Dinner & a DVD

Movies have always had a relationship with food.

Some of us can’t imagine watching a film without a tub of popcorn in our lap and a large (diet) drink on the side.

Some movies, though, are far more closely related to food – and therefore our appetites – than others. Some send us out into the real world far more hungry than when we went in.

No matter how much popcorn or Milk Duds we’ve consumed.

And that, of course, is what this story is about. After a bit of thought, I’ve come up with the five films that have most affected my appetite over the past two decades.

It should come as no big a surprise that the five I’ve chosen aren’t exactly the kinds of films whose titles get splashed over movie-chain marquees, even if one of them did win an Oscar. None base their plot lines around exploding cars, though one features speeding trucks. Instead, all tell stories of the human condition, and they do so with food at the heart of what occurs.

And whether that food is Chinese, French, Japanese, German or Italian-American, the result is the same.

The mere thought of each is likely to cause your saliva glands to flow more smoothly than a Brita water pitcher.

“Tampopo” (1985; DVD, VHS; 1:54; not rated)

Directed by Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Koji Yakusho, Ken Watanabe. In Japanese with English subtitles.

Beginning in 1980, I was a regular client of the Magic Lantern, the place where Spokane film-lovers used to go to see anything bearing a subtitle. Along with many others, I sat in those straight-backed, raggedy old seats that we were willing to put up with for one reason only:

The Magic Lantern showed movies that we weren’t likely to see anywhere else.

“Tampopo” is a perfect example. The name, which translates to Dandelion, belongs to a woman (Nobuko Miyamoto) hoping to make a go of her noodle business. She has trouble doing so, though, until she meets a cowboy-tough trucker named Goro (Tsutomo Yamazaki) who not so much shows her how to cook as helps her open up – like a flower, get it? – so that she can meld with her inner chef.

My favorite scene: The one in which a group of visitors learns the correct way to eat noodles, which involves sucking them up with more noise than a Waring Blendfast food blender.

Here’s a recipe from Mark Bittman’s “Best Recipes in the World,” that will give you plenty of noodles for practice. It will require a trip to the Asian market. Bittman suggests serving it with poached and chilled shrimp or room-temperature grilled shiitake mushrooms.

Hiyashi Somen (Cold Noodles with Dipping Sauce)

From Mark Bittman’s “The Best Recipes in the World.”

2 cups Dashi, Japanese broth (recipe follows)

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon dried shrimp, optional

Salt to taste

1 (300-gram) package (3 bundles) somen noodles

2 scallions, trimmed and minced

Combine the dashi with soy sauce, mirin, sugar and dried shrimp, if using, in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, just until sugar is dissolved, then strain the dipping sauce into another container sitting on a bowl of ice to cool (you want it to be between ice cold and room temperature).

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Drop the somen and cook to 2 to 4 minutes, until tender, then rinse them in a colander under cold running water.

Serve each guest a small bowl of noodles twisted into a little nest on top of a couple of ice cubes and a small bowl with 1/2 cup of the dipping sauce scattered with the minced scallions on the side. Pass a little dish of wasabi, if desired, to stir into the dipping sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving (calculated using fish stock and 1/8 teaspoon salt): 469 calories, 1.3 grams fat (less than 1 gram saturated fat, 2.4 percent fat calories), 16.5 grams protein, 93 grrams carbohydrate, 2.6 milligrams cholesterol, 4.8 grams dietary fiber, 2,985 milligrams sodium.

Dashi

Kelp is a kind of seaweed that may also be called kombu. Bonito is a type of tuna. Both can be found at most Asian markets and some health food stores. Bittman also recommends steering clear of instant dashi.

1 piece of dried kelp (kombu), 4 to 6 inches long

1/2 to 1 cup dried bonito flakes

Combine the kelp and 2 quarts of water in a medium saucepan and turn the heat to medium. Do not allow the mixture to come to a boil; as soon as it is about to, turn off the heat and remove the kelp.

Immediately add the bonito flakes and stir; let sit for a couple of minutes, then strain. Use the dashi immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Yield: 2 quarts

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.

“Babette’s Feast” (1987; DVD, VHS; 1:43; rated G)

Dir. Gabriel Axel, starring Stephane Audran. In Danish, Swedish, French, with English subtitles. Won 1988 Best Foreign Language Oscar.

When the name of Danish writer Isak Dinesen is ever mentioned, the film that comes most to mind is “Out of Africa.”

This little ode to appetites appeased is about as far from the Serengeti as Bouillabaisse is from miso soup.

Set in a small, remote, overly pious Danish village, the kind of place where salted cod is considered a delicacy, “Babette’s feast” explores what happens when the life being lived by a couple of spinster sisters is disrupted when, out of a stormy night, emerges a friend of a friend, asking for help.

On the run, the friend (played by the stunningly beautiful French actress Stephane Audran), ends up being the sisters’ housekeeper – but her real talent is in the kitchen. And on one special night, she serves up a seven-course meal to the villagers that is … well, the title says everything.

This becomes all too clear when a worldly army general, the only one in the room who has tasted good food, begins to understand just what kind of gourmet elegance he is experiencing. The recognition that passes over his face is … delicious.

This recipe for blini from Gourmet magazine would make the perfect appetizer for a Babette’s Feast viewing party. It calls for topping each blinwith caviar, but you can also use smoked salmon or salmon roe.

Blini with Sour Cream and Caviar

1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast (1 1/4 teaspoons)

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)

1/2 cup sifted buckwheat flour (sift before measuring)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk, heated to warm (105 to 115 degrees)

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Accompaniments: sour cream and caviar, smoked salmon or salmon roe

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Stir together warm water, yeast and sugar in a bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Add all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, and salt, then stir in milk, 3 tablespoons butter and eggs. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in a roasting pan filled with 1 inch of warm water. Let rise in a warm place until dough is increased in volume, has bubbles breaking the surface, and is stringy when scooped, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir batter before using.

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot and brush with some of remaining melted butter (if butter browns immediately, lower heat). Working in batches of 4, spoon 1 tablespoon batter into skillet for each blin, then cook, turning over once, until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to an ovenproof platter and keep blini warm in oven.

Serve blini topped with sour cream and caviar, smoked salmon or salmon roe.

Note: Batter can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered (after letting it rise in a warm place). If necessary, thin batter with a few teaspoons of milk before using.

Yield: Makes 36 hors d’oeuvres

Approximate nutrition per serving (per 1 hors d’oeuvres, not including accompaniments): 33 calories, 1.8 grams fat (1 gram saturated, 49 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 3.3 grams carbohydrate, 16 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 23 milligrams sodium.

“Eat Drink Man Woman” (1994; DVD, VHS; 2:04; not rated)

Dir. Ang Lee, starring Sihung Lung, Chien-Lien Wu, Kuei-Mei Yang, Sylvia Chang. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

Long before he filmed women martial artists running up walls or cowboys finding love in the Wyoming mountains, the Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee was crafting his movie menu by exploring small stories of family.

This tender tale involves a master chef (Sihung Lung) and his relationship with his three daughters: the oldest, an unmarried teacher (Kuei-Mei-Yang) in her late 20s; the middle one, a successful executive (Chien-Lien Wu); and the young one, (Yu-Wen Wang), who works – believe it or not – serving fast food at Wendy’s.

The problem, of course, is that all of these characters have lost their appetites – for love, for happiness, for life itself. And if that isn’t bad enough for widower dad, his problem is literal: His taste buds no longer work as they once did. Just as he can’t express openly how much he loves his daughters, the aging chef can’t taste the dishes he prepares.

But en route to the film’s happy, and surprising, ending, Lee tantalizes us with more kinds of dishes than you’re apt to find in the index of a James Beard biography.

The Food Network Kitchens lightened this traditional recipe for crab dumplings, so you won’t have to feel guilty when you lose track of how many you’ve eaten while watching.

Crab Dumplings

From the Food Network Kitchens

Carrot Salad:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, like soy or corn

1/4 to 1/2 jalapeno chili (with seeds), minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon Southeast Asian fish sauce

1 scallion (white and green), chopped

Dumplings:

1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove bits of shell and cartilage

1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

Heaping 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

24 wonton wrappers (3 1/2-inch square), thawed if frozen

2 romaine leaves

Special equipment: 3 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter, bamboo steamer

To make the salad: In a small nonstick skillet, stir together the oil, jalapeno and garlic. Stir-fry over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the sugar. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and cool slightly. Toss the carrot, coriander, lime juice, fish sauce and scallion together with the jalapeno mixture. Set aside.

To make the dumplings: In a medium bowl, combine the crabmeat, water chestnuts, egg white, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, coriander and salt.

Lay 6 to 8 wontons out on a work surface. Trim into rounds with the biscuit cutter. Lightly brush the surface of each wrapper with vinegar. Place a level tablespoon of the crab filling in the center of each wrapper. Gather the wrapper around the filling, in a loosely-pleated open dumpling. The dumpling should be flat on the bottom with about a 1/2-inch of the wrapper unfilled at the top in order to hold the salad after steaming. Repeat until the filling is used up.

Arrange the dumplings about 1/4-inch apart in 2 lettuce leaf-lined bamboo steamers. Fill a wok or pan with enough water to come up to the bottom of the steamer rack, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Stack the steamers in the pan, cover, and steam the dumplings until the filling is set, about 10 minutes.

Remove the steamer from the pan. Top each dumpling with 1/2 heaping teaspoon of the carrot salad. Serve immediately in the steamer pan.

Yield: 8 servings (3 dumplings each)

Approximate nutrition per serving: 142 calories, 2.5 grams fat (less than 1 gram saturated, 16 percent fat calories), 9 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrate, 23 milligrams cholesterol, 1.2 grams dietary fiber, 397 milligrams sodium.

“Big Night” (1996; DVD, VHS; 1:49; rated R for language)

Dir. Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci, starring Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Isabella Rossellini, Ian Holm, Minnie Driver, Allison Janney, Marc Anthony, Campbell Scott.

Imagine what would happen if, say, someone wanted to fingerpaint the Mona Lisa. Well, like all great artists, cooks who take pride in their work don’t like it when people mix and match foods that don’t fit.

Which is why Primo (Tony Shalhoub), the older of two Italian brothers who now run a restaurant in New Jersey, won’t serve pasta with risotto. It goes against his principles.

Brother Secondo (Stanley Tucci) has better business sense: He understands that the restaurant is failing and that Primo’s pickiness isn’t helping.

With lots of subplots, not to mention complexities involving cheating at both love and business, “Big Night” builds to what the title indicates: a visit to the restaurant by the singer Louis Prima, which just might keep the brothers from ruin.

And it is on this night that Primo’s talents are put on full display – even if those there to enjoy the feast aren’t exactly who is expected.

No matter. As the brothers prove the next morning, food can be the great healer – even if it comes masquerading as a mere omelet.

When the film was released Tucci and writer Joe Tropiano (who is also his cousin) sat down to talk with the Washington Post about the film. They shared this family recipe for Caponata, an eggplant antipasto that would be a nice addition to an Italian buffet inspired by the film.

Caponata

Serve this Southern Italian classic at room temperature. It keeps for several days in the refrigerator and can be frozen. From The Washington Post.

1 large eggplant

1/2 cup olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 cup chopped celery

1 (28-ounce) can crushed plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon pine nuts

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons wine vinegar

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Wash eggplant and slice in half. Salt generously and allow to stand for about 20 minutes. Then rinse and dry the eggplant and dice it into 1-inch cubes.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and sauté the eggplant until soft and slightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let the eggplant get too soft. Remove the eggplant and place in a large saucepan. Set aside.

Adding more oil if necessary, sauté the onion in the original skillet until it is wilted. Add the celery and tomatoes. Simmer about 15 minutes, until celery is tender. Add the capers and pine nuts. Add mixture to the eggplant in the saucepan.

In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the vinegar, add salt and pepper to taste, and heat slightly. Add the heated liquid to the eggplant, cover the saucepan and simmer over low heat until the tomatoes are cooked and the vegetables are tender but not mushy. Stir often during cooking. Allow to cool before refrigerating. This can be prepared several days ahead.

Yield: 6 appetizer servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 235 calories, 19 grams fat (3 grams saturated, 72 percent fat calories), 2 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 426 milligrams sodium.

“Mostly Martha” (2001; DVD, VHS; 1:49; rated PG for thematic material, language)

Dir. Sandra Nettlebeck, starring Martina Gedeck, Maxime Foerste, Sergio Castellitto. In German and Italian with English subtitles.

If you can get past the clichés – the German with the tightly coiled personality and perfect palate, the personable Italian who imbues food less with measured precision than with the power of his lively personality – you just might enjoy this little film about emotional growth.

The Martha of the film’s title (Martina Gedeck) is a singular soul: She’s a great cook, but this is pretty much all she is. Then tragedy strikes, and suddenly she finds herself the guardian of Lina, her sullen, resentful 8-year-old niece (Maxime Foerste).

To make matters worse, Martha’s boss hires a second cook, Mario (Sergio Castellitto), no slouch of a cook himself. And, as a bonus, he has an actual personality.

Uh-oh, big changes directly ahead.

So, OK, here’s another cliché: the use of loss, not to mention the presence of a child, to effect transformation. But director Sandra Nettlebeck makes it work, giving us characters who become more and more real as the film progresses.

And so Lina learns again to smile, Mario continues to love what he does and as Martha learns to appreciate life as much as she does her food.

Which is the point, right? Because as all these movies suggest, life is like a soufflé: Sometimes it’s perfect; other times it falls flat.

Either way, the taste can be just as sweet if only you take the time to notice.

Almond-Lemon Tart

This recipe originally appeared in the Denver Post food section in 2002. “In “Mostly Martha,” chef Martha tastes the lemon tart her therapist makes for her and tells him he should have used the Belgian sugar she specified in her recipe. Inspired by the film, this recipe is an adaptation of a similar tart from “Caprial’s Cafe Favorites’ (Ten Speed Press, $21.95).”

For the crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter

Filling:

1 cup almonds or hazelnuts

1/2 cup almond paste

1/2 cup sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

3 eggs

1/2 cup cream

1 teaspoon almond extract

Place flour, powdered sugar, salt and almond extract in a food processor. With the motor running slowly drop in the butter about 1 tablespoon at a time. Process until a ball of dough forms on top of the blade.

Remove from the processor and press into a greased 12-inch removable bottom flan pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven just until the crust sets, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place almonds, almond paste and sugar in a food processor and process to grind the nuts. Stop the machine and add lemon juice, zest, eggs, cream and almond extract. Process to blend well.

Pour in the cooled crust and place in a 350-degree oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting and removing a knife – if it comes out clean, the filling is done. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

Yield: 8 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 621 calories, 41.8 grams fat (17.8 grams saturated, 60 percent fat calories), 11 grams protein, 53 grams carbohydrate, 152 milligrams cholesterol, 1.6 grams dietary fiber, 180 milligrams sodium.