Ratatouille: Rats in the Kitchen   by Offsideher

#5463 in Movies & TV
Rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 0 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

What's This Business About Ratatouille?


So, I'm behind, so sue me -- Pixar has released this movie to DVD, as of November... um, November. Personally, I saw the movie in July, ya know when all self respecting rat lovers saw it, but I s'pose it still will make for good watching on the small screen ... so go to it, definitely a stocking stuffer.

Now the word on the street is this movie is about a Rat named Remy -- that gives me pause, right away, I was just thinking the other day that the world is at a deficit when it comes to positive 'Rat' movies -- what, I think 'Ben'(remember that one, yeah I cried my eyes out too) is about the only one. Anyway, it's about a Rat named Remy that somehow lands in the kitchen of the best French restaurant in Paris ...he ends up mentoring(or Cyrano-ing, is that word) with the equivalent of the dishwasher in your average everyday Denny's  -- he ends up taking on his dream and helping out the poor lad all at once...

Of course, becoming a chef is somewhat of a challenge when everyone just wants you to fit into this little pre determined space...and that space for Remy at least, is the life of a rat. Come on, I know a few of you relate, not to the rat bit, but the predetermined space bit.

So there you have it, the little guy goes after his dream and of course I'm certain we'll learn an important lesson at the end. I think this is going to be one of Pixar's finer offerings...

I consider myself a lowborn foodie and a person at thirty-two years old that is determined not to fit into the space people want to jam me into(yeah, that means I'm unemployed by choice)...so this is what this lens is about, the life you dreamed of along with all the foie gras you can eat...(at least until you have a massive coronary)

 

 

Favorite Pixar Movie to date... 

Come on, you know it's just not for kids...

Personally, I liked the one where Tom Cruise played a fireman, AND might I add, saved the world...(what do you mean you don't remember that one?)

I know I excluded 'Cars' from this list, but unfortunately that one just missed on so many levels for me... 'Kachow' just started to be NOT funny. So if that's your favorite... tough! Thanks for reading...:)

#2

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Monsters, Inc. (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Monsters, Inc. (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Come on, now this was an original and cute movie, more...0 points

#3

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A Bug's Life (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

A Bug's Life (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Pretty darn good, occassionally you wanted to smac more...0 points

#4

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Finding Nemo (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Finding Nemo (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

The best of the best, frankly how many multi-zilli more...0 points

#5

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Toy Story, 10th Anniversary Edition (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Toy Story, 10th Anniversary Edition (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Awww, this brings back childhood memories, when I more...0 points

#6

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The Incredibles (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

The Incredibles (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

A bit of a departure from the norm, made more for more...0 points

French Favs... 




Ya know, much like Remy, except that I am indeed NOT a Rat, I use to work in a luxury hotel. One of the small perks of working in a hotel with a four star French restaurant in it, is you get to sample the goods every now and again. There was a staff cafeteria, with free food, but it was just a special treat to see a big cart of left over Lemon Tarts or Creme Brulee(hopefully, you got to it before it turned all runny).

For a person who has never been able to afford the good stuff, resorting to snatching the 'good stuff' off a table, then stashing the empty plate in a potted plant, worked fine for me...So here are some of my lowborn foodie favorites...

#1

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Burnt is good ... Creme Brulee

Ah man, these are good, it's like a little slice o more...0 points

#2

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Anything Crepe...

Strawberries and cream cheese, basically anything more...0 points

#3

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Beurre à Escargots

My parents dragged me along on 'The Family Reunion more...0 points

#4

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Roasted Baby Chickens with Mushrooms

Ok, you're saying, Chicken again... but it's true, more...0 points

Ratatouille knick knacks 

Nothing says, cute animated feature length movie like an aggressive marketing strategy. How will the kids make it without their sippy cup and bobble head oddly disguised as a rat... every household has to have one -- no, I'm not being facetious...it's for the kids, right?

Just a few items that have already made it to the shelves...
Disney Pixar Ratatouille Character Cast Figure Gift Pack

Disney Pixar Ratatouille Character Cast Figure Gift Pack

Amazon Price: $49.99 (as of 10/06/2008)

Mattel Ratatouille Little Chef Remy

Mattel Ratatouille Little Chef Remy

Amazon Price: (as of 10/06/2008)

LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game: Ratatouille

LeapFrog® Leapster® Learning Game: Ratatouille

Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 10/06/2008)

Ratatouille

Ratatouille

Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 10/06/2008)

What's Your Favorite Rodent...? 

Ah, come on, you know you have one...

I think just about everyone that has lived in a traditional foundation house, in the Northeast has been visited by a little friend called the rodent ... mine came in the form of a mouse that must have been a member of Mensa, and got 1600's on his SAT's, because he/she outsmarted me at every turn ... and late at night, if I listened really carefully I could hear the lil' bugger laughing at me... laughing at me... JUST LAUGHING AT ME...

I'm still a bit bitter.

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Rat

They're kind of big and despite Pixar's interpreta more...0 points

#2

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Beaver

Ha, I just like the word 'Beaver' -- How can you n more...0 points

#3

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Hamster

Awwww... the little chubby face. My sister managed more...0 points

#4

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Chinchillas

All I can think of when I hear about Chinchillas i more...0 points

All The Chef's Men and Women 

Little Known Facts... that stay with you until you die.

Alright, like you didn't have enough useless details rolling around in your head, here are a few more...

Executive chef

The executive chef is in charge of everything related to the kitchen, including menu creation, staff management and business aspects. While the position requires extensive cooking experience and often involves actively cooking, it is not necessarily very hands-on.

Chef de cuisine

The Chef de Cuisine is an in between position in the restaurant world. The title outranks Sous Chef, but is not to the level of a Head or Executive Chef. Often, it is the equivalent to the role of an Executive Sous Chef. The only difference in the two titles depending on the presence of the Executive Chef of the restaurant.

Sous chef

The sous chef (pronounced "soo-shef" -- French for "sub chief") is the direct assistant of the executive chef.

Expeditor

The expeditor - a role generally held by the sous chef - serves as the liaison between the customers in the dining room and the line cooks.

Chef de partie

A chef de partie, also known as a "station chef" or "line cook", is in charge of a particular area of production.

Sauce chef or saucier [so.si.e] - prepares sauces, stews, and hot hors d'oeuvres, and sautées foods to order. This is usually the highest position of all the stations.

Fish cook or poissonier - Prepares fish dishes (this station may be handled by the saucier in some kitchens).

Vegetable cook or entremetier - Prepares vegetables, soups, starches, and eggs. Large kitchens may divide these duties among the vegetable cook, the fry cook, and the soup cook.

Roast cook or rotisseur - Prepares roasted and braised meats and their gravies, and broils meats and other items to order.

The pantry chef or garde manger - is responsible for cold foods, including salads and dressings, pâtés, cold hors d'oeuvres, and buffet items.

Pastry chef or pâtissier [pa.ti.sje] - prepares pastries and desserts.

The relief cook, swing cook, or tournant - replaces other station heads.

And don't forget the Ratatouille, you'll need one of those...

Slow Boat to China... 

With 3 Days 4 Nights in Paris... BUY NOW!



I'm still trying to get to the Orient, but Paris is definitely a stop on the way... Ya know, I've always wanted to go with that special someone, it seems to me that it will never mean as much as it should, unless you get to share it with someone ... but if that never happens, then I'll just have to be content to take my mom, capri pants, frumpy hats and all...

Not only is it the city of love and romance, but all of the coolest of cool jazz greats, go there, some stayed, some didn't... nevertheless, they all embraced it, as the French embraced them...there has to be something magical about it.

So if I could go, ya know with that special someone...what would my best laid plans be?

Get Some Knowledge... 

First things first... I've got to learn about the place I'm gonna visit... ya know..

Paris is the capital city of France.

It is situated on the River Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region ("Région parisienne"). Paris has an estimated population of 2,153,600 within city limit (2005 est.). The Paris urban area has a population of 9.93 million and a commuter belt around the same completes the Paris "aire urbaine" (roughly: "metropolitan area") that, with its population of 12 million, is one of the most populated areas of its kind in Europe ...

blah blah blah... and while I'm at it, better brush up on my French. Currently my vast vocabulary begins and ends with, 'bonjour' -- giving new meaning to 'you had me at hello...and that's all'
Paris (City Guide)

Paris (City Guide)

by Steve Fallon

Amazon Price: $12.23 (as of 10/06/2008)

Fodor's Paris 2006 (Fodor's Gold Guides)

Fodor's Paris 2006 (Fodor's Gold Guides)

by Fodor's

Amazon Price: (as of 10/06/2008)

French Level 1 & 2 Win/Mac Personal Edition [Old Version]

French Level 1 & 2 Win/Mac Personal Edition [Old Version]

Amazon Price: (as of 10/06/2008)

Tune -FULL 

Alright, now that I'm up to date on my Paris history...

I'll probably need something that I can play my French lessons on, lest the French think I'm ignorant of the language...

BAM... baby, I've been wanting one these things, my Sony Cassette Walkman is showing her gray hair.
iPod nano 4GB - Silver




Stroll through the streets of Paris with your iPOD! Global Audio Tours.

'Anyone Can Cook' 

...but SHOULD Anyone Cook

Ok, now we're cookin'. Let's see, we're now experts on everything Paris, we've managed to cram three years of high school French into three weeks, we've got our tunes,had our hot stone treatment, what else?... I figure we should cook a few meals, ya know to get it us in the mood.

You'll need the kitchen essentials, something to cook in and a good knife.

So to the pots & pans section...

Calphalon 12-pc. Simply Calphalon Stainless Stainless Cookware Set, Stainless Steel


I have this set of Calphalon, they aren't the most expensive, but they're not the cheapest either... very durable and I noticed an immediate difference in how even food cooked -- that said, the set of cookware I had before these, managed to garner me a real time relationship with the Rochester, New York fire department(hey guy!!) and a very unhappy upstairs neighbor, that not only had to listen to my fire detector every night, but was privy to plenty of my kitchen fire smoke. Not to mention, my pans gave off a strange chemical plastic smell when they got hot.

Shun 6-in. Shun Classic Chef's Knife


I've been salivating over this Shun knife for two years now, whenever I get up enough to purchase it, I have to spend it on something stupid, like rent or electricity. My good mate Alan, claims that you only need one good knife in your kitchen, this was right before he pulled out a collection of knives you could hack your way through dense jungle with...

Or...

Maybe you don't cook eh? Just do what everybody else does, order out delivery, but do it with pazazz...
Try a Delicious Home Bistro Sampler Today!

Are You Keen? 

How A Shoe Can Save Your Life...

I know, if you're an American(with the exception of the New Yorker), you probably don't do a lot of walking when out, we like to circle, in air conditioned SUV's-- until we spot a space open directly in front of the automatic doors.

But since you're going to Europe(i.e. France) we're gonna have to have comfy shoes? No stiletto pumps, no payless shoe store specials - believe me, I learned the hard way --

I recommend Keen shoes, I own 4 pairs -- arch support galore and most of all you know a shoe is good when it's shaped like your foot.

keen - Men's Newport H2



keen - Men's Newport H2


keen - Women's Monterey



keen - Women's Monterey


keen - Women's Briggs

Look who made this lens!

Offsideher

Offsideher
I'm an offsideher, slang talk for assistant or in certain parts of the world hole digger. I'm up for all odd jobs that include audio, video and digital media...I als...  more
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