One of the things I love about the act of cooking is how it brings friends and family together in a chaotic yet routine way. I have fond memories of holidays at my Uncle Junior’s house in Chicago, IL -- my great grandmother organizing myriad dishes (baked kibbeh, raw kibbeh, tabouli, hushwee, hummus, homemade labneh, etc.) in the kitchen in order to get dinner together for 40+ family members. I remember baking my first snickerdoodles with my mother in our yellow kitchen with “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore” playing on the radio. Whether it’s putting together a huge family feast, baking banana bread with younger family members, or participating in a crock pot prep party with the neighbors -- it’s not just about sustenance -- it’s about how food preparation (and eating) brings people together.
I think that’s why I’m such a pushover for “foodie films”. Give me a good rom-com, drama, or even a documentary centered around food, and I am all in. I love a good “food prep” montage. If the food has some kind of magical component -- as far fetched as it may be -- I’m drawn in and suspending disbelief for the film’s duration. While I rarely walk away from a foodie film with new found confidence to attempt something different in the kitchen, I do walk away with the hope that food is the magical variable, bringing people together or helping someone reach her dreams, no matter the circumstances.
MCLS’ digital content resource, hoopla, has a wonderful selection of food-centric movies and documentaries available to you. Take a look at some that are available for you to watch. All you need is your library card and a couple of clicks on the device of your choice:
Burnt (2015)
Summary: When a rockstar chef's (Bradley Cooper) bad attitude destroys his career, he finds a crew to help him battle the odds and open a new restaurant that could earn him a third Michelin Star.
Chocolat (2001)
Summary: Nobody could have imagined the impact Vianne would make when she arrived in a small French town. In her very unusual chocolate shop, she begins to craft delectable confections that almost magically inspire the straitlaced villagers to abandon themselves to temptation and happiness. But it is not until another stranger, the handsome Roux, arrives in town that she finally recognizes her own desires.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Summary: A delicious comedy about food, fatherhood and family ties. Widower Tao Chu, Taiwan's most famous chef, struggles with accepting his three daughters' newfound appetite for boys, an interest that begins to break the family apart with hilarious and often touching results.
I Am Love (2010)
Summary: The wealthy Recchi family has undergone sweeping changes. Eduardo Sr. has named a successor to the reins of his company, and surprised everyone by splitting power between his son Tancredi and grandson Edo. But Edo had always dreamed of opening a restaurant with his friend Antonio. To make matters worse, the very foundation of the entire family may be totally shattered after Tancredi's wife Emma falls deeply in love with Antonio and begins a passionate love affair.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2012)
Summary: The story of 85-year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world's greatest sushi chef. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant inauspiciously located in a Tokyo subway station. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious three-star Michelin Guide rating, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimages, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro's sushi bar.
Like Water for Chocolate (1993)
Summary: Based on the best-selling book. Unable to marry, Tita expresses her passion for her beloved Pedro through food. Ordinary spices become a recipe for passion and her creations bring on tears of longing, heated desire or chronic pain in those who eat them.
Tortilla Soup (2001)
Summary: Three grown sisters, Maribel, Leticia and Carmen try to cope and live with the fact that their father Martin, a veteran chef, is losing his sense of taste. Martin has one simple rule: be at home for Sunday dinner and attendance is both mandatory and non-negotiable. A rift in the family develops when the sisters develop relationships and an obnoxious woman sets her sights on Martin's affections.
Vatel (2000)
Summary: To save his bankrupt province, Prince de Condé schemes to regain the favor of King Louis XIV with a weekend of spectacle and merriment. The plan's success rests with Vatel, the one man who can deliver the sumptuous food, elaborate amusements and all-out decadence fit for this king! But then Vatel catches the eye of the beautiful Anne...and places himself in direct competition with the King!
- by Anna, Hopewell Branch