A club worth belonging to
and a recipe for a lamb, bean and mushroom stew to warm your belly
Last night I went to a very special awards ceremony.
It was a private affair, with only six people in attendance. We were all socially distanced, coming together on screens instead of in real life. There were tuxedos and jewels, champagne and snacks. A fiercely opinionated and vocal group of movie critics, we were there to select the year’s best films, with some rather unusual categories.
If you’re thinking this was a preamble to the Golden Globes or the Oscars, you’d be mistaken. This was the second annual Tri-City Cocktails Movie Club awards ceremony. An idiosyncratic, highly personal and at times surprising collection of films, hand picked and watched every week by a group of lifelong friends bound together through distance and pandemic into a most satisfying ritual.
Rituals worth keeping
The Tri-City Cocktail Club began simply enough. Like many far flung friends and family during the deepest days of the pandemic, we three couples, living in Toronto, Manhattan and Denver, decided to convene over screens to catch up, connect and stay in touch.
It quickly became a weekly call, one that is sometimes four hours long. We talk about current affairs in the broadest possible way: politics, travel, health, family dynamics, history, social upheavals, arts and culture and just sometimes, a little bit about our jobs. It’s a close circle where nothing is sacred, everything goes and we all come out feeling richer, fuller and more connected.
Movies worth watching
The movie offshoot started innocuously enough. In discussing movies to watch and ones that we loved, we realized none of us had seen Easy Rider. Why not have each couple watch it in the days ahead and discuss it on our next call?
And thus was born the Tri-City Movie Club. Every week, one of us offers up a movie for consideration. Built around a theme (featuring a particular actor, say, or Westerns, musicals, horror, etc.), the presenter describes the theme, presents their choices and we collectively agree upon which movie to watch.
The ensuing conversation, which comes at the end of our marathon calls, are always satisfying, as are the new discoveries that we’ve made along the way. Our awards ceremony is the perfect culmination of those weeks of watching. But, like everything else the Tri-City gang does, it’s not the usual.
Like…
Which character would you most like to have a drink with?
Most memorable character or moment?
What role could you have played better?
What film made you want to travel?
What was a great film that you were not expecting to like?
Which film had the most surprising ending? Or should have a sequel?
And so on. Twelve awards, as unique as the films and the people who chose them. Last night’s favourites included The Long Good Friday (1980), The English Patient (1996), Stop Making Sense (1984), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and Senna (2010). Dozens of films that we hadn’t seen before (8½ - 1963). That moved us (Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten - 2014). That warmed our hearts (Babe - 1995). That intrigued us (Margin Call, 2011). That scared us (The Babadook - 2014). And whether we loved them or not, these films broadened our perspectives; introduced us all to something new, and most of all, deepened our understanding of one another.
And in the end, that may be the best outcome of all.
Lamb, bean and mushroom stew
Serves 4-6
This recipe is a riff on an heirloom bean and mushroom casserole that I recently saw over on the Rancho Gordo site. It’s both simplified and embellished: the simplification comes from a straightforward way to sauté the mushrooms, and the embellishment is the addition of a pound of ground lamb to give it more heft. Like all great stews, use more of what you like, less of what you don’t have on hand. The principles that remain constant are this: cook the ingredients separately to start, and then combine and bake into a glorious mess.
For the sautéed mushrooms
4 cups button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons oregano
One shallot, minced
For the stew
1 pound (445 grams) ground lamb or pork
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups cooked beans (an heirloom variety would be nice here, such as cranberry or yellow eye beans, but cannellini or Romano work equally well)
1 14-ounce (397 ml) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6-8 mini bocconcini balls
Heat oven to 375F.
First, sauté the mushrooms. Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the foam from the butter begins to subside, add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until they begin to brown. Add the shallots, the salt and oregano and saute over moderate heat for 2 more minutes. Set aside.
Next, sauté the lamb. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Turn the heat up to medium, and add the lamb, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and stirring frequently until the meat is no longer pink, another 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
In a large bowl, put the mushrooms, lamb, cooked beans, tomatoes and their juices, thyme and salt and mix well to combine. Turn the mixture into a 4-6 cup casserole dish. Push the bocconcini balls into the mixture.
Bake the stew for 35-45 minutes, or until the stew is bubbling and the cheese melting. Serve with crusty bread and a lovely red wine.