Dinner and a Movie: How Stella Got Her Groove Back- The GAIA Health Blog

Some Healthy Food Fun: Dinner and a Movie

How Stella Got Her Groove Back

On the Menu What else? Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas
Video Clips from How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Videos recipes for Jerk Chicken, Rice and Peas

"Why don't they come in this make and model in my age bracket?"
--Angela Bassett

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How Stella got her groove back is one of my all time personal favorites. Partially shot in Jamaica, it has some of the most spectacular panoramic shots in a romantic movie that I have ever seen. Although with a plot coming from the Woman's point of view, I really loved the dialog, the back and forth, the being a "fly on the wall", listening to the problems and frustrations of a modern woman trying to find a decent man.

My favorite and "hottest of all time" female actress, Angela Bassett, plays Stella, an ex-investment banker, somewhat swamped into work and her life, no room or time for romance, but spontaneously, with her best friend played by Whoppi Goldberg takes a trip to Jamaica.

Thinking the vacation is going to be just a getaway of sleep and relaxation, she meets a man half her age, played by the Taye Diggs. Resistant to romance at first, she gets pulled in, and finds herself in unfamiliar territory, that is, a forty something, trying to have a relationship with someone barely 21 years old.

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The was my hardest this "Dinner and a Movie" so far because there were so many awesome still shots to choose from.

In other ways ways, this "Dinner and a Movie" was pretty easy to put together in merging a food theme to the movie. The Jamaican backdrop would obviously demand a classic Jamaican dish.

Anyone who knows about the islands would have to know what that dish would have to be; Jamaican Jerk Chicken, with Rice and Peas.

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Jerk Chicken with Rice 'n Peas

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-Pasture Fed Chicken
-allspice
-Jerk seasoning
-Ground Sage
-Ground Thyme
-Ground Cinnamon
-Scotch Bonnet Pepper -Ground Nutmeg
-garlic powder

-pimento
-Chili Sauce
-ginger

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-brown sugar
-Olive Oil
-Naturally Fermented Soy Sauce
-White Vinegar
-Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
-Lime Juice
-Chopped Onion
-Garlic Cloves
-Minced Dried Thyme leaves
-Diced Tomato

Directions

See the video to the upper right

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Rice and Peas

--3 cups of rice
--1 can of tinned or 1 cup of fresh red peas (either kidney beans or pigeon peas)
--5 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
--1 uncut scotch bonnet pepper (1 jalapeno pepper may be used as a substitute)

--3 Scallion (spring onions may be used as a substitute)
--1 tin (or one cup) of coconut milk
--1 teaspoon of salt
--1 teaspoon of black pepper
--2 sprigs of fresh thyme (2 teaspoons of dried thyme may be used as a substitute)

Directions

See the video to the right

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In my recent trip to the British Virgin Islands. I met a younger girl at a party for Wendy Williams, she was 27 years old, and she had such a warm personality, vibrant outlook on life, and down-home friendliness, zero attitude, 100% positive energy. She was a dead ringer for that actress Joy Bryant, almost like a twin, so much that I actually asked if was she Joy Bryant.

I kid you not, we talking at night under tiki torches, and the D.J. starts playing the Maxi Priest song from the "Stella" movie, she grabs my hand (nothing but pure electricity there), and says, "This is not the perfect song cause it's not real reggae, but let's dance anyway". I said, "Trust me this is the perfect song".

I must say I got my "mental" groove back, in that I was truly re-ignited soulfully, recharged, mentally rejuvenated, and once again optimistic about the possibilities of relationships, having rediscovered the seemingly lost ability for a woman to innately and spontaneously ignite the male psyche.

That was a fun night ................

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How Stella Got Her Groove Back Quick Trivia

Angela Bassett was planning her nuptials with then-fiancé Courtney B. Vance when cast in the lead role. The start of production kept being pushed back by producer Deborah Schindler which was a blessing and a curse for Bassett.

The continued delay of production gave her ample time to get her body in perfect shape for the film but it also prevented her from being able to set a definite date for her wedding.

Determined to get married in the fall of 1997, Bassett and Vance stood their ground and set a firm date for the ceremony, October 17, 1997, by that point Bassett had been filming for about a month on "Stella."

Originally cast as the old man who hits on Stella during her initial stay in Jamaica, all of Danny Glover's scenes were deleted from the final cut of the film.

Glover's seen briefly in the film during the scene where Stella, submerged in a pool, is talking to Winston (who's standing poolside), and points out an older man who's been hitting on her during her stay.

In a quick long shot, Glover can be seen in old age make-up holding a flower he intends to give to Stella.

Bassett's Stella and Diggs' Winston ranked #10 on Moviefone's 'The Top 25 Sexiest Movie Couples'. May 2008

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