out of the closet years before, here he was, going right back into hiding. He said, "Being out is a decision we have to make again and again, every day."

An article from AfterElton

[source]

Meet Your Asshat and Your Gay of the Week for the Week of November 05, 2010
Posted byEd Kennedy on November 8, 2010

I have to admit, the winner of this one surprised me quite a bit. Last week's voting split up Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane), because one was cheated on, and one was a cheater, and each had separate journeys to make as a result. I fully expected the wronged Kevin to run away with the vote, but it was Scotty you sided with.

There was something humanizing about revealing that Scotty wasn't just be perfect kitchen utensil for the Walker family, and you guys responded by giving him an astonishing 52.77% of the vote. His television husband was a distant second at 19.77%

Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) only managed 14.48% of the vote for negotiating the power structures of their relationship, and perky Zac Young brought up the rear at 12.97%.

With Scotty reigning over all the Gays for the week, we're sure that appetizers will be served, and wine glasses will never be empty. Which is as it should be.

Brothers & Sisters S5E7

"Resolved"

Side Dish - 7th Nov

Side Dish from ABC, Brothers & Sisters.

Soup

About a month ago I gave Kevin a soup recipe I was making and asked him to pick up some of the ingredients at the market. One thing in the recipe was chicken broth and, if Kevin ever opened our freezer to look for anything except ice cream, he would see quarts and quarts of the stuff. But instead, he was being sweet and proactive and ended up coming home with 5 cans of chicken broth for me. Blech.

You see, Nora and I agree: homemade chicken broth tastes better than canned. Not that I have never used canned chicken broth. Certainly in a pinch you can get away with it, but homemade chicken broth is just one of those kitchen staples that takes minimal effort and tastes so much better than anything you could buy in the store. And with the ability to freeze it for up to 3 months, there is really no reason not to make your own next time you make a roast chicken. Of course with Thanksgiving around the corner, you can also make a Turkey Broth with the leftover bones from that feast.


In the meantime, if anyone needs 5 cans of chicken broth from a store, just let me know. Otherwise do yourself a favor and make your own:

CHICKEN BROTH
Makes about 2 ½ quarts

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds chicken backs, neck and wings (any combination)
½ pound chicken gizzards
2 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
2 celery stalk
1 medium yellow onion, skin left on, quartered

1. Rinse the chicken under cold running water and drain thoroughly. Put it in a tall 8-quart pot along with the vegetables. Pour in enough water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Adjust the heat to a gentle simmer. Skim any foam and fat from the surface. Simmer, skimming occasionally, 4-6 hours. If the water dips below the chicken and vegetables, replenish with more.
3. Pour or ladle the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Skim off and discard any fat that rises to the surface.
4. The broth may be refrigerated for up to 4 days or ladled into freezer containers and frozen for up to 3 months. (Hidden behind the ice cream if it’s Kevin’s freezer!)

Scotty cheated on Kevin (S5E5-6)