Mike Solomonov (r) stars in In Search of Israeli Cuisine |
Food Makes Peace
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: In Search of Israeli Cuisine is a portrait of the Israeli people told through food. It puts a literal face on the culture of Israel. Profiling chefs, home cooks, farmers, vintners, and cheese makers drawn from the more than 100 cultures that make up Israel today - Jewish, Arab, Muslim, Christian, Druze a rich, complex and human story emerges. Through scenes that are mostly cinema verité - interviews, farms, markets, restaurants, kitchens, landscapes, and history - audiences will discover that this hot, multi-cultural cuisine has developed only in the last 30 years. In that short time, Israel went from being one of the poorest countries in the world to one of the most advanced. Its sophistication mirrors the current state of the Israeli people and their food: secular, outward looking and innovative. Directed by Roger Sherman.
"What is Israeli food?" Chef Mike Solomonov takes us on a whirlwind tour of Israeli food and culture in Sherman's enjoyable foodie doc. The answers are numerous, but Solomonov says it best, "It's about tasting new things, and talking about history... and conflict & turmoil as well." It's also about local ingredients, where an hour away constitutes not local. There's plenty of optimism throughout, showing multiple cultures eating/working in unison; but Sherman is wise not to gloss over the aforementioned turmoils as well. Overall, informative, smart and mouth-watering... with enough delicious grub to make you call your travel agent.
Grade: B