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I love watching movies. On rainy days when I don’t feel like making the trek to the theatre, we pop a movie on our TV and recreate the theatre experience in our own home. Popcorn, a popcorn maker and a few cozy blankets will do wonders to transform your night in to an official movie night. If you have a popcorn bucket, like the striped one below, it’ll be just like you’re at an AMC.
While I enjoy all kinds of films, I have a special place in my heart for movies about chefs and cooking. While there are so many chef movies to talk about, I picked a few of my favorites to share.
THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY
“I would like to make you an omelet. Would you be interested?”
One of the most touching scenes in The Hundred Foot Journey is when Michelin Star Chef Madame Mallory (played by Helen Mirren) prepares a coriander omelette while Hassan (played by Manish Dayal) dictates each instruction. Unlike most cooking scenes, this one truly savors each step of the meal preparation. Hassan even has Madame Mallory slow down as she whisks the eggs. Juggling multiple dishes and multiple burners, chefs don’t often have the time to slow down. This scene reminds me that every once in a while I need to stop and smell the roses...or the omelettes rather.
Fun Fact: This movie was produced by Oprah, Steven Spielberg and Juliet Blake!
JULIE & JULIA
“Eat, it’s what I like to do”
That’s what every chef wants to hear. When Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) says this in the film, I instantly knew it would be one of my favorites. I love this movie because we see two women stumble, fall, get back up and succeed throughout their journey to become great cooks! This film is a reminder that you aren’t born knowing how to perfectly roast a chicken or make a fabulous beef bourguignon. I’ve been cooking for a long time and I’m still learning new techniques and recipes. The road to delicious food is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. And when in doubt, just remember WWJD. What would Julia do?
Fun Fact: In addition to being a beloved chef, Julia Child was also a wonderful mentor to several young cooks including myself! She told me to apply to the Culinary Institute of America. The very next day, I sent in my application and eventually graduated from there.
CHEF
“There are chefs that cook food that they believe in and people will try because they're open to a new experience and they'll end up liking it.”
This post would not be complete without me talking about Chef. It gives you all the foodie feels. What I love most about this film is that we see Carl (played by Jon Favreau) fall back in love with his passion for cooking when he opens up a food truck. In a world, where everything is reviewed, posted and liked, you have to remember why you started. I have something in common with Carl, we both started cooking because of our passion for food, flavor and bringing people together.
Fun fact: Roy Choi, the chef behind the notoriously delicious Kogi food trucks, trained Jon Favreau for this film. No wonder this film was so believable!
Cat Note: Some of my other favorite chef movies are Ratatouille, The Scent of Green Papaya, Like Water for Chocolate, Cook up a Storm and Eat Drink Man Woman.
