"Diane, I'm holding in my hand a small box of chocolate bunnies."
Ah, Twin Peaks. So surreal. So mysterious. So full of deliciously weird scenes with food.
David Lynch's cult classic series returns with a long-awaited revival Sunday on Showtime. It has been more than 25 years since fans were introduced to the sleepy Pacific Northwestern town of Twin Peaks and the mysterious murder of prom queen Laura Palmer, when Lynch's show first ran from 1990 to 1991 on ABC.
The characters' quirky relationships with food were the bizarre toppings on this unconventional TV dessert.
From the unexplainable "there's a fish in the percolator" scene to Lucy's immaculate organization of the sheriff's office's doughnuts to Agent Dale Cooper's affinity for damn fine coffee and berry pie, and Jerry and Ben Horne lovingly devouring Brie and French bread, Twin Peaks showcases food in ways not many other eerie dramas do.
Norma Jennings and Shelly Johnson were the steadfast stewards of the Double R Diner, serving up wholesome huckleberry pie and other homemade dishes. The Bookhouse Boys of the Twin Peaks Sheriff's Office always had dozens of doughnuts blanketing their tables — organized by topping and jelly, of course.
Agent Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) possibly doted on food the most, consistently proclaiming his love of coffee "black as midnight on a moonless night," warm huckleberry pie with vanilla ice cream and "the taste sensation when maple syrup collides with ham."
Food isn't an afterthought in Twin Peaks. Though it may have seemed trivial or just plain silly at the time, its food scenes have become just as iconic and quotable as the ones involving the murder investigation and the paranormal happenings in the woods.
So if you're planning a watch party for Sunday's premiere, you'll want to serve up indulgent iterations of dishes Twin Peaks helped catapult into cult status: cherry pie, coffee, Brie and butter on bread, and doughnuts. Try these recipes on for size.
Contact Chelsea Tatham at ctatham@tampabay.com. Follow @chelseatatham.