The Recipe for a Chick Flick Movie Night

By Gerry Barker

All Photos Courtesy of Richard S. Sargent

It was almost two years ago when Splash published “A Dinner Party to Die For,” based on “The Horror Movie Night Cookbook,” by award-winning actor, director, producer, playwright and filmmaker Richard S. Sargent.

Given that book’s success, Sargent is back, and this time his subject matter isn’t scary movies, but everyone’s favorite Chick Flicks. It’s called “The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook” — “Fall in love with over 60 mouthwatering recipes, each inspired by the iconic romantic comedies you adore.”

The book offers three categories: Appetizers, Dinners and Desserts, and each recipe is accompanied by an appropriately matched cocktail or drink. You know the movies well — “Pretty Woman,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Legally Blonde,” “Bridesmaids” — just to name a few.

Sargent admits, “I’m a big crier, especially at well-made chick flicks . . . I felt that by bringing the audience into the film through my love of cooking, it would make the films even more relatable.”

To do a deeper dive into the book, Sargent participated in an interview:

Q. Your first movie cookbook was focused on the horror genre. What did you learn from that project that you applied to the “Chick Flick Cookbook” and what kind of response did that cookbook get? Anything you didn’t expect?

A. “As that was my first cookbook, I was sort of testing the waters. I didn’t know what to expect. I thought I might be the only weirdo interested in cooking food inspired by movies, but I learned that I was very wrong. The horror book has been a huge success. The reviews from customers and critics are overwhelmingly positive, so I didn’t want to change my formula too much.

“When I started developing ‘The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook,’ I just decided to kick it up a notch. I have more recipes, more commentary, and more fun! I noticed that people were interested in what I had to say, my connection to the films, and so I put more of myself into this book. By doing that, I developed an even deeper relationship with these special films as well as my audience. One thing I didn’t expect – I was recently told by a journalist that he went to a horror-themed wedding and they used recipes from my book for their pre-wedding party. I can’t believe my little book was incorporated into someone’s wedding weekend!”

Q. What is you process for selecting the recipes? Is each recipe your own creation?

A. “My process is fairly simple. I start with a long list of films that I think are worthy of being in the book. From there, I preview those films to see if there are any important food & drink scenes or moments. Once the films are set, I try to recreate those special meals. Many times I already have something in my recipe notebook that will work with a little alteration, but sometimes I do have to start from scratch. Often those are the most fun, but they sure do cause chaos in the kitchen! From there, I host my movie nights to test the recipes and then make final alterations from the feedback I receive.”

Q. How long did it take you to finalize your list of movies? There must have been some spirited debates with your friends about movies that didn’t make the cut.

A. “For this book, I started with about 50 chick flicks. I knew they wouldn’t all work out because not every movie centers around food. It took months to preview them to narrow the list down and then about a year to host the final movie nights. There were a few movies my friends wanted to see from the original list that didn’t make the final cut – ‘Pretty in Pink,’ ‘Notting Hill’ – but that’s only because I didn’t want to include recipes that were too similar. Of course everyone has those movies they hold near and dear, but this isn’t the first time I’ve had to break some hearts. No food fights broke out because they know they’ll just have to wait for The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook, Volume 2!

Q. The Drinking Games are a fun bonus this time around. Are these drinks all your creation, and what’s your favorite drink?

A. “To be fair, The Horror Movie Night Cookbook also has drinking games. I received a lot of feedback – even from people that don’t drink alcohol – that the drinking games were one of the highlights of the first book, so this time I chose to showcase them. All of the drinks are my creation, some of them being a new twist on a traditional cocktail. I’d say my favorite drink from this book is the Thriller (a Pina Colada not virgin) from ’13 Going on 30.’ Not only do I replay the scene from the movie in my head, but it instantly transports me to a warm, sunny, wind-soaked beach.

Q. I’m going to put you on the spot. Name your number Chick Flick movie of all time.

A. “Woo, that’s a tough one. It changes by the hour. I’m going with ‘Beaches.’ It has everything you want in a chick flick – comedy, drama, heart, soul, music. It’s one I grew up watching and one that still resonates with me today. I still cry every time I watch it. It’s relatable on so many levels. And the soundtrack? Don’t get me started.”

Q. Give us a sneak peek at your next project, “The Queer Movie Cookbook.”

A. “I’m switching this one up a bit. Instead of having Appetizers, Dinners and Desserts, it will just be Savory Bites and Sweet Treats. There will also be more films included, ranging from the classics (‘Brokeback Mountain’) to some lesser-known gems (‘Boy Meets Girl’). It will still have the cocktails and drinking games everyone loves, but this time I’ve included some trivia!

The recipe for a Chick Flick movie night party? Pick out your favorite recipe from Sargent​’s book and make sure you have tissues and a spatula at the ready.