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Ratatouille is here!

Posted by Elise on Jun 29, 2007

Filed under Announcements

It's the film every foodie worth her salt has been waiting for. Pixar's Ratatouille (rah-tah-too-ee) is about a rat with gourmet sensibilities who longs to be a chef, and manages to follow his dream into one of the best restaurants in Paris. It opens Friday, June 29th, 2007. If you catch it, please let us know what you think about it in the comments.

Ratatouille reviews by food bloggers:
La Ratatouille, Paris, France - delicious review by Hillel over at Tasting Menu
Ms. Glaze discusses the connection with the Guy Savoy
"Hands down, this is my new favorite Pixar film", strong praise from Amy of Cooking with Amy
Meg saw it with Jason and can't wait to see it again


Links to ratatouille recipes on Simply Recipes:
Dad's Ratatouille - based on a Dean & Deluca recipe
Italian Sausages with Ratatouille - another one of dad's favorites


Links to ratatouille recipes from other food blogs:
Ratatouille as a soup from Nicky of Delicious Days
Oven-roasted ratatouille from Clotilde of Chocolate & Zucchini
Ratatouille wanna-be from Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen
Nicoise ratatouille by Béa of La Tartine Gourmande
Maki's ratatouille from Just Hungry
Socca crepes filled with ratatouille from chef Brett of In Praise of Sardines
Ratatouille tart with goat chees from Meeta of What's for Lunch, Honey?
Ratatouille, Iman Bayildi - classic Turkish recipe from Food Vagabond

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33 Comments

I got to see this in the preveiws and it was wonderful! They advertise it as a kids movie, and I guess it kind of is, but the adults will enjoy it just as much.

Posted by: S. Strader on June 29, 2007 5:20 AM

Yeah!!! Can't wait to see it.

I was very happy when I read Jason Kottke's review. I'd watch it no matter what, because I am a huge Pixar fan, but it's great to know how awesome it is.

Posted by: Mau on June 29, 2007 6:31 AM

It seems like a really good movie . . . but I watched a 9 minute excerpt on my Tivo and I thought it was a little TOO realistic in its mannerisms . . . I have a serious phobia of/aversion to rats and on some scenes I got that familiar chill down my spine seeing that thing, especially around the food! I know it sounds crazy but I was scared of the cute little cartoon rat!!

Posted by: Michelle on June 29, 2007 6:42 AM

I'm taking my whole family to see it tonight! First, we're going out to dinner, then we'll go to the movies! I've been planning this for a few weeks now. I don't know why I'm so excited about a cartoon - I'm sure it's something about the way the previews have convinced me that they're going to make cooking look like magic...

Posted by: Kaywil on June 29, 2007 8:13 AM

This movie looks so amazing! I think its because i'm a foodie through and through and I'm also an animation nut! Yay!

Posted by: Shannon on June 29, 2007 9:12 AM

Unfortunately, I won't be able to see it till October, that is when it opens in Germany! Watched all the trailers and read everything about it though. And here is my take on the namesake recipe (the original!)

Posted by: Hande on June 29, 2007 9:27 AM

I certainly am hoping that you also post a recipe along this vein in celebration of the Movie!

Of course there are only a couple of hundred different variations on this dish.

Posted by: Gary in Massena on June 29, 2007 9:31 AM

Hi Gary - Great idea to post links to ratatouille recipes. Done!

Posted by: Elise on June 29, 2007 10:19 AM

I'm taking the kids tomorrow. Can't wait! Maybe we will sneak our Heath Bar cookies into the theater!

Posted by: Ana on June 29, 2007 2:29 PM

My girlfriend and I saw this a couple weekends ago in a sneak preview, and we loved it. It's the first time we weren't afraid to call a movie charming.

We liked it so much we're seeing it with my family tomorrow, and friends on Monday. It just summed up all the reasons why we love food and cooking. I wrote up a bit about it in my own blog if anyone's interested.

Posted by: twobitme on June 29, 2007 4:12 PM

We enjoyed the movie a lot! As a foodie family, we all appreciated the appreciation of good food and great lines like. "Keep your workspace clean or I will kill you!" This movie ranks right up there with Babette's Feast and Big Night. It helps that we also have pet rats...and I wouldn't be surprised if they could cook a gourmet meal with all of the delicacies they get after the table's been cleared!

Posted by: thicket on June 29, 2007 6:54 PM

Just got back from the theater. LOVED THIS MOVIE! Even my 5 year old watched it without fidgeting too badly- high praise from a finicky movie critic and foodie.

Posted by: incrediblemissv on June 29, 2007 7:32 PM

I also saw this movie a couple of weeks ago with my husband, and we loved it. I think what really made Ratatouille appealing to me was that it didn't have all the little-kid silliness of most other recent CGI-animated movies. I think that most parents will be able to handle their kids wanting to watch this over and over again without becoming extremely annoyed, which is always a plus. It's a quaint and charming film, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

On a side note, the movie inspired me to buy "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," which just arrived at my doorstep today. I went straight to the recipe for ratatouille, and I can't wait to make it!

Posted by: Sarah Hurst on June 29, 2007 10:03 PM

Saw a sneak preview showing of this and it was AMAZING! Beware not to eat too much popcorn in the theatre or go to dinner before hand as you will be leaving craving a gourmet meal!

Posted by: Beth Newton on June 30, 2007 5:57 AM

I went to see this movie with my friends and brother, and we loved it! It made me want to rush home and start cooking immediatly. I can't wait to see Wall-E! (It's yet another Disney/Pixar movie, coming out next summer) Hooray for Ratatouille!

Posted by: Vivian on June 30, 2007 10:41 AM

It was a very cute film! I hope it will inspire kids to take an interest in what they're eating instead of just eating "garbage."

Posted by: srah on June 30, 2007 12:56 PM

I saw this yesterday and my first thought was "Oh my gosh I want to see this again." I'm going to make a ratatouille tart to celebrate this movie.

Posted by: Amy on June 30, 2007 3:53 PM

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME movie! I was actually looking on your blog to find a recipe for dinner tonight and as soon as I saw the title "Ratatouille is Here!" I rushed my daughter along to get dressed so that we could catch the next showing. We just got back home and we both LOVED it! I'm now inspired to make some for dinner ... tomorrow night : ) We're still full from all the popcorn!?! Thanks for the movie reminder!

Posted by: Keira on June 30, 2007 4:30 PM

Just got back from seeing this today and it is amazing! I can't believe a "50 something" grandma is raving over a cartoon but "grampa" and I just loved it. It's definately on our "buy" list when it comes out on DVD. Very well done and a very sweet story...go see it. You won't be disappointed!

Posted by: Trish on June 30, 2007 4:35 PM

Not good but GREAT movie! I seldom enjoy animation these days due to the lack of story and the "Disneyed" branding. But new Pixar/Disney production has exceeded my expectation. It brings up the foodie in me and also has a great moral for the young ones to learn how to eat mindfully and tastefully. Highly recommended!! Cant wait for the DVD!

Posted by: coco on June 30, 2007 5:19 PM

I couldn't agree more with all the positive comments and reviews. I took some foodie kid friends to see a matinee yesterday and we loved it! So many wonderful themes - the power of great food to melt hearts and transport you to a different time and place, the love of food as universal, and that anyone can cook. The level of detail of the inner workings of a top French restaurant was amazing. Can't wait to see it again.

Posted by: Elise on June 30, 2007 5:29 PM

I just had the pleasure of seeing it yesterday, and it exceeded my expectations completely! This is Pixar's greatest movie yet.

Posted by: Benas on June 30, 2007 7:09 PM

Absolutely loved this movie. As a relatively new cook, I soaked up all the warm and fuzzy bits about how anyone can cook. It was lovely, I brought along my 8 year old brother and his friend and my 12 year old sister, and we all absolutely adored it. Althought I'm sure that had a lot to do with the line about "Rat... patootie", haha. The details were stunning, and it makes me want to pursue cooking as a career that much more. I'd see it again!

Posted by: Aimee on July 1, 2007 1:59 PM

I make ratatouille often in the summer because it is a great way to use all the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers from our garden. We use a recipe from Pierre Franey's 60 Minute Gourmet cookbook that includes baking it with eggs. A delicious, complete meal. Can't wait to see the movie as I have heard nothing but great things about it.

Posted by: suanne on July 1, 2007 2:25 PM

My 6yr old granddaughter saw it Friday, now when I am cooking she sits on the counter and pulls my hair.
She loved it!

Posted by: janyo on July 2, 2007 8:04 AM

My husband and I rushed out opening night after service for an 11:45 showing and just adored it. Totally agree that it's as much fun for adults. This is a complicated film -- with lots of detail that will zoom over the little ones' heads -- but for foodies and chefs -- wow -- what fun! Completely agree about the detail shown in the restaurant...throughout the film. Absolutely wonderful! Also loved the short that preceeded Rat...

Posted by: chef's wife on July 2, 2007 8:55 AM

Such a darling film!! My boyfriend surprised me and took me to see it (I didn't think he would agree to see it) and we both loved it. It was so cute, inspiring and realistic.

The kitchen action - down to wrist burns on Colette - were SO realistic and the animation was so good in parts it looked like film.

I'll be buying this one and adding to my collection.

Note: for the rodent-phobic, the entire movie was darling and not gross, but the scenes where the ENTIRE rat clan were in the kitchen did take a minute to get used to. When they all were run through the dish/sanitation line, I had to laugh - it somehow felt better, like the director knew we needed that small gesture. :)

Posted by: Kirsten on July 2, 2007 11:17 PM

Loved, loved, LOVED IT! I even managed to get my summer blockbuster loving (read: Live Free or Die Hard) husband to view it with me and he enjoyed it as much as I did.
And Kirsten, I couldn't agree more on the rat infested kitchen comment. At first we were like "ewww" then quickly realized that it was a cartoon and lightened up appropriately.

Posted by: Rosie on July 3, 2007 7:42 AM

My hubby and I just saw it last night. I must admit that I was a little teary since it reminded me a lot of when I was a culinary student in school. It’s an adorable film, fun for kids AND adults. I thought the main character’s voice (the rat) sounded a lot like Mario Batali – that would have been a great person to cast in the role!

Posted by: Jennifer Iserloh on July 3, 2007 5:50 PM

I saw this with my mom. I thought it was adorable. Man I wish I could cook like that!!

Posted by: Jenny on July 4, 2007 7:05 AM

Such a wonderful movie! It made me want to have children just so I could watch them watch this film. This film lacks the irony, sarcasm, and pop culture references we've come to expect from recent CGI offerings, especially the Shrek franchise, and that's a great thing. The only reference I could really see was to Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. Go see it.

Posted by: Jessie on July 5, 2007 8:57 AM

Thomas Keller of The French Laundry Restaurant and French Laundry Cookbook was advisor on many if not all of the recipes ... and he is the "best". I have not seen movie as yet, but am planning on going, for sure. Also, love Bobby Darin singing "For Once In A Lifetime" on one of the trailers. Thomas Keller and Bobby Darin involved in the publicty, well, the movie just has to be wonderful. Thanks.

Posted by: Mary Carney on July 12, 2007 12:57 AM

Just saw this on DVD, and it's awesome! No wonder it got so much praise from the critics. I definitely wish I could cook like that too, by taste and smell, and not just by recipe! Can't wait to make dinner tonight!

Posted by: typome on January 31, 2008 5:28 PM

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