Hello friends! Welcome to November 2004! This month, we’re going to the movies via the pages of Delicious magazine. Caution – there are puns galore in this post, so if you are not a fan, feel free to skip this one! But before you do, why not hang around and take a trip down memory lane as we look back at what was popular in November 2004!

Given this is movie night, let’s first take a look at what was at the top of the box office in November 2004. The Incredibles was the number 1 movie, with National Treasure and The Polar Express rounding out the top 3. I’ve not seen The Polar Express but I like The Incredibles and I also enjoyed National Treasure. Jumping back to 2024 for a moment, I recently watched Longlegs with Nick Cage and it was so creepy! I really enjoyed it, but it is definitely not for everyone!

Bookwise, I was quite surprised to see that I only recognised one of the books that topped the charts during the month: Northern Lights by Nora Roberts, Hour Game By David Baldacchi (this was the one I had heard of), Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich and London Bridges by James Patterson. I was a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich but Metro Girl completely passed me by!

The top three songs also got a “meh” response from me: My Boo by Usher and Alicia Keys, Dropp It Like It’s Hot by Snoop Dog, and Lose My Breath by Destiny’s Child  Iam very glad to tell you that this month’s menu did not get that reaction.  So, let’s take a look!

“Sunset” Boulevard

Let’s kick off our movie night with a Boulevard, which is a take on the Boulevadier, a Parisian Cocktail from the 1920s.  The Boulevard packs a punch as it contains Bourbon, Grand Marnier and Vermouth!  It actually reminds me of the famous quote from Sunset Boulevard.  In the scene, Joe Gillis, a young and poor screenwriter, meets Norma Desmond, a former silent movie star dreaming of making her comeback. 

“You used to be big,” he says.

She responds “I am big.  It’s the pictures that got small”. 

Well, like the film I’ve matched it with, the Boulevard is big!  Sip slowly while enjoying the brilliance that is the film Sunset Boulevard!

Phantomato of The Opera Tarts

I loved these!  They were so delicious!  The combination of sweet caramlised onions, the tanginess of the goat’s curd and sweet bite of the cherry tomatoes was Chef’s kiss perfect.  I could not find mustard cress so garnished my little tartlets with basil leaves.  The phantomato tarts are sure to have you singing an aria of joy when you taste them! 

Chinatown Chicken Salad

This was the first recipe I chose for this film night post because it seemed too good to be true that here was a direct reference to a film.  (For new readers,  I chose the topics for these 20 years ago posts via a random number generator).  And yes, the name was incredibly fortuitous, but….I just didn’t love the salad.  It wasn’t terrible.  It was just a bit bland. 

The second day I ate this, I added some baby corn and some crispy chilli oil to liven things up a bit, and that did make it better. I also didn’t have any coriander (cilantro) so I added some Thai Basil which to me is a far superior herb.  Not everything is for everyone, though, and I’m sure many other people would find this delicious!  Personally, I might have liked it better with the duck, which is given as an option instead of chicken.  However, for me, this quote is my view on the Chinatown Chicken Salad!

Passionfruit Roulade of The Christ

Interestingly, both The Phantom of the Opera and The Passion of The Christ were released in 2004!  So, technically, a movie buff in November 2004 could have themed a dinner party exactly like this.  I added some whipped cream into the roulade along with the passionfruit curd.  

And what a way to finish!  The passionfruit roulade is as light as air with a little zing coming from the passionfruit so it is also not overly sweet!  One might say it is divine!

My Nigella Moment – Polka Dot Popcorn

For first-time readers, this refers to the moment at the end of Nigella Lawson’s cooking shows when she sneaks back to the fridge to have another bite of something delicious.  In the context of these Twenty Years Ago posts, it is something contained in the magazine that may not fit with the overall menu theme, but I’m sneaking it in because it is too good not to share. 

This month, my Nigella moment is definitely in theme!  Because what’s a movie night without some popcorn? When I was growing up, we had a snack food called Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs, which were a combination of caramel popcorn and peanuts.  This gave me the same vibes, plus a wave of nostalgia!  It’s really yummy, and if you wanted to throw in some peanuts for a really Lolly Goggle Bliss Bomb effect, who could blame you? 

I hope you have enjoyed Movie Night from November 2004. For me, the month was a little hit-and-miss.  

I am taking a weekend break next week to travel to Queensland to catch up with some family.  I will do my best to set up the next post to send out on Sunday morning at the regular time.   However, if things go awry and that doesn’t happen, I will be back Sunday evening and will do my best to send it out manually then.  Apologies in advance if it is late.  

Have a great week!