Ideal Horror Movie and Food Pairings
It's generally not a good idea to eat while watching a horror movie. Not only is it tough to get the food into your gullet with the lights out -- and if you're not watching a horror movie in the dark, you're not really watching a horror movie -- but you also risk cutting right into your steak just as a pair of randy teenagers are about to get sliced-and-diced by an axe murderer, and that's just not going to make for a joyous bite. But 'tis the season of scares, and people got to eat, so here are some movie/food pairings if you're thinking of hosting a themed horror movie night.
Watching: "Jaws"
Eating: A seafood combination omelette plate from Senor Fish
Why: In the midst of watching a movie that reportedly not only kept viewers out of the water but also out of the bathtub -- a claim that I, personally, will believe when I actually meet someone that easy to disturb -- remind yourself of man's supremacy over sea creatures by devouring a whole bunch of them at once.
Watching: "The Exorcist"
Eating: Split pea soup from Taix
Why: If you don't know why, well, just trust me. The soup's only available on Sundays, mind you, which is really the only appropriate day of the week to watch this piece of blasphemy.
Watching: "The Birds"
Eating: Herb's Special from Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles
Why: The special includes a half-chicken (prepped "southern style") with two waffles on the side. On the plate in front of you, then, is a choice: Eat the chicken and run the risk of upsetting the world's winged creatures? Or let them be, consume only the waffles, and hope this offering appeases our avian overlords? Or just eat everything while realizing the movie doesn't stand the test of time so well.
Watching: "Seven"
Eating: Spaghetti shrimp and tomato sauce from Aroma
Why: As a test. You know that first murder scene Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman deal with? The one with the super-overweight man face-down in a bowl of spaghetti? That. If you can eat this while watching that, your stomach is made of steel.
Watching: "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"
Eating: Any cut of raw meat from McCall's Meat & Fish
Why: The trick to this is starting to cook it when you start the film. Not only will you be see, smell, and hear the slow transition from raw-and-red to cooked-and-brown, but if you set the strength of your flame perfectly, you can time it so it's ready just when the Leatherface family sits down for their horrific dinner.
Watching: "The Silence of the Lambs"
Eating: Anything with animal liver from Animal
Why: Seeing as we're taking Hannibal Lecter's cue here, you know it's got to be classy. (That means three dollar signs on Yelp, nothing less!) While Animal's menu changes daily, as classy places do, they generally have a liver-based delicacy in some form available. And if you're making that leap, might as well pick up some chianti from your local liquor store too. But leave those fava beans alone. Those are grosser than Ray Liotta eating his own brain in the sequel.