Somewhere

Somewhere (2011, directed by Sofia Coppola) chronicles the life of Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), who's a successful Hollywood actor with tons of money but not much else going on in his life. The exception is his 11-year old daughter, Cleo (Elle Fanning), who comes to stay with him unexpectedly for a couple of weeks.

(movie stills found here)

There are many slow, quiet scenes in the film that almost verge on boring, however, you see a lot of Hollywood/LA surroundings including Chateau Marmont, where Johnny lives. Eric's favorite parts were Johnny's Black Flag t-shirt and black Ferrari 360 Modena. Other actors making appearances: Chris Pontius of Jackass fame and Benicio Del Toro.

Movie Rating

Plot: 2.75 stars

Cinematography: 3.75 stars

Acting: 3.25 stars
Average: 3.25 stars

Our meal was taken straight from the movie, specifically a scene where Cleo calls room service for the ingredients to make macaroni and cheese rather than ordering the finished product. We used a slightly more grown-up recipe--including bacon and beer! Even our snack and dessert find tie-ins this week: we roasted chickpeas in a za'atar-like spice blend to mimic an item on Bar Marmont's actual appetizer menu. For dessert, we had tea and shortbread cookies (inspired by Cleo and Johnny's underwater tea party).

Crispy Chickpeas a la Bar Marmont

Slightly adapted from this recipe

Serves 4 as a snack

INGREDIENTS

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 TB olive oil

1 TB dried thyme

1 TB lemon pepper seasoning (check salt content)

1 TB sesame seeds

1 TB oregano

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450.

Toast the sesame seeds lightly in a nonstick pan, then transfer to a blender along with the thyme, lemon pepper, and oregano. Blend until combined.

Spread the chickpeas out on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil to coat. Top with a thick coating of seasoning blend, adding salt if needed.

Roast at 450 for 20-30 minutes or until the chickpeas are crunchy and brown.

Cleo's Mac and Cheese (but with beer & bacon)

Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta shells (or elbows)

2 TB butter

2 TB flour

1 cup milk

1 cup beer

8 oz. freshly grated cheddar cheese

4 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp paprika

pinch of black pepper

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup panko

10 large basil leaves, chopped for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Prepare water for pasta and boil according to directions, shaving 1–2 minutes off of cooking time since pasta will continue to cook in the oven. Return cooked noodles to the pot.

Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and add butter. Once melted and sizzling, whisk in flour to create a roux and cook until bubbly and golden, about 2 minutes. Add milk and beer to saucepan and whisk constantly, then add cheeses and stir until melted. Turn heat down to medium and continue to stir, cooking for 5-6 minutes while the mixture thickens. Stir in pepper, paprika, and nutmeg.

Pour cheese sauce and bacon over cooked pasta, stir, and transfer to a casserole dish. Top with panko and additional cheese if desired. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes, then top with fresh basil and serve.

Dinner Rating

Movie Relevance: 5 stars

Taste: 3.5 stars
Average: 4.25 stars

There was a ton of other food in the movie--Cleo also makes eggs benedict, they eat gelato, french fries, there's a breakfast scene, and toward the end Johnny makes (way too much) spaghetti with marinara sauce. He drinks Corona throughout the movie and orange juice makes a few appearances as well.