Ratatouille (capital R) is of course that fabulous film from Pixar studios, released in 2007. The movie takes place in Paris and is all about the wonders of good food (and the importance of family and friends, but mostly food). And did I mention that it takes place in Paris? As usual the Pixar animators outdid themselves with their attention to detail. The movie is visually stunning and full of real Parisian landmarks. Even the creepy pest control place is a real store not far from the Seine.
As I said, the film is mostly about the wonders of delicious food, so you should probably have some deliciousness on hand yourself. How about some hot, savory ratatouille? Ratatouille is one of my favorite things to cook, although I had never heard of it until I saw the movie. Recipes for this classic dish abound, and range from the very complicated to the very simple. Here's a nice recipe from one of my favorite websites ever: essentially a French version of Allrecipes.com, Marmiton.com has all kinds of fantastic recipes. Here's a good website with a convenient metric conversion tool; as for translating ingredients and instructions, go no further than the ever reliable Wordreference.com.
Ratatouille is a great dish to play around with and customize. The basics are tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, onion, bell peppers, garlic, and thyme, all simmered or roasted together into a delightful concoction of loveliness. Forgive me for waxing poetic. If you're feeling fancy you can slice the vegetables, carefully layer them in a baking dish, and elegantly pour the tomato sauce over the whole thing. However you choose to prepare it.... bon appétit.
