Midnight in Paris (2011)

At work lately, my two biggest projects have been designing a new logo/identity for the Rodin Museum and the graphics for the Philadelphia Museum of Art's upcoming exhibition Van Gogh Up Close.

I knew Midnight in Paris would be intriguing, and so it got moved to the short list for movie night consideration. What I didn't realize (until I started doing recipe research) was that this was the movie poster:

Oh, and that they visit Paris's Musée Rodin in the movie (twice!). Serendipitous choice, eh?

We were not disappointed—this was a fantastic movie. Sure, we were probably destined to appreciate the movie no matter what, but I think any dreamer would love it.

Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams play Gil and Inez—an engaged couple who are vacationing with Inez's parents in Paris. Immediately, Gil's passion for Paris is reignited, and he begins taking midnight strolls to clear his mind. It is on these rambling walks that he finds himself transported back to the Golden Age, encountering the likes of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein (played by Kathy Bates), Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, and filmmaker Luis Buñel. For a really good background and synopsis of the artists in the movie and their relationships, check out this New York Times article.

And take a guess at who Adrien Brody portrays:

Movie Rating

Plot: 5

Cinematography: 5

Acting: 5

Average: 5

For a Parisian-themed dinner, we made Croque Madames, because everything's better with an egg on top! It was our first real meal post-detox and we went whole hog (literally!). We attempted sunny-side-up eggs, but had to use a lid to get the whites to fully set. Also, we noted that you could probably serve the sandwich open face, with the egg on top of the melted Gruyère and the béchamel over everything to make it a bit less filling.

Our dessert choice was one of the best ice cream flavors either of us had ever tried, btw.

Croque Madame (Ham and Cheese with Fried Egg)

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

3 TB butter

3 TB flour

2 cups milk

12 oz. Gruyère, grated

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

dash of freshly grated nutmeg

12 (3/4" thick) slices white bread

6 TB Dijon mustard

12 thin slices baked ham

2 TB canola oil

6 eggs

DIRECTIONS

Heat butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, whisking, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 6–8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the grated Gruyère and the Parmesan cheese, and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add nutmeg.

Heat broiler to high. (We used the toaster oven since we made just 2 sandwiches.) Place 6 slices of bread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and spread 1 TB of mustard over each piece. Top with 2 slices of ham and divide the remaining Gruyère among the sandwiches.

Broil until cheese begins to melt, 1–2 minutes. At this point, top with remaining bread slices, then pour a generous amount of béchamel (cheesy sauce) on top of each sandwich. Broil until cheese sauce is bubbling and evenly browned, about 3–4 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.

Place an egg atop each sandwich and serve hot.

After the first couple bites:

The dessert that was très-bien? Ben and Jerry's Crème Brûlée ice cream. Out. Of. This. World.

Dinner Rating

Movie Relevance: 5

Taste: 4.5

Average: 4.75

We drank beer with our sandwiches but champagne or French wine would really have been the most apt beverage. Oysters on the half shell, for those who dare, would be a fitting complement to the movie as well.