What is the food eaten in Close Encounters during the infamous mashed potato scene? (fedia.io)

submitted 2 months ago by Reverendender@sh.itjust.works to c/allthingsfoodandcooking@sh.itjust.works

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cross-posted from: https://fedia.io/m/movies@lemm.ee/t/1322982

My kids haven't seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind yet and I thought it would be a fun surprise to recreate the meal eaten in the mashed potato scene and watch the movie with the movie dinner. (I can't wait to see if they put two and two together when that scene comes up lol.)

Obviously there's mashed potato. And I can see sweet corn. Kids are drinking milk. But I can't tell what the little meat things are. I assumed they were crumbed rissoles but having not been raised or lived in the US, I'm unsure if I'm missing a common protein that was eaten at dinner around the late 1970s. Meatloaf has also been suggested but in my country we never have mini meatloaves that I've seen so I'm unsure how accurate that is.

I also can't tell what is in the bowls beside Roy and his sons - to the top left of Roy's plate, right hand side of Toby and top right of Brad's plate. Maybe Ronnie and Silvia have one of these bowls too but I can't tell. You can see Brad eat out of his bowl at one point and it looks like something pale (I wondered coleslaw or macaroni).

Anyway, anyone know or have an idea of what the little meat things are and what are in the side bowls?

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[-] Jiggle_Physics@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 days ago

maybe crab cakes?

[-] treadful@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Very likely to be "chicken croquets." They were all the rage in the late 80s and early 90s. The were also likely be paired with mashed potatoes and corn.

I remember them being great as a kid but I really have no interest in trying them again.

[-] distantsounds@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

Possibly a cheap chicken Cordon bleu or Kiev thing? I don’t remember them looking that bad though

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordon_bleu_(dish)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Kiev

[-] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yeah my bet’s Campbell’s back of the can cordon blue recipe.

Edit: forgot how to spell soup brand

[-] clay_pidgin@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

That's what I mentioned in the other thread, but they do look a little burnt.

[-] Ledivin@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

I'm like 70% sure those are fish cakes. They're a little thick, but nothing too crazy

[-] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

This was what I posted in the original thread. I'm 100% sure they are fish cakes

[-] paysrenttobirds@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago

Corn, hush puppies, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes -- insane dinner. All yellow.

[-] Boxscape@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I last saw that movie a long time ago so I don't remember the scene.

But, from that screengrab alone, could they be dinner rolls? Maybe pumpernickel ones?

[-] itsworkthatwedo@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

The "little meat things" look like mini corndogs, without sticks. Definitely not mini meatloafs, not like any fishstick I've encountered. Could be a hushpuppy I guess, but would be surprised if a dinner table in america in the 70s lacked some sort of animal based protein.

this post was submitted on 18 Oct 2024

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