Hey everyone! Claire here.
Before there was Eat, Pray, Love, there was Now, Voyager: the ultimate “finding yourself” story starring the never boring Bette Davis. The title of the film (or rather, the book the film is based on) is from Walt Whitman’s The Untold Want:
The untold want by life and land ne’er granted,
Now, voyager, sail thou forth, to seek and find.
The story captures the struggle of Davis’s character, Charlotte, so completely. Charlotte, the drab “maiden aunt” of an incredibly wealthy New England family, had always yearned for a life beyond her overbearing mother’s grasp. Unfortunately, her mother is constantly using guilt and shame to keep Charlotte’s style dowdy and her figure heavy.
Finally, Charlotte’s chic sister-in-law sneakily brings Dr. Jaquith, a psychiatrist, to the house for tea, where everything comes to a head. Charlotte starts therapy and goes on a South American cruise to test out her new happening figure, a killer wardrobe (the hats!!) on loan from her sister-in-law, and a pretty balanced outlook on her place in the world. However, all the therapy in the world couldn’t prepare her for…love (of course!).
Charlotte meets a Jeremiah, and after being stranded for a night after a car accident on Sugarloaf Mountain, abnd they fall madly in love. He’s stuck in a loveless marriage, she tries to move on, but in the end they find a way for their love to work.
I love this film for the New Year, because at its core, it’s about a woman finding a way to blossom, and be her true self, despite everything pushing her back. Inspired by Charlotte’s life-changing trip to Brazil, I created this light and lovely coconut risotto with shrimp and kale pesto. It straddles that line between healthy and indulgent perfectly. Here’s to hoping you sail thou forth, to seek and find, this year!
Ingredients (for the risotto):
Serves 2-4 (depending on if it’s a main course or starter)
Instructions:
Ingredients (for the kale pesto):
Instructions:
Combine everything in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and combined.
Then, enjoy! I hope you all like this recipe. And remember, it tastes better eaten while watching Now, Yoyager.
What’s your favorite old movie? Do you have any recipe requests for me to cook up next?
X Claire
The Kitchy Kitchen