Anniversary

Today is the 67th anniversary of D-Day; a day that is sadly often forgotten by the general public. I never cease to be amazed by the humility, patience and bravery these men showed the world. Seven years ago, I traveled to Normandy, visiting many of the beaches, battle sites and museums. Here are a couple of pictures from my trip those many years ago...

But if you can't fly away to France anytime soon, you can always take an imaginary trip with a great WWII movie. Some of my top picks are listed below for your viewing pleasure:

1. The Gathering Storm (2002) - A BBC drama about Winston Churchill and the political upheaval in Britain leading to WWII

2. Enemy at the Gates (2001) - A fairly accurate portrayal of the Battle of Stalingrad between the Russians and Nazis. A stellar cast including Jude Law, Rachel Weiz, Joseph Fiennes, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins and Ron Perlman make this even more engaging.

3. Patton (1970) - George C. Scott gives a tantalizing performance as the great but controversial American General Patton

4. Band of Brothers (2001) - My favorite out of this entire list. This HBO miniseries gives you a gripping and realistic portrayal of men in the 101st Easy Company on the front lines in Europe, from the D-Day paratrooper landings to the conquest of Germany.

5. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - The first 20 minutes of this movie is one of the most detailed and realistic portrayals of Omaha Beach, the most disastrous of the allied landing points.

6. The Longest Day (1962) - My number two pick. With a great cast including John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Richard Burton and a young Sean Connery, this is a long and detailed movie but it gives you a good idea of all the pieces of the puzzle needed for this allied victory. It has great moments of humor as well to alleviate the gravity of the whole story.

7. The Pacific (2010) - The counterpart to Band of Brothers, this miniseries presents the stories of our heroic Marines fighting in the worst conditions possible in the Pacific Theater, against the most relentless enemy imaginable. I would highly suggest reading either A Helmet for My Pillow or With the Old Breed if you can before watching. It will help you understand the inhumanity of it so much more.

8. Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - The inspiring story of a determined British colonel and his men in a Japanese POW camp who must cooperate in building a bridge to stay alive.

9. U-571 (2000) - This movie brings to life the little known history of U-boat warfare in the Atlantic. One can only imagine the different fears and expectations these sailors faced compared to the rest of the navy and our men fighting on land. Plus, who doesn't like seeing Matthew McConaughey in navy whites?

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On the lighter side, I decided to ditch the Swordfish recipe. I'd love to try it out but a) there was none in regular grocery stores, only specialty ones and b) way too expensive for my small budget right now. So I picked up a cedar plank and will grill some Ahi Tuna and veggies to go with the Muscadet wine. Guess I'm going to do it on the fly with soy sauce, pantry spices and a little creativity - wish me luck!