STARTERS
MY LI FE IN FOOD RIDLEY SCOTT
The director of Alien, Blade Runner and Napoleon discusses scrambled eggs, Italian restaurants and his first banana
I didn’t see a banana until I was six. Growing up, there was rationing after the Second World War until 1954, so, we ate only whatever was accessible and what was seasonal — mostly potatoes and sausages. The banana was black, and I said to my mum, “Woah!” Coca-Cola is the best fizzy drink ever. I first experienced it when I was shipped off to Germany in 1947 with my father, who was in the army of occupation. We moved into the American zone and it was the first time I experienced the American way of life — there were soda fountains, hamburgers and raspberry milkshakes. I drink it now when I can get the real Coke in a glass bottle. I used to eat Indian food three times a week. It was when I moved to London at the age of 20 to study at the Royal College of Art. I had to pay for my own rent and food so I worked in a Post Office, cleaned trucks and laid concrete to support myself. I lived on Wonder loaves, bacon and eggs, peanut butter and Nescafé, but then I discovered Indian food, which wasn’t only cheap but fantastic, too. I still love it. For the Alien dinner scene, we accurately portrayed what would be eaten in deep space.
Today, the actual packing cases on space crafts are edible. I hadn’t thought about that for Alien, but we had healthy things like grains and non- perishables. Everything has to be dried and processed in deep space. My favourite restaurant in London is the River Cafe, which could quite possibly be the best Italian restaurant in Europe. Another favourite is Scott’s in Mayfair, which is one of the best bistros I’ve experienced in my life — partly because of the excellent service and partly because they make the best vodka martini. The most unusual food I’ve tried was a fried grasshopper. It was when I first shot in Tokyo and was taken to Kyoto by the actor Ken Takakura. He said, “I’m going to show you Japanese food isn’t all sushi.” We went to a wonderful restaurant in the town and we had cooked Japanese food, which oddly enough felt quite Provençal. When I asked what I was eating, he said, “You’re eating a fried grasshopper.” It just tasted fried and crispy. London is one of the best food capitals in the world if you know where to go. It became pretty sophisticated early on in my lifetime and I was able to eat well there and watch it evolve. I experienced Italian restaurants such as Alvaro and San Lorenzo as well as [the similarly fashionable] Mr Chow. Alvaro evolved into this wonderful club restaurant, which I attended often, and it was there, for the first time in my life, that I experienced Parma ham, real pasta, figs and all of the good things that Italian cuisine represents. When filming, I used to have my food prepared, but frankly, it was silly because there wasn’t enough time to enjoy anything special. I eat whatever the rest of the crew are having, though I like to keep it simple during the day as much as I can with basic salads, as they tend not to tire you. Eating meat around midday tends to make you sleepy, which I avoid. I always have potatoes, salad and fish. No bread. The only thing I’m really good at cooking is scrambled eggs. However, I think I could be a good cook, as cooking is certainly about precision and I think I’ve very much evolved by precision. The secret to good scrambled eggs is never to use milk — only use water. You have to keep it moving and then take it out while it’s still cooking and top it with chives. More information about Ridley Scott’s wine brand, Mas des Infermières, can be found at
masdesinfermieres.com Interview: Aleesha Hansel
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/TRAVEL 31
IMAGES: SYLVAIN HUMBERT; ALAMY; STOCKFOOD; GETYY
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