Andrew Rea

For most Westerners, ramen conjures up images of instant noodles hastily consumed in college dorm rooms after midnight. But any fan of Japanese cuisine will tell you that ramen is a complex dish worthy of respect and appreciation. To quote the ramen master from the 1985 movie Tampopo: “First, observe the whole bowl. Appreciate its gestalt, savor the aromas.” Watching Ken Watanabe learn how to properly eat ramen might give you enough of a craving to try to make your own version of tonkotsu ramen from scratch. [Ed. Note: learn more about Andrew Rea's obsession with recreating famous food from movies and television here.]

Remy, the preternaturally talented young rat-chef in Ratatouille, is propelled to the title of “the finest chef in France” thanks to this vegetable dish he serves to a food critic. The French will be quick to correct you if you were to call Remy’s signature dish ratatouille, and that’s because the dish in the movie is actually an interpretation concocted by none other than the esteemed chef Thomas Keller, who served as the movie’s food consultant. Attractive and delicious, it’s sure to soften even the most cold-hearted antagonist into cracking a smile and greedily chowing down. [Ed. Note: learn more about Andrew Rea's obsession with recreating famous food from movies and television here.]

Julie Powell, of the movie Julie & Julia, is a food blogger determined to cook through the entirety of Julia Child’s classic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year. The climax of this feat is her attempt at boeuf bourguignon, a dish so important and representative of the intricacies of traditional French cuisine that she decides to serve it to her first food critic. It’s a classic that’s hard to improve on, but we’ve included a pressure cooker version of Ms. Child’s signature dish, which saves time without compromising flavor. [Ed. Note: learn more about Andrew Rea's obsession with recreating famous food from movies and television here.]