A Series of Unfortunate Events

Based on the first three books of the series by the same name, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a must-see.  I love dark comedies and this movie with everything from the wardrobe choices to the dilapidated houses and the impossibly quirky characters is perfect to me.  Jim Carrey does a fantastic job, as usual, adding his well-known exaggerated facial expressions and accents to each of the characters he plays.

I haven't read the books yet, but I plan to remedy that soon and I used them to help me create this menu.  This is my strangest menu yet, and I think it really suits this unique film.

Let's kick this menu off with a drink or as Count Olaf would say, "can't you stay for a brief imbibement?"

Kiwi-Watermelon Surprise

Inspired by the scene when Count Olaf leaves his car filled with the Baudelaire children on the train tracks while he enters the convenience store for treats.  As he's peering into the refrigerator he sees an assortment of glass soda bottles and says, "kiwi watermelon surprise. My favorite."

I searched for specialty sodas, but ended up crafting my own Kiwi Watermelon drink using Mio and fresh kiwi.  

If you're looking for an adult beverage to elevate your viewing experience, I suggest pouring yourself a glass of port or if you can find it, Sanka.

Now, we'll move on to a snack and I'll admit it's a bit strange, but so is A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Banana Peel Bacon

Because of the scenes where Count Olaf refers to Sunny as a monkey and especially because of the scene when Aunt Josephine tosses a banana peel into the lake in hopes of avoiding the Lachrymose Leeches, I bring you this Banana Peel Bacon from It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken.  I marinated my peels overnight and though I was skeptical, they were surprisingly delicious.  I kid you not, my three year old ate more than one piece!

  

I wish I could say we were stepping into a more comforting food area, but the next dish is also unique and plays a role in the movie and the first book.

Puttanesca

Violet: Dinner is served. Puttanesca.

Count Olaf: What did you call me?

Klaus: It's pasta. Pasta Puttanesca.

Count Olaf: Where's the roast beef?

I used this Spaghetti alla Puttanesca recipe from Cookie + Kate because it did not require anchovies.  I may experiment with anchovies at some point, but today was not the day.  Even without the anchovies, I can say that I'm not a huge Puttanesca fan, but I'm happy I tried it.  If you've never had it before I would say use more of what you know you like, for me that's tomatoes and kalamata olives, and less of what you don't and just tailor the recipe to your own preference.  If that means making plain spaghetti and marinara sauce, so be it! 

Another unique dish coming your way!

Cucumber-Avocado Soup

If you've seen the movie, I'm sure you can guess why I chose this chilled Avocado-Cucumber Soup from Food & Wine.  Aunt Josephine is one of my absolute favorite characters.  Her love of grammar and all of her irrational fears endear her to me.  

On the children's first night in her house, they sit down to dinner and Violet says, "Perfect. Nice hot soup." and Aunt Josephine replies, "Actually, it's chilled cucumber soup."  Since she is afraid of the stove bursting into flames, she never serves anything hot.

And just to take it a step farther, I specifically chose a cucumber soup recipe that includes avocado. Though Aunt Josephine would not approve, because at the market she says, "watch out for those avocados. The pit could become lodged in our throats."  

The soup was fantastic!  I didn't change a thing except the garnish - I left off the unsweetened coconut flakes because I only had sweetened as you will see in our next recipe.

To conclude our adventurous menu, I will give you a somewhat normal dessert.

Coconut Cake

When the children go to stay with their Uncle Monty after their horrible experience with Count Olaf, they are pleasantly surprised to find that he is a nice person who genuinely seems to care for them.  In the movie they are served cake, but it doesn't mention what kind so I did a bit of research and discovered that in the second book, The Reptile Room, Uncle Monty serves a coconut cream cake, "a magnificent thing, rich and creamy with the perfect amount of coconut."  I used this small Coconut Cake recipe from Dessert For Two.  It was delicious and just the right size for our family viewing party, but you could easily double the recipe for a larger crowd.

Well, there it is, a unique assortment of foods for A Series of Unfortunate Events! I hope this menu helps to bring your movie to life.  If you end up giving any of these recipes a try, reach out and let me know what you thought!

See you next time!

Check out more movie inspired menus here.