I can’t believe it’s been 20 days since my last post. But, work has been absolutely crazy this month, and I just got back from a trip up to New York, with a pit-stop in Baltimore on the way back to catch a band I like. I also went out for drinks with some old friends on Tuesday, including the creator of Filmvetter, a movie-review blog. Jeff and I don’t always agree on his movie ratings, or taste in music, or politics. But, we truly see eye-to-eye in one overlapping slice of our lifelong Venn diagram: screaming at each other over cocktails. We had a heated discussion about some movies the other night and I think he picked Licorice Pizza to win this year’s Oscars - a movie I just couldn’t stand. However, we both concurred that Nightmare Alley and Don’t Look Up were the worst of all the nominees.
But, then he said he didn’t really care about who won, he wanted to know what I was making. Another chimed in (like asking for insider information) “so…you got any ideas you want to share with us?” I told them nothing. I’m also not telling you either! However, I’m here to recap last year’s tasting menu, as the 2022 Oscars will be on this weekend. Stay tuned to my Instagram and Facebook page on Sunday night to see what I make in honor of this year’s best picture nominees. If you like, you can check out my menu items from 2019 and 2020 as well. Happy viewing and cooking!
Unlike the prior years, and probably due to the pandemic, I watched all of the 2021 best picture nominees (and, I just finished watching all the 2022 nominees last night) prior to developing the below tasting menu. This is how it all turned out.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 - An enjoyable film showing off Sacha Baron Cohen’s acting skills (he’s even more enthralling in The Spy on Netflix). There was a memorable scene from the movie where he is delivering a lecture or stand-up (can’t quite remember) and the line “it was the 60’s outside the bar (chaotic riots); it was the 50’s inside the bar (tranquil & swanky)” and then the riot literally came crashing in the bar’s front window. I decided to make the martini from the scene including the similar 3 olives on a wooden paddle. I also took the photo in front of actual footage from the riot. This is one of my favorite photos I've taken.
Nomadland - This film was ok, albeit a bit annoying, but that’s a backhanded credit to the actors and their portrayal of the characters. The main character, and her boyfriend, both took up jobs at the infamous Wall Drug. The restaurant’s burger featured a couple of times, including when the boyfriend’s son made a trip into the restaurant. My girls got to experience this tasting menu for the first time last year, and they were thrilled there was a cheeseburger and fries. I got some cool stuff from Wall Drug including a bumper sticker, the classic poster I used as a place mat and a mug I’m currently using for my morning coffee.
Sound of Metal - Another film where I didn’t quite latch onto a character, but the acting was pretty good. While there was an amazing breakfast and dinner scene in a lovely home, I went more with the overall dark arc of the film. There was a poignant moment where Riz Ahmed’s character boils over in frustration as he is left with only an early morning appointment alone with himself in a small room, his coffee, a donut, and a pen and notebook for him to write, should he feel it necessary. Coming to terms with the fact he can’t prevent losing his hearing, and finding out who is on the inside, he ends up destroying the donut like he pulverizes his drums in the opening scene.
Judas and the Black Messiah - This dish, aptly named The Last Supper, was taken from the steakhouse dinner scene where Judas reveals himself in selling out his friend, the leader of the Black Panther Party. This shot was difficult. I take all of my own photos. But, this time, not only was I in the photo, I had to convey the proper light, angle, and focus for the photo to my fiancé. It took several attempts, a wardrobe change, and, not to mention, food was simultaneously cooking for the other films.
Promising Young Woman - The film starts with a pretty iconic opening scene involving construction workers and the main character eating a hot dog. Last year, I really focused on certain scenes and details, like the precise layering of ingredients on the burger from Nomadland, the color sequence of nail polish for my fiancé to apply, and the proper streaking of bloody ketchup down the arm. We even went out at like 8 am to recreate this scene on my street to post in my story leading up to unveiling the dish. It was a very involved process…one I won’t be doing this year, lol. I love that Megan was all-in on my crazy ideas. We definitely got a lot of looks as people were on their way to church.
Minari - A really great film about an immigrant family struggling to make it, and stay together, in 1980’s Arkansas. A unique kinship develops between the father figure and Paul, a local Pentecostal farmer(?), and he gets invited over to dinner. That dinner was love on a plate and everything the female lead could offer. Literally, there was no room on the table, but just enough for some Mountain Water (the children told their grandma Mountain Dew was healthy water from the mountains)! I loved all the varied dishes, bowls, and glasses Megan found for this 80’s hodge-podge entry. It was perfect.
The Father - This was another great film, and the one I thought would win (but somehow lost to Nomadland). The acting and sequencing in this movie is amazing. You should really see this and Minari if you’ve seen neither. I don’t want to give anything away, but the director was amazing in how he portrayed the same scene and events through the eyes of different characters; pretty phenomenal in approach and something I mimicked in this entry where the father had a roast chicken dinner with his daughter and her husband.
Mank - I didn't care for this movie. There was a birthday scene that involved an elaborate cake and some sparklers. The sparklers we used were old and some failed to come to life, just like the crappy movie. But hey, champagne!
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