Noods and Noirs
First month of movies and dinners is in the books!
August is coming to a close, and Johnny and I have wrapped up our first month of this thematic movies+meals project.
Since Chinatown inspired all of this, we went with “Noods and Noirs” for the first month—a pairing of noodle dishes with Film Noir and Neo-Noir movies. As for the noodles, they could be from any cuisine, but had to be noodles, not various pasta shapes.
Week 1: Johnny’s pick
Movie: Brick (2005)
Crime ring? Check. Fast-paced dialogue akin to The Maltese Falcon? Check. Teenagers in the early 2000s? Was not expecting that.
Johnny had seen Brick years ago, but this was a new film for me. The fast-paced dialogue that mimicked detective talk—but was full of obscure teenage slang—had me hanging on every word for fear that I would miss something. It 100% was not what I was expecting (especially after having watched Chinatown the week before), and that’s probably what made it such a fun watch.
Check it out if you want to:
relive some of early 2000s
see JGL on screen (of course you do!)
Meal: Caramelized Shallot, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Garlic Butter Pasta
This was a new recipe Johnny found, and while it was indeed tasty, we recommend making some adjustments. First, chop the spinach! If you don’t, the spinach clumps. We also recommend integrating the goat cheese into the pasta dish a bit earlier and mixing it in to help build the sauce.
Week 2: Mel’s pick
Movie: Sunset Boulevard (1950)
As a kid, I knew Sunset Boulevard to be that musical with Glen Close singing “With One Look.” So, to find out it’s not only a Film Noir but also a Black Comedy, I knew we had to watch it.
This was a first watch for both of us. We loved how over the top Gloria Swanson was as Nora Desmond, and I was oddly delighted to see Dragnet’s Jack Webb playing the role of Artie. The sets are gorgeous, and so often we found ourselves saying, “Holy crap lady!” Also, you’ll get to enjoy some of the most iconic lines of movie history.
Check it out if you want to:
see the inspiration for Andrew Llyod Webber’s musical
enjoy some major over-the-top acting (in the best way!)
Meal: Zucchini Pasta with Tuna and Chile Paste (this may be gated; if so, apologies!)
I’m a big fan of trying out NYT recipes, and when I saw this one and realized I had almost all the ingredients, it was a must-make. It came together easily, and we really enjoyed the flavors.
Week 3: Johnny’s pick
Movie: The Long Goodbye (1973)
When the opening credits showed there was a song with the same name as the movie, I didn’t think anything of it, but what I didn’t expect was hearing that song in a variety of forms approximately 65 times.
This was another first watch for us both, and we found The Long Goodbye a little trippy and at times wandering. Elliot Gould played Marlowe in a very sleepy manner, but he seemed to be on top of things more than expected. I wonder how Gould’s Marlowe measures up against Bogart’s in The Big Sleep (1946). Nearly 30 years between them! Also, how could I forget to mention the fabulous orange tabby—what a scene stealer.
Check it out if you want to:
experience Marlowe’s very interesting neighbors
make references to Hemingway every time Sterling Hayden comes on screen
Meal: Mafaldine Pasta Limone with Broccoli with chicken sausage
This dish was awesome! Johnny hunted around for the Mafaldine noodles, and finally lucked out with the Anna brand. They remind me of the ends of lasagna noodles, and really hold their shape. The finely chopped broccoli worked really well with the sauce, and Johnny added some chopped chicken sausage. Definitely on our “make again” list.
Week 4: Mel’s pick
Movie: Laura (1944)
Could Waldo Lydecker have been any more scathing? I don’t think so.
After we picked the theme of Noods and Noirs, I found via my research that Laura is considered one of the best of the genre. That made it a must-watch for me (and like the 3 movies before it this month, a first-watch for both of us). Twists and turns, fantastic dialogue, and hello Vincent Price—this movie was great and a fun watch.
Check it out if you want to:
witness the less-spooky side of Vincent Price
laugh every time Waldo reads someone for filth
Meal: Dan Dan Noodles with a 6-minute egg
I adore Dan Dan noodles, and this is a recipe we’ve both made a number of times. I recommend using 8 oz of pork for 2 bowls (12 oz is just too much), as well as using a little less pasta water so that your sauce isn’t runny. And for a great noodle, look for Daxibei GunGun Noodles at the Asian market.
We had a lot of fun this month with all of our movies, and for September we’ll be shifting over to watching Westerns, and pairing them with some cowboy-appropriate dinners.
Let me know if you watched any of the movies or made any of the recipes, and what you thought. Until next month!