Who doesn't love dinner and a movie?

... and a theme and scheduling and spreadsheets?

Anyone who knows me knows I have a tendency to really lean in to things. Sometimes I lean out just as quickly, but I think that’s human.

So, about a week ago I asked my partner Johnny if he wanted to watch the 1974 neo-noir classic, Chinatown. It had been on my to-watch list for a bit, and I wanted to avoid the endless scroll through our various streaming sites and just watch something.

It was an interesting watch, and I knew film noir/neo-noir was a genre I wanted to explore more of. Add in the fact I’m an avid fan of the podcast I Saw What You Did, hosted by the awesome duo of Millie de Chirico and Danielle Henderson, and I’ve become more aware of the art of pairing movies with a theme.

But what about pairing movie genres with foods/cuisine?

I brought this up the Johnny, with the idea being that once a month we select a film genre and a food “genre” (for lack of a better term). Then once a week, we’ll alternate with sharing our pick for a movie and a dinner that fit that month’s theme.

Stay tuned, and I’ll reveal the theme for the month, followed by a semi-weekly post covering the movie and recipe for the week. Since my recipe developing days are behind me, we’ll be sourcing recipes already available online or in some of my cookbooks. I’ll share the source for each, just in case you want to try the recipe yourself!

I’m excited. I used to blog back in the mid-2000s, first as a homebrewer and then as a baker. Having another avenue to write (aside from my day job) is a plus, and it gives me an outlet to share this weird fun with others.

(Also, don’t roast me on the email banner header I threw together in Canva … I am clearly not a designer! And if someone wants to suggest a better tagline, go for it!)