ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13 People & Places This image released by Amazon Studios shows Clare Dunne, (left), and Ruby Rose O’Hara in a scene from ‘Herself,’ available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video on Friday. (AP) Television People Repurpose foods ‘Slow down? Never’ Netfl ix alters leftovers with ‘food game’ show Seacrest says he’s busier than ever By Alicia Rancilio NEW YORK, Jan 5, (AP): Just in time for anyone fac- Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami urges ing a heaving, post-holiday refrigerator comes a TV ost folks have slowed down in show about what to do with all those dubious dishes Mthe past nine months but Ryan — leftovers. Seacrest says he’s been juggling more politicians to speak sincerely about virus Each episode of the food game show “Best Lefto- than usual during the pandemic. His regular TV and radio gigs as a TOKYO, Jan 5, (AP): Japanese nov- University. vers Ever!” on Netfl ix sees three skilled cooks make elist Haruki Murakami says politicians “It would be difficult for the people new dishes out of already made dishes, hoping to walk co-host on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” and his syndicated “On Air with Ryan” need to help reduce public uncertainty to squarely cooperate with the (anti- away with $10,000. and fear over the coronavirus and gain virus) measures when politicians are “People think leftovers is Seacrest radio show continue, despite people’s support by speaking sincerely not communicating with messages” just reheating your food. It’s In this May 14, 2019 file photo, Ryan lockdown. On weekends there were Seacrest attends the Walt Disney about the pandemic. in words that can reach people’s not just reheating your food. tapings for what he calls “the singing Murakami, in a two-hour live New hearts, Murakami said, without iden- Television 2019 upfront in New York. show” (otherwise known as ABC’s Get creative with it. You could Most folks have slowed down in the Year’s Eve radio show, urged po- tifying any politician by name. always create new and better “American Idol.”) litical leaders to “talk honestly from Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga past nine months but Seacrest says “There were also a lot of requests things with it later,” says co- he’s been juggling more than normal the gut” to the people to encourage and his predecessor, Shinzo Abe, median David So, one of the during the pandemic. (AP) to do extra specials and things for our their participation in slowing an up- have been criticized for reading judges. partners (such as hosting the successful surge in infections, which are on carefully scripted statements pre- In the first episode, con- “Disney Family Sing Along” programs) the verge of getting out of control. pared by bureaucrats at news con- testants are given healthy because everyone was going through His comments came hours after ferences, often repeating the same leftovers — veggie salad, a tough time. We leaned into doing as Japan’s capital announced its new phrases in response to questions much as we could,” said Seacrest, 46, daily cases soared to a record 1,337 asked by reporters. cauliflower rice, beef tender- on last Thursday, up sharply from the Japan so far has avoided an explo- loin with beets, and avocado in an interview from the radio studio he built in the basement of the “Live” set. previous high of 949 on Dec. 26. sive growth in infections, but its recent Tohn with cottage cheese — and “I think an essential problem upsurge has many people worried. are asked to turn them into His commute from the morning talk with the coronavirus is our uncer- Suga took few pandemic mea- comfort food in 30 minutes. They have access to a show to radio gig is one minute but tain future, which is triggering a sures until mid-December, when he pantry and kitchen staples. Seacrest is still largely bi-coastal and sense of fear, anger and escap- suspended a state-funded discount One contestant turned to Indian fl avors, making a splits his time between New York and ism among people, which I think travel promotion campaign. He has chicken curry with fritters. Another went for Greek, Los Angeles. is the biggest danger,” Murakami also been criticized for joining a making a beet- and meat-stuffed pastry called a tiro- Last week he returned to New said in a conversation with one of steak dinner for eight people when pita. The third made a tostada with glazed pepper jelly Roberts Rahbani York’s Times Square to once again two guests, Nobel physiology prize the government advised against chicken. front “Dick Clark New Year’s Rockin’ winner Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto parties of more than five. In the second round, called the Takeout Takedown, Eve.” Seacrest counted down to 2021 contestants must make new dishes from restaurant with the help of actors Lucy Hale and leftovers in only an hour. One took chicken fi ngers Variety Billy Porter. Ciara cohost from Los that can pop up. He and Ripa purposely distraction. The studios give young and fries and made a potato gnocchi. Another turned Angeles. Jennifer Lopez also per- walk onto the “Live” set seconds before patients a taste of producing a radio old burgers and fries into pierogies. formed from New York. The broadcast show time because, he says, “there’s or television show, with the occa- Later episodes see contestants turn football-watch- BEIRUT: Elias Rahbani, a Lebanese was closed to the public due to the pan- something fun about that.” sional celebrity guest. ing party food — bean dip, sliders and raw veggies composer and lyricist who wrote the demic but a select group of front line Seacrest doesn’t get nervous before “I’ve heard from parents that have — into beef stroganoff or tacos, and turn leftover bar- music for some of the Arab world’s workers were invited to watch. going on air or when he’s about to seen their children in a hospital bed beque into lasagna or dumplings. top performers, including Lebanon’s speak to the masses, but says big Zoom without motivation to get up. They “If the audience can walk away and go back to diva Fairouz, has died after battling Comfortable meetings leave him tongue-tied. were sad and didn’t want to go do their fridge and say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to throw this COVID-19, his family said. He was 82. “It may feel a little different on the Of all his work, Seacrest says anything. And then, you know, when away, I’m actually going to make something amazing Rahbani was hospitalized last week ground, but I think on the air it’s still the most important is his non-profit we could bring Selena Gomez through out of it,’ then we did our job,” says So. suffering low oxygen after he con- going to have that celebratory compo- Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which is a studio, that patient all of a sudden The show arrives during a time when viewers have tracted the coronavirus and succumbed nent to it,” Seacrest had said. “Most of run by his parents and sister. They’ve wants to get up and go downstairs had to adjust to ordering takeout during the pandemic to COVID-19, the illness caused by the us can’t go anywhere, so we’re going opened 11 broadcast studios and and spend time with Selena Gomez virus, on Monday. and at the end of holiday feasts. Elias was the younger brother of to really try to put on a good show.” counting, named Seacrest Studios, in and forget about the maybe the pain He’s so comfortable with hosting that children’s hospitals throughout the they’re mentally feeling and physically Perfect Mansour and Assi Rahbani, the Arab world’s iconic musical duo known as the Seacrest gets a thrill out of the curveballs country to give the kids a positive feeling.” “The timing couldn’t be more perfect,” says the Rahbani Brothers, who wrote music and show’s host, actress-musician Jackie Tohn, who plays for Fairouz and other celebrities. starred in the TV series “GLOW” and is a self-de- Assi Rahbani, who was married to Fair- LOS ANGELES: Tanya Roberts, who been hospitalized after falling at her Roberts’ publicist Mike Pingel scribed “leftover queen.” ouz, died in 1985, while Mansour passed captivated James Bond in “A View to a home. The actor had mistakenly been later told The Associated Press Monday “We can’t go to restaurants and all we can do is away in 2009. Kill” and later played Midge Pinciotti reported dead by her publicist earlier afternoon that Roberts, 65, was still order in. And then if you get that Chinese food and The three brothers were pioneers of a in the sitcom “That ’70s Show,” has Monday. alive as of 10 am PST but was in a poor you don’t want it to be Chinese food on night two, Lebanese golden age of music and cul- condition. He had said earlier Monday we’re giving you a bunch of tips and tricks to make ture, before the country was plunged into that Roberts collapsed in her home on that possible.” a lengthy civil war in the mid- 1970s. Dec 24 and was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Tohn and So are joined by the second judge, British Many Lebanese still start their day listen- Medical Center, where she was believed chef and TV personality Rosemary Shrager. The three ing to their songs and see them as uniting to have died on Sunday.