Inspiration From the Hundred Foot Journey – Le Cordon Bleu Reception

Inspiration From the Hundred Foot Journey

By Erin

*I attended as a guest of Disney, all thoughts and opinions remain my own.* =)

Before the movie came out in theaters, I was spoiled by attending a special casual and intimate dinner reception inspired by The Hundred Foot Journey at the world famous Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Los Angels, California. Being the foodie that I am, this was pure heaven. To be able to see the movie, then get to live it and taste some of the delicious food actually SEEN in the movie. OMG.  Pure Heaven. 😉

100 Ft Journey

It was a feast for the senses, being able to dine on the dishes inspired by The Hundred Foot Journey. Seeing, tasting, and smelling some of the tantalizing dishes that culinary genius Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) cooked up was a real treat. In the film, Hassan and his family are displaced from their native India, who end up settling in the charming and quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. After opening an Indian restaurant called Maison Mumbai which happens to be 100 feet away from the famous Le Saule Pleureur’s  Michelin-starred eatery, a full-on heated battle between the two establishments ensues. Luckily, Madame Mallory recognizes her rival’s (Hassan Kadam) undeniable talent as a chef. What happens next with this rivalry? Who ends up out on top? You haven’t seen the movie yet? Why not? This weekend is the perfect chance to make things right then and go find out! 😉

Appetizers

Our journey at Le Cordon Bleu started with a pleasant arrangement of scrumptious appetizers. This included: Tandoori Chicken Skewers, Petit Quiche Loraine, and a beautiful assortment of assorted Charcuterie and Cheese platter with Curried mustard & Major Grey Chutney. I couldn’t get enough of the Tandoori Chicken skewers and the cheese. It was a great way to start out a new “Food is Memories” moment. 😉

Appetizers 100Ft Journey

Our next stop on our food journey was sampling the entree choices. On the menu was Beef Bourguinon a La Hassan, Chicken Tikka Massala with Saffron Rice and asparagus. Yum! Look at that asparagus! So fresh and tasty, not limp at all! I love my veggies, so I had my fill of asparagus here.

Asparagus

Continue reading »

The Hundred Foot Journey is Here! #100FootJourney

The Hundred Foot Journey

By Erin

Food! Who doesn’t love food and a good meal? Starting today you are in for a taste of something extraordinary. In DreamWorks Pictures’ “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” the journey begins with the opening of a new Indian restaurant in the south of France, next to a famous Michelin starred eatery. An all-out war pretty much breaks out between the two eateries trying to out do one another and sabotaging the other. Le Saule Pleureur’s Madame Mallory can’t deny any longer her rival’s culinary gift as a chef. If there is one thing I could recommend to you, it would be to have lunch or dinner before you make your way over to the theater. You don’t want to see this one on an empty stomach! All the delicious food shown in this film is bound to make your stomach growl and you will be starving for some of the dishes shown before the end credits roll.  “The Hundred-Foot Journey” was adapted from the best-selling novel by Richard C.Morais. Directed by Lasse Hallström (Chocolat).  Dame Helen Miren was perfectly cast as Le Saule Pleureur’s  chilly chef proprietress, Madame Mallory. The clasically trained french chef is feeling the heat from the opening of an Indian restaurant 100 feet across the street from her Michelin-starred palace and she is feeling quite threatened. Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) a culinary ingénue and his family, led by Papa (Om Puri) move to a small village in the South of France known as Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val.

100FootJourney

Two cultures collide and the outraged Madame Mallory is on a mission to have the newcomers shut down at any cost, causing utter chaos between the two restaurants and almost shutting one of them down for good.  The passion and talent Hassan has for French cuisine can’t be denied any longer by the Madame Mallory. A magical friendship unfolds between her sous chef Marguerite (Charlotte Lebon) and Hassan; a love story ensues that molds the two cultures together and they soon discover a recipe for success that will surprise everyone. The film is Rated PG, and was produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey. Spielberg states, “We had a chance to put our creative energies together in a very compatible way to tell this story about compatibility amongst people you never imagined could be compatible.” It is a great film, so bring your favorite foodie along with you for the ride. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will probably leave hungry for more.

The Hundred-Foot Journey Oprah & HelenOprah Winfrey & Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren

Continue reading »

“Food Is Memories” an Inside Look into The Hundred Foot Journey

“Food Is Memories” an Inside Look into The Hundred Foot Journey

By Erin

*I was invited by Disney as a guest to attend a press junket for the film for purposes of this post. All thoughts remain my own. :)*

You may be asking yourself, what exactly is a Hundred Foot Journey? Richard C. Morais puts it nicely, “A hundred foot journey begins in that moment when you bravely drop what is familiar and cross over into a new realm that is far out of your comfort zone. It is a profound journey, however small in physical distance, that materially changes the course of your life for the better.” This is what happens to one family who was displaced from their native India and find themselves in the south of France, ready to open up an Indian restaurant called Maison Mumbai. This happens to be only 100 feet away from Le Saule Pleureur, a popular classical French restaurant ran by the prim and proper Madame Mallory.  The journey begins here once Madame Mallory learns of her new neighbors, only 100 feet away across the street.

The film is centered around food and memories. Take a look at one very special “Food is Memories” moment.

I was ever so lucky to meet some of the cast from this brilliant film bringing people together by food and the memories that it creates. Take an inside look into what the cast has to say about some of their own personal “Food is Memories” moments and other interesting findings about the film.

1. Helen Mirren – (“Madame Mallory”)

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

First we have Helen chatting with us. Here is a snippet of the conversation we had with her.

What is your favorite French Dish?

Helen: I love French onion soup. Classically made French soup.

The movie has a lot of “Food is Memories” moments. What is your favorite Food is Memories moment?

Helen: Chocolate. I have an incredible memory of the first time I had chocolate. A chocolate Easter egg. I grew up in England after the Second World War, and there was no sugar. I didn’t eat chocolate until I was about 7 years old. So that first taste of chocolate, I remember that very clearly.

(And if you’re wondering, it was the taste and smell of milk chocolate.)

Can you actually cook? Or are you just a tremendously engaging fake in this?

Helen: I’m an engaging fake.  Luckily in the movie I don’t actually cook. I run the restaurant. She knows food, and understands food, and employs very, very good chefs. She doesn’t actually cook, herself. She tastes, and judges. But luckily, she doesn’t cook, because I would reveal myself very rapidly to be somewhat inept. The only thing I have to do is to break eggs.

2. Manish Dayal – (“Hassan”)

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

Next we have Manish Dayal at the round table with us, to give us the scoop on some of his thoughts.

Can you cook and did you have to have any special training for the making of the film?

Manish: Sadly, I can cook a little bit. I went into it not being able to, of course, understand the art of cooking and cuisine and now I think I have a better understanding of those things. We had in the kitchen training. Understanding sort of the nature of a kitchen in France versus the nature of a kitchen in India is very different, and I think more importantly what I had to learn was understanding how it works, rather than how to make the food, because of course we did both but understanding like how to function in a kitchen is very important.

What food would you serve if you wanted somebody to understand where you were from?

Manish: Where I was from? Fried chicken. I’m from South Carolina. But if you mean ethnically where I was from…

What role does food play in your life?

Manish: Huge, because food, just like in this movie, you know, it brings cultures together, but it also sort of is the reason why our families used to get together when we were kids, like my aunt and uncle would come over when my mom was making this, or we would go over there when they were making that, you know, that’s what food is, and I went into the whole thing thinking that France and India are culturally the two most opposites, but what I learned through the process is that’s not the case at all. They actually both have a very unique appreciation for food, unlike any other culture that I’ve been sort of been privy to so far, specifically like the French and Indian, yeah, they’re much more similar than you think.

What should viewers take as the message from this film, do you think, take away from it?

Manish: They should take away that you must embrace life’s uncertainty, I think, ‘cause I think that’s what this movie’s about.

If you had to choose your last meal, what would it be, but since that implies that you’re about to be killed, it’s a bit grim. So let’s just say if you could have your perfect dinner, no threat of death, what would it be?

Manish: I’m going to give the real answer, which is chicken fingers. I love chicken fingers. So chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce – so bad – and fries, double crispy fries with mayonnaise.

Manish also let in on one of his favorite food is memories moment and told us about the special omelette that you will see in this film. It was his dads recipe!

Continue reading »