The GAIA Health Blog

Some Healthy Food Fun:    Dinner and a Movie

Their Eyes Were Watching God

On the Menu:  "Country Style" Fried Fish (Made Healthy)    and Old Fashioned Country Lemonade
Video:   Oprah's commentary,      the "Tea Cake meets Janie" scene from the Movie       How to fry fish video

"Love is like the sea, it's a moving thing............and it's different on every shore"   
 --Halle Berry

......To Fran (she knows why)

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"NO WAY!!!" ...was my response to my ex girlfriend when she wanted me to come over one Sunday and watch this movie with her.

I was still in detox from "The Color Purple", and if I had to sit through another Oprah financed, Terry McMillan endorsed, "Lets Blame The Black Man" for all the worlds, and all black women's problems, then I was gonna throw up.

But we know how a woman can give us you that "I'm about to get mad" pout and frown, I figured I'd better just get through it (after I ran to get two bottles of wine to guzzle down during this movie)

But, unlike "The Color Purple", and since I am always a fan of movies going back in time, I REALLY, REALLY liked this flick.

Albeit a somewhat "cheesy", Hallmark/Oxygen Channel, "Made for TV" feel to it, if I had to describe this movie in one word, I would have to call it "Steamy" :)

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What is the movie about? Well, it's the ages old saga that we all go through in some form or another. Finding that deepest love that touches the soul, and the other thing we all go through, trying to break free from something, someone, someplace, some mindset, or all of the above.

"Their Eyes Were Watching God" was originally a novel published in 1937 by Zora Neal Hurston. And before any woman considers naming their daughter "Zora", it could be argued that Zora was a "hard core' Republican, in the vein of Clarence Thomas, Michael Steele, or Condoleezza Rice. Just a little historical info before you stamp your daughters birth certificate.......

Halle Berry plays Janie Starks in, and if this were a big budget Hollywood production, it would have got her least a best actress nominee for one of the deep, introspective indie film roles that the character pulls you into, and you are compelled to see how it turns out. Her lover, named "Tea Cake", played by Michael Early, plays his retro/vintage "smooth operator" role to a "Tea Cake"

And any real man who watches this movie, although none of us will admit it, will walk away with a few "Tea Cake" moves that we stole from him, same as all us "basketballers" all have stole a few Michael Jordan moves after watching him in action.

I stole three Tea Cake moves: the "you look scared" then walk away from sex scene (very few brothers have the temperament or patience to do this move, I do not advise this move for amateurs!!) Secondly, the "strawberries scene" (daytime vs. nighttime thoughts), although I used wild blueberries .........sweet move, like a Scottie Pippen three pointer.

And, my favorite of them all, the "night fishing" scene (did that with a babe I met down in the Virgin Islands), although I bought the fish from a night fisherman and grilled them on a small bonfire on the beach...technically same move, but my own "Jordan-like, killer crossover jumpshot" personal twist.

And, since it is a violation of the "male Code" to always steal a brother's moves and give nothing back to the "male smooth operator universe", I will share my fish recipe for the next brotha about to do that "Romance Dance".

So, for this "Dinner and a Movie" I will be preparing my own fried fish recipe, but you know how I sling it on my blog, it's gotta be healthy and delicious, its my version of that pretty slick fish dinner that had on the porch, Country Fried Fish (made healthy), and Old Fashioned Lemonade...

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"Country Style" Fried Fish (Made Healthy)

and Old Fashioned Country Lemonade

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"Country Style" Fried Fish Made Healthy

** 4 whitefish filets of choice (tilapia is my current fav)

** 1 cup organic coconut milk (original recipe called for buttermilk. Soaking fish in milk eliminates "fishy" smell)

** 1/2 tsp or to taste Pink Himalayan Salt (or alternately Celtic Sea Salt, AVOID COMMON TABLE SALT!!!!)

** 1/8 tbsp (more or less)organic garlic powder
** 1/4 tsp (more or less) organic coarse ground black pepper
** cayenne pepper (or other preferred spices)
** Unrefined Organic Coconut Oil for frying

Cornmeal Coating:
** 1 c Organic yellow corn meal such as Arrowhead Mills, AVOID NON-ORGANIC/GMO CORNMEAL OR THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF HEALTHY EATING IS DEFEATED

I prefer to make my own barbecue sauce, ketchups and hot sauces to control my ingredients for a good simple (hot sauce recipe click here)

AVOID ALL COMMERCIAL OILS, EXPECIALLY CANOLA, IT'S POISON

Coconut Oil is my only recommend frying oil right now. I use it almost everyday and my cholesterol scores are near perfect (Good Cholesterol an amazingly high 80, bad cholesterol an amazingly low 79, triglycerides [measure of fat buildup in arteries], unbelievably low 31, where people vulnerable to heat attacks have triglyceride scores of 350 to over 500)

my evaluation of all oils here

Instructions are pretty simple, throw dry ingredients into cornmeal. Soak fish in coconut milk for 15 minutes or so, and dip into cornmeal mix, both sides, lay gently in skillet with hot coconut oil, fry for about 10 minutes