Mind of a Chef (And Other Good Shows/Movies)

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ShadowyFox

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So, I'm watching the first season of Mind of a Chef (a great PBS series), and the way the chef reacts to all these food things, all these restaurants, and meeting farmers and alcohol makers...there's not a way I can explain it, except that it makes sense to me on a deep level. I'm the kind of person that goes into a restaurant like these folks do.

Another piece that I love is the movie Chef. I showed that to people, and the biggest thing I was asked was "is this how you view food? Is this the way chefs are?" I'm not a chef, but it helped people understand me.

Are there any movies, TV shows, etc that you like for how they portray food? For the same excitement these people feel for food that you do? And what do you think about the two things I mentioned?
 
Boiling point Gordon Ramsey's original show on PBS
 
if you're going to watch boiling point, you might as watch the Marco Pierre White episodes from Harvey's on youtube(Marco cooks for Pierre Koffman, Albert etc). White Heat days, so great
 
Does anyone remember an old show called Great Chefs? It was like Great Chefs of America, Great Chefs of the West, Great Chefs of the World? Those were some good ones.

I'm guessing some folks here like the movie Chef?
 
ShadowyFox said:
Does anyone remember an old show called Great Chefs? It was like Great Chefs of America, Great Chefs of the West, Great Chefs of the World? Those were some good ones.

I'm guessing some folks here like the movie Chef?
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I used to love that show...I found a Roku channel that streams them all for free and rewatched some of them. Wow...the industry of food prep entertainment has come a long way. That show feels weak in several respects now.
 
I remember that Discovery Channel used to play reruns of it every day after I got home from school. I loved that stuff, and it's what really got me into food. Things have progresse since then, and I think that's good. Still makes you nostalgic a bit though. It's like watching Graham Kerr or Yan Can Cook.
 
ShadowyFox said:
I remember that Discovery Channel used to play reruns of it every day after I got home from school. I loved that stuff, and it's what really got me into food. Things have progresse since then, and I think that's good. Still makes you nostalgic a bit though. It's like watching Graham Kerr or Yan Can Cook.
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I just recently started watching Julia and Jacques Cook At Home...same sort of thing.
 
I rember the opening sequence of Eat Drink Man Woman shows a father, a Chinese chef preparing an elaborate Sunday meal for his family. The movie is okay but the opening is really memorable. He has some great knives up on the wall behind him.

And we can't forget Jiro Dreams of Sushi! :doublethumbsup:
 
WildBoar said:
What about the old British series Chef!? Seems like it had some good glimpses of what kitchen life is really like.
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I hadn't found this forum, nor jKnives, when I last watched that...I guess I need to revisit.
 
ShadowyFox said:
Does anyone remember an old show called Great Chefs? It was like Great Chefs of America, Great Chefs of the West, Great Chefs of the World? Those were some good ones.

I'm guessing some folks here like the movie Chef?
Click to expand...

Great 'early foodie' PBS effort....I loved when they would click on the fans and drown out all other audio....also loved to see (still do) that great - GREAT - food could come from some humble kitchens.
I also grew up on Galloping Gourmet, Yan, and The Frugal Gourmet - you could always send in for his recipes and my Mom had his entire first cookbook on xerox before it was published
 
I too started with some of the classics. A little Julia, some Pepin, big fan of the Frug and of course Justin Wilson. Not so much a fan of the current genre which involves 3 chefs, each riding a unicycle, with a basket of food on their heads, to the top of a mountain where they prepare a pork chop stuffed with chocolate chipoltes and a gummy bear. Extra points for the highest pile.

A discussion awhile back here got me started watching "Knife Fight". Great show on Esquire Channel. Watched the first season of "Mind...." liked it, Our PBS did not cover 2nd season and I'm too lazy to stream it. Watching 3rd season now. Tis OK.

Missed "Chef" at the theater. Saw it recently in the Red Box and rented it. Would go 4 on a 5 pt scale.

Best foodie movie ever has to be the animated Ratatouille. (sp?) Certainly not technical but a good chic flick, watch with your kids, etc.
 
the original PBS, and stuff that is more underground is better IMHO, I can't stand some of the shows these days all with a bunch of hacks as far as im concerned, as dave said above it is a stupid competition of people trying to make something flipping over backwards, kind of stupid if you ask me, "Knife Fight" is one of the better ones, even though there are some aspects of it I do not like either, I understand a lot of "Chefs" going mainstream or becoming "celebrity chefs" because they are after a buck, but at least try and stick to your guns if you know what I'm saying, everyone is selling out as far as I'm concerned
 
ramenlegend said:
if you're going to watch boiling point, you might as watch the Marco Pierre White episodes from Harvey's on youtube(Marco cooks for Pierre Koffman, Albert etc). White Heat days, so great
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I watched these and boiling point for the first time the other day and they are great! Really really interesting. You also catch a glimpse of a young Marcus Wareing in some of the boiling point episodes.
 
daveb said:
A discussion awhile back here got me started watching "Knife Fight". Great show on Esquire Channel. Watched the first season of "Mind...." liked it, Our PBS did not cover 2nd season and I'm too lazy to stream it. Watching 3rd season now. Tis OK.
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I quite like this show...unlike literally every other competition-based "reality" show that I'm aware of, i think this one is pretty real. There's not a sh1tload of editing tricks, or drama-creating interruptions, etc. Perhaps I'm inadequately skeptical, but I think it's a rare case of getting what you're seeing.

I just wish my package had Esquire....
 
What I laugh about with Knife Fight is when some of those ingredients are ones where the chef is like "this?! I hate this ****!" And then they make it taste like they hate it.
 
Dave enjoyed Ratatouille too. If you like animation at all watch it.

Don't care for shows where the formula is people is yelling at each other and throwing things around. It is done so much with all types of TV so called reality formats. I love all kinds of comedy, but don't know if it is just me and people like to watch exaggerated drama.
 
keithsaltydog said:
Dave enjoyed Ratatouille too. If you like animation at all watch it.

Don't care for shows where the formula is people is yelling at each other and throwing things around. It is done so much with all types of TV so called reality formats. I love all kinds of comedy, but don't know if it is just me and people like to watch exaggerated drama.
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I agree. I don't understand why people find that entertaining. I cancelled my cable a few months ago (We watch 6 channels but have 600? Enough was enough) and since my fmaily isn't watching all the stupid drama shows things have been very nice at home. It could also be the increased communication, but I don't care it's workming and I love it.

Ratatouille is one of the best cartoons ever. I really loved it.
 
God, 'Boiling Point' is so good.

No mention yet of;

'Trouble at the top'; a documentary about Gordon Ramsay opening a restaurant at the infamous Connaught Hotel is also very good. It's on youtube.

'A matter of taste: Serving up Paul Leibrandt' - 10 year documentary following the up's and down's of Leibrandt's weird ass career. Incredible. Nothing like it's been done in our world.

'Kings of pastry' - About a group of pâtissier trying to win the french MOF for pastry work.

'Stepping up to the plate' - About Michel Bras son, Sebastian taking over the family restaurant.
 
I have watched an enjoyed the Japanology series on youtube, its not all food related but it is very informative and not that reality scripted crap. They even have an episode on Japanese kitchen knives.
 
JMJones said:
I have watched an enjoyed the Japanology series on youtube, its not all food related but it is very informative and not that reality scripted crap. They even have an episode on Japanese kitchen knives.
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Me too Japanology and NHK World I have timers on my DVR from our public station.
 
Lately I can't get enough of the great British Baking Show. Airs Sundays at 7pm here on PBS.
 
Some old ones:

Yan Can Cook?? Pfah! How about the Canadian guy he copied from, also named Yan, in the Vancouver series Wok With Yan?
The old lush himself, Keith Floyd...
The Iron Chef of course (the original; haven't seen the new one) - used to watch this in Japan back in the day, and saw some again recently - still good
If you like ramen, an older Japanese movie, Tampopo, about the quest for making perfect ramen
Babette's Feast, a Danish movie
Mostly Martha, a German movie
 
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