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By Beverly Levitt

Did you ever notice a great food scene is often the most memorable moment of a movie? The visual of a family gathered around the dining table when, suddenly, the dad hurls a plate of asparagus straight into the wallpaper (from the 1999 Academy Award-winning American Beauty) or, for their wedding breakfast, the groom feeds his bride a dish of pozole, freshly prepared by his ex-wife (from the 2002 Academy Award nominated Frida)?

A fabulous food scene is not only worth a thousand words; just observe a character's eating habits - they'll tell you everything you ever wanted to know about him.

Every year I dole out Best Food Scene Awards in newspapers all over the country.

Here are some award winners from the past.

The Way We Were (1973)
Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) believed "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Her excitement is palpable as she rushes up the stairs to her apartment, her arms laden with flowers and groceries, including the proverbial French bread sticking out of the bag. Trying so hard to win the waspy Hubbell's (Robert Redford's) love, she makes his favorite meal - salad, steak (purchased with precious ration tickets) and a baked potato. Hubbell has just one reaction - he falls asleep!

Later, she rails at him for leaving her - "You hate my politics! You hate my pot roast!" We still wonder what the real deal-breaker was; we suspect it was simply that Katie was too passionate and too radical, while Hubbell needed to play it safe, eating white bread and voting Republican. Directed by the Academy Award-winning Sydney Pollack.

On Golden Pond (1981)
In this tear-jerking homage to old love, Norman's (Henry Fonda's) mocha monolithic birthday cake - all 80 candles blazing - was a glaring reminder to the screen legend that he'd been a card-carrying member of AARP for several decades. Because his sight wasn't what it used to be, property master Emily Ferry had to close up the hole in the middle of the angel food cake so they could write "Happy Birthday, Norman" in letters LARGE enough for him to read. She used large Chanukah candles instead of small birthday candles, so he could see what he was trying to blow out. Directed by Mark Rydell and written by Ernest Thompson.

Munich (2005)
Avner (Eric Bana), an earnest but innocuous young man, is chosen by the prime minister of Israel to avenge the murders of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. An unlikely candidate, Avner grew up in the kitchen of a kibbutz and learned to cook a moist brisket and a sumptuous stuffed cabbage. As he leads his men through their task, feeding their souls as well as their bodies becomes his salvation. At particularly difficult times we see him in the kitchen preparing twice as much food as they can possibly eat and creating a cleansing spirituality at their dining table with candlelight. Was he preparing a repast or praying for redemption?

When something in the mission goes wrong, he immerses himself in the stalls of a farmers market or gazes into the window of a housewares store. It centers him as he prays for a future in a beautiful kitchen where he can nurture his beloved wife and newly born daughter.

Munich was written by award-winning writers Tony Kushner and Eric Roth and directed by Steven Spielberg.

American Beauty (1999)
Although Carolyn Burnham's (Annette Bening's) dining table is right out of House Beautiful, and her menu is nutritious yet savory, even the vase of perfect American Beauty roses doesn't hide the fact that nobody at this table ever talks to each other. Unfortunately, Carolyn's version of "talking" to her husband, Lester (Kevin Spacey), has mostly to do with berating him. He tries defending himself, but she refuses to give him even a smile, let alone any asparagus. So what's a man to do? He picks up the strategically situated stalks swimming in their orange sauce and hurls them across the room. Messy, messy. So much for her belief that happiness is achieved by the image one presents. And who's going to clean up the orange sauce dripping down the wall paper? Written and directed by Alan Ball.

Frida (2002)
Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina) loves his ex-wife Lupe's (Valeria Golino's) cooking so much he installs her upstairs to cook for him even though he's just married Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek). A Marxist bohemian who disdains convention, Diego shamelessly serves Lupe's special pozole to his bride. Stars in her eyes, Frida eats with abandon until she discovers the unusual cooking arrangement. Philosophy be damned, she grabs both plates, hurls them into the trash and orders Lupe out!

Lupe warns Frida, "This is his favorite. If you're here to stay, you better learn to make it." And so Frida has to persuade Lupe to teach her how to cook; they bond over the stove, then commiserate about their idealistic genius who is incapable of loyalty to just one dinner table. Written by Clancy Sigal, Diane Lake, Gregory Nava and Anna Thomas. Directed by Julie Taymor.

Beverly Levitt is an award-winning screenwriter and freelance journalist in Los Angeles.

As screenwriters reiterate, "It all starts with the word," an award-winning food scene is ignited by choosing the perfect dish. Here are some recipes for your Oscar party taken straight from the movies.

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ARUGULA SALAD WITH OSCAR'S CILANTRO-MINT DRESSING

From Edward Brown, executive chef at the Sea Grill, Rockefeller Center, Manhattan. If arugula is not available, use baby lettuce of your choice. As served at the Governor's Ball in 1997.

Serves 6

Salad ingredients:

• 1 pound baby arugula, washed, dried, with stem removed
• 2 large oranges, peeled and sliced into segments
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/4 pound Parmesan cheese, shaved thin

Dressing ingredients:

• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
• 1/3 cup Italian parsley, loosely packed
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 drops Tabasco sauce
• 2 teaspoons Coleman's English mustard
• 1/2 cup peanuts, unsalted
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 3/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

For dressing: Place all ingredients except oils in blender. Blend for 2 minutes, pulsing at intervals. With machine still running, slowly drizzle in oils to form a smooth emulsion. Remove to bowl; reserve, or use immediately.

To assemble salad: Combine arugula, oranges and onion. Toss with dressing. Lay Parmesan shavings on top.

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EGG FLAN

Inspired by Volver. From Antonia and Maria Jesus Almodovar, sisters of director Pedro Almodovar. They were on the set every day preparing the food for the film. Serves 12.

• 4 large eggs
• 1 can (about 14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 28 ounces whole milk
• 2 tablespoons anisette or other liqueur
• 1 cup sugar
• A few drops of lemon juice

Place eggs, the milks and liqueur into a large blender glass. Blend well until mixture is smooth.

For caramelized sugar coating, spread sugar evenly in the bottom of a flan mold (flanera) and place over medium-low heat. Toast it slowly. It may take a few minutes before sugar begins to melt. Without stirring watch sugar closely as it begins to liquefy at the edges. It will slowly turn first into a yellowish and then a golden syrup and finally into a brown caramel sauce.

When brown, immediately remove from heat and coat bottom and sides of mold with caramelized sugar.

Add beaten egg mixture to the mold. Cover carefully with aluminum foil held in place by an elastic band. If the mold has a lid, put it on top of the foil and adjust it tightly. All this is to prevent water getting into the mold while the flan is cooking.

In a pot that is taller and about 2 inches wider in circumference than the mold, pour in water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat slightly. Create a water bath (Bain Marie) by placing the closed mold into the water so that it comes a little less than half way up the mold. Cook over medium heat for 1/2 hour. Turn off heat.

Let mold sit in the hot water for at least an hour.

Remove mold from Bain Marie. Take off the foil. When flan is completely cooled, cover again and place in refrigerator for no less than 6 hours, or overnight. To unmold flan: Remove from refrigerator. Let sit for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the inside of the mold to loosen the edges. Place a large plate on top of the mold and invert. Flan will fall onto the plate with a fine layer of caramelized sugar on top.

Serve at room temperature.

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MEXICAN PIZZA

As served at the Governor's Ball in 1997. Adapted from Adventures in the Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck, Random House, 1991. Makes four 7- or 8-inch pizzas.

• 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups fontina cheese
• 6 plum tomatoes, ends removed, cut into thin slices
• 1 cup whole cilantro leaves
• 6 to 8 jalapeno peppers, roasted, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 cups sliced red bell pepper, roasted or sautéed
• 1/2 cup garlic, roasted and sliced
• 4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups sliced Maui or Vidalia onion
• Chopped cilantro as needed
• 4 Boboli pizza pie crusts

Arrange on Boboli dough in order given, ending with onion and cilantro. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is dancing.

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AMERICAN BEAUTY ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH ORANGE SAUCE

Inspired by American Beauty, winner of the Academy Award for best picture in 1999.

From Los Angeles cooking teacher and caterer Jean Brady.

Serves 4.

• 1 pound medium asparagus, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and white pepper to taste


Orange sauce:
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon rose water
• Zest of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss asparagus in olive oil; place in low-sided pan in single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until a fork pierces stalk easily.

Bring orange juice to boil; boil until reduced by half. During last minute add lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and rose water. Pour over asparagus. Sprinkle with zest.

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RED SNAPPER VERACRUZANA

Inspired by Frida. From executive chef Joseph A. Cacace, Chango restaurant, New York City. Serves 8

• Olive oil as needed for sautéing
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 Spanish onions, peeled, halved and sliced very thin
• 3 red bell peppers, seeded and julienne
• 3 poblano peppers, seeded and julienne
• 2 green peppers, seeded and julienne
• 2 Anaheim peppers, seeded and julienne
• 5 cups tomato puree
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, and more for garnish
• 1 cup picholine olives, or other green Spanish olive, pitted and sliced in half
• 1/2 cup capers, rinsed Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 8 7- to 8-ounce red snapper filets, skin on, pin bones removed
• 2 large limes
• 8 leeks (optional for garnish)

For the sauce: Heat sauté pan or a large saucepan until it's hot. Add enough oil to cover bottom of pan, then more as needed. Add garlic; sauté until light brown. Quickly add onions and peppers; sauté over medium heat until tender. Add tomato puree and thyme sprigs; simmer 15 minutes. Add olives; continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. Add capers; salt and pepper; continue to simmer another 10 minutes, 40 to 45 minutes in all. Remove thyme sprigs and keep sauce warm.

For the snapper: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper fish on both sides. In a steel-handled 12-inch sauté pan, pour in enough olive oil to come up sides of pan 1/4 inch. Add more if needed. Heat until oil begins to smoke. Gently place snapper in pan, skin side down. When skin begins to brown, about 1 minute, remove and set aside while you sauté the next batch. Add more oil to the pan, sauté the rest of the filets. When finished, place them on a greased sheet pan, skin side down. Bake fish 5 to 10 minutes or until it feels firm. Do not turn over. This will ensure crisp skin and tender, moist flesh.

Spoon sauce onto warmed plates. Place fish on top. If desired, garnish with fried leeks or quick-fried cilantro sprigs. Squeeze fresh lime over the fish just before serving.

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