Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 471

January 25, 2013: Quinto Quarto

Last night, Campagnolo Roma hosted another one of its famed Quinto Quarto dinners, an offal-themed culinary extravaganza inspired by the Roman “fifth quarter” feasts of yore.  I was flying sort of solo as Akemi had bowed out on account of the far-too-late-for-her 8:30 p.m. seating. That and the emphasis on liver.

Like I said, I was flying “sort of solo” because, even though I didn’t have a date, I had plenty of company in the form of some adventurous friends.  There was Robert of course, a mainstay at these events (in fact, we met at one of Roma’s Whole Hog dinners) who was, in turn, joined by his buddy, Dave.  Longtime dining companions Jodi and Steve also put in a surprise appearance.  And, since the meal was family style (meaning you’re sharing a table with strangers), we ended up making some new friends as well: Barbara (whose husband used to work in the local t.v. industry and was also flying solo), Rosita (an accountant with a taste for adventure) and Su (who runs a catering company).

Now, the last Quinto Quarto dinner I attended was full of surprises (most of them good) so I wasn’t expecting this one to beat it.  But, damn, if the gang at Roma didn’t surprise me yet again.  The meal broke down as follows:

Beef tendon, honeycomb ripe, tongue.

That’s the way it was listed in the menu.  Rather uninspired, I thought. And I was thoroughly prepared to be underwhelmed given how much I loved the appetizers (spleen sliders!) from the last Quinto Quarto dinner – and how much I don’t like tripe.  But this dish turned out to be one of the highlights of the night, an outstanding combination of textures and flavors.  The addition of parsley and mint brought it to a whole other level.

Cavatelli all’anatra with duck gizzard sugo and crispy sage and chicken skin.

Speaking of outstanding – I could have eaten a double portion of this and the appetizer and gone home singing the praises of “My best meal in recent memory!”.  The pasta was perfectly al dente (can’t tell you how important that is).

Sauteed calves liver, sauteed onions, aceto tradizionale.

Okay, let me start off by saying that this was, without a doubt, the best calves liver I’ve ever eaten – sweet, tender, but intense.  No second helpings for me.  Growing up, this was one of my father’s favorite meals, and mom would prepare them the same why: fried with onions.  It took me back.

Roasted brussels sprouts with cured pork.

This is the only way to eat brussels sprouts = with bacon!

Pork kidneys, mustard greens, and extra virgin olive oil.

Hmmm.  This one didn’t do it for me.  The salad was interesting, the mustard greens possessed of a nice little kick, but those kidneys were akin to oversauced mushrooms.  Not my thing.

Sweet black pudding, pannetone, marsala zabaglione.

As much as I applaud the courage and creativity that goes into an offal-inspired dessert, I can’t really say I’ve ever had one that made me say: “Wow!  They’ve got to put this on the regular menu!”.  Not the black pudding and chocolate ice cream I once had at Refuel with Marty G. and Jewel.  Not the ricotta and pig brain cream in the cassata siciliana served at the last Quinto Quarto dinner.  And, to be truthful, not this sweet black pudding with pannetone and marsala zabaglione. Nevertheless, it WAS good.  The hazelnut black pudding and chocolate cake was reminiscent of fruit cake – but in a good way.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the meal and, based on those first two dishes (appetizer and pasta) have to give the edge to last night’s Quinto Quarto dinner over the previous one I attended.  Can’t wait for the next one!

Jodi and Steve surprised me by joining me – and genuinely enjoying the dinner.  Didn’t realize they were such culinary daredevils.

David and Robert enjoyed the meal as well – but weren’t quite as enamored of the liver.

Rosita and Su = new foodie friends.

Barbara.  Since everyone else but the two of us were paired off, that made her my date for the evening!

Special thanks to the gang at Roma – especially the two individuals who created the menu and cooked the food: Chef Nathan and Chef Ted…

Chef Nathan and Chef Ted

Thanks, guys!

Tagged: Campagnolo Roma, Quinto Quarto

January 23, 2012: Blog Hopping Dark Matter!

A few weeks ago, I was invited to take part in The Next Big Thing blog hop.  And what, pray tell, is a “The Next Big Thing blog hop”?  Well, it involves me answering a set of ten questions on a recent or upcoming release on this blog, and then forwarding the same questions to other writers of my choice so that they can do the same – and keep the process going until, presumably, every living writer with an internet presence has participated.

Amanda Ball, who kindly extended the invitation to yours truly, talked about her upcoming release on her blog last week, here: http://livingforcreativity.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop/

I, in turn, extended the invitation to a few more writers:

As it turned out, author Ari Marmell knew all about the blog hop – because he’d already participated several months ago.  Get the scoop on the latest installment in his Widdershins series here:

http://mouseferatu.com/index.php/news/november-28-2012-the-next-big-thing/

Author Dave Gross was also on my invite list but, like Ari, he was well ahead of the game.  You can find out more about his next book in The Pathfinder Tales series here:

Dave Gross: The Next Big Thing

Author Mandy Hager has yet to participate in the blog hop (Success!). She’ll be talking about her latest release, The Crossing, over on her blog next week: Mandy Hager – Writer.  I will, of course, provide a link once the Q&A is up.

And, finally, the ever-entertaining Sam Sykes will be discussing his work here: Sam Sykes » Blog.

So, my turn.

Even though I was only forwarded ten questions, there were actually eleven I had to answer – the 11th (or, more appropriately, first) being: Which work do I choose to discuss?  I ultimately decided to go with Dark Matter, my comic book series.  Why?  Well, for starters, the trade paperback collecting the first arc came out in October.  Also, although I’ve written several “things” since, none are yet available for public consumption (I don’t believe there’s an airdate for the Delete miniseries while two of the pilots I wrote won’t be going to camera until the spring).  Finally, there’s a good chance I’ll have even more to say about Dark Matter in the near future.  And let’s leave it at that for now.

On to the questions…

1: What is the working title of your book?

Dark Matter.

2: Where did the idea come from?

The idea had been brewing for quite some time – some five years!  I developed the series while working on Stargate.  The plan was to set it up as a series whenever Stargate ended.  The only problem was (and, believe me, it was a classy problem) Stargate was in no hurry to end. Thus, I had a lot of time to really flesh out the characters, their respective backstories, and the series as a whole.

3: What genre does your book come under?

Science fiction.  Space Opera in the truest sense of the term.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Movie?  You mean t.v. rendition, no?  Well, hard to say.  Don’t want to tip my hand just yet.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

The crew of a derelict ship awakens from stasis with no memories of who they are or how they got onboard.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

The comic book series was published by Dark Horse Comics.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The series and pilot were five years in the making – but it took me about a month to write the first script.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Certainly Stargate.  A few of the space-based anime series like Cowboy Bebop and Trigun.  Maybe a touch of Breaking Bad (actually, reverse Breaking Bad).

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I drew my inspiration from a variety of sources: The Dirty Dozen, The Seven Samurai, The Shield, The Thunderbolts, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun.

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Well, the plan has always been to produce a television series based on the concept.  Want a sneak peek at the first few episodes?  Pick up the trade paperback: Dark Matter Volume 1: Rebirth TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics

Tagged: Ari Marmell, blog hop, Comic Books, Comics, Dark Matter, Dave Gross, Mandy Hager, Sam Sykes, science fiction, scifi television, SF, SF television

January 22, 2013: Days of Stargate Atlantis Past continues with The Queen!

So tired and so annoyed of so many things.  Just a couple of seconds ago, Akemi walked by me and asked: “Are you stressed?”  I asked her how she could tell.  Her response: “Your face is all red.”  Really?  This burgeoning angst has apparently worked its way into my subconscious as well.  I woke up at 4:30 a.m. this morning and lay awake in bed for about an hour and half before falling back asleep.  I dreamt that I was in the process of cleaning out the house when I discovered a forgotten section of my basement.  I say forgotten because, the moment I stepped inside, I remembered the area – and the fact that I’d entertained guests in its environs approximately five years earlier. Which, in turn, reminded me of something else.  And I walked over to the refrigerator opened it up and discovered, yep, all the packed-up leftovers from said party.  Five year old leftovers!  What does it mean?!!!  What is my subconscious trying to tell me?!

Continuing our trip down Stargate: Atlantis memory lane with…

THE QUEEN (508)

Another great thing about working on Stargate was that the show allowed us immense creative freedom.  Variety was the key when it came to the stories – and that, I’m certain, was one of the keys to the franchise’s longevity.  As I mentioned in my Whispers post, we dabbled in a variety of genres: comedy, horror, fantasy, westerns.  We offered a nice mix of standalone episodes (the perfect jumping-on point for first time viewers) and arc-driven stories (rewarding longtime viewers as well).  Some episodes would be huge, VFX-laden spectacles while others would be smaller, character-focused tales.  We could go anywhere (Earth, space, off-world, the past, the future) and feature anyone because we had an infinitely capable cast, every one of them capable of stepping up to carry an episode.  In Broken Ties, it was Jason Momoa delivering a performance for the ages.  In The Shrine, it was David Hewlett in one of his most memorable performances to date.  And, in The Queen, it was Rachel Luttrell’s turn, undergoing a stunning transformation – not to mention hours of prosthetics and make-up – to impress us all were her own tour-de-force.

Queen’s Pendant

Todd’s hidden knife

Wraith Commander’s sword

Chris Heyerdahl and Director Brenton Spencer discuss the script.  ”You don’t really expect me to say that, do you?”(Photo @MGM Television)

Wraith Queens = BFF! (Photo @MGM Television)

Today’s blog entry is dedicated to gforce.  And his mom!

Tagged: Atlantis, science fiction, Science Fiction Television, scifi, scifi television, SF, SF television, SGA, Stargate, Stargate: Atlantis, The Queen

January 21, 2013: The Supermovie of the Week Club reconvenes! Cookie Monster reviews Underdog!

Bad!  Bad doggy movie.  It lie down and play dead for almost one hour and twenty two minutes!. Me know, me know.  ”Come on, Monster.  It be a kidz movie!  Turn off your brain and just settle for dis crap entertainment.  Your expectashuns should be lower.”  But monster ask “Why?”.  Sky High be a kidz movie and, while it not a perfekt film, it have heart and someting Underdog lack: effort.  Granted, dis movie not Shark Boy and Lava Girl bad but it pretty listless, paint by numbers fare.  It all feel sooooo tired.

Movie begin wit our hero, a beagle, flunking out of police dog skool. Apparently, when dat happen, dey just release de dogs to run loose in de streets.  Beagle get captured by goofy goon who bring him back to sekret lab where little evil scientist plan to experiment on him.  Of course, evil scientists be as unlucky as dey be smart and experiment go awry.  Beagle trashes lab and gets superjuice spilled on him.  He make good his escape by blasting thru door!

Tyrion be a long way from King’s Landing.

Outside and on de run, he hit by car driven by doofus security guard. Doofus adopt beagle, call him Shoeshine (?), and bring him back home to whiny son.

A boy and his superdog.

Boy doesn’t want dog.  But, of course, in true cinema cliche fashion, he come around.  Espeshully when he realize dog have superpowers.  And can talk!   Now monster not sure why, but it seem like boy de only one who can understand dog.  Mebbe.  Dere be scenes where he be out and about, chatting away wit dog, while passersby pay no attention.  But den dere be a scene like one where beagle see hot dog cart and yell “Hot dogs be made out of real dogs!” and people eating hot dogs spit dem back out.  So, which it be?

Beagle become unlikely superhero.  He combat crime wit his superhearing, supersmell, superstrength, superspeed, and superflying ability.   He become a media sensation!  Personally, me tink just de fakt dat he can fly be good enuf to get him on Oprah.

It a bird!  It a plane!  Nope.  It a flying dog!

Like Clark Kent, he try to maintain a dual identity as both Shoeshine and Underdog!  Not sure why.  What?  Are de other dogs going to rat him out?  How?  No one can understand dem!!!

He fall in love wit King Charles Spaniel named Polly (or maybe Molly). In cute tip of hat to Superman movie, he pick her up and fly her around like Supes taking Lois for a ride.  Sadly, dese types of moments few and far between.

Doggy love!

Tings looking pretty sweet for Underdog.  UNTIL he be captured by evil scientist who steal back his powers and give dem to tree German Shepherds.  Wit help of his accomplices, scientist kidnap mayor and take city hall where he plan to explode a bomb dat will turn everyone in de area into his slave.  Oh, yeah.  He built one of dose.  Interesting, no?  No?  Not even a little?

Even tho he no longer superdog, beagle charge into city hall and take on German Shepherds.  He get conveniently knocked into scientist and get superjuice spilled on him.  Again.  Monster can imagine direktor: “Okay, it’s almost lunch.  Let’s wrap dis movie up!”

Back to his old super self, Underdog beat up on goon and scientist, den talk German Shepherds into helping him.  He find bomb and dig hole to center of de Earth where it blow up.

Boy rush over and pick him up.  He all limp like de Count after Grover’s Pimps Up Ho’s Down party.  Cue sad music.  But den Underdog wake up!  He be alive!  Hurray!

And, for some reason, doofus security guard dad becomes a hero – me guess becuz everyone in a giving mood.

Movie end wit outtakes!  But, sadly, even outtakes are lame – staged bits of phony aktor dog screwing up.  Not one accidental onset poop!

Verdikt: Our kidz deserve better.

Rating: 2.5 chocolate chippee cookies.

Tagged: Cookie Monster, Cookie Monster film reviews, Cookie Monster movie reviews, Cookie Monster reviews Underdog, superhero movies, superheroes, Underdog

January 20, 2013: Football and Whispers!

An almost perfect football day.  Sadly, the Atlanta Falcons just came up short in their match-up against the 49ers.  The second game of the double-header was doubly pleasing in that it not only offered up a Baltimore Ravens win, but a New England Patriots loss as well!

Thanks to Robert Cooper for hosting this afternoon’s festivities…

The spread included gravlax (Akemi made – salmon cured with salt, brown sugar, sasho, dill, vodka, and metaxa), bagels, cream cheese, olives, Rob’s seafood gumbo, and various desserts.  It’s always good eatin’!

This was the knife Rob handed me to slice the salmon – last scene being wielded by Ronon to sever an enemy’s carotid artery.

The tasty gumbo included chorizo, shrimp, and crab.

Despite the fact that she was battling a terrible cold, Akemi took the time to make peanut butter sandwich cookies.

A good time was had by all.  With the possible exception of any Atlanta Falcon or New England Patriot fans.

As we continue our trip down Stargate: Atlantis memory lane…

WHISPERS (507)

One of the many great things about working on Stargate was that you were essentially making a varied mini-movie each episode.  One week, it would be a space opera, the next a scifi comedy, another week it cross over into fantasy and, yet another, it you could be doing a mystery.  Or, in the case of Whispers, you’d be delving into the world of SF-Horror.

This particular episode presented a host of obstacles but the ever-awesome Will Waring was more than up for the challenge.  First there was the issue of filming in the fog.  The initial tests that saw us fogging up the entire Stage 5 (where stood the Atlantis gate room and control room) proved incredibly tricky.  We needed to ensure the fog was thick enough for filming purposes but it would disperse too quickly in the cavernous room.  Any thicker and it would make everyone sick. Ultimately, Production Designer James Robbins came up with the brilliant idea of erecting tents, limited/controlled areas that could be fogged up for the requisite scenes.  This way, it was always a quick in and out for actors.

Another issue were those flares the team members needed to use to find their way in the dark and fog.  We were informed that actual flares gave off a toxic residue.  They were also a fire hazard.  So it was James Robbins to the rescue again, pitching the idea of the chemical flare.

One of the more inspired solutions to a production issue came in the scene where Beckett leans up against a wall to catch his breath only to have one of the creature crawl along the wall toward him.  This was achieved by building a duplicate portion of the wall and having actor Paul McGillion lie down atop it – but giving the impression he is leaning up against it.  The creature then scuttle along beside him, seemingly defying gravity…

This was an incredibly demanding episode that saw every department step up.  Props outdid themselves of course -

As did hair and make-up along with the prosthetics team -

The eye covering permitted only limited visibility – and the fact that the stunt performers were working in fog made their scenes all the more demanding.

A great guest cast for this one.  In addition to Paul McGillion, the off-world team in this episode included Christina Cox, Nicole de Boer, Janina Gavankar, and Leela Savasta –  all wonderfully talented and equally wonderful to work with.

Finally, while writing the script for this episode,  I held a contest on this blog promising the winner I would name a character after them. The eventual winner, long time blog reader Kelly Hurt, requested I use the name “Anne Teldy” (her blog handle and a nod to her young niece) and, thus, Major Anne Teldy was born.  Sadly, Kelly passed away last year following a brave battle with various health issues.  I like to think that Major Teldy is still out there, exploring other worlds in memory of her.

Director Will Waring at work (Photo @MGM Television)

Stunt Coordinator James Bamford oversees the monster action (Photo @MGM Television)

(Photo @MGM Television)

(Photo @MGM Television)

I was on set for this entire episode so plenty of pics and vids in previous blog entries.  If you’re interested…

Costume fittings, fog tents, and gun school: April 23, 2008: Whispers, Day 1

Stunts, Song of Fire and Iced, Creepy Well sequence: April 24, 2008: Whispers Day 2

Paul McGillion and co.: April 25, 2008: Whispers Day 3

Hopscotching, Christina Cox, and hair issues: April 26th, 2008: Whispers Day 4 and The Return of Author Jeffrey Ford

Catacombs and chocolate: April 28, 2008: Whispers Day 5

Fog, catacombs, Paul McGillion: April 29, 2008: On the set of Whispers

Story inspiration and production challenges: September 5, 2008: Whispers

Pics, vids, and a scene by scene breakdown: September 6, 2008: Whispers Breakdown, Part 1

More pics, vids and continuing that scene by scene breakdown: September 7, 2008: I Suffer a Field Injury, The Whispers Breakdown Part II, and Oodles of Pics and Vids

Tagged: Atlantis, science fiction, Science Fiction Television, scifi, scifi television, SF, SF television, SGA, Stargate, Stargate: Atlantis, Whispers

January 2013: Football and Whispers!

An almost perfect football day.  Sadly, the Atlanta Falcons just came up short in their match-up against the 49ers.  The second game of the double-header was doubly pleasing in that it not only offered up a Baltimore Ravens win, but a New England Patriots loss as well!

Thanks to Robert Cooper for hosting this afternoon’s festivities…

The spread included gravlax (Akemi made – salmon cured with salt, brown sugar, sasho, dill, vodka, and metaxa), bagels, cream cheese, olives, Rob’s seafood gumbo, and various desserts.  It’s always good eatin’!

This was the knife Rob handed me to slice the salmon – last scene being wielded by Ronon to sever an enemy’s carotid artery.

The tasty gumbo included chorizo, shrimp, and crab.

Despite the fact that she was battling a terrible cold, Akemi took the time to make peanut butter sandwich cookies.

A good time was had by all.  With the possible exception of any Atlanta Falcon or New England Patriot fans.

As we continue our trip down Stargate: Atlantis memory lane…

WHISPERS (507)

One of the many great things about working on Stargate was that you were essentially making a varied mini-movie each episode.  One week, it would be a space opera, the next a scifi comedy, another week it cross over into fantasy and, yet another, it you could be doing a mystery.  Or, in the case of Whispers, you’d be delving into the world of SF-Horror.

This particular episode presented a host of obstacles but the ever-awesome Will Waring was more than up for the challenge.  First there was the issue of filming in the fog.  The initial tests that saw us fogging up the entire Stage 5 (where stood the Atlantis gate room and control room) proved incredibly tricky.  We needed to ensure the fog was thick enough for filming purposes but it would disperse too quickly in the cavernous room.  Any thicker and it would make everyone sick. Ultimately, Production Designer James Robbins came up with the brilliant idea of erecting tents, limited/controlled areas that could be fogged up for the requisite scenes.  This way, it was always a quick in and out for actors.

Another issue were those flares the team members needed to use to find their way in the dark and fog.  We were informed that actual flares gave off a toxic residue.  They were also a fire hazard.  So it was James Robbins to the rescue again, pitching the idea of the chemical flare.

One of the more inspired solutions to a production issue came in the scene where Beckett leans up against a wall to catch his breath only to have one of the creature crawl along the wall toward him.  This was achieved by building a duplicate portion of the wall and having actor Paul McGillion lie down atop it – but giving the impression he is leaning up against it.  The creature then scuttle along beside him, seemingly defying gravity…

This was an incredibly demanding episode that saw every department step up.  Props outdid themselves of course -

As did hair and make-up along with the prosthetics team -

The eye covering permitted only limited visibility – and the fact that the stunt performers were working in fog made their scenes all the more demanding.

A great guest cast for this one.  In addition to Paul McGillion, the off-world team in this episode included Christina Cox, Nicole de Boer, Janina Gavankar, and Leela Savasta –  all wonderfully talented and equally wonderful to work with.

Finally, while writing the script for this episode,  I held a contest on this blog promising the winner I would name a character after them. The eventual winner, long time blog reader Kelly Hurt, requested I use the name “Anne Teldy” (her blog handle and a nod to her young niece) and, thus, Major Anne Teldy was born.  Sadly, Kelly passed away last year following a brave battle with various health issues.  I like to think that Major Teldy is still out there, exploring other worlds in memory of her.

Director Will Waring at work (Photo @MGM Television)

Stunt Coordinator James Bamford oversees the monster action (Photo @MGM Television)

(Photo @MGM Television)

(Photo @MGM Television)

I was on set for this entire episode so plenty of pics and vids in previous blog entries.  If you’re interested…

Costume fittings, fog tents, and gun school: April 23, 2008: Whispers, Day 1

Stunts, Song of Fire and Iced, Creepy Well sequence: April 24, 2008: Whispers Day 2

Paul McGillion and co.: April 25, 2008: Whispers Day 3

Hopscotching, Christina Cox, and hair issues: April 26th, 2008: Whispers Day 4 and The Return of Author Jeffrey Ford

Catacombs and chocolate: April 28, 2008: Whispers Day 5

Fog, catacombs, Paul McGillion: April 29, 2008: On the set of Whispers

Story inspiration and production challenges: September 5, 2008: Whispers

Pics, vids, and a scene by scene breakdown: September 6, 2008: Whispers Breakdown, Part 1

More pics, vids and continuing that scene by scene breakdown: September 7, 2008: I Suffer a Field Injury, The Whispers Breakdown Part II, and Oodles of Pics and Vids

Tagged: Atlantis, science fiction, Science Fiction Television, scifi, scifi television, SF, SF television, SGA, Stargate, Stargate: Atlantis, Whispers

January 19, 2012: Ah, this takes me back!

One of the great things about obsessively photographing everything you do – besides annoying the occasional co-worker – is that it gives you a visual catalogue of your life.  Sure, you can rely on your memory but, if you’re like me and have trouble remembering what you had for dinner last night, nothing triggers some good old fashioned reminiscing like a bunch of photos you can’t recall taking.  Like the following I came across last night while going through some old hard drives…

First up on the block, this remote data-gathering device.

Sure, it’s fashionable – but I’m not quite sure how this Jaffa managed any sort of stealth operation wearing these things.

Although, to be fair, they are quite stylish.

They also the command respect of your peers.  You automatically look authoritative in one.

Okay, I take it back.  They ARE quite comfy for exercising or just hanging around doing chores.

I was the envy of my co-workers.  Look at Director of Photography Jim Menard, positively green with envy.

All too often during those final two years of Atlantis, there were times when people would mistake me for the homeless man who used to sneak onto set and sleep in the puddle jumper.  And so, I decided to remind people I was the Show Runner by dressing the part.

Here I am, on the go, in my Atlantis Show Runner uniform.

The uniform was not only stylish but also gave me a rich sense of empowerment.  Here I belittle former Script Coordinator Alex Levine for HIS fashion choice.  It’s either short sleeves or long sleeves.  You can’t have both!

Later, I mete out my own brand of justice for his failure to collate by goldenrod pages.

Yep.  Good times!

[Photos compliments of Lawren Bancroft-Wilson]

January 18, 2013: Continuing our trip down Stargate Atlantis Memory lane! The Shrine!

Continuing our trip down SGA memory lane with…

THE SHRINE (506)

Three hanky alert!  Executive Producer Brad Wright delivers one of the most talked-about episodes of the show’s fifth and final season. Described as a “reverse Flowers for Algernon”, it charts the emotional and intellectual erosion of the brilliant Rodney McKay after he is infected with a seemingly incurable disease.  It’s an episode highlighted by terrific performances, touching scenes, and a surprisingly gruesome surgery scene.

During the episode’s prep, one of the fan sites reported that its title had undergone a couple of changes.  It had initially been called “amort” before being changed to “The Shrine of Talus” before, ultimately, settling on “The Shrine”.  Amort?  The fan site based this assumption on the fact that, under the heading of episode title in one of the art department hand-outs, was the word “amort”.  Oh!  Amort!  Usually, when sets are built for a given episode, their cost comes out of that episode’s budget. However, in cases where large sets are built that are used more than once (say, the village set or the Daedalus set or even a cave set that is used multiple times a season), their cost is amortized over the course of several episodes.  Amort!  Short for amortized!

Still, there was a slight alteration after the original episode title, The Shrine of Talus, didn’t clear.  Why didn’t clear?  No idea.  Presumably, the name was already taken.  Somewhere out there a Mr. Shrine Talus continues to live in relative obscurity.

The submerged gate sequence made use of a piece of the gate, the green screen, and a water tank to convey that “we’re flooded!” feel (Photo @MGM Television)

EP and episode writer Brad Wright on set (Photo @MGM Television)

More green screen to convey the size and scope of the surrounding city of Atlantis (Photo @MGM Television)

It’s the little things that made the show special – like the work that went into designing these rock formations for the grotto surgery.

[image error]

Ancient carved tablet – detail. “The ancient lettering should be chipped, worn and faded to the point that it is not readable.”

The grotto. A mix of construction, set dec, greens, SFX mist and VFX green screen.

Gruesome stuff.  Rodney undergoes cranial surgery.  (Photo @MGM Television)

The surgery and parasite escape – prosthetics and visual effects.

Tagged: Atlantis, science fiction, scifi television, SF, SF television, SGA, Stargate, Stargate Atalntis, Stargate: Atlantis, The Shrine

January 17, 2013: Stargate Q&A! Blog Hop! Introducing Fernando!

Hurrah!  I’m pleased to announce a new Stargate-related Q&A!  Mark Nicholson joined the franchise in SG-1′s tenth season (Atlantis’s third) and worked BEHIND the scenes, helping to build a lot of the amazing things you saw IN the scenes.  He was with us until the very end, Universe’s last episode, and, along the way, his contributions included everything from high-tech gadgetry to awesome weaponry.

So, what was his most complicated build?  His strangest?  His favorite? They say that every picture tells a story, so I’m sure every prop has at least two or three!

Let’s find out.  I’m gathering questions for Mark (who is, as it turns out, a long-time reader of this blog).  Post ‘em if you got ‘em.  I’ll gather them up through the weekend and then send them Mark’s way early next week!

A little while ago, I was invited to take part in something called a Blog Hop by another blog reader, Amanda Ball.  The Hop is essentially a promotional tool that introduces readers to new authors.  A writer is chosen to answer a series of ten questions on their blog about an upcoming or new release and, a week later, they hand off to another writer who does the same on their blog.

Amanda’s Blog Hop entry is up here - http://livingforcreativity.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/the-next-big-thing-blog-hop/ - in which she discusses her latest book: _Famous…or Not_

In my case, my works-in-progress are super-secret hush-hush (please forget I mentioned this and promptly destroy your laptop after reading this entry) so I’ve decided to profile Dark Matter, my comic book series (the first three episodes four issues have been collected as a trade paperback).  Why?  Well, because the TPB was released a few months ago and…well…let’s just leave it at that for now (Seriously.  I need you to destroy this laptop after reading this entry).  I’ll be fielding the same ten questions next week after which I’ll be handing things off to award-winning New Zealand author Mandy Hager (Mandy Hager – Writer) who will be talking about her latest release, The Crossing (http://www.pyrsf.com/TheCrossing.html) over on her blog the week following.

Fernando, meet the blog gang.  Blog gang, Fernando.  This beautiful young husky was recently adopted by my sister following the passing of her beloved Aspen.

Rather than get a puppy, she decided to help out a dog in need – and Fernando was an ideal candidate, one of 45 other dogs (and 4 cats) rescued from an abusive environment last September.

Despite his rough early years, Fernando has proven a very sweet and gentle addition to sis’ household – although, apparently, he’s a little mischievous.  According to Andria’s facebook update:

“Yesterday Fernando crawled under one gate and jumped another to get out of the kitchen when no one was home. He also started un-decorating the Christmas tree. Today, we gave him free access to the middle floor with Roxy. He dismantled the pet fountain and continued to un-decorate the tree. Hint taken… time to take down the tree.”

Who? Me?

He’s special for a lot of reasons, but one in particular.  Can you guess? Notice anything about him?

You sure?  Nothing?  Take a closer look.

Still no?

He’s blind.  Sis thinks he may be able to distinguish light in one eye, but that would be the extent of his visibility.  Still, you wouldn’t know it.  Mom didn’t – even after spending an hour getting to know him. He’s very smart, has already figured out how to use the pet fountain and, apparently, looks up and cocks his head when someone talks to him.

A wonderful addition to our extended family.

January 16, 2013: Kitchen Adventures!

As many of you know, I’m a fairly adventurous eater.  For the most part, my foolhardy foodie forays have been limited to menu items at whatever eatery I happen to be visiting.  Lately, however, I’ve been doing some experimenting in the kitchen.  What follows are a few of my most recent culinary conquests.

Akemi bought me a sous-vide machine for Christmas.  For those of you who don’t know, sous-vide is a cooking method in which food is placed into an vacuum-sealed pouch and then immersed in a temperature-controlled water bath and cooked for an extended period. It’s supposed to seal in the flavors and ensure precise cooking because, once a certain temperature is set, whatever is being cooked remains at said temperature until it is served.

First up, I tried my hand at steak -

I seasoned the steak with salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, and crushed garlic before sealing.

Apparently, one of the bonuses of cooking sous-vide is that it ensures that even the cheaper cuts turn out tender and juicy.  All the same, I elected to go with my favorite: the rib-eye.  I cooked at it at 130 degrees fahrenheit (about 54.5 celsius) for about an hour to yield a nice medium-rare.  One of the great things about preparing food sous-vide is that you don’t have to be overly concerned about the timing.  A few minutes in a pan or in the oven could mean the difference between rare and well-done but, in the sous-vide machine, the internal temperature remains constant.

The only drawback to this mode of cooking is that you miss that crusty sear only a pan can deliver – which is why, once my steak was done, I popped it onto a hot cast-iron skillet for 30 seconds on each side.

And voila!

The verdict?  Delicious.  A perfect steak.  The following weekend, I experimented with a variety of different cuts (t-bone, tenderloin, sirloin and, again, rib-eye).  The steaks were good but not as good as the first time around owing to the fact that I failed to give them a proper sear. And, for what it’s worth, while all the cuts delivered tenderness and taste, the rib-eye still came out on top.

The next day, I decided to try the same method with fish.  I picked up an opah filet at my local fishmonger.  It’s a fish similar to tuna in taste and texture.

Seasoned with salt, pepper, tarragon, and crushed garlic.

I seasoned, sealed the fish, then immersed it and cooked it at a temperature of 135 fahrenheit (about 57 celsius) for about 45 minutes. The results?

Served with a wasabi-lime sauce.

Good but slightly overcooked, a far cry from the stunning version I enjoyed a month earlier.  In that case, broiling yielded a perfect opah: mouth-meltingly mi-cuit on the inside and possessed of nice exterior crispiness.  I think that, next time, I’m going to go with a lower temperature and use the same searing method I used on the rib-eye.

Oh, and just so it’s not all protein, accompanying the fish was a salad:

Tomatoes, avocado, burrata cheese, olive oil, and espresso balsamic.

One of the things Akemi was particularly looking to preparing sous-vide was a simple egg.  She cooked it at 145.5 fahrenheit (about 63 celsius) for 70 minutes.  It yielded a yolk just a touch above soft-boiled.

Served atop rice, ahi tuna, and avocado.

If you like your eggs just a touch runny (which I do), they were perfect. I’ll never boil an egg on the stove again.  Provided I don’t mind waiting over an hour to eat.

I was on a sous-vide tear!  I decided to try my hand at lamb chops!  I followed the same routine, seasoning and sealing -

Salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, smoked serrano, and crushed garlic.

I immersed them at a temperature of 133 degrees fahrenheit (56 celsius) for about 30 minutes, then removed them from the water bath and gave them a quick sear -

Gorgeous

The results?  Only the best lamb chops I’ve ever had!

In addition to giving the new sous-vide machine a work-out, Akemi and I also worked with the classic tried and true cooking methods as well…

Akemi’s soup uses a chicken and sesame base and includes nappa cabbage, hot peppers, radishes, mushrooms, and chive dumplings.

This version of Gordon Ramsay’s Curried Corn Soup uses Japanese sweet potatoes for body instead of simple potato.  Tasty.  And scorching!

Akemi was in the mood for skate wing but they rarely have it in stock so, on our way over, I told Akemi to think positive.  Well, there was positively no skate wing – but there was (even better!) fresh sea urchin.  Here, served simply – raw on rice and a sous-vide egg topped with fresh chives.

I had the guys over for football last weekend and I was going to spring the following little surprise on them, a tasty variation of pork rinds inspired by a Top Chef episode.  But I forgot.  So I ended up making it the next day for Akemi and I:

Crispy chicken skin!

I picked up a bag of chicken skin at my local butcher (you’d be amazed what they have hiding in the back), then rinsed and patted them dry before spreading them out on a parchment-lined baking tray and sprinkling them with a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and smoked serrano powder.  I then lay down another layer of parchment and set a weighted second tray on top before putting them in the oven and baking them at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  After that, I removed the top covering pan and parchment and let them broil under the high heat for another 5 minutes.

The results?  I hate to say it, but they were unbelievably good.  And highly addictive.  Forget the canapes.  Serve these at your next party!

Tagged: cooking, crispy chicken skin, crispy chicken skin recipe, egg sous-vide, lamb sous-vide, opah, opah sous-vide, sous-vide, sous-vide cooking, sous-vide egg, sous-vide lamb, sous-vide steak, steak sous-vide