We are one day behind, both today and tomorrow. Thursday night I attended an unexpected emergency, and through much ado, all is well. However between that and the birthday parties, family slideshows, and wedding showers this weekend, we are a bit behind. So I am going to release a fun "Food Friday" now, and Tuesday the belated Medical Monday. The rest of the week I will be devoted to by niece's wedding, which will be held at our farm. I may send out some more fun posts.

Why watch movies about food ? Food is something we must deal with everyday. It can be a chore, but it needn’t be. Movies about food tell the stories of how food came to be as it is today. Food movies remind us about what and who it takes to put it on our table. They also serve to inspire us to make better and healthier food for our families.

There is a dark side to food in the developed world. There are numerous documentaries which go into this. Here is a site which catalogs and reviews them.

First we Feast

I would like to focus on a celebration of food, and the people who make it. Here is a great “beginner’s” collection of food movies which I have seen. I have tried to provide a little introduction so you can chose mindfully. I have also included viewing source options. Do not be put off by other languages. The subtitles are easy to get used to and it is fascinating to hear the other languages in the setting of what is happening.

Haute Cuisine - (French with subtitles) (Netflix)- chronicles the career of one of the personal chef’s of the president of France.
Chocolat- (English) (Apple movies) Art House film with a all star cast including Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche- set in France - about a newcomer whose beautiful bakery inspires the villagers to enjoy life.
Chef- (Netflix)- unmissable sweet story about a single dad who is a chef, his young son and their transition to a food truck business
Like Water for Chocolate - (Netflix) (Spanish with subtitles) - fanciful earthy tale about a family with a daughter who can infuse her feelings into the food she cooks. Great fun.
Babette’s Feast (Apple Movies) (Danish and French with English Subtitles)- Period piece movie about a French housekeeper and cook who moves to Denmark two live with two old puritanical sisters. Her cooking is transformative.
Julie and Julia - Delightful account of a New York woman who blogs about cooking every dish is Julia child’s cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”.
Ratatouille- Charming Pixar film about a rat who wants to become a 5 star chef.
The Hundred Foot Journey - Must see culture clash tale of an Indian family, their restaurant, and a french chef. A visual feast.
Burnt (Apple Movies) - Drama/Comedy about a narcissistic two star Michelin chef who has to grow up to get his third star. Stars Bradley Cooper.
JIRO Dreams of Sushi - (Japanese with English Subtitles) Documentary about the greatest sushi chef in Japan
The Ramen Girl- (Amazon video) ( English and Japanese with subtitles) Heartwarming comedy about an young American Woman in Japan who is determined to learn the art of making traditional ramen.

Series:

Giada DiLaurentis (Food Network) glossy production, pretty Giada and simple Italian dishes
The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten (Food Network) - Beautiful streamlined classic recipes
Tastemade - Sourced-(internet and Apple TV) engaging series of shorts by Aussie hostGuy Turland about classic ingredients and how they are sourced.
Chef’s Table - series of different chefs and their unique contributions. (Netflix)
Cooked - MIchael Pollan - unparalleled photography, food science and delicious food (Netflix)
The Mind of a Chef - David Chang; origins of classic dishes and travel to their geographic and cultural origins (Netflix)

Some of these series are complete and some are ongoing. These are generally much shorter than full length movies and are great to watch if you don’t have much time.

So I recommend tucking in to these food movies. Just make sure you get out of the theater and into the kitchen yourself, even if your dishes don’t look exactly like the ones on the screen.