Kings of Pastry

DVD Review

Kings of Pastry, Directed by Chris Hegedus. Starring Jacquy Pfeiffer and Phillipe Rogolot. From the makers of the documentary classics Dont Look Back and The War Room. D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus are simply the best - so when they turn their sights on the competition for the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF), France's Nobel Prize for pastry, you're in for a treat. Sixteen chefs whip up the most gorgeous, delectable, gravity-defying concoctions, and there is edge-of the seat drama as they deliver their fantastical, spun-sugar desserts to the display table. The inevitable disasters prove both poignant and hilarious. (Courtesy of Film Forum)

Pennebaker and Hegedus secured exclusive access to shoot this epic, never-before-filmed test of France's finest artisans. The film follows chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, co-founder of Chicago's French Pastry School, as he journeys back to his childhood home of Alsace to practice for the contest. Also profiled is chef Regis Lazard, who is competing for the second time (he dropped his sugar sculpture the first time), and chef Philippe Rigollot, from Maison Pic, France's only three-star restaurant owned by a woman.

During the grueling final competition, chefs work under constant scrutiny by master judges, whose critical palates evaluate their elaborate pastries. Finally, these pastry marathoners racing the clock must hand carry all their creations including their fragile sugar sculptures through a series of rooms to a final buffet area without shattering them. The film captures the high-stakes drama of the competition - passion, sacrifice, disappointment, and joy - in the quest to become one of the Kings of Pastry.

Bonus Features Include: Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer Demonstrates How to Make Sugar Sculptures; Outtakes; Filmmaker Biographies. Click here for more information or to order.

Thai Foodcast: Easy Thai Recipes

DVD Review

Thai Foodcast: Easy Thai Recipes, starring Aunchalee Burkhart, directed by John Burkhart. By watching this DVD you will gain the knowledge and skills required to make ten great tasting Thai dishes that are so simple, they will easily become part of your weekly meal schedule. Some of the most delicious Thai food is also the easiest to make, however a lot of western people are intimidated by the idea of cooking Thai food themselves. The goal of Thai Foodcast is to make cooking Thai food accessible, even if you've never set foot in an Asian grocery store before.

Each recipe is accompanied by a step by step video, that explains not just the actual cooking, but also teaches you about the different ingredients and sauces that go into making Thai Cuisine. We've selected ten of the easiest, quickest, and tastiest Thai recipes to prepare. Recipes include Thai Basil Chicken, Coconut Chicken Soup, Fried Bananas, Papaya Salad, Fried Spring Rolls, Pad Thai, Fried Rice, Green Curry Chicken, Pork Ball Soup, and Fresh Spring Rolls.

Click here for more information or to download.

Thai Recipe Downloads

Vegetarian Cooking For Diabetes

DVD Review

Vegetarian Cooking For Diabetes, with Chef Radha Krishnan, directed by Gopinath. It is common knowledge that insufficient secretion of insulin from the Pancreas to help energize the crores of cells in the body leads to an increase in the level of sugar in the blood vessels. The result is that the sugar that is produced from the intake of food remains in the blood without the body being able to utilize the benefit. This may lead to impotency, nervous and vision disorders, cardiac problems etc. Whatever be the causes for diabetes, the process is irreversible but can effectively be controlled by taking a balanced diet, physical exercise and medication. While medication helps in the secretion of insulin, physical exercise helps in burning excess calories in the food in-take.

But these will not be effective, if care is not taken in the choice of food one takes, its quantity and timing. Balance has to be struck among nutrition, quantity and taste. This DVD contains not only the medical advice on the type of diabetic diet but also recipes and demonstration of cooking certain food items. Click here for more information or to order.

Tommy Tang's Modern Thai Cuisine