Sideways is the May Movie at Food 'n Flix: Break out the wine glasses

Last month I let you all know I was hosting the May movie at Food 'n Flix. My announcement post for Sideways is posted HERE. You still have time to participate if you'd like....just follow that announcement link and see if the movie is your cuppa tea. Or glass of Pinot.



Sideways is about wine, friendship and discovery. Two of the main characters are Miles and Jack, both in their forties. They go on an adventure through California's wine country and things don't exactly turn out the way Miles had envisioned. For a more detailed rundown of the movie please see my announcement post for the movie synopsis. But let's talk about one of the main characters before I share the culinary concoction.

Miles. His character is quite a mixture of many conflicting personalities. On one hand he's a great friend, willing to take his best bud on a week long trip, hoping to educate him about wine and savoring the prospect of Jack enjoying it.

He's also a frustrated novelist who is teaching 8th grade English. How many of us are like that? We have jobs...careers....but there is THE Unrealized DREAM. (C'mon..show of hands)

He's also the prick that steals money from his mother and sneaks out without saying goodbye while she's asleep on her sofa. He's also a heartbroken and bitter man over his divorce. He clearly still has unresolved feeling for his ex.

BEST line about wine in the movies........ delivered by Maya.


I do like to think about the life of wine, how it's a living thing.
I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing,
how the sun was shining that summer or if it rained... what the weather
was like. I think about all those people who tended and picked the grapes,
and if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now.
I love how wine continues to evolve,
how every time I open a bottle it's going to taste different than if I
had opened it on any other day.
Because a bottle of wine is actually alive
-- it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is,
until it peaks -- like your '61 --and begins its steady,
inevitable decline.
And it tastes so fucking good.

Yep....best line in the movie.

Moving on.......The picnic lunch was a good time for all the characters . Look at them, happy and enjoying the good weather, sharing a meal and laughs. Just being together without an agenda (Ok, I don’t know about Jack but….hey)



Here is a dish I made with ingredients from the fridge and pantry, stuff I had on hand because if I were to go on an impromptu picnic…..these are the items which would have worked. This meal may be served hot or cold. I will call it Crabby Mushroom Artichoke Pasta.



Humble ingredients

About 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 can crab meat, drained
1 package of pasta
A jar artichoke and tomato bruschetta
Mushrooms, sliced
Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Parsley


Prepare pasta water and cook pasta.

Saute the mushrooms and tomatoes for a few minutes in olive oil, then add can of drained crab meat. Mix gently. Now plop the butter into the crab mixture so it gets a bit creamy.



Drain pasta. Place pasta in bowl and add a big spoonful of this artichoke and tomato bruschetta into hot pasta.



Top with crab mixture.

Pour some California Chardonnay (since this is a California wine movie, after all).

** The beauty of this dish is you can eat it as a cold pasta meal or serve hot as I did. Additionally, mix up the veggies a bit and add asparagus or bell peppers. Add canned tuna instead of crab or better yet, fresh shrimp or scallops.

OK, that's my contribution for this movie. We enjoyed the meal and I would love to hear from anyone who participates in this party. Head to Food 'n Flix to see the movies scheduled for the rest of this year.



Cheers!