Cooking movies: Back to the basics
Cooking movies are incredible. They’re are always stylish, energetic and fast paced. But, most importantly, cooking movies make us salivate every time we watch them. It’s true.
Have you noticed how cooking movies make us reach for the refrigerator every time we see Chef? And, I just know that you at least tried to recreate the famous grilled cheese from Chef? Heck, I know I did.
Or perhaps, the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio? I know I did. More times that I care to admit. But, for the foodies (much like myself), cooking movies are a 2 hour wet dream. A fantasy that we wish could come true.
And, you don’t even have to be a cook, to enjoy them. Or a foodie for that matter. All you need to have is an appetite for food, and stamina to sit through Big Night and not want to eat the entire menu. Good luck with that.
Big Night is still awesome
But, as much as I love Big Night and Stanley Tucci, in this post I’m going to focus on the movies released in the new Millennium. The post-Big Night movies that made an impression on me. Oh, and the cooking movies that made me wanna become a foodie.
Yes, I know that plenty of you sneer at the term, but I’m ready to defend it. Foodie is a term for those of us whose life purpose is to be filled with great, diverse and fantastic food. It’s basically for those of us who’re not eating to live, but living to eat fantastic food.
Cooking movies: So who’s on the menu?
With the occasion of the Overcooked sale, here on Indie Gala, let me present my favorite 4 cooking movies of this past 2 decades.
They’re fairly new. So, don’t expect Like Water For Chocolate, The Chinese Feast and Big Night. For sure, they’re not gonna make the cut on this list. This is a list for movies released past the year 2000, and that are still making us salivate.
Julie And Julia
Tell me. How could you not love this movie?
Meryl Streep plays the goddess of the modern cooking, Julia Child. Oh, and Amy Adams is her devoted fan. Amazing right? Set in two different timelines, Julie And Julia is a fantastic cooking movie. It’s got charm, wit, heart, humor and soul. And it has incredible recipes to show for.
All of the recipes are derived from Julia Child’s cookbook. Yeah, they’re made with blood, sweat and tears. And oh, a lot of love of course. And, I might add… Stanley Tucci is in Julie And Julia as well.
He plays Julia Child’s loving and patient husband, and they’re both a joy to watch. Oh, and from the aforementioned recipes, the Tomato Basil Bruschetta is still to this day a great success in my house. So, there’s that.
Ratatouille
Oh, how I love this Disney Pixar movie. The great Anthony Bourdain described Ratatouille as the film with the most accurate restaurant and cooking depiction. Ever.
And I’m not a cook to confirm that claim, so I’m gonna have to take his word for it. After all, the man spent 30 years in the restaurant business. He knew what he was talking about.
But what I loved in Ratatouille the most is the rat’s passion for food. Yup. I know plenty of people that don’t even have half of his passion and vigor. But, Remy has the same passion for cooking, as Sherlock Holmes for crime solving.
He managed to create fantastic creations without anyone knowing. And he managed to teach a young and clueless ingénue how to cook. How cool is that?
Waitress
Oh yeah! This is not the most known of all the cooking movies. Nor it’s the most acclaimed among the real cooks or pastry chefs. But there’s no doubt that it holds a special place in my heart.
Why? Because it’s written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly. Secondly it has Nathan Fillion in the cast. And thirdly… The movie’s focus is on making of pies. Sweet or savory it doesn’t matter, they look delicious nonetheless.
Chef
Last but certainly not least. Chef is an awesome cooking movie. Directed and starring Jon Favreau, Chef is so much more than a cooking movie. It’s a chef’s roadie-style movie of self-discovery, redemption and indulgence.
Chef basically gathered „one third“ of the Marvel Cinematic universe and mixed it up with the best of the best in Hollywood. But what about the recipes? Well, there’s plenty to choose from. From the aforementioned grilled cheese sandwich to the famous beignets from Café Du Monde. Yummy don’t you think?
They’re all good and you’ve guessed it. Delish.
What do you think? What are you favorite cooking movies?
