The first Food [in] Film discussion will focus on the Greek film Politiki Kouzina (2003)--A Touch of Spice, English Title--directed by Tassos Boulmetis.
Politiki Kouzina will be an amazing NetFlix or local video-store choice (be local, if you can!) and will take us on an adventure through beautiful landscapes of the Mediterranean with different spices and foods as our guide. The story in the film cleverly and sweetly uses food in metaphors, to propel emotions and emotional bonds forward, evoke and reference political strife and context, and even spotlights Food as a protagonist in and of itself. Tremendous history, exciting perspectives on the use of different spices in food, and a touching story awaits us--for those who have seen it already, perhaps you will agree that it is worth a second screening.
This film has special cultural significance to me (and my maternal, Greek heritage) and was released in cinemas during a period of my life when I was living in Thessaloniki, the northern city [and, perhaps, unofficial] capital of the Macedonian region of Greece. The geographic proximity to the Anatolian region of modern Turkey invite many influences from that region; one in which many Greeks still live, and with which a reciprocal influence between these two peoples is historically and currently recognized.
I will blog next Monday with my own thoughts and ideas inspired by the film, along with Sophia's film-inspired recipe, and hope you enjoy the escape this film can provide. We will touch on A Touch of Spice next week!
Regardless of lifestyle or culture, food remains one of the binding elements of our survival; an always present and integral part of our survival. Oftentimes, the scenes of our life play out on the cavernous walls of our memory accompanied by orchestras of olfactory and gastronomic artistry.
Painting of course can successfully capture the sumptuous red of the perfect apple, or the joy of family or friends sharing a meal. Sculpture can capture the shape; and exquisite sculpture might even convey texture. It is film, however, that can catapult food to the forefront of importance by emphasizing its presence or absence in the lives of those characters with whom the audience is connecting, sympathizing, or empathizing.
In such films, ‘food films’, Food does not just serve as an addendum to the story, or as connective tissue to propel the plot forward. In fact, in many such films Food is a protagonist without whom there would be no story at all. The silent role adds colour to bland settings; it captivates our emotions and focus, while serving also as the backdrop scenery to itself; Food gives depth, avenue for expression, and significance of circumstance when present in a film.
Likewise, the absence of Food in film can be equally as profound in conveying messages of destitution, struggle, or burden. Food is a tool and mechanism that, when incorporated appropriately by filmmakers, approaches a dimension of our lives that we can relate to in a concise and very intimate way.
In the coming weeks, I hope to introduce well known and little-known films that bring Food to the table in a way not all of us may recognize. One film that epitomizes both sides of this coin is Babette’s Feast (1987), a Danish film directed by Gabriel Axel and is an adaptation of Isak Dinesen’s story. Rent this. Net-Flix it. Do whatever it takes to see this film if you haven’t already. Not only is it artistically beautiful, but it is also an exquisite piece that everyone who loves either film or food (and definitely both) should watch.
There is a mystery to Babette that I am not qualified to unveil, nor want to in hopes to preserve its flavour for you. Know, however, that the absence of food [beyond basic and bland] represents the Puritan sensibility of restraint that saturates the early setting of the film; yet ultimately, food in its most glorious and beautiful form serves as the variable that allows for spiritual reconciliation. Food is both a leading and supporting role; it is the character that we watch develop in importance as she integrates into the society of the film. Food makes an impact, it causes change, and it captivates our emotion and piques our palate with ideas and tastes we want to experience, and with inspiring visions of what can be done with and by food.
In the weeks to come, films like Babette’s Feast will be the more detailed lenses of this blog—with analysis, philosophy, and cultural perspectives added to the recipe of this discussion. From this blog, hopefully you will eventually take a way a good film recommendation, a good new recipe from Sophia, and perhaps even a new understanding of how a culture or person views food in their life as reflected in film. Though the Food Film genre is more limited in number, there are plenty of Food Films I have already seen and many more I have on my NetFlix queue that I hope to share with you and that you will enjoy and appreciate in the weeks to come.
In the meantime, try to take notice of where and how food plays even a minor role in all of your favourite films or not-so-favourite; international or domestic art films; a good film, or a terrible film; or major blockbuster productions. Ask yourself: where, if anywhere, is Food? What socio-economic, cultural, philosophical, or religious connotation does food take on? Who relates to food, and who shuns it? This thought process will get us in the mood for this coming discussion!
On a brief aside, examples of periphal 'supporting role' food-film references that you might notice in 'everday films': In what manner is working at a pulled-pork pit in rural Texas (Whip It) viewed? How does eating alone—the act of food consumption—add impact or emotion to a scene (Being Julia, or Sherlock Holmes)? Why and how is the special access to ingredients and the slicing of garlic, in the prison, such a show of power (Goodfellas)?
Keep an eye out for this column, and I will be back next week for our first showcase of where and how food in film can be brought into your home and to your table as a discussion piece when you break bread with those around you.
My friend John and I have been discussing mozzarella a lot lately. We love good mozzarella, and John will often go out of his way to Caputo's for some of their freshly made cheese. The other night we were at dinner and watched an Insalata Caprese pass by. The style of the dish looked great, but we were baffled as to why restaurants insist on serving tomatoes in the Winter. When tomatoes are not in season, there is really no point to ordering them; they are not fresh and have no flavor. We are both very strong proponents of the local movement, and tomatoes in the New York Winter are an affront to seasonal eating. So we started brainstorming what foods could match a good mozzarella in the colder months. There really are no vegetables that have the same sweet/acidic flavor and juicy texture of a tomato. I suggested a good balsamic vinegar that has been reduced and rid of some of its pungency, which brings out a similar acidic sweetness. John agreed- a reduced balsamic really is the only appropriate Winter match for a good mozz.
I started thinking of other similar condiments/sauces that were similar to balsamic, and I got to pomegranate molasses, one of my favorite things. However, what is nice about the Caprese are the layers of tomato and cheese, so I felt like I still needed something else besides the balsamic. What I came up with was sliced oranges (peeled of all pith and cut horizontally) that I cooked in a pan with balsamic vinegar. I sliced the oranges beforehand and let them marinate with the vinegar and a pinch of salt. I then put them in a pan and reduced everything together. The oranges took on a caramelized flavor and texture, without becoming too sweet, and the balsamic reduced with the orange juice. I then layered the slices of fresh mozzarella with the orange, and garnished it with fresh pomegranate seeds (also sweet and acidic), and drizzled it with Tondo reduced balsamic vinegar, pomegranate molasses, and extra virgin olive oil. You can just use a bottle of regular balsamic vinegar and reduce some with the oranges and then some by itself for the drizzle. I have been eying that Tondo balsamic "cream" for a while and couldn't help myself. If you are into foodie indulgences, you should check it out for easy drizzling and garnishing.
I would be curious to know what other vegetables and condiments you would want to pair with mozzarella this time of year. Let us know!
I know that I have already written about my love of Mediterranean breakfasts. Turkish breakfast in particular. It just makes sense to me. This past Sunday I found myself in my own personal state of breakfast euphoria. Somehow, I had coincidentally sourced a bunch of delicious things throughout the week, so that when I opened my fridge that morning, I had the makings of a glorious platter.
Med Breakfast
When I came back from Turkey in November, I had brought with me a jar of zeytin ezmesi, or olive paste. Olives, olive oil, and other olive-based products form a large part of the diet, and they take up large sections of Turkish supermarkets. I had been spreading zeytin ezmesi on my toast in the morning, but then I discovered it also made an amazing pasta sauce (which I will post soon). I quickly ran out of this amazing product, and decided to order a large jar from Tulumba.com. It arrived in less than 2 days and I was so happy to have this new staple back in my fridge. I will say more about olive paste when I share some recipes made with it, but I love how delicious, versatile, healthy, and inexpensive it is. The jar I bought in Turkey was less than $2.00! In my fridge were also 2 amazing preserves from the Mastiha Shop NY. The store mainly sells products that have mastiha in them, which is a therapeutic and aromatic resin from the island of Chios in Greece. I picked up one jar of bergamot and one of fig the last time I was there. I was pleasantly surprised to see bergamot, because it is not a common fruit. We are all consumers of it, because its essential oil is used in almost every perfume produced, and it is also supposedly one of the ingredients of a famous soda with a secret formula. However, most bergamot is grown in Calabria, Italy, and goes straight into these products. The figs were preserved in the same way, cooked whole in a sugar syrup.
On Friday afternoon I had gone to Gulluoglu, the new outpost of the famous baklava shop based in Istanbul, with my future brother-in-law. I had an almond pudding and grabbed a simit to go. That same morning I had bought a sheep's milk yogurt from the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company for a recipe that I was working on. Thus on Sunday morning I had my simit, zeytin ezmesi, bergamot and fig preserves, and sheep's milk yogurt. That and a cup of Yorkshire gold tea with a drop of honey was all I needed to get my day going on the right note.
For more info about the products mentioned, check out:
