That's yummy, that is

Mud

They describe these books and films (the critics) as coming of age and rites of passage. Mud is about a river (the Mississippi), two boys and their unbreakable friendship, the fragility of some relationships, and why that very fragility may make them non-starters, about new friends, and finding a way through difficult times.

It is also about the inherent nastiness of powerful men, and the inherent evil of a powerful (local) government as it wrecks a river-based community and economy.

The closing scenes are a joy, but that would be one of those internet spoilers, so lets leave it at a recommendation.

Oh. There's a boat up a tree, fish and snake bites. A chainsaw. Some punches thrown, and at the end of a slow burning story development, some bullets fired. There's scrap salvaged, and I can detect I'm selling bit of an A-Team feeling, maybe, which I shouldn't be, because that'd be wrong. It isn't any helter skelter mess of action, while you never get the feeling of unnecessary hanging about either. Just watch the film, you won't regret it.

Sticky chicken wings

Buy 'em up cheap before they start throwing away anything with bones in. Chuck some stuff at them, cook them and eat them, all browned and half charred and sticky with chilli sauce and some rice or salad or bread or whatever. For every place pushing out wings and liver, there's a Tesco selling skinless, boneless, tasteless, mush.

The Kills

Book Three takes off. Middle East and America to Italy and Naples and a new cast. No let up in the tension. How didn't this make the Booker short-list?

Jamie Oliver's Burger Joint...

...according to Will Self's review (and I've come round (a bit) to Jamie but have never doubted Will Self (even though he's not in the same psycho-geographical premier league that is Iain Sinclair (on his own))) Oliver's burger joint has a menu sidebar all about nutrition and an opening statement about “great food values and ethics” [all good] “sustainable and local ingredients” [good call even though the lack of inner London beef rearing means 'local' is loose] and “yummy healthy dishes”, which is a 'yummy' too far for an old git like me to consider a visit to the restaurant.

Would you...

...consider eating anywhere that carries the description 'yummy' on the menu? Not unless you were in the market for happy meals and keeping a whole load of little kids quiet for half an hour (until one of them vomits or starts a war over a stolen chip or small plastic toy they'll chew at the first opportunity and that’ll be binned before tea-time) or looking for some inner child you lost years ago. Presumably all the dishes not prefaced by 'yummy' are...what...bland? Not so yummy? Scrummy? Not very nice but awfully good for you (the muesli section, that'll be).