What is it about movie mobsters and food? In Goodfellas (1990) it's Paulie's garlic (see our earlier post) and Henry's slow-simmered sauce, in The Godfather (1972), it's Clemenza's cannoli, and in The Professional (1994), it's the hit-man Léon's milk. There's something in the seamless shift between cold-blooded killing and enthusiastic eating that gives their menace a convincing depth.
The Celluloid Pantry: Fries with Mayo and Pulp Fiction (1994)
The pro killers in Pulp Fiction (1994) are no exception. Vincent (John Travolta, left) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson, right) are on their way to shake down some college kids who've run afoul of their boss. Vincent's just back from a stint in Europe, and the conversation soon turns to food. He explains that in you can get a beer in a movie theater in Amsterdam, and at MacDonald's in Paris, and that a Quarter Pounder has a different name because of the metric system:
Jules: What'd they call it?
Vincent: Royale with Cheese.
Jules:(repeating) Royale with Cheese. What'd they call a Big Mac?
Vincent: Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it Le Big Mac.
Jules: What do they call a Whopper?
Vincent: I dunno, I didn't go into a Burger King. But you know what they put on french fries in Holland instead of ketchup?
Jules: What?
Vincent: Mayonnaise.
Jules: Goddamn!
Frietsaus (Dutch Mayonnaise)
(makes 1 cup)
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 cup sunflower or canola oil
1 Tbs vinegar (room temperature)
Place the egg yolks in a mixing bowl and add the pepper, salt and mustard powder. Beat using an electric mixer, and slowly add a little oil and a little vinegar separately, consistently alternating between the two. (If the oil separates, add a small amount of warm water.) Serve with frites.
- Nora
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The Celluloid PantryRelated Links
- The Celluloid Pantry: Milk by the Quart and Léon: The Professional (1994)
- The Celluloid Pantry: Baby Food and Bed & Board (France, 1970)
- The Celluloid Pantry: Baby Carrots and Rushmore (1999)
- The Celluloid Pantry: "Fresh" Wine and The Jerk (1979)
- The Celluloid Pantry: "America Eats" and Community Meals in Tough Times
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A classic movie scene. I heard it on the soundtrack before seeing the movie (I was underage at the time) and practically died laughing.
Psst. It's spelled fritessaus. Don't mean to nitpick, but I gotta represent my Dutch peeps.
I've found it spelled both ways--kind of like ketchup/catsup maybe?
Using my trusty non-existent Dutch, the Netherlands Wiki page seems to allow both spellings:
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritessaus
Seems like "frites" would be the French spelling and "friet" would be Dutch.
Either way, mmm, mmm good!
Maybe the killing/eating connection harkens back to our hunter days?
Vincent: And you know what they call uh...a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?
Jules: They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?
Vincent: Nah man they got the metric system, they wouldn't know what the f**k a quarter pounder is
Jules: Then what do they call it?
Vincent: They call it, uh, Royale with Cheese
Jules: Royale with Cheese?
Vincent: That's right
Jules: What do they call a Big Mac?
Vincent: A Big Mac is a Big Mac, but they call it Le Big Mac
NOTE TO SELF: Read the WHOLE post before shooting your mouth (fingers) off. :) Sorry dudes. D'oh!
RE Mobsters and food: This is drink, but we just rewatched Mean Streets and have been obsessed with the zillion references to 7 & 7s.
Tony: "Have a drink"
Theresa: "I don't want a drink"
Tony: "have a drink"
Theresa: "I don't want a drink"
Tony: "Have a drink"
Theresa: "ok. I'll have a 7 & 7"