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WEEKEND BUTLER: O.J. Simpson: a story never told before. Francis Coppola’s “best film” (not “The Godfather”). Best Russian film. Romantic song: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. Sesame Chicken with Cashews and Dates.
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Published: Apr 18, 2024
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Weekend
AN O.J. SIMPSON STORY THAT’S NEVER BEEN TOLD
by Nicole Minet: I’ve been waiting 29 years to tell this story about OJ and his days at USC. Now that he’s dead (may he burn in hell) I have a story that I signed an NDA for that is no longer valid. I was a junior at USC working in Topping Student Center on campus in 1995. I was an administrative assistant to the President of Student Affairs that semester in the work/study program. In early 1995, Robert Shapiro and Robert Kardashian (USC Alumni) walked up to my desk and said they had an appointment with my boss. I was studying to be a criminal defense lawyer with a dual major in PoliSci and International Relations, so I knew who they were. The meeting lasted about 30 mins. After they left, I looked at my boss like: “WTF was that all about!?” He walked me outside. We sat by the old sprawling big tree outside Topping, and my boss lit a cigarette for the first time in years and told me I had to sign an NDA because I could confirm OJ’s lawyers were there for a meeting. Then he told me what the meeting was about. Before OJ could graduate from USC, the university paid off the families of two blonde girls that he had dated and battered. They had both gone to the LAPD to report it. One claimed he also sexually assaulted her in their relationship. The school had a vested interest in OJ going far in football and protected him at all costs. OJ had been in custody for 6 months and lawyers were in the discovery process for the trial. OJ’s friend Robert Kardashian, who knew OJ from also being a student at USC, thought it would be best if those stories never saw the light of day. So a large check was written, given to my boss, and they left. I’ll never forget holding that check. Now, did you hear about this before now? Nope. That’s how much power money enables. This is why I abhor the Kardashians. They’re rich thugs. Nothing more.
WEEKEND MUSIC: MARVIN GAYE AND TAMMI TERRELL
My review. Rare video: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
WEEKEND MOVIE
“The Conversation,” often called “Coppola’s best film.” “The Conversation” received three Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Sound. It did win the Palme D’Or at Cannes, but it was a commercial disappointment, and unless you’re a film fanatic, you may never have heard of a film a New York Times critic called “Coppola’s best movie, a landmark film of the seventies and a stunning piece of original American fiction.” [To watch the streaming video on Amazon Prime, click here.]
BEST RUSSIAN FILM
Alexander Nevsky. The greatest score in all of film — so good that it inspired John Williams’ shark theme in “Jaws” and James Horner’s music for “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” One of the greatest battle scenes in film — so good that Mel Gibson surely went to school on it before shooting the “Braveheart” war scenes. Want your heart to pound? Stream it!
WEEKEND RECIPE
Sesame Chicken with Cashews and Dates
Dates add a touch of sweetness to this savory chicken and scallion stir-fry. If you don’t have a wok or a 12-inch skillet, you might want to cook this in two batches in a smaller pan. That will ensure a nice, browned crust on the meat. And if you want to substitute chicken breasts, stir-fry them for only 2 minutes in Step 2 before adding the rice wine.
4 to 6 servings
4 tablespoons toasted (Asian) sesame oil
12-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into about 12 “coins”
6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), cut into 2-inch lengths
3 to 4 dried red chiles, or ½ teaspoon chile flakes
2 pounds boneless chicken thighs (preferably skin on, but skinless is O.K.), cut into 2-inch chunks
½ cup toasted cashews
⅓ cup rice wine or dry sherry
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce or tamari
4 pitted dates, thinly sliced
3 cups fresh basil or cilantro leaves, or a combination
Rice vinegar or lime juice, to taste
Cooked rice, for serving
PREPARATION
Season the chicken with salt and pepper while you heat a 12-inch skillet or wok over high heat until it’s very hot, at least 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil and swirl the pan; the oil should thin on contact. When the oil is hot, add the ginger, garlic, scallions and chile. Stir-fry until the garlic is golden at the edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the 2 remaining tablespoon oil, chicken and cashews, and stir fry until it starts to brown, 4 to 5 minutes (turn down the heat if the cashews are browning too quickly). Add the rice wine, soy sauce and dates; simmer until the sauce reduces to a syrupy consistency and the chicken cooks through, 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in the herbs, sprinkle with rice vinegar or lime juice, and serve over rice.
