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Back to Main Food in Film Page
Click here to Buy this film on DVD or VHS Makes a great gift for Food and Film lovers alike
Film Released: 1986
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
The film is set in he early 1900's and tells the story of Lucy Honeychurch (played by Helena Bonham Carter) a young Englishwoman visiting Italy for the first time with her cousin Charlotte Bartlett (play by Maggie Smith) as chaperone. Upon their arrival at a pensione in Florence, they find they have been given rooms without a view. Mr. Emerson, a free-thinking Englishman (played by Denholm Elliott) is also staying at the pensione with his equally eccentric son George (played by Julian Sands) and having listened to their conversation, suggests that the women take his rooms which do have a view. Although Charlotte is very put out by the indelicate proposal, Lucy, with the help of another guest, Reverend Beebe (played by Simon Callow) who is son to be their vicar back in England, convinces her that no harm will come of it and so they all swap rooms.
George is very taken with Lucy and although she remains aloof to his
attentions, he later takes the opportunity whilst on a group outing to kiss her.
Unfortunately, Charlotte happens to witness the kiss and insists they return to
England immediately for Lucy's own good.
About the same time, Rev. Beebe announces that new tenants have leased a local cottage but much to Lucy's dismay, the new arrivals turn out to be the Emerson's, who were told about the available cottage by Cecil when they met by chance at an art gallery in London. Although the Emerson's are not at all Cecil's type, he made the suggestion as a comeuppance to the cottage's landlord, whom Cecil thinks to be a snob.
Fate takes a hand when Freddy becomes friends with George, inviting him to the house o play tennis one Sunday when Cecil happens to be there too. Lucy is mortified at the thought of both George and Cecil being at the house at the same time, and her fears are compounded when George finds another opportunity to kiss her and tell her of his love for her. Whilst she rebukes him, this time in the presence of Charlotte both she and Charlotte realise her feelings for George are strong. Later that evening, she breaks off her engagement to Cecil on the premise that they are not suited.
To
avoid gossip, she decides to travel to Greece with acquaintances from her trip
to Florence, but shortly before her departure, Charlotte contrives to bring Mr
Emerson and Lucy together and Mr Emerson forces Lucy to admit that she has
been in love with his son George all along, leading to the inevitable happy
ending. The food aspect we've chosen occurs in the very first scene of the film, when Charlotte and Lucy are at dinner complaining about their rooms with no view. During the conversation Charlotte comments:-
" This meat has surely been boiled for stock....it's lost all its flavour."
It's not clear what the meat was however, we are using our poetic licence to feature an Italian recipe for braised beef which will be tender, succulent and full of flavour.
Back to Main Food in Film Page
Italian Braised Beef HT MC 90mins Serves 4 Hot Lamb Fish Herbs Stew Main Course Eggless Italy Europe
Ingredients 1kg/2lb Braising Steak 4 tbsp Olive Oil 1 Garlic Clove, crushed 1 teasp Dried Thyme 1 teasp Flour 3 tbsp Wine Vinegar 240ml/8fl.oz. Beef Stock 12 Button Mushrooms Salt and Pepper Chopped fresh Parsley to garnish
Instructions
1. Cut the beef into 4cm/1½ inch cubes. Pat the cubes dry with absorbent paper.
2. Heat half the oil in a heavy-based, flameproof casserole. Add the meat and brown on all sides adding more oil as necessary. Add the garlic and thyme, then sprinkle in the flour. Fry the meat gently until golden, turning the cubes with a wooden spoon.
3. Pour in the wine vinegar and 240ml/8fl.oz. hot water, scraping the bottom of dish with the spoon to dislodge any pieces of meat which may have stuck. Cover the pan and simmer very gently for about 1 hour, until meat is tender, stirring frequently and adding a little hot water if the sauce reduces too quickly.
5. About 15 minutes before the end of cooking time, add the mushrooms and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
6. To serve - sprinkle over the parsley. |
