De arte coquinaria, the Art of cooking

July 29th, 2007

“It’s so beautifully arranged on the plate — you know someone’s fingers have been all over it.” Julia Child

i just saw the remake of the very interesting german movie, Mostly Martha; the american version is called No reservations. suffices to say that i didn’t run to the nearest restaurant to eat like i did after i saw Babette’s feast or the Big night or Like water for chocolate. if you decide to see any of these films, make sure that either you have a reservation at a good restaurant or that you have great food at home to have; you will suffer otherwise. anybody interested in french culinary history shouldn’t miss Vatel.


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if you have ever looked for a medieval recipe as my friend jean claude has done you would know that cookbooks are not new to human history. he introduced me to François Pierre (de) La Varenne.

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M.K.Fisher’s “the art of eating” stays my favorite book about food; reading it would help to understand, savor, appreciate and enjoy good food. blasted Mc Donald’s…

Colours of Life
“Cherry red tomatoes cascade
From the hanging baskets,
Bunches of feathery leaves show
The hiding places of orange carrots,
Yellow courgettes lurk beneath
Dinner-plate sized foliage,
Runner beans clamber into the apple tree,
The green pods dangling just out of reach,
Blueberries – do they count – swell
To ripeness beside blue-flowered borage,
Brambles skulk in the hedge, the berries
Plump with indigo coloured juice,
In the glasshouse, violet blossoms
Change slowly to purple aubergines.

I am growing a rainbow in my garden,
And I can eat it.”Pauline Morgan

Posted by micheleroohani
Filed in food, movies

3 Responses to “De arte coquinaria, the Art of cooking”

  1. Ali Says:
    July 30th, 2007 at 8:56 am

    A new animation movie that also seems to entice the culinary sense of wonder is the new Pixar/Disney movie Ratatouille. This light hearted animation is about a Parisian Rat who is different than the rest of the pack. This little guy doesn’t find garbage appealing and is fascinated by the work of a French chef Gusteau who believed “Any one can cook!” Following his “nose” he pursues his unfathomable dream of becoming a chef. Very good, light hearted comedy and a potent reminder of the empowering possibilities of pursuing one’s dreams.

    p.s. I’ve seen both Like Water for Chocolate and The Big Night. Both excellent movies. The new Persian movie Fish is also interesting… The old French cult classic La Grand Buffet is somewhat crazy but worth a mention.

  2. Tamas Ungvari Says:
    July 30th, 2007 at 3:14 pm

    Dear Michele,

    My hero is Brillat/Savarin. His great work Physiologie du GoĂ»t, ou MĂ©ditations de Gastronomie Transcendante; ouvrage thĂ©orique, historique et Ă  l’ordre du jour, dĂ©diĂ© aux Gastronomes parisiens, par un Professeur, membre de plusieurs sociĂ©tĂ©s littĂ©raires et savantes is the continuation of the philosophy of Epicure. Guess what. His full text is available at Project Gutenberg.

    The best

    Tamas

  3. ava Says:
    August 14th, 2007 at 12:20 am

    For romantic foodies, watching No reservations, is a feast for the eyes, an appetizer which might not push the urge to rush out and treat the appetite to some great food………….but Pixar’s Remy has a oscar nominee with Ratatouille, creating a palete for both taste buds and the eyes. Watching them back to back surely intices you enough to rush out, rollup your sleeves, straighten the apron with pride and create an ensemble of tastes with your finger print all over it.
    The clean marriage of fennel, celery, bok choy and ……tossed together in a bowl, was refreshing and reminded one of a fundimental fact……Choosing to be true to your self and your make, in contrast to the complexity of say a french creation or…..
    I choose to make a small bowl of Pasta caviar after all…