Gay fiction/non-fiction discussion

I think I will start a new topic weekly to enliven this dying group.

So, this week, the question would be:

What is the perfect dinner for a snowy evening? What would you want to eat when it's snowing outside and you could prepare anything, or order anything, what would that be?

For me, that would be a bowl of spicy chili with warm cornbread. And something chocolate for dessert. I'm thinking dark chocolate brownies with dark chocolate chips.

Rambling Reader wrote: "I think I will start a new topic weekly to enliven this dying group.

So, this week, the question would be:

What is the perfect dinner for a snowy evening? What would you want to eat when it'..."

So how much Schnappas have u been drinking? lol This is not a dying group .. it grows weekly. When i started gay fiction/non-fiction there were 8 memmebers in 2 weeks.. now look a it. In way less than a
year.

Ted wrote: "Rambling Reader wrote: "I think I will start a new topic weekly to enliven this dying group.

So, this week, the question would be:

What is the perfect dinner for a snowy evening? What would you ..."

Oh gosh, who told you I have been taking a nip of schnapps? LOL

I mean, the discussion board... no one is contributing anythig. So I thought I'd ask a new question every week.

So make ramble about books, Rambling, not about ephemera! lol (sorry, couldn't resist that one!)

Ted wrote: "So make ramble about books, Rambling, not about ephemera! lol (sorry, couldn't resist that one!)"

Touche'!

LOL

How about this? Can we discuss about whether it is appropriate for straight actors to play gay roles, such as Sean Penn playing Harvey Milk in the Oscar contender, "Milk"?

As this was adapted from Randy Shilts' book, The Mayor of Castro Street The Life and Times of Harvey Milk

And on a related note, Philadelphia just announced that the One City, One Movie selection would be "Basquiat" which has many gay characters such as Andy Warhol and some other figures that I can't remember off the top of my sleep-deprived head.

Chili and cornbread is great, but it's just too heavy to eat before you go play in the snow! I'd definitely just have a warm homemade panini.. then walk to the bar. Mmmm!

LOL!

Jeremy wrote: "Chili and cornbread is great, but it's just too heavy to eat before you go play in the snow! I'd definitely just have a warm homemade panini.. then walk to the bar. Mmmm!"

What would you order at the bar?

Who's Adam Richman?

Some good whiskey bourbon on the rocks - Woodford, Bulleit, Knob Creek. Mmmm.

You said you'd like a Coke, Jeremy? LOL

I'm of legal age to enjoy the finer spirits in life, thank you very much :) Living near the Whiskey Capital of the World has its perks.

Jeremy wrote: "I'm of legal age to enjoy the finer spirits in life, thank you very much :) Living near the Whiskey Capital of the World has its perks."

Sorry, wrong "Jeremy," Jeremy!

Rambling Reader wrote: "I think I will start a new topic weekly to enliven this dying group.

So, this week, the question would be:

What is the perfect dinner for a snowy evening? What would you want to eat when it'..."
I agree with the Chili, but I don't want mine Spicy, I want lots of Cheese added, My cornbread needs to have Green Chili's and Cheese added to it and how about a Triple Chocolate Cupcake. To Drink I would want Spieced Apple Cider.
Edna

Perfect!

Wow... what a delicious suggestion. How about a side of garlicky broccoli rabe with that seared tuna steak?

I'm thinking a pear and sour cherry tart for dessert.

OH we should get together and just eat!

Cody wrote: "As for my favorite winter meal...

Since I am a diabetic and stay nauseated for most of the day, I eat VERY little. But my favorite meal is homemade chicken and dumplings (fluff, not noodle-esqu..."

Wow, that is so SOUTHERN! That was exactly what my mother would have made.

Cody wrote: "Rambling Reader wrote: "How about this? Can we discuss about whether it is appropriate for straight actors to play gay roles, such as Sean Penn playing Harvey Milk in the Oscar contender, "Milk"?
..."

I am referring to the obviously gay sensibility of Warhol's art, from his mass-produced silk screens, using iconic symbols such as Jackie, Monroe, and Mao to his magazine, "Interview". Let's not forget those films with Joe Dallesandro and his cherubic ass.

A big bowl of brunswick stew is perfect for a winter evening, especially if eaten while reading a great book.

Perhaps you gastronomes could recommend some good gay cook books? lol

Kate wrote: "Ted, you might like Cooking with Fernet Branca *hee hee*"

Wow, that seems like an odd book, would you recommend that?

Yes, I bake all of my desserts. I'll bring the pear and sour cherries tart.

For Cody's supper of chicken dumplins, I will bring a blackberry cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream.
For the ghastly cheeseburger bacon pizza, I'll bring a plate of fresh fruit and mint springs to cleanse the palate.

Ted, you asked a great question and I was thinking about gay cookbooks.... hmm! The Food Network does not have any out gay television personality. The irony of that!

However, I can think of several well-known gay cookbook authors, such as Craig Clairborne's Kitchen Primer

Brini Maxwell's Guide to Gracious Living Tips, Tricks, Recipes, and Ideas to Make Your Life Bloom

James Beard's American Cookery

Yes, broccoli rabe is perhaps my favorite, it is also called broccoli rape', or rabe, or in Italian, rapini. Simply wash the leaves as you would with spinach or other leafy green vegetables, then sautee in a pan with olive oil, lots of chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, onions, and a little bit of balsamic vinegar. Sautee until slightly wilted. Serve warm!

What exactly is brunswick stew?

I second Cooking with Fernet Branca, though many of the "ingredients" would be tough to come by if one were tempted by Gerry's recipes.

Cody: look into A Late Dinner by Paul Richardson - openly gay writer on the (regional) Spanish food scene.

Cody wrote: "Brunswick Stew is not unlike beef stew in it's ingredients, but it has chicken as its meat and lima beans are a must!

I love the Brini Maxwell book but the episode where she packed a lunch to ta..."

Cody, is brunswick stew a Southern dish? If that's so, then I might have had it before but never knew the name of it.

Brini is such a campy personification. I wish she'd come back on TV.

Oh, perhaps Mario has questionable taste in footwear, but Gwyneth is... well, rather questionable lately. Oh golly, check out goop.com.

I adore Spanish food, especially a well-prepared paella. And I think the way the Spanish cook an omelet is the most perfect. Simply eggs with onions and potatoes, and perhaps some parsley. Esta delicioso!

http://spanishfood.about.com/od/tapas...

Should we change the name of this discussion from "Question of the Week" to "Soup du Jour"? LOL!

I love Brunswick Stew & I just started eating it a couple months ago. My boyfriend's parents turned me onto it and now whenever we head down to Virginia, we always pick some up. It is PERFECT on a beautiful fall day in the mountains. They sell it at Sam's club and Walmart :) It is really tasty, but kind of expensive but totally worth it.

[image error]

I haven't had Brunswick Stew in many years.

Now, to the other question about Gay/Straight Actors. Once upon a time, I would have said it didn't matter, however, you ALL know that I am a Native American (Indian), and I feel that "WE" should be the Actors in Movies that depict "US"...so, I am going to have to change my mind and say that "G/L/B/T should be playing their Parts and not the Straights.
elf

I love it!

Who cares if the discussions about dinner/gay books/or straight movies with gay actors/or gay movies with straight actors.

It's about the CONVERSATION!

And look, it's FLOWING!

Great job Rambling Reader.

I would settle for a Kickin' Bowl of Chili myself for a cold, snowy evening!

Oh, thank you!

I'm so happy that you are enjoying this topic.

"Who's books these are I think I know,
His chili's in the crockpot though,
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his books admit a glow."

ok, "...emit a glow." lol

Ted, that's a great poem. ;)

Nancy, I couldn't see the pictures, what are those exciting desserts you have in mind for our brunswick stew?

LOL Still can't see the picture but I noticed the caption, which is spotted dick.

Well, hey, how did you know I love dick? LOL

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia...

how about this?

Wow, spotted dick sounds delicious. I read a few recipes and it makes me think of fruitcake and spice cake, with vanilla sauce. Yummy!

I checked out a few recipes for Brunswick stew. Sounds yummy! Reminds me of burgoo.

Anyone read any exciting literature lately?

Yes, I didn't know that until I saw the Heinz Spotted Dick on amazon.com! 6 pack for $5.99!

I'd rather cook my own desserts. I'm scared of pre-packaged foodstuffs, especially after reading In Defense of Food An Eater's Manifesto

Yes, that's also a great book. I read that for a sociology class, I believe. Wow, I read many good books for my sociology classes. Maybe I should be a sociologist. LOL

Edna Little Fish wrote: "I haven't had Brunswick Stew in many years.

Now, to the other question about Gay/Straight Actors. Once upon a time, I would have said it didn't matter, however, you ALL know that I am a Native ..."

Oh that explains your adorable last name. I thought it was a reference to that film LOL

Well, I am Deaf and I don't appreciate hearing people taking Deaf roles when they are not native American Sign Language signers. There is so much more to ASL than just signs. Roland Barthes wrote, "I am a body writing. I am a bodily writing."

I read in a recent article about Harvey Milk and how Sean Penn made his mannerisms even more foppish, when the real Milk was not that flaming. And this brings into a new issue. Why is that people are afraid of perceived femininity in men, gay men or otherwise?
If Sean Penn was bisexual or has acted on his gay feelings in the past, maybe this would be a completely different controversy.
But then again, this all goes back to the classic argument whether homosexuality is essential or socially constructed.
An interesting analogy for this is the recent controversy of Robert Downey, Jr. putting on blackface in a recent movie. He's a great actor but his actions can be so......... (you can fill in the blank).

I'm for making "Why is that people are afraid of perceived femininity in men, gay men or otherwise?" a new Question of the Week.

Allright! Let's discuss this new topic. That is, if everyone else wishes to discuss this topic.

Cody wrote: "G/L/B/T should be playing their Parts and not the Straights

Good luck finding enough out actors!"

True dat!

Cody wrote: "Mrs. Fearnow's Brunswick Stew is the best for a canned version.

Good luck finding it though. It's made in Richmond and though I am only 6 hours from there it's only available at Kroger's here."

OMG! Where do you live? My family shops at Kroger in Tennessee.

Cody, chill. I don't think Kate was condemning the acting profession. For me, the gist of her post was that TV portrayals have become "gimmicky" and stereotypical. This isn't the fault of hardworking actors but of producers and writers foisting stereotypes to mass audiences. Kate's summation is "... but an actor's true orientation is only one aspect of the whole picture." How does this disrespect actors? [Also see my next post:]

On the other hand, with so many accomplished writers, actors, and directors, I feel that it's more or less irrelevant if a straight actor plays a gay role or vice versa. Isn't it nice that an actor can make the role beleivable?

As Cody says, I reach into the depths of my soul to discover the "back story" for my character and to create a real, human out of only black words on a white page. There might be parts that I am better suited for but that is true for all actors.

So, straight-playing-gay, hearing-playing-deaf, cauacasian-playing-native american... it's all in the art and artifice. If it works, if it's good, if it's believable, if it strikes a chord... then cool.

Neil Patrick Harris plays an excellent straight man. If you're a good actor you're a good actor, no matter your orientation.

The original British QAF was, I think, much better. Same with The Office.

Ricky Gervais invented the role of dufus office manager David Brent. He's the best.

The original QAF, set in Manchester, is much more beleivable, sexy, with the young blond lover far cuter in my opinion.

Get them on Amazon...

Has anyone read the new book by Perez Hilton?

Red Carpet Suicide A Survival Guide on Keeping Up With the Hiltons

But aren't we supposed to adore our celebrity role models? After all, they're so adorable and so hormonal. They're whom we wish we were, in a different universe. They've exposed their tabloid-insinuating lives, for US. They eat, they sunbathe, they're trust funds are dwindling, and they even poop once a day.. just like us! It's not just the here and now. I think that hero worship has been around for a long time. Ask Mel Brooks (The History of the World, Part 1). Will we never learn to stop feeling guilty about our heros and heroins and just accept vicarious pleasure for what it is? FUN!