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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
From the Farm: Duck Soup both a movie and recipe classic, served and savored at YOUYU
There's been much anger and lament (my own included) about this month's government budget cuts for support and funding for PBS radio and TV stations around the country. While growing up at the farm in the 1970s and 1980s, these were the decades of a rooftop tower antennae for the rabbit-ear television connection to just three major prime time networks, CBS, NBC and ABC, along with our three South Bend 'local TV affiliate stations,' and the added blessings of WGN-Channel 9 and WFLD Channel 32, plus our bonus of PBS Channel 11. (On a clear day, we might also get some fuzzy feed from Channel 34 PBS from Elkhart and Channel 44 from Fort Wayne, despite what we called 'a snowy reception.') Our prized public and government funded PBS channels were our true 'window to the world' because of both the children's educational programs like 'Sesame Street,' 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,' 'Zoom' and 'Electric Company,' and also a full menu of cooking shows hosted by the likes of late greats 'The French Chef' Julia Child,' 'The Frugal Gourmet' Jeff Smith, 'Yan Can Cook' Chef Martin Yan, and New Orleans kitchen hospitality from Justin Wilson's 'Louisiana Cookin'.' Just a couple channel clicks from Channel 11 was station numerical neighbor WGN Channel 9 with a late night vault of favorite old black and white movies, from the weekly 'Creature Features' scary films on Fridays, to Saturday nights of classic comedies of teamed humor icons starring a parade of favorites like W.C. Fields and Mae West, the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, Laurel and Hardy and others. My older sister Pam would occasionally let pesky little brother Phil join any late-night movie viewing fun during her weekend slumber parties and birthday party overnights with her elementary pals Robin and Melanie. One of my favorite Marx Brothers comedy films has always been the 1933 romp featuring the four brothers Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo titled 'Duck Soup.' The opening credits of the film have always remained emblazoned in my brain: four white live ducks bobbing carelessly in a soup kettle of hot water above a flame! I still wonder if this film is one of the reasons I have always loved roast duck and duck soup, the latter a menu rarity these days. Last weekend, my dad Chester celebrated his 96th birthday with our family and friends with an Elvis-themed ballroom dinner party featuring The King's favorite recipes, followed by a tribute artist concert. My sister Pam invited her school days pals Melanie and Robin to travel to the Region to celebrate Melanie's 59th birthday with duck soup, the recipe, not the movie. Director Leo McCarey provided the title for the Marx Brothers film by lifting it from an earlier directorial project he shared with Laurel and Hardy. Paramount Studios liked this 'animal title' because it stayed in the theme of animal titles of the brothers' previous three films: 'Animal Crackers' (1930), 'Monkey Business' (1931), and 'Horse Feathers' (1932). The term 'duck soup' is also American English slang referring to something easy to do, while conversely, 'to duck something' means to avoid it. The only place I knew to enjoy freshly made duck soup in this area is at YOUYU Noodle Bar at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary, which serves up a mouthwatering variety of Asian dishes as well as freshly made noodles in savory broths. The flavors are inspired by Asian street food, and guests have the advantage of enjoying these delicacies in YOUYU's sleek Hong Kong-like atmosphere in the restaurant's anchor location near the Asian gaming area at the casino at 5400 W. 29th Ave. in Gary. It is one of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana's five restaurants. Pam and her friends had never visited Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, which opened in May 2021 and showcases an Asian gaming landscape, including an upscale Asian gaming lounge with a variety of exciting table games, including Pai Gow and Baccarat. The Hard Rock hosts speak a variety of Asian languages, including Cantonese, Taishanese, Mandarin and Vietnamese. Besides dining on their duck soup and other Asian delicacies, Pam's other prominent point of interest was to see the casino's new $1 million win possibility 'on a single spin' slot machines, just added last month, located in the 'high limit room,' starting at '$25 a pull.' The four 'Dragon Link' theme slot machines have a payout that winners can take home immediately. (It's $600,000 for the true winnings after taxes are taken out.) Hammond's Horseshoe Casino added the same gaming slot opportunity in March. The duck soup recipe at YOUYU involves quite a kitchen concerted effort, many rare and aromatic spices and menu patience. After reviewing a copy of the customized recipe I was kindly provided by the chef, I decided it best to enjoy that particular recipe in the intended dining landscape at YOUYU, where it is easily ladled up and always on the menu with other desired specialties. I have my own more basic variation clipped years ago and created by the aforementioned PBS TV kitchen claim-to-fame Jeff Smith, aka 'The Frugal Gourmet,' who died in 2004 at age 65. Smith explained in 1996 on his show: 'In 1873, one of the famed Yankee Clipper ships delivered a cargo of nine Peking ducks to Long Island, New York, and from these nine have descended the millions and millions of domestic ducks of these same species that we know today in the U.S. Despite its rich and distinctive flavor, duck has fallen out of fashion in recent decades but remains a prized bird in China.' 2 quarts fresh or canned chicken soup stock 6 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup warm water, the water reserved Pinch of ground white pepper 1 cup Chinese greens (bok choy, Napa) Bones from 1 roast duck, meat and skin reserved 3 green onions, chopped 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 cup cooked duck meat, cut julienne Salt to taste 1-ounce cellophane noodles (sai fun, found in Asian markets) 1 raw egg (garnish) 1 tablespoon chopped Chinese parsley (garnish) Directions: Bring the stock to a simmer and add the mushrooms and the water in which they were soaked. Add the pepper, greens and bones and simmer for 1 hour. Drain the stock and discard all solids except the mushrooms. Cut the mushrooms julienne and return to the stockpot. Add the green onions, sesame oil and cooked duck meat and skin, taste for salt. Drop the noodles into the pot and simmer until they are just tender, about 5 minutes. Place the soup in a tureen and add the raw whole egg right from shell to garnish soup. (It will cook enough in hot broth before serving.) Add the parsley garnish, and stir the egg into the soup at the table as serving.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
As a child, I was fascinated by clowns...' Liev Schreiber reveals inspiration for acting career
Liev Schreiber was inspired to become an actor by his passion for clowns and the circus as a child. The 57-year-old star has revealed he was always intrigued by clowns from his trips to the circus with his grandfather Alex Milgram - his mother Heather Milgram's father - and the first seeds of his career were shown when he wanted to entertain his family. In an interview with Italian publication IO Donna, he said: "As a child, I was fascinated by clowns and enjoyed entertaining my family . My mother was a bit of a hippie; she placed more importance on art than money: she was a taxi driver, and as soon as she had some, she'd spend it on taking us to the movies or the theatre." Liev insists his grandfather Alex - who emigrated to America from Ukraine and played the cello - was more of an influence and inspiration for him to go into acting than his dad, Tell Schreiber, who was an actor and theatre director. When asked what influence Tell had on him, Liev said: "Perhaps I was more inspired by the circus, where my grandfather took me. "At the exit, they sold little swords for children, and I remember playing with them in front of Madison Square Garden, thinking about The Legend of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn. My parents separated when I was four, and I grew up mostly with my mother, who was a bit of a hippie socialist who even lived in squats; artistic education was more important than anything else. We went to a movie theatre on Eighth Street where they showed old black-and-white films, but I think I appreciated them more as I grew older." Liev - who has vivid memories of watching films starring Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers with his mother - is dad to 23-month-old daughter Hazel, his child with wife Taylor Neisen. The Ray Donovan star is enjoying being a father in his 50s and says children give you a solid grounding when you work in Hollywood. Liev - who has two teenage children from his relationship with British actress Naomi Watts - said: "I could have had a more relaxed life, but with a small child, you have to provide stability, respect sleep and meal times. "Children keep you grounded. When I had my first two, who are now 17 and 18, it was a strange time: my ex and I were the centre of attention, and success can make you lose your sense of reality. Children bring you back to what's truly important."
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cuomo and Mamdani are the focus of the final hours of New York City's mayoral primary
Andrew Cuomo popped up with just a few minutes' notice to vote at a high school, decided not to rank anyone but himself, and drove away. Starting with a rally at dawn, Zohran Mamdani spent primary day popping up around New York City, sometimes with volunteers for his campaign, sometimes joined by other mayoral candidates he has cross-endorsed. Technically, there are 11 candidates on Tuesday's ballot. But the final weeks of the Democratic race have revolved around Cuomo, who resigned as New York governor in 2021, and Mamdani, an assemblyman and democratic socialist who has been in government for less than five years. For all their disagreements, sources in both leading New York City mayoral primary campaigns told CNN their assessment going into Tuesday was the same: jump ball. But in the closing hours of what has been an upending final two weeks of this campaign, nervousness was tipping into dread for some on the Cuomo campaign, which had expected to ride right through this election as the front-runner. Mamdani supporters were trying to process their excitement and disbelief about a race that feels to them like it gelled at just the right moment. Also, there was the heat. Tuesday was oppressively hot in New York, trapped under the heat dome that settled in over the East Coast at the beginning of the week. Who wins may come down to which candidate more voters find completely, absolutely unacceptable. Cuomo still faces skepticism over the issues that led him to quit as governor – sexual harassment allegations he has denied and his handling of Covid-19 – while Mamdani's critics call out his thin government experience and question his past statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Polls close at 9 p.m. Eastern. The primary's ranked-choice voting system could mean we don't know a winner until at least next week. Here's what to watch Tuesday night as New York Democrats make their picks for mayor and other offices: Cuomo has been running on his experience getting bills and projects passed. It didn't take his endorsement by his old boss Bill Clinton on Sunday made clear that he's positioning his campaign in part as the bulwark to the leftward, democratic socialist swing within parts of the Democratic Party. The party 'has been taken over by this far-left socialist mentality: dismantle the police, abolish the jail system, legalize prostitution, invest all the money in education—because if people have an education, nobody will commit a crime. What a beautiful concept. I think the Marx Brothers talked about that. It was called utopia. You know, it's a nice concept, but it has nothing to do with reality, right?' Cuomo said at a campaign event on Sunday. 'What has the Democratic Party produced for anybody recently? What has it done for the people in this city? The city's going backwards. What did it do for the country? The country's been going backwards. And that's the problem with the Democratic Party.' New York City has been facing several overlapping crises in the years since coming out of the pandemic. Together, those crises have created a sense for some that the city is out of control and not a place they either want to or can live anymore. Cuomo has campaigned as the strong, competent hand that New York needs to change that. Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Queens congressman who has endorsed Cuomo, told CNN he's hoping that national leaders take note of the issues Cuomo is focused on and the kind of coalition he is building, saying the campaign 'helps us as we're getting ready for the struggles and battles in 2026 to regain the House.' Talk of who could stand up to President Donald Trump has been a major factor in the race in a city that showed both a significant increase in support for the Republican in the 2024 election. New York has been struggling with the massive influx of migrants that occurred during the previous administration of President Joe Biden. It's also being targeted by Trump administration officials for more crackdowns. 'I do not support Mr. Cuomo,' Jennifer Browne, one city voter, told CNN. 'I take care of my elderly mom who has Alzheimer's and I'm very distressed by the way the whole nursing home issue and I believe he's a sexual harasser and women will not be protected under him.' Other voters pushed back on exactly those issues, saying they are ready to forgive Cuomo and in fact look fondly toward him because of how well they remember him managing the pandemic. Mamdani has been talking up the need to turn the page to a new generation of politics while pitching an array of ideas to deal with the city's affordability crisis that range from rent freezes to city-owned and operated grocery stores. The 33-year-old, three-term assemblyman has caught fire in large part from disaffection, particularly among younger voters, with what the Democratic Party has been and how the 67-year-old Cuomo can seem like a walking metaphor for what they are trying to leave behind. Mamdani has said his lack of experience is a virtue both in making him free of scandals and in opening him up to new ways of thinking about what government can and should do. While Cuomo talks about the need for effective compromise, Mamdani said his uncompromising approach is precisely what New Yorkers want. 'So much of what he celebrates as his record are the things that he worked his hardest to water down when he was actually in power,' Mamdani said. 'An idea is only as good as its implementation. And these ideas we have put forward of freezing the rent and making buses fast and free, delivering universal childcare, we put them forward because we're confident we can deliver them.' Mamdani drew adamant opposition from some Democrats due to his socialist proposals and anger over his positions related to antisemitism and support for Israel. Mamdani refused to say he believed Israel had the right to exist as a Jewish state or condemn the phrase 'globalize the intifada,' referencing an Arabic term used by Palestinians to describe their uprising against Israel. Cuomo repeatedly accused Mamdani of fueling antisemitic hate, a charge Mamdani denied. This is the second mayoral primary election in New York City that will use a ranked-choice system, allowing voters to pick their five top candidates, and then having their votes reallocated to the leading candidates over multiple rounds. In 2021, though current Mayor Eric Adams stayed in first place through all seven rounds, he won in the end by just 7,000 votes. All the candidates are bracing for an extended wait. Some have been running strategies geared toward the peculiarities of this kind of election: Mamdani and city Comptroller Brad Lander cross-endorsed each other, for example, each urging their supporters to rank the other second. Other groups have been pushing a 'Don't Rank Cuomo' effort. How this, or voters who still don't understand the ranked system and pick only one candidate or those who may rank Cuomo as their only second choice because they know his name, will work out in the math is impossible to predict. If no candidate wins a majority of the first-choice votes, it'll be a week before the New York City Board of Elections releases a first look at the ranked-choice results on July 1. And that's assuming the board won't have another round of problems that they are infamous for. Or that there aren't legal challenges brought on by other problems. Primary day is going to be the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures expected to go over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. That may keep older voters home, potentially hurting Cuomo, but it could also complicated organizing for less-involved voters, which could hurt Mamdani and the other candidates. Last week, the New York City Board of Elections announced that it would be distributing fans and water to polling sites without air conditioning. Multiple campaigns have already voiced their concerns about how the heat is going to be handled and how it may affect the results. And it may not just be about the voters who do or don't turn out: if polling sites are not able to operate properly of voting machines break down in the heat, legal challenges are expected. Known as a heavily Democratic city, New York has actually elected a Republican in five of its last eight mayoral elections – two times for Rudy Giuliani and three times for Mike Bloomberg, who had re-registered as an independent by his last race but appeared as the Republican candidate and has since become a Democrat again. (He's endorsed and donated to Cuomo.) Cuomo is looking at staying in on his own ballot line if he doesn't win on Tuesday. And the Working Families Party has its own ballot line and is expected to give it to Mamdani if he doesn't become the Democratic nominee. The Democratic primary winner will face Adams, the incumbent mayor who opted out of this year's primary four years after winning it and being hailed as a national leader for Democrats. Adams was indicted last year on charges that he accepted improper gifts and favors, a case that was dismissed by the Trump administration. There will also be a Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa. Unlike in the primary, there is no ranked-choice voting in November. Whoever wins the most votes outright will become mayor. CNN's Gloria Pazmino contributed to this report.
Buzz Feed
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
31 Rare Photos Of Classic Hollywood Stars
Lucille Ball looking glamorous as all hell in 1942. And here's Ginger Rogers, age 65, wiping sweat off her face after rehearsing for her nightclub show and showing off her strong dancer's legs. The Marx Brothers serving cocktails at the Savoy Hotel in London. In case you also don't recognize them out of costume, from left to right, that's Zeppo, Harpo, Groucho, and Chico. Doris Day at her Los Angeles home in 1951 with her dogs Beanie and Smudge. Lana Turner testifies at the trial of her teenage daughter, Cheryl Crane. Crane killed Turner's abusive gangster boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato, in what the jury deemed a "justifiable homicide." Sidney Poitier and his wife Joanna Shimkus pushing their child in a stroller through London Heathrow Airport. Here's Rita Hayworth posing for a pic after donating her car's bumper in a World War II scrap drive. Putting this pic of Greta Garbo flexing in 1926 on my vision board for how I want my summer to be. Jerry Lewis getting his butt kicked by Pierre the chimpanzee. The OG Pink Panther Peter Sellers with his wife Anne Hayes and their son Michael. Here's Kim Novak playing cards with the crew behind the scenes of a movie in the mid-'50s. And Hedy Lamarr measuring a lampshade before embarking on a home-decorating project. This star had a second career as a scientist and inventor; her work laid the foundation for a few of my favorite things: Bluetooth, wifi, and GPS. Ida Lupino went from starring in movies to directing them. Here she is behind the camera working on her film Mother of a Champion. James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor lounging on a break from shooting Giant in 1955. Grace Kelley in Cannes in 1955. She would meet her future husband, Prince Rainier of Monaco, on this trip. Audrey Hepburn meeting Santa in 1953. Rock Hudson and his "roommate," Bob Preble, in the car, headed toward the Hollywood home they shared. At the time, the press described the pair as "two hunks living together to save a buck." More recently, the documentary Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed explores how Hudson hid his sexuality while working in old Hollywood. Jimmy Stewart playing ping pong at Henry Fonda's house. Ingrid Bergman visits the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. Bergman played Joan three times in her career, once on the stage and twice on film. Bette Davis at home with her wood-burning stove. Clark Gable driving onto the MGM lot. Is it just me, or does he kind of look like George Clooney here? Rita Moreno seen here after being barred from testifying in defense of her boyfriend, jazz pianist George Hormel, on the grounds that she wasn't a "marijuana expert." Hormel was arrested for possession after inspectors found 13 marijuana cigarettes under the visor in his car, but he was acquitted at trial. Dorothy Dandridge poses before a swim in the French Riviera. Actors Randolph Scott and Cary Grant working out together. The two were rumored to have been romantically involved. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall with one of their dogs. Both stars were big dog lovers, and they eventually owned three boxers together. Their first boxer, Harvey, died six months after Bogart in 1957. Jayne Mansfield getting her iconic blonde hair done. Mansfield's daughter is Law and Order star Mariska Hargitay. Marilyn Monroe hanging out with a couple of penguins in her Norma Jean era. Gregory Peck relaxing on a deep sea fishing trip. Charlie Chaplin soaks up some good press the morning after winning his second Academy Award in 1972. Child star Judy Garland blowing a party favor. And finally, Katherine Hepburn in the '80s with a very relatable sign in her driveway. Who are your favorite stars from back in the day? Tell me who you love and why in the comments!
Chicago Tribune
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Groucho Marx, playing one night only in the Loop
Groucho Marx has been dead since 1977, but to hear his grandson talk about him, one can imagine a smile on his face, those remarkable eyebrows raising 'He and I became very close in his later years,' Andy Marx was telling me Sunday night. 'We spent a lot of time together, working on various projects, every day at his house for two or three years, having lunch. I used to run into a lot of people who knew my grandfather. But that's rare now.' On the telephone with us was Frank Ferrante, who is in a career-long business of being Groucho, whose full name was Julius Henry Marx. For 40 years and counting, he has been Groucho in many foreign countries, in 47 of our 50 states, in theaters large and small. He will be Groucho again on June 11, when he performs his critically acclaimed one-man, two-act show, 'Frank Ferrante's Groucho,' at Teatro ZinZanni, that lively theatrical oasis in the Loop. He has been here before, serving off and on as Caesar, the emcee of Teatro ZinZanni's dinner circus show, since it opened in Chicago in 2019. He's also played Groucho in the suburbs many times. No surprise. He's been almost everywhere. This will be his 3,500 performance as Groucho, give or take, so I wasn't reluctant to ask him to take yet another trip, back to where it all began. He says this 'remarkable experience' started when he was nine and saw the 1937 film comedy, 'A Day at the Races,' the seventh movie to star Groucho and his brothers Harpo (Arthur) and Chico (Leonard Joseph). 'I was entranced and exhilarated by his behavior on screen,' Ferrante told me. 'Remember, I was 9, and so it was real, he was a real person. That mustache, eyebrows, so free and wild, so brash and irreverent. I wanted to be just like him.' And so did he begin (pre-Internet age, remember?) to devour any books or magazine articles he could find, including the dozen of so books that Groucho wrote, even though his formal education stopped after the sixth grade. He watched the Marx Brothers movies (there were some 13) and explored Groucho's time as the host of the game show, 'You Bet Your Life,' from the late 1940s to the 1960s, and everything else he could find about the man. As a theater major at the University of Southern California, he created as his thesis a show, 'An Evening With Groucho,' and, boldly, invited as many of Groucho's relatives and friends as he could find to attend his production. Among the 100 people in the audience were Groucho's daughter, Miriam, and his son, Arthur. 'I would say it went well, very well,' Ferrante told me. 'Arthur told me after the show, 'If I ever put together a show about my father, I'd like you to be in it.'' It didn't take long. Within a year of graduating, the 22-year-old Ferrante was cast as Groucho in Arthur Marx's 'Groucho: A Life in Revue' (written with Robert Fisher). Featuring actors as his brothers and other characters in Groucho's life, it was an off-Broadway smash, playing for more than a year before heading to London, where it was also a hit and earned Ferrante an Olivier Award nomination. Though Ferrante had found a career, he says, 'My friendships with Arthur and his sister Miriam provided me with an understanding of the man beyond the movies. This was a complicated guy and I am passionate about him. I almost feel like I am doing missionary work, moving from town to town, spreading the word.' As well as Ferrante knows Groucho, there is likely no living person who knew him as well as Arthur's son, Andy, who recalled the first time he saw Ferrante as Groucho, saying, 'My father (Arthur) told me there was this guy at USC and I saw Frank and it was mind blowing, incredible. A little freaky but cool.' The two have become friends over the decades as Andy would fashion a fine career as writer, musician and photographer and Ferrante would keep playing Groucho in his own show while sometimes tackling other theatrical roles and ventures. They live in separate California homes but rightly consider Chicago a special place in the Marx story. This is where what would be the Marx Brothers (in addition to Groucho, Chico and Harpo, there were Gummo and Zeppo) lived from 1911 to 1920. Their ambitious and canny mother, Minnie, chose the city because its central location was within the vaudeville circuit, enabling the 'boys' to hone the shenanigans that would make them world famous. That was a long time ago but the movies obviously continue to attract fans, to spread and keep alive the Marx Brothers, Groucho most prominently. That's in large part due to Ferrante's energetic and artful 'missionary' work. Doesn't hurt that for the last few years a filmed version is available on PBS. Or that he is ever expanding the improvisational portion of the performance, interacting with audiences. And Ferrante will be interviewed following his performance by my colleague Chris Jones. How long can he go? Audiences are drawn to characters of the past, especially to those who might be able to evoke memories of good times. Think of all the Elvis impersonators out there. (When Groucho died in 1977, his obituaries were overshadowed by those of Elvis, who died three days earlier.) In the theatrical world, think of Hal Holbrook, who performed his 'Mark Twain Tonight' more than 2,000 times, from 1959 until retiring in 2017 at 92. There's also James Whitmore, who brought to stage life Will Rogers, Harry Truman and Teddy Roosevelt. Closer to home, there's Ronnie Marmo, who has performed his terrific 'I'm Not a Comedian … I'm Lenny Bruce' more than 450 times, many on Chicago stages. Doesn't really mean much, I guess, but I just learned that Groucho and Lenny Bruce are buried near each other in Mission Hills, California, at a place called Eden Memorial Park.
