New book from Hato Press invites you to cook with Scorsese

I stand by my assertion that the opening scene of Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets, when Harvey Keitel’s character throws his head down to his pillow and the opening seconds of The Ronettes’ Be My Baby play out is one of the finest moments in cinema. It’s great. And as well as a great ear for soundtracks, Scorsese has discerning Italian-American tastebuds that he stirs through his movies like you would parmesan to a pomodoro.

Hato Press’ Cooking with Scorsese documents the films that hold food dear – both those where food is their central theme and where it seems incidental – through a printed book, interactive website and supper club. As Ananda Pellerin from The Gourmand writes in the preface, “food… embodies cultural and class values, states of mind, or simply helps the plot along from A to B. Food carries the weight of emotions… Love, hate, defiance, indifference, it’s all there in the soup to enjoy.”

Cooking with Scorsese has found a great way of utilising and balancing print and digital publishing. Neither medium attempts to replicate the other: the book reads like short comic strips while the micro-site splices scenes from the films according to thematic choices made by the user. Hato Press is hosting a dinner to launch the publication, and continuing the theme, the food, drink and waiting staff will be dressed and served inspired by the movie Bennie & Joon. This kind of attention to detail deserves a toast.

We’ve also got the video from Hato’s Ken Kirton speaking at Nicer Tuesday’s about the making of the book and running Hato Press.