Fall TV Report Card: Lone Star Flunks, Hawaii Five-O Aces

You knew this was going to be a rough Fall TV season when straight out of the gate, after just two episodes, Fox cancelled Lone Star, a show that earned glowing critical praise and should have been given more time to grow.

Since then ABC, who we like to call Always Be Cancellin’, took an axe to My Generation, which we admit we meant to watch, purely for True Blood’s Mechad Brooks, but never got around to (like most viewers it seems), and Maura Tierney’s The Whole Truth, while NBC cut Undercovers, which we were rooting for simply out of J.J. Abrams love, but seemed destined for failure after we saw the pilot, and Jimmy Smits’ Outlaw.

With many series still on the proverbial “bubble,” we decided to celebrate the new shows that earned season passes on our DVR this fall rather than the ones we love (what up, Blue Bloods?) that will probably be lone gone by February.


Moving to the head of the class, AMC’s The Walking Dead, which has already been renewed for a second season. Starring Andrew Lincoln, who audiences may remember from his devastating turn in Love Actually, where he proclaims his love for Keira Knightley Bob Dylan-style on a series of cue cards, this show about the survivors of a zombie apocalypse will have you squealing, jumping and clutching your pearls.

Although we were initially hesitant about Hawaii Five-O 2.0, one viewing made it instant must see TV. And not just because of the boogie-on-your-couch theme song or all the super foxy man candy on display. Sure, Alex O’Loughlin and Daniel Dae Kim make great TV, but it’s swaggering Scott Caan who steals the show and we’d bet gets the nod come Golden Globe and Emmy time.

Every DVR needs a guilty pleasure and ours is Hellcats. The CW show about a group of competitive college cheerleaders is surprisingly delicious viewing right down to its catch phrase, “Shake it like you’re from Memphis.”

Written for Sheknows.com

Here's a delicious TV dinner to tuck into along with Hawaii Five-O's man meat, my homage to Hawaii's outstanding fish and strong Asian culture.

Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks with Asian Slaw

The best part about this recipe is you can easily trade tilapia for chicken and have an equally delicious dish that’s a serious crowd pleaser. The secret to these sticks is panko, Japanese bread crumbs that impart an airier, crispier, lacier crust which stays crunchy longer and sucks up less grease than traditional bread crumbs. But don’t think I used panko just because this recipe includes an Asian slaw. Panko can and should be used in any dish, from your mac and cheese topping to eggplant parmesan, where you’re looking for a light crunch.

Serves Four

Fish Sticks
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder (can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. If you can’t find any powder at the market, ask nicely for some of the paste at your local sushi restaurant, they’re usually happy to oblige such a small request.)
2 cups panko (can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 pounds tilapia fillets, cut into wide strips
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly coat with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Place egg in a wide shallow bowl and add soy sauce and wasabi powder. In another bowl, combine panko, oil and sesame seeds.

Dip tilapia into egg, shaking off excess, then into panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Season with salt and place on prepared baking sheets.

Bake until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, make slaw.

Asian Slaw:
1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky depending on your preference
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 2-inch piece ginger, grated
1 jalapeno, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 cup mint, roughly chopped
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut in long thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, cut in long thin strips
1 carrot, shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 green onion, green and onion parts, as thinly sliced as possible

In a food processor or blender, combine peanut butter, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice and zest, ginger, jalapeno, cilantro and mint. Pulse just until dressing comes together. Check for seasoning and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cucumber, cabbage, bell pepper, carrot and green onion. Toss in dressing, reserving any remaining dressing for later use (it keeps in the refrigerator beautifully for up to ten days), and serve.

From a Bad Date to Good TV: Dancing with Stars, Hawaii Five-O and Carrot Cake

You see this man hiding his face?

It's in shame.


Let me explain why.

The embarrassing truth is, I don't get asked out on a lot of dates. I'd like to believe it's because I'm "intimidating" or "too good to be true" or all those other things my friends promise me are the reasons I don't have a boyfriend but the cold, hard reality is this: I haven't been asked out on a date since August 2009. That was until now.

I was catering a party last week and the above gentleman was in attendance. He's young, handsome-ish (6.5 if we're being frank...and a little generous), attentive and persistently asked for my number so, despite the fact that he looked about eight years younger than me and was kind of abrasive, I figured, why not? No one else has been asking.

Hopes high, fingers crossed, my date picked me up tonight and took me on the most generic of generic first dates: sushi. A lame choice but forgivable. Until he informed me that the restuarant he'd selected was an old haunt of his and his ex-girlfriends.

Really, buddy? You're busting skeletons out of the closet and we haven't even had a hand roll yet? Awesome. Can we get some hot sake and a Sapporo on table three?

Between tales of his multiple exes and comments about how I "wasn't a cougar quite yet," my escort spent the majority of the night texting and talking on his cell phone while I tried to refrain from rolling my eyes and hailing a cab back to my apartment where I had much more important and alluring things awaiting me. Namely, some of my freshly baked carrot cake and the season premieres of Dancing with the Stars and Hawaii Five-O.

There's no shame in my game. I've been a DWTS fan for a number of years but this season it's all about Jennifer Grey.

I will proudly declare that Dirty Dancing is my favorite movie of all time and Patrick Swayze, one of my deepest loves. When he passed last year, I got condolansce calls from friends because they knew the gravity of the loss to me.

The only time I've ever encountered Jennifer Grey was at a Maya Rudolph/Fred Armisen show two years ago where she gave me a Twizzler and I didn't realize she was JENNIFER FRICKIN' GREY (damn that nose job) but I still feel deeply connected to her. Plus, she's paired with my DWTS boyfriend, Derek Hough. I don't care that he gives crazy Dancer Face. I love me some Hough!

Seeing his tears when Jennifer broke down thinking of Patrick and how much she misses him as she watched Derek choreographing to "These Arms of Mine," aka: the song Baby and Johnny Castle dance to right before they do it for the first time (chills!!!), made me love both of them even more! Heartbreaking and wonderful, all at once. If Jennifer and Derek don't win this season, there is no justice in the universe.

As for her competion, not even the Tea Party will be able to save Bristol Palin from elimination in the coming weeks. That girl dances as well as her mother comprehends geography and grammar. But it was hilarious for the producers to assign her the song, "Mama Told Me Not to Come."

And why was Mike "The Situation" totally charming? I've never had a thing for him but his nerves made him adorable. Way to bring some funky white boy thuggishness to the ballroom, Mike.

Cake eaten, DWTS watched, it's time to take a trip to Oahu for Hawaii Five-O starring good ol' Scottie Caan.

The thought has me flashing back to my trip there last summer to visit Koa. I've got an Aloha craving! But, in the meantime, I guess carrot cake will have to get me through.