The high holy days for food and restaurant writers are just around the corner. What better way to pass judgment on the 4,328 different versions of Thanksgiving dressing (mom’s being the best, of course), the humble sweet potato (with or without marshmallows!?), or looking down our noses at green beans swimming in canned soup and crunchy canned onions. (Extensive research has proven, however, that the same down-the-nose lookers will be secretly scarfing up the green bean leftovers when nobody’s looking. We know who you are and we are watching.)
The evolution of our Cape Region restaurants has included many that pride themselves on feeding us on Thanksgiving. From extensive buffets to fine dining to carryout to delicious ethnic treats, there’s no danger of going hungry in the last week of November. And I’m sure that the plethora of food shows on TV (many of which have featured some of our local chefs, by the way) hasn’t hurt a bit. This heightened awareness of food, cooking and ingredients has influenced restaurants and home cooks alike. When the two merge, I can’t help but think that pioneer TV chef Julia Child would have loved the whole idea.
The mysteries of the kitchen have become familiar to many, thanks to Food Network and the like. But much of today’s fascination with all things culinary can be traced back to Chef Julia. The networks, publishers, websites, retailers, restaurant columnists and commentators that followed have her to thank for engaging the public in the art and science (and occasional humor) of cooking.
Several years ago I had the honor of hosting a panel discussion that marked the conclusion of Rehoboth Beach Museum’s Beach Eats! exhibit. On the last night of the year-long event, the Museum powers-that-were presented an exclusive screening of one of the very first cooking shows, The French Chef, created and hosted by Julia Child and broadcast by WGBH in Boston from 1963 to 1973.
The lights dimmed as our roomful of foodies, restaurateurs, foodie wannabes and those who love us watched the tall, talented and always out-of-breath Julia prepare her famous French onion soup and chocolate mousse. Like the groundbreaking I Love Lucy, these early black and white episodes were shot using multiple cameras. The difference is that Lucy was shot on film, which allowed for creative editing after the show was filmed. The French Chef, however, was shot using TV cameras, so what the viewers ultimately saw on the screen was happening in real time as the director “switched” among the cameras. Retakes and edits were few and far-between. When she spilled the cognac, well … she spilled the cognac for all to see. If an unruly onion eluded her knife by skittering off the cutting board, we witnessed her deft moves to corral the little fugitive. And, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, few of us can forget the quite-possibly-true TV moment when a well-buttered turkey slipped out of Julia’s hands and ended up on the floor. Undaunted, she bent down, picked it up, put it back on the table, looked straight into the cameras and said "Remember, you're alone in the kitchen!"
In both episodes we watched that evening it was obvious that she had finished earlier than expected; reacting to off-camera “stretch” signals by filling her half-hour any way she could. Digital time manipulation was at least 50 years in the future, so the allotted minutes had to be filled – one way or another. Not unlike the turkey’s unfortunate bout with gravity, she never missed a beat.
So what started with tiny black-and-white TV screens and on-air resourcefulness has morphed into extravagant dining experiences crafted by creative restaurant people. Julia Child had no idea of how many things – including columns such as this – might never have existed without her groundbreaking productions. So, in tribute to the tall and talented lady who started it all, I’d like to make a toast (at least in print) to all the Cape Region restaurateurs and other food service professionals who repeatedly step up to the plate to celebrate our cherished holidays.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving. And, as Ms. Child used to say at the end of every show, “Bon appétit!”
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So many restaurants, so little time! Food writer Bob Yesbek gives readers a sneak peek behind the scenes, exposing the inner workings of the local culinary industry, from the farm to the table and everything in between. He can be reached at Bob@RehobothFoodie.com.
