MOVIE NIGHT MENUS

Tinsel & Tine Spotlights:

Film & Food Book
MOVIE NIGHT MENUS

By Le Anne Lindsay, Editor   ORIGINALLY POSTED April 13, 2017

I’ve sat here writing this blog for nigh on eight years and I’ve enjoyed learning and sharing about movies and the the film industry through countless screenings, Q&A’s, interviews, research, the festival press passes, the guest segments on radio shows and podcasts, the VIP food events and new restaurant openings, joining blogging groups, the swag, and most importantly, those that follow me, read my posts, participate in the promo contests and send me well wishes.

But there doesn’t seem to be an end game, a culmination. Most people writing a blog are promoting their business, or book and therefore, their blog is an extension of their brand. A fact brought home even clearer when I read Tenaya & André Darlington’s new book MOVIE NIGHT MENUS in collaboration with TCM (Turner Classic Movies).  This book is all about mixing film and food.  It’s Dinner and Drink Recipes Inspired by Classic and early Contemporary Films.  Every glossy page features delightful tidbits on movies we all love, blended with both cocktail and menu recipes inspired by or consumed in the movies/films, with gorgeous photography and delightful entertaining tips.

I love it cover to cover! And I hate it too, because it shines a light on how lazy I am. I should have been writing a book similar to this. What good is writing a film and food blog with no way of bringing the two elements together into a tangible accomplishment? But then I think, damn, that’s just A LOT of work! 😁

… That’s how the book in your hands came to be; as we discovered cocktails named after actors or films – or mentioned in scenes – we hosted our own dinner-and-a-movie nights with drinks. Little did we know that we’d find so many films featuring classic cocktails and such inspired home entertaining, from the fashion-fabulous soirees peppered throughout the films of the 1930s and ’40s, to the sensual nightcap served in The Graduate (1967) and the celebratory Champagne Cocktail prepared in Moonstruck (1987)… Movie Night Menus Introduction
Tenaya Darlington & André Darlington.

Here’s some samples from the book
I chose from among my all time favorite movies!

Jimmy Stewart, Ruth Hussey, John Howard, Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant

Sounds very “Yar”

I’ve seen The Philadelphia Story close to a dozen times, so it’s funny that I don’t remember the Stingers or Uncle Willy referring to them as “a formula that’s said to pop the pennies off the eyelids of dead Irishmen.” But I’ll be looking out for this scene next time.  Maybe I’ll even try stirring up this mint and brandy concoction, although it doesn’t sound like a very appealing mix.

Post Update: 4/30/17: Had a Stinger during East Passyunk Restaurants #FlavorsonAve event and LOVED IT!  At least the one from Stogie Joe’s Tavern, smooth and cool, yet the mint doesn’t overpower the Cognac, perfect blend.  Can’t wait to try one at another bar to be sure, cause right now, it’s moved the Moscow Mule outta first place for T&T’s favorite cocktail.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Set the Scene: play Henry Mancini’s “Moonriver” as guests arrive, and if you have any old suitcases, consider stacking them for an impromptu coffee table – a DIY design cue from Holly’s apartment…

Movie Night Menu: Soyer au Champagne with Berries because milk and bubbles figure prominently in this movie…. And Cardamon-Cinnamon Twists (with Coffee) to represent that pastry Holly pulls from a white bakery bag during her first scene of the movie.

I think, like most people, what I love most about Breakfast at Tiffany’s is Audrey Hepburn’s ultra chic, yet whimsical style.  I also relate so well to her, fake it till you make it, yearning for a life of fabulosity!

Funny Girl

This is truly my 2nd very favorite movie of all time. (Hitchcock’s Rebecca #1) Starring Barbra Streisand as 1920’s comedienne, Fanny Brice. It starts out as a frothy delight and ends in brave despair, and I love every scene and every song in between – from the beloved ruffled shirt worn by Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif); to Fanny singing “People” after her opening night outside of her family’s celebration; to running and hopping a tug boat still clutching those roses, all while belting out “Don’t Rain on My Parade”; and of course there’s the seduction scene… Why? Oh why? Couldn’t I have given my virginity to someone as perfectly dashing as Nicky Arnstein!

Movie Night Menu Recipe: Chicken Liver Pâté with the Works – Funny Girl made Pâté a star – it was served on opening night at a party on the grounds of the  Astor Hotel and became inextricably linked with both the film and the Broadway production.


Movie Night Menus features many more food and film/food in film moments, from one of my other standards, Guys and Dolls to Grand Hotel, An American in Paris, Giant, all the way to The Big Chill and Philly favorite Rocky.  

Note: images were taken from the book, via my cellphone and created into collages better for blogging, but these are not as the images appear in the book. (Recipe Photos by Andrew Purcell).

It still remains to be seen if the gods of inspiration will one day grace me with their presence long enough to allow me to create something outside the walls of my little blog, but in the meantime, I am glad to be able to share with you delightful discoveries like this movie buff’s keepsake, which can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and TCM online gift shop.