The Covid-19 pandemic has given me a chance to re-ignite my love of singing. Many weren’t aware but in a past life I spent many years competing in singing competitions north and south of the Border, winning trips to Asia twice. I recorded a couple projects and even signed a deal with an international publisher. To this day it brings me a smile when super-modest royalty cheques arrive in the mail.

balladeer is a collection of covers I recorded in my bedroom during this isolation period. No fancy production, auto-tune, mixing or mastering, just one-take vocals that came from the heart.  I love these songs and I’ve always wondered what they would sound like in my voice. I hope I did them some justice.

I dedicate this to my mom and dad (on the cover art below) who show me that true love takes many years of work to make happen. I dedicate this to you my dear friends. We are all in this together and will be resilient.

Free download link: http://tiny.cc/mrwillballadeer

If you prefer YouTube, here’s a link to a Playlist.

Enjoy. I hope these songs take you on a bit of an escape.

xMr. Will

Meatless Sausage x Peppers. This is a hearty Italian classic which I felt could’ve been replicated with a plant protein. You easily could swap it out for meat sausage and that’s totally cool! I chose a tiny pasta, Tubetti, to sop-up all the liquid here, that way none of the flavour in the sauce gets lost. This has got a bit of kick, so you can omit the chillis if you like and use the non-spicy Yves Sausage as well. You’ll most definitely have leftovers! 🇮🇹

Ingredients:
1 green, yellow and red pepper each, seeded and sliced thin
1 450g package of Pasta
1 package Yves Spicy Italian Veggie Sausage, each sausage cut into six pieces
1 pint mushrooms, sliced thin
1 small onion, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 red chillies, seeded and minced
1/2 cup red wine
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Handful of chopped basil

Cilantro
Parmesan Cheese, grated

Instructions:
1. Cook pasta in salted water, drain in colander. Do not rinse.
2. In large skillet, heat oil medium-high heat. Brown sausage pieces on both sides. Remove from skillet.
3. Add more oil, sautée garlic, onion and chillies till translucent.
4. Add peppers and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook till fully caramelized and pan has some brown bits.
5. Add wine and cook down till some of liquid is gone. You can add a bit of water if there isn’t much liquid there.
6. Add tomatoes, basil and sausage into pan and bring to boil.
7. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.
8. Add pasta to the skillet and coat evenly, allowing pasta to soak-up sauce. Add one more round of salt and pepper.
9. Scoop onto plate. Garnish with cilantro and top with Parmesan Cheese. Serve.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

We loved LOVE, SIMON so much so this comes with open arms! Spin-off Series LOVE, VICTOR is coming soon to Hulu (unsure where it will be available just yet in Canada), but here is a brand-new Trailer for it.

Synopsis:
Set in the world of the 2018 groundbreaking film LOVE, SIMON which was inspired by Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the series follows Victor, a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city and exploring his sexual orientation. When it all seems too much, he reaches out to Simon to help him naviigate the ups and downs of high school.

See the Trailer:

LOVE, VICTOR arrives on Hulu Friday, June 19, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Hulu)

A new Trailer has surfaced for what surely will be one of this Summer’s bigger hits, JUNGLE CRUISE.

Synopsis:

Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.

Jaume Collet-Serra directs the film, which stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramírez and Jack Whitehall, with Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti.

See the Trailer:

JUNGLE CRUISE is in theatres and Disney+ with Premier Access Friday, July 30, 2021

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada)

Apple TV+’s DEFENDING JACOB has been winning all the raves and the Series Finale takes place this Friday! Here’s a sneak peek from the episode which promises to be shocking, below.

Synopsis:
“Defending Jacob” is a gripping, character-driven drama based on the 2012 New York Times best-selling novel of the same name by William Landay. Starring Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, Cherry Jones, Pablo Schreiber, Betty Gabriel, Sakina Jaffrey and J.K. Simmons, the limited series unfolds around a shocking crime that rocks a small Massachusetts town, and follows an assistant district attorney who finds himself torn between his sworn duty to uphold justice and his unconditional love for his son.

See the Clip:

The Finale of DEFENDING JACOB streams on Apple TV+ Friday, May 29, 2020.

(Photo/video credit: Apple TV+)

Blueberry-Peach Pie. A recipe for the scorching heat we’re experiencing! Nothing says Summer like these flavours. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this is heaven! The crust is no fuss, just follow the steps! 🍑

Pie Pastry:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsps sea salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled
3/4 cup Crisco Golden All-Vegetable Shortening, room temperature
1/2 cup cold water

Filling:
5 peaches, skinned, pitted and sliced
2 small packs of blueberries
6 tbsps flour
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp organic raw sugar (or more if you like!)
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 egg beaten, used as egg wash

Instructions:
1. Prepare pastry, combining ingredients, adding water 1 tbsp at a time, handling minimally. Knead dough gently on floured surface. Roll into ball. Chill minimum 2 hours, no more than 5 days.
2. Prep filling. Mix flour, sugar and spices. Add peaches and blueberries, mixing gently. Let stand half an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
4. Cut dough into halves. Shape into discs. Roll first half starting from center-outwards onto floured surface.
5. Fit dough into pie dish, covering edges. Prick bottom with fork a few times. Scoop filling into shell. Cut-in bits of butter into filling. Chill 15-20 minutes.
6. Take other half of dough and form circle large enough to cover top of pie dish, rolling center-outwards on floured surface. Use ruler and cut 10-12 equal size strips.
7. Layer strips, forming lattice over top of pie, sealing edges tight.
8. Brush top of lattice using egg wash using brush or finger. Mix tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon and dust over lattice.
9. Place pie dish on baking sheet. Use foil and form a ring around edge of crust.
10. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F with pie in oven and bake another 30-35 minutes till golden. 10 minutes before finished, carefully remove foil ring.
11. Cool minimum 3 hours. Serve with ice cream.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

The WE ARE ONE FESTIVAL kicks-off on YouTube May 29 – June 7, 2020. The 10-day online Film Festival is a collaboration between 21 prolific Festivals from 35 countries including the Toronto International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festvals. The Festival will take place at http://YouTube.com/WeAreOne.

Notable Film presentations will include:

–Ricky Powell: The Individualist, a documentary about legendary street photographer Powell featuring interviews with Natasha Lyonne and LL Cool J
-the online premiere of Eeb Allay Ooo!, a unique satire about professional “monkey repellers” and winner of the Mumbai Film Festival’s Golden Gateway Award
-the world premiere of Iron Hammer, a compelling documentary feature directed by Joan Chen about legendary Chinese Olympic volleyball star Jenny Lang Ping, a true trailblazer who forged connections across the globe

Available to the public are 50 Narrative and Documentary Chorts with exciting entries such as:
-the world premiere of Japanese narrative short Yalta Conference Online [working title], created exclusively for the festival by Director Koji Fukada
-the global premiere of the Third Eye Blind documentary short Motorcycle Drive By
-the first short pieces made by Dreamworks Animation, Bilby, Marooned and Bird Karma

Episodic Programming features include:
-the world premiere of Losing Alice, an Israeli female-led neo-noir psychological TV thriller
–And She Could Be Next, a two part documentary series on the experiences of women of color running for office, including Stacey Abrams and Rashida Tlaib.
-TIFF will be presenting the Digital World Premiere for Crazy World

Above this, there also will be talks including: Francis Ford Coppola with Steven Soderbergh, Song Kang-ho with Bong Joon-ho, and Jackie Chan and musical performances by QuestLove and more!

For full schedule, visit www.weareoneglobalfestival.com.

While we always feel like we’re running out of things to catch-up on, we’re always proven wrong.  Lots of great stuff for you to stream or see on-demand or digitally right now and here are some recommendations!

We adored Season One of this darkly-funny Thriller-Comedy Series. While it takes a bit longer to get into it again here in Season Two, the powerful chemistry between a perfectly-paired Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini who reprise heir roles as Jen and Judy, reminds us once again why we fell in love the first time. The Duo cope with their dark secret and grief in their own different ways, navigating on their own terms, until things reach a boiling point as Steve’s  (James Marsden) disappearance must be accounted for. We wonder what happens if the dark truth ever comes to light.  Believe me, there’s plenty still to go on for a third season and we loved that Marsden resurfaces in the least likely plot twist ever!

MRS. AMERICA (HULU)

I cannot possibly praise this Series any more than I continue to on Social Media. This Toronto-made Series set in the ’70s, follows closely two sides of the Equal Rights Movement and all the key figures involved. The one side who wants to preserve a woman’s right to stay at home, led by Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett). The other side progressive, trying to get the ERA ratified, led by among others the likes of Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne).  Each week in this nine-episode Series focuses on a different central character as the fight progresses and believe me, this is like a Master’s Class in acting with standouts including Sarah Paulson as Alice Macray, Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug, Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan, Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm and Ari Graynor as Brenda Feigen-Fasteau. This Series mesmerizes and enrages us at once, which is what it is supposed to do as America is “made great again” right now. Most of all, Blanchett once again is phenomenal, tough as nails with the occasional glimpse of vulnerability. In fact, we love to hate Phyllis as she is undeniable. We cannot keep our eyes off of Byrne. Please God, let there be a Season Two! You can catch this on F/X Wednesday nights at 10 PM in Canada, or download off Apple or Google Play Store, where you would be ahead a few weeks if you pay as little as $2.99 per episode. Worth every penny.

We were willing to pay to see this in theatres, however COVID-19 brought Paramount‘s The Lovebirds straight to us on Netflix sooner.  Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are fantastic together in this Adventure-Comedy. The Film centers around Leilani (Rae) and Jibran (Nanjiani) who start off falling blissfully in love. Cut-ahead a few years, they are feuding and on the verge of contemplating a split.  They find themselves at the center of a homicide investigation and are on-the-run from the police landing in all sorts of unpredictability, including the threat of getting bacon grease poured allover them, to a sex cult gathering.  The laughs are endless with Leilani‘s no-nonsense approach and Jibran‘s hilarious curiosities about the world popping-up at the most tonally-inappropriate moments.  This was loads of fun and cute!

Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon. Mic drop. You can’t go wrong with these two together acting and now producing. Witherspoon as an Executive Producer, continues to deliver us compelling stories in the female voice, tracing back to GONE GIRL, BIG LITTLE LIES to THE MORNING SHOW. Little Fires Everywhere, adapted from Celeste Ng’s best-selling Novel, is no different.  Set in the mid-90s, Elena (Witherspoon) once was an emerging Reporter and now a mother with a picture-perfect home. Mia (Washington) and her daughter Pearl (Lexi Underwood) arrive in Elena‘s town and she offers help renting-out her property to them and welcomes them into her home. From here, some dark secrets which Mia is harbouring from her past are uncovered, which not even her daughter knows about.  This is an interesting study about race and class at a time we might have had less awareness, but also, the great divides that can occur under one roof even.  Tensions mount when we realize Elena and Mia‘s worlds intersect on a deeper level and they find themselves on two sides of the matter while their families become intertwined.

We admit we couldn’t stop giggling at its Trailer and THE WRONG MISSY really turned out to be just right for us! We needed a good laugh.  The Comedy is a throwback to the ’90s and the many over-the-top Physical Comedies which defined that era in Film.  David Spade and Lauren Lapkus are delightfully-funny as an odd couple. Spade’s Tim is level-headed and believes he knows exactly what he wants in life until he mistakenly invites the wrong girl he went on a disastrous date with, to a business trip on a resort. Missy (Lapkus) is in-your-face, overbearing and way aggressive, but before he knows it, she might just be exactly what he needed!  We could watch this many times. It’s ridiculous and we all need a bit of that. We need more Lapkus!

Since surfacing in 1995, Paul Verhoeven‘s Showgirls has gained cult status, but not quite for the gritty Drama it was intended to be. I for one, love it! It is a visual spectacle full of senselessness which keeps us guessing why things happen or their exact significance.  Jeffrey McHale’s YOU DON’T NOMI takes a look at how Showgirls, while panned universally, has found new life being appreciated for its unintentional humour and we trace its journey from a theatrical release to now even its star Elizabeth Berkley embracing its new life recently despite distancing herself from it for many years.  We get lots of insight from Adam Nayman, Author of It Doesn’t Suck: Showgirls, who sheds some light onto why the Film has been misunderstood. He went from fearing cease and desist orders from MGM, to being welcomed to commentate on the Film’s re-release now that the Studio has come also to embrace the repurposing of the NC-17 Film. We missed this at Inside Out last year, and enjoyed catching-up on this, available June 16, 2020 on-demand and digitally.

Official Sundance selection THE ASSISTANT from Director/Writer Kitty Green gives us an intimate glimpse into a day in the life of a young and recently-hired Assistant to a powerful Executive.  Ozark‘s Julia Garner stars and once again is superb here. What makes the Film interesting is that even without us ever seeing the said Executive on-screen, what we makes this compelling is how her Co-Workers and even Human Resources act and react with misconduct being so deeply-institutionalized in this workplace. Even when Garner’s Jane tries to do the right thing, she isn’t supported and that makes this Film heartbreaking as surely this can’t be altogether untrue in the real world we live in. This is available now digitally and on-demand.

If like me you’re fascinated by Michelle Obama, this is a Documentary for you. BECOMING traces Michelle Obama‘s rise as one of the most powerful thought leaders and personalities in the world as she promotes her eponymous Memoir on-the-road. We get insight from those around her who work closely with her and the relationships she has with them.  President Obama also appears to speak as a doting husband and even her brother Craig Robinson comments what it’s like being overshadowed by his little sister, when she was the one living in his shadows growing-up. The Film only gets as personal as it wants to, which is unfortunate, but we still get a good snapshot of this great woman and while being adored widely, how even she has her share of naysayers.

I honestly despised this show and pretty much all the contestants, but miraculously I made it through. I don’t mind a bit of shallow, mindless fun once in a while, but it should come with purpose or us being able to witness real growth for these self-proclaimed “10 out of 10s”. The nine-episode Reality Series puts a bunch of “hot” singles together on a resort where they are to abstain from sex. Some succeed and some just basically suck!  They did whip-up a follow-up episode catching-up with the contestants to see how they are doing during COVID-19 and if these relationships formed during taping are lasting.  Just checking. Yep, still can’t stand them.

In a similar vein to Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, TV legend Ryan Murphy re-invents a moment in Hollywood’s Golden Age. The seven episode Mini-Series centers around some of the complicated relationships a group of young actors have as they set-out to stamp a name for themselves in Hollywood in the early ’50s. The Series is hyper-sexualized and some my take offence to this angle in its tone as it’s only mid-way through the Series that our attentions are taken away from this. Everything culminates in Awards Season as a fictional Film named Meg is created, defying conventional casting at the time, making us wonder what Hollywood today would’ve been if its predecessors had dared to defy convention. While HOLLYWOOD takes a few too many liberties, none can take anything away from some of its fantastic performances from the likes of Darren Criss as aspiring Filmmaker Raymond Ainsley, Dylan McDermott as Gas Station Owner/Pimp Ernie West, Laura Harrier as Actress Camille Washington, Holland Taylor as Studio Executive/Actor Mentor Ellen Kincaid, Jim Parsons as Talent Agent Henry Willson, Patti LuPone as the Studio Head’s Wife Avis Amberg  and David Corenswet as aspiring Actor Jack Castello.

Toronto’s Maitreyi Ramakrishnan makes a star-marking turn in this Mindy Kaling-produced and co-written Coming-of-Age Series. We meet 15-year-old Devi (Ramakrishnan), who is both coping with losing her ability to walk and also the loss of her father Mohan (Sendhil Ramamurthy). We meet also her mother Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan), whom she has a strained relationship with.  Devi is eager to shed her geek status and garner the attention of her crush Paxton (Darren Barnet) and also contend with her arch nemesis Ben (Jared Lewison). While over much of the ten episodes, Devi grates on our nerves with her teen angst and sexual frustration, the Series does become something deeper as a contemplation of loss, plus its emotional aftermath and also what it means to grapple with your identity when your family are immigrants. We applaud Kaling for giving a voice to kids who don’t always feel like they fit in.

Coming to Netflix later this week are eagerly-anticipated SPACE FORCE starring Steve Carell and JEFFREY EPSTEIN: FILTHY RICH. THE HIGH NOTE starring Dakota Johnson also will see a digital/on-demand release. Reviews to come.

Three Cup Chicken | 三杯雞. This is a signature Taiwanese dish which I’ve updated as one, many of us dislike bones and also two, the traditional recipe calls for a cup of wine, soy sauce and sesame oil. I don’t want to die of sodium and cholesterol! Yeah, no. LOL.

This actually is a close cousin to Basil Chicken, a Thai signature, which has fish and oyster sauces. This doesn’t. This one is really savoury and caramelized, loaded with flavour and brightened with fresh notes of basil and scallions. Serve this with some white rice and you’re all set.

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup white wine/cooking wine
1/4 cup freeze-dried basil or 3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 slices ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
2 tbsps regular soy sauce
2-3 tbsps dark soy sauce
2 tbsps organic raw sugar
2 stalks green onion, minced
2 red chillies, seeded and minced
2 tbsps vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:
1. Marinate chicken in salt for minimum 1 hour and refrigerate.
2. Heat oils skillet in large skillet on medium-high heat. Sautée ginger, garlic and chillies till caramelized.
3. Turn heat to high and add chicken, searing till browned on both sides, stirring often to avoid burning.
4. Add 1/4 cup each wine and water. Add soy sauces and sugar. Stir evenly and reduce to low heat, covering skillet.
5. Simmer for 20 minutes at lowest heat possible.
6. Remove lid and turn heat to high again. Allow sauce to reduce till thick, coating the chicken. This can take a few minutes.
7. Toss-in basil and green onion and mix evenly. Transfer to platter. Garnish with fresh basil or green onion. Serve.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Pandan-mic Coconut Cocktail Buns. Someone requested a Coconut Bun recipe. Here it is! I dare you to find a better combo than Coconut x Pandan (Asia’s Vanilla). We crafted a hybrid brioche, combining Cocktail Buns (sweet white bread filled with a sweet coconut center) and Pandan-Coconut Milk Buns. These were soft, fragrant and the coconut center made these next-level! 🌴

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)