Meals on Wheels

I always like it when the entertainment world encompasses my equally fierce love of the food world. Or at least, I like it when they do it competently. Just cause something has to do with food or cooking is no guarantee that I'll be automatically on board. I didn't worry too much when it came Chef, though. Chef is a 2014 movie written by, directed by, and starring Jon Favreau. Clearly, he felt pretty strongly about the material. It got mostly good reviews and came highly recommended by friend-and-cohost Kyle, so I was fairly certain I was in good hands.

Chef revolves around the story of Carl Casper (Favreau), a chef who has found a large measure of success at an LA restaurant, but in exchange for that success, he's given up his opportunities for creativity and personality in his menus. An acidic critic (Oliver Platt) calls him out on this, leading to a Twitter war and Casper's eventual joblessness. Casper resolves to re-discover why he became a chef, and with the help of his still-amiable ex-wife (Sofia Vergara) and sous chef (John Leguizamo), starts a cross-country trip on a food truck. The trip is his chance to not only re-ignite his career, but to forge a stronger connection with his son (Emjay Anthony), whom he's often neglected.

The movie has a lot of themes on its mind. Obviously, the importance of maintaining relationships with friends and family is the big one. No man is an island, and Chef tackles this not only by addressing Casper's attempts to make up for his disappointing parenting, but by pointing out to him that he can't accept the accolades and success for running a popular restaurant without also accepting its limitations. In order to express himself artistically, he must strike out on his own.

The movie also takes on the often-tired trope of criticism, and frankly does a better job of it than Best Picture winner Birdman. Caspar attacks Platt's character for glibly shitting all over his life's work, but the movie balances that out by admitting that Platt's review was entirely correct; Casper really has lost his way.

Not everything in the movie works. The relationship hurdles it sets up are cleared too easily. It's got a very odd view of social media, in which a taco truck cruising through town causes more online enthusiasm than it would if it were Beyonce. The story is also based on the life and work of Roy Choi, who we've met before, and who is, not to put too fine a point on it, kind of an egotistical ass.

Overall, though, it was a very enjoyable movie, and not just from a story perspective. It's got some great music, and the beauty shots of the food are incredible. If Chef accomplishes nothing else, it'll have you running for the refrigerator in no time.

Chef: B

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Aquatic Adoration and the Greaseball Banishment

Four Courses Podcast - Episode 15

There are countless foods that appeal to me, but there's a special place in my heart for shellfish. Maybe being born in Baltimore has infused my blood with Old Bay seasoning, or maybe I was always destined to fall in love with crab, lobster, mussels, etc. etc. Happily, we set aside some time to talk about it this month, along with so much more, so why not head over to Four Courses and give Episode 15 a listen?

Topics include Juniper (both for a crawfish boil and their regular menu), the ups and downs of rum drinks, the aforementioned ode to shellfish, and a fun discussion of what makes famous food names a Cook or a Personality. We go out on more sea creature talk, as we attempt to win each other over to the oceanic animals that aren't as popular on our dinner tables. Enjoy!

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American Plate - Bite #27: Pie

Americans have had a long and rewarding relationship with pies, be they savory or sweet. In its early incarnations, settlers made crusts that were not really made to be eaten. Pie filling would be sealed into a "coffin" of hard, tasteless crust before baking. Afterwards, the coffin was broken open and discarded, and the filling enjoyed on its own. In the 1600s, France finally latched on to the idea to make pastries (including pie crusts)...you know...GOOD. From there, the idea spread quickly to Britain, and then across to the colonies. Crusts were also helped along by an emerging technology: Ovens built into the wall. Making consistent pie crusts and other baked goods was infinitely easier with wall ovens than cooking over open flames.

From there, the pie as we know it today became inextricably linked to American cuisine. New England developed the double-crust blueberry pie. Pennsylvania Dutch/German colonists in the mid-Atlantic region tweaked old, ancestral recipes to bring us the shoo fly pie. Farmers in the south that had ready access to vast fields of corn (and thus cornmeal) introduced the chess pie. Notice what isn't mentioned there? The good ol' "American" apple pie, and there's a good reason for that. It's not really American. The American Plate mentions this, but in a serendipitous overlap, so have I, in my research post for Episode 7 of Four Courses.

Pie has made another contribution to American food culture, though in a modern context, rather than a historical one. The number π is immeasurably important to the fields of science and mathematics, and since π kicks off with 3.14, people hit upon the genius idea to designate March 14 as "Pi(e) Day". According to Wikipedia, the earliest known official or large-scale celebration of Pi(e) Day was organized by Larry Shaw in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium, and it's been embraced nationwide ever since.

That embrace definitely includes me. Speaking of Four Courses, we discussed Pi(e) Day in Episode 3, in which I declared my deep and abiding love for it. I try to make something for Pi(e) Day every year, often using it as an opportunity to experiment with pies I've never made and/or eaten before. This year, I got my pie on in a multitude of ways, as you can see in the picture above.

First, there's the classic key lime pie, which I make often. In fact, the one pictured is one I made at request for my boyfriend's birthday in lieu of a cake. Next to that is my first lemon chess pie. As described above, chess pies incorporate cornmeal (and do not make the mistake I almost made and substitute corn starch for cornmeal - they're decidedly not equivalent). The chess pie was well-received by my friends, though the next time I make it, I'll likely bump up the lemon rind to balance out the intense sweetness. And finally, there are some bacon/onion/cheese tarts. I'm normally pretty rigid about following recipes, but this one was a true experiment. The only onions mentioned in the recipe are a dusting of scallions, but I added some sauteed white onion as well. I also included other ingredients not mentioned, like sauteed garlic and a healthy punch of cumin.

Though some of the Bites I'll be eating for this project are firmly ensconced in America's past, pie thankfully continues to evolve, presenting new and exciting flavors and techniques all the time. Although we certainly don't need an excuse to eat it, having a day to celebrate not only these sweet and savory marvels, but a number that represents a linchpin of scientific achievement, makes pie one of the more beloved entries of this entire enterprise.

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Recipe For Success

Back when I was reviewing/recapping Top Chef, I had a common...well, it wasn't a complaint, per se. More of an observation. The producers would bring in these big names from the food world to be guest judges, and the contestants would be duly impressed by them. The audience, however, was often left out in the cold. If you weren't familiar with the person, then all you had to go on was a gushing interview from a contestant, talking about how much they respected the Name of the Week. It's not that I didn't believe that these guests were accomplished; they were just unfamiliar, so I didn't know how much stock I put in their opinions.

We so often don't know what goes into forming the opinions and motivations of chefs, no matter how famous they may be, which is why the PBS show The Mind of a Chef is such a nice change of pace. It's produced by Anthony Bourdain (who also narrates), and each season focuses on one or two particular chefs. We follow the chef through multiple episodes, as they explain and demonstrate the aspects of food and food culture that inspire them or that they concentrate on.

As of this post, three seasons have aired, and I've worked my way through the first one. Season 1 centered around David Chang, the Korean-American chef who founded the Momofuku group of restaurants. Naturally, he loves working with Asian ingredients, specifically noodles. But he is by no means a single-minded chef. Through these sixteen episodes, we visit several countries with him, diving into ramen, the edible parts of a pig, whiskey, eggs, cookies, and much more.

Each episode fills us in on a part of Chang's history or a particular ingredient that has been important to his development as a chef, and this deep exploration of a career is something that audiences and diners see far too rarely. As a television concept, it's brilliant. It's executed well, too, though I did have one or two issues.

The first is just a personal thing: Season 1 features several scenes of people eating ramen, and I don't believe there's a food that's less attractive to watch people consume. The other is more structural. Since the chef is involved with foods, trends, restaurants, and people that they enjoy, it can get a little repetitive watching them heap praise on everything that's featured. Everything can't be awesome. I don't expect them to eat foods they hate or to delve into stories of their career's failures, but it would be nice to get a more multi-faceted look at the chef's personality; I want to hear about the foods or cooking methods they avoid as well as the ones they flock to.

Aside from that, though, this show is not only entertaining and informative, but important to the television landscape. We're always being told that so-and-so is an expert, but now, we don't have to take a host's word for it. We can see the evidence for ourselves.

The Mind of a Chef - Season 1: B

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American Plate - Bite #49: Lunch Pails

It makes sense that the first bite I tackle for the American Plate Project incorporates a lot of the allowances I gave myself in the rules. It's easy to get my hands on, requires minimal preparation and planning, and is generally a solitary eating experience: Lunch Pails (Bite #49).

Lunch Pails are brought up in the time period between the Civil War and the Industrial Age, which makes total sense. Gone were the days that a majority of workers ate at home or had family members bring them the midday meal in the fields they were working. People were beginning to spend their lunchtimes in factories and coal mines, and needed a more convenient way to eat. The American Plate mentions this as a time that immigrants flooded into the country, and singles out the Welsh for their work in the coal mines. Immigrants from Wales were more easily accepted into American society than others, since they shared language and religion with the people already here. They were also crazy about leeks and helped popularize them in America, which I'm grateful for. Leeks are damned tasty.

Welsh miners would take a three-level pail to work: A bottom layer of hot tea (which warmed the food above), a middle layer of hearty food, such as ham and bread, or a leek/cheese pastry, and a top layer of fruit or something sweet. Sounds like a pretty good system! Several household supplies were sold in tin boxes in the time after the Civil War, and people naturally wanted to repurpose them, hitting upon the idea to send their kids off to their schoolhouses with the boxes packed with food.

It wasn't until 1902 that these tins were sold with the express purpose of being lunchboxes. After that, it didn't take long for merchandising to grab a hold of them, with Disney selling their first Mickey Mouse lunchbox in 1935. After that, an era of lunchboxes swept in; they were an important fashion accessory of American schoolchildren everywhere. They featured cowboys, television characters, cartoons, bands... Anything that was popular at the time. The rise of convenience food put an end to the lunchbox era, but some of us still "brown-bag" it to work.

My lunchbox was chosen for its insulation rather than any sort of eye-catching design. It keeps cold items chilly for an impressive amount of time! There are plenty of restaurants and carryout places near my work, but in an effort to save both money and calories, I tend to try and bring my lunch most days. It can consist of usual lunch fare (sandwiches, crackers, yogurt...anything easily portable), leftovers from the previous night's dinner, or as is most often, pre-packaged, microwavable meals. It's an easy way to mimic having an "actual" meal, incorporating things like meat, rice, sauces, and veggies into lunchtime, where they're relatively new arrivals.

It's always interesting to hear how different countries handle the midday meal, whether it's by taking a long break to enjoy a sumptuous feast, or by grabbing a quick bite on the go. In America, we have a long tradition of bringing our lunches along with us. Speaking of which, it's almost noon. Time to pay homage to those post-war miners and factory workers by busting out the honey balsamic chicken with steamed vegetables. Sadly, there aren't any leeks in there, but it'll have to do.

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Upper Crust

Know what just took my breath away? A competitive reality show. I know, I'm shocked too! I still can't believe just how great The Great British Bake Off was. Season 5 is the first one to be aired on American television, and I don't understand why it took so long. Over on these shores, it's called The Great British Baking Show. I'm not entirely sure why the name was changed in the transition, but I've heard theories that maybe Pillsbury has some sort of trademark on the phrase "bake-off". Fuck them, I'm using the original name.

I've watched plenty of competitive reality shows, and I've watched plenty of food television, and cannot emphasize enough just how stellar this show is. The contestants? They're all talented people that...wait for it...don't use that talent as an excuse to act like raging dicks. No, really! Everyone is nice and supportive. They have friendly chats as they compete, and they don't backstab each other. All their criticisms are directed at themselves, and how they'd like to improve their skills in the future. The biggest contestant drama of the season is BinGate, which I won't spoil here, but look it up. That's as fierce as it ever got. American reality shows like to excuse terrible contestant behavior with an excuse about how awful people generate drama that audiences want to watch, but The Great British Bake Off puts the lie to that claim. This was a group of wonderful people all doing their best to display their abilities without ever once feeling the need to tear each other down. It was such a breath of fresh air.

The judges? Equally awesome! They have names that don't even sound real (Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood), but they are just as superior to their American counterparts as the contestants. They articulate their opinions clearly, they're firm about their criticisms without being needlessly cruel, and they freely compliment people for work that was done well. In other words, they're judges, rather than catch-phrase spouting personalities.

The challenges? Equally awesome! Each episode is split into three challenges. There's the Signature, in which the chefs all make the same type of baked good, and are allowed to bring tried-and-tested recipes from home (the openness about these recipes is another good change from American cooking reality shows, in which everyone is expected to make things up as they go along). Then there's the Technical, in which the bakers all make the same thing, and are just given the barest of instructions. The best thing about this challenge is that it's blindly judged; Mary and Paul have no idea who made which entry until they've ranked them. And finally, there's the Showstopper, in which the bakers are challenged to make something complicated and visually arresting.

The production design? Equally awesome! I cannot over-praise the camera work on this show; everything looks incredibly beautiful. The editing makes it clear how every contestant is progressing, ties in check-ins and interviews, and intersperses the challenges with pretty illustrated animations about what each baker is making.

The hosting? Equally... OK, this is the one nitpick I have, and it's a minor one. The show and challenges are hosted by two women named Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, and when they're chatting with the judges or contestants, announcing winners and losers, or voicing over the explanations of what each baker is making, they're perfectly capable. But the other 60% of their time is throwing out terrible puns, cringy double entendres, and annoying fake accents. Mel is usually fine, but Sue really needs to cool it with the need to pronounce "bake" with a different quirky tone in every episode.

That complaint right there? Is literally the only thing I can find to criticize about the show. I don't know if I'll be able to track down any of the previous seasons, but you can bet I'll be trying. And it is my fervent hope that this show continues on, in exactly its current form, for a long time. As long as they keep sending it over here for us poor Yanks to enjoy.

The Great British Bake Off - Season 5: A+

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Second Helping

In an effort to tie this food blog to my other online activities, such as the podcast and the entertainment blog, I thought it'd be helpful to link to the overlaps, so that there will always be a way to jump to what's cooking! First thing's first, though, so let's begin by linking to the posts that have already been written.

If you're interested in the podcast, you can always subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher. If you're a more old-fashioned sort who would like to listen directly through the site (and to have access to a wealth of other food info and recipes), here's a list of the episodes published to date:

Episode 1: Facebook Fury and the Naan of Tears
Episode 2: Fruit-Wrapped Genitals and the Buffet of Shame
Episode 3: Websites of Mystery and the Great Pastry Wars
Episode 4: Polish Hospitality and the Schrödinger Brunch
Episode 5: Señor Skrillex and the Citrus Dichotomy
Episode 6: Sacred Sandwiches and the Romantic Meat Connection
Episode 7: American Food Mythology and the Feast of Waffles
Episode 8: Cornbread Canaries and the Crêpe of Perpetual Motion
Episode 9: Reluctant Companionship and the Astonishing Pepper Gradient
Episode 10: Sugar Imperatives and the Shortbread Concierge
Episode 11: Thanksgiving Tune-Ups and the Parsley Dispute
Episode 12: Blackened Tongues and the Christmas Calamity
Episode 13: Fireside Spirits and the British Literary Deception
Episode 14: Salmon Fury and the Tower of Spice

Then there are the posts that straddle the line between entertainment and food. They'll have their own posts going forward, but here are the ones that have been published to date:

Around the World in 80 Plates
Books 2013
Batter Off Dead
Food-themed Time Management Games
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
The French Chef
From Scratch: Inside the Food Network
The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites

And finally, there are the Top Chef and Top Chef - Just Desserts recaps over at What'ere, Jane Eyre:

Top Chef Recaps/Reviews
Top Chef - Just Desserts Recaps/Reviews

Jeez. It's a good thing I just ate dinner, or all this culinary entertainment would have me galloping for the pantry. Enjoy!

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