During shelter-in-place we’ve watched a few movies and have done a lot of reminiscing about dinners with friends back in the day! I thought it would be fun to share a few of our favorite movies – ones we have actually watched over and over – and some fun recipes to go along with them. Share with a friend for your next virtual dinner together!
Letters to Juliet ~ Italian Night Menu
Letters to Juliet is set in and around Verona, Italy with beautiful scenery and vineyards galore! Although I’ve never been there in person, I feel as though I have been there in my heart.
Here are a few of my favorite Italian recipes to go with your movie. This will be quite a feast if you make the whole menu, but you can pare it down and just do two of the dishes! You can make the Caponata and Pesto recipes the day before if you’re planning to make the whole menu.
Italian Menu
Caponata appetizer
Pasta with Authentic Italian Pesto
Crusted Halibut with Caper White Wine Sauce
Salad: Baby Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
Authentic Italian Pesto
This authentic Italian pesto is made with fresh basil and parsley, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese. Delicious on pasta, chicken, or veggies!
Baby Arugula Salad with Lemongrass Mint Vinaigrette
This summery salad is full of freshness, flavor, and crunch. Try it with whatever fruit is in season– berries, peaches, or mango and add your favorite balsamic vinegar.
Caponata ~ Sicilian-Style Summer Vegetables
Caponata is the perfect dish to make when eggplant, tomatoes, and fresh basil are in season! Serve as a side dish or appetizer at your next gathering!
Crusted Halibut with Caper White Wine Sauce
Serve this crispy, crusted halibut dish with roasted red potatoes and steamed green beans for a simple and elegant evening meal.
Miso Hungry ~ Sushi Night Menu
Miso Hungry is about an Australian film maker and comedian Craig Williams that goes to Japan to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. It is heartwarming, funny, inspiring, and educational. We have watched it over and over and enjoy it so much.
Sushi night seems appropriate here! Start with a bowl of delicious miso soup, then let everyone put together their own sushi rolls. Arrange different fillings out on plates or a big platter and make hand rolls or traditional nori rolls. I’ve got recipes for making your own sushi rice (without sugar!) and different dipping sauces. My advice to you is to keep it simple. You can make sushi rolls with just 3 filling options and one sauce– doesn’t have to be the crazy circus that I usually have at my sushi classes with over a dozen fillings and 3 sauces.
Sushi Night
Healing Miso Vegetable Soup
Make Your Own Sushi Dinner Party
Healing Vegetable Miso Soup
Start your day or any meal off right with a cup of delicious vegetable miso soup! Light and easy to digest, this soup is especially soothing to the stomach and helps reset your digestion.
Miso Hungry Movie Review
Review of Miso Hungry movie (2015) with Craig Anderson, who takes you to Japan to learn all about healthy eating and lifestyle practices. Bonus miso soup recipe included!
DIY Sushi Dinner Party!
One of my favorite meals to make with friends and family is make your own sushi. Everyone enjoys choosing their own fillings, being creative, and
Julie and Julia ~ Taste of Southern France Menu
AJulie and Julia is one of my favorite food movies. It’s the true story of a young woman from Brooklyn, Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams) , who starts a blog (in the very early days of blogs) chronicling her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The story skips back and forth between modern day Brooklyn and 1950s Paris. Meryl Streep is amazing as Julia Child. And fun fact… Meryl Streep is 5’6″ and Julia Child was 6’2.” It is incredible how they made Meryl Streep look so tall throughout the movie!
My mother’s side of the family is from France so I grew up learning some of the classic dishes like Salade Niçoise. Just a few years ago I learned how to make Soupe Au Pistou when I saw it in Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Either one of these dishes can be a stand alone meal, or have a cup of soup to start and the salad for your main dish! Add some canned or fresh tuna or salmon or hard-boiled eggs to the salad for a heartier meal.
Menu
Provençal Vegetable Soup (Soupe Au Pistou)
Niçoise Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette (Salade Niçoise)
Soupe Au Pistou (Provençal Vegetable Soup with Tomato-Basil Pesto)
This healthy French soup will transport you to Southern France at the first bite! It is packed with fresh vegetables and topped with a fragrant and delicious tomato-basil pesto. Try Soupe Au Pistou when tomatoes are at peak season!
Salade Niçoise with Dijon Vinaigrette
Feast your eyes on this delicious main dish salad ~ the Salade Niçoise! The perfect combination of light enough for the summer, but weighty enough to keep you satisfied.
Comment below if you have a favorite movie and dinner combination. We’d like to try your suggestions!
Featured image for this post is provided by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash @maddibazzocco.
