Bradley Cooper Gets “Burnt”
Foodies love movies, right? And movies about food are fun to watch. This October, Bradley Cooper returns to theaters in Burnt, a movie about an intense chef who is motivated by an earlier failure. He starts anew with a goal of creating a three Michelin star restaurant. If you’re looking for some movies to hold you over until Burnt, try some of these.
2014’s Chef, starring Jon Favreau as a chef who returns to his cooking roots after losing his temper and subsequently his job.
In 2000, Chocolat with Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche, is delicious. Chocolate and romance and love are all intertwined in rural France.
Big Night, from 1996, stars Minnie Driver, Isabella Rosselini, Stanley Tucci, and Tony Shaloub. Tucci and Shaloub are immigrants from Italy who own a restaurant in New York. The movie surrounds preparations for a special event—a big night.
In 1992, Like Water for Chocolate mixed ingredients for a sweet and spicy affair. Star crossed lovers in Mexico with a twist. The beauty involved has a special talent, each dish she cooks is infused with her emotions at the time. The results are unpredictable and often passionate.
Let’s just throw this one in for fun: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from 1971. Gene Wilder embodies the crazy, silly, and sometimes a little cruel Wonka with contagious delight. Just don’t be too greedy…
Meryl Streep and Amy Adams star in Julie & Julia from 2009. A woman tries to learn to cook by mastering Julia Child’s cookbook. Streep is the portraying the iconic cook.
In 2004, Morgan Spurlock taught a lesson in Super Size Me. He ate McDonald’s for every meal, nothing else, for 30 days. Let’s just say the result isn’t surprising, but it is compelling to watch.
Lastly, a recipe. We leave you with this recipe from the book “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel.
TURKEY MOLE WITH ALMONDS AND SESAME SEEDS
1/4 chile mulato
3 chiles pasillas
3 chiles ancho
a handful of almonds
a handful of sesame seeds
turkey stock
a hard roll (1/3 concha roll)
peanuts
1/2 onion
wine
2 squares chocolate
anise
lard
cinnamon
pepper
sugar
seeds from the chiles
5 cloves garlic
Cook a turkey.
The almonds and sesame seeds are toasted in a griddle. The chiles anchos with their membranes removed, are also toasted - lightly, so they don't get bitter. Do this in separate frying pans. Afterwards the toasted chiles are ground on a stone along with the almonds and sesame seeds.
When the almonds and sesame seeds have been thoroughly ground, mix them with the stock in which the turkey was cooked and add salt to taste. Grind the cinnamon, cloves, anise and pepper in a mortar, adding the roll last, after frying in lard with chopped onion and garlic.
Combine the mixture with the wine and blend well.
Combine all the ingredients in a large pan; add the cut up turkey, the chocolate, and the sugar to taste. As soon as the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat.
