Baking & the Big Screen: Pecan Pie & You've Got Mail
It’s me, once again admitting to not having seen a movie that I really, really should have already seen. It’s almost impressive how many ‘90s romantic comedies I’ve not watched despite solid romcoms being one of my favorite things. One great thing about just now seeing them all? Almost every single one has at least a moment highlighting a baked good. Which is fantastic for me - and now those who get to try the pecan pie squares that I saw - or at least I decided that’s what they were - in a split second clip of You’ve Got Mail and couldn’t stop thinking about. But what goes better together than a good book and something delightful to eat while reading it? It felt like a match made in Nora Ephron heaven.
You’ve Got Mail
Starring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey, Steve Zahn, Jean Stapleton, Heather Burns, Dave Chappelle
Director: Nora Ephron
Released in 1998
Was available to watch on Hulu
I’ve mentioned before in some articles that I get very worried that they’ve aged very poorly and without the nostalgia factor, I will be totally lost as to why so many people enjoy them. Thankfully, You’ve Got Mail has a solid enough premise that is clearly the foundation of a myriad of modern romantic comedies that it holds up enough to still be adored. Sure, Tom Hanks is a bit of a duplicitous ass at times - which was almost a shock to me considering he’s basically become America’s Dad in the 20+ years since this film - but he had enough endearing charm where you still rooted for him to win the truly adorable Meg Ryan over. Their chemistry both through emails or IMs and in real life encounters was the perfect combination of the love/hate trope that I enjoy so much in novels and movies.
Within moments of starting You’ve Got Mail, I was enamored with the sheer amount of time I got to just admire bookstores as the settings. New York City in the fall is already a glorious place. But add a bookstore into that, and it’s another level up. The whole film provides moment after moment of cozy and comfortable views of people reading, drinking coffees, indulging in a baked good or listening to a story. At a time when anxiety is more prominent than not, a movie like this, and I suspect many Nora Ephron films, provides a great deal of joy and calm. It’s predictable in the best of ways and creates a world that feels secure and charming. Right about now, who could ask for more than that?
As for life in 2021, baking is one of those things that brings me solace, and finding new recipes to try is a huge bright spot in my days. I’ve never made a pie that is more complicated than a pudding + Cool Whip combo in a pre-made Oreo crust, so this was my version of baking training wheels. Someday soon I hope to watch Waitress and try my hand at a real pie. However, these squares turned out to be utterly delightful. I accidentally misremembered my own supplies and had to use walnuts instead of pecans, but I’m really thrilled with how these turned out. The ratio of crust to filling is exactly how I would have wished and feels way fancier than they actually are, which is always a win in my book.