How to serve man ... or at least make it look that way.
May 11, 2013 8:10 AM Subscribe
Feeding Hannibal. The blog of food stylist Janice Poon covers interesting recipes such as Lambs' Tongues en Papillote and Tomato Brain Barquettes as well some of the less savory aspects of the TV show Hannibal, such as creating fake mold and mock human loin.
It's like tumblr and the universe are conspiring to make me watch this show
posted by The Whelk at 8:19 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by The Whelk at 8:19 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Mock Human Loins could be a reality show on its own.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:21 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:21 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
I probably will not be watching the show soon because of time and personal inclination but I am enjoying whenever it shows up on my tumblr dash. I love this blog - food porn and production nerdery! this is awesome.
posted by cendawanita at 8:24 AM on May 11, 2013
posted by cendawanita at 8:24 AM on May 11, 2013
It's like tumblr and the universe are conspiring to make me watch this show
It's OK. If nothing else it's incredibly well shot.
posted by codacorolla at 8:25 AM on May 11, 2013
It's OK. If nothing else it's incredibly well shot.
posted by codacorolla at 8:25 AM on May 11, 2013
It's like tumblr and the universe are conspiring to make me watch this show
It's the best show on television right now. Probably the best crime series in the medium's history. It's so good.
posted by Think_Long at 8:25 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's the best show on television right now. Probably the best crime series in the medium's history. It's so good.
posted by Think_Long at 8:25 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Well now I just look hyperbolic.
posted by Think_Long at 8:26 AM on May 11, 2013
posted by Think_Long at 8:26 AM on May 11, 2013
The last time tumblr made me watch a show it was teen wolf and frankly I've never recovered and not sure I can go through that again.
posted by The Whelk at 8:29 AM on May 11, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 8:29 AM on May 11, 2013 [5 favorites]
Haha, sorry. My current feelings on it are that the monster-of-the-week stuff is a little silly. I wish it was less CSIish, basically.
posted by codacorolla at 8:30 AM on May 11, 2013
posted by codacorolla at 8:30 AM on May 11, 2013
I had no intention of watching it, despite being a casual Thomas Harris fan. I caught it while I was travelling and the soundtrack just blew me away. There are scenes where the drones and squeals actually drown out the dialog. Pretty progressive for a network show, more like young David Lynch re-imagining CSI.
posted by milovoo at 8:32 AM on May 11, 2013
posted by milovoo at 8:32 AM on May 11, 2013
That's a cool blog. I like the show but I do channel surf a bit when watching it as it gets a little too intense for me at times.
posted by shoesietart at 8:52 AM on May 11, 2013
posted by shoesietart at 8:52 AM on May 11, 2013
I am disturbed by how hard I favorited this link. Thanks so much. I'll be in my ... kitchen.
posted by sacre_bleu at 8:59 AM on May 11, 2013
posted by sacre_bleu at 8:59 AM on May 11, 2013
I CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT FOOD BLOGS ANYMORE WITHOUT WONDERING IF IT'S PEOPLE
AND I DON'T EVEN CARE
oh god so hungry
posted by elizardbits at 8:59 AM on May 11, 2013 [3 favorites]
AND I DON'T EVEN CARE
oh god so hungry
posted by elizardbits at 8:59 AM on May 11, 2013 [3 favorites]
It depends on the same things as it would if we were talking about consuming animals, I think? In that diet, age, and medication would all affect the flavour.
posted by elizardbits at 9:05 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by elizardbits at 9:05 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Since the show started I have done enough casual googling about this subject to put me away for life if any similar crimes take place within 100 miles of me, I think.
posted by elizardbits at 9:06 AM on May 11, 2013 [8 favorites]
posted by elizardbits at 9:06 AM on May 11, 2013 [8 favorites]
stupid sexy teevee cannibals
posted by elizardbits at 9:07 AM on May 11, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by elizardbits at 9:07 AM on May 11, 2013 [4 favorites]
Favorite scene from the first Addams Family movie: Grandmama planning a dinner in the kitchen with a copy of 'The Joy of Cooking' and 'Gray's Anatomy' in front of her....
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 9:20 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 9:20 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's a lot better program that I expected - Mikkelsen may end up being the definitive Hannibal. But it suffers a bit from trying to cram in an overarching story/character arc and a monster of the week in the same episode. They should split it up like the used to with The X-Files.
Though it's not really a show to watch while you are eating or about to eat, I've found.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:26 AM on May 11, 2013
Though it's not really a show to watch while you are eating or about to eat, I've found.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:26 AM on May 11, 2013
Meta-Question: Would human meat even be any good?
Just in general, people seem to really like the taste of human meat. NYTimes reporter William Buehler Seabrook tasted some back in the 1930s, when they were doing real reporting, and said it tastes so much like veal that you would think it was veal.
Cannibal Armin Meiwes said this: "The flesh tastes like pork, a little bit more bitter, stronger. It tastes quite good."
Cannibal Issei Sagawa said human mean melted in his mouth like tuna.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:27 AM on May 11, 2013
Just in general, people seem to really like the taste of human meat. NYTimes reporter William Buehler Seabrook tasted some back in the 1930s, when they were doing real reporting, and said it tastes so much like veal that you would think it was veal.
Cannibal Armin Meiwes said this: "The flesh tastes like pork, a little bit more bitter, stronger. It tastes quite good."
Cannibal Issei Sagawa said human mean melted in his mouth like tuna.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 9:27 AM on May 11, 2013
This is fantastic, although I think this blog may be having the opposite effect on me in that it's turning me off of meat. For some reason, I can stomach the other Grand Guignol aspects of the show, but those lamb tongues sent me over the edge.
For those of you who still need a reason to check out this show, four words: Guest Star Eddie Izzard.
posted by Dr. Zira at 9:51 AM on May 11, 2013
For those of you who still need a reason to check out this show, four words: Guest Star Eddie Izzard.
posted by Dr. Zira at 9:51 AM on May 11, 2013
Also this: Scott Thompson is an FBI forensic specialist.
posted by Dr. Zira at 9:57 AM on May 11, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Dr. Zira at 9:57 AM on May 11, 2013 [2 favorites]
But it suffers a bit from trying to cram in an overarching story/character arc and a monster of the week in the same episode.
Nah, I like the way they are combining them. The focus of the episode is not the killers or the hunt for the killers (they barely even show the detective work for most cases), but rather how the theatrical nature of the killings relates to whatever issue with the characters that the episode is exploring.
posted by Think_Long at 10:05 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Nah, I like the way they are combining them. The focus of the episode is not the killers or the hunt for the killers (they barely even show the detective work for most cases), but rather how the theatrical nature of the killings relates to whatever issue with the characters that the episode is exploring.
posted by Think_Long at 10:05 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Mads Mikkelsen is an excellent Hannibal, but the way they play Hugh Dancy as a kind of neurotic clairvoyant is a bit annoying.
posted by homunculus at 10:48 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 10:48 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
four words: Guest Star Eddie Izzard
Unfortunately (IMHO) followed by three more words: Phoning It In.
(Although Izzard's character is pretty much a proxy for the Manhunter/Silence jailed Lecter; and those performances are two very long shadows to be working in.)
I wish they'd ease up a little on slipping in sly little quotes from Silence of the Lambs though; it's stopped being clever and started becoming just plain distracting.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:51 AM on May 11, 2013
Unfortunately (IMHO) followed by three more words: Phoning It In.
(Although Izzard's character is pretty much a proxy for the Manhunter/Silence jailed Lecter; and those performances are two very long shadows to be working in.)
I wish they'd ease up a little on slipping in sly little quotes from Silence of the Lambs though; it's stopped being clever and started becoming just plain distracting.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 10:51 AM on May 11, 2013
For those of you who still need a reason to check out this show, four words: Guest Star Eddie Izzard.
Two more words: Gillian Anderson.
posted by cazoo at 10:54 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Two more words: Gillian Anderson.
posted by cazoo at 10:54 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's not so much quotes from SotL as it is quotes directly from the source material, isn't it?
posted by elizardbits at 11:24 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by elizardbits at 11:24 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
homunculus: "Mads Mikkelsen is an excellent Hannibal, but the way they play Hugh Dancy as a kind of neurotic clairvoyant is a bit annoying."
I agree with you, and I can't quite articulate what's bothering me about his performance. It's like he's wearing the character's internal life a bit too much on his sleeve, which makes it too easy for Hannibal (and Jack) to manipulate him. He's like the anti-Clarice. But I'm coming at this from someone who's never read the books, so maybe there's something going on there that I'm not really getting.
posted by Dr. Zira at 11:32 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
I agree with you, and I can't quite articulate what's bothering me about his performance. It's like he's wearing the character's internal life a bit too much on his sleeve, which makes it too easy for Hannibal (and Jack) to manipulate him. He's like the anti-Clarice. But I'm coming at this from someone who's never read the books, so maybe there's something going on there that I'm not really getting.
posted by Dr. Zira at 11:32 AM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Human meat is probably delicious, hence the universal taboo against eating it!
Regarding the taste of human meat, the technique of "Barbecue" was named for the Barbacoa natives of the Carribean because of the slow and low roasting of their butchered captives allowed the meat to retain its juices and fall off of the bone. The conquistadors, who butchered them in turn, instead used the technique on beef and pork.
Bon appetit...
posted by Renoroc at 11:35 AM on May 11, 2013
Regarding the taste of human meat, the technique of "Barbecue" was named for the Barbacoa natives of the Carribean because of the slow and low roasting of their butchered captives allowed the meat to retain its juices and fall off of the bone. The conquistadors, who butchered them in turn, instead used the technique on beef and pork.
Bon appetit...
posted by Renoroc at 11:35 AM on May 11, 2013
Dude, no. There are no cannibalistic native americans called the Barbacoa, for fuck's sake. The modern day word is a spanish/portuguese bastardization of a Taino word for meat cooked over an open flame.
jesus motherfucking christ.
posted by elizardbits at 11:44 AM on May 11, 2013 [24 favorites]
jesus motherfucking christ.
posted by elizardbits at 11:44 AM on May 11, 2013 [24 favorites]
For the shoot, the vegetable accompaniment was steamed squash – to give the actors something to eat other than the bulgar tongues.
I—what? I'm outraged. Why would the actors need something to eat other than lamb tongues? What's wrong with these actors? And it's not even real tongue: "Prepping for the dinner scene, I hand-shape the tongues individually out of a modified Kibbeh recipe – bulgar ground with beef stock and mild spices." Honestly! These actors!
posted by kenko at 3:23 PM on May 11, 2013
I—what? I'm outraged. Why would the actors need something to eat other than lamb tongues? What's wrong with these actors? And it's not even real tongue: "Prepping for the dinner scene, I hand-shape the tongues individually out of a modified Kibbeh recipe – bulgar ground with beef stock and mild spices." Honestly! These actors!
posted by kenko at 3:23 PM on May 11, 2013
This looks delicious!
How would one start? I am rather curious. I most defiantly would try it. What's the worst that could happen...
posted by QueerAngel28 at 4:46 PM on May 11, 2013
How would one start? I am rather curious. I most defiantly would try it. What's the worst that could happen...
posted by QueerAngel28 at 4:46 PM on May 11, 2013
(if it was magically displayed in front of me)
posted by QueerAngel28 at 4:47 PM on May 11, 2013
posted by QueerAngel28 at 4:47 PM on May 11, 2013
It's not so much quotes from SotL as it is quotes directly from the source material, isn't it?
I dunno; the obvious point of comparison is to the movie, given that they're both visual mediums, and they've given Mikkelsen's Lecter a lot of (sometimes throwaway) lines that were very memorably delivered by Hopkins.
And it's more than just lines they're quoting: there are visual echoes (the "angel" tableaux) and the whole "Crawford recruits a trainee" scene is pretty much a beat-for-beat recreation of the Crawford/Starling meeting in Silence.
I like the show a lot; I like the character-building it's doing. But that makes it all the more distracting for me when they drop in a winking reference like "having an old friend to dinner".
(It's also kind of anachronistic timewise: the show's set before Red Dragon, so pulling those lines from either the movie or the book of Silence is reaching a long way forward into the timeline. Ho hum.)
But anyway, on the food in the show: I had always viewed it as ambiguous whether the meals Lecter prepares for the Crawfords, Bloom etc are human flesh or not. An is-he-or-isn't-he frisson, fueled by the loving way the plates are shot. The food stylist's blog makes it sound a lot more definitive. I think I still prefer it my way.
(Although in the most recent episode...)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 5:17 PM on May 11, 2013
I dunno; the obvious point of comparison is to the movie, given that they're both visual mediums, and they've given Mikkelsen's Lecter a lot of (sometimes throwaway) lines that were very memorably delivered by Hopkins.
And it's more than just lines they're quoting: there are visual echoes (the "angel" tableaux) and the whole "Crawford recruits a trainee" scene is pretty much a beat-for-beat recreation of the Crawford/Starling meeting in Silence.
I like the show a lot; I like the character-building it's doing. But that makes it all the more distracting for me when they drop in a winking reference like "having an old friend to dinner".
(It's also kind of anachronistic timewise: the show's set before Red Dragon, so pulling those lines from either the movie or the book of Silence is reaching a long way forward into the timeline. Ho hum.)
But anyway, on the food in the show: I had always viewed it as ambiguous whether the meals Lecter prepares for the Crawfords, Bloom etc are human flesh or not. An is-he-or-isn't-he frisson, fueled by the loving way the plates are shot. The food stylist's blog makes it sound a lot more definitive. I think I still prefer it my way.
(Although in the most recent episode...)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 5:17 PM on May 11, 2013
Oh, thanks for listing all those. I'd been struggling to try and come up with a full inventory.
Particularly egregious are the angel wings tableaux, which is how Anthony Hopkins displays Charles Napier when he breaks out in Silence (at least approximately. The pose is the same, although I think in the film it may be intended to be a Blood Eagle, using the ribs and lungs pulled through the back rather than flaying the flesh over the shoulder blades). It retroactively makes Lecter derivative, copying someone else's style, and if we know anything about the Lecter character it's that he'd be absolutely mortified doing anything of the sort.
Overall though, this is my favorite show of the last few years. And on paper it did not look promising.
posted by figurant at 5:33 PM on May 11, 2013
Particularly egregious are the angel wings tableaux, which is how Anthony Hopkins displays Charles Napier when he breaks out in Silence (at least approximately. The pose is the same, although I think in the film it may be intended to be a Blood Eagle, using the ribs and lungs pulled through the back rather than flaying the flesh over the shoulder blades). It retroactively makes Lecter derivative, copying someone else's style, and if we know anything about the Lecter character it's that he'd be absolutely mortified doing anything of the sort.
Overall though, this is my favorite show of the last few years. And on paper it did not look promising.
posted by figurant at 5:33 PM on May 11, 2013
Dr. Zira: It's like he's wearing the character's internal life a bit too much on his sleeve, which makes it too easy for Hannibal (and Jack) to manipulate him. He's like the anti-Clarice.
Yeah, that's part of my problem with the character. But I also find his process of discovery rather silly: he basically just walks into a room and has a vision. There's no real investigation at all. They call it empathy, but he seems more like a psychic. I haven't read the books either, but I did see the movie versions of Manhunter and Red Dragon, and while Graham was highly intuitive, he still had to do some detective work to put the pieces together.
posted by homunculus at 5:38 PM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah, that's part of my problem with the character. But I also find his process of discovery rather silly: he basically just walks into a room and has a vision. There's no real investigation at all. They call it empathy, but he seems more like a psychic. I haven't read the books either, but I did see the movie versions of Manhunter and Red Dragon, and while Graham was highly intuitive, he still had to do some detective work to put the pieces together.
posted by homunculus at 5:38 PM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
We had a deal, Kyle: "But anyway, on the food in the show: I had always viewed it as ambiguous whether the meals Lecter prepares for the Crawfords, Bloom etc are human flesh or not."
I also enjoyed the ambiguity, because I thought the whole point of the series was to explore the idea of the non-evilish Hannibal. But, I'm still interested to see where they're going.
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:39 PM on May 11, 2013
I also enjoyed the ambiguity, because I thought the whole point of the series was to explore the idea of the non-evilish Hannibal. But, I'm still interested to see where they're going.
posted by Dr. Zira at 6:39 PM on May 11, 2013
Oh, I'm pretty sure it's all people. Beautifully photographed, absolutely non-vegetarian people. Shudder.
posted by maryrussell at 8:17 PM on May 11, 2013
posted by maryrussell at 8:17 PM on May 11, 2013
I was not a big fan of the movies and never read the books but have been watching (and reading Cleolinda's write ups.) I feel a little bit strange about it because it's so incredibly gory but shot so beautifully and did I need a "watch lots of girls die" show in my life now that I'm not watching Criminal Minds anymore? But I'm sucked in totally.
posted by PussKillian at 8:19 PM on May 11, 2013
posted by PussKillian at 8:19 PM on May 11, 2013
Meta-Question: Would human meat even be any good?
Tastes a bit like good pork, according to cannibals who have been asked. Probably depends on the victim's diet. A rich fat woman would taste better than a homeless junkie. I can't believe I just typed that.
posted by DecemberBoy at 10:41 PM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Tastes a bit like good pork, according to cannibals who have been asked. Probably depends on the victim's diet. A rich fat woman would taste better than a homeless junkie. I can't believe I just typed that.
posted by DecemberBoy at 10:41 PM on May 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
The modern day word is a spanish/portuguese bastardization of a Taino word for meat cooked over an open flame.
While looking up the origin of the word, I noticed that wikipedia is having its good old exoticism-of-bizarre-natives day, with their supposed meaning of barbecue being "sacred fire pit". Etymonline gives it as "framework of sticks", dictionary.com as "a raised frame of sticks". But good old wiki: what else would a native word mean than "sacred sillything ".
posted by Pyrogenesis at 6:07 AM on May 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
While looking up the origin of the word, I noticed that wikipedia is having its good old exoticism-of-bizarre-natives day, with their supposed meaning of barbecue being "sacred fire pit". Etymonline gives it as "framework of sticks", dictionary.com as "a raised frame of sticks". But good old wiki: what else would a native word mean than "sacred sillything ".
posted by Pyrogenesis at 6:07 AM on May 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
milovoo: "young David Lynch re-imagining CSI"
I would watch the hell out of this. I might even give Hannibal a shot, now.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 6:17 AM on May 12, 2013
I would watch the hell out of this. I might even give Hannibal a shot, now.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 6:17 AM on May 12, 2013
Bunny Ultramod: "Cannibal Armin Meiwes said this: "The flesh tastes like pork, a little bit more bitter, stronger. It tastes quite good."
Cannibal Issei Sagawa said human mean melted in his mouth like tuna."
I wouldn't necessarily trust Meiwes or Sagawa on this. In both cases, their cannibalism was sexually motivated, and I'm sure that would tend to color their perception of the taste quite a bit.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 6:20 AM on May 12, 2013
Cannibal Issei Sagawa said human mean melted in his mouth like tuna."
I wouldn't necessarily trust Meiwes or Sagawa on this. In both cases, their cannibalism was sexually motivated, and I'm sure that would tend to color their perception of the taste quite a bit.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 6:20 AM on May 12, 2013
Korean Promo For Hannibal Is the Weirdest, Best, Most Inappropriately Sparkle-Filled Promo Of All Time
posted by homunculus at 1:23 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 1:23 PM on May 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Hannibal is the worst TV show that I apparently can't stop watching.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:47 PM on May 13, 2013
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 6:47 PM on May 13, 2013
I am just getting around to watching this now, and the best revelation so far is that it has a very low-key crossover with a previous Bryan Fuller show. That autistic kid never fails to surprise me.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:24 PM on May 15, 2013
posted by ricochet biscuit at 1:24 PM on May 15, 2013
Interesting news from her site:
"The venerable Cookbook Store in Toronto's Yorkville is doing a pop-up dinner in their Studio Kitchen inspired by the food I've been creating for Hannibal. It’s going to be a great evening of food and fun.
Brilliant Matt Kantor is the chef for the evening. He’s done pop-ups for elBulli (a 24-course dazzler), Australian pop-ups and the amazing Rush tribute dinner – to name a few.
The menu will feature 7 or 8 tasting plates such as Brain Ravioli with Beurre Brun, Deep-fried Lamb Intestine on Panisse, Flambeed Spleen with Apples, Lamb Tongues en Papillote, Humano (veal) Tonato, Blood Sausage Cassoulet, Chocolate Blood Tarte.
If you’re in Toronto June 18, why not join us!"
It's too far for me, but if anyone goes, I would love to hear about it.
posted by milovoo at 6:36 AM on May 30, 2013
"The venerable Cookbook Store in Toronto's Yorkville is doing a pop-up dinner in their Studio Kitchen inspired by the food I've been creating for Hannibal. It’s going to be a great evening of food and fun.
Brilliant Matt Kantor is the chef for the evening. He’s done pop-ups for elBulli (a 24-course dazzler), Australian pop-ups and the amazing Rush tribute dinner – to name a few.
The menu will feature 7 or 8 tasting plates such as Brain Ravioli with Beurre Brun, Deep-fried Lamb Intestine on Panisse, Flambeed Spleen with Apples, Lamb Tongues en Papillote, Humano (veal) Tonato, Blood Sausage Cassoulet, Chocolate Blood Tarte.
If you’re in Toronto June 18, why not join us!"
It's too far for me, but if anyone goes, I would love to hear about it.
posted by milovoo at 6:36 AM on May 30, 2013
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Really enjoying this link, thank you!
posted by whitneyarner at 8:15 AM on May 11, 2013