23 Recipe Ideas Inspired by Our Favorite Movies

By

Martha Stewart Editors

Published on February 13, 2011

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"Julie and Julia" brought French cooking to the forefront of moviegoers' minds, but it's far from the first film in which food plays a pivotal role. Here, we honor 23 classic eating and drinking scenes, along with our recipes, so you can re-create the magic at home.

01 of 22

"Julie and Julia": Boeuf Bourguignon

When Julie Powell (Amy Adams) attempts to make Julia Child's recipe for boeuf bourguignon in "Julie and Julia," she falls asleep and burns it to a crisp. That's reason enough for her to call in sick the next day and remake this wonderful dish. Try our no-fail version of this classic French stew.

02 of 22

"Lady and the Tramp": Spaghetti and Meatballs

meatballs

Who doesn't remember the classic scene in "Lady and the Tramp" when the two dogs share a plate of spaghetti and meatballs under the moonlight? Relive the romance with our quintessential recipe -- and don't forget to save the last meatball for your sweetheart.

03 of 22

"Big Night": Omelet

Romulo Yanes

In this homage to traditional Italian food, two immigrant brothers struggle to keep their restaurant afloat with a feast fit for Louis Prima. But in the end, it's a plate of simply cooked eggs that reunites the men after their failed "Big Night." You can honor the good egg with our French omelet recipe.

04 of 22

"Casablanca": Champagne Fizz

Meredith Jenks

Champagne supports the romantic tension in "Casablanca," where the bubbly flows at Rick Blaine's (Humphrey Bogart) Moroccan nightclub in the form of Veuve Cliquot 1926, French 75s (champagne, lemon juice, sugar, and gin), and of course, Champagne cocktails. You can't go wrong with our sophisticated, oh-so-simple fizz.

05 of 22

"Pulp Fiction": Cheeseburger

burger lettuce tomato pickle cheese — Armando Rafael

The fictional Big Kahuna Burger takes center stage in a quirky scene from "Pulp Fiction," in which Vincent Vega (John Travolta) informs fellow hitman Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) that the French call a Quarter Pounder with cheese a "Royale with cheese." We'll stick with our classic burger-joint cheeseburger recipe, thank you.

06 of 22

"When Harry Met Sally...": Apple Pie

Marcus Nilsson

We applaud Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) as a woman who knows what she wants in "When Harry Met Sally...": "I'd like the chef's salad, please, with the oil and vinegar on the side and the apple pie a la mode. But I'd like the pie heated, and I don't want the ice cream on top. I want it on the side. And I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream -- just whipped cream, but only if it's real. If it's out of a can, then nothing." Phew! Try our brown-butter apple pie -- it's spectacular straight or with ice cream or whipped cream on the side.

07 of 22

"Ratatouille"

Most people would be horrified to find a rat in their kitchen. But in "Ratatouille," Remy the rat is the secret to chef Linguini's delicious dishes. He even impresses the food critic Anton Ego with what will become his signature dish, ratatouille. Here's our latest, greatest version.

08 of 22

"Chocolat": Spiced Hot Dark Chocolate

Johnny Miller

In "Chocolat," Vianne (Juliette Binoche) finds herself in unfriendly territory when she opens a chocolate shop in a conservative town in rural France. But she eventually wins over the villagers with her recipes, including a sensual and spicy hot chocolate drink. Warm up with our version, flavored with cinnamon, cardamom, and cayenne.

09 of 22

"Mystic Pizza"

Andrew Purcell

In a coming-of-age story centered on the real-life Mystic Pizza parlor, Daisy Arujo (Julia Roberts) tries to figure out her future ("I'm gonna be slingin' pizza for the rest of my life") as well as the mysterious ingredients inside owner Leona's (Conchata Ferrell) ever-popular recipe. Try Martha's version with creamy ricotta and fresh and roasted tomatoes.

10 of 22

"Like Water for Chocolate": Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies

Food, tradition, and mysticism surround the love story of Tita (Lumi Cavazos) and Pedro (Marco Leonardi) in "Like Water for Chocolate," in which Tita must make the wedding cake for Pedro's marriage to her sister. When Tita's tears of sorrow fall into the batter, the cake is imbued with her emotion, causing anyone who eats it to feel the pain of lost love. Our rich Mexican wedding cake cookies offer a happier ending.

11 of 22

"Kramer vs. Kramer": French Toast

Matthew Hranek

The morning after his wife (played by Meryl Streep) leaves him, Dustin Hoffman (as Ted Kramer) gives an Oscar-winning performance of a man scorned, as he tries to prepare French toast for his son (Justin Henry) in "Kramer vs. Kramer." Ted's response to eggshells in the batter: "It makes it crunchier that way. You like it crunchy, don't you?" Uh, no. Instead, whip up Martha's next-level French toast recipe.

12 of 22

"Babette's Feast": Blini with Caviar

In "Babette's Feast," a lottery winner (Stephane Audran) spends her entire winnings on one spectacular meal that includes blini with caviar, truffle- and foie gras-stuffed quail, turtle soup, and baba au rhum. Try our take on her indulgent first course with our recipe for fluffy blinis with creme fraiche and salmon roe.

13 of 22

"The Thin Man": Martinis

Bryan Gardner

Husband and wife Nick (William Powell) and Nora Charles (Myrna Loy) spend as much time downing martinis as they do solving mysteries in the 1934 detective comedy, "The Thin Man." We recommend slowly savoring our martini recipe while watching this incomparable whodunit.

14 of 22

"Forrest Gump": Shrimp Recipes

In a monotone ramble that seemingly never ends, Forrest Gump's friend Bubba (Mykelti Williamson) reminds us of all the ways to cook shrimp: barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan-fried shrimp, stir-fried shrimp...we've got recipes for these and more.

Get the Shrimp Recipes

15 of 22

"Bridget Jones's Diary": Leek Soup

In an attempt to impress her friends by cooking an elaborate birthday dinner, Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) accidentally leaves a piece of blue twine in her leek soup, tinting it a vivid shade of...periwinkle! Try our delectable cream of leek soup -- color au naturel.

16 of 22

"Goodfellas": Meat Sauce

martha-cooking-school-pasta-sauces-bolognese-cs2004-0255.jpg — David M. Russell

Dinner was a big thing for the mobsters doing time in "Goodfellas." Paulie (Paul Sorvino) slices the garlic with a razor, Vinnie (Charles Scorsese) makes a tomato sauce with three meats (and three onions), Johnny (Frank Pellegrino) fries the steak, and the hacks deliver lobsters on ice. For those on the outside, we suggest our recipe for pasta and hearty Italian meat sauce.

17 of 22

"Waitress": Chocolate-Caramel Cream Pie

In "Waitress," Jenna (Keri Russell) invents a new pie every day and names each after a frustrating circumstance in her life. We're partial to the "I Hate My Husband Pie" -- not for the name, mind you, but the ingredients: a bittersweet chocolate pudding drowned in caramel. Here's our recipe for a similar pie.

18 of 22

"Annie Hall": Boiled Lobsters with Corn and Potatoes

In a hilarious scene from "Annie Hall," Annie (Diane Keaton) and Alvy (Woody Allen) wrangle lobsters on the kitchen floor before eventually getting them into the pot. Martha offers an easier way to store your crustaceans, as well as a tasty recipe.

19 of 22

"Heart Burn": Spaghetti Carbonara

In "Heart Burn," the movie version of Nora Ephron's novel about her marriage to journalist Carl Bernstein, main characters Rachel (Meryl Streep) and Mark (Jack Nicholson) share a memorable first meal together of spaghetti carbonara -- served in bed at 4 in the morning of their first date. Try our version at any time of day -- or night.

20 of 22

"Cool Hand Luke": Hard-Boiled Eggs

As a prisoner who refuses to submit to the system in "Cool Hand Luke," the ever-gorgeous Paul Newman dares to eat 50 hard-boiled eggs in an hour. Follow our recipe for perfectly cooked eggs every time.

21 of 22

"The Two Towers": Mashed Potatoes

In the second movie of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, a tired and hungry Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) wishes for "taters." When asked what they are, Samwise explains: "Po-tay-toes! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew." Here's our recipe for simple mashed "taters."

22 of 22

"Tampopo": Ramen

"Tampopo," known as the first noodle western, is an amusing Japanese film that celebrates the joys of food. At the center of the film is Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto), who learns to perfect the art of making noodle soup, while several subplots skewer the myriad ways food can enhance or rule our lives. Test your noodle-making abilities with our recipe for shoyu ramen.

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