Ever wonder why we eat popcorn with every movie? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to eat or drink something that gets you excited to watch your favorite feature film? Try out this pairing guide for the ultimate culinary and cinematic experiences.
Grease: Milkshakes and French Fries
Grease, RSO Records/Paramount Pictures
A nice, thick milkshake with some fresh french fries, a classic diner combo, will make you feel like you’re at the Frosty Palace with Sandy and Danny. The rich creaminess of the shake and the saltiness of the fries complement each other perfectly, just like Sandy’s sweet side and Danny’s wild child personality. Find out how to concoct lots of fun milkshakes here.
Sex and the City: Cupcakes and Cosmos
Sex and the City, Warner Brothers/CBS
What better way to feel like Carrie Bradshaw and her girlfriends than to sip on a Cosmo and munch on a cupcake? There is no dessert more appropriate to eat while watching Sex and the City (the movies or TV show!) than a cupcake (from Magnolia Bakery, if you can; otherwise bake the perfect vanilla cupcake with this recipe.) – SATC is actually credited with making cupcakes as popular as they are today. Wash it down with Carrie’s drink of choice, the Cosmopolitan. Find a recipe for the fruity concoction here.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Danishes and Coffee
Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Paramount Pictures
The eponymous breakfast of the film is simple, yet elegant and classic, just like Audrey Hepburn. Purchase or bake some Danishes and enjoy with a steaming cup of coffee. If you’re watching the movie at night, don’t forget to make it decaf! Pearls and black gloves are optional, but highly recommended.
The Parent Trap: Peanut Butter and Oreos
The Parent Trap, Walt Disney Pictures/Buena Vista Pictures
Feel like a kid again with this innovative take on milk’s favorite cookie. Dip your Oreos in peanut butter, not milk, to get that Camp Walden Isolation Cabin vibe. But remember – no strawberries! Hallie and Annie are horribly allergic.
Mean Girls: Mocktails
Mean Girls, SNL Studios/Paramount Pictures
Make a fruity pink mocktail, and sip it while you watch Mean Girls to feel like the fifth member of the Plastics. Need a good recipe? Try this one. If you’d like to add alcohol to the drink, feel free…just remember, Mrs. George would rather you do it in the house.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Chocolate Covered Anything
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Wolper Productions/Paramount Pictures
You can use your pure imagination for this one, but I’d recommend chocolate covered anything – strawberries, pretzels, snozberries – except for a chocolate covered Augustus Gloop. If you think you can take it, make some hot chocolate, too.
Harry Potter: Butterbeer and Jelly Beans
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Warner Brothers
Take a trip to Hogsmeade with jellybeans and butterbeer. Did you realize you could make your own butterbeer at home that tastes remarkably like what is served at Universal Studios? Here are two recipes. Spring for some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans from Jelly Belly, or just get any brand of jellybeans to substitute for the wizarding world favorite.
Princess Diaries: Pears, Cheeses and Sorbet
Princess Diaries, Buena Vista Pictures
Last but certainly not least, live like a true Genovian by making your own version of the classic Genovian pear and cheese dessert. If you’d like, you can cleanse your palate between bites with some sorbet – just remember to take small bites, lest you want a brain freeze like Princess Mia’s.
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