Few things go together as well as dinner and a movie. What beats sitting on the couch, staring at a screen with a plate of great food in front of you? Nothing. Gluttony might be one of the seven deadly sins, but the pleasure this activity brings outweighs all eternity in Hell.
One way to make this time-tested combination a little more exciting is to match the meal with the characteristics or theme of the film. It's an interactive way to enjoy a film and introduces a lot of creativity in your food choices, helping you further appreciate both paired portions of the evening.
An example of this is to pair a comfort food with a comfort movie. No dish is quite as cozy as chicken noodle soup in a sourdough bread bowl, and it's sure to put anyone into a state of extreme relaxation.
Homemade chocolate chip cookies are also an ideal addition to this soothing dinner, though one of Mom's care packages might be necessary to hit the spot. Once the meal is prepared, press play on the Disney classic The Lion King.""
The film has relaxation written directly into its script: hakuna matata - it means no worries, so kick up your feet and enjoy the warmth of soup, cookies and the singing warthog Pumbaa.
Looking for something a little more mature and less animated? John Hughes' ""Ferris Bueller's Day Off"" is a fantastic option, and better yet, it can be paired with fantastic food. The movie's setting, Chicago - a hotbed of culinary trademarks - is the perfect inspiration for a fantastic meal. Lay off the Wisconsin brats for a night, and instead take part in the traditional Chicago-style hot dog.
This exceedingly specific recipe calls for a boiled all-beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun topped with mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato wedges, pickled sport peppers and a dash of celery salt. While you enjoy this intricate creation and watch a rambunctious teenager sing ""Twist and Shout"" atop a parade float, be sure to have your pop, not soda, in hand.
Another John Hughes flick easily paired with a delicious meal is ""The Breakfast Club."" Although the food might be a little less eccentric than the cereal and Pixy Stix sandwich made famously disgusting by the film's basket case, Allison, it will still be delicious.
The movie's title says it all: breakfast, breakfast for dinner. It is the best meal of the day, so why only reserve the hours best spent sleeping for such a delicious feast? When having breakfast for dinner, go all out: eggs, bacon and waffles topped with whipped cream and strawberries. These delicious breakfast staples will make this 1980s cinematic staple even better.
For the perfect girls' night dinner and a movie, look no further than ""Sex and the City."" After getting all dolled up in little black dresses and Manolo Blahniks, enjoy the cornerstone of dinner that evening, a cosmopolitan. It might be a drink, but it is the most important part of the ""Sex and the City"" meal - just ask Carrie Bradshaw.
Chic hors d'oeuvres and chocolate truffles are also provisions that will make this night's cuisine a little more lavish. Madison might not be New York City, but it may be the most fabulous city in Wisconsin, so for the evening, treat it that way.
If you're in the mood for something ethnic or spicy, Jamaican food is always a delicious option, and luckily it can be paired with the greatest movie of all time: ""Cool Runnings."" As if the story of four Jamaican bobsledders clad in some of the brightest neon sweats you've ever seen isn't great enough, eating food inspired by the athletes' culture makes it even better. And nothing says Jamaican cuisine like jerk spice.
Most commonly used on meats such as pork, goat and chicken, this spicy dish will awaken the taste buds and light a fire under that Jamaican bobsled spirit. Tropical fruit, whether jackfruit, coconut, guava or pineapple, also act as a sweet and tangy addition to the meal, helping to cut some of the intense spice of the protein. For the length of the movie and meal, you will have a tropical paradise right in the middle of the frozen tundra of Wisconsin.
Dinner and a movie is an activity filling Friday and Saturday nights for ages, but if you link your movie and meal, you will also put a new twist on this old form of entertainment.
