Let Focus Foodie Help You In The Kitchen This Thanksgiving
Recipes inspired by Focus films, delicious dishes prepared by you
As you rush to prepare the family feast this Thanksgiving, we want to offer you some help from. Over the years, Focus Foodie videos have provided various recipes for dishes inspired by your favorite films. From a Victorian sponge cake which could have been right at home at tea with EMMA. to an American classic, Frito Pie from Vengeance, the video series provides a full cookbook of ideas.
For the holiday season, we are showcasing five different videos that will help you make side dishes for all tastes, as well as a reason to rewatch some great movies.
Oysters Au Gratin | Downton Abbey
In Downton Abbey, no upstairs table would be complete without a side dish of oysters. And while we now consider oysters a luxury item, the briny delicacy would have been savored by the downstairs crowd as well. In her Downton Kitchen episode on Oysters Au Gratin, Chef Nini Nguyen provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to prep and cook oysters in a dish that will garner thanks at anything Thanksgiving table.
Oysters Au Gratin with Chef Nini Nguyen | Downton Kitchen
Frito Pie | Vengeance
At one point in writer/director B.J. Novak’s celebrated debut feature Vengeance, writer-turned-podcaster Ben Manalowitz (Novak) is asked by his producer (Issa Rae) on the phone what he’s eating. The quintessential New York hipster who has flown to Texas to pursue a potentially explosive true-crime story then explains to his fellow New Yorker what a Frito Pie is. In this Focus Foodie video, learn how to make your own Frito pie as well as the perfect Southwest Thanksgiving side dish, a Frito pie casserole.
Focus Foodie | Vengeance | Frito Pie
Veal and Ham Pie | Downton Abbey: A New Era
Kevin Doyle and Chef Nini Nguyen join forces to create a quintessential English dish with a Veal and Ham Pie. In Downton Abbey: A New Era, Kevin Doyle (as Joseph Molesley) shines as his talents as a screenwriter are recognized. For a long time, poor Molesley was shoved from position to position until he finally left Downton Abbey to serve as a local school master. In the kitchen, Molesley shines again preparing this delicious British delicacy which would wonderfully grace any Thanksgiving table.
Kevin Doyle and Chef Nini Nguyen Bake Veal and Ham Pie for Downton Kitchen
Toad in the Hole & Crème Brûlée | Mrs Harris Goes to Paris
In Anthony Fabian’s comedy Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, a London cleaning woman (Lesley Manville) finds a new direction for her life when she discovers the transcendent elegance of an original Dior gown. Determined to own one, Mrs. Harris travels to the capital of French fashion to make her dreams come true. The combination of the working-class standard of toad in the hole (sausages cooked in egg batter) and the creamy sophistication of Crème Brûlée deliciously captures the film’s narrative. Crème Brûlée is perfect for Thanksgiving especially with a little pumpkin puree added for a holiday twist.
Focus Foodie | Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris | Toad in the Hole & Crème Brûlée
Victorian Sponge Cake | EMMA.
In EMMA., Autumn de Wilde transforms Janes Austen’s novel of manners into, as Rough Cut suggests, “a delightful confection of visual spectacle.” As the title character, Anya Taylor-Joy sets about running everyone’s life, from her father (Bill Nighy) to her young protégé (Mia Goth), but always getting her recipe for romance just a little wrong. Focus Foodie’s Victorian Sponge Cake, however, is nearly foolproof and the perfect addition to any English tea or Thanksgiving dessert table.
Focus Foodie | EMMA. | Victorian Sponge Cake