The Hundred-Foot Journey with Oprah & Spielberg

The 100-Foot Journey with Oprah Winfrey & Steven Spielberg

The fabulous Helen Mirren, the quite wonderful Om Puri – loads of French and Indian food – and a love story with music by AR Rahman. Add to it Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey! Perfect ingredients for an unexpected romance set in France.

‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ is a DreamWorks film produced by Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Juliet Blake, to be released August 8th, 2014. It is directed by Lasse Hallstrom, and stars Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, and Charlotte Le Bon.

As Yahoo Movies wrote, “Nearly 30 years after Oprah Winfrey made her big screen debut in director Steven Spielberg’s drama “The Color Purple,” the two titans are reuniting to produce a film that’s quite different from what you might expect from either of them. It’s called The Hundred-Foot Journey, based on the bestselling novel by Richard C. Morais, and it’s a story of cultures clashing, forbidden love, and food. Lots and lots of food.”

More details here:
The Hundred Foot Journey

 Helen Mirren in ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’

It is based on the critically acclaimed book by Richard C. Morais which has been a best seller in 29 countries.  Here is the story synopsis from the author’s site

From Mumbai to New York…

A middle-aged chef, Hassan Haji, recounts his life’s journey, from his family’s modest restaurant in Mumbai to his elegant restaurant in Paris where he has conquered the insular world of French haute cuisine. A tragedy at home in Mumbai pushes Hassan’s boisterous family into a picaresque journey across Europe, where they ultimately settle opposite a famous chef, Madam Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumière. After a series of hilarious cultural mishaps, the grand French chef discovers, much to her horror, that the young boy cooking in the cheap Indian restaurant across the way is a chef with natural talents far superior to her own. A culinary war ensues, full of plot twists, pitting Hassan’s Mumbai-toughened father against the imperious Madam Mallory, a battle royale that finally reveals to young Hassan his true destiny in life.

Full of eccentric characters, vivid settings, and delicious meals, Hassan’s charming tale lays bare the inner workings of the elite world of French haute cuisine. In the process, however, Hassan also discovers a truism that bedevils any man who has gone out into the world to make his mark: the true costs of rising to the top are only revealed later in life.

As Anthony Bourdain said in a book review: ““Outstanding! A completely engaging human story heavily larded with the lushest, most high-test food porn since Zola. Easily the best novel ever set in the world of cooking –and absolutely thrilling from beginning to end. I wished it went on for another three hundred pages.”

Oprah, Spielberg, Helen Mirren, Om Puri, A.R. Rahman  – A Feast!

 Beef Bourguinon a la Hassan ( created by chef Floyd Cardoz)

For New Yorkers, there’s another interesting connection, this intriguing recipe, seen in the movie,  has been created by New York celebrity chef Floyd Cardoz. Here it is for your cooking pleasure in the kitchen!

Looking forward to ‘The Hundred-Foot Journey’ coming up! A feast of cinema, food and great stars.