Christmas is one of my favorite holidays of the year. When I was a kid I was excited for the amazing presents, but now it’s a time when I can enjoy spending time with my family while eating a lot of unhealthy, high-calorie food, while sitting in front of the TV to enjoy a few of my favorite holiday films. It’s not a lazy obsession, it’s just a tradition!
Food is obviously an important part of enjoying the holidays, so why not enjoy both? It’s a perfect time take advantage of your last opportunity of the year to veg-out with some of your favorite Christmas flicks along with a few dishes that helped each one become iconic. Here’s a few of my favorite food and film scenes.
Dogs break in to the home to devour Ralphie’s Father’s beloved Christmas turkey, so the family is left to dine at a Chinese restaurant while enduring Christmas carols from the restaurant staff. Believe it or not, this actually created an entire Christmas Day sub-culture of Chinese cuisine for Christmas.
Imagine what you would do if your family accidentally left you at home for Christmas or you were stuck in a fancy NYC hotel with a huge expense account with an extravagant room service menu. I don’t know about you but I’d do exactly what Kevin McCallister did in Home Alone when he gorged on an epic ice cream buffet while holding up in the Plaza Hotel.
This may be my favorite Christmas movie of all time. Filled with food fights, a large sloppy dog, looney Aunt Bethany, the grouchy father-in-law and a Cousin Eddie! Of course, the unfortunate star dish in this holiday classic is a desiccated turkey that’s so dry and disgusting that it deflates as soon as Clark Griswold tries to slice it. The best part is Eddie’s eagerness to eat the sad excuse for a turkey despite his wife Catherine’s epic fail. “Save the neck for me Clark!”
Will Ferrell’s portrayal of Buddy the elf has become one of his most iconic characters. He devours spaghetti topped with sugary syrup and marshmallows with such enthusiasm that it intrigues a few of our childhood dreams. While it might a disgusting approach to consider as an adult, Ferrell scarfs it down so well that he made us believe it might be half way enjoyable.
Trading Places is usually forgotten when everyone considers their list of favorite Christmas movies, but who could forget Luis (Dan Akroyd) falling on some hard times, then later crashing the big company Christmas party to eventually shove an entire half of smoked salmon into his jacket, only to enjoy it later on the city bus. Sad little man.
This is holiday gem. Billy Bob Thornton is disgusting, perverted and constantly drunk, making him the worst Santa Claus of all time. Who could forget his epic meltdown on a child and his mother when they interrupt his lunch break? “I’m on my f&%$ lunch break okay!”. Gold, pure, disgusting gold! Let’s get Granny and the kid to make us some sandwiches!
This film is exactly like a most family Christmas dromedies, the entire family comes together every Christmas to express their love and sometimes hatred for each other, and one of them brings their new lover (Sarah Jessica Parker) who thinks she’s better than all of them. To get in to their good graces she takes it upon herself to bake Christmas Morning Italian Strata. While it doesn’t necessarily make everything “better”, it at least made most of us curious enough to Google the recipe.
Some people forget that this film actually takes place during Christmas. So it is by definition, a Christmas movie! You gotta love Sgt. Al Powell’s (Reginald VelJohnson) devotion to his pregnant wife and her insane craving for Twinkies. Of course, the sleazy clerk at the counter automatically assumes it’s for Al himself, since he is after all a big guy who’s probably had one too many doughnuts. While this isn’t the funniest scene of the film, it helps set the pace for Sgt. Powell’s buddy-cop relationship with John McClain (Bruce Willis) while he’s shooting terrorists in the Nakatomi building.
Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) is invited to the Roger Murtaugh’s (Danny Glover) house for dinner, where Rianne has an inappropriate school girl crush on the young Mel Gibson. Roger’s youngest kids show off their 1980’s rap skills ending in Murtagh’s laughable epic fail. Roger’s wife’s cooking is apparently the other epic fail because Riggs never fails to bring it up at least two times during the rest of the film.
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New Orleans, LA - On October 22, 2024, I recently had an opportunity to attend the grand opening of Caesars New Orleans, marking the completion of a stunning $435 million transformation of the former Harrah’s New Orleans. It was an evening to remember, filled with excitement, luxury, and the vibrant spirit of New Orleans. The festivities began on Canal Street with an exhilarating ceremony led by Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg, President & COO Anthony Carano, and Caesars New Orleans General Manager Samir Mowad. The atmosphere was electric as they joined Caesar himself and an iconic New Orleans second-line band in a lively procession into the casino. It felt like the entire city had come out to celebrate, with Caesars New Orleans team members and Mayor LaToya Cantrell also joining the event to commemorate this historic occasion. Anthony Carano’s pride in introducing Caesars to New Orleans was palpable. “From local favorite Emeril Lagasse to our long-time partner, Chef Nobu, to the beautiful state-of-the-art Caesars Sportsbook, all-new rooms and gaming floor, and of course, our gorgeous new center bar, Octavia, Caesars New Orleans offers something for everyone. It’s a world-class resort in the heart of the Big Easy, and we can’t wait for our guests to experience it,” he said. The ceremony was a spectacle, kicking off with an iconic Mardi Gras float featuring Caesar and his court, and a dazzling firework show that lit up the New Orleans sky. The second-line band then led us revelers into the resort’s elegant center bar, Octavia, where we indulged in a “Taste of Caesars New Orleans.” Each bite from the six on-property restaurants was a delightful journey, capturing the essence of New Orleans’ rich culinary scene. Throughout the night, elemental entertainers, including the Saints Cheer Krewe, Mardi Gras Indians, Zulu Tramps, and showgirls, created an authentic and unforgettable Big Easy experience. Everywhere I turned, there was something new to marvel at, each performance more mesmerizing than the last. Samir Mowad, SVP and GM of Caesars New Orleans, highlighted the significance of the transformation, stating, “This year marks 25 years since we opened in New Orleans, and the completion of this project is the perfect way to usher in a new era with Caesars. Synonymous with the Caesars name, our new resort is pure elegance, and we’re excited to introduce a luxury brand like this to New Orleans. We are extremely grateful for the support of the community, our team members, and our guests as we come to the finish line of this tremendous transformation.” The hotel itself is impressive,…
