Dinner and a movie. It’s as perfect a pairing as salt and pepper, Ben and Jerry, peanut butter and jelly, Milo and Otis, chocolate and caramel, sour cream and onion, oil and vinegar, milk and cookies, M and M’s……..

Dinner and a movie is also a perfect way to spend an entertaining evening out – or in.

When you choose to enjoy dinner and a movie at home, forget what you’ve heard about the perils of eating in front of the TV. Let the movie you plan to watch inspire some creative menu planning. Or, if you’re short on ideas, look for any of the following books at your local library or bookstore. They are all great sources of inspiration for recipes and menus to pair with a wide range of movies. (If you want to watch a foodie flick, check my March 31st post for lists of movies about food or with food scenes.)

1. Dinner and a Movie by G & R Publishing, 2006

2. Movie Menus: Recipes for Perfect Meals with Your Favourite Films by Francine Segan, Villard, 2004

3. Claud Mann’s Dinner & A Movie Cookbook by Claud Mann, Andrews McNeil Publishing, 2003

4. More Than Just Dinner and a Movie by Gordana Mosher, Spice of Life Books, 2001

5. Generation Eats: Great Recipes for a Fast Forward Culture by Amy Rosen, Warwick Publishing Inc., 1997

6. Dinner & A Movie Cookbook by Kimberlee Carlson, Andrews McNeil Publishing, 1993

7. From Group’s Dinner and a Movie: Friendship, Faith, and Fun Series:

– Adrenaline Rush: Flix for Guys by Brian Diede, Mikal Keefer, Tony Nappa and Michael Van Schooneveld, Group Publishing, 2007
– Friendship, Faith and Fun for Small Groups by Cheri R. Gillard, Group Publishing, 2005
– G-Rated: Friendship, Faith, and Fun for all Ages by Linda Crawford, Heather Dunn and Gina Leuthausen, Group Publishing, 2007
– Chick Flicks, Group Publishing, 2006
– Chick Flicks 2, Group Publishing (available June 2008)