And the Winner Is...

My 2011 Oscar predictions on NBC's 5 o'clock news.

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Oscar Eats: Christian Bale’s Kale Salad

Christian Bale’s Kale Salad
Serves four

This salad is a version of one made weekly with a crew of girls knighted "The Bang Gang" (it refers to a one-time hairstyle preference, not anything lascivious) when we’d gather to watch the best show on television, RuPaul’s Drag Race. It also seems the perfect meal for those of you looking to shed poundage the way Christian Bale did in his outstanding performance, one that will surely earn him on Oscar on Sunday, in The Fighter.

Salad:
4 packed cups de-stemmed, finely chopped kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Gala or Fuji apples, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

Dressing:
2 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
1 teaspoon honey
dash cayenne pepper, or to taste
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl, toss kale with olive oil and allow to wilt slightly while preparing other ingredients.

Dice apples and avocado and toss in lemon juice to prevent oxidizing.

Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a small dish, mashing the tahini with the back of a spoon until there are no clumps remaining.

Toss kale with dressing and gently add in apple, avocado and sunflower seeds, tossing to combine. Serve and enjoy!

Members of the Bang Gang tranny-ified at a Tranimal Event in late '09...

And one night's Drag Race Dinner. The kale salad is the lower half of the plate.

More Golden Globe Predictions on NBC's Today in LA

"True Grit" is Truly Impressive

At first glance, "True Grit" could be categorized simply as a Western, and given its first cinematic incarnation as the John Wayne vehicle that won The Duke his Oscar, that would make sense. But in the hands of the Coen Brothers the classic story blossoms into a soot-black comedy woven with King James Bible-brand dialogue and some of the best performances of the year.

Adapted from Charles Portis' 1968 novel, the film stars beguiling newcomer Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, a no-nonsense 14-year-old who recruits U.S. Marshal Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track down Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who killed her father for a few horses and two California gold pieces, so she can exact avenge. As they set off into barren "Indian Territory," freshly dusted with snow, they're joined by La Beouf (Matt Damon), a Texas Ranger who's spent months on Chaney's trail.

Shot by Roger Deakins (marking his eleventh time as the Coen Brothers' cinematographer) in dusty sepia tones that give way to inky nights spent by the flickering glow of a campfire pockmarked by the occasional muzzle flash, the film looks and smells like a worn leather saddlebag—as does Bridges.

Sporting an eye patch, gin blossom nose and wheezing tobacco-charred voice, Bridges' whiskey-guzzling, sharp-shooting Cogburn is an acting high wire act. Somehow both grounded and grandiose, it's a turn so impressive, it makes you wonder if he could pull a Tom Hanks and win the Best Actor Oscar two years in a row. (Whatdayathink about that, Colin Firth?)

With brief, transfixing appearances by Brolin and the always impressive but hugely underrated Barry Pepper, the other name we expect to hear on the Academy's roll call this year (right after Christian Bale's for "The Fighter") is Damon's, who provides a great deal of the film's unexpected comedy and turns in his best work in recent memory.

The fact that Steinfeld, whose only notable credit before "Grit" was a TV movie called "Summer Camp," goes toe-to-toe with Bridges, Brolin and Damon, driving the story forward with her portrayal of a stoic, stalwart young girl hellbent on vengeance, is proof of an impressive career to come.

Lacking any sentimentality, but somehow full of heart and tenderness, unpredictably funny yet chillingly somber, "True Grit" is a genre-defying, impeccably crafted film that only the Coen Brothers could make.

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Watching Bridges and Damon on the trail, I kept flashing back to my Glamping extravaganza with Brian earlier this year, so I figured, why not resurrect that good ol' Cowboy Caviar Soup?

For the recipe, click here...

Fighting Words with "The Fighter"s Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell, Plus a Fit Frittata Perfect for the Holidays

Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale and David O. Russell aren’t men who shy away from a fight. Each has a haunting tale from the past where their dark side got the best of them; whether it’s Wahlberg’s early prison stint on assault charges, Bale’s notorious on-set rant or Russell attempting to choke out George Clooney while filming Three Kings. But when the three men bound into a press conference to promote their new film, The Fighter, it’s all jokes and hugs and laughs. This time, it seems, all the drama stayed on the screen.

The Fighter is the true story of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and his crack addicted older brother and trainer, Dick “Dickie” Eklund (Bale). It’s a film Wahlberg championed for four years, eventually signing on as a producer, and one that will almost surely land Bale an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Micky’s squirrely, charismatic, troubled but loving other half.

Asked how he got into the role, which required he drop down to an almost Machinist level of emaciation, Bale grins. “I felt so good and calm playing Dickie. I was just running. I could run for hours. Usually I say, ‘Oh, I just did a lot of coke,’ when I lose weight for a movie, but I don’t think it’s so funny for this movie,” he says, causing the entire room to erupt with laughter.

For Wahlberg, he explains he signed on to star and produce the project “out of sheer desperation to get the movie made. It seemed, at first, like a no brainer,” Wahlberg shrugs. “Amazing parts, wonderful story, a new and interesting world you’re not that familiar with, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

After losing both Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, who would have played Bale’s role, and director Darren Aronofsky, who eventually signed on as a producer instead, Wahlberg says he “had to grab a hold of [the film] and force it to happen out of sheer will and determination.” Though, when it came to casting Bale, the inspiration came in the least likely of places.

“These guys met at pre-school, right?” Russell asks his two leads.

“Yeah, dropping off my daughter,” Bale grins.

“[Mark] looked across the parking lot, saw Christian Bale and was like, ‘BING!’” Russell laughs.

“What I said was, ‘There is the guy who’s not scared of this part,’” Wahlberg corrects. “Everybody loved the idea of [playing a drug addict] but nobody wanted to commit and go there. I’d seen The Machinist, I’d seen Rescue Dawn; he’s a fearless actor. He responded to it immediately and everything fell into place after that.”

When asked about bringing in Russell, who Wahlberg previously worked with on Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees, to direct, Wahlberg has a moment of quiet sincerity, “That’s my brother, man. We’ve been through a lot together and we’re so comfortable with one another, we’re like family. To be able to work with someone you admire so much, and you trust and care for, I just loved it. When it dawned on me that there is a way to get this movie made with David as the director, I thought we have a chance to make something really special. He brought a level of humor and emotion that I don’t think anyone else could have brought.”

“A lot of other people were over-emphasizing the druggy nature, the addiction, as if that was something fascinating to see,” Bale adds. “And we both felt, we’ve seen that in so many movies, and [when you] meet Dickie and Micky, it’s not what you think about.” More importantly, Bale felt it was the director’s emotional nature that made him the perfect choice. “David’s got this great earnestness and complete silliness at the same time, which was perfect,” Bale says. “He’s got a big heart. He’d often be crying with laughter and also just flat out crying. [He’d be] listening to Dickie or Micky, and they had his sides splitting with laughter and then it would segway into tragedy and he’d be bawling his eyes out. You could really see how much he felt it and was going through a rollercoaster of emotions, which is usually what the actors are doing, but David was right there, feeling it as much as any of us.”

The Fighter opens today.

Broke, hungry and looking for something healthy and filling? This "tortilla" (which is the Spanish term for a frittata which is basically just crustless quiche) is just for you. Simple, easy and quick to throw together, it's a also great for last minute holiday guests or party invites. Seemingly effortful and totally unexpected thanks to the surprise of the pickled grapes and carrots, it's a creamy crowd pleaser.

Potato and Onion Tortilla with Spicy Pickled Carrots and Grapes
makes 8 servings

Tortilla:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 onions, diced
7 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Spicy Pickled Carrots and Grapes:
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
1/2 white onion, sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos
2 cups seedless grapes, green and red

In a large saucepot over medium-high heat, bring vinegar and water to a boil. Add carrots, garlic, onion, peppercorns, salt and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Add jalapenos and grapes, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and chill overnight in pickling liquid. They can be made in advance and will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

To cook tortilla, preheat oven to 350 degrees and heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Whisk together eggs and milk, season to taste and pour over browned potatoes and onions. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tortilla is set around edges, about 3 minutes.

Place skillet in oven and baked until tortilla is cooked through and firm to the touch, about 5 minutes. Slice and serve with pickled grapes and carrots.

True Blood Star Tackles Charles Manson Bio-Pic

I don't consider myself much of a scoop-ster, but I broke this story for NBC's Popcorn Biz on Tuesday.

Jason Stackhouse is going helter skelter.

At the press day for his new film, "Red Hill," a nouveau spaghetti western set in the Australian high country (which perhaps makes it a boomerang western), "True Blood" star Ryan Kwanten told us that he's moving into a new phase in his career, one that allows him a bit more creative control over some of his future projects, which include next year's satirical self-help book (not the sex guide it's been erroneously hyped to be) "The G Strategy," a handful of acting jobs and upcoming hyphenate turns as actor-producer of the Australian film, "The Twenty-Something Survival Guide" and "The Family," as in the Manson Family, with Kwanten both producing and starring in the role of Charles Manson.

Though still in the early stages of development, Ryan also told us Brad Anderson, who previously directed one of Christian Bale's finest performances in the brilliantly chilling 2004 film "The Machinist," is attached to the film which would delve into Manson and the murders his followers committed.

What's truly unsettling to us is how appealing that sounds.

Kwanten would bring a whole new dimension to Manson, one of the most disturbing and loathsome human beings ever to walk the face of the earth. When looking at the atrocities Manson convinced people to commit, its nearly impossible for people to imagine him as anything but a monster (which he is). But there had to be a reason his followers were swayed and we're fascinated by the idea of watching Kwanten illuminate the magnetic, charismatic, alluring side the cult leader must have possessed.

Best known for his shirtless antics as Jason Stackhouse, one of Bon Temps stupidest and most oversexed residents, shunning the easy eye candy parts Kwanten is undoubtedly offered in favor of demanding, complicated work confirms our theory that the young Aussie might be one of the most promising actors on television. Incredibly serious about his craft, thoughtful and intelligent, we fear he suffers from the Heath Ledger-Brad Pitt Syndrome; men better recognized for their beauty and body than formidable talents.

And that isn't a euphemism.