Food festival season is finally a wrap. My stomach has packed up its bags and headed on a short vacation before holiday feasting season begins. While she is gone, I now have a minute to report on the raucous good time at the eighth annual New York City Food Film Festival (@FoodFilmFest). It’s the only time you get to eat what you see on the screen, and every year it just gets better and better.
Of the five events at the festival, I attended two, “Edible Adventure #011: Just Add Sriracha” and “The Food Porn Party: Halloween Balls.” “Cocina Peruana,” “Brewmore + More” and the “Night Aquatic” events would have to live only as epic descriptions and movie trailers on the website. The names of these events alone caused the spirit of my food wolverine to emerge from my soul and devour all that is offered.
I have very fond memories of this festival, going back to my first time in 2010, when Public (@PUBLIC_NYC) executive chef Brad Farmerie turned me out at the Southeast Asian Street Food Market. I paid more attention to the food than the screen then. Now they both get equal billing.
My first event, “Edible Adventure #011: Just Add Sriracha,” celebrated that once hard to pronounce spicy Thai condiment, culminating with the humble “Made in America” story of its origins. Only at this event of committed food biographers and documentarians would I discover that a Vietnamese refugee who was looking for a better life makes this beloved condiment in California. Today, Huy Fong Foods (the name of the boat on which he fled his country) produces the most well known sriracha sauce, as well as chili garlic paste and sambal oelek. You could feel the excitement by fans for this brand and product both on and off the screen.
Some of the other films this night and their foods were “1 Minute Meal: Slice Discrimination,” about the art of the New York City pizza slice (pizza), “Calling All Chefs,” about the union of a sub shop and a Michelin-starred Italian chef (handmade pasta), “French Fries and Ice Cream,” about Michelin-starred chef Phillip Foss (he would later serve a molecular gastronomical dish that really can’t be explained, but good!), “La Vara Churros: The Standard Which to Measure Every Churro,” about the preparation of a well-respected New York City churro (churro with dulce de leche dipping sauce).
The sriracha-filled after-party provided all things hot, sweet and savory. My favorite savory came by way of Hometown BBQ (@HometownBarBQue) with their brontosaurus-sized Buffalo wingettes. Their great flavor, delicate ranch dressing and fresh scallions set it off! I didn’t think I would love sriracha ice cream from Max and Mina’s (@MaxAndMinas), but the combination of sweet cream ribboned with sriracha and crunchy tuille-like sriracha candy on top was heavenly … or is it “helly”?
OK, maybe I felt a little dirty inside when I was getting ready for the next event, “The Food Porn Party: Halloween Balls.” However, that feeling turned into excitement when I knew chef Brad Farmerie had something called “The B.L.A.T.” on deck and the creator of the elusive ramen burger, chef Keizo Shimamoto, went there again with the ramen meatball.
Any apprehension I had about the evening was quickly allayed when I settled in my seat, the lights went down and the first film, “Gin Tonic Black,” filled the screen. That’s my drink, but this film added a thin slice of English cucumber and a crack of black pepper. Before I knew it, a silver tray from New York Distilling (@NYDistilling) made its way across the row next to the din of the flickering screen, past the human pizza slice and her delivery guy to me. Now I was ready for the rest.
I didn’t go in costume, but I enjoyed all of the creative food costumes, such as the couple of peanut butter and jelly, Mr. Slim Jim or the Heat Miser foam hat-wearing s’mores guy walking around with marshmallows on a stick. My favorite was the husband and wife team from the film “Top Pot Doughnut Bread Pudding: For Every Occasion,” who wore vintage ’70s McDonald’s uniforms. There was delicious bread pudding, too!
Other films and their foods included “1 Minute Meal: Su Propia Liga,” about a torta master right here in New York City (beef torta), “10,000 Bunnies,” about a chocolatier making a ton of Easter bunnies (chocolate candies), “Balls!” from the first “food porn star” Larry Cauldwell, replete with an Elvis-like costume and chest hair, “Big B.L.A.T.,” about making a bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwich (the B.L.A.T.) and finally, “Hog on Hog,” about the preparation of a pig from purchase to transport (hogtied on the back of a Harley Davidson motorcyclist) to preparation and serving (Porchetta di Testa, pig head). It made the vegetarians squirm in their seats and the carnivores cheer.
Nice job team! Go kill ’em in Chicago, and I will see you next year!
Happy eating and thanks for reading!
Kysha Harris is a food writer, culinary producer, consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service offering weekly and in-home entertaining packages. Questions? Comments? Requests? Feedback? Invitations? Email her at kysha@iSCHOP.com, follow her on Twitter and Instagram @SCHOPgirl or on Facebook www.facebook.com/SCHOPnyc. For even more recipes, tips and food musings subscribe to her blog at www.talkingSCHOP.wordpress.com.