Rosemary Woodhouse and her husband, Guy move into an apartment of an ominous building with peculiar residents. When Rosemary becomes pregnant, she grows increasingly paranoid over the safety of her unborn child. 

Rosemary’s Baby is a film abundant with food moments, making it an optimal selection for food & a film, and since it is a horror film (and one of my favorites ones at that), as with Psycho, it seemed only fitting to post the pairing just in time for Halloween. I should also point out that Rosemary conceives in the month of October, as well as receives confirmation from her doctor that she is pregnant on October 30th, which makes the timing of this post particularly felicitous.

The first appearance of food in Rosemary’s Baby happens early in the film when Rosemary and Guy join Hutch for dinner at his apartment. The trio feast on a leg of lamb, which Rosemary remarks is “terrific,” accompanied by wine and a side of either cooked carrots or yams. The second onscreen meal occurs on Rosemary and Guy’s first night in their new apartment. Since they are without furniture, the couple has a picnic on the floor of sandwiches (tuna, according to the screenplay) and beer.

A particularly notable food moment in the film is the night when Rosemary and Guy plan to start trying for a baby. Following their fireside cocktails, the couple enjoys a candlelit dinner, which ends with mugs of chocolate mousse (complete with a “chalky undertaste”) courtesy of Mrs. Castevet.

Additional noteworthy food moments include Rosemary and Hutch’s conversation over a plate of cookies & cups of coffee in the Woodhouse kitchen. Rosemary also has coffee in her kitchen earlier in the film with Mrs. Castevet, during which Mrs. Castevet invites Rosemary and Guy to join her and her husband for a sirloin dinner at their apartment. Prior to the dinner, upon Guy’s return home, Rosemary greets him with a sandwich & a beer before informing him of their impromptu dinner plans. Once at the Castevet residence, Rosemary and Guy are greeted with vodka blush cocktails before sitting down to a dinner of tough steak, peas & mashed potatoes, and a dessert of cake (Boston Cream Pie in the screenplay).

Moreover, there are the many large glasses of watery pistachio milkshake that Mrs. Castevet brings to Rosemary, as prescribed by Dr. Sapirstein, typically accompanied by a piece of fruitcake. Furthermore, there are the bizarre meat cravings Rosemary experiences during her pregnancy including the very rare piece of red meat, barely seared on both sides that Rosemary eats in her kitchen, as well as the raw, dripping chicken heart she chews on before catching her reflection in the toaster.

Lastly, a couple additional food moments include Rosemary preparing food for a party that she and Guy throw for their friends to announce her pregnancy, as well as the tray of soup, buttered toast, and “plain ordinary Lipton’s tea” that is served to Rosemary shortly after she has given birth.

For my Rosemary’s Baby-inspired menu, I decided to feature vegan beef tips (a much more appetizing alternative to the tough sirloin served at the Castevet residence), accompanied by sides of deviled avocado & rosemary roasted potatoes, as well as chocolate mousse (without the chalky undertaste).

For the place setting, I chose a marigold tablecloth inspired by the film’s yellow-heavy color palette and found a 1960s floral print napkin to match.

Finally, I included an arrangement of red roses since there are quite a few of them in the film.

Thank you for tuning in for this latest installment of food & a film. Until next time!