A Movie in the Park: As You Wish.

"I love you,' Buttercup said. 'I know this must come as something of a surprise to you, since all I've ever done is scorn you and degrade you and taunt you, but I have loved you for several hours now, and every second, more. I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any woman has ever loved a man, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm. Your eyes are like that, did you know? Well they are. How many minutes ago was I? Twenty? Had I brought my feelings up to then? It doesn't matter.' Buttercup still could not look at him. The sun was rising behind her now; she could feel the heat on her back, and it gave her courage. 'I love you so much more now than twenty minutes ago that there cannot be comparison. I love you so much more now then when you opened your hovel door, there cannot be comparison. There is no room in my body for anything but you. My arms love you, my ears adore you, my knees shake with blind affection. My mind begs you to ask it something so it can obey. Do you want me to follow you for the rest of your days? I will do that. Do you want me to crawl? I will crawl. I will be quiet for you or sing for you, or if you are hungry, let me bring you food, or if you have thirst and nothing will quench it but Arabian wine, I will go to Araby, even though it is across the world, and bring a bottle back for your lunch. Anything there is that I can do for you, I will do for you; anything there is that I cannot do, I will learn to do. I know I cannot compete with the Countess in skills or wisdom or appeal, and I saw the way she looked at you. And I saw the way you looked at her. But remember, please, that she is old and has other interests, while I am seventeen and for me there is only you. Dearest Westley--I've never called you that before, have I?--Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley,--darling Westley, adored Westley, sweet perfect Westley, whisper that I have a chance to win your love.' And with that, she dared the bravest thing she'd ever done; she looked right into his eyes."
— William Goldman (The Princess Bride)

Kings Park in Perth, which is larger than Central Park in NYC, hosts Ford Focus Moonlight Cinema during the summer showing different movies - both classic and new - throughout the week. When I read that The Princess Bride was playing one Tuesday night, I insisted that we go. It's BYO food and drink so I made an antipasto picnic bread (recipe below). The Princess Bride. A Movie in the Park. In Australia. On a Summer Night. INCONCEIVABLE!


Vizzini, aka Wallace Shawn, used to dine in 202 in Chelsea Market when I worked at Food Network. He was always a favorite celebrity sighting. 

Antipasto Picnic Bread
1 large round loaf crusty bread
2 onions, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 eggplant, sliced
½ cup mint leaves
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 cup arugula
20 oven-roasted tomato halves
½ cup basil
8 oz goat cheese
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips

Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the eggplant onto a oven dish and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until the eggplants are nicely browned. Put the eggplant in a bowl and layer with basil or dried Italian herbs and balsamic vinegar. Let marinate for about half an hour, changing the layers so that each slice gets soaked in balsamic. When the eggplant is done, add the tomato halves, drizzled with olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and roast until they have softened. Place onions and oil in a frying pan and heat over medium heat for about 4 minutes then add the red peppers and cook for another 2 minutes, until both have softened and the onions are golden. Leave aside. Heat the pan again and add some olive oil and lightly fry the zucchini until nicely browned on both sides. Lay on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

Cut the top off the top of the bread and scoop out the soft inside leave 1 ½ inch thick crust. To layer, place half the onions, peppers, eggplant, mint, zucchini, arugula, tomatoes, basil, and cheese inside the bread and repeat the layers then replace the top of the bread. serve in wedges.


*The recipe called for store-bought grilled marinated eggplant, grilled eggplant, and roasted peppers, but I used fresh vegetables and did it myself. The bread I bought was a day old, on sale, and the perfect crustiness. I only had room for one layer of vegetables within the loaf, unable to repeat the layers, but I had extra vegetables so bought another bread and filled that.