Baking & the Big Screen: Croissants and It's Complicated
Starting this month’s piece with an apology: the recipe I used for the croissants are behind a paywall. A friend alerted me to it being available through instagram for a mere moment a few weeks ago and I took advantage of that break. If you do happen to have access to the America’s Test Kitchen site, here you go! I had it in my mind that I wanted to make croissants from scratch and was pleasantly surprised to find googling “movies with croissants” actually gave me results, one of which was It’s Complicated. I had avoided it for a while as it turns out I had confused it with Something’s Gotta Give, which has emotionally scarred me a few times. Thankfully, instead of Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, I got Meryl Streep and Steve Martin. And that was something I could enjoy.
It’s Complicated
Starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski, Lake Bell, Rita Wilson
Director and Writer: Nancy Meyers
Released in 2009
Available to watch on Peacock
There is a genre of movies that I’ve dubbed, “Older people still have lives, you know.” It’s something that is probably needed since most of Hollywood won’t cast an actor in a love story if they have the audacity (specifically as a female) to look older than 37.5 years of age. And you know who I want to see in more romantic comedies? Meryl Streep. She sells it. She’s glamorous without being untouchable, intelligent without being snobbish (at least outside of Devil Wears Prada, where the role demands it) and is more than happy to share the spotlight. Watching Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin keep up with her in witty banter in one of the most beautiful homes (and kitchens, a Nancy Meyer staple) I’ve seen in a movie in a while.
Naturally, as many romcoms do, but especially those with an older cast, there are some pretty solidly cringey moments, one of which seems to indicate that video calling is something that an older person just wouldn’t expect to be happening. My tolerance for secondhand embarrassment isn’t the highest, and I’m far from Alec Baldwin’s biggest fan, so both of those things hampered my enjoyment a bit. I just can’t comprehend even having a competition in my mind if Martin and Baldwin were fighting for affections, so it weirdly took me out of it since that was what I decided was unbelievable. One small thing that brought me a great amount of joy as well: baby John Krasinski who decides to be an amusing form of an ally for Streep, and that’s a buddy cop movie I’m desperate to see.
Somehow, despite having made a Napoleon for a previous article, this may have been the most intense bake I’ve ever done, when everything was added up. I had no idea a batch of croissants would take roughly 10-12 hours when all was said and done, including multiple times for the dough to rest, rise, chill, etc. And this may be one of the most time-consuming things that I’ve made from scratch that seemed worth it. Some may not be the prettiest, but others turned out picture-perfect and exactly if they had been bought from a bakery. Patience is definitely an important aspect of making croissants, but I’m thrilled with them. And since I have some in the freezer - I’m going to attempt to add some chocolate next time!