The 2024 biopic, A Complete Unknown, depicts how American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan has always done things his own way. He made harmonicas cool, won a Nobel Prize for his political lyrics and helped to define the sound of the ’60s. He was also involved in numerous romantic relationships with Suze Rotolo, Sara Dylan and singer Joan Baez. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that his favorite dinner is just as distinctive and complicated as he is.
In a chat with Interview magazine in 2012, Dylan was casually asked what was for dinner. His response? A great, big, genre-defying menu: “Grilled corn on the cob, black-eyed peas, beetroot salad, spinach and pilaf, deep-fried cauliflower, French-fried chicken and gravy, French-fried cabbage, pinto beans and rice, cocoa angel cake.”
It’s unclear whether Dylan was listing off his dream meal or what he was actually about to eat. Either way, in honor of his birthday on May 24th, Bob Dylan’s “dinner” is a feast worth unpacking.
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What Makes Bob Dylan’s Favorite Dinner So Great?
While the fried chicken and gravy might steal the spotlight as the comfort food main, Dylan’s dream dinner is surprisingly heavy on the vegetables. Corn, beets, spinach, cauliflower and cabbage all bring different textures and flavors to the table, while black-eyed peas and pinto beans add plant-based protein and fiber to keep you full long after the dishes are cleared up.
This dinner is hearty, soulful and comforting. Dylan takes classic Southern flavors and mixes them with a little global flair, much like the music he produced. And we can’t forget about the last course. While it’s not entirely clear what “cocoa angel cake” is, we are guessing that it’s a light chocolate cake, maybe similar to a chocolate angel food cake. And who knows, maybe it will be his birthday cake this year.
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How to Make Bob Dylan’s Favorite Dinner
Recreating Dylan’s ideal dinner isn’t exactly a quick weeknight move. It’s more of a weekend project or celebration meal and it also requires some guesswork on the part of the cook. With this many components, you’re going to have to stagger the cooking. You could make the cake in the morning or the night before and you could cook the beans and rice and make the beet salad in advance, too.
When it’s time to eat, fire up the grill for the corn and break out the oil for deep-frying the cauliflower, chicken and cabbage. Plate everything up, pour yourself something cold and enjoy a dinner fit for a living legend. Maybe you want to enjoy this epic festival of a feast whilst you watch A Complete Unknown or old clips of Bob Dylan’s performances at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Because if Bob Dylan is still going big at 84 years old, so can we.
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