Bring back the fat chefs!
The online convergence of food and fitness influencers on social media means that people are focusing on the protein and ‘fuel’ quotient of their quick-to-make meals, rather than delighting in the flavour of their culinary creations and the process of cooking them.
I vividly remember the first time I saw culinary skills depicted on-screen.
It was the infamous cheese toastie scene in Jon Favreau’s 2014 film Chef, during which the protagonist masterfully handles ordinary ingredients to produce something delicious.
One of the things I love so much about this movie — which sees Favreau himself play a chef who quits his restaurant job and buys a food truck to rekindle his creativity — is that you can tell he genuinely loves his food. He also actually looks like a chef, that is to say one with a healthy appetite who isn’t afraid to eat what he makes.
Now, I gave up meat in my early teens. This meant that my fascination with watching people cook — from Bake Off (the ultimate cure for SAD) to Binging With Babish — quickly transformed into hunting for cruelty-free recipes.
