Discover Three Great New Food Films

International film festival directors now realize what movie lovers have known since the film Ratatouille made culinary fads of millions – thoughtfully made movies about the essence of cooking can deeply touch the hearts of viewers.

At this year’s Berlinale (Berlin) Film Festival an entire division was created to screen films solely about chefs, cuisine, ingredients and all matters culinary.

Though first shown from February 13th through the 18th, these remarkable films are now moving into distribution worldwide. Here are three of the films shown that are well worth seeing (and discussing) with staff:

  Jiro Dreams of Sushi

This stunning film documents the art of the legendary sushi master Jiro Ono. David Gelb follows this 85 year old culinary star of Tokyo to his famed Sukiyabashi Jiro Restaurant, located in humble subway station. But size (and sometimes even location), does not a restaurant make. Jiro’s esteemed restaurant seats only ten yet it holds three Michelin stars. That’s enough to make any culinary professional want to see this movie.

Further expanding the plot is the stress and struggle experienced by his son Yoshikazu as the younger chef ponders his ability to continue his father’s quest for absolute culinary perfection.  

El Camino del Vino

If you are weary of staged ‘reality’ shows culinary or otherwise, you cannot help but be moved by this true life story of Charlie Arturaola, the world famous sommelier. Filmed in a mock documentary style, director Nicolas Carreras traces Arturaola’s struggle to reclaim not only his fading sense of taste but also his personal heritage.

For all those who have dedicated their lives to the profession they love, the film poses the fearful question: “What if suddenly you could no longer do what you Love?” The film suggests one response. Each member of the viewing audience will have to decide if their answer would be the same or different – in short, it’s a film that makes one think and re-think the purpose and value of our professional efforts.

 Toast

Based on the autobiography of the same name by the English culinary writer Nigel Slater, this film is a coming-of-age story about a family in conflict where food becomes an expression of love and also a struggle for control. With a star rich cast that includes Helena Bonham Carter, Freddie Highmore and Ken Stott, the film counter balances the richness of food with a starvation of true affection often present in the homes of early 1960’s.

The script captures in heart-breaking clarity the struggle to be creative in an environment too narrow to reach a sense of authentic self. Anyone within the industry who has had to make the choice between the fate they were born to and the vocation that fascinates them, will understand this film and value its courage. 

Post Note, November 2, 2011: The first ever Napa Valley Film Festival will be held for five days starting November 9th, featuring 75 films including Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Food, wine AND films - what an event! Be there if you can. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

After 136 Years L’Opera Restaurant Finally Opens in Paris

They say that all good things are worth waiting for.  And nothing makes that statement truer then the long awaited opening of L’Opera Restaurant at the Palais Garnier, home of the famed Paris National Opera Company.

Charles Garnier, architect of Napoleon III’s stunning new opera house, always intended that a restaurant be included in the completed cultural center, but construction difficulties, a series of unsuccessful and expensive foreign wars and finally the resulting collapse of the government precluded the restaurant ever being established.

Even more recent attempts in 1973 by Rolf Liebermann and in 1992 by Pierre Bergé failed to complete Garnier’s final dream – all due again to the huge costs involved.

Yet as all true opera lovers know, a great aria and fine food belong together as truly as, well, any romantic tenor and dreamy-eyed soprano do, at least according to Rossini and Donizetti.

Now, thanks to Jean-Phillipe and Pierre-Francois Blanc, the injustice of legendary music without memorable cuisine has been corrected.

Key to their success as the restaurant’s new owners, is their ability to bring together a team whose talents equal the legacy of Garnier’s grand house.

First among their choices was the very modern architect Odile Decq, who seemed at first an unusual designer for a restaurant set in a venerated historical building. To make matters worse, the Garnier Opera House is listed as an architectural treasure by France’s National Commission of Historical Monuments, which means absolutely no structural changes are allowed.

But have no fear. Odile Decq’s fame is not undeserved for she understands that the essence of design is an insightful understanding, not mere copycat dupliction.

Drawing on the elegant red crescent of the Opera House interior, she created a contemporary free-standing two level installation that honors both tradition and modernity. Yet art, either on the stage or in architecture, is not inexpensive. All in all, Jean-Phillipe and Pierre-Francois have invested over six million euros to get it right.

Second, but of equal importance, is the elite culinary team they have gathered together. Chef Christophe Aribert, formerly of Les Terrasses, Grenoble’s lovely 2 star Michelin restaurant, has taken charge of the menu.  

Working with Chef Aribert is the Executive Chef Yann Tanneau, previously of Mama Shelter, Sous-Chef Didier Quennouelle of Le Fouquet’s and finally the Pastry Chef Hervé Moreau, formerly of Pierre Gagnaire and Michel Rostang. 

What a team! What a setting! As the word “Opera” means “The Great Work”, truly no better name could be found for this new restaurant, a culinary jewel sure to soon set its lucky diners shouting “Bravo, Bravo, Bravo” throughout the streets of Paris and beyond! 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Who Will Lead Spanish Cuisine After Ferran’s El Bulli Closes?

After the final dinner is served at El Bulli on July 30^th, the famed Spanish restaurant will close. So sad, sad, sad.

But where one door shuts, another is sure to open.

That new door, what with Ferran’s ‘retirement’ from his legendary kitchen to his new research center, will need to be wide, very wide to accommodate the host of other talented chefs that also call Spain their home.

Just consider:

QUIQUE DACOSTA, Chef at El Poblet (near Valencia)

Known for his edible culinary landscapes, Chef Dacosta is among the chefs favoring the techniques of “la cocina de vanguardia”, the phrase now replacing the much-disliked by all term “molecular gastronomy”. Implementing the skills initially created by Ferran, Chef Dacosta’s dishes include a recreation of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao a la an edible oyster coated with consumable (and oh so beautiful) titanium-silver colored surface.  Even Frank Gehry would be impressed by its stunning appearance.

CARME RUSCALLEDA I SERRA, Chef at Sant Pau (outside of Barcelona), Moments (Barcelona) and Sant Pau de Toquio (Tokyo). 

The holder of a total of six, yes six, Michelin stars, this esteemed chef is surprisingly little known outside of Spain, except in Tokyo where she is greatly admired.  Her creations are delicate, seasonally driven with an appreciation of the fresh and local while never forgetting the impact of presentation. With such an understanding of aesthetics, is it any wonder that her cuisine is honored by the preceptive diner in both Tokyo and Barcelona?     

JOSEAN MARTíNEZ ALIJA, Chef at Nerua (Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao)

Among the most fluent speakers of the adopted ‘art-words’ that enables the ‘vanguardia chefs’ to describe their innovative efforts, it should surprise no one that Chef Alija‘s kitchen is located at the remarkable Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

There, like a traditional artist in his/her studio, he combines and creates the new while capturing the essence of the expression (just like Picasso).

NANDU JUBANY, Chef at Can Jubany (Catalonia)

A “regresar a las raíces” or “return to the roots” believer, Chef Jubany is an advocate of the farm-to-plate model, believing the value of identifiable terroir. Every ingredient in his kitchen has a known source, all free from commercialization and industrialized production. The resulting cuisine is clear, crisp and full of rediscovered delights, often making regional favorites bright and amazingly new again.  

VICTOR ARGUINZONIZ, Chef at Asador Etxebarri (east of Bilbao)

Another “regresar a las raíces” deep roots devotee, Chef Arguinzoniz starts his devotion from the ground up, using not only fresh local ingredients, but also crafting his own flavorful charcoal. Impressive, no?

As a former forest ranger, and though a self-taught chef, no one can question his hallmark grilling expertise. From appetizers to dessert (yes, even his goat milk ice cream brings a smoky flavor to the table), the fiery traditions of the Basque country is always present in his memorable cuisine.

MARI CARMEN VELEZ, Chef at La Sirena (Alicante)

Famous for her focus on seafood, she transforms traditional Spanish dishes honoring both regional recipes and contemporary trends. In a restaurant where only the best is good enough, she is assisted by both her husband as sommelier and her sister, who studied with Paco Torreblanca, as director of pastry.

PACO MORALES, Chef at Hotel Ferrero (between Valencia and Alicante)

Relocating from his famed restaurant in Madrid, The Senzone, Chef Morales is one of Spain’s young chefs who successfully blends traditional techniques and innovative changes within his cuisine.

Clarity matters as much as wonder. Flavors should, according to Chef Morales, never be a mystery but equally magic should never leave the dining experience.

Assisting him in the complete creation of the evening is his wife (and sommelier) Rut Cotroneo, who trained at Heston Blumenthal’s highly honored Fat Duck Restaurant in Great Britain.

XAVIER PELLICER, Chef at Can Fabes (Sant Celoni, Catalonia)

With a father who is Catalan and a mother who is French, is it any wonder that by age 13 Chef Pellicer found the crafting of cakes far more interesting than the solving of calculus equations in the classroom.

An international array of apprenticeships soon followed and enabled him to master both traditional and avant-garde techniques.

As a result, his skills have simultaneously impressed both the strongly anti-Ferran Chef Santi Santamaría as well as the most adventurous of diners.  Not bad Chef!

Working to insure the blending and growth of all these culinary traditions, old and new, is La Real Academia de Gastronomia or The Royal Academy of Gastronomy founded in August of 2010.

Its stated goal is to disseminate and promote the exciting world of Spanish food and wine, while always honoring both history and innovation in Iberia and beyond. 

With the help of such culinary talents as those offered by these amazing new chefs, Spain is sure to continue to delight and amaze us all with flair and flavor!

 Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Time and Talent Win Anne-Sophie Pic Title as World’s Greatest Female Chef

In a world composed largely of male colleagues, Anne-Sophie Pic has just been recognized by S. Pellegrino’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards as the best female chef in the world. And it’s an honor totally deserved. Not only does Pic come from a great culinary family but she also holds three Michelin stars in her own right – and is the only the fourth woman in history to do so.

Based in Valence (known to seasoned travelers as the southern door of France), she placed ahead of two other very talented female chefs – Spain’s Elena Arzak and Italy’s Nadia Santini. And though Arzak favors the cuisine of Iberia’s Basque region and Santini focuses on the flavors of the sea, Pic reaches back to the clear simplicity of Careme and Escoffier, the legendary masters of classic French cuisine.

Motivated by their heritage, Pic’s creations focus on enhancing the natural flavors of her ingredients, not smothering them with heavy sauces or over dominate ingredients. As a result, her menu most often highlights the use of regional vegetables and fresh fish.

Yet despite her family’s culinary legacy and France’s great heritage of cuisine, Pic did not start her career in the traditional manner of the industry.  It was her brother, Alain Pic, who initially was chosen to continue the culinary dynasty began by her grandfather Andre Pic when he was Michelin rated in 1945. That valued ranking was continued by her own dear father Jacques Pic.

Anne-Sophie chose instead to study at Paris’ famed Higher Institute of Management and then moved to New York City where she worked in marketing for the prestigious firms of Moet & Chandon and Cartier. Her positions there enabled her to travel and thus she met her husband (and future business partner) David Sinapian.         

Still something called her home. She missed the sounds and flavors of France and so in 1992 she decided to return to Valence and apprentice with her father. Everyone who watched them work together noticed the flow, the unspoken ease that existed between them as the famed father taught his daughter one after another the skills of a master chef.

Then abruptly Jacques Pic died of a heart attack. The famed three star restaurant was without a directing head chef.  Anne-Sophie, young and less experienced than some of her staff, stepped into the void and continued the heritage of her family. By 2007 she had regained the Michelin star that traditionally is removed at the death of a great chef and went on to write the truly collectable memoir, Au Nom du Pere, about her beloved father, the history of the Pic family and her amazing life journey that led to discovering her true vocation - cuisine.

That discovery included not only the lessons learned in the kitchen but also the many marketing skills she mastered away from the heat of the stove.  Working together with her insightful husband, the decor of the esteemed Pic Restaurant has been updated, a culinary school launched and a profitable line of extensional products developed and marketed online.

Truly this is a renaissance woman and one to be counted among the greatest of the industry.  If you doubt that, just journey to Valence, enter the subtle elegance of Restaurant Pic and dine on the classic cuisine offered there such as pan roasted Bresse chicken supreme accented with a yellow lemon marmalade, steamed young chards or a farm fresh pigeon poached with a slightly smoked broth. Then consider their unforgettable warm Grand Marnier soufflé served with orange supremes or choose instead an air-light rice pudding. 

Mere words cannot truly express the flavors, the experience. All created by one remarkable woman – one worthy of the heritage of both the cuisine grand-mere (those unnamed country-kitchen grandmothers who inspired so many great chefs to become cooks) and haute cuisine, such as Anne-Sophie’s own renowned grandfather and father created. What can one say but merci, merci, merci Anne-Sophie!  

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

How a Great Fire and an Innovative Architect Inspired the Tiered Royal Wedding Cakes of Kate Middleton and Prince William

The latest royal wedding news from Windsor is that the famed English Queen of Cakes, Fiona Cairns, will be creating the sure to be grand cakes (yes, cakes, as in plural plus) for Kate and William’s Upcoming April 29^th princey wedding.

No one could be a better creative choice for what will surely be a towering culinary masterpiece of sugar spun and sweet rich cake. Though Fiona Cairns started her business 25 years ago on her kitchen table¸ today her famed firm supplies such legendary merchants of styles as the Conran Shop, Liberty, the Ritz Hotel, Harrods, Selfridges, and Fortnum and Mason, to name only a few.

Key to her success is the business skills of her husband, Kishore Patel, as well as her training as a pastry chef at the Michelin-starred Hambleton Hall and her background as a graphic designer. Her first major innovation, elegant small cakes, launched a major culinary wave and has landed her such clients as Bono, Pink Floyd, Simply Red, Sinead O'Connor and Sir Paul McCartney. Not a bad client list.

Yet in the rush of all things royal weddings, few know that the high tiered flower decorated cake she will create for Kate and William claims its origins from a historic fire, an inspired architect and a humble baker in love.

In 1666 a great fire swept through wooden London, destroying 70,000 homes in a city of only 80,000 families. When the ashes cooled, great sections of the once crowded medieval city were open, available for a newer better London to be built, this time of safer stone.

The amazing architect selected for this great urban renewal was Sir Christopher Wren. Under his direction, stunning building after stunning building rose, rebuilding the London skyline into a place of beauty. Among his most charming of structures was St. Bride’s Church of Fleet Street with its soaring steeple.

Named after St Bridget of Kildare in Ireland, this beloved church is known in London simply as St Bride’s Church. Close to Fleet Street, the center of London’s historic print and media area, endless numbers of world famous writers and reporters call this their home church – and that includes many culinary writers.  

And who can blame them for loving this dear Celtic saint and her church when she wrote such prayers as this for her fellow nuns in 515:

"I long for a great lake of ale
I long for the meats of belief and pure piety
I long for plails of penance at my house
I long for them to have barrels full of peace
I long to give away jars full of love
I long for them to have cellars full or mercy
I long for cheerfulness to be in their drinking"

It was in the spirit of that joy of life that a local baker in the shadow of St Bride’s created the very first tiered wedding cake. Wondering what rare and special gift a humble baker could give his new bride, he chose to reproduce in soaring pastry the towering steeple of the nearby church where they would soon to be married. 

His novel high cake was so stunning it launched a tradition that has lasted three centuries – right down to this the newest royal wedding.

So all the best William and Kate.  May their path be strewn with flowers and may their cake and Love be as beautiful and as noble as St Bride's soaring steeple and last as long!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011