Movie Bites does ‘20 Feet From Stardom’

THE MOVIE
Directed by Morgan Neville and produced by music industry executive Gil Friesan, 20 Feet From Stardom plots the careers and brushes with the bigtime of backing singers Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Táta Vega, Claudia Lennear and Jo Lawry (among others) who have sung behind the likes of The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen and Sting. The film tells their stories and poses the triple threat of sexism, racism and bad timing as reasons to why these powerhouses never quite stepped into the spotlight.

THE SCENE
Some people are born show stealers. Darlene Love made sure everyone left the 86th Academy Music Awards knowing what she could do when she burst into song by way of acceptance speech when 20 Feet From Stardom picked up the Best Documentary Oscar.

THE FOOD
The movie highlights the fact that many of these singers who added so much weight to some of the grittiest songs of our time ( Gimme Shelter , anyone?) started singing in church. We're taking our inspiration from Soul Food – and it doesn't get much more soulful than pecan pie.

INGREDIENTS
70g of unsalted butter
70g of golden syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
140g of light muscovado sugar
2 free-range eggs
1 x 195g shop-bought shortcrust pastry case
125g of pecan nuts

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Put the butter into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt over a low heat. Mix in the golden syrup and vanilla extract. When the butter has melted, add in the muscovado sugar and mix until thick and well-dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for five to 10 minutes. Beat the two eggs in a small bowl before mixing into the cooled syrup mixture.

Line the pastry case with pecans before carefully pouring over the syrup mixture. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the filling is dark brown. It will still be a bit soft but it will set once cooled.

Let the pie cool before dusting with icing sugar and cutting into thick, soulful slices.