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Movie Night Menus: Dinner and Drink Recipes Inspired by the Films We Love
Looking for a great idea for date night or to entertain friends? Why not cue up Casablanca with some French 75s and a Moroccan-themed spread? Turner Classic Movie Night Menus spotlights thirty crowd-pleasing films from the 1930s through the '80s, paired with signatures drinks and dishes that appear in, or are inspired by, each film's setting and stars. Filled with entertaining tips and background on each film, dish, and cocktail, the book offers a unique culinary tour of movie history, including menus inspired by The Thin Man, The Philadelphia Story, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, American Graffiti, Moonstruck , and many more.
Fully illustrated with luscious food photography and evocative film stills, Movie Night Menus provides the perfect accompaniments and conversation pieces to round out a fun-filled evening.
Fully illustrated with luscious food photography and evocative film stills, Movie Night Menus provides the perfect accompaniments and conversation pieces to round out a fun-filled evening.
248 pages, Paperback
Published December 27, 2016
About the author
Tenaya Darlington
15 books18 followersTenaya Darlington is a cheese educator and author based in Philadelphia who began penning a cheese blog in 2007 under the name "Madame Fromage." Since then, she has written about artisan cheese for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Organic Life, Cooking Light, Fermentation, CheeseProfessor.com, Culture Magazine, and other publications.
She teaches food writing on the faculty at Saint Joseph's University and serves as Cheese Director for Tria, a pair of Philadelphia wine bars. In the summers, she co-hosts cheese tours in Europe with a dairy-centric food tour company called Cheese Journeys.
For the launch of her new book, Tenaya is offering virtual workshops as part of her new Traveling Cheese School. Details are posted on her website.
Instagram: @mmefromage
Website: www.madamefromage.net.
She teaches food writing on the faculty at Saint Joseph's University and serves as Cheese Director for Tria, a pair of Philadelphia wine bars. In the summers, she co-hosts cheese tours in Europe with a dairy-centric food tour company called Cheese Journeys.
For the launch of her new book, Tenaya is offering virtual workshops as part of her new Traveling Cheese School. Details are posted on her website.
Instagram: @mmefromage
Website: www.madamefromage.net.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 21, 2017
This is a fun cookbook about classic movies and the recipes that they’ve inspired, complete with trivia and pictures to please both movie and food lovers alike. I wish TCM would make this into one of their TV programs like TBS used to have back in the day with their Dinner & a Movie show. It’d be awesome!
June 25, 2017
Ever since coming across a recipe by the wife of Warren William in an old movie magazine, I’ve been on a quest to find recipes from old Hollywood. This is not a celebrity cookbook, but instead menus for dinner and cocktails inspired by films. Under the TCM banner, Tenaya Darlington and Andre Darlington have put together a fun and inventive collection of film notes, recipes, trivia, and tips to put you in a movie munching mood. From The Divorcee to Moonstruck, the selected films may be paired with a special libation, a dish, and a suggested dessert. For example, Rope (1948) features art of choke, camembert in a coffin, and parmigiana rope twists. Clever, huh? Some Like It Hot (1959) features a Manhattan, Manhattan-marinated flank steak, and velvet potatoes. Yum!
May I also suggest tiger prawns on a skewer with honey and lime for Mrs. Robinson?
The book features a generous amount of color and black and white photos as well.
May I also suggest tiger prawns on a skewer with honey and lime for Mrs. Robinson?
The book features a generous amount of color and black and white photos as well.
April 25, 2022
Covering the 1930s to current. Award winning movies paired with drinks and a menu. Good photos, trivia, how to host and table scapes, recipes. This book has it all for movie and a dinner night.
September 19, 2018
I really loved this. Great movie stills accompanied by a little background info/trivia about the films, combined with clever recipes. My only complaint is that I wish the authors had given as much thought to dinner as they did drinks; "menus" might be a bit of a stretch here because about six of their movie menus don't include a main course (just a cake, a pie, or a cheese spread in some cases.) Every movie gets its own signature cocktail, sometimes more than one, which makes it seem like this was originally intended as a cocktail book with some appetizers thrown in.
List of the 30 movies included in the book: The Divorcee, Grand Hotel, Female, The Thin Man, Chained, Dodsworth, Stagecoach, The Philadelphia Story, Casablanca, The Lady from Shanghai, Rope, Adam's Rib, Sunset Boulevard, An American in Paris, Roman Holiday, Guys and Dolls, Giant, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Blue Hawaii, Dr. No, The Graduate, Funny Girl, The Sting, American Graffiti, Rocky, Annie Hall, The Big Chill, Moonstruck.
List of the 30 movies included in the book: The Divorcee, Grand Hotel, Female, The Thin Man, Chained, Dodsworth, Stagecoach, The Philadelphia Story, Casablanca, The Lady from Shanghai, Rope, Adam's Rib, Sunset Boulevard, An American in Paris, Roman Holiday, Guys and Dolls, Giant, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Blue Hawaii, Dr. No, The Graduate, Funny Girl, The Sting, American Graffiti, Rocky, Annie Hall, The Big Chill, Moonstruck.
May 27, 2017
Anyone who enjoys Classic movies would appreciate this "read", especially if you like to cook or host themed parties. Not only will you find food and drink recipes, but also photos and trivia in reference to each movie. Personally I think it would also make a great gift idea for any TCM fan.
April 7, 2022
Love the whole premise of this book. Planning a movie night with Philadelphia Story at my development. Should be fun. Will probably do a series of them.
February 2, 2017
4.5 out of 5 stars
"For a title to make it into these pages, it needed to have rousing food and drink scenes."
It’s not enough for me to just enjoy classic movies. I incorporate them into my every day life. For me, being a lover of classic film is not a hobby. It’s a lifestyle.
This is why I’m glad the brother-sister team Tenaya and Andre Darlington have released their newest collaboration: Movie Night Menus: Dinner and Drink Recipes Inspired by Films We Love. As someone who loves to cook and enjoys a great cocktail, the idea of pairing both of these things with classic films was just a recipe for success. Once I heard about Movie Night Menus I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. It’s published by Running Press who partners with Turner Classic Movies on a dedicated imprint of books for classic film enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
Full review here: http://www.outofthepastblog.com/2017/...
"For a title to make it into these pages, it needed to have rousing food and drink scenes."
It’s not enough for me to just enjoy classic movies. I incorporate them into my every day life. For me, being a lover of classic film is not a hobby. It’s a lifestyle.
This is why I’m glad the brother-sister team Tenaya and Andre Darlington have released their newest collaboration: Movie Night Menus: Dinner and Drink Recipes Inspired by Films We Love. As someone who loves to cook and enjoys a great cocktail, the idea of pairing both of these things with classic films was just a recipe for success. Once I heard about Movie Night Menus I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. It’s published by Running Press who partners with Turner Classic Movies on a dedicated imprint of books for classic film enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
Full review here: http://www.outofthepastblog.com/2017/...
February 20, 2017
I absolutely love this book. It's absolutely beautiful with fun and interesting facts, food and drink recipes, to pair with movie themed dinner parties. I can't wait to try some of the recipes and have dinner parties with the movie central to the theme. I will treasure this book always.
February 27, 2017
I don't think I actually want to eat many of the recipes in this book but the cocktails are fun, as is the movie information. Wish I'd read this book before I watched An american in Paris again.
January 4, 2018
Such fun! Each film in this collection of great classic movies from 1930-1987 is accompanied by a plot summary, photos, interesting stories about the production or stars, food and drinks pertinent to the story and period in which it was filmed, recipes, and party theme suggestions for gathering friends to watch and celebrate the movie together. I've watched nearly all the films over and over so the Darlingtons' witty, crisp writing style brought back many enjoyable film memories and a new appreciation for the films, directors and actors. I attended elementary school with the authors' mother, so I'm especially impressed with their achievements. Here's lookin' at you, kids!
July 7, 2018
TCM: MOVIE NIGHT MENUS by Jenaya Darlington and André Darlington. If you ever hosted/attended a themed movie night and you also just love movies in general, you will love this food-cocktail-and-film pairing guide. I added a whole bunch of movies to my Must See list and I’m so inspired with all these ideas of what kind of movie party to host next.
I wonder if I can find mocktail dupes for the cocktails described in this book? I’m dying to find out. The book featured about the movie, trivia facts, suggested drink and food menus and decorating tips.
I wonder if I can find mocktail dupes for the cocktails described in this book? I’m dying to find out. The book featured about the movie, trivia facts, suggested drink and food menus and decorating tips.
December 12, 2017
This is such a fun book. I love old classic movies and what can't be better than pairing it with a cocktail and something to eat. I really do like the sound of re-watching The Thin Man while sipping Dry Martini and munch on Oysters, Rosemary Roasted Almonds, and Whitefish Toasts?
May 3, 2019
A fun read. I would have given it five stars if the menus were more for meals but mostly these were snacks for cocktails. I did like the ideas for different takes on traditional cocktails and facts on the movies. Some of the set the scene ideas were a little over the top but still fun to read.
December 2, 2021
I guess when they say "Films we love," they mean films the authors love, because there were only about four films I liked in the whole book. Also, if you're not a drinker, a good chunk of the book isn't for you.
February 14, 2022
What a fun idea, creating menu items and possible date nights based on favorite films! I do have to say though, if you are not a fan of silver-screen classics, there might not be any movies that you recognize among these. I enjoyed reading the short excerpts and fun facts about each movie too.
August 1, 2018
Fantastic cookbook that blends great food with classic movies
December 31, 2018
Thoroughly entertaining and very interesting. I love books that link the arts and menus, so this was right up my alley.
February 24, 2020
Great book for couples makes netflix and chill night an event.
December 17, 2022
Great pictures and fun recipes. Love the "while you are watching".
June 30, 2023
A fun take on dinner and a movie. I hope that they will write another volume, more of the same.
December 24, 2025
A fun collection of recommended movies with food and drink pairings. It makes me long for the old TCM.
September 28, 2021
So fun! And a great collection to keep on hand if you are a foodie/movie lover.
May 20, 2018
4 stars for the idea & movie reviews. 0 stars for the recipes. I enjoyed reading about old movies, but found the recipes and entertaining advice unusable.
PROS:
Super cute idea! The authors picked 30 notable movies with significant food & drink scenes (surprisingly many are from the 1930s & 40s). Each movie is a chapter, which contains:
- 1 page description of the movie including overall plot, food/drink scenes and why the authors picked the film
- "Setting the Scene" section (less than half a page) which notes how to decorate or dress for the movie
- "While You Are Watching" section (less than half a page) with trivia about the movie
- LOTS of beautiful photo stills from the movie
- 2 to 3 pages with recipes for a menu inspired by the movie or its era. There is always one cocktail recipe and 1 - 2 food items which constituted horderves or a light supper. (Often the food & drink mirror what is consumed in the movie!)
CONS:
The recipes are highly unusable. Many of the cocktails contained raw egg. And many of the entrees are based on seafood (which I can't eat). With tweaking, I could salvage less than half the recipes but the most salvageable ones seemed attached to horrible movies. :-/ This is not the author's fault, since they often used historically authentic recipes, but they still weren't palatable.
The authors and I seemed to have very different values and lifestyles. They selected and praised "pre-code" movies for their "character" which often meant marital infidelity or acting against traditional societal norms. Movies in the 30's & 40's are largely innocent by today's standards, but the authors seemed to specifically seek out and praise movies with subversive themes. The good news is that after reading the one page movie reviews, I had a clear idea of what movies to avoid. There were also a few movies listed that I do want to see, and after all, you only need one good movie to host a movie night. :-)
The authors have a very different entertaining style than I do. They recommend having the food cooking when guests arrive and to hand guests a glass of the themed cocktail as soon as they walk in the door. Then start the movie and serve the food on coffee tables when it is ready or take an eating intermission mid-movie. I appreciate that they are trying to be time-smart by blending the movie and eating portions of the evening, but shutter at the idea of expecting guests to eat around the television. Our home theatre is on a different floor than our kitchen and dining room. We NEVER eat in front of the tv. I also don't assume everyone drinks alcohol, much less push alcohol on guests.
I was initially confused by the portions of the recipes and the intended scale of the movie parties. Apparently, this book was intended for small parties of 2-6 people - your family or group of "besties". The book assumes a sloppy and casual entertaining style. (So not me!) My idea of a dinner party is several courses with multiple options served on nice dishware at a table. This book is NOT that type of entertaining. It is cocktail heavy with light food, eaten on whatever surface the guests can find while the tv is on in the background. *Shudder*
END NOTE:
This books shines with its movie reviews and notes about the food & drink scenes within the movie. I would use this book to select a suitable movie and plan my own menu around it.
I would not want to own this book. Too much bad/irrelevant information to weed through. And it would be easy enough to borrow from the library again, if I was to host a movie night.
PROS:
Super cute idea! The authors picked 30 notable movies with significant food & drink scenes (surprisingly many are from the 1930s & 40s). Each movie is a chapter, which contains:
- 1 page description of the movie including overall plot, food/drink scenes and why the authors picked the film
- "Setting the Scene" section (less than half a page) which notes how to decorate or dress for the movie
- "While You Are Watching" section (less than half a page) with trivia about the movie
- LOTS of beautiful photo stills from the movie
- 2 to 3 pages with recipes for a menu inspired by the movie or its era. There is always one cocktail recipe and 1 - 2 food items which constituted horderves or a light supper. (Often the food & drink mirror what is consumed in the movie!)
CONS:
The recipes are highly unusable. Many of the cocktails contained raw egg. And many of the entrees are based on seafood (which I can't eat). With tweaking, I could salvage less than half the recipes but the most salvageable ones seemed attached to horrible movies. :-/ This is not the author's fault, since they often used historically authentic recipes, but they still weren't palatable.
The authors and I seemed to have very different values and lifestyles. They selected and praised "pre-code" movies for their "character" which often meant marital infidelity or acting against traditional societal norms. Movies in the 30's & 40's are largely innocent by today's standards, but the authors seemed to specifically seek out and praise movies with subversive themes. The good news is that after reading the one page movie reviews, I had a clear idea of what movies to avoid. There were also a few movies listed that I do want to see, and after all, you only need one good movie to host a movie night. :-)
The authors have a very different entertaining style than I do. They recommend having the food cooking when guests arrive and to hand guests a glass of the themed cocktail as soon as they walk in the door. Then start the movie and serve the food on coffee tables when it is ready or take an eating intermission mid-movie. I appreciate that they are trying to be time-smart by blending the movie and eating portions of the evening, but shutter at the idea of expecting guests to eat around the television. Our home theatre is on a different floor than our kitchen and dining room. We NEVER eat in front of the tv. I also don't assume everyone drinks alcohol, much less push alcohol on guests.
I was initially confused by the portions of the recipes and the intended scale of the movie parties. Apparently, this book was intended for small parties of 2-6 people - your family or group of "besties". The book assumes a sloppy and casual entertaining style. (So not me!) My idea of a dinner party is several courses with multiple options served on nice dishware at a table. This book is NOT that type of entertaining. It is cocktail heavy with light food, eaten on whatever surface the guests can find while the tv is on in the background. *Shudder*
END NOTE:
This books shines with its movie reviews and notes about the food & drink scenes within the movie. I would use this book to select a suitable movie and plan my own menu around it.
I would not want to own this book. Too much bad/irrelevant information to weed through. And it would be easy enough to borrow from the library again, if I was to host a movie night.
April 14, 2017
What to read when I'm bored. This book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews