The Kitch Lit Series: Sweet and Sour

What a mighty break it has been since our last installment in the Kitch Lit series. Turns out that perhaps absence really does make the heart grow fonder. My first foray back into the genre, Robin Sloan’s Sourdough, took me by surprise, delightfully so. 

Simply stated, Sourdough is the story of robotics programmer Lois Clary who, after moving to San Francisco for a new job, learns the art of baking sourdough bread. 

The city of San Francisco is in for quite a challenge in trying to win over Lois, a Michigan native. Mostly, it doesn't. But how could it? Her job at General Dexterity requires long hours - employees are known to sleep at the office – and, in turn, her social circle is limited to her coworkers who eat together at the Slurry table in the cafeteria. Slurry is the Soylent Green-esque food product meant to sustain life without the hassle – or enjoyment – of cooking and eating. 

When Lois discovers Clement Street Soup and Sourdough, a most likely illegal restaurant operation run by two immigrant brothers, and her world opens up. Her order of spicy soup heals her weary soul and earn her repeated orders earn her the title of Number One Eater. When the brothers face imminent deportation, Lois, not entirely understanding her own motivation, agrees to keep their sourdough starter alive. As Lois begins to master caring for the often rebellious starter and transforming it into delicious bread she simultaneously begins a journey of self discovery.

That story may sound like, well, not much. And, before reading the first couple of chapters, I would have perhaps thought the same thing. The story lacks almost all of the usual narrative tropes that overrun the bookshelves. No romantic entanglements, family drama or treacly enlightenment. A simple, charming story unfolding enjoyably is in and of itself a treat. In Sloan’s hands, the story is elevated with a simple grace. His prose is superlative: descriptive without being too wordy, expressive without veering into the overly dramatic. Rather delightful. 

Reading Sourdough reminded me of the shear joy of reading J. Ryan Stradal’s Kitchens of the Great Midwest. I went in with no preconceived notions and was rewarded with a story and writing that took me places I did not expect – as simple as those places may be. The kicker here is that I don’t like sourdough. But for a slice of Lois’ bread I would be willing to give it another chance. 

The Land of Hope

How to describe Winfield? Never have I felt so good sitting in a pool of my own sweat.  You know it’s hot outside when beads of sweat form on the legs of a person who is completely still. Sitting at Winfield with a portable fan in my face and an umbrella doing a horrible impression of a sun blocker across my lower half listening to some of the most amazing musicians in the country can only be described as restorative. 

For those of you uninitiated, Winfield is the informal name of the Walnut Valley Festival or, simply, “the bluegrass” if you’re a local. Winfield is a 47-year strong multi-day music festival celebrating the best in bluegrass, folk, Americana, jazz and Celtic music.

My first trek to Winfield was in 2013, when my aunt finally persuaded my mom and me to join her for the weekend. No coincidence that it was the first year none of her kids were able to go with her so she really put the screws to us. While I thought I knew what to expect that first year, I quickly learned how very wrong I was. Winfield is not a little bluegrass festival. For an introvert who enjoys private bathrooms, the sheer volume of people was a bit overwhelming. But the quality of the music was undeniable. I grew up with John McCutcheon; Peter, Paul & Mary and Pete Seeger and the chance to see some of them and their fellow musicians multiple times amongst others who appreciate music has been calling me ever since.

The beating heart of Winfield is an appreciation for music, musicians and musicianship. The Walnut Valley Festival is home to the International Finger Style Guitar Championship, International Autoharp Championship and the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship. Though the autoharp and mountain dulcimer may not have reached the level of popularity that Auto-Tune has reached, the musicians who have found their calling with these instruments are some of the most talented musicians one will ever have the pleasure to encounter. We all go to Winfield to see and hear our favorites, but also to discover new musicians. My plea to the organizers: do not overlap The Steel Wheels and Socks in the Frying Pan! Many of my favorites (Socks, Steel Wheels, John McCutcheon) are featured elsewhere on my blog so I will refrain from gushing, but needless to say I could go on and on. As for new music, Molly Tuttle, The Outside Track and Opal Agafia were amazing discoveries. 

Great musicians cross genres, so what makes Winfield different? There are hundreds of successful music festivals every year but, without even attending those other festivals, I know that Winfield is better. Winfield is a community. One can amble through the campgrounds or roam around the fairgrounds and meet and reconnect with their Winfield family. Over the course of five days one will hear frequent, raucous cries of, “Happy Winfield!” And it is easier here than anywhere else to sit down next to a complete stranger, strike up a cheerful conversation before the next set begins and do the same thing an hour later with a completely different person. That sense of community, the sense that people can band together to affect change is the essence of the folk movement that took root in the 50s and 60s and is necessary again, maybe now more than ever. And when a couple thousand people join together to sing the chorus of "The Times They Are A Changin" I have hope. Winfeld gives me hope.

So even though I have yet to purchase any tie dye clothes and the idea of camping will never appeal to me (I know, I’m missing out on some of essence of Winfield when I stay in a motel) my thought as I was driving away late Saturday night was, “How could I not come back next year?”

So Much Better Than Watching Actual News

The cast of Great News

When Great News hit the Netflix machine a couple of weeks ago my enthusiasm was akin to a six year-old opening up an Easy Bake Oven on Christmas morning. Apparently it's 1965 in my fantasies.... But such is my love for Tracey Wigfield’s gem. And just when I thought NBC was seeing the light (after all, they greenlit Great News and rescued Brooklyn Nine-Nine) they cancelled the show after just two too short seasons. Luckily it’s not actually 1965, so when a show is cancelled it lives on in our Netflix-beating hearts.

Great News follows Katie, a producer at cable news show The Breakdown, and her mother Carol. Oh, and Carol just happens to be a new intern at the station. Great News has undertones of 30 Rock and The Mindy Project – Wigfield’s pedigree includes writing gigs on both – but the addition of a meddling mom to the workplace makes Great News a hilarious mash up of a family sitcom and a workplace comedy.

Katie and Carol are the dictionary definition of a helicopter parenting  relationship and, much to Katie’s chagrin, are actually alot alike. Katie, played by Briga Heelan, tries her best not to do as her mother does or fall for her subtle manipulation but Carol is a force Katie cannot defeat.  And then there’s Carol, portrayed by comic genius Andrea Martin, who is my new favorite sitcom character ever. How can you not love a character who glances around the room to come up with a spy name and lands on Desk Crotch? Carol talks a mile a minute, has her best friend on speaker all day long so they can be together even when Carol is at work and is so into extreme couponing that she has to use the roof at work to store her stockpile of Weenus razors (not a typo) that she got for -$40. Martin can do it all, from verbal barbs to physical comedy, Martin is Carol Wendelson.

As if the Katie/Carol relationship were not hilarious enough, enter John Michael Higgins as a blowhard anchor Chuck Pierce, Nicole Richie as Chuck’s millennial co-anchor Portia Scott-Griffith and Adam Campbell as beleaguered executive producer Greg. Chuck, Portia, Greg and the rest of the ensemble cast (highlights include Horatio Sanz as an editor and Wigfield herself as a meteorologist) orbit around the absurdity that is Katie and Carol and interject their own brand of irrationality into the mix.

Heelan and Martin

What could be better than the amazing cast? The writing. Always whip smart and quick as a bunny, the punch lines fly fast and land beautifully. The writers have crafted some of the smartest and most perfectly absurd storylines and dialogue to have ever graced network television. Instead of spending time writing about the writing, I will let it speak for itself: “Sorry, I’m not great with emotions. Growing up, my governess was an actual teapot.” How about this one: “Did you know that women get paid less than men? How is that fair? Ahh…periods.” And finally, “Look at them. Just like Sam and Diane. From Cheers, the classic 80s alcoholism PSA?” Pure genius.

This could easily turn into a recap of every episode because there are laugh out loud moments in all of them, but watching the show will be a bigger payoff than reading about is so stop reading this and tell your Alexa or your Google Home lady to turn on Great News.

5,6,7,8

The idea to write about my favorite musical numbers was sparked during a recent Gilmore Girls binge (yes, another one)  wherein I was reminded of the perfection of the episode titled “Raincoats and Recipes.” In tone, dialogue and plot, “Raincoats and Recipes” strikes all the right notes. And it got me thinking about short form storytelling, episodes and scenes in particular, because they exist as part of a greater whole. Some scenes are expositional, some are transitional (ie. filler) and some are full of conflict or end with resolution. When done well, a single scene can change the course of the entire show. Today we focus on musical theater!

Something Rotten,  “A Musical” – The show itself disappointed me. The humor is lower than lowbrow, which is fine if that was what I had expected. But instead it was compared to The Book of Mormon. Whip smart, biting satire it is not. That said, this scene is incredibly fun. A riff on the history of musical theater that features themes from several classic musicals and a big glitzy tap sequence is impossible to resist.

Kinky Boots

Kinky Boots, “Raise You Up/Just Be” – These two numbers are pretty much one and are featured in the finale of this empowering musical, and it’s pretty much impossible not to get up and dance along. More fun? The entire cast (other than Lauren) are decked out in Lola’s thigh high glittering boots. Life lessons in the key of fun.

Mamma Mia! “Dancing Queen” – Done right this is one of the funniest scenes in any musical, ever. Mamma Mia aims to please and the show often takes the easy road: the easy joke, the tug on the heartstrings but it does it with such infectious joy that it is impossible to resist. And “Dancing Queen” is the epitome of irresistible. Donna, Tonya and Rosie acting out the song using objects from around the room is hilarious. Feel the beat of the tambourine.

The Bridges of Madison County

Wicked

The Bridges of Madison County, “Always Better” – No other final number so beautifully ties up a musical, especially one as complex as The Bridges of Madison County, as “Always Better.” The scene is simple: Francesca at the bridge reflecting on her life and the passage of time. Choices, consequences and moments of happiness and heartache. It’s a number so nicely composed as to explain one of the biggest themes of the show, but thanks to Jason Robert Brown’s artful lyrics, it feels the opposite of explanatory. Simply put: beautifully comprehensive.

Hamilton, “The Schuyler Sisters” – The lyrics, the turntable and the entire ensemble combine to make this one of the most active numbers in a very active show. This song sets up two of the most pivotal relationships in the show: Hamilton and Eliza and Hamilton and Angelica. Looking back at the end of the show, this is the moment when the story starts to unfold. 

Wicked, “The Wizard and I” -  Every musical has it, an ‘I want’ song, but none is quite as powerful as “The Wizard and I.” All of Elphaba’s hopes and insecurities belted out in perfect melody. Sure it doesn’t feature Elphaba flying high above the stage but “The Wizard and I” is earnest and hopeful in all the right ways. The lighting and scenic design mesmerizes me every time. Elphaba stands center stage against a shifting backdrop of Shiz University and The Emerald City to a simple background of purples, oranges and, finally, a brilliant emerald green.

While these scenes are plucked from very different types of musicals they all have a common thread: they match exactly the tone of the show and, even though they are only a small portion of the entire show (especially the long ones. I'm looking at you Bridges and Wicked), they underscore and expand on the larger story. I can't imagine the shows without them.

The List of Deliciousness

The idea machine was pretty close to empty today, so when I consulted an old “ideas” document you can imagine my surprise when I discovered this not quite brilliant but passable idea scattered amongst mostly outdated blog prompts. It was going to be a random assortment of people, places and things that I am always happy to stumble upon (among other things, the charming Eric Ripert and the hilarious Allison Janney were on the list). However, after reviewing the list, it became clear that since most of the items on the list were food or food-related that it had to become the list of deliciousness. These tasty treats are presented in no particular order.

Marshmallows – Straight up true love. They don’t need to be in a s’more or a krispy treat. If they are, I will still love them, but unadulterated, fresh mallows are a real delicacy. There is a reason the magnet on my fridge reads ‘money can’t buy happiness but it can buy marshmallows, which is kind of the same thing.’

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese – I never came down with the blue box blues because I ate Kraft Dinner all the time. Homemade mac is delicious but it lacks that orange, powdered cheese flavor that my palate has come to love. Lest you think I’m a child in an adult’s body, my tastes have evolved. I now prefer the three cheese, white cheddar or spirals varieties. And while I don’t eat it nearly as often as I used to, I still make sure there is at least one box in the pantry. Just in case.

Homemade Pizza – Frozen pizza never was and never will be a thing. I grew up eating homemade pizza. I now have the family dough recipe memorized and when I whipped up a batch last night it was one of my best. Don’t get me wrong; I love Blaze Pizza, and most other chain restaurant pizzas are far from disgusting to me, but there is nothing like a homemade pie.

Cereal – One of humankind’s greatest inventions. I crave it. I need it. I must eat it every day. The best part of college? All day access to cereal. There was a period of time wherein breakfast, lunch and dinner were accompanied by a side of Cracklin’ Oat Bran. The worst part about vacation? The potential cereal dry spell. Give me a cheap hotel with a continental breakfast and those weirdly hard to operate cereal dispensers over a five star hotel any day. 

PB&J – It has been almost a decade since I began enjoying PB&J for lunch on most of the days that end in ‘y.’ This sandwich is salty,  sweet and pure perfection. And while I am a classic frugal shopper - I despise the shopping trips where I must buy toilet paper, literally money down the toilet - peanut butter is the one thing that must be name brand. Preferably Skippy but Jif in a pinch. And never grape jelly. 

My dad may have a heart attack at the amount of sugar on this list. No, he won’t. He doesn’t eat sugar anymore and is the healthiest human alive. For real. This may not be a list of healthy foods but everything in moderation. Other than cereal and PB&J I don’t eat these with any frequency. Oh wait, I made pizza last night, made a batch of Kraft dinner on Friday night and ate marshmallows for a snack this afternoon…An atypical week for sure.

A Truly American Musical

Writer’s block is upon me. There is very little to be said about Hamilton that has not already been said. The hype associated with Hamilton is unlike any to have come before it. Hype often damages the eventual experience; the build up so great that there is no way the show could live up to such wildly high expectations. But Hamilton lives up to the hype. Is it a perfect show? No. Will it satisfy every theatergoer? Again, no. But there is no arguing that the show is unlike any other Broadway musical. So rather than writing a traditional review with a synopsis, good things and not so good things, here is simply what I appreciate about the show.

The Face of the United States

Hamilton is changing the face of musical theater. As an art form, theater is traditionally more apt to practice colorblind casting, but Hamilton raises the bar. Reflecting the face of our country can only serve to bring more people into the musical theater world - fans and performers alike. And, as a musical theater fan, anything that will ultimately serve the longevity of the art form deserves applause.

One Wrong Step

Hamilton’s use of a turntable is brilliant. Les Miserables made the turntable famous but Hamilton makes it cool. The show uses a single set and, while there are a few tables, chairs and desks that move about, the set itself is a constant. Combined with the choreography, the turntable lends the show a fluidity that it otherwise may have lacked. And it adds to the immediacy of the show that one step in the wrong direction may send a dancer flying. Even absent a turntable the cast is working incredibly hard, but the concentration and precision that must be required to move elegantly on the turntable increases my appreciation for their efforts tenfold.

Dressed to the Nines

All of the costumes are a feast for the eyes. The knee boots, corsets, tricorne hats (thank you, Google machine, for knowing exactly what I needed when I searched “olden days triangle hat”), hoop skirts and long wool jackets with glistening buttons are superb. Some costumes are simple. Some, such as King George’s robe, are intricate. All are pure perfection. Fashion is cyclical, so I am holding out hope that tricorne hats will come back into style soon.

Joseph Morales as Hamilton and Marcus Choi as George Washington

Loyal, Royal Subject

Hamilton is not a light evening of entertainment. Much of the show is set during the Revolutionary War and the other half is still chock full of death and unhappiness. So it is with brilliant timing that King George takes center stage. As a scorned ex-lover, King George pops up at just the right moment and hilariously pouts and stomps about, upset with the United States for declaring independence from the British throne. “You’ll Be Back” is without question one of the best moments of the show.

Ambition

How poetic that an ambitious mind, Lin-Manuel Miranda, has chosen to tell the tale of Alexander Hamilton, a man whose ambition led to his downfall. Alexander Hamilton may once have been a forgotten Founding Father, but thanks to Miranda, Hamilton has a legacy and a story that will be told. And in writing Hamilton’s history, Miranda has changed musical theater history and secured his own legacy, ensuring that his story will also continue to be told.  

Did We Need to Go Again?

After seeing Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again I immediately went home, fired up the Netflix machine and pressed play on the 2008 original, which through the lens of this sequel is a far superior and much more fun extension of the blockbuster stage musical. It does not say a lot about Here We Go Again that the original Mamma Mia! is a great movie in comparison. Some blatant plot holes can be forgiven for the sake of fun (ie, in the first movie Donna strongly implies that her mother has passed away but yet here is Cher on Sophie’s door step as her long lost grandmother) but overall the movie just kind of happens in front of you, nothing about the singing and dancing - this is a musical after all – or the storyline makes any kind of argument for this movie’s existence.

What the original movie lacked in polish it more than made up for with pure, unadulterated fun. Here We Go Again strikes a different tone. SPOILER ALERT: Since we last checked in on the island of Kalokairi Donna has passed away and Sophie has refurbished the inn in honor of her mother. The preparation for the grand reopening of the inn is told alongside flashbacks to Donna as a young woman setting out to find her destiny and meeting Sam, Bill and Harry during that fateful summer when she became pregnant with Sophie. While Sophie’s current storyline is meant to mirror Donna’s experience when first moving to the island, setting up the inn and becoming a mother, the tone of the two storylines is different enough that it often feels as though there are two different movies playing on the same reel. One is a fun romp following Donna’s adventures and the other is the sequel to Mamma Mia that continues the plot of the first movie and catches us up with what has happened to the characters in the meantime. They somehow never quite jive. 

The songs you know and love from the musical and the first movie are there but even that does not always lift the movie up. Some of the lyrics are altered to better fit the scene and, while that does lend some originality, it then meant that I couldn’t sing along (don’t worry, just in my head, I am mostly tone deaf thanks to my G'ma). Here We Go Again utilizes some ABBA songs that were not featured in the musical or the first movie and those scenes certainly felt fresher than the scenes that merely tweaked or gender-flipped the original hits. The opener "When I Kissed the Teacher" is a fun homage to the big "Dancing Queen" number in the first film. At least it is until the new "Dancing Queen" scene that is essentially the original "Dancing Queen" scene sans Meryl Streep pops up. 

There are a few bright spots in Here We Go Again. First, the powers that be have limited Pierce Brosnan’s musical numbers. Good actor, not a great singer. And the aforementioned “Dancing Queen” scene is fantastic: a big, fun musical number that strikes a perfectly upbeat summer movie tone. Lily James, as young Donna, is another bright spot. James’ energy radiates from the screen and her singing and acting are superior to some of the supporting cast. And stay until the end of the credits; it may just be a quick scene but it provides a genuine laugh. 

At the end of the day Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again needs more. More fun, more Rosie and Tonya, more sense of purpose. I love a good excuse for romping around in the sun with the sweet tunes of ABBA but the world would have been okay to stop at the first movie, or really, at the musical. As with the first movie my reaction was simply to wish I was watching the stage musical instead. A movie will never match the immediacy of live theater but the translation is even more lost on a show such as this one that relies on and is buoyed by audience reaction. If you have low expectations and a pocketbook to support paying for movies that are just so-so go ahead and take a chance on Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Otherwise wait for it to hit Redbox so that you save yourself the heartache of money lost on a movie that could have been better.