For many of us seeing The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the late night run in the local movie theater was a kind of rite of passage. This gorgeously schlocky sci-fi musical did poorly at the box office but found its people with a late night showing on April Fool’s Day in 1976. Fans told their friends, those friends told their friends, people started dressing up in costumes, bringing props and talking to the screen. Now, somewhere, at midnight, RHPS is showing. At some point in the last few months it came up in conversation and a few of our friends vouchesafed as 1) never having seen it, and 2) being interested in correcting this. Well, we’re looking for any reason to throw a party, so the table was set!
From the bizarre disembodied singing lips to the David Bowie-esque makeup, RHPS is a visual experience. When we found out that a couple of good friends had never seen it, a dinner party slash movie screening plan was born. If you aren’t aware, people don’t go to Rocky Horror to watch the movie, they go for the experience. Traditional chants and behavior have sprung up over the years, and it can be a very active moviegoing experience. Lisa went to many showings and even contributed a line to the audience participation. John went a couple of times. For both of us, however, this was in college, and memory is a cruel mistress. We did our best to prepare, so as to give our friends at least a taste of what puts the “Show” in “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
First, the menu:
- Hot Patootie Bless My Soul ~ Pumpkin Sausage Wheels
- Wild and Untamed ~ Roasted Pears with Feta Cheese and Walnuts over Greens
- EDDIE!!!!! ~ Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Citrus Roasted Carrots
- Absolute Pleasure ~ Rocky Road without marshmallows
We’re big fans of not spending too much time in the kitchen, away from our guests, so we made many parts prior to the day such as the puff pastry, Rocky Road, potatoes, and carrots. The Wheels were done in the morning, leaving only the meatloaf and pears to cook and everything else to reheat.
[Short aside: we really miss our US-sized oven.]
Our guests brought their preferred beverages and enjoyed their Hot Patooties while everything came together in the kitchen. The meal was great, with Wild and Untamed the unexpected star. It was Lisa’s first (homemade) meatloaf and while she thinks it needs tweaking, it turned out great. Dessert was at the couch, to be nibbled at will during the movie. (We were having so much fun, we forgot to take pictures of the meal!)
For those in the know . . . . we had props!
The newcomers were given newspapers and got them on their heads just before water misted through the air. Flashlights blinked on, rubber gloves snapped, and party hats worn. We drew the line at toilet paper and food being tossed. Nor did we try to recreate all of the audience lines, judging that too complicated for newcomers.
All in all, this was a ton of fun and we’d do it again.
Recipe Links:
- Hot Patootie Bless My Soul ~Pumpkin Sausage Wheels (We made our own puff pastry, used sausages from our local deli, substituted cheddar cheese and didn’t include the green onions.)
- Wild and Untamed ~ Roasted Pears with Feta Cheese and Walnuts over Greens (We added 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon of fig jam to the hollow after the olive oil and before the cheese and walnuts. Salad greens were dressed with a vinaigrette. To serve, guests placed a pear half atop the greens.)
- EDDIE!!!!! ~ Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Citrus Roasted Carrots (No bacon, and I would cut the crusts off the white bread if I make the meatloaf again. The potatoes were the most disappointing, kind of dry and the topping didn’t add much. The carrots were excellent! We didn’t have multi-colored ones, so just made a point of cutting them to the same size.)
- Absolute Pleasure ~Rocky Road (Lisa was the most worried about this tasting good, but it was a perfect adult dessert. A little nibbly, not too sweet, and unexpected with its cookies and pistachios. It also makes a LOT.)
