Food and Drink Cravings From Books and Movies

I recently finished binge watching the American remake of "House Of Cards", and I absolutely loved it. For anyone who hasn't seen it, it's about political corruption and it's very entertaining. The main lead is played by Kevin Spacey. Television isn't the actor's graveyard it used to be. Now, major stars head very good TV shows. Kevin Spacey is a case in point. I'll watch anything he does.

One scene that repeats quite a bit in the show is how Spacey, as Democratic Majority Whip Frank Underwood, frequents a BBQ rib joint in a rather sketchy part of Washington, D. C. This guys ribs are amazing, and it's one of D. C.'s best kept secrets – including the fact that a major politician sneaks there to get his ribs fix. Watching him rave about the food while he scarfs it down has made my mouth water so much I begged my husband to make ribs for us.

We ate them Sunday night, and they were delicious.

Movies, TV, and books have influenced my eating and drinking habits. Here are a few examples:

Multiple cozy mysteries – Grand Marnier

"The Avengers" (Starring Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg) – Champagne. It's my preferred alcoholic drink to this day.

"Like Water For Chocolate" – Quail in rose petal sauce. One of these days I will make it. Until then, I will simply serve roasted quail.

"Twister" – Steak, mashed potatoes, and gravy.

"Downton Abbey" – Water out of an antique water carafe, specifically this one:

The Harry Potter books – Jelly Belly jelly beans and chocolate bars.

"Rebecca" – Ravioli. It's frozen, but it'll do. It's not goose liver ravioli, though. When I crave goose liver, I blow $30.00 on a pound of fois gras at a local gourmet shop, but I don't do that very often.

"Tom Jones" – Raw oysters and red wine.

"The Shining" – Bourbon, although I loathe the stuff. That said, I'm going to the Stanley Hotel in October for a writer's retreat. Stephen King stayed in the Stanley Hotel, and his stay provided direct influence for his book "The Shining", so I have to drink at least one glass of bourbon during my stay, since it was Jack Torrance's drink of choice.

Those are a few choice examples of how my reading and TV/movie viewing influence my choices in food and drink. What about you? Has a book, TV show, or movie ever made you crave foods or drinks?