An engaging movie & a yummy dinner

Starring Audrey Tautou, the star of Amélie, A Very Long Engagement "is a fictional tale about a young woman's desperate search for her fiancé who might have been killed on the battle of the Somme during World War I." The 2004 film was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and is based on the novel by Sebastien Japrisot.

Tautou is stellar (and beautiful), and there is a lot of other great talent as well. The cinematography is utterly enchanting and breathtaking. I was particularly impressed by the use of colour and lighting to create mood.

There are quite a few violent war scenes and graphic sexual situations, both of which are things I don't especially like in a movie. I found the plot somewhat complex, and felt a bit overwhelmed trying to follow the story and read the subtitles and enjoy the art of the film. I think it is a movie I will enjoy much more the third or fourth time I watch it.

And for dinner? Crazy cheesy French yumminess - croque-monsieur. (Tranlated? Mr. Crunch! lol) It's essentially a toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich, with cheese sauce.

For the exact recipe from Julia Child, click HERE. If you don't want to read the recipe, here's the basic idea: Take two slices of bread, and spread one side of each slice with mayo and Dijon mustard. Add some ham (or smoked turkey - that's what I prefer) and some Swiss cheese (Emmental or Gruyère is best). Melt some butter in a skillet and toast the sandwich on both sides until it's crispy and the cheese is melted. While the sandwich is cooking, make a Mornay sauce - a basic Béchamel (white sauce) with Swiss cheese. Pour the Mornay sauce over the sandwich, and place under the broiler until bubbly and brown.

I served this with a simple salad of garden-fresh tomatoes tossed with olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh tarragon & mint, and cracked black pepper.