For us Easter is closely tied to a memory involving the 1987 film Babette’s Feast based on Isaak Dinesen’s (Karen Blixen’s) short novel.
The story is based in a remote village in Norway with a strict religious community and follows the story line of two beautiful but pious sisters who under the eye of their strict father commit themselves to a life of asceticism turning down opportunities of love but also personal expression and creativity. Years pass and one of the sister’s former suitor begs the sisters to aid and shelter a Parisian refugee named Babette in exchange for having her serve as the family cook. The sisters take her on as an act of charity but insist on the food being made simply and only for nutritional purposes.
After many years of serving these simple meals, Babette learns she has won the French lottery and proceeds to ask the sisters the only favour she has ever requested: to use her winnings to make one elaborate feast for the community. It’s a beautiful film about food, self expression and the power of art to transform. I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but if this kind of film sounds appealing I would recommend you giving it a watch.
Why are we talking about Babette’s Feast? Well, for Easter a few years ago I decided to recreate the entire meal, down to the correct champagne, wine, cognac and even finding dishes in the same kind of spirit used in the film. The only thing I didn’t make was the turtle soup (for obvious reasons).
