Tag Archives: Movies

Dive!

Dive-Jeremy-Seifert Happy Monday, friends! Just a quick post to let you know about a fantastic documentary I watched on Netflix over the weekend called Dive! about dumpster divers and the staggering amount of food that Americans throw out every single day. The whole film is based on the fact that Americans throw out HALF of all the food the country produces in a year. Unreal, isn’t it?

My only criticism of the film is that it left me wondering what I could do to help and the ending feels a little bit hopeless. If anyone reading this has recommendations on what to do to help curb the food crisis, let me know!

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Forks Over Knives

forksoverknives

Just a quick Friday post to let you know about a really interesting documentary I stumbled upon on Netflix (FYI: Netflix has TONS and TONS of documentaries about food if you’re interested – and they’re not even paying me to say that).

Simply put, Forks Over Knives touts the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet. It examines how most degenerative diseases can be controlled by eliminating animal-derived and processed foods from our diets (full disclosure: I’m eating a giant black and white cookie as I write this).

Brian Wendel, the creator and executive producer, digs deep to uncover Americans’ misconceptions about food, the benefits of cutting out animal products from your diet, and using food as medicine to cure or control degenerative diseases.

The research is fascinating, and I have to admit it affected how I did my grocery shopping the following day. I filled my cart with red peppers, cucumbers, and apples to take as snacks to work instead of yogurt like usual. I researched more veggie-heavy recipes instead of relying on pizza for a Friday meal. However… I took the messages in the film with a grain of salt. Maybe cutting out animal products really does prevent you from getting cancer, and there is no doubt that cutting out processed foods will help obese people control their diabetes and heart disease. But I think we can all point to an unhealthy vegetarian. Or someone who’s lived to 102, cancer free, but ate steaks and drank big glasses of milk once a week for their entire life. I’ll try to cut down on my unhealthy eating habits, but I’ll never say no to a cheeseburger.

Other incredible food documentaries on Netflix include: Vegucated; Jiro Dreams of Sushi; and Food Fight.

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Why, I think it would be simply charming!

Merry Christmas, friends! I know, I’m early. Whatever. Last night I helped The Boyfriend and his roommates put up their Christmas tree while Christmas music blared from the speakers and many glasses of wine were consumed. I’d go on and on about how the scent of fresh pine makes my little heart swell and my eyes tear up, but for the sake of your gag reflexes and my dignity, I’ll stop here.

In any case, I have a new project on the horizon! It’s very exciting, and I can fill you all in next week but for now it’s taking up some of my free time. Time that would otherwise be spent blogging. I did carve out a couple hours to make these again for my parents, so if you forgot how epic that recipe is, go ahead and remind yourselves.

Tonight I will be taking an evening alone to totally indulge myself. And in honor of self indulgence, these images make me happy.

A fried egg and cookies for breakfast, the abridged A Christmas Carol, and sparkly packages. Is there anything better?

"Faith is believeing in something, even when common sense tells you not to." Miracle on 34th Street

Our (blurry) Christmas tree

(Top image: Jennifer Rakowski)

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Le Weekend!

Happy Friday, friends! I’m ashamed at my week of blogging, or lack thereof. Sometimes you have big plans to make ground chicken tacos and you end up eating DiGiorno instead. Pretend I never said that.

I hope you all have magical weekends, and to get you in the autumn mood here are some things that are currently on my radar.

If you’re in New York City this weekend, go to New York Magazine’s Grub Street Festival! There are so many incredible vendors that will be there, you’re sure to get a jump start on packing on that holiday weight.

I’ve always had mixed feelings on Halloween because on the one hand, it is a holiday about ghosts, monsters, and being scared (none of which I have ever enjoyed) but on the other hand, it’s about CANDY. And sweets are something I can get on board with. Look at this cake! I want to make it. So, so very much.

Are you carving pumpkins this weekend? I am! And with all the beautiful leftover seeds, I’ll be making snacks. Roasted pumpkin seeds tossed with a little salt and oil are standard and delicious, but why not try something really tasty like rosemary/sea salt, brown sugar/bacon fat, or garlic/parmesan (for this last one, roast whole cloves of garlic on the baking sheet with the seeds and then toss with grated parmesan straight out of the oven).

Speaking of pumpkins, can you believe this? It’s a tiny pie inside a tiny cake topped with a tiny cookie! Did Jesus hear my inner most dreams?!

If you’re inclined to stay indoors this weekend, check out How to Cook Your Life (a documentary about Zen food master Edward Espe Brown) or Pressure Cooker (a documentary about three high schoolers from Philly fighting for spots in a citywide cooking competition), both streaming instantly from Netflix.

And lastly, if you’re really in the mood for fall food (and if you’re not then I don’t think we can be friends anymore) check out the newest issue of Food and Wine magazine. The cover alone will make you salivate. Not that I did. I’m just saying.

Have a beautiful weekend!

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I Just Can’t Wait to Be King

Happy Friday, friends! If you’re looking for a low-key activity to keep you occupied this weekend (and you live in the NYC area… sorry) go see Kings of Pastry at Film Forum.

Legendary documentary filmmakers D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus chronicle the journey of sixteen pastry chefs to achieve the highest honor in the French art of patisserie, Meilleurs Ouvriers de France. The story is heartwarming, the skill level is unbelievable, and if you have even the tiniest interest in food or competition you will want to see this movie. This contest has never been filmed before, so you won’t see it on the Food Network. It is an echelon of the culinary world that I never even knew existed! Well beyond cupcakes and muffins, kids.

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Why Don’t You…

Dear friends,

This weekend I’m taking off and I’m leaving my computer behind. I’ll be back on Tuesday with brilliant posts about Garbage Plates and sweet cheese Belgian waffles (you can hardly stand the wait, right?) but in the meantime I leave you with this list of things that I would be doing if I was staying in town this weekend. So…

Why Don’t You…

Get your drink on all sneaky-like at a speakeasy like Dutch Kills (27-24 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City) or Please Don’t Tell (113 St. Marks Place).
Or, opening this weekend and offering free hot dogs (I said FREE HOT DOGS! Go people, go!) in the old East Side Company Bar space on the Lower East Side, Painkiller. 49 Essex Street at Grand Street

Take a culinary vacation from impending rain, use whatcha got, and pretend you’re in Australia while you eat Fairy Bread in bed whilst watching Young Einstein .

Feed your sweetheart little dollops of heaven via chopsticks at Blue Ribbon Sushi . 119 Sullivan Street

Watch Food, Inc. or Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations , both available instantly on your Netflix .

Bask in the lusciousness of a $26 pre-fixe lunch menu at Nougatine by Jean-Georges (1 Central Park West); none of the wallet strain, all of the succulent flavor that this famous French chef is known for.

Nurse your Sunday morning hangover with a stack of sour cream pancakes, heavy on the syrup, at Bubby’s (120 Hudson Street). Just don’t look too ragged. It’s a notorious celebrity hangout and you wouldn’t want to miss your chance to woo Justin Timberlake, now would you? Thought so.

Happy weekend, kiddies!

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