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An Oscar-worthy meal to accompany Academy Awards viewing

What are you doing Sunday evening, will you be watching the Academy Awards? Perhaps the more important question is, what will you be eating? How about something movie inspired such as ratatouille, from the Disney animated favorite, or perhaps Mendl's Courtesan au Chocolat, otherwise known as choux pastry nuns, from "The Grand Budapest Hotel?" I will be serving beef, or rather boeuf bourguignon, that makes an appearance in "Julie & Julia."

Two different friends have invited me to Oscar parties featuring food from the movies. Everyone brings something to share, and the only requirement is the dish has a connection in some way to a film. It's even better if the movie has been nominated for an award that year. The link can be small; in 2016 "The Martian" had us eating mini baked potatoes, and in 2015 it was miniature beef Wellingtons as a nod to "The Imitation Game," set in England.

This year "Black Panther" tempts us to try Wakandan Jeweled Vegetable Pilau With Berbere Braised Lamb, a recipe courtesy of the online recipe hub, Tasty, with a side of frozen peas; the ones Lady Gaga uses as an ice pack in "A Star is Born." To wash it all down maybe a vodka tonic or cup of Twining's tea, both Freddie Mercury favorites in "Bohemian Rhapsody." I will admit to paying closer attention to the food in movies after having attended these parties.

My all-time favorite food movie is "Julie & Julia; The story of blogger Julie Powell and Julia Child, and their journeys as they discover their love of French food. Powell as she works her way, dish by dish, through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," and the Child as she too becomes adept at French cooking and ultimately writes her famous cookbook.

The movie not only includes beautiful food, but Meryl Streep's portrayal of Julia Child would earn her a Best Actress Golden Globe and SAG award, along with an Oscar nomination. The movie itself was also nominated for Best Picture.

Courtesy of Penny KazmierPenny urges cooks not to skip drying the cubes of stew meat completely before browning.

One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when Julie (Amy Adams) prepares Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon. After painstakingly drying the beef cubes before browning, sautéing vegetables and adding wine, she puts the lid on a pot of beautiful food and places it in the oven to braise for several hours.

Initially inspired by the movie, I have made this recipe many times and each time it has tasted delicious. After all what could be bad about bacon, beef, onions, carrots, mushrooms and lots of wine?

One of the most important things you can do to make this recipe successful is dry the stew meat entirely with paper towels before browning. Drying will ensure the beef browns and does not steam, as browning adds flavor and texture.

The original recipe calls for a chunk of bacon cut into lardons. I used thick cut bacon and sliced it into ¼-inch strips before browning in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Be sure not to remove the bacon fat, instead use it as part of the oil mixture used to brown the meat; another added layer of flavor.

Every step of this recipe has a purpose, so please don't skip browning the flour or adding the single tablespoon of tomato paste; it all matters, especially the slow braising, resulting in tender and perfectly cooked meat.

Courtesy of Penny KazmierBacon lardons, are strips of bacon used to brown the beef and vegetables.

(When I only need a tablespoon of tomato paste I open the can and place the contents in a snack sized zip top bag. This way I can freeze what I don't use and then have easy access to the next tablespoon I need at a later date.)

One short cut you can use is substituting frozen pearl onions in place of fresh, although when available, I like to use cippolini onions I find in my grocery store's produce section. If you do use fresh onions, try this tip for easy removal of the skins; Soak onions in boiling water for a minute or two, drain, and allow to cool slightly. Using a paring knife, remove the stem and root ends, and the outside skin should slide off easily.

Boeuf bourguignon is the perfect recipe to make ahead of time, as according to Child, the flavor is better when reheated. Also, the onions and mushrooms, along with the bacon and beef, can all be browned ahead of time and cooked together when needed.

Pairing food with food celebrated in films is a wonderful way to watch the Oscars. Penny Kazmier will be serving boeuf bourguignon, Julia Childs recipe that makes an appearance in "Julie & Julia." - Courtesy of Penny Kazmier

As I watched "Julie & Julia," I wished I had thought of cooking my way through Julia Child's book. Since seeing the movie I have made a number of the recipes, but am not sure I would have had the time, or determination, to complete the whole book.

We certainly have more cold days ahead of us, so no matter if you plan to watch the Academy Awards, or not, consider trying beef bourguignon. I am making it for a movie food lunch tomorrow and am sure it will be a hit.

I'll leave you with words of wisdom from Child herself, "Cooking well doesn't mean cooking fancy." Bon Appétit!

• Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge.

Talkbacks to Accompany Castillo Theatre's Production Fred Newman's BILLIE, MALCOLM & YUSUF

The Castillo Theatre (Dan Friedman, artistic director; John Rankin, associate managing director) has scheduled two talk backs in-conjunction with its current production of Fred Newman's Billie, Malcolm & Yusuf, directed by award-winning director, Gabrielle Kurlander. The production commemorates the 30th anniversary of Yusuf Hawkins' murder in 1989. The Castillo Theatre is located at 543 West 42nd Street. Performances Billie, Malcolm & YusufThe Castillo Theatre (Dan Friedman, artistic director; John Rankin, associate managing director) has scheduled two talk backs in-conjunction with its current production of Fred Newman's continues through March 17, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m.

Castillo Theatre Cultural Talks:

Saturday, March 2, 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Dr. Lenora Fulani presents: The Legacy of Yusuf's Movement

Michael Hardy (National Action Network) and Harry Kresky (IndependentVoting.org) will lead a discussion of Yusuf's Movement in the early 1990's and its political and cultural legacy.

Sunday, March 3 (following the 2:00 performance) A Conversation with Two Women Directors: Petronia Paley and Gabrielle Kurlander

Featuring award-winning theatre directors Gabrielle Kurlander, director of Billie, Malcolm & Yusuf and Petronia Paley, director of Larry Muhammed'sLooking for Leroy, produced by the New Federal Theatre.

Culture Talks are free; reservations required. Seating limited. Call 212-941-1234 or contact boxoffice@allstars.org

About Billie, Malcolm & Yusuf

Billie, Malcolm & Yusuf opens at a funeral. Among the guests mourning the passage of the "dear departed" are the great revolutionary Malcolm X, the legendary blues singer Billie Holiday, and a black teenager, Yusuf Hawkins, who was brutally murdered by a white mob in 1989. As the funeral procession makes its way through the Gates of Heaven, we learn the identity of the "departed," the conflicts between Billie, Malcolm and Yusuf, and their struggle to live, love and laugh without gods or icons. With songs, humor, powerful reminiscences, historical footage and more than a few surprises, these characters take the audience on a spellbinding journey.

The playwright and the director both have a historical connection to the Yusuf Hawkins' tragedy, having joined the family and many community activists in weekly protests in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where the murder took place. 2019 will mark the 30th anniversary of Hawkins' murder, which catalyzed broad protests for racial justice and resulted in the election of New York City's first Black mayor.

The Castillo Theatre has been producing political plays in New York City since 1984. It has produced the plays of over 50 political playwrights, including 44 plays and musicals by its late artistic director Fred Newman. Along with political musicals, avant-garde plays, improvisation, and youth productions, Castillo produces plays that engage social issues affecting the African American community, including Our Young Black Men Are Dying and Nobody Seems to Care by James Chapmyn (1991); and Crown Heights by Fred Newman and Dan Friedman about the 1992 riots in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (1998 and 2004). Castillo has a longstanding producing partnership with Woodie King, Jr. and his New Federal Theatre, which is in residence at Castillo Theatre.

Gabrielle L. Kurlander (director) has directed eight plays by Fred Newman at the Castillo Theatre since 1998, as well as four by German avant-gardist Heiner Müller. In 2011, the Castillo Theatre won the Vivian Robinson AUDELCO Award for Excellence in Black Theatre Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance for Kurlander's production of Playing with Heiner Müller. The following year, her musical production of Newman and Annie Roboff's Sally and Tom (The American Way) won five AUDELCO awards, including Best Director of a Musical Production and Best Musical Production of the Year. In 2014, Kurlander directed Clare Coss' play Dr. Du Bois and Miss Ovington, starring Kathleen Chalfant and Timothy Simonson; and in 2016, Kurlander directed Fred Newman and Jackie Salit's musical play Votes, about a woman running for president. Kurlander began her professional theatre career as an actor in the national touring company of Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues. She joined the Castillo Theatre in 1987, and has since performed in 35 productions. Kurlander is the president and CEO of the All Stars Project, Inc., a national nonprofit organization that uses the developmental power of performance to transform the lives of youth and poor communities, in partnership with caring adults.

Fred Newman (playwright, 1935-2011) was the resident playwright of the Castillo Theatre and served as its artistic director from 1989 until his retirement in 2005. He wrote 44 plays and musicals. In addition, Newman was America's leading director of the work of the German post-dramatic playwright Heiner Müller, and also directed plays by Bertolt Brecht, Aimé Césaire, Yosef Mundy and Peter Weiss. In 2002, he wrote and directed the award-winning independent film Nothing Really Happens (Memories of Aging Strippers). In addition to his theatrical work, Newman was an independent political pioneer, a social therapist and a Stanford University-trained philosopher and teacher. He co-founded the All Stars Project with Dr. Lenora Fulani.

Photo credit: Ronald L. Glassman

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Pope Releases Video to Accompany February Prayer Intention

Pope Francis on February 7, 2019, released a video to accompany his February 2019 prayer intention: For a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of enforced prostitution, and of violence.

Pope Francis’ prayer intention is promoted throughout the world by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network. 

The full text of the video:

Although we try to ignore it, slavery is not something from other times.

Faced with this tragic reality, no one can wash their hands of it without being, in

some way, an accomplice to this crime against humanity.

We cannot ignore the fact that there is as much slavery in the world today as

there was before, or perhaps more.

Let us pray for a generous welcome of the victims of human trafficking, of

enforced prostitution, and of violence.