Food and Love

I watched The Taste of Things in-flight and it left me in a mood for thinking about food in an indulgent, non-utilitarian way. While traveling for work, I focus on making sure I don't overeat or eat outside my meal times. Just that is enough effort so my food options tend to be very practical. One afternoon, I was was with a group of folks who wanted to try a restaurant that was all the rage in the neighborhood. That was where I tried the Sayur Lodeh for the first time and loved it. 

This is something I would definitely try at home. Eugenie's dishes in the movie were a feast for the eyes to watch but did not make me want to try - there is a degree of finesse and perfection that is implied in such cooking that I simply cannot achieve. But this vegetable soup was warm, comforting and very far from intimidating. Even the pot-au-feu billed as a simple dish in the movie, did not strike me as something I could give a shot. There are any number of shows and movies about cooking but this one is in a league of its own - it is shown as an art form and the ways artists show love for each other. Eugenie being served by Dodin during her convalescence was one of the best moments in the movie for me.