Video Librarian recommends two stimulating food documentaries that offer invaluable insights for culinary students eager to broaden their cultural horizons. These educational documentaries not only showcase the artistry of cooking but also the power of food to drive social change, fostering a deep sense of purpose and inspiration among cooking students as they learn how to wield their own talents. The dedication, creativity, and resilience displayed by the documentary subjects serve as motivating examples for aspiring chefs, encouraging them to view cooking as a powerful medium for storytelling, cultural exchange, and community building.
House Special
Those seeking a multi-faceted show about food, culture, or Canadian history will want to see House Special. Highly Recommended."
A five-part docu-series that chronicles the Chinese Canadian experience through the lens of small-town Asian food joints and the families that run them. Ride the rails with chef and author, Jackie Kai Ellis, as she explores Canadian Chop Suey cuisine. Paris meets prairie, when upscale designer and chef Jackie Kai Ellis goes out of her comfort zone to learn more about her people’s story on a plate. On the tail of her own self-discovery and bestselling memoir, Jackie is on a journey to explore the rich and colorful world of roadside, Chinese restaurants. Putting her own identity into question, this is a character-driven series serving up crispy visuals from buffet to BBQ. and offers a delicious new perspective on the origins of makeshift railway chop suey.
Along the way, she'll get a taste of kitchen table wisdom, culture, and community. House Special explores how Chinese immigrants had to overcome discrimination and carve out a culinary niche that has become as Canadian as maple syrup. Like so many immigrant families that came to Canada to open restaurants, (one of the few jobs open to Chinese people) these chefs were faced with the same dilemma: How do I take the food of my country and adapt it to a Canadian palette? And so dishes like ginger beef and sweet and sour pork were born. Jackie’s lineage to food is unmistakable.
But as a Canadian-born Chinese woman, she has always split her allegiances between country and culture. Now more than ever, in the wake of anti-Asian sentiment, Jackie is on a quest of self-discovery to redefine the next era of authentic Chinese Canadian cuisine. A leader in her community, Jackie often hosts culinary tours and will be our guide along this journey. Viewers will have a chance to connect with her as she uncovers personal stories at the intersection of politics, culture, and food.
➡️ Click here to read our review of House Special
➡️ Click here to purchase House Special from Cinema Guild
The Kitchenistas
[T]he film is helpful for showing that change is possible and cooking healthy is a common goal."
What started as a 7-week nutrition program seven years ago in National City California for women seeking healthier diets, has become a Latina-led movement to raise the health, wellbeing, and resilience of the community. National City has one of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in San Diego County and in the state of California, and the program graduates, called “Kitchenistas”, are out to change that, one healthy meal at a time.
Now after 18 graduating classes, more than 275 Kitchenistas stay the course to overcome systemic barriers in bringing high-quality food solutions into their homes, schools, and city. Their stories show how women are community builders through healthy food traditions. Not to be underestimated, these women show how a range of small advocacy actions over time lead to big changes.