-

-

-

In the movies, food is never just food. To honor the best food scenes of the year, we are announcing our own special awards, "The Sauteed Celluloids"

Date published: 2/21/2007

BY BEVERLY LEVITT

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

We were forced to eat weed soup on the island of Iwo Jima because the kasutera cakes and sandwiches we made were saved for the battle in "Letters From Iwo Jima."

We tried taking tea and scones at Buckingham Palace, but insistent phone calls from the prime minister made us leave them mid-bite in "The Queen."

We had to buck a barrage of opinions just to order waffles "a la modee" at a diner in "Little Miss Sunshine."

In the movies, food is never just food. It underscores emotion, show quirks about characters and is the catalyst around which the action revolves.

Michael Arndt, who won this year's Writers Guild Award and a BAFTA award, and who is nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for "Little Miss Sunshine," explains how his scene at the diner encapsulates the philosophical stakes of the story.

"Whether or not 7-year-old Olive eats that bowl of ice cream for breakfast is at the core of what the movie is about. She listens to the opinions of every member of her family and, in the end, at her tender age, evaluates who's saying what and makes her own decision.

"Are we going to live our life for ourselves or to please other people? It's the universal quandary we're presented with everyday," Arndt said.

To honor the best food scenes of the year, we are announcing our own special awards, "The Sauteed Celluloids." May we have the envelope, please?

The strength of character award: 'The Queen'

After sitting through 2 half hours of monarchy vs. government, we know one thing about the Queen of England (Helen Mirren): She loves her spot of tea. Tea with a scone, clotted cream and jam is her treasured royal ritual.

That's why it was so fascinating to watch as practically every cup of Earl Grey she tried to imbibe was invariably interrupted by an urgent call from Tony Blair (Michael Sheen). Frustrated, Prince Phillip (James Cromwell) constantly scolds, "Your tea's gone cold," until finally, he orders her not to take the call.

VEGETABLE COUSCOUS (Inspired by 'Babel') Makes 10 servings. Raisins and onions mixture: 1 medium Spanish onion, sliced thin cube sweet butter 2 tablespoons sugar cup raisins 1 teaspoon cinnamon Vegetables: 2 medium turnips, peeled and quartered 2 medium carrots, peeled and quartered 1 large zucchini, sliced 1-inch thick of a large cabbage, chopped coarsely 1 pound, 2 ounces crooked neck squash, acorn squash or turban squash or baby pumpkin, cut into 8 pieces 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh parsley 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered 1 teaspoon ground dry ginger A pinch of saffron 1 tablespoon salt or to taste Black pepper to taste Couscous: 1 pound package of prepared dry French couscous, soaked cube butter cup olive oil 1 can (about 14 ounces) garbanzo or kidney beans, drained Salt and pepper to taste Cook's note: You will need a couscoussier or 8- to 10-quart soup pot with a steamer or colander. To make this dish more authentic and flavorful use slightly rancid butter and serve it with the hot sauce harissa, available in most supermarkets. Since couscous is traditionally a spicy dish, if you do not have harissa, increase the amount of black pepper. Procedure: To make raisins and onions mixture: In a small pan place onions, butter, sugar, raisins and cinnamon. Add water to cover. Simmer until water is almost cooked away, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside. To make vegetables: Place all vegetables except tomatoes in lower part of couscoussier or pot, with water to cover. Add herbs and spices; bring to boil and cook for 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes. At this point, the liquid might not cover the vegetables; do not add more water. Make sure that in the steaming of the couscous the liquid will not dry up. Put presoaked couscous in upper part of couscoussier. If you are using a pot or steamer, it is imperative to make the joint between them steam-proof, using a wet kitchen towel, if necessary. Resume boiling on high flame for 15 to 20 minutes, until couscous is tender and no longer crunchy. Separate the two parts of the couscoussier or steamer. Drain cooking broth into a large bowl. In small pan bring 2 cups of the broth to boil; reduce by half. Transfer couscous into a large bowl. Stir in butter, olive oil and the cup of reduced broth. On a 12- to 14-inch platter, form couscous into a volcano shape with a crater in the center. Fill crater with vegetables. Pour a few ladles of broth over the vegetables. Top with garbanzo or kidney beans and raisin mixture. In Morocco, couscous is traditionally eaten either with the hands or with a spoon. The fork is a Western introduction. Recipe from: Mary Dupart, owner of Dar Maghreb, one of the first Moroccan restaurants in Southern California AFTERNOON TEA SCONES (Inspired by 'The Queen') Makes 2 dozen small scones. 3 cups strong flour or bread flour half cup sugar 2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons baking powder 1 sticks unsalted butter cup cream cup milk 1 and cups sultana raisins About cup milk for glazing Procedure: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl mix together dry ingredients. Cut in butter and mix until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Gradually add cream and milk and mix until a thick dough is formed. Add the sultanas and allow dough to rest for 15 minutes, covered loosely with a cotton cloth. Turn out dough onto a floured board and knead lightly. Roll out to -inch thickness and cut into rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Gather the trimmings and lightly knead, roll and cut them as well. On a lightly greased baking tray, place the rounds about 1 inch apart. Brush the tops with a little milk to glaze. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Transfer to rack to cool. Serve warm with jam and clotted cream. Recipe from: Regis Beauregard, pastry chef, The Palm Court Restaurant at The Ritz Hotel, London EGG FLAN (Flan de Huevo) (Inspired by 'Volver') Makes 12 servings. 4 large eggs 1 can (about 14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 28 ounces whole milk 2 tablespoons anisette or other liqueur 1 cup sugar A few drops of lemon juice Procedure: Place eggs, the milks and liqueur into a large blender glass. Blend well until mixture is smooth. For caramelized sugar coating: Spread sugar evenly in the bottom of a flan mold (flanera) and place over medium-low heat. Toast it slowly. It may take a few minutes before sugar begins to melt. Without stirring watch sugar closely as it begins to liquefy at the edges. It will slowly turn first into a yellowish and then a golden syrup and finally into a brown caramel sauce. When brown, immediately remove from heat and coat bottom and sides of mold with caramelized sugar. Add beaten egg mixture to the mold. Cover carefully with aluminum foil held in place by an elastic band. If the mold has a lid, put it on top of the tinfoil and adjust it tightly. All this is to prevent water getting into the mold while the flan is cooking. In a pot that is taller and about 2 inches wider in circumference than the mold, place the closed mold. Pour boiling water a little less than half way up the mold to create a water bath (bain marie). Cook over medium heat for hour. Turn off heat. Let mold sit in the hot water for at least an hour. Remove mold from bain marie. Take off the foil. When flan is completely cooled, cover again and place in refrigerator for no less than 6 hours, although we recommend overnight. To unmold flan: Remove from refrigerator. Let sit for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the edges. Place a large plate on top of the mold and invert. Flan will fall on to the plate with a fine layer of caramelized sugar on top. Serve at room temperature. Recipe from: Antonia and Maria Jesus Almodóvar, sisters of writer-director Pedro Almódovar SPANISH OMELET (Tortilla de Patata) (Inspired by 'Volver') Makes 3 servings. 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 pounds red potatoes, sliced very thin 6 eggs, beaten Salt to taste Black pepper to taste, (optional) 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped (optional) 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (optional) Cook's note: This classic omelet calls only for salt. We found the addition of a bit of pepper, thyme and oregano enhances the flavor. Procedure: Soak potatoes in cold water for 10 minutes and pat dry. In a 9-inch skillet heat the olive oil. Add potatoes and fry over medium-high heat. With a spatula, keep turning over the potatoes and breaking them up. Add salt to taste and, if desired, other spices. When potatoes are a golden color, remove skillet from heat. Arrange potatoes so they cover the bottom of the pan. There should be a thin layer of oil underneath them. Over medium heat, pour eggs over the potatoes. Shake the frying pan slightly to prevent the omelet sticking to the sides and bottom of the skillet. When the omelet is cooked through, but not brown on the bottom, place a 9-inch plate on top of the skillet like a lid. Very carefully, turn the omelet upside down to put omelet on the plate. To cook the other side, make sure there is sufficient oil left in the skillet. If not, pour in a bit more. Over low heat, put the upside-down omelet back into the frying pan so that it finishes setting completely. With a spatula, shape the edges of the omelet so they are rounded and don't stick out. One way to check if omelet has set is to stick a fork in the middle and see if it comes out with any liquid traces of egg. We recommend the omelet be totally set on the inside with a golden yellow color on the outside. Serve warm or at room temperature. Recipe from: Antonia and Maria Jesus Almodóvar, sisters of writer-director Pedro Almódovar PISTO MANCHEGO (Inspired by 'Volver') Makes 6 servings. cup extra virgin olive oil 1 pound sweet green chili peppers, seeded and cut crosswise into -inch rings 2 pounds ripe, red, fleshy tomatoes, peeled and chopped Pinch of sugar Salt to taste Cook's note: This sauce originated in La Mancha, Spain. "Volver" director Pedro Almodóvar emphasizes it is never eaten on its own but is the perfect accompaniment to Tortilla de Patata (see recipe), spread over meat or fish, mixed with fried eggs or just slathered on some slices of bread. Procedure: In a 9-inch stainless or enamel frying pan, heat 5 tablespoons of the oil over high heat. Add peppers and lower heat to medium. Saute, stirring frequently until they soften and turn a light golden color. Remove peppers from pan. Add tomatoes to same pan; bring to boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium, cook for 15 minutes longer, macerating until tomatoes have lost all their juice. Add sugar, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook for 10 more minutes, stirring constantly, until sauce resembles a thick puree. Add peppers to the tomatoes, mix well, and cook for 5 minutes to blend flavors. When it is finished it should have a golden layer of oil on top. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate to allow time for flavors to develop. To serve, reheat and serve warm with the Tortilla de Patata (see recipe). Recipe from: Antonia and Maria Jesus Almodóvar, sisters of writer-director Pedro Almódovar RAISIN SCONES FIT FOR A QUEEN MAKE YOU SPEAK SPANISH OMELET FLAN TO COME BACK FROM THE DEAD FOR COUSCOUS WORTH BABBLING ABOUT

Date published: 2/21/2007