Author Archives: Larry Sanderson

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

All of Us Strangers
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama, Fantasy, Romance | Directed by Andrew Haigh
Playing a man alienated from himself and looking for answers, Andrew Scott makes this film sing.
By ALISSA WILKINSON

— Of Possible Interest —

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi | Directed by Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder creates a space opera that’s bloated but rarely buoyant.
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi | Directed by James Wan
The Atlantean hero-king returns as a new father, a bit worse for wear. But this sequel feels like a film for grown-ups who like fun.
By ALISSA WILKINSON

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Godard Cinema
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Cyril Leuthy
This documentary looks at the work of Jean-Luc Godard, who sought with each new work to confound assumptions about how movies could look and sound.


Jean-Luc Godard, the filmmaker and subject of the documentary “Godard Cinema.”
By BEN KENIGSBERG

American Fiction
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Comedy, Drama | Directed by Cord Jefferson
The first film from the director Cord Jefferson stars Jeffrey Wright as an author who becomes a pseudonymous success writing a potboiler he loathes.


Erika Alexander and Jeffrey Wright in “American Fiction.”
By AMY NICHOLSON

— Of Possible Interest —

Wonka
PG | Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Musical | Directed by Paul King
Timothée Chalamet stars as the chocolatier in this musical origin story, playing a wide-eyed innocent instead of an eccentric mad-hatter.
By MANOHLA DARGIS

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
PG | Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family | Directed by Sam Fell
This sequel is in many respects a cover song, a repeat of the beats and characters of “Chicken Run.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Concrete Utopia
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by Tae-hwa Eom
Love thy neighbor is far from mind when disaster strikes a Seoul apartment complex in this blackhearted social satire.


Park Bo-young in “Concrete Utopia.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Anselm
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Wim Wenders
The history and thought of the artist Anselm Kiefer is threaded throughout this exceptional documentary from Wim Wenders.


A scene from the documentary “Anselm.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Origin
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Drama, History | Directed by Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay’s new feature film, adapted from the Isabel Wilkerson book “Caste,” turns the journalist into a character who examines oppression.


Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as the journalist Isabel Wilkerson in “Origin.”
By MANOHLA DARGIS

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Music | Directed by Beyoncé, James B. Merryman, Mark Ritchie
The concert film offers a comprehensive look at a world-conquering tour and rare insight into the process of one of the world’s biggest stars.


Beyoncé in July on the Toronto stop of her Renaissance tour.
By WESLEY MORRIS

— Of Possible Interest —

Our Son
R | Drama | Directed by Bill Oliver
A simple yet engaging melodrama, starring Billy Porter and Luke Evans, explores what it means for two fathers to divorce.
By BEATRICE LOAYZA


Park Bo-young in “Concrete Utopia.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Concrete Utopia
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller | Directed by Tae-hwa Eom
Love thy neighbor is far from mind when disaster strikes a Seoul apartment complex in this blackhearted social satire.


Park Bo-young in “Concrete Utopia.”
By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS

Anselm
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Wim Wenders
The history and thought of the artist Anselm Kiefer is threaded throughout this exceptional documentary from Wim Wenders.


A scene from the documentary “Anselm.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Origin
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Drama, History | Directed by Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay’s new feature film, adapted from the Isabel Wilkerson book “Caste,” turns the journalist into a character who examines oppression.


Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as the journalist Isabel Wilkerson in “Origin.”
By MANOHLA DARGIS

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Music | Directed by Beyoncé, James B. Merryman, Mark Ritchie
The concert film offers a comprehensive look at a world-conquering tour and rare insight into the process of one of the world’s biggest stars.


Beyoncé in July on the Toronto stop of her Renaissance tour.
By WESLEY MORRIS

— Of Possible Interest —

Our Son
R | Drama | Directed by Bill Oliver
A simple yet engaging melodrama, starring Billy Porter and Luke Evans, explores what it means for two fathers to divorce.
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

A scene from the documentary “Anselm.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Origin
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Drama, History | Directed by Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay’s new feature film, adapted from the Isabel Wilkerson book “Caste,” turns the journalist into a character who examines oppression.


Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as the journalist Isabel Wilkerson in “Origin.”
By MANOHLA DARGIS

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Music | Directed by Beyoncé, James B. Merryman, Mark Ritchie
The concert film offers a comprehensive look at a world-conquering tour and rare insight into the process of one of the world’s biggest stars.


Beyoncé in July on the Toronto stop of her Renaissance tour.
By WESLEY MORRIS

— Of Possible Interest —

Our Son
R | Drama | Directed by Bill Oliver
A simple yet engaging melodrama, starring Billy Porter and Luke Evans, explores what it means for two fathers to divorce.
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

Food! Glorious Food!

Woman Who Threw Food at Chipotle Employee Sentenced to Work Fast-Food Job
A judge reduced Rosemary Hayne’s jail sentence after she agreed to work in a fast-food restaurant for 20 hours a week for 60 days.
By Rebecca Carballo

A GOOD APPETITE
This Vegetarian Main Is Ready to Shine on Your Holiday Table
Layers of buttery phyllo surround a silky spiced vegetable stew in this showstopping dish.
By MELISSA CLARK

Cookies!

12 gluten-free holiday cookies to spread the joy far and wide


Chocolate-Raspberry Truffle Sandwich Cookies.
By Becky Krystal and Kari Sonde

12 holiday cookie recipes to savor and share this season

By Becky Krystal

7 Brilliant Cookies to Keep Your Holidays Bright
Make one or make them all.

Technicolor Cookies | Sam Seneviratne | NYT Cooking https://www.youtube.com/embed/t2RPXn1b7Ec?si=dss8-l1babJOwaYr

Gingerbread Blondies | Melissa Clark | NYT Cooking https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ja83fMcBa2E?si=MafWxjz3fDLbiycg

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies | Vaughn Vreeland | NYT Cooking https://www.youtube.com/embed/vUEgs7iDwC0?si=QCF0h9I57qsa8A_q

Lemon Butter Curls | Yewande Komolafe | NYT Cooking https://www.youtube.com/embed/KCkjYbGR8y4?si=mJbXlkvoomJgl-9M

Rainbow Rave Cookies | Sohla El-Waylly | NYT Cooking https://www.youtube.com/embed/3K0iTSsTQhw?si=MnLYfm_NjgUD5wuB

Matcha Latte Cookies | Eric Kim | NYT Cooking https://www.youtube.com/embed/cBSHebMz_Uk?si=OJUKbwArDXGoSIZY

Neapolitan Checkerboard Cookies | Sue Li | NYT Cooking https://www.youtube.com/embed/KyY9ZHIazV0?si=QcWqJN2qU108ALCP

Beth Dimino is in My Bubbie’s Kitchen: Pignoli Cookies https://www.youtube.com/embed/NvSxuOFEhxo?si=fQUQzagO9GBJ8HeQ

The History of the Chocolate Chip Cookie – Depression vs WW2 https://www.youtube.com/embed/RVDVbu0d4i8?si=L5Zvgdgv0gDLGOd-

Trying the BEST & CLASSIC German Christmas Snacks & Candy!! https://www.youtube.com/embed/V0_sgR4Hc7o?si=81co0m5vIavfp5hw

Gift Lists

If your gifting includes those in the jet set, here’s a gift list for you:

If existential angst over the impermanence of all things is destroying your holiday spirit, here’s a gift list for you!

If you have people (or families) you hate, here’s the gift link for you!

Here’s a slightly more reasonable gift list for people or families you don’t hate!

If you haz too much monies and want to blow it over the holidays, here’s a list for you!

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Eileen
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Drama, Mystery, ThrillerDirected by William Oldroyd
Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway star in a period thriller that brings cathartic nastiness to a cold New England Christmas.


Thomasin McKenzie, right, with Anne Hathaway in “Eileen.”
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Silent Night
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | ActionDirected by John Woo
John Woo’s latest is as violent and merciless a revenge thriller as you can imagine.


Joel Kinnaman in “Silent Night.”
By GLENN KENNY

American Symphony
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Documentary, Biography, MusicDirected by Matthew Heineman
This portrait of the musician Jon Batiste and the author Suleika Jaouad follows an artistic couple through ambition and adversity.


From left, Suleika Jaouad and Jon Batiste in a moment at home.
By BEN KENIGSBERG

Bad Press
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | DocumentaryDirected by Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, Joe Peeler
The battle to claw back press freedoms is the nerve-racking subject of this civic-minded documentary.


Angel Ellis in the documentary “Bad Press.”
By NICOLAS RAPOLD

— Of Possible Interest —

What’s It Like to Work With Hayao Miyazaki? Go Behind the Scenes.
The anime master is a creature of habit who talks every day with his longtime producer, and keeps it more hands off with his regular composer.
By CARLOS AGUILAR

Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now
A rom-com in space, a coming-of-age quest and a high-tech birthing plan are among the films worth checking out this month.
By ELISABETH VINCENTELLI

Food! Glorious Food!

How Mortadella Went From Cold Cut to Hot Item
Helped by its millennial-pink hue and the rise of the charcuterie board, the Italian specialty is winning a new fan base of American chefs and consumers.


Mortadellas in Bologna can be so large that skilled workers need a coltellina, a sawlike knife, to cut them.
By JULIA MOSKIN

A GOOD APPETITE
A Cozy One-Pot Chicken for a Fuss-Free Holiday
With carrots, sweet potatoes and dates, this braise is a colorful main course for your Hanukkah table.


This recipe, inspired by tsimmes, keeps ease in mind, turning a simple side dish into a main.
By MELISSA CLARK

The Best Black Cake, a West Indian Delight, Starts at Home
For many in the Caribbean diaspora, there is no substitute for this deeply flavorful fruitcake.


Dense with puréed fruits and rum, black cake is a must-have specialty for the Caribbean holiday season.
By RAMIN GANESHRAM

A Simple, Lemony Pasta for Catching Your Breath
With braised white beans and juicy marinated cherry tomatoes, it’s the sort of vegetarian dinner I crave this time of year.


By MELISSA CLARK

The Longer This Cake Soaks, the Better It Is
The faint bitterness of Thai tea gets absorbed into tres leches, checking the sweetness, so it’s just enough.


By LIGAYA MISHAN

Which potato for which dish? How to choose the right spud for your recipe
Should you mash a maris? Do you know your king edwards from your duke of yorks? Our panel washes the mud off the mysteries of spud varieties


Never trust a recipe that asks for just any potato – if you use the wrong type, it might ruin your dish.
Anna Berrill

The best allergy-friendly nut substitutes for cooking and baking


Substitutes for nuts include dried fruit, chocolate and seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower.
Advice by Becky Krystal

At 90, Madhur Jaffrey relishes her role as a groundbreaking food writer


Madhur Jaffrey at her home in Hillsdale, N.Y.
By Mayukh Sen

6 Indian recipes for curry, dal and more from Madhur Jaffrey


By Anna Luisa Rodriguez

Spicy soup, roast squash and nasu dengaku: Michael Wignall’s recipes for winter pumpkin and squash
Roast pumpkin and chilli soup with feta; butternut squash, parma ham and a pumpkin and sunflower-seed pesto on toast; and roast squash with a Japanese glaze


P-pick up a pumpkin: (clockwise from top right) Michael Wignall’s pumpkin and chilli soup with feta; squash, parma ham and seed pesto bruschetta; and squash nasu dengaku (AKA with a miso, soy and toasted sesame seed glaze)
Michael Wignall

The 20 best Christmas biscuit recipes – from brandy snaps to nutmeg shortbreads


George Fuest’s chocolate, rye and festive spice cookies, Ren Behan’s Polish gingerbread cookies, Becky Excell’s cranberry pistachio biscotti, Ana Ortiz’s alfajores de dulce de leche, Georgina Hayden’s tahini, almond and honey cookies, Ferdinand ‘Budgie’ Montoya’s paciencia cookies.
Allan Jenkins compiled by Holly O’Neill
https://youtu.be/DrcXr0X8W38?si=Vv27LGImljL91ZOy

For Her Next Round, Toni Tipton-Martin Orders Up a Book of Cocktails
The author of “The Jemima Code” has distilled 200 years of African American drinking know-how into her new “Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs and Juice.”


Ms. Tipton-Martin’s new cookbook shows how African Americans influenced American cocktail culture.
By CHRISTINA MORALES

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Against the Tide
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Sarvnik Kaur
Sarvnik Kaur’s breathtaking documentary about Indigenous fishermen in Mumbai brings to life an ecosystem wrecked by corporate greed and climate change.


The fishermen Ganesh, left, and Rakesh in the documentary “Against the Tide.”
By DEVIKA GIRISH

Napoleon
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History, War | Directed by Ridley Scott
Joaquin Phoenix is oddly mesmerizing as the French emperor in Ridley Scott’s historical epic charting his rise and ruin.


Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte in one of the expansive battle scenes of Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon.”
By MANOHLA DARGIS

Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Frederick Wiseman
For his 44th documentary, Frederick Wiseman journeys to the French countryside to examine the workings of a family-owned, Michelin-starred restaurant.


César Troisgros, right, with staff at the restaurant Le Bois Sans Feuilles outside Lyon, France.
By MANOHLA DARGIS

Monster
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Drama, Thriller | Directed by Kore-eda Hirokazu
This drama from Hirokazu Kore-eda traces a series of events from the perspectives of a single mother, her preteen son and his fifth-grade teacher.


Hinata Hiiragi and Soya Kurokawa in “Monster.”
By NATALIA WINKELMAN

Maestro
NYT Critic’s Pick | R | Biography, Drama, Music, Romance | Directed by Bradley Cooper
As director and star, Bradley Cooper delivers an intimate portrait of the composer and his many private and public selves.


Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein and Carey Mulligan as his wife, Felicia Montealegre, in “Maestro.”
By MANOHLA DARGIS

The Boy and the Heron
NYT Critic’s Pick | PG-13 | Animation, Adventure, Drama, Family, Fantasy | Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
The anime filmmaker returns at 82 with the enigmatic tale of a boy growing up amid war and fear, much as the director did.


Mahito Maki has a lot in common with his creator, Hayao Miyazaki.
By ALISSA WILKINSON

Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Daniel Peddle
This documentary from Daniel Peddle offers an update on the transmasculine people of color who participated in ballroom culture in the 1990s.


Octavio Sanders in the documentary “Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later.”
By TEO BUGBEE

— Of Possible Interest —

Wish
PG | Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Musical | Directed by Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn
Celebrating Disney’s 100th anniversary, the animated musical starring Ariana DeBose and Chris Pine, is a reminder of the studio’s vaunted past.
By AMY NICHOLSON

Happy Large Fowl Day!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=eUv1tq91NMY%3Fsi%3D6amvI18BKtz1nQec

https://youtu.be/eUv1tq91NMY?si=6cXUojlTsAoT3jfE https://www.youtube.com/embed/29XhRfrfsOk?si=kqHECOvwld2CQpBJ

Addams Family Values, Thanksgiving Play at Summer Camp, Full Scene

We begin this Turkey Day with Rex Huppke of USA Today finding that the pardon of two turkeys named Liberty and Bell by President Biden is highly suspicious and may warrant investigation.

The 81-year-old president, who is both feeble and incapable of thinking for himself AND a devious global criminal mastermind, pardoned two hulking, 42-pound turkeys at the White House on his birthday Monday. The young birds, Liberty and Bell, allegedly hail from Minnesota, though I was unable to independently confirm their place of origin. Is “Minnesota” some kind of code word used by members of the Biden Crime Family? Are we to believe the president issued these pardons without expecting something in return? Adding to my suspicions, I could hear the turkeys speaking a language that definitely wasn’t English. Isn’t that an interesting coincidence? Was it Turkish? I can’t be sure. So let’s see … we have two young, strong male turkeys who may very well hail from a foreign country. Did they enter our country illegally with intent to do us harm? Is that why Biden pardoned them? I’m just asking questions here, folks.

Link

He lived a quiet life — then donated $3.8 million to his small N.H. town


In this photo provided by Ed Smith, Geoffrey Holt rests his leg on top of his riding mower in Hinsdale, N.H., on April 4, 2020. Holt left the town of Hinsdale nearly $4 million when he died in June. DePayWalled
By Daniel Wu

How to Clean Up After Thanksgiving Dinner Like a Pro
Getting a handle on the cleaning that comes with cooking is about more than just dishwashing.
By Genevieve Ko

Food! Glorious Food!

A GOOD APPETITE
Keep Thanksgiving Going With This Leftover Turkey Soup
This fragrant recipe filled with chickpeas and farro is a cozy destination for the last of the holiday’s spread.


This heartier soup leans toward stew, but you can always add water for a brothier consistency.
By MELISSA CLARK

How to Clean Up After Thanksgiving Dinner Like a Pro
Getting a handle on the cleaning that comes with cooking is about more than just dishwashing.
By GENEVIEVE KO

Turn Your Thanksgiving Leftovers Into a Hot Pocket
Somewhere between a calzone and one of those Costco chicken bakes, this recipe from J. Kenji López-Alt makes the most of the feast.


Any kind of pizza dough works well to wrap your leftovers, but homemade and store-bought can offer the best texture and flavor.
By J. KENJI LÓPEZ-ALT

Our best Thanksgiving leftovers recipes, including soup and sandwiches
By Kari Sonde and Becky Krystal

The Rules for Thanksgiving Wine
How many bottles to buy and more holiday advice from our wine critic.
By ERIC ASIMOV

THE POUR
For Thanksgiving, 20 Wines Under $20
These lively, versatile bottles are perfect for a crowd. Don’t worry about pairing, these will go with anything.


By ERIC ASIMOV

Overlooked No More: Elena Zelayeta, Emissary for Mexican Cooking
Beginning the 1930s in San Francisco, she transformed the image of her native Mexican cuisine in the United States with a restaurant and popular cookbooks, all while overcoming a loss of sight.


Elena Zelayeta in the 1970s. She wrote four cookbooks, a self-help book and a memoir, starred in a TV cooking program, and started her own frozen food brand.
By MAYUKH SEN

Sally Darr, Formidable Chef of ’80s-Era French Bistro, Dies at 100
A skilled and self-taught cook of homey French fare, she drew fans (including Julia Child) to her Greenwich Village restaurant for more than a decade.


Sally Darr with her sous-chef, Guy Reuge, right, and a cook, Jim Pender, at La Tulipe in 1980. She had been determined to open “the perfect little French restaurant.”
By PENELOPE GREEN

NYT Critic’s Pick Movie(s)

Fallen Leaves
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Comedy, Drama | Directed by Aki Kaurismäki
In the latest from the Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki, two lonely people find each other with tenderness, karaoke and deadpan comedy.


Quiet attraction: Jussi Vatanen, left, and Alma Poysti in“Fallen Leaves.”
By MANOHLA DARGIS

The Strangler
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Crime, Drama | Directed by Paul Vecchiali
This strange, seductive film from 1970, directed by Paul Vecchiali, borrows the conventions of the serial-killer thriller and turns them inside out.


Jacques Perrin in “The Strangler,” from 1970.
By BEATRICE LOAYZA

The Lady Bird Diaries
NYT Critic’s Pick | Not Rated | Documentary | Directed by Dawn Porter
Lady Bird Johnson proves an engrossing narrator to her own story and that of a roiling nation.


Lady Bird Johnson, right, beside her husband, the newly sworn-in president Lyndon B. Johnson, upon their return to Washington from Dallas, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
By LISA KENNEDY

— Of Possible Interest —

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller, War | Directed by Francis Lawrence
This slow-burning prequel tells the origin story of Coriolanus Snow, the future president of Panem.
By AMY NICHOLSON