[Sca-cooks] OT OOP: Movies Featuring Food

[Ariane H]

lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:

>  ...besides Vatel, which we've discussed before, what other food 
> oriented films (don't have to period or near period) do folks recommend? 

I don't think anyone's mentioned this one yet, but there was a 
French-Georgian film that came out a few years ago called "A Chef in 
Love" (if you can't find it under the English title, the French is "Les 
mille et une recettes du cuisinier amoureux").  It was an Oscar nominee 
for best foreign film the year of its release.   I remember liking it 
pretty well, but I only saw it once and that was 5 or 6 years ago.  The 
scene I remember best is when the chef is being served some elaborate, 
exotic concoction at a restaurant, is challenged to guess all the 
ingredients that make it up.

Another great movie (well, two movies, but they're halves of the same 
story), which aren't entirely food-related, are the films based on the 
autobiographies of Marcel Pagnol, "My Father's Glory" and "My Mother's 
Castle."  They are rife with gorgeous scenes of life in 
turn-of-the-century Provence, and while not gastrocentric, still include 
big, steaming bowls of cafe au lait, fresh bread spread thick with 
homemade butter and jam, a luscious baba au rhum decked out with cream 
and fresh fruits...  Ok, I guess that almost any French film, is going 
to have some good food in the background of the story. :)  I think 
someone mentioned "Babette's Feast" already - definitely see that if you 
haven't yet.  It's got kind of a similar theme to "Chocolat": the 
adventures of good eating bring new life to a quiet village.

My ultimate favorite food/film indulgence was a short-lived Bravo 
television series called "Arias and Pasta."  In each episode the host 
would interview a different opera star (lots of singing included, 
naturally), and then they would cook dinner together.  Being a die-hard 
opera fan as well as a foodie, watching this show was absolute bliss.


Vittoria