A Chef, an Actor, a Restaurant Critic, a Food Stylist, and a Professor Walk into the Beard House: A Roundtable Discussion on Food and Film

by Anya Hoffman on May 06, 2013

The making of the timpano in Big Night. The edge-of-your-seat ending of Kings of Pastry. The food-as-foreplay scene in Tom Jones. As a prop, a plot device, and, more recently, the main subject, food has long played a pivotal role in some of our favorite cinematic experiences (not all of them appetizing: La Grande Bouffe, anyone?).

To gain insight into this cultural intersection in anticipation of the film-focused 2013 Beard Awards, our own Mitchell Davis moderated a lively roundtable discussion in the Beard House boardroom between actor and JBF Awards host Oliver Platt, New York magazine restaurant critic (and Oliver’s brother) Adam Platt, chef and film buff Paul Liebrandt, film food stylist and former Martha Stewart Living food editorial director Susan Spungen, and New School food studies professor Fabio Parasecoli.

Over the course of several hours—and an excellent dinner prepared by Philly-based chef Joe Cicala—the group discussed... Read more >

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