The news that Meryl Streep has signed on to play Julia Child
in Julie and Julia is great for those of us who love food, film, and food on film. The movie chronicles temporary secretary Julie Powell's valiant attempt to cook every recipe in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" over the course of one year in her "crappy outer borough kitchen."

Nora Ephron is writing the screenplay and will also direct. Amy Adams (Junebug, Enchanted) plays the ambitious aspiring chef.

After the jump, the champions of culinary cinema await this new challenger.

Tampopo (1985). Juzo Itami's tale of the determined owner of a run-down ramen shop is interspersed with short vignettes that explore the importance of food in Japanese society. Food, sex and cultural traditions are all part of the heady mix. What you'll be hungry for after: noodle soup, oysters.

Big Night (1996). Co-directed by Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott, this period piece about two brothers trying to save their authentic – but failing – Italian restaurant has glorious cooking sequences and a fabulous cast that includes Tony Shalhoub, Isabella Rossellini and Minnie Driver. What you'll be hungry for after: timpano, roast suckling pig.

Babette's Feast (1987). In this Academy Award winner for best foreign film, a French political refugee becomes a housekeeper and cook to two elderly and reclusive Danish sisters. After years of hiding her gastronomic talent, she finally creates for her employers a fantastic meal that transports them beyond their austere existence. What you'll be hungry for after: chicken in puff pastry.

Like Water for Chocolate (1992). Adapted from the novel by Laura Esquivel, the romantically-thwarted heroine is able to express her passion only through her cooking. Anyone who eats what she prepares feels what she does, even if it's nausea or sadness. What you'll be hungry for after: wedding cake, quail.

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) Ang Lee directed this family drama (as well as The Wedding Banquet, another food-centric movie) about a retired Taiwanese chef and his three daughters. It bears more than a passing resemblance to Fiddler on the Roof in its portrayal of the tension between generations. What you'll be hungry for after: dumplings, whole fried fish.

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Poll: What's your favorite Meryl Streep role?