The Book Report – “Once Upon a Rind in Hollywood: 50 Movie-Themed Cheese Platters and Snack Boards for Film Fanatics”

Feb 22
The HorrorFatale

Food and photographs by Rachel Riederman
Ulysses Press
Release February 14, 2023

“Once Upon a Rind in Hollywood: 50 Movie-Themed Cheese Platters and Snack Boards for Film Fanatics” by Editors of Ulysses Press with food and photographs by Rachel Riederman is a unique full-color cookbook starring 50 different snack board ideas, from timeless cheese boards and charcuterie to candy platters and cocktail pairings, all themed around iconic movies.

Whether you’re streaming an AFI classic or classically bad movie, munchies are a must-have. With gorgeous flat-lay photography for every movie-themed board, Once Upon a Rind in Hollywood outlines what you need to create cheesy cinematic pairings (and even cheesier puns) like:

  • May the Fromage Be with You (Star Wars)
  • Draw Me Like One of Your French Gruyères (Titanic)
  • I’ll Harvarti What She’s Having (When Harry Met Sally)
  • Here’s Looking at You, Curd (Casablanca)
  • Brie-king Dawn (Twilight)
  • Roquefort Horror Picture Show (Rocky Horror Picture Show) and many more!

“If you love movies and you love cheese, this is the book for you,” says food photographer and recipe developer Rachel Riederman. “As you settle in to watch your favorite film, don’t merely serve popcorn, but rather a perfect selection of cheeses, meats, candies, and snacks, all perfectly paired to complement whatever 90- to 180-minute adventure you’re about to embark on.”

Enough from the publishers, here’s our opinion. This is a fun colorful and humorous cookbook. First off you don’t need to be a chef or an experienced cook to use and enjoy this book. But, I would recommend you be a fan of movies to get the playful takes on some of the recipe names. For example, May the Fromage Be With You (Star Wars), The Nightmare Before Charcuterie (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and Feta & The Furious (Fast & The Furious).

Riederman does a great job of developing these movie inspired snack boards and cheese platters. Every genre is represented including romance, action and drama and of course our favorite – horror.

The cookbook is beautifully photographed and Riederman styles each recipe with such care it not only looks delicious it’s also elegant and appealing.  Pick this book up if you are planning a movie watch party or just want a cute book to reference snacks for a solo movie night.

About the Photographer
Rachel Riederman is a fashion designer turned food stylist and photographer. After almost two decades in corporate fashion, she was inspired to change careers and follow her passion for all things food and entertaining. As a home cook, Riederman uses seasonal ingredients to craft easy, accessible recipes. She’s a travel enthusiast (Morocco is next on her list of countries to visit) and always first in line to try the newest restaurants in NYC. Now a city girl planted in the suburbs, Riederman lives just outside NYC with her husband, toddler son Charlie, and Siamese cats, Murphy and Smooch. This is her first book. For more food and recipe inspiration, follow her on Instagram at @whatsinrachelskitchen.

Once Upon a Rind in Hollywood  was released on February 14, 2023 and is available at Amazon and where books are sold.