Kino trifft Kulinarik
('Cinema Meets Culinary Art')
curated by Dieter Kosslick
Much has changed in the kitchen and on TV since the actor turned TV chef Clemens Wilmenrod presented poached eggs and salami on toast in the first-ever cooking show on German television in 1953. One aspect, however, has remained the same: such shows are still often all about quickly prepared meals for stressed people.
In the past, recipes and cooking skills were passed down from generation to generation; favourite childhood dishes often defined people's lifelong tastes. Granted, toddlers still enjoy cooking and baking with their grandmothers, but the ready-made product industry dominates the supermarket shelves. A lot of foodstuff is perceived completely disconnected from its production process; its origins are often barely traceable thanks to the now global flow of commodities. On the other hand, cooking shows are ratings hits for TV channels, thousands of dishes are presented on the internet, cookery courses are fully booked, cookbooks such as Yotam Ottolenghi's Simple and Jamie Oliver's Jamie's 15-Minute Meals are bestsellers.
The search for recipes for life has apparently given rise to a new enjoyment of cooking. However, what's the best way to learn how to cook? The wonderful comedy Julie & Julia with the Oscar-nominated Meryl Streep as the American celebrity chef Julia Child, who taught her compatriots the French cuisine, and Amy Adams as Julie Powell, who attempted to cook all of this famous TV chef and cookbook author's 524 recipes in the space of a year, perfectly illustrates how. It is a hymn to following tried-and-true recipes.
