Whisper of the Heart
Culinary Movie Night Guide
Difficulty Level: Easy
Table of Contents
Equipment
Here is a list (with links) of all the equipment and decorations I used for my Whisper of the Heart Culinary Movie Night. I would be incredibly grateful if you used my links. I will make a little commission, and that would really help with the cost of the website and related expenses. You can find my full Amazon List here!
- Cocktail Picks for the Baron’s eyes
- Star Cookie Cutter for the Udon Carrots
- The Baron’s Bow Tie (Printout)
Tips
- Personalizing the Menu– When planning your menu for your movie night, don’t feel pressured to serve exactly what I chose to serve. Feel free to remove/add/replace dishes so it makes sense for you and your guests. I’ve included an editable menu in this guide to make it your own!
- Managing Your Time– These movie nights can take a lot of time to prepare, especially if you plan on doing everything yourself. If you are planning a culinary movie night with a group, I suggest doing a potluck style. Have each person contribute a dish or two, and it’ll be very manageable. If you are planning on preparing everything yourself, here are some things I’ve learned while doing these often:
- Make A To-Do List– I can’t stress this enough! It’s very easy to forget simple things like opening a bottle of prosecco before you start the movie so you aren’t fumbling with the seal before serving. I have done this so many times! Your to-do list should include absolutely everything you need to do leading up to pressing play.
- Start Early– I learned this after a few very long days of trying to cook, prepare, and host all on the same day. Anything that can be done in advance should be done during the days leading up to the movie night. Some examples include pre-mixing cocktails, making desserts and other foods like soup that hold up well in the refrigerator, and pre-making any handmade decorations. Hosting is stressful enough without having to make a multi-course meal in one day, so get as much done as possible before.
- No Pausing– The question I get asked the most is “Do you pause the movie to bring out the next dish?”. It’s important to me that I don’t disrupt the flow of the movie, so I do not pause. It’s also important to me to enjoy the movie with my guests. Setting up everything I need before the movie helps me bring out each dish efficiently. The setup usually includes plating each dish and storing it in the refrigerator, so all I have to do is quickly microwave it before serving. I set out any garnish or decoration on my kitchen counter so it’s easily accessible. I even pour the cocktails into their cups and store them in the refrigerator, so all I have to do is add ice and any finishing touches before serving. Always think about how you can do the bare minimum during the film. I always include the setup in my to-do list as well, so I don’t forget about any aspect of the preparation.
- Optional– If your budget permits, I recommend ordering food that you may not be confident in cooking or food that may take a lot of time to cook. I do this occasionally, and it helps cut down the preparation time and supports local businesses. Win Win!
- Decorations- Have fun and decorate your space and serving tray! Add elements from the theme of the movie, but make a budget and stick to it! I usually use things I already own because these movie nights are DIY, and I don’t need to spend a fortune to make it fun. If I do buy decorations for the movie night, I try to find cheap or reusable things. If you are curious about some of the things I’ve used during the movie nights, here is a link to my Amazon List. All these items are things I bought with my own money and enjoyed using.
- Manage Stress- Culinary Movie Nights are fun and a great way to show your friends and family you love them. Sometimes, things you envision in your head will not come out perfectly. When this happens to me, it can be discouraging and stressful, but the people I do these for have NEVER expressed anything but appreciation. Go easy on yourself and remember that your guests are just happy to be there and to experience something you put so much thought and time into making.
Menu
I have created a free, editable, and printable menu for all the dishes I served for this Culinary Movie Night! Feel free to change it to what will work for you and your guests.
Cues
These are the cues I used during the movie night so I knew when I had to get the next dish ready to serve.
Please note: Each cue describes a scene that happens a few minutes before I have to serve the dish. It does not describe the scene the dish is based on. Some people get confused with that, so I thought I should specify. Because the cues only give you a few minutes to prepare the dish, it’s very important to have everything cooked and set up before the film starts. Review the “Tips” section above for ways to make this seamless.
I often get asked why I don’t use time stamps to keep track of when to serve the next dish and the simple answer is, I don’t find those helpful. If I used timestamps, I would have to have a separate timer going or keep disrupting the movie to check the timestamp. It makes much more sense to have cues to indicate when the next scene is about to happen. This allows me to enjoy watching the film with my guests.
Below is the link to the cues I used. This document is editable, so you can make updates if you decide to take out or change dishes.
Recipes
Stupid Jerk!
Iced Tea– For this scene, I served Roasted Barley and chrysanthemum tea. I brewed it hours before the movie night and refrigerated it so it was ready to serve when I started the film. Feel free to serve your favorite iced tea. You can also add some vodka and simple syrup for a refreshing adult cocktail.
Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich
I’ve always loved this scene’s music and art, so I wanted to serve a dish to capture the quiet beauty of a Japanese convenience store.
Here is the Japanese Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe.
Love in the Time of Bento
Bento boxes are a motif throughout the film and a must when creating a culinary experience. I went with some bento classics like Katsu Chicken, rolled egg, broccoli, and white rice with octopus sausages on top.
- Broccoli- I made a simple roasted broccoli with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Rolled Egg Recipe (Tamagoyaki)
- Octopus Sausage Recipe
- Katsu Chicken Recipe
Serving Tips: To serve quickly, I had everything already cooked and set up in the bento. Bento lunches are packed to last until meal time, so close the lid once you have everything packed so it stays fresh. You can even wrap it in cloth as they do in Japan, so it contains the heat even more. I bought my bento box at my local Asian grocery store, but Amazon has many options as well.
The Baron
For this beverage, I wanted to use a Japanese drink that matches the yellowish/orange color of the Baron, so I went with Mango Calpico. It is a fruity and milky beverage that is absolutely delicious. To keep it simple, you can just serve that over ice.
But, if you would like to add a few more compatible flavors, you can add coconut milk syrup and club soda. To make it an adult beverage, add some sake as well.
Coconut Milk Syrup Recipe:
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of coconut milk
Instructions:
In a small sauce pot, add the sugar and coconut milk. Heat on medium heat and stir occasionally. Take off the heat once all the sugar is dissolved. Let the syrup cool completely before adding to your cocktail.
To Assemble:
I had the Baron’s bow tie taped to my glass before the movie started to save time. See PDF below for the printable bow ties.
I also had the green jeweled eyes attached to the cocktail picks, so I didn’t have to deal with that during the movie. For the eyes, I used green palm sugar. I got them from my local asian grocery store. Another, more accessible, option is using green gushers candy.
When it’s time to assemble the drink, add ice to your glass, then about an oz. of the coconut milk syrup. Next, add the Mango Calpico to fill 3/4 of the glass. Top the rest of the glass with club soda. If you want to add sake, add 1-2 oz before adding the club soda.
Country Roads
Before frying the rice balls, I shaped one into a violin. Make sure to wet your hands with water before shaping the rice so it doesn’t stick too badly to your hands.
Tea & Cookies
For this scene, I served the same tea from the beginning (roasted barley and chrysanthemum tea), but hot instead of iced.
For the cookies, I served a Japanese butter cookie (see picture below) and Chocolate Pocky. Make sure to have the cookies set up before starting the film, so it’s quick to serve. Also, make sure to have the tea set up and the water in the kettle. Then you just have to heat the water and pour it into the tea cups.
Grandpa Nishi’s Udon
This dish is a must-serve! Studio Ghibli does a beautiful job of featuring warm and comforting foods when the characters and you need them the most.
Udon Recipe– This is the video recipe I followed.
These are the star cookie cutters I used to make the carrots from the film.
Serving tips– Noodles get soggy if you let them sit in the broth for too long, so I couldn’t completely prepare the dish before the film. What I did was make the broth separately. I also had all the other components of the dish chopped and ready. Then, when it was time to get the dish ready. I brought the premade broth to a boil and added the other components, like in the video.
“Corny”
I wanted to feature a sweet dish with corn to play along with the corny joke. Mochi is a Japanese staple, so these cakes were perfect! They were also delicious!
It was also easy to serve because I baked the cake earlier in the day and had the pieces cut and ready to serve before starting the film.
