The art of gastronomy has had a special place in my mind ever since my girlfriend and I started watching the Food Network together. Shows like Chopped and Kitchen Nightmares opened my eyes to the intensity and quality of professional chefs and also to the difference between a top-of-the-line restaurant and a disastrous one. Watching shows about food opened Liz and I to the amazing experiences of cooking. Here I learned that everything I’d seen in the shows was much, much harder and more respectable than I initially thought.
Art in the United States is in a pretty shallow spot. While younger generations appear to be on board with the seemingly global movement of minimalistic and rather intimate abstract art, older generations are slow to pick it up. Everything in our country seems to be bigger and more “pleasing” than it needs to be. This isn’t to make fun of our nation, but rather to call it out on one of its failures. We like fast and gas-guzzling vehicles; we like huge portions of “picture-perfect” food (most of our perceptions of what food should look like already artificial and therefore misguided); we like bright lights and good smells and seamless perfection.
Chef’s Table is a brilliant documentary series which shows the true romantic beauty of top chefs. Each episode focuses on the life and goals of a specific chef who is truly dedicated to changing the way we perceive and consume food. One of the greatest aspects of the documentaries is their ability to show the art of gastronomy and the delicacy and importance of attention to detail. Whether it’s cooking food outdoors in a pit or over a wood fire or growing fresh food literally right outside of the restaurant, these chefs sacrifice ease and safety for the ability to create and excite consumers. In this way, we can see these chefs’ relationship to their food as exactly the same as artists’ dedication and intimacy with their art.
With the help of the show, the struggles of not only revolutionary chefs can be heard and understood, but also the struggles of all those in this large world who want to leave a mark on the wall instead of passing by silently in life. It's inspiring and truly awesome to see a show that catches artists doing what they love. So what are you waiting for? Go watch it. It’s on Netflix.
