#Chef Oscar Reyes

[vaguely-concerned]

after all these years of listening to his voice my nicholas boulton radar is so powerful that I clocked him one sentence into his role in this radio play adaptation of lady windemere's fan (he plays cecil graham and I'm fairly sure it's the naxos production, for anyone who might be interested! martin sheen is also in it as darlington and does a great job)

[mikeluciraphgabe]

Xolo Manidueña (Jaime Reyes) and Belissa Escobedo (Milagro Reyes) deserve a fucking Oscar or some shit for the scene where Alberto dies cuz that acting was *chefs kiss*

Xolo’s cries/screaming gutted me

Belissa’s acting was beautifully heartbreaking

These two are wonderful actors and deserve something for that scene

[weclassybouquetfun]

I have a passing knowledge of Jaime Reyes' Blue Beetle from the character's appearance on SMALLVILLE, BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD and these panels.

Milagro, you are so real for this.

And this is where my true knowledge about Blue Beetle comes from - Ted Kord's Blue Beetle and his friendship with Booster Gold.

Blue & Gold Forever.

So with only knowing the bare minimum about Jaime I was able to watch BLUE BEETLE with no expectations. It's an incredibly vibrant, fun and heartfelt film. I'm concerned at its low box-office showing, but films with bigger leads and bigger budgets have also failed at the box office, or at the very least, didn't recoup it's budget and marketing. There has never been anything that was a guaranteed box office success. I would rather it tried to get eyes in theaters than get lost on HBO Max where it was originally slated for release. Here's hoping National Cinema Day on Aug 27th (where theaters are selling tickets for $4 for all formats) will bring more people to the tent.

Too true.

My thoughts on BLUE BEETLE

Nothing but SPOILERS.

THE GOOD

Xolo Maridueña (COBRA KAI) is a great Jaime. If you have seen Maridueña across these five seasons of COBRA KAI, it's not surprising. He has shown consistently that he can play humour, dutifulness, vulnerable and excel at action.

Big up to COBRA KAI's annual blow-out fight sequence.

Oddly enough, at the end of the film I didn't think we got to know Jaime beyond a cursory level, but I'm sure if they did a deep dive on him I would complain about that too as my issue with origin story films is that so much real estate is given to building up the history of the character, that the plot and action seems relegated to the final act. But I guess BLUE BEETLE gave us all we need to know about Jaime.

Good egg, duty bound, gets hard from hugs (and kudos to this film for actually having a character who gets horny. Comic book films are nearly always a sexless thing, but my guy Jaime pulling his shirt down to cover his crotch after Jenny's (Bruna Marquezine) tale of woe was refreshing.)

-Really liked Jenny Kord. She wasn't the typical damsel in distress. She's formidable in her own right. She and Jaime doesn't feel rushed or shoehorned in. I especially loved the fact that they didn't just make her the love interest,

Though she and Xolo are great together,

but also gave her - in the Reyes - a new family. If she and Jaime were to go pear-shaped we can just know that Jenny still has a place within the Reyes clan.

-We have not one, but two new members to the Legion of Great DCEU Family Members. Joining the mom and dad of SHAZAM, AQUAMAN's dad, THE FLASH's mom is BLUE BEETLE's Alberto Reyes (Damián Alcázar) and Nana Reyes (the Oscar nominated Adriana Barraza).

Still waters run deep and Nana proved that. She's not just up in her room sewing and watching reruns of "María la del Barrio". She is sitting back waiting to showcase her experiene while fighting in the revolution.

And Alberto Reyes! He was this film's King T'Chaka. Always with a wise word, strong, caring. I hate that he had to die and I think it's a worn out trope that a hero has to suffer loss in order to come into their greatness, but it worked. Long Live Alberto Reyes!

Just enough George Lopez to not be annoying. He's funny, but only in small doses IMO so he was just good enough and used well enough that it wasn't eye-rolling. I really loved that he wasn't just there for the obvious comic relief, instead Uncle Rudy is a brain.

The opening along had me hyped. It set the tone and it lent to idea of the scarab being from space, but the inclusion of a classic Blue Beetle comic sketch just ::chef's kiss:

-Director Ángel Manuel Soto listed which stories he pulled from for this film,

but I see a lot of BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD episode "Fall of the Blue Beetle" in the bits where they go to Ted Kord's home/lab.

-The way they took OMAC/Kevin Kho backstory and merged it with Carapex's. In the comics OMAC was a Cambodian child of war, in this film Ignacio/Carapex was left an orphan and trained by the School of the Americas (rebranded Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation) whose training manuals advocated tortuing and blackmailing civilians. Using Kord Industries as not just a amorphous shady big tech corp, BLUE BEETLE's writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer and Soto tied Kord Industries to the realties of what big corporations are doing globally.

This ties into another thing I loved about the film - it had a strong cultural identity. From Nana using Vivaporú (Vicks Vapor Rub) as smelling salts to rouse Jamie, to El Chapulín Colorado(!!!).

The idea of gentrification that affects people across colour lines and specifically targets people of lower income.

The full integration of Jaime and Khaji-Da being exemplified by Khaji-Da (voiced by singer/actor Becky G) speaking Spanish.

THE BAD

-Is there someone with less screen prescence than Susan Sarandon? I don't know how she was ever a thing. I guess they needed a "name" but there several other actors like Anjelica Huston or Sigourney Weaver who would have done something more with that role. Carla Gugino. Anyone else!

-The establishing CGI of Kord Entrerprises was basura. There was a tangible change in F/X as if mid way through post-production they found out WB-Discovery was moving it to theatrical release and they effects crew got a cash infusion.

-While I came around on the character towards the end, I wasn't a fan of Milagro. Glad they aged her up but she fell into the trope of annoying movie sibling and it grated.

THE REST

-Harvey Guillen's character died in the film (good!) and he appears to be dead again on HARLEY QUINN (not good. There is no way Nightwing's death sticks).

-Soto and James Gunn says that Jaime has a future in the DCU. While an interview snippet is making the rounds where Soto says he would like Jason Sudeikis (TED LASSO) to play Ted Kord, I don't really believe that is true as the source is from an online site I'm not familiar with and people lie for clicks.

Yes, Buster. All. The. Time.

-While comics! Jaime lives in El Paso, Texas, film! Jaime lives in Palmera City - on El Paso St. - which was created for the film (and appeared in the comics months ahead in a tie-in). Soto found inspiration in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. But I wonder what Palmera City's real-world city will be when James Gunn finishes the DC Map that he say is being redone. Maybe because over the years Metropolis has been Chicago/Delaware/New York.

Metropolis is not in Delaware, GTFOH.

[gerardofontenelle]

Apple Arcade - A New World To Play In from Mauro Chiarello on Vimeo.

Director: Ian Pons Jewell Producer: Chris Avery @ Apple Writer: Jordan Pories Creative Director: Hamish Pinnel Art Director: Esteban Cardona Group Creative Directors: Sam Oliver & Carl Broadhurst AD Producer: Jacob Stitzel Production Company: Reset Managing Director: Dave Morrison Executive Producers: Deannie O'Neil & Jen Beitler Head of Production: JP Colombo Producer: Megan Moore Director of Photography: Mauro Chiarello Director’s Assistant: George Daniell Casting: Majo Gallardo Costume Designer: Nayeli de Alba

Production Service Company: The Lift Producer: Fuad Abded Managing Director: Avelino Rodriguez Production Manger: Israel González Cadena Unit Manager: Vladimir Espinoza Production Coordinator: Liliana Huacuja APOC: David Carretero Script: Andrea Eduardina Key PA: Juan Tovar Production Assistants: Erick Ávila, Miguel Luna, Isaac Alvarez Runner: Paulina Camacho Chaperone: Paulina Marín Chaperone: Paulina Maqueda Locations Manager: Sergio Aguilar Locations Assistants: Itzia Rojas, Rodrigo López, Eduardo Gutierrez, Andrés Macías, Juan Chávez

1st AD DGA: Robert Phillips 1st AD: Sandra Mayerstein 2nd AD Vala Cárdenas 2nd AD: Lorenza Ramos 1st AC Horacio Vega 2nd AC: Adonay Meza Camera PA: Edson Reyes DIT: Julio Cesar Gonzalez Data Manager: Hayde Medina Corona VTR Operator: Jonathan Fernando Noriega Hernández VTR Assistants: Eduardo Martinez & Miguel Valdez Wheels Operator: Felipe Pérez-Burchard Steadicam Operator: Gerardo Manjarezz Trinity Operator: Niels Lindelien Gaffer: Leonardo Julián Key Grip: Juan Antonio Aguilar López Key Grip: Jose Marcos Vilchis VFX Supervisor: Daniel "Chovy" Cordero VFX Assistants: Rafael Santana Cruz & Francisco Ruben Perez Reyes

Production Designers: Robin Brown & Margarita Laborde Hair & Make Up: Chela Olea Hair & Make Up Assistants: Yoali Cortés, Ixchel Cortés Stunt Coordinator: Tomas Guzman Art Coordinator: Katia Duarte Propmaster: Diego Téllez Decorator: Melinda Ridaura Decorator: Sandra Jalife Art Assistant: Jessica Peralta Wardrobe Coordinator: Giselle Arriaga Wardrobe Assistants: Rodrigo Montoya, Paulina Regalado, Christian Fernando, Rocelia Alexandra Graphic Design: Mireya Guerrero Renders: Hugo Jiménez Swings: Daniel Hernández, Jesús Enriquez, Aldo Márquez, Juan Cisneros, Néstor Luna, Luis Hernández, Gabriel Cabrera.

Edit Company: Whitehouse Post, Los Angeles Editor: Tobias Suhm Executive Producer: Joanna Manning Post Producer: Jordan Stricklin

VFX Company: Framestore VFX Supervisor: James Rogers Senior Producer: Joe Greenberg Art Director: Carlos Vidal Lead Data Wrangler: Fabio Zapata Data Wrangler: Juan Colon Coordinator: Evan Kanter

CAST Kid in car: Ariella Covalin-Mizarahi Metro Guy: Shu Sakimoto

Chef & Waiters: Jack Morris Jean Wolf Allison Vargas

Taco Stand: Mariana Arias Emme Gonzalez Paulina Camacho Oscar Sagrado Raphael De Cecco Ivan Modragon Christian Godoy Miguel Angel

Airplane: Heidy Diaz

Popcorn Eaters: Micah Bijon Charlie Scovill

Clothes Guy: Rick Darge Bus Shelter: Yuki Oc-Noda

[four-network]

LA RECETA DE YAÑEZ

El Cocinero de Guanajuato del 2020 es Luis Enrique Luévano Yáñez, del municipio de Acámbaro.

El 2do lugar se lo llevó Oscar Emmanuel Galván Arriaga, de la Rufina Restaurante en León; y el 3er. lugar para Carlos Antonio González Guerrero, del Hotel Boutique Casa del Rector y Restaurante Las Vieyras en Guanajuato capital.

SECTUR Guanajuato impulsa la gastronomía y apoya a nuevos talentos gastronómicos, poniendo como requisito utilizar productos endémicos del estado.

Este evento es apoyado por “Guanajuato ¡Sí Sabe!”, política pública transversal a cargo de SECTUR GTO, que crea sinergia en los diferentes niveles de gobierno permitiendo el desarrollo, impulso, promoción, difusión y preservación de toda la cadena de valor del sector gastronómico.

La Gastronomía de Guanajuato se prepara con amor, sentimiento e historia, así lo demostró Luis Enrique Luévano Yáñez, nacido en Acámbaro y Chef Ejecutivo en el Restaurante Nuut Grill de Querétaro, quien ganó el primer lugar del 6to. Concurso Cocinero de Guanajuato.

Este año la Secretaría de Turismo del estado de Guanajuato lanzó la convocatoria del concurso y participaron 35 recetas de chefs y 1 receta de cocinera tradicional, las cuales fueron revisadas por reconocidos chefs durante el mes de abril a julio.

Finalmente resultaron 12 finalistas que disputaron los 3 primeros lugares con la preparación de sus platillos en la cocina de ICON University, el 21 y 22 de octubre. El primer lugar ganó un kit de cocina, un libro de recetas, y será el portavoz de la gastronomía en las actividades relacionadas con la gastronomía en el estado de Guanajuato.

Luévano Yáñez fascinó al jurado con platillos que representan parte de su infancia, “a mi me gustan mucho las corundas y para mi cumpleaños pedía corundas con caldillo de jitomate y verdolagas, y este platillo lo transforme en mi primer tiempo”.

El segundo tiempo del chef ganador se montó a las enseñanzas de su padre. “Mi papá me enseñó de muy joven a ir de cacería y lo que cazábamos lo cocinábamos; al fin teníamos mucho Conejo, pero nos quedaba seco y duro, y en este concurso lo cociné a fuego lento para que se quedarán los jugos y le agregué un mole tradicional de mi pueblo”.

La abuela de Luis Enrique fue recordada en el tercer tiempo, el postre. “A mi abuela le gustaba mucho comer buñuelo de rodilla con miel de piloncillo y dulce de calabaza, y prepararlo me trajo muchos recuerdos bonitos de ella y quise compartirlo”.

En estos tres tiempos se juntaron los sentimientos y el Chef de Acámbaro los nombró: “Huarache de cumpleaños, Conejo de Guadalupe y Buñuelo de mi casa”.

Estos platillos elaborados deleitaron el paladar de los reconocidos Chefs jurado: Abraham Gutiérrez, Berenice Sainz, David Quevedo, Francisco López (Don Panchito), Juan Emilio Villaseñor, Marko Cruz, Jesús Pedraza, Oscar Conchas y Roberto Reyes.

Frida Ximena Huett López, Directora de Productos Turísticos de la Secretaría de Turismo del estado de Guanajuato; Eva García Cuervo, directora de Espai Gourmet; y Elizabeth Vargas Martín del Campo; Rectora de ICON University, agradecieron a los participantes y al jurado por hacer posible una edición más del “Cocinero de Guanajuato”.

El evento se enriqueció con clases magistrales y ponencias, a cargo del jurado, tituladas “La calidad en los productos japoneses, Productores locales que enriquecen la canasta guanajuatense, Rabalito en mole de cítricos. Diversidad de Guanajuato, Tradiciones de altar, Un restaurante de mariscos en el centro del país; Piensa, planea y ejecuta; Cocina creativa, y Helados nitrogenados.

Lo anterior con el objetivo de que los profesionales de la gastronomía mantengan una educación formal y experiencia vivencial; y dejar claro que Guanajuato es rico en productos endémicos que hacen a la gastronomía única.

[johnsimon]

Location: 62 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY

Cuisine: American Steakhouse/Seafood

Best Dish: The crab cake was delicious, but the steak was the star. The Tomahawk was incredible. It was tender and succulent.

Cost: $$$

Overall: Uptown meets downtown in this elegant eatery. Greenwich Steakhouse is the upscale experience the West Village has been waiting for.

Executive Chef Oscar Reyes now leads the kitchen, after Chef Victor H. Chavez’s recent retirement. Chef Reyes brings his lifetime of experience and seven years of hard-earned expertise training under the 40-year culinary veteran Chef Chavez at the iconic Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse. Greenwich Steakhouse brings the sophistication of Upper Manhattan downtown to Greenwich Village, a neighborhood known for its more Bohemian vibe. Flanked by pubs and fast-casual eateries, Greenwich Steakhouse stands out one of the few classic steakhouses in the area. Located in a renovated brownstone, the restaurant is home to three levels of cocktails and dining. Each level offers a different dining experience. The main level is home to a sleek marble bar and a few booths. For our meal, we chose the upstairs dining room, a softly lit space engulfed by a colorful wall mural and decorated with modern furnishings.  The look is simple modern elegance. This simplicity is mirrored by the carefully curated menu of typical steakhouse fare. Some of the familiar favorites include fried calamari, iceberg wedges, and French Onion Soup. Also available is an assortment of seafood options including fresh shrimp, lobster and the catch of the day. Lastly and most importantly are the cuts of steak and various chops which include filet mignon in chimichurri sauce, a Cajun ribeye and most notably a 48oz Tomahawk rib-eye that you have to see to believe.

Fresh Oysters

Dinner began with a little service from the Raw Bar. Freshly shucked oysters are served on the half shell with cocktail sauce, vinegar, and fresh lemon.

Colossal Crab Cake

The Colossal Crab Cake truly lives up to its name in size and flavor. Three times the size of most crab cakes, this massive shareable appetizer comes with a dollop of fresh guacamole and chips, adding a little crunch and creaminess to the sweet buttery crab. On the outside, there’s a perfect sear and the inside the crab is tender and juicy.

Greenwich Grilled Shrimp with Pasta

The grilled shrimp can be served simply on their own, with a salad or over pasta. We chose the latter for our second course. The shrimp were tossed with a spicy tomato sauce and al dente linguine. The shrimp were well prepared and the sauce was divine.

Tomahawk Ribeye

With over several years of experience at the helm, we knew the steak had to be good. The rib eye did not disappoint. Before you even see this dish, the tantalizing sound of a sizzling platter will reach your ears, followed by the aroma of charred beef. The steak was amazing. The Tomahawk is available in 24 and 48oz cuts, the 24oz is plenty of steak for 2 or 3 people to enjoy. The ribeye is one of the fattiest cuts but also one of the tastiest. This enormous steak also comes with a side of nutrient-rich bone marrow to enjoy.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Lobster mac is the ultimate comfort food fine dining mashup. The Greenwich Steakhouse version of this popular dish is a savory combination of creamy, cheesy mac and buttery bits of lobster.

Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon

Greenwich Steakhouse serves up Brussels Sprouts the way all veggies should be eaten, topped with bacon. The sprouts were fresh and lightly charred, with a satisfying crunch. The bacon and caramelized onion added smoky and sweet notes to the dish.

Cocktails

In addition to its food options, Greenwich Steakhouse also has a full bar and an assortment of specialty cocktails. The cocktails are broken down into categories ranging from Nonalcoholic to stirred and boozy. For our evening we sampled the light and refreshing Greenwich Swizzle and the boozy Sazerac. The Greenwich Swizzle is a light sweet beverage of rum, pineapple, and mint. The Sazerac is a heady mixture of whiskey and bitters with an absinthe rinse.

The West Village is best known as a hub for creative types to unwind. Its bars and restaurants are popular for their low prices and laid back atmosphere. In recent years the area has grown and attracts artisans as well as affluent business owners and celebrities. The Greenwich Steakhouse is part of this growing movement, filling the void of upscale dining options in the area. The steakhouse brings sophistication downtown to the West Village.

In addition to the already perfected dining experience, new brunch and lunch hours add to the classic comfort of Greenwich Steakhouse. West Village commuters and office workers will enjoy a power lunch at the high-end restaurant from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. from Monday through Friday. The perfect brunch setting on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the youthful elegance of each floor offers a fresh perspective on the NYC brunch experience. The famed Thick-Cut Smoked Bacon can now be enjoyed alongside homestyle waffles, pancakes and a host of newly introduced brunch specials. New dinner hours are as follows: Monday through Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Cheers to the New Year!

Review: Greenwich Steakhouse #food #foodie #foodporn #eeeeeats #drinks @greenwichsteak Location: 62 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY Cuisine: American Steakhouse/Seafood Best Dish: The crab cake was delicious, but the steak was the star.

[poettier]

Apple Arcade - A New World To Play In from Ian Pons Jewell on Vimeo.

Director: Ian Pons Jewell Producer: Chris Avery @ Apple Writer: Jordan Pories Creative Director: Hamish Pinnel Art Director: Esteban Cardona Group Creative Directors: Sam Oliver & Carl Broadhurst AD Producer: Jacob Stitzel Production Company: Reset Managing Director: Dave Morrison Executive Producers: Deannie O'Neil & Jen Beitler Head of Production: JP Colombo Producer: Megan Moore Director of Photography: Mauro Chiarello Director’s Assistant: George Daniell Casting: Majo Gallardo Costume Designer: Nayeli de Alba

Production Service Company: The Lift Producer: Fuad Abded Managing Director: Avelino Rodriguez Production Manger: Israel González Cadena Unit Manager: Vladimir Espinoza Production Coordinator: Liliana Huacuja APOC: David Carretero Script: Andrea Eduardina Key PA: Juan Tovar Production Assistants: Erick Ávila, Miguel Luna, Isaac Alvarez Runner: Paulina Camacho Chaperone: Paulina Marín Chaperone: Paulina Maqueda Locations Manager: Sergio Aguilar Locations Assistants: Itzia Rojas, Rodrigo López, Eduardo Gutierrez, Andrés Macías, Juan Chávez

1st AD DGA: Robert Phillips 1st AD: Sandra Mayerstein 2nd AD Vala Cárdenas 2nd AD: Lorenza Ramos 1st AC Horacio Vega 2nd AC: Adonay Meza Camera PA: Edson Reyes DIT: Julio Cesar Gonzalez Data Manager: Hayde Medina Corona VTR Operator: Jonathan Fernando Noriega Hernández VTR Assistants: Eduardo Martinez & Miguel Valdez Wheels Operator: Felipe Pérez-Burchard Steadicam Operator: Gerardo Manjarezz Trinity Operator: Niels Lindelien Gaffer: Leonardo Julián Key Grip: Juan Antonio Aguilar López Key Grip: Jose Marcos Vilchis VFX Supervisor: Daniel "Chovy" Cordero VFX Assistants: Rafael Santana Cruz & Francisco Ruben Perez Reyes

Production Designers: Robin Brown & Margarita Laborde Hair & Make Up: Chela Olea Hair & Make Up Assistants: Yoali Cortés, Ixchel Cortés Stunt Coordinator: Tomas Guzman Art Coordinator: Katia Duarte Propmaster: Diego Téllez Decorator: Melinda Ridaura Decorator: Sandra Jalife Art Assistant: Jessica Peralta Wardrobe Coordinator: Giselle Arriaga Wardrobe Assistants: Rodrigo Montoya, Paulina Regalado, Christian Fernando, Rocelia Alexandra Graphic Design: Mireya Guerrero Renders: Hugo Jiménez Swings: Daniel Hernández, Jesús Enriquez, Aldo Márquez, Juan Cisneros, Néstor Luna, Luis Hernández, Gabriel Cabrera.

Edit Company: Whitehouse Post, Los Angeles Editor: Tobias Suhm Executive Producer: Joanna Manning Post Producer: Jordan Stricklin

VFX Company: Framestore VFX Supervisor: James Rogers Senior Producer: Joe Greenberg Art Director: Carlos Vidal Lead Data Wrangler: Fabio Zapata Data Wrangler: Juan Colon Coordinator: Evan Kanter

CAST Kid in car: Ariella Covalin-Mizarahi Metro Guy: Shu Sakimoto

Chef & Waiters: Jack Morris Jean Wolf Allison Vargas

Taco Stand: Mariana Arias Emme Gonzalez Paulina Camacho Oscar Sagrado Raphael De Cecco Ivan Modragon Christian Godoy Miguel Angel

Airplane: Heidy Diaz

Popcorn Eaters: Micah Bijon Charlie Scovill

Clothes Guy: Rick Darge Bus Shelter: Yuki Oc-Noda

[missjennifercole]

Here’s Episode 2 for ya guys! We love you all and love how much you guys enjoy our story.

EPISODE 2

Nevada walked into the back room of the restaurant, his eyes taking in the new decor. He hadn’t been inside since the day it had gone up in flames, not even when it reopened. OJ was running it now, but Nevada still couldn’t help but feel as though Oscar would come out from the kitchen any minute. The older man had always preferred overseeing the kitchen during the day and there were times that Nevada wondered whether Oscar would’ve been a chef if he’d never gotten into the life.

“Oye, we still haven’t found her,” OJ said, coming out of the office to greet him.

“I figured not, pero, we should talk about long-term plans,” Nevada answered, eyes still on the door that led to the kitchen. Sighing, he looked at OJ. “Omar here yet?”

“Yeah, he's in the kitchen. I'll grab him.” OJ moved past the swinging doors to the back, returning with his brother.

“We got eyes and ears to the ground, underground, nobody’s seen her yet,” Omar said. “She’s gotta surface at some point.”

“Alright,” Nevada said. “We gotta talk about what we’re gonna do about BX9.”

“We could slit some throats, things have been getting slow lately. I can't remember the last time I got in on a good blood fest,” OJ said.

“We could, pero we got Heeley to worry about too--”

“Esparate, Heeley is back in town?” OJ asked.

“Not really. He’s been fucking with Rafael, I told Dama we’d try to take care of it,” Nevada answered.

“Oye, maybe this makes me a dick--tell me if it does--pero why does that have anything to do with us? No offense to Rafael, I like him, he’s a good guy, pero Heeley messing with him doesn’t mean dick for us,” OJ said.

“Okay, you’re a dick,” Nevada replied with a smirk.

“I get what he means,” Omar said with a shrug. “What does this have to do with the family?”

“He’s my brother-in-law,” Nevada replied. “He’s got a kid on the way, he’s probably gonna lose his job over this scum-fuck’s daughter. She set him up--”

“--But it’s got nothing to do with us,” OJ said again.

“We take care of our own, right?” Nevada replied.

“But he’s not one of us, bro,” Omar said softly. “He’s the law.”

“Maybe he’s not one of us, pero, he’s my wife’s brother and I told her we’d try. So we’re gonna try,” Nevada said. “You got a problem with that?”

OJ shook his head. “No.”

“There’s something else, too. Reyes came to see me. Apparently, there’s a new sheriff in town, wants to swing his cock around, coming in all gung-ho about cleaning up the Heights.”

“Except for us, right?” Omar replied.

“Especially us. We gotta be smart, be on our toes,” Nevada answered.

“Coño, there’s always gotta be one cowboy,” OJ said as he rolled his eyes.

“BX9 are scraps, we can always leave them for later,” Nevada mused.

Omar nodded. “What about Blackwood? Can he keep the flies away from the shit long enough for us to do what we need to do?”

“Probably, they’re all basically on his side of the island anyway,” Nevada replied. “I’ll give him a call. Meantime, you guys are still on finding that little bitch, Reina. I’ll get Chibby and Sawyer on trying to find Heeley. OJ, you should go talk to Muñoz again, lean on him. He might know where that little come mierda is hiding.”

“She's not that smart, man, if she's hiding this well, it's because she's somewhere that she's not in charge of. Her stupid ass would have paraded around after that shooting. We both know it.”

“Maybe not, I doubt they knew the kids were there,” Omar mused. “But I agree, she’s got help. She has to have help, she’s not that smart, but she ain’t that stupid. She knows you won’t stop till you find her.”

“So smoke her ass out,” Nevada replied.

“How do we go about that?”

Nevada was about to answer when the front door of the restaurant opened, prompting the bells above the door frame. Turning in the direction of the sound, his eyes met those of a tall, broad-shouldered, bald man, dressed in a suit that looked rather expensive, the jacket of which was left unbuttoned to reveal a shiny badge. He wasn’t someone Nevada immediately recognized and assumed that meant he was staring at the new Captain of the Homicide department of the 33rd precinct. He looked far more intimidating than any other captain that had been through that station, and Nevada turned towards him, squaring his shoulders and puffing his chest out.

“Surprised you’re not busier this time a day,” the man said in a baritone voice that matched his stature.

“Well, you know, weekdays,” Nevada replied with a smirk as one shoulder bobbed casually.

The other man nodded thoughtfully. “I’m assuming you’re the famous Nevada Ramirez,” he said as he took several steps forward, his eyes glancing around the dining room.

Nevada held him out at his sides. “In the flesh. I guess that would make you the new captain over at the three-three.”

The man met Nevada’s eyes once again, smirking as he nodded. “You would be correct. Captain Williams. Guess word gets around pretty quick around here, huh?”

"You could say that. People in the Heights like to talk, especially when someone new comes into the neighborhood.”

Captain Williams snorted an audible laugh and nodded his head. “Yeah, I’m just going around the nearby businesses, introducing myself…” He pinned Nevada with a stare that was neither threatening nor oblivious, in fact, it was perfectly stoic. “...letting them know that I’m doing everything in my power to finally rid these streets of the vermin that’s made the Heights a dangerous place.”

“Good,” Nevada replied, nodding his head. “I’m glad to hear it. You know, there was a shooting at one of the parks a few weeks ago.”

Williams nodded. “The way I hear it, one of your daughters got hurt during the shooting. Lily, right? Hope she’s doing better. No child should have to experience something like that, especially in a park.”

For a brief moment, Nevada’s confidence faltered at the revelation that not only did the new captain know who he was, he knew his family too, but he quickly reigned it back in and offered the captain a smile.

“Yeah, she is better, thanks.”

“Glad to hear it.”

For a moment, the four men stood in a silence that grew heavy, like a thick fog on a fall morning, as they sized each other up carefully. The only sound was the faint Spanish chattering and salsa music playing in the kitchen and the clinking of pots and pans, though without any customers in the restaurant to order food, one was left wondering what exactly was going on back there.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of nothing but stares and white background noise, Captain Williams smiled. “Well, I just wanted to come in and meet you, and let you know my plans for the great neighborhood.”

“I’m glad you came by,” Nevada replied, earning a nod from Williams. “Stop by again anytime.”

“I’m sure I will, Mr. Ramirez,” Williams replied, nodding to both Omar and OJ before he walked out the same way he came in.

“Damn,” Omar mused once the captain was long gone. “He is swinging his cock.”

“For real, bro. A big, black cock,” OJ replied.

“Yeah, well my cock’s just as big. Like I said, we just gotta keep on our toes,” Nevada replied. “Alright, I’m gonna get back to the club, I’ll see you there?” he asked Omar, who nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a few.”

“Okay,” Nevada said, patting his shoulder and leaving the restaurant.

Omar looked over at his brother. “I got a bad feeling about this, bro.”

--------

The day had been almost like a dream; You felt like you were on autopilot, teaching your classes but simply going through the motions of doing so. Everything you knew to be true was up in the air as far as you were concerned. Were you really giving your kids the best life possible? Was keeping them in this neighborhood really the best situation for them to grow into healthy, capable adults? Or were you being selfish?

You loved your husband, that much you knew, but was that a good enough excuse to keep your children in a situation you knew was dangerous and wouldn't have a happy ending? Was it possible that you and Nevada would beat the odds? That you would be the ones to have that happily ever after or was it just what you said to pacify yourself until the next inevitable tragedy? What kind of mother were you to knowingly keep your children in a life you knew was dangerous?

All these questions filled your head, new ones popping up to take up residence in any hope you held on to. Why couldn’t your lives just be simpler? What was so wrong with having a normal, quiet life where your biggest fear was whether you would wake up with wrinkles or whether one of your children would catch the flu right before a family vacation? What was so bad about excitement being a trip to the Bronx zoo that Nevada wouldn’t leave the life? Weren’t you and the kids enough adventure and excitement for him?

Lunch couldn’t come quickly enough and when it did, you found yourself sitting at your desk, unwrapping the Cuban sandwich you’d picked up from down the street. There was a knock on your door and you looked up to find your brother standing there.

“Hi,” he said softly, offering a smile. “I thought maybe we could have lunch together.”

You grinned. “Hey!” You stood, closed the space between you and hugged him tight, smiling. “How have you been?”

“Uh...okay, I guess. How about you?” he asked.

“Fine, still worried about you,” you said.

“I’m fine,” he answered, “Still suspended as far as I know, but SVU was able to disprove Abby’s claims so...hopefully it’s just a matter of time.” He sighed heavily. “Did you wanna eat here or go out?”

“I've been eating here lately. One of my students, Nathaniel, sometimes eats in here so I try to leave the room open if the kids need me now.”

“Oh...okay, then I guess you can eat and I’ll...watch,” he replied with a shrug as he followed you to your desk and pulled up a chair.

“What? Don't be ridiculous, take half,” you said as you slid half of your Cuban sandwich over to him, along with a water bottle.

“Saw Lily yesterday. She seems glad to be home.”

“She told me you visited, it was the highlight of her week,” you said with a smile.

He smiled, nodding as he looked down at the half sandwich. “Where’d you get this from? I know you didn’t make it, you don’t have a plancha.”

“That place down the street from my place,” you answered before frowning. “How did Lily seem to you? I'm worried about her.”

“Okay, I guess. I didn’t talk to her that long, she was pretty tired,” he replied. “But I suppose as good as can be expected, considering everything.”

You nodded slowly. “I worry so much. She's just a baby and--” you cut yourself off, wiping a few tears at the frustration that this had even happened before taking a bite of your sandwich.

“She’s not a baby anymore,” he replied, shaking his head. “She’s getting older and she’s...probably gonna start piecing things together about her father. I’d imagine she might have questions that I’m not sure you’ll know how to answer.”

“What do I do?” you whispered.

He shrugged. “You’re asking me? I don’t know. Get out while you can, but I know you won’t do that.”

“He's my husband, for better or for worse. I promised...I made a promise in front of God. Others may not take that seriously but I know you understand.”

His brows bounced in response as he bit into his half of your sandwich but he didn’t say another word about it. Nothing he could say would make a difference anyway. “How’s work going?”

“I love teaching,” you said softly. “I finally feel back at home, but...it’s just hard, you know?” He nodded once. “The other female teachers are a bit...mean, but the students are what matter.”

“What’s the deal with the female teachers?” he asked.

“Girls, ya know? I bet you anything Roxie faces the same things. Speak of the British devil, how is your beautiful wife?”

“As far as I know, all her female employees respect and admire her...and she’s not a devil, but she’s fine. Getting bigger and more demanding every day...hormones,” he answered.

“That sounds delightful,” you said sarcastically.

He bobbed his shoulders. “We get to find out the gender soon...I’ve been thinking about asking her if she wants to wait until the baby’s born though. What do you think about that?”

“I don't think I could ever do it, but you should if you want. You aren't curious?”

“Of course I’m curious, but...I don’t know, I kinda like the idea of it being a surprise, you know?” he answered.

You nodded in understanding. “Alright, then you should definitely pitch the idea to her.”

“Thanks for your approval,” he quipped.

You smirked and took another bite if your own sandwich. “You free this week? I won tickets to a Broadway show in a PTA raffle. You and Roxie can have them if you want.”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m free every week...I can see if Roxie has time though. She’s been pretty preoccupied with her career so...I’ll let you know,” he replied. “I’m surprised you’re not going. Afraid of dragging Nevada to the theater? Worried he might embarrass you?” he teased with a smirk.

You snorted a laugh. “It's like church, if he sets foot inside I think he might catch fire.”

“He doesn’t strike me as much of a theater guy anyway,” Rafael replied.

You shrugged. “If Roxie can't come, take me, I would love to see some culture.”

“What show is it?” he asked.

“Phantom of The Opera. I honestly have never seen it, but I'd like to.”

He bobbed his shoulders. “I’ll go with you.”

“Yeah? Will it suck?” You quirked a brow and smile.

“No, it’s a beautiful show. I’ve seen it twice, it was that good,” he answered.

You smiled. “Good, so you’ll be my date to the opera?”

He tried to suppress a smile. “It’s not an opera, it’s a musical.”

“But it's called Phantom of the Opera,” you said with a pointed look.

“Still not an opera. It’s inspired by an opera house and has elements of an opera, but it is still not considered an opera. Sorry,” he replied. “Just because the performers sing with their head voice and not their chest voice doesn’t automatically make it an opera by default.”

“What?” You laughed. “That is exactly what an opera is! Head voice!”

“Y/N, opera is an art that takes years and years to create and perfect. The Phantom of the Opera is not an opera. It’s a musical inspired by opera. At best it might be considered classical crossover but opera isn’t just about the singing. It’s composed of many different elements, okay? Direction, language, poetry, set design, dancing, the list goes on. Take ‘Ave Maria’ for example, written by a classical composer and has been sung by any number of opera singers, usually sung in head voice, but that doesn’t make it an opera. It’s still a classical piece.”

You rolled your head back to make loud snoring noises.

Rafael rolled his eyes. “If you find it boring, don’t make an argument for something you know very little about.”

“All I'm saying is there is opera right in the title.”

He smirked. “Speed The Plow has plow in the title, and yet if you see the show...not a plow to be found,” he argued. A Man For All Seasons has seasons in the title and not one is mentioned at all throughout the entire play. Shall I go on? Phantom uses pop instruments, has spoken dialogue and allows for contemporary musical theater technique. In other words, not an opera.”

You groaned and laughed all at once. “Such a fucking know-it-all.”

“I don’t claim to be a know-it-all, but I do happen to know a lot about both opera and musical theater. I’ve attended often enough,” he replied.

“Well if you want to know anything about the breakout family comedy Hotel Transylvania, my son has made me an expert.”

“I’ll take a pass, but I appreciate the offer. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of chances to familiarize myself with kids movies,” he answered in a chuckle.

You smiled and took his hand. “You're gonna be a dad.”

“That’s what I hear,” he replied with a smile. “I still can't believe it. To be honest, I’m almost w--” He stopped his sentence short. Maybe if he refrained from actually saying it aloud, nothing else bad would happen.

“Almost?” you asked, waiting for an explanation.

“Nothing,” he replied, waving you off. “Nevermind. It’s nothing.”

“It's okay to be afraid,” you said gently.

He pursed his lips and picked at the corner of what was left of his sandwich. “I just don’t want anything bad to happen.”

“Bad things are going to happen in life, but you get through them. Roxie and this baby are gonna have the best medical care, the best father-slash-husband, and the best family in the world. Things will be alright,” you whispered.

“I think you’ve merely grown to accept and expect the bad things in life. Bad things happen, but that should never be the norm. It should be isolated instances. Life, for the most part, is meant to be good,” he answered.

You quirked an eyebrow. “Did I just try to comfort you and you shit talked me?”

“No...I’m just making an observation, that’s all. It seems the only things that ever happen in our family are either bad or worse. I don’t want that for my baby. I don’t want it for my wife.”

“Well good thing the baby is half Roxie then,” you mumbled.

He nodded gently. “Yeah, that is good.”

You heard a knock at the door and you smiled. “Come in.”

A young boy opened the door and looked at you hopefully. “Can I eat in here Mrs. Ramirez?”

You nodded. “Of course you can, Nathaniel.”

“I should probably get going,” Rafael said as he took his bottle of water and stood. “Thanks for the half a sandwich. I’ll see you next week?”

You nodded eagerly, smiling at him and then standing to give him a tight hug.

“Alright. I’ll talk to you later,” he said, hugging you back and exiting the room.

“Was that your husband?” Nathaniel asked as he chomped on a chicken nugget and stared at you.

“Ew no,” you said with a grimace. “That's my big brother.”

“Oh...okay,” Nathaniel replied, turning his attention back to his lunch tray.

--------

Amber moved another spoonful of peas to the baby's mouth. Fallon opened and ate them, making a disgusted face each time she swallowed.

Amber laughed. “Come on, it's good, monster! What are you doing, silly baby?”

“Maybe it bothers her to swallow,” Sebastian suggested. “You know, like when Felicity was a kid, her tonsils were huge.”

Amber thought for a moment. “Maybe, but she doesn't do that with other foods. Just the healthy ones.”

Fallon looked at Sebastian with a big smile and signed a request for water.

“She wants water, I'll get it.” Amber stood up and grabbed her daughter's sippy cup from the kitchen before coming back. “So why are you here?” Amber said with a slight frown. “I know why you're here, but why is she here?”

Her brother shrugged. “I think she just wanted to meet her granddaughter. She heard I was planning on coming down and asked if she could come. I couldn’t just say no.”

“You definitely could have said no. Or just warded her away with...does garlic work on witches too or just vampires?”

“Mama,” Fallon whimpered, wanting the attention back on her.

Amber smirked as she set the sippy cup down on the highchair tray. “Yes, monster?” She watched Fallon as she continued to speak to her brother. “She hasn't told you what she wants?”

“No, just that she wanted to spend time with you and Fallon,” he answered.

Amber shot him a skeptical look but sighed as she fed Fallon another bite of peas. Fallon grimaced again.

“Fine, say she does want to spend time with Fallon. Why isn't she here?”

“She said she wanted to grocery shop so she could cook while she’s here,” he replied with another shrug.

“She cooks? Since when?”

“I guess. She has been taking classes lately.”

She quirked a brow. “Alright, I'll keep an open mind for my daughter's sake.”

“Yeah, what’s the worst that could happen, you know? She nags you about the neighborhood you live in and you guys still don’t get along by the time we leave?” he replied with a chuckle.

Amber sighed as Fallon reached out towards Sebastian. “Up.”

“You heard her. Up.”

“She done eating?” he asked.

“I guess,” Amber answered with a shrug as Sebastian picked up the toddler.

“Hey there chunky,” he said with a smile.

“Ch-” she mimicked the sound and laid her head in the crook of his neck.

“She’s not much of a talker, is she?” he asked.

“She's 13 months, should she have a hamlet monologue prepared? She uses sign language, understands both English and Spanish and speaks words from both,” Amber defended.

“Okay, chill out. I’m just saying, she hasn’t said more than two words since we’ve been here. Usually, for thirteen months it’s three or four. Retract your claws,” he replied, arching a brow.

Amber looked at Fallon with furrowed brows. “Mi amor, esta bien?”

Fallon nodded, staring back at her.

“I don't trust our mother,” Amber mumbled after a long moment.

“She’s not so bad,” Sebastian replied.

“She doesn't blame you for the death of her daughter. Of course, she's not so bad to you.”

“She doesn’t blame you either, Amber,” he said. “Nobody does.”

“That's not what she's said time and time again.” Amber sighed. “She's not wrong. I know I didn't kill my sister but...I knew the risks of her working at that club. I just didn't care. As long as she was working...I figured that's all that really mattered.”

“She might’ve blamed you at first, but she was just grieving. I don’t think she feels that way anymore,” Sebastian replied. “I mean it’s not like you call ever. You wouldn't know how she feels.”

Amber nodded again. “Yeah.”

“I think at the end of the day she realized that there wasn’t anything you could’ve done,” he answered.

Amber smiled and took Fallon back in her own arms. “You would have liked your aunt Felicity, monster. She was a little messed up but she was good people.”

“She was okay. She could be pretty selfish and self-absorbed, let's be honest,” Sebastian mumbled.

“Yeah, but she wasn't a bad person.”

“Mm, I beg to differ,” Sebastian arched a brow in the form of a shrug as the door opened and Cecile walked in, smiling at her children.

“I brought truffles!” she chimed with a smile, setting two bags down on the counter.

Amber smiled, setting Fallon down on the floor and moved to the kitchen to help her mother unpack. “Thanks, mom.”

“Of course, honey, I have to be sure you have better food to feed the baby. Not that generic, store brand,” Cecile replied with a grimace as she eyed the half-empty jar of baby food on the counter.

“Thanks, mom,” Amber said with a sigh. “Fallon just ate. How about we all play in her room? I bet she'd love to read you a book.”

“She reads?” Cecile asked. “She barely speaks. You know, you really ought to think about getting her some speech therapy.”

“She doesn't read mother, she's going at her own pace. But she'll point to the pictures when you ask her where things are. She loves it.”

“Maybe you should actually read to her instead of asking her to point things out,” Cecile mumbled under her breath.

“Fine, don't do it then,” Amber rolled her eyes and looked at Fallon. “You can read to me, baby.”

“Oh, Amber, do you have to be so dramatic?” Cecile replied, rolling her eyes.

“Do you want to read or not, mother? She wants a book and I'm sure she'd like to read it with her grandmother once.” She bounced the baby. “Do you wanna read with grandma?” she asked the baby.

Fallon thought for a moment before nodding.

“Don’t books usually come before bedtime?” Cecile asked as she took it upon herself to throw away some of the food Amber had in the fridge to make room for the things she’d just bought. “It’s only five o’clock, Amber. You’ll make a mess of her sleep habits if you put her to bed too early.”

“She just likes books throughout the day, not just at night.”

“She should be interacting more with children her own age. Spending all her time with adults isn’t good for her either,” Cecile replied.

“She visits Barbie’s kids constantly.”

“She should be as far away from those little animals as you can manage. I’ve seen her Facebook posts. The girl twin will be in prison by the time she’s twenty-three, mark my words,” Cecile said.

“Enough. They are like family to me, watch it.”

“People only get defensive when they’re confronted with the truth,” Cecile said to Sebastian, who rolled his eyes the moment his mother’s back was turned. “And you, young lady, that’s no way to speak to your mother. I should’ve taken a lesson from Lupe and given you kids a spanking when you mouthed off as children. Maybe it would’ve taught you some respect.”

“God forbid you teach us love and compassion,” Amber mumbled as Fallon pointed to her grandmother.

“Moo.”

Sebastian's eyes went wide, immediately shuffling back out of the room.

“There she goes again,” Cecile groaned. “Such a drama queen, Amber, you always have been. You sure do love that victim card. You know, most children don’t have the privilege you grew up with. Just look at Y/N’s children.”

Amber closed her eyes taking a deep breath in and out. “Oh god, here we go.”

“You wanted for nothing, went to the best schools, God knows you did every extracurricular you could get your hands on and then quit as soon as it got difficult. You had a wonderful life.”

“I don't deny I wanted for nothing,” Amber said.

“Well, if that’s true, then tone down the ‘poor me’ spiel. It’s beginning to get tiresome. Now, what should we have for dinner? Roasted lamb or veal?”

“Not hungry, Fallon wants a book. Now I'm gonna read it to her,” Amber growled as she carried her daughter into the nursery.

“Well, starving yourself is no way to lose the baby weight, Amber. Just ask your aunt Laura,” Cecile called after her while looking at the two proteins she was trying to decide between. “I’m thinking the lamb.”

--------

Nevada got home that night and tossed his jacket on the couch as he walked to the kitchen. Looking at you as he opened the fridge, he grabbed a beer and twisted the cap off. “Hey, what’s for dinner?”

“Work ran late so you all get pizza,” you said with a gesture to the table. “Fiona, NJ, bring me your plates when you're done.”

“Kay, mama,” NJ said as he grabbed another slice of pizza.

“Pizza again?” Nevada asked with an arched brow. “Oye, I don’t know about this working late when there’s no dinner on the table when I get home.”

“I work a full time job, I take care of our three children. If I say you're eating pizza, you're eating pizza. Right Fiona? What did we learn today?”

“Girl power,” she mumbled.

“Damn right.”

“Girl power, my ass. If you’re working a full time job, then you’re not taking care of my kids, somebody else is,” he replied, taking a swig from his beer and setting it down on the counter. “I’m not eating pizza, fuck that. I’ll go over to your mom and Gladys’ place and see if they got anything I can eat.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “Will someone go tell Lily it's time to eat? Por favor.”

NJ ran upstairs to get his sister as Nevada closed the front door after him. As your son reached the top of the stairs, he made his way into Lily’s room and jumped on her bed.

“Lily, dinner,” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Is papi downstairs?” she asked.

“Papi buela’s house,” NJ replied as he shook his head.

Lily paused for a moment and sighed. “Okay. I’m coming.”

Slowly, she got up from her bed and NJ held out his hand to hold her good one as they walked downstairs together. Walking into the kitchen, the eyed the thin, brown boxes on the table as you stood and walked over to her.

“I ordered pizza,” you said with a smile, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead. You placed a plate down in front of an empty seat and set a sluce on it.

“We had pizza last night,” she complained in a groan, sitting at the table and frowning at the pizza, then sounding entirely too much like her father when she added, “Make me some dinner!”

“Watch your tone,” you scolded and rolled your eyes. “I am working late at school this week and I need something fast and ready. Tomorrow I'll get something else. Be patient with mami, okay, I'm trying my best.”

Lily crossed her good arm over her chest defiantly after pushing her plate away and tucked her chin to her chest.

“Mami, Lily not eating!” Fiona chimed.

“Rat,” Lily hissed, glaring at her younger sister.

“Then don't eat,” you challenged as you sat down and grabbed yourself a slice.

Without another word, Lily shoved herself back with one hand against the table, not caring that in doing so, the table had jerked to one side as well. Getting up, she stomped back up to her room and slammed her door shut.

“Lily mad,” NJ said, taking another bite of his pizza.

“Her and her father often are,” you answered as you ran your fingers through his hair. “We'll let her cool off for a while?”

“Why?” Fiona asked.

“Because sometimes, something isn't worth a fight, it's better to just let it go.”

“You let papi go?” NJ asked.

“I let a fight with papi go,” you said gently.

“Papi want dinner,” NJ replied, biting his lip. “Like Lily, but I eat pizza again.”

“My sweet boy, I promise I'll make dinner tomorrow, okay?” You cupped his face and kissed his nose, then Fiona's.

Fiona scrunched her nose, leaning back away from you. She wasn’t much for gestures of affection. “Pizza cold.” Despite her protests, she bit into her slice again and chewed.

The door opened a moment later and Nevada came in with a tupperware filled with food. “Oye, your mom sent this over for the kids so you don't have to cook tomorrow.”

You took the tupperware and moved it to the fridge. “Mami, the pizza is cold because you let it sit. Here, I'll reheat it for you,” you said as you went to grab her pizza.

She snatched the plate away from you, guarding it with one little arm. “No.”

“That food was hot, just give her some of that,” Nevada replied.

“You want some other food, mi amor?” you asked your daughter who shook her head.

“No. Pizza.”

“Bueno, take some of this new food up to Lily,” you said to Nevada.

“Yeah,” he replied, taking the tupperware out of the fridge and putting some on a plate. He set the tupperware on the counter and gestured to it as he left. “Don’t put that back in the fridge till it cools down, that’s how bacteria and shit forms.”

“Thanks, Susie Homemaker,” you mumbled as you moved to sit back down with the kids.

Nevada climbed the steps and knocked on Lily’s door. “Princesa, I brought food from abuelas. It’s your favorite, vaca frita y congri!”

“Okay.”

Lily pursed her lips and waited for him to enter before she grabbed the food without looking at Nevada.

“Y que, what are you watching?” he asked as he got on the bed beside her and put his feet up, looking at the TV screen.

She scooted herself away. “I don't know.”

“You don’t know? Want me to find something better?” he asked, reaching for the remote.

“No,” she said flatly.

He dropped the remote and got more comfortable. “Okay. How you feeling okay?”

“I wanna be alone,” she mumbled crankily.

“You okay?” he asked, looking over at her with concern.

“I just wanna be alone,” she whispered softly, looking at him with sad eyes. “I don't wanna talk to anyone.”

“Okay, mi amor. I’ll come back later to get your plate,” he said, peppering kisses on her forehead. “I love you.”

She said nothing just moving to eat her food silently.

“You’re not gonna say it back?” he asked softly, running his hand over her curls.

“Go away please,” she said with a frown.

“Hey,” he said, furrowing his brows. “What’s the matter? Why are you being like this with me?”

She looked away still. “I just want to be alone.”

“Princesa--” His phone rang and he looked down to sew Chibby’s name. He sighed and answered the phone. “Oye Chibby, I gotta call you back...okay, bye.” He hung up and looked back at Lily, leaning over to kiss her head again before he got up and walked out of her room.

You were just getting the twins in bed when you made eye contact with your husband as he walked in.

“Good night, guys,” he said to the twins, kissing each of their heads.

“Night, papi,” Fiona said.

NJ held his arms out to be hugged and Nevada picked him up, hugging him tightly as he carried him to bed.

“Alright, good night, mijo.”

“Night, papi,” NJ replied.

Nevada went into your bedroom and sat down on the bed, waiting for you to finish tucking the kids in.

When you made your way out and closed their door, you pointed to the kitchen. “I'll be doing dishes and laundry if you need me,” you mumbled.

“Yeah, we gotta talk,” he replied, not moving from his spot on the bed.

You quirked a brow, listening and coming to stand in the doorway.

“What’s going on with Lily?” he asked, staring up at you. “Did you say something to her?”

“What are you talking about? What's happening with Lily now?” Your brows furrowed with genuine concern.

“I don’t know, you tell me. She was all over me yesterday and then today, it’s like she doesn’t want me around. I said ‘I love you,’ she wouldn’t say it back, she barely even noticed I was there.”

“Well I didn't say anything to her, I'm not sure,” you said.

“You didn’t say anything to her after I left? Cause you told NJ to go get her for pizza,” he replied.

“You think I'd seriously say something to turn her against you? Nevada, believe it or not we're on the same team.”

“I didn’t say you did it on purpose, but you were treating me like one of the kids before I left. You only do that when you’re feeling salty or cocky,” he replied. “I just asked if you said something cause you were mad that they might’ve overheard.”

“Because you get on my case for questioning you in front of the kids and then you make a big show of disrespecting me about the meal tonight. I just have nothing to say to you about that. But no, I haven't said a word to Lily other than to offer dinner.”

“I didn’t get on your case ni un carajo, all I asked was what was for dinner? And then I told you I don’t like that my kids gotta eat pizza two nights in a row because you’re working late. You know our oldest just got shot, right? Then you come at me with, ‘If I say you’re eating pizza, you’re eating pizza,’ like you’re my mother. You’re not my fucking mother,” he said. “So instead of fighting with you in front of the kids, I left and when I get back, I get the silent treatment.”

“You came at me saying you weren't eating the fucking pizza and went to my mother instead. Not to mention you belittling everything I do. ‘If you work all day then you're not watching my kids’ you act like you're the only person with a job. Nevada, I'm exhausted when I get home, and yet almost every day of the month, except these last two, I cook, I clean the house, I do the laundry and I try my best to make sure you and the kids have a presentable house to come home to. But I'm working so hard right now, you gotta cut me some slack once in a while.” You sighed. “Sometimes I feel like you don't appreciate a damn thing I do. I know you work hard, Nevada, but so do I.”

“You’re pissed because I didn’t want to eat pizza?” he asked with an arched brow. “I don’t belittle everything you do, why are you being dramatic?”

You just shook your head looking genuinely sad and worn down. “I'm gonna finish the dishes.”

He threw his hands up, letting them drop in his lap with a slapping sound. “Why do you always wanna walk away when I’m trying to talk to you?”

“What else do you have to say Nevada? Call me dramatic again? I'm so tired of trying to explain my feelings and you dismiss them,” you said with a frown. “It makes me feel ridiculous. I'm tired of it. I won't walk away, fine, but can you honestly not see how hard I work? How much I try to make sure you come home to a near perfect household after you work all day? I just want to feel appreciated.” you said.

“Bro, you barely look at me when I get home lately, I haven’t gotten any in God knows how long, my kids don’t have their mom at home anymore and then when you do talk to me, it’s to scold me like I’m a five year old. How am I supposed to feel? The house is clean. Great. You’re super-teacher. Peaches. But fuck both of those if you and I are fucking roommates now.”

“You don't think I want to have sex? Jesus, god knows it's been forever since I've gotten any either. I don't see you trying any more than I am and I am so sorry that sex after my daughter getting shot isn't my top priority. But it takes two Nevada, I don't see you making any advances either. I love you. You think a day goes by that I don't want you? It doesn't!”

“Y/N, how the hell am I supposed to make anything if you’re working all time? I know what time I get home every night, do you?” he replied. “Don’t try to make me the bad guy. All you do is work, what do you want me to do?”

“You aren't the bad guy,” you said, slightly calmer. “Neither of us are making the effort, that's on us both.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “Okay, Y/N,” he said as he got up and walked past you.

“Look who's walking away now. Do you want to work on this, on us or not?”

“What the hell do you think we’re doing right now?! Catching fucking butterflies?!” he exclaimed, turning to look at you.

“Well what you're doing seemed to be walking away. You're right, I shouldn't do that either.” You rub a frustrated hand through your hair. “I don't want it to be like this Nevada, I love you.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he whispered, rubbing his brows with his thumb and forefinger. “I’m walking away cause we’re not getting anywhere. Don’t you hear us talking in fucking circles?” he asked, circling his finger around.

“Then let's stop talking in circles. I'll work less,” you offered.

“Fine,” he replied in a sigh, looking over at you.

“That's usually the part where you offer a compromise too,” you said as you rubbed your temples.

“What do you want me to say? I’ll make sure to fuck you more?” he asked with a hint of a smirk as he arched a brow.

“I want a date night once in a while, and I want a thank you here and there as well. That won't kill you.”

“A thank you for what? Doing your job?” he asked with furrowed brows. He wouldn’t even acknowledge the date night request; you weren’t home enough for him to plan a date night. “You were the one that wanted all these kids, what’d you think they were gonna take care of themselves?”

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “You're right, we're going in circles.”

“You never thank me for anything, I don’t expect you to. I do what I gotta do, I don’t need a fucking cookie for it,” he replied.

“There's a difference between a cookie and wanting to feel appreciated Nevada,” you said with a sigh. “I'm not you. I want to feel appreciated once in a while.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, you’re a lot of work, woman,” he sighed as he turned and started going down the stairs.

You watched him go, closing your eyes and letting out another sigh. For your own sanity, you had to be done, but you were having trouble figuring out when the two of you had become...this.

[all-my-books]

2017 Reading

262 books read. 60% of new reads Non-fiction, authors from 55 unique countries, 35% of authors read from countries other than USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. Asterisks denote re-reads, bolds are favorites. January: The Deeds of the Disturber – Elizabeth Peters The Wiregrass – Pam Webber Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi It Didn't Start With You – Mark Wolynn Facing the Lion – Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton Before We Visit the Goddess – Chitra Divakaruni Colored People – Henry Louis Gates Jr. My Khyber Marriage – Morag Murray Abdullah Miss Bianca in the Salt Mines – Margery Sharp Farewell to the East End – Jennifer Worth Fire and Air – Erik Vlaminck My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me – Jennifer Teege Catherine the Great – Robert K Massie My Mother's Sabbath Days – Chaim Grade Not the Israel My Parents Promised Me – Harvey Pekar, JT Waldman The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend – Katarina Bivald Stammered Songbook – Erwin Mortier Savushun – Simin Daneshvar The Prophet – Kahlil Gibran Beyond the Walls – Nazim Hikmet The Dressmaker of Khair Khana – Gayle Tzemach Lemmon A Day No Pigs Would Die – Robert Newton Peck *

February: Bone Black – bell hooks Special Exits – Joyce Farmer Reading Like a Writer – Francine Prose Bright Dead Things – Ada Limon Middlemarch – George Eliot Confessions of an English Opium Eater – Thomas de Quincey Medusa's Gaze – Marina Belozerskaya Child of the Prophecy – Juliet Marillier * The File on H – Ismail Kadare The Motorcycle Diaries – Ernesto Che Guevara Passing – Nella Larsen Whose Body? - Dorothy L. Sayers The Spiral Staircase – Karen Armstrong Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel Reading Lolita in Tehran – Azar Nafisi Defiance – Nechama Tec

March: Yes, Chef – Marcus Samuelsson Discontent and its Civilizations – Mohsin Hamid The Gulag Archipelago Vol. 1 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Patience and Sarah – Isabel Miller Dying Light in Corduba – Lindsey Davis * Five Days at Memorial – Sheri Fink A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman * The Shia Revival – Vali Nasr Girt – David Hunt Half Magic – Edward Eager * Dreams of Joy – Lisa See * Too Pretty to Live – Dennis Brooks West with the Night – Beryl Markham Little Fuzzy – H. Beam Piper *

April: Defying Hitler – Sebastian Haffner Monsters in Appalachia – Sheryl Monks Sorcerer to the Crown – Zen Cho The Man Without a Face – Masha Gessen Peace is Every Step – Thich Nhat Hanh Flory – Flory van Beek Why Soccer Matters – Pele The Zhivago Affair – Peter Finn, Petra Couvee The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake – Breece Pancake The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared – Jonas Jonasson Chasing Utopia – Nikki Giovanni The Invisible Bridge – Julie Orringer * Young Adults – Daniel Pinkwater Jonathan Swift: The Reluctant Rebel – John Stubbs Black Gun, Silver Star – Art T. Burton The Arab of the Future 2 – Riad Sattouf Hole in the Heart – Henny Beaumont MASH – Richard Hooker Forgotten Ally – Rana Mitter Zorro – Isabel Allende Flying Couch – Amy Kurzweil

May: The Bite of the Mango – Mariatu Kamara Mystic and Rider – Sharon Shinn * Freedom is a Constant Struggle – Angela Davis Capture – David A. Kessler Poor Cow – Nell Dunn My Father's Dragon – Ruth Stiles Gannett * Elmer and the Dragon – Ruth Stiles Gannett * The Dragons of Blueland – Ruth Stiles Gannett * Hetty Feather – Jacqueline Wilson In the Shadow of the Banyan – Vaddey Ratner The Last Camel Died at Noon – Elizabeth Peters Cannibalism – Bill Schutt The Handmaid's Tale – Margaret Atwood A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry The Food of a Younger Land – Mark Kurlansky Behold the Dreamers – Imbolo Mbue Words on the Move – John McWhorter John Ransom's Diary: Andersonville – John Ransom Such a Lovely Little War – Marcelino Truong Child of All Nations – Irmgard Keun One Child – Mei Fong Country of Red Azaleas – Domnica Radulescu Between Two Worlds – Zainab Salbi Malinche – Julia Esquivel A Lucky Child – Thomas Buergenthal The Drackenberg Adventure – Lloyd Alexander Say You're One of Them – Uwem Akpan William Wells Brown – Ezra Greenspan

June: Partners In Crime – Agatha Christie The Chinese in America – Iris Chang The Great Escape – Kati Marton As Texas Goes... – Gail Collins Pavilion of Women – Pearl S. Buck Classic Chinese Stories – Lu Xun The Return of the Soldier – Rebecca West The Slave Across the Street – Theresa Flores Miss Bianca in the Orient – Margery Sharp Boy Erased – Garrard Conley How to Be a Dictator – Mikal Hem A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini Tears of the Desert – Halima Bashir The Death and Life of Great American Cities – Jane Jacobs The First Salute – Barbara Tuchman Come as You Are – Emily Nagoski The Want-Ad Killer – Ann Rule The Gulag Archipelago Vol 2 – Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

July: Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz – L. Frank Baum * The Blazing World – Margaret Cavendish Madonna in a Fur Coat – Sabahattin Ali Duende – tracy k. smith The ACB With Honora Lee – Kate de Goldi Mountains of the Pharaohs – Zahi Hawass Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy Chronicle of a Last Summer – Yasmine el Rashidi Killers of the Flower Moon – David Grann Mister Monday – Garth Nix * Leaving Yuba City – Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni The Silk Roads – Peter Frankopan The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams A Corner of White – Jaclyn Moriarty * Circling the Sun – Paula McLain Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them – Al Franken Believe Me – Eddie Izzard The Cracks in the Kingdom – Jaclyn Moriarty * Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe – Fannie Flagg * One Hundred and One Days – Asne Seierstad Grim Tuesday – Garth Nix * The Vanishing Velasquez – Laura Cumming Four Against the Arctic – David Roberts The Marriage Bureau – Penrose Halson The Jesuit and the Skull – Amir D Aczel Drowned Wednesday – Garth Nix * Roots, Radicals, and Rockers – Billy Bragg A Tangle of Gold – Jaclyn Moriarty * Lydia, Queen of Palestine – Uri Orlev *

August: Sir Thursday – Garth Nix * The Hoboken Chicken Emergency – Daniel Pinkwater * Lady Friday – Garth Nix * Freddy and the Perilous Adventure – Walter R. Brooks * Venice – Jan Morris China's Long March – Jean Fritz Trials of the Earth – Mary Mann Hamilton The Bully Pulpit – Doris Kearns Goodwin Final Exit – Derek Humphry The Book of Emma Reyes – Emma Reyes Freddy the Politician – Walter R. Brooks * Dragonflight – Anne McCaffrey * What the Witch Left – Ruth Chew All Passion Spent – Vita Sackville-West The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde The Curse of the Blue Figurine – John Bellairs * When They Severed Earth From Sky – Elizabeth Wayland Barber Superior Saturday – Garth Nix * The Boston Girl – Anita Diamant The Mummy, The Will, and the Crypt – John Bellairs * Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? - Frans de Waal The Philadelphia Adventure – Lloyd Alexander * Lord Sunday – Garth Nix * The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull – John Bellairs * Five Little Pigs – Agatha Christie * Love in Vain – JM Dupont, Mezzo A Little History of the World – EH Gombrich Last Things – Marissa Moss Imagine Wanting Only This – Kristen Radtke Dinosaur Empire – Abby Howard The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents – Terry Pratchett *

September: First Bite by Bee Wilson The Xanadu Adventure by Lloyd Alexander Orientalism – Edward Said The Lost Crown of Genghis Khan – Carl Barks The Island on Bird Street – Uri Orlev * The Indifferent Stars Above – Daniel James Brown Beneath the Lion's Gaze – Maaza Mengiste The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde * The Book of Five Rings – Miyamoto Musashi The Drunken Botanist – Amy Stewart The Turtle of Oman – Naomi Shahib Nye The Alleluia Files – Sharon Shinn * Gut Feelings – Gerd Gigerenzer The Secret of Hondorica – Carl Barks Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight – Alexandra Fuller The Abominable Mr. Seabrook – Joe Ollmann Black Flags – Joby Warrick

October: Fear – Thich Nhat Hanh Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8 – Naoki Higashida To the Bright Edge of the World – Eowyn Ivey Why? - Mario Livio Just One Damned Thing After Another – Jodi Taylor The Yellow Wallpaper – Charlotte Perkins Gilman Blindness – Jose Saramago The Book Thieves – Anders Rydell Reality is not What it Seems – Carlo Rovelli Cranford – Elizabeth Gaskell * The Witch Family – Eleanor Estes * Sister Mine – Nalo Hopkinson La Vagabonde – Colette Becoming Nicole – Amy Ellis Nutt

November: The Golden Notebook – Doris Lessing The Children's Book – A.S. Byatt The Fire Next Time – James Baldwin Under the Udala Trees – Chinelo Okparanta Who Killed These Girls? – Beverly Lowry Running for my Life – Lopez Lmong Radium Girls – Kate Moore News of the World – Paulette Jiles The Red Pony – John Steinbeck The Edible History of Humanity – Tom Standage A Woman in Arabia – Gertrude Bell and Georgina Howell Founding Gardeners – Andrea Wulf Anatomy of a Disapperance – Hisham Matar The Book of Night Women – Marlon James Ground Zero – Kevin J. Anderson * Acorna – Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball * A Girl Named Zippy – Haven Kimmel * The Age of the Vikings – Anders Winroth The Spanish Civil War: A Very Short Introduction – Helen Graham A General History of the Pyrates – Captain Charles Johnson (suspected Nathaniel Mist) Clouds of Witness – Dorothy L. Sayers * The Lonely City – Olivia Laing No Time for Tears – Judy Heath

December: The Unwomanly Face of War – Svetlana Alexievich Gay-Neck - Dhan Gopal Mukerji The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane – Lisa See Get Well Soon – Jennifer Wright The Testament of Mary – Colm Toibin The Roman Way – Edith Hamilton Understood Betsy – Dorothy Canfield Fisher * The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Vicente Blasco Ibanez Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – Robert C. O'Brien SPQR – Mary Beard Ballet Shoes – Noel Streatfeild * Hogfather – Terry Pratchett * The Sorrow of War – Bao Ninh Drowned Hopes – Donald E. Westlake * Selected Essays – Michel de Montaigne Vietnam – Stanley Karnow The Snake, The Crocodile, and the Dog – Elizabeth Peters Guests of the Sheik – Elizabetha Warnok Fernea Stone Butch Blues – Leslie Feinberg Wicked Plants – Amy Stewart Life in a Medieval City – Joseph and Frances Gies Under the Sea Wind – Rachel Carson The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia – Mary and Brian Talbot Brat Farrar – Josephine Tey * The Treasure of the Ten Avatars – Don Rosa Escape From Forbidden Valley – Don Rosa Nightwood – Djuna Barnes Here Comes the Sun – Nicole Dennis-Benn Over My Dead Body – Rex Stout *

[liputanviral-blog]

Deretan Menu Mewah di Afterparty Oscar 2019

Liputanviral - The 91st Academy Awards atau yang biasa disebut Piala Oscar 2019 tengah berlangsung pada Minggu, 24 Februari 2019 waktu Amerika Serikat atau pagi hari ini, Senin, 25 Februari 2019 waktu Indonesia. Bukan hanya membacakan nominasi, membagikan penghargaan dan penampilan hiburan saja, makanan dan minuman tentu menjadi salah satu yang ditunggu-tunggu di gelaran ini. Seperti tradisi tahun-tahun sebelumnya, akan ada afterparty bertajuk Oscars Governors Ball yang digelar dalam skala besar dan melibatkan seluruh artis dan tamu undangan. Untuk kesekian kalinya, chef legendaris AS-Austria, Wolfgang Puck dan timnya kembali dipercaya untuk menyuguhkan makanan pada penyelenggaraan pesta itu. Chef Puck bersama dengan partnernya, Eric Klein telah menciptakan lebih dari 60 hidangan mewah, dari hors-d'oeuvres hingga hidangan penutup. Ada hidangan favorit tamu yang khas, yang kembali hadir di tahun ini, seperti Smoked Salmon Oscars, Potato and Caviar 2.0, dan Winter Truffle Baked Cavatappi and Cheese. Namun ada banyak menu baru, seperti Heirloom Carrot "Tartare", Pasta Torchio Vegan dengan Arugula, Tomato and Caper Berries, Nashville Hot Fried Quail with Red Velvet Waffle dan Loup de Mer dengan salsa Romesco. Selain itu akan ada sushi sesuai pesanan dan bar  makanan mentah yang disajikan di atas es pahatan tangan. Tim pastry dari Kamel Guechida, Garry Larduinat, dan Jason Lemmonier juga akan menghadirkan deretan hidangan penutup menggugah selera, termasuk cokelat berbentuk piala Oscar yang dilapisi emas 24 karat, Golden Piper Heidsieck Champagne dan Strawberry Push-Up Pops, Square Pillow Cake with Coconut Mango dan Markisa, Black Forest "Cherry". Kemudian beberapa dessert lainnya adalah Affogato dengan Housemade Ice Cream dan Stumptown Nitro Cold Brew.

Berikut ini daftar makanan yang akan disuguhkan kepada para tamu Oscar ke 91. 1. Hidangan gurih Amuse Bouche - Crostini dari Semangka Terkompresi dengan Keju Citrus Feta; Crab Deviled Eggs; Alpukat Tostadas dengan Crunch cabbage dan Chipotle Glaze; Crostini with New York Steak, Chimichurri Klasik; Spicy Ranch Popcorn; Housemade Potato Chips. Hors d'Oeuvres - Potsticker Jamur Liar, Black Truffle Ponzu; Miyazaki Wagyu Beef Tartare in Tapioca Crisp, Togarashi; Taro Root Taco with Miso Glazed Eggplant and Smoked Soy Mushrooms; Heirloom Carrot “Tartare”, Pickled Mustard Seed, Horseradish, Sunchoke Bark; Smoked Salmon Oscars Matzo; Miniature Miyazaki Wagyu Burger, Sharp Cheddar, Remoulade; Wolfgang Puck Signature Pizzas; Spicy Tuna Tartare In Sesame Miso Cones; Alaskan King Crab, Crispy Rice Cake, Avocado, Aji Amario-Yuzu Ponzu; Opal Apple “Summer Roll”, Cucumber, Shiso, Pomegranate Pearl. Raw Bar - Spicy Tuna Rolls; California Rolls; Vegetable Rolls; Made To Order Nigiri; Scallop Ceviche, Black Garlic, Satsuma Tangerine Miso, Micro Herbs; Sea Urchin with Eggless Custard, Dashi, Unagi Glaze, Finger Lime; Albacore Tataki, Sweet Onions, Ginger, Momiji Chili, Ponzu; Oysters; Snow Crab Claws; King Crab Legs; Lobster; Shrimp. Small plate - Dingin: Caramelized Cauliflower, Golden Raisin, Lime, Labneh, Pinenut, Shiso-Za’atar; Frozen Golden Beets, Almond Custard, Meyer Lemon, Ice Lettuce; Snap Peas, Asian Pear, Pomelo Salad, Cacik Cheese, Mint, Walnut; Compressed Persimmon, Cinco Jotas Jamón Ibérico, Burrata, Wild Arugula. Hot: Sunchoke and Fennel Soup, Chips, Truffle Gremolata; Potato and Caviar 2.0; Black Truffle Chicken Pot Pie; Winter Truffle Baked Cavatappi and Cheese; Pea Agnolotti, Black Truffle, Peas Shoot, Parmesan Reggiano Brittle; Miyazaki Wagyu Beef Ny, Carrot Vichy, Spigarello, Yuzu Kotcho Ponzu; Loup De Mer, Calçot Onions, Artichokes, Fennel, Romesco Salsa, Espelette; Nashville Hot Fried Quail, House Made Pickles, Red Velvet Waffle; Torchio Pasta, Arugula, Tomato, Caper Berries, Aleppo Pepper, Black Olive Oil, Basil Flower; Austrian Ricotta Dumpling, Watercress-Pea Pesto, Lemon Brown Butter. 2. Makanan penutup Permen Individual & Berlapis - 24 Karat Dusted Valrhona Illanka Chocolate Oscar; Ombre Chocolate Dipped Strawberries; Pillow Cake with Coconut Mango and Passion Fruit; Coconut - Chocolate Bar; Yuzu Religieuse; Passion Fruit Cookie with Chocolate Chunks; Chocolate Chip Cookies; Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies; Milk Chocolate and Caramelized Pecan Cookies; Strawberry Cookies; Hazelnut and Almond Brownies; Espresso Macaron; Matcha Cherry Macaron; Hibiscus Orange Pate De Fruit; Piper Heidsieck Golden Champagne Strawberry Push Pop; Mini Wolfgang Puck Dark Chocolate Bars. Small Plates - Black Forest “Cherry”; Butterscotch Verrine with Dark Chocolate Nest; Tropical Pavlova with Macerated Jackfruit and Dragon Fruit; Strawberry Ginger Cheesecake with Jasmine Gelee. Lollipop - Passion Fruit Cheesecake; Praline Almond Chocolate; Chocolate Oscars with Strawberry Valrhona Chocolate. Chocolate Bonbons - Chai Latte; Thai Tea with Young Coconut; Honey Jasmine; Earl Grey Tea Biscuit; Espresso Triple Shot; Praline Roasted Coffee Bean. Dessert Action Stations - Air Bread “Sea Urchin” with Passion Fruit Caviar; Affogato with Housemade Ice Creams and Stumptown Nitro Cold-Brew. Vegan Sweets (tanpa gual) - Hawaiian Superfood Spheres; Red Velvet Whoopie Pies; Cashew Vanilla Tiramisu; Tropical Halo-Halo; Sunflower Raspberry Macaron; Chocolate and Sea Salt Cookies. 3. Minuman Rosella: Tequila Don Julio Blanco, vermouth putih, jus lemon segar, simple syrup, Scraper's Lavender Bitters, Fever Tree Ginger Beer, bunga kembang sepatu, dan minyak jeruk. Ancho Kuno: Tequila Don Julio Reposado, Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur, Bittered Sling Arabica Coffee Bitters, sirup demerara, orange oil mist, orange twist garnish. Read the full article

[sdconnection-blog]

By Joyell Nevins

Latino Film Festival returns to Fashion Valley

Five screens, 11 days, more than 160 films. The San Diego Latino Film Festival will incorporate drama, comedy, romance, documentary and other film styles to share the Latino experience at the AMC 18 Fashion Valley theaters from March 16-26.

The festival is in its 24th year and draws audience members from California to New York, along with special guest actors and filmmakers from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Spain.

More than 600 entries are submitted every year, but only the top-ranking ones by festival staff can make the cut.

“The criteria we use to rank the movies includes cinematography, editing, storytelling style, and originality,” said Moises Esparza, programming manager for the festival. “We are, above all, most interested in what the film proposes about the Latino experience.”

(Images for graphic courtesy of Latino Film Festival)

The festival began in 1994 as a small student film festival called Cine Estudiantil. It was held at several different schools the first few years. Then in 1997, renowned actor Edward James Olmos came as a special guest. The house was packed, and an idea was born.

The film festival was moved to a commercial movie theater, special guests were invited, and corporate sponsors and media outlets started to take notice.

“We had the option of using multiple auditoriums within one movie theater, and we could present a diversity of movies that appeal to diverse audiences within the Latino community,” said Ethan van Thillo, executive director and founder of the San Diego Latino Film Festival.

More celebrities began to attend, and the reach of the films increased. Well-known names such as Ray Bradbury, Clifton Collins Jr., and Jacob Vargas have all appeared at the festival. This year, Bruno Bichir, Stefanie Sherk, Cecilia Suarez, Sofia Espinoza, Jaime Garcia, Andres Almeida, Maria Rojo, Jesus Magana, Rodrige Reyes, and Marimar Vega all will be making an appearance.

In 1999, the film festival branched out with screenings throughout the year and morphed into the nonprofit Media Arts Center San Diego. Now, in addition to the film festival, the Media Arts Center has a “Digital Gym” in North Park.

The Digital Gym boasts a movie theater that shows 15-20 independent films a month; a tech bar computer space with Power Mac G5s loaded with graphic and design software; a media lounge and a digital techie store. Media Arts Center also hosts training, workshops and outreaches for future filmmakers and audio, visual and multimedia designers.

The San Diego Latino Film Festival still remains one of their biggest and broadest events of the year.

“Our 24th festival is going to be the best and most important ever. Not only will it include entertaining new movies never before screened here in San Diego; but this year comes at an important time in our country’s history. The festival stands for all that is good with the U.S.A. and our border region — diversity, creativity, innovation, international collaboration y más,” Thillo said.

The festival boasts spotlight films like Oscar nominee Demian Birchir’s directorial debut, “Un Cuento de Circo and a Love Song” and tributes to and screenings of iconic filmmakers Manolo Caro and Arturo Ripstein. It offers opportunities to meet such talented artists at special question-and-answer sessions.

But it also provides an audience for documentaries like “Beyond the Crossfire,” a project by a group of students at High Tech High Chula Vista. The film explores the effects of gun violence in the U.S., capturing stories of leaders in brain health, youth mentor programs, peer to peer counseling and juvenile justice reforms who are all working to reduce the violence.

It took two years for the students to finish the film, learning everything from how to finance a film project to creating a DVD. “Crossfire” was completed three days before their graduation. However, more than eight of the original students that served as directors and crew will be at the festival.

“It is still a relevant topic with a strong call to action for viewers,” High Tech 11th grade science teacher Nuvia Ruland said. “We hope it inspires everyone who sees it to get involved in small and big ways to make change in their community.”

“Beyond the Crossfire” is part of the Frontera Filmmakers showcase, which also includes first-time filmmakers and a short film compilation. To help audiences determine which movies to watch out of the masses available, the festival’s film curators have put together “showcases,” collections of films celebrating certain countries, genres or themes. There are 18 total, including a CineGay showcase, providing insight into the Latino LGBTQ experience; focus on the countries Brazil and Mexico; and one dedicated to movies revolving around food.

The festival extends beyond the film screenings. There will also be Sonido Latino daily musical performances by local and international artists and the second annual Sabor Latino Food, Beer and Wine Festival. That event includes unlimited food and beverage tastings by celebrated Latino chefs and more than 20 craft breweries and wineries from San Diego and Baja California. All proceeds benefit the Media Art Center’s youth education and outreach programs.

Start and end the film festival with a bang as well: The Opening Night party will feature live music and dancing at Balboa’s Historic Abbey, while the Closing Night party will be an upscale soiree with music and cuisine at the Meze in the Gaslamp.

Find out more information about the events, the films, and the screenings at 2017.sdlatinofilm.com. Learn more about Media Arts Center at mediaartscenter.org.

—Freelance writer Joyell Nevins can be reached at joyellc@gmail.com. You can also follow her blog Small World, Big God at swblog.wordpress.com.

The post Nuestro cine, nuestra voz! appeared first on Mission Valley News.

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Mission Valley Carjacking at Promenade

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Original Article Provided By: MissionValleyNews.com Nuestro cine, nuestra voz! By Joyell Nevins Latino Film Festival returns to Fashion Valley Five screens, 11 days, more than 160 films.