The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
Culinary Journey
The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais is about a boy’s
many journeys, each one marinated in delectable dishes that will have the
reader drooling. Hassan Haji’s journey
begins in India where his family owns a successful restaurant. After a tragic turn of events the large Haji
family moves to an Indian section of London. The journey continues in a culinary awakening,
as they eat their way across Europe and finally settle in the French Alps. There they open a loud and lively Indian
restaurant to the annoyance of Madame Mallory, the snobbishly stiff and
structured expert chef and owner of a highly-rated restaurant right across the
street. And so the conflict begins.
Madame Mallory has a “nuclear contempt for one’s inferiors” and starts a
campaign to regain her rightful control in the little town of Lumière. The war
rages on until something happens to change Mallory’s mind, and she eventually takes
Hassan under her wing as an apprentice.
This hundred-foot journey across the street is the first step in
Hassan’s passage to manhood and becoming a renowned French chef.
This book, a soon-to-be movie, made me want to call in sick
for work, stay home with a hot tea, and snuggle on the couch getting lost in
the French Alps, dreaming of the wonderful scenery and the tempting food they
made. I suggest you eat a good meal before you dive into the book. Otherwise
get ready to hear your stomach rumble as Morais describes truffle-stuffed
chickens packed with julienned leeks and carrots roasting to a perfection as
the truffles and fat melt “together, their essences seeping deliciously through
the meat and leaving a uniquely earthy flavor.” It made me hungry and want to
try Jalebi, a condensed milk and flour concoction fried in boiling oil then
dipped in syrup. Heck, I’d even give lumbuli a whirl—young bull testicles
stuffed with pine nuts and powdered fennel seeds, seared in olive oil and fish
pickle before roasting in the oven.
The movie is set to be released in August, 2014. Consensus has
it that a book is usually better than the movie, and while that may be true for the most part, movies do have their value. I love going to the movies. Granted,
the words skillfully strung together in books don’t always translate so eloquently on
screen, but movies provide us with a different kind of magic—a visual explosion
that cannot always be accomplished in books. Sure, authors can give us vivid
descriptions that immerse us into their stories, but movies, well, they fill in
the gaps. Whereas an author might give
exquisite details about a beautiful gown the protagonist is wearing, the
costume and set designers on a movie set fill in the rest on-screen. They have to
set the background and clothe everyone,
not just the main character. Their
attention to details bring scenes to life.
In The Hundred-Foot Journey,
for instance, I tried to imagine the dining extravaganza at the Musée
d’Orsay. I’ve never been there and while
Morais mentioned three paintings, the movie will, no doubt, give me a glimpse
of those paintings as well as a feel of the whole room.
I can’t wait to see this book on the big screen. India, London, the French Alps, Paris, and
gourmet restaurants promise to make this a visual feast, all set to music that
will subtly or boldly steer the tone.
And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Helen Mirren is playing Madame
Mallory. Of course, I still
wholeheartedly recommend reading the book first!
When you’re done with The
Hundred-Foot Journey and you’re still craving more mouthwatering, culinary
romps, consider the books below that are sure to wake up your palate. Click on the titles to read the reviews.
Happy Reading,
Annette
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