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Fictional Characters and Their Foods

rich

By rich
in Food Traditions & Culture

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rich

rich

Posted
Posted (edited)

In honor of Superman (who turns 68 years old this week) and the movie "Superman Returns," which opens today, I'm starting this topic.

Of all the fictional characters (not created by a food company) Superman is the one most closely associated with food. He was the first fictional character to endorse food products - Kellogg's cereals. George Reeves (the only true Superman) was known for his cooking prowess - in fact, was considered a gourmet chef by some. He was also known for making the world's best martini. During production/filming breaks from the show, cast members would gather in his dressing room to sip some of his concoctions. George had to turn down endorsement requests by restaurants for fear of alienating some. You must remember at one point in the early, mid 50's, he was the most recognizable TV personality in the world.

But the food connection didn't stop with him. Phyllis Coates, who played Lois Lane during the series' first season (1951) was a resturant owner and critic. She performed the latter for many years after her Hollywood career slowed.

The Adventures of Superman (TAOS), which first aired in the 50's (and is still in reruns today), featured food on many of its shows. One episode was entirely based on food - the delivery of a homemade lemon meringue pie to Alaska - Chuck Connors (later of "Rifleman" fame) was featured in that episode.

Superman was the first superhero to have his own cookbook and was the first (and I believe only) superhero to send recipes to fans who requested them.

And who can forget one of the great dinner scenes in movie history when Superman (Christopher Reeve this time and no relation) was having dinner with Lois (Margot Kidder) on the balcony of her apartment. After dinner, as she walking away clearing the table, he tells her the color of the underwear she's wearing - she had asked him earlier to prove he had x-ray vision.

So the question posed - what other fictional characters have been closely related to food? And what, if any, are your favorite foods and/or recipes that are associated with them?

Edited by rich (log)

Rich Schulhoff

Opinions are like friends, everyone has some but what matters is how you respect them!

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Knicke

Knicke

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I would be remiss if I did not call attention to Ignatius J. and his Lucky Dog hot dog wagon...

Edited by Knicke (log)

Nikki Hershberger

An oyster met an oyster

And they were oysters two.

Two oysters met two oysters

And they were oysters too.

Four oysters met a pint of milk

And they were oyster stew.

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Reefpimp

Reefpimp

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Posted

Certainly not cartoon characters, but Captain Lucky Jack Aubrey and his particular friend, Dr Stephen Maturin, are known to enjoy their table. From Master and Commander all the way through the next twenty books to Blue at the Mizzen, they share a ship and a cook. And even if it is only salt horse or the Roast Beef Old Calabria, they eat it in style with a servant behind the chair and a glass of good wine.

These books spawned a few satellite books, and the one I'm going to reference here is Lobscouse and Spotted Dog, by Grossman and Thomas and published by Norton. It's about 350 pages of recipes done the way they were in the books: A 'vulturine' sea-pie, Maids of Honour, Little Balls of Tripe A Man Might Eat Forever, a full chapter on suet puddings, another on raised pies, and even an alternative recipe for that great chieftain of the sausage clan, the Haggis. Well worth the money, and I'm glad I have it.

This whole love/hate thing would be a lot easier if it was just hate.

Bring me your finest food, stuffed with your second finest!

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jsolomon

jsolomon

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Are we forgetting about Popeye? I'm strongs to the finish cause I eats my spinach...

I always attempt to have the ratio of my intelligence to weight ratio be greater than one. But, I am from the midwest. I am sure you can now understand my life's conundrum.

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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Robin Hood was known to dine only upon roasted venison, Pippi Longstocking regularly ate more than her weight ... in the Night Kitchen ... chicken soup with rice,  Harry Potter produced an actual brand of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series has several lavishly researched cookbooks based upon it.

Care Bears have a sugary little recipe book as do Beatrix Potter's characters. Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes draws from his extensive oeuvre to describe, among other things, the process required to create the "Mosquitoes' toes and wampfish roes / Most delicately fried / (The only trouble is they disagree with my inside)"  ... James, and his giant peach!

the milk-chocolate river that finally seduces Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Babar who has a vegan diet.

The Grapes of Wrath specter of Hooverville kids hungrily ringed around Mrs. Joad's empty stew pot ...

source of the info here

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Milagai

Milagai

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This is not a characteristic food of a literary character,

and not sure who are the other lit nerds here ,

but there's the unforgettable scene in Thackeray's Vanity Fair

when Becky Sharp is trying to catch the the newly wealthy

India-returned jerk Jos Sedley. She's trying to impress

him by eating all the Indian-ish food he's had cooked.

Her mouth is on fire and the jerk says, try a chili

and she says something like "oh that sounds so cool

and refreshing" and bites into it.....

you can imagine the rest....

Milagai

(screen name means chili)

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chocomoo

chocomoo

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There's this thread: Food in the Simpsons

This one: Favourite Cartoon Food Quotes

And this one: Favourite TV Comedy & Drama Food Scenes

Futurama had a lot of food-related episodes: the one about Slurm, the disturbingly addictive soft drink; the one where Fry eats the truck stop washroom egg salad sandwich; even part of the "What If?" episodes where Bender is a person and becomes morbidly obese when he discovers the joys of human food and won't stop eating.

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dans

dans

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How about Dr Kay Scarpetta the famous forensic patholigist in the books by Patricia Cornwell. The good doctor is known as quite the gourmet cook (primarily Italian) and even has a cookbook out (Food to Die For).

Dan

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jsolomon

jsolomon

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George Newman in UHF ate a Twinkie Wiener sandwich...

I always attempt to have the ratio of my intelligence to weight ratio be greater than one. But, I am from the midwest. I am sure you can now understand my life's conundrum.

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lexy

lexy

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Lord Peter Wimsey was a bit if a gourmand as I recall. And (not to disclose too much plot here), food was somewhat key in Strong Poison

And of course there's turkish delight in the Narnia books

Cutting the lemon/the knife/leaves a little cathedral:/alcoves unguessed by the eye/that open acidulous glass/to the light; topazes/riding the droplets,/altars,/aromatic facades. - Ode to a Lemon, Pablo Neruda

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TongoRad

TongoRad

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I can't believe I had to read this far down before someone mentioned the Simpsons!

Homer is to food what Flipper is to water!  Its his natural environment!

"  Oh, Margie, you came and found me a turkey...."  :biggrin:

Eatthepudding eatthepudding eatthepudding eatthepudding eatthepudding....

aka Michael

Chi mangia bene, vive bene!

"...And bring us the finest food you've got, stuffed with the second finest."

"Excellent, sir. Lobster stuffed with tacos."

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Pontormo

Pontormo

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For those of a certain generation, you'll know the food that Dagwood Bumpstead has named after him.

And for many generations to come if Dagwood's still thrives in Providence, RI. Great sandwiches.

Cited before, but this time for Daniel:

Mr. Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls.  He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzrds, a stuffed roast heart, liver slices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencod's roes.  Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine.
--James Joyce, Ulysses

"Viciousness in the kitchen.

The potatoes hiss." --Sylvia Plath

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rich

rich

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  • Topic Starter
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I haven't seen the movie yet, but for those who have - are there any great food scenes in "Superman Returns?"

Rich Schulhoff

Opinions are like friends, everyone has some but what matters is how you respect them!

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Lilija

Lilija

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I haven't seen the movie yet, but for those who have - are there any great food scenes in "Superman Returns?"

Very dilute spoiler alert:

Would it be a spoiler if I said it was mentioned a few times, but nothing overtly memorable? Except for one small fluffy thing...

I just got back from seeing it, this afternoon, and it paid great tribute to the original movies.

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