Weekend Cooking: Foodie Love

After months of life being pretty much normal here in Melbourne, we have had an outbreak of one tow of the more transmissible versions of COVID which sent us back into lockdown again last week. And lockdown means finding ways to entertain ourselves. We should have been hosting a party for around 30 of our friends on Saturday night, but, obviously, plans had to change.

We also upgraded our cable box last week so I was playing around with that when I came across a series on SBS, which is our multicultural channel, that sounded interesting, and so I ended up watching all the episodes over the course of the weekend. I am definitely glad that I gave this a go because I very much enjoyed watching it.

This is actually a Spanish series, set predominantly in Spain, but there are also sections that are filmed in Rome, France and Japan. One of the things I have realised is that watching a TV series with subtitles means I do actually have to watch rather than only half watch while also messing around on the phone or laptop at the same time. It's a terrible habit that I probably should try and break myself.

We never find out the main characters names. They meet on a foodie app, think EHarmony for food lovers, and then we follow them through the early stages of their relationship. We have access to their inner thoughts, their insecurities and how their past relationships have left them scarred and cautious as they try to meet someone new.

I met my now husband around 4 and a half years ago so some of those  anxieties were still quite fresh. Fresh enough to remember at least!  The uncertainty of yet another first date. Will we like each other? Will the conversation flow? Will I say something a bit awkward? Will we want to see each other again?And what about the first kiss? The first time of spending the night together?  I was very lucky in that it was very clear early on that we were indeed compatible and that we enjoyed each others company so the awkwardness didn't last too long. He tells me that he was never nervous, but I definitely had some moments.

In addition to the main characters, in each episode we get glimpses into other people's lives. For example, in the first episode there is a writer who is observing the people around her, and our couple also spend some time speculating about the lives of the cafe owners. In another episodes, we see a Japanese woman doing a special dance early in the morning, as she believes that this will help the taste of the ramen that she is going to serve in her restaurant each day. 

One of the first things that our couple bonded over was obviously food. He gets irritated by people who take photos of their food before they even taste it. (That's me!) She doesn't like licorice. What follows is a narrative on developing a new relationship, using food, film and music as touchpoints. The settings are also beautifully portrayed. 

In the first episode they meet up for coffee, and we see them as they grasp for conversation followed by a second date in a hard to find cocktail bar. She is late, so he is sure that he has been stood up, so he starts drinking the new cocktail that the bar owner has created. When she finally does arrive, he is well and truly on the way to being drunk

The third date is at a Japanese restaurant in a market where ramen noodles are on the menu.  She has a strong connection to Japan, although she is not ready to talk about her past yet. There is some next level flirting in this one, including a conversation which alludes to how difficult it can be to navigate a new relationship in our modern PC age.

In the fourth episode He goes to Rome, and he gets to taste the best ice cream ever. This episode was one of my favourites, as you can reallly feel them getting closer, despite the fact that the aren't physically together. There was also an interesting history of ice cream and the way the city was presented made me want to visit there again. Man, I wish we could travel again. 

We then get to witness a series of first. First kiss, first morning after, first weekend away. Along the way they go to an incredibly high end restuarant which included the kind of dishes that I can only imagine being able to afford to eat. And the weekend away is in country France, once again beautifully filmed.

In a heart wrenching finale we find out what happened in her past, and it brings several of the motives that are woven through the series to the point of making sense. 

It is worth mentioning that there are a couple of episodes where there is full nudity. 

Given that the whole premise is around food, of course there are lots of great food moments scattered throughout. From simple croissants, to ice cream to the elegant dinner and the lovingly created ramen there is plenty of food to drool over throughout the eight episodes.

I highly enjoyed this series, even with some superfluous interjections of old cartoons. These are kind of odd moments, but for the most part it is a feast for the senses, with humour, romance, a very enjoyable soundtrack and more!

Weekly Menu

Saturday: Chilli
Sunday: Roast beef with mushroom sauce and vegies
Monday: Butter Chicken with broccoli and rice

Tuesday: Bangers and Mash with Mustard and Onion cream
Wednesday: Spaghetti Bolognaise

Thursday: Roast Chicken and vegetables with sage crumb
Friday: Beef, broccolini and mushroooms

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.