The Goshen News - Today's Entertainment
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/467182
Matt Basile, the intense but immensely likable host of Cooking Channel's "Rebel Without a Kitchen," airing Tuesdays, is the kind of guy who views success with deep suspicion. Oh, he appreciates it, but he also knows it can breed complacency. That's one of the reasons Basile, after a season based entirely in Toronto, has taken his Tuesday night series on the road for Season 2, sampling some of the best street foods cities such as New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Boston and Austin, Texas, have to offer. He's looking for new flavors and cooking styles he can take back home and possibly incorporate into the menu of his thriving Toronto restaurant, Lisa Marie. "Other than Toronto, there were 10 or 11 cities that we traveled to this season, mainly in the U.S.," Basile says. "It was great, because it was the first time I had traveled to that many cities in the U.S. in a short amount of time and seen how broad the landscape is across the country." Regardless of whether it's served in a kiosk, a cart or a food truck, the venue of street food is less important than its intrinsic style, he explains. "It goes back to trying to find what the food of the people is. What is it that can define a city in a few bites? That's at the heart of what street food is really about." That food usually includes a vibrant blend of cultures, often called "fusion." "You see street food embodying many cultures, usually the ones that are prevalent in that city," Basile says. "We've seen it manifest in a lot of different ways. I think we've only really begun to tap into 'fusion food.' There are so many different cultures that you can continue to build flavors on." Where did you come up with the name of your food company, Fidel Gastro? "I was playing with the idea of Cuban sandwiches and just writing down just a bunch of random ideas. I don't know why I wrote down "Fidel Castro," and then I turned the 'C' into a 'G,' and I knew we had the name for our sandwich pop-up, one that people immediately gravitated toward. They thought it was clever and whimsical." Do you have a favorite spice? "I love fresh ginger. I think it can be used in a variety of styles of cooking. It also can be used for desserts as well. Just the right amount of ginger can give a dish a real zinginess." What's next for you? "I've put my life's blood, body and soul into this company. It's only been three years and we've had amazing growth. We started from a very grassroots beginning that keeps us honest and humble, but the idea is that the sky is the limit as far as where this company goes." BY JOHN CROOK Sky's the limit for 'Rebel' star Matt Basile Matt Basile Sky's the limit for 'Rebel' star Matt Basile Older woman. Younger man. Big trouble. There's little question of the territory "The Boy Next Door" goes into, and the picture so clearly knows it, you want to like it in spite of itself. You may not quite get there, but at least it doesn't pretend to be anything but the pure popcorn movie it is. Jennifer Lopez stars as perhaps the world's most glamorous teacher, and her marriage hitting the rocks – with John Corbett as the husband – coincides with the arrival of a hunky new neighbor (Ryan Guzman, of the "Step Up" series) who's taking care of his ill uncle. It doesn't take long for the educator and the young man to meet, and ... well, one thing leads to another. That "another" easily earns "The Boy Next Door" its "R" rating, and it also earns the Lopez character the aforementioned big trouble, since she quickly wants to back down from the intimate encounter. The other participant doesn't, though, and he starts displaying dangerous tendencies that threaten Lopez and everyone close to her – including her son (Ian Nelson) and her best friend (Kristin Chenoweth, always a welcome presence, even in as standard a role as this one). You know where "The Boy Next Door" is heading, so it's really a matter of how well it gets there. Director Rob Cohen has proven himself an efficient moviemaker on a wide range of films, from "Dragonheart" to "The Fast and the Furious," so it's not a surprise that the picture consistently looks good. That's never more true than when Lopez is at the center of a shot, but that goes without saying. The thing is, if you've seen any melodrama that's in the "Fatal Attraction" vein, you've pretty much seen "The Boy Next Door" already. It doesn't add anything new to the genre, and with the talent on hand, that's kind of a shame. It's good to see Lopez has spent some of her "American Idol" off-time keeping a hand in big-screen work, but if she really wants it to be worthwhile, she'll need to find more than "The Boy Next Door." BY JAY BOBBIN J. Lo shouldn't adore 'The Boy Next Door' Page 8 February 23 - March 1, 2015

