Movie Pairings for Dinner Dates

Menu Ideas For a Romantic Evening In

Feb 13, 2009 Dominic Messier

If sommeliers can recommend wine with a meal, a film critic can recommend a fine film for a meal. Enjoy these matches for an entertaining evening in for couples.

The American Film Institute (AFI) breaks down romantic films into categories, like Lonely Hearts, Tragic Love, and Mismatched Romance. This article suggests menu ideas that complement the theme or the film itself. I’ve taken the liberty of adding a few of my own favourites to this list.

Menu Ideas to Match Films

At Suite101.com, we aim to break down the various genres as per the AFI’s headings, and I will give you my favourite classic romance films, and suggest a meal pairing with it. If you want more details on how to prepare those dishes, I’d recommend checking out a cooking website like Epicurious.com, or Googling the dishes for cooking instructions.

Hot and Sexy Films

• 9 ½ Weeks: Watch this while eating a lamb curry, and fresh fruit. Chop larger bits into bite-sized pieces and feed each other.
• Last Tango in Paris: French cuisine will match the setting of the film, but don’t panic. French food is not as hard as you would think: An easy and inexpensive dish is quiche. It can be eaten hot or cold, and still tastes great the next day. An added advantage is that it’s versatile; you can dump any random bits of cold cuts or cheese, and it will still taste great! If you can’t make pastry, buy a frozen pie shell and follow instructions for the filling.
• Henry & June: Again, go with the French cuisine. A little known fact was Anaïs Nin’s household was famous for carrot soufflé. If that’s a bit more complicated than you can handle, go with Henry Miller’s favourite: bread. He had a passion for good quality crusty loaves, so match it with some fine cheese.

Lonely Hearts Romance Films

• Marty: An Oscar-winning sad tale of two homely folk who find love. This flick will make you appreciate the person by your side. Watch with some meatloaf with mashed potatoes, followed up with home-baked pie. Neither dish is sexy, but oh-so-loved for its comfort and hominess.
• Moonstruck: Italian food with some Chianti would be lovely here. Stuffed pastas, like ravioli or cannelloni stuffed with ricotta would be ideal.

Films About Mismatched Love

• Lady and the Tramp: True, it’s animated, but it’s still so darned romantic. However, my empathy only goes so far: I would not recommend eating dog food along with this film. Spaghetti and meatballs is as cute a match as the two dogs.
• Roman Holiday: Speaking of Italian food, any pasta dish would work well, but I would think that enjoying a dish of gelato would work best. Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann meets Joe Bradley at an outdoor gelato vendor. Buy a container of fruit ices like a sorbet if you can’t find gelato.
• The King and I: Thai food will go well with this lively musical. If you’re a gifted cook, the sweetness of Pad Thai and some rice wine would be a good pairing. Come to think of it, if you’re a lousy cook, some Thai take-out will still complement this film.

Tragic Love Stories

• Love Story: Break out the Kleenex, this one’s a tear jerker. Some comfort food of chocolate ice cream may be in order after viewing this film. Maybe even a hot cocoa and a cuddle on the couch, later.
• Romeo and Juliet: Whether you’ve selected the version filmed in 1936, 1954, 1966 or 1996, you’ll see why it’s a classic love story told again and again. A good Elizabethan-era dish of roast or simpler version of lamb chops would work well.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you romantic folk out there: May your evenings in be romantic and cozy!

The copyright of the article Movie Pairings for Dinner Dates in Food Trends is owned by Dominic Messier. Permission to republish Movie Pairings for Dinner Dates in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Spaghetti & meatballs: Very

Comments

Feb 14, 2009 8:16 AM

Mary Luz Mejia :

Fun and interactive ideas- perfect for any romantic escapist moment- thanks!

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