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3 Course Meal From The Movies

Sep 27, 2019 | Neff, Neff News

The first memories of amazing food are different for many, with some embracing a vast palate from a younger age and others well into adulthood before they open up their culinary world to the experience more flavours and textures. It tends to ring true that the more we see people eat and enjoy dishes the more we grow hungry ourselves and start sampling what those around us love.

Whilst for many the experience of seeing food could, in fact, put them off, through a shoddy takeaway or poorly executed homemade dish, there is one place that food is consistently appetising. Watching people on the big screen you are often presented with detailed – rich characteristics which are designed to make the audience love, sometimes hate and in some ways relate to their favourite characters.

This would not be possible without matching this with food. Food is something that brings people together as well as a pillar for many different and vibrant cultures around the world. Food may be presented in film with a thematic significance or to celebrate unity or family – food is a powerful device that is used within film and a device that brings a greater connection to the characters depicted.

In this article, we will present a 3-course meal from film – offering handy tips, guides and recipes to help you create and execute some of the best, tastiest foods that we have seen in cinema.

 

How is Food Utilised & Portrayed in Cinema?

​Food offers a narrative design in which food can be presented in simple or sophisticated ways to dictate the narrative of a scene or show the social dynamic between characters. Food in the film has even been linked to mass culture – you may have noticed in several iconic films that food, drink and brands are cleverly placed into the film to market these products. Although some films seek to use food as a plot device or focal point of a scene – some films just seek to use and depict the experience of a great meal on the big screen.

 

Our Selection à La Carte

Appetizer – Ratatouille Confit Byaldi (From Ratatouille)

Main – Prison Tomato Sauce & Meatballs (From Goodfellas)

Dessert – La Crème Brûlée (From Amélie)

 

Appetizer – Ratatouille Confit Byaldi (From Ratatouille)​

Origin of the Dish

The origin of this dish is an adaptation of the traditional/original ratatouille recipe. It is a traditional French dish created by French Chef Michel Guérard. The original recipe requires the vegetables to be baked before cooking however Michel Guérard developed a lighter version of the dish by removing peppers – adding mushrooms and not frying the vegetables. He also added two sauces – using tomato and peppers for the sauce at the bottom and a vinaigrette on top. He also served as the food consultant for the film Ratatouille which demonstrates his direct input into the depiction of his dish that we see in the film.

The original dish was created in the 18th century and is thought to originate in Nice but was a coarse stew. The modern ratatouille that we know and love today consists of tomatoes used as a foundation with onion, zucchini, sautéed garlic, aubergine, marjoram, fennel and basil or bay leaf and thyme. The first iteration of this formula was first seen in recipe books in the 1930s.

Depiction of Ratatouille Confit Byaldi in the Film

The taste scene in Ratatouille is a very touching scene in which Anton Ego gives his review of Gusteau’s Restaurant in Paris in hopes to restore the restaurant to its 5 star status. Being a food critic that is extremely hard to please, his review contains the following powerful phrase:

“To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core.”

Remy is a young yet ambitious rat who helps Alfredo Linguini, a young boy to fix a soup which eventually allows him to keep his position at Gusteau’s Restaurant. Remy is highly inspired by the late Auguste Gusteau (the owner of the restaurant) and dreams to become a chef.

Remy helps Linguini to create his own creation – Ratatouille Confit Byaldi for Anton Ego’s second review. Upon tasting the Confit Byaldi – Ego is taken back to his childhood in which his mother is cooking and presents him with traditional ratatouille.

This is a touching scene that has resonated with a lot of viewers. In the scene, Ego is transported albeit briefly away from reality and reminisces over the comfort and delight of being cared for by his mother. We do not know if Ego’s mother is very old or is no longer with him which only adds to the poignancy of the scene. The ability to combine classic french comfort dishes in sophisticated ways is a hugely important theme in fine dining and this scene perfectly captivates presenting comfort food in an elevated, elegant way.

Creating Ratatouille Confit Byaldi at Home

Youtuber Binging with Babish has created a fascinating and detailed way to prepare Ratatouille Confit Byaldi at home.

Binging with Babish’s Ratatouille Confit Byaldi
Confit Byaldi – Quick Recipe (From Splendid Table)

Ingredients

  • 6 Large Roma Tomatoes
  • 2 Red Bell Peppers
  • ½ Vegetable Stock
  • ½ Cup Water
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary
  • 1 Teaspoon Thyme Leaves
  • 1 Garlic Clove
  • ½ Small Onion
  • 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 2 Medium Green Squash
  • 2 Medium Yellow Squash
  • 2 Medium Japanese Eggplants
  • Coarsely Chopped Parsley

Splendid Table’s Confit Byaldi Recipe

 

Main – Prison Tomato Sauce & Meatballs (From Goodfellas)

Origin of the Dish

Henry Hill (the Italian mobster who is depicted iconically by Ray Liotta) was a real person who did indeed publish his recipe for tomato sauce & meatballs.

You may think that the original dish originated in Italy however you’d be hard pushed to find meatballs & spaghetti in Italy unless the restaurant is looking to cater to tourists. Italian meatballs are called polpettes and are usually eaten without spaghetti and can be made from a variety of meats.

The spaghetti meatball that you see today was actually developed by Italian immigrants moving to the US at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th century. As meat quickly became a staple for immigrants in the US – cheap and fast meals such as meatballs and spaghetti quickly became a staple for many Italian immigrant families.

Using the common ingredients that were available – this quickly developed a range of classic American Italian cuisines. Canned tomatoes were the only thing available at local greengrocers which would make up the sauce. The meat was available as a cheap staple and pasta was one of the only Italian ingredients available. Thus – the classic dish was born.

The Infamous ‘Prison Dinner Scene’ in Goodfellas

Goodfellas is an iconic account of the rise and fall of Henry Hill and his associates from 1955 to 1980 adapted from the 1985 non-fiction novel – Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi. The film was nominated for 6 Academy Awards and is widely regarded as being one of the best films in the gangster film genre.

The film often switches from scenes of criminal acts to scenes involving family and food – which demonstrates the importance and macabre respect that Henry and his family hold for family conventions. In this film, the significance of food as an event to enjoy with your family is often juxtaposed with scenes depicting criminal activity. Although Henry and his family are brutal criminals, the delicacy, fuss and attention to detail that they make in this scene creates an almost bizarre sense of irony.

The Prison Food Preparation Scene​

In the scene, Henry narrates the process for preparing and cooking a prison meal (although the meal is more akin to a feast.) Although they are incarcerated, they are able to smuggle luxurious food and alcohol. One of the central elements of their incarceration is coming together for a family meal with one such preparation of a family meal being depicted in the scene.

In the scene, Paulie is seen first preparing garlic with a razor blade. Henry mentions that this is because of the fact that it would liquidy with the oil. Vinny is then seen mentioning that he uses veal, beef and pork in his meatballs whilst adding additional meat to his tomato sauce. Henry mentioned that he thinks that he thinks that Vinny uses too many onions.

Johnny is seen cooking steak exclaiming the famous line: “Medium rare. Hmm, an aristocrat.” The scene ends with frozen lobster being delivered and a stash being delivered including classic Italian ingredients such as – salami, prosciutto & cheese as well as bread, onions, peppers, wine and scotch.

Henry mentions that jail is “not that bad” which reflects the decadence and wealth that the family have acquired through illegal activities. Going back to the origin of spaghetti and meatballs, we see that they have added expensive ingredients to the classic dish that was designed to be used with any ingredients that are available.

Tinned tomatoes are still used however high-quality veal, pork and beef are used for the meat. This demonstrates that although they are using a recipe that was designed for those in poverty – they are adding their own sense of authority and wealth to the dish. The classic Italian ingredients and recipes are also a nod to their strong family values and attitudes towards food and what it is to commune and eat as a family.

Creating Prison Tomato Sauce & Meatballs in Your Kitchen

It’s definitely highly recommended to not use a razor blade to cut garlic as this is an interesting visual effect but does not in-fact cause the garlic to liquify in the oil & could be dangerous.

Youtuber Binging with Babish has created his take on the Prison Tomato Sauce & Meatballs Recipe.

Henry Hill’s Actual Recipe!

It may be hard to believe but Henry Hill’s actual recipe was discovered and added to – The Wiseguy Cookbook: My Favourite Recipes from My Life as a Goodfella to Cooking on the Run.

Esquire have compiled the recipe as well as instructions. As these are detailed and pertain specific instructions relative to the ingredients used – we have added the recipe below:

Prison Tomato Sauce & Meatballs

 

Dessert – La Crème Brûlée (From Amélie)

Origin of the Dish

The claim for the invention of the Crème Brûlée has been disputed throughout history despite the French etymology of this dessert piece. Food historians, however, agree that custard was a highly popular option in the Middle Ages and the tasty dessert likely originated from this period. Initial French iterations of this dessert did not burn the sugar on top – a disc of caramel would have been added instead.

The first written account of the Crème Brûlée can be credited to the French which was referenced in 1691 by François Massialot who created the sugar topping was melted with a red-hot fire shovel. He is also credited for writing about Meringues as well as Crème Brûlée.

Crème Brûlée in the film Amélie

Amélie is one of the biggest international successes for a French film (also being the highest-grossing French-language film in the US) The film depicts life in Paris (Montmartre.) The story follows Amélie – a shy waitress who decides that she will make others happier because of her own isolation.

As a shy waitress in the hustle and bustle of Paris, Amélie has a highly vivid imagination and lets her imagination run freely. She also enjoys simple pleasures such as dipping her hand into sacks of grain and cracking Crème Brûlée with a spoon to which this scene depicts.

The Significance of the Crème Brûlée Scene

The trivial actions that Amélie enjoys demonstrate her desire to seek isolation with the narrator saying that Amélie – “continue à se réfugier dans la solitude” or that “Amélie still seeks solitude.” This is continued and later in the film – Amélie discovers an old metal box filled with items from a little boy’s childhood – who she vows to find to return his box of memorabilia. This is the time in which she decides that she will devote her life to bringing happiness to others. She seeks a connection with the owner of the box, knowing that their personal belongings establish their identity. The viewer then follows Amelie’s journey in identifying the clues, creating a connection between the viewer and the film’s characters.

This scene alongside the voice over of the things that Amelie loves also connected with her and the story, to find out more about the owner of the box.

Creating Amelie’s Creme Brûlée in Your Kitchen

Youtuber Binging With Babish has created a delicious Creme Brûlée with a satisfying crackling crust. 

Ingredients

  • Sugar
  • 2 Vanilla Beans
  • 2 Cups Of Heavy Cream
  • 6 Egg Yolks
  • Raw Sugar

https://www.bingingwithbabish.com/recipes/2017/8/22/cremebrule

 

Movie Magic Coming To Life

If like us you’re stomach has been rumbling and your taste buds tingling whilst watching your favourite films, you can now combine your love of film and food by recreating some of the most well-known foods from your favourite films and recreating them in your own kitchen. Join us in creating your very own three-course meal filled with delicious ingredients and of course some movie magic.