food and the movies. as natural a pair as rogers and astaire, so, as it is only fitting, your hostesses at gastronomista would like to introduce you to the inaugural post of: hasta la feast-a. food and the cinema. today's edition: what to eat when you've had a bad day.
1. old boy. a man is incarcerated for years without explanation and fed only fried dumplings slid through a slat. what's the first thing he eats once he's out? sashimi. and not just any sashimi. he chooses a very rare and controversial Korean delicacy called sannakji: octopus that is still technically alive. don't judge dear readers. it's delicious. and if you've been locked up like a dead man for twenty, there's nothing quite like sannakji to make you feel like you're back among the living.
2. tampopo. a japanese film about ramen. just ramen. need i say more? and as far as i'm concerned, all bad days should end like this. and yes, that is a raw egg.
3. the host. you know it's been a shit day when your only daughter gets eaten by a giant water monster. but the family that eats together, stays together. and nobody knows that better than these koreans. after an exhausting day of battling both beast and bureaucracy, the family huddles in a trailer, sharing instant ramen, shrimp flavored chips and memories.
4. volver. it's impossible to think of the word "luscious" without thinking of pedro almodovar and penelope cruz. after raimunda's daughter stabs her husband for trying to rape her, penelope comes to the rescue by stuffing the body in a freezer inside a vacant restaurant. she then does what any hot-blooded woman would do next. hire a hooker to tend bar and open that restaurant to serve a local film crew. with the body still in the freezer. obviously.
5. in the mood for love. am i ever! lonely neighbors begin sharing meals to fill in the empty time while their spouses are away, but with each meal, their bond grows weirder and stronger. plus, maggie cheung sashaying down the stairs for her nightly noodles?
waiting for takeout never looked this good.
