Barbara Fenzl
Les Gourmettes Cooking School,
Host of KAET's Savor the Southwest 13-part cooking series
Host of KAET's "A is for Appetizers," "D is for Desserts," "H is for Hot & Spicy," and "S is for Salads"
"The Meaning of Food", a series of 3 one-hour television shows, is a powerful testament to the importance of what we eat, how we eat and with whom we eat. Each show is a series of vignettes that demonstrate how food is at the center of our lives and the way in which we define ourselves as members of a particular culture or community. Fans of movies like Big Night, Like Water for Chocolate, Monsoon Wedding, Tortilla Soup and Babette's Feast will find more food for thought in these glimpses into other people's lives. The segments in each hour are short, varied and fast-paced so something new is always around the corner, and each sketch is accompanied by appropriate music, from classic to country.
The narrator is Marcus Samuelsson, the renowned chef of the trend-setting restaurants in New York, Aquavit and Riingo, but this isn't a foodie, chef-driven program and no fine dining establishments are even mentioned. Rather, everyday people from all walks of life and all cultures are the focus. Samuelsson is the perfect choice as host of the show since he epitomizes these diverse backgrounds: he was born in Ethiopia, raised in Sweden and lives in New York City.
"Food and Life," the first hour, is the most poignant, emotional and eye-opening of the three parts - and the most humorous. After a hilarious look at the foodsconfiscated by customs agents at JKF Airport from people trying to bring back memories of their homeland, the viewer is transported to a Texas prison where the final meals for those about to be executed is being prepared. The best example of how food symbolizes hope is the Holocaust survivor recalling the awesome power that memories of food had for women in the Nazi concentration camp at Terezin. With black and white photography, the women, given only two loaves of bread a week to survive, were shown talking about and writing down their family recipes to keep their hopes alive. Samuelsson doesn't appear in the scenarios but at the end of the hour, the principals from each are gathered around the table with him and they all toast to life and conclude that food is home, love, community even a sacrament.
The second part, "Food and Culture," visits the Makah Indians during their first whale hunt in 70 years, Hawaiians eating poi, and children learning how to make kolache in a Czech community in Texas. The message here is that food is a form of communication and what we eat says more about who we are than a photograph. Controversial subjects like whaling and the commercialization of the Hawaiian Islands are treated objectively and the viewer gains new perspective. New to this hour are interesting food trivia sprinkled among the stories in sidebars.
The final hour, "Food and Family," illustrates how people are bonded together by food. It features a diner in Chicago where workers and patrons have become like family after years of breaking bread together, a family who work seven days a week running a Chinese restaurant, tamale making at Christmas, and a week-long gathering for the funeral of a Samoan woman that includes feeding hundreds of friends and relatives. The conclusion is Marcus Samuelsson saying, "Food is nothing and it is everything. It fuels our daily existence but it also feeds our minds and comforts our hearts. It is a complex language that speaks about connection and continuity, memory and love. It is what binds us together as families, as communities and as human beings."
The Meaning of Food is educational, entertaining and emotional. The only disappointment is the occasional flash of a recipe card which tempts the cook but is not on the screen long enough to write down. Whether a gourmet or a fast-food junkie, the viewer will learn about other cultures, realize the importance of food in families and everyday living, and appreciate traditions unlike his own. Bon Appetit!
The Meaning of Food airs Wednesdays April 7, 14 and 21 at 10 p.m. on Channel 8.
