Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Edit History

blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

On 10/18/2016 at 4:48 AM, Wayne said:

My local library has this on order and I'm first in the queue.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/city_of_gold_2016/

 

I'm not familiar with Jonathan Gold's writing however it is receiving very favourable reviews.

Anyone seen it?

 

I'm a long time fan of Jonathan Gold's writing.  As @Thanks for the Crepes would predict, I very much enjoyed the City of Gold documentary.  When I first heard the title, I sort of rolled my eyes, but after seeing the film, it's entirely appropriate as it's as much a documentary portrait of LA as it is of Mr. Gold.

Two little nuggets from the film that stood out to me were the comment from the woman who said that his use of the second person in his writing was unappreciated or undervalued (I can't remember her exact words).  I've certainly been aware of it and always felt that it gave his writing a relaxed, conversational style.  She pointed out something more - how it forms a bond between reader and writer.  I hadn't fully appreciated it but have since recognized it almost every time I read a review.  It's not that he writes every review as a personal letter, just that he has a very deft touch in the use of that tool.

The other nugget was from a commencement address he gave where he asked himself whether his own college learnings had prepared him for his career. Certainly it's been a career that he probably couldn't have imagined at the time.  Anyway, he had a number of things to say.  One was to the effect that both the comprehension of form and the ability to describe abstract sensation were things he had learned in his music and art classes and were really all he needed to know.  That statement delights me and his ability to craft it so concisely impresses me greatly.

 

There's a bit more background on the film in this interview with filmmaker, Laura Gabbert.  It's from Evan Kleiman's Good Food podcast/radio show and also includes an interview with Jonathan Gold, who is a regular contributor.

 

@Thanks for the Crepes's observations about the lack of actual food footage or description are correct.  This is a portrait of a writer and the city he writes about.  The people who own, cook and serve in the restaurants he visits play a supporting role but the actual food itself isn't a big part of the story at all.

 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts after watching.

 

And a little aside:

On 10/19/2016 at 1:03 AM, Thanks for the Crepes said:

There is footage of a Oaxacan restaurant with something that looks a little like a pizza made on what I think? might me a really giant flour tortilla, but we won't know from this video.

The Oaxacan restaurant was Guelaguetza and the dish was tlayuda. From this recent LA Times article on the best local offerings:

Quote

The  base is a large, thin corn tortilla toasted on a comal until dry and firm. The base is spread with asiento, the brown drippings from rendered pork skin. Next comes a layer of mashed black beans, the preferred bean in Oaxaca. (It's common to cook the beans with the anise-scented leaves of the aguacate criollo, the native Mexican avocado tree.) Then on go shredded cabbage or lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, Oaxacan cheeses and Oaxacan meats. The big three meats are tasajo, which is thin-sliced beef; cecina, which is spiced pork; and Oaxacan chorizo. Some restaurants also offer carne asada and chicken.

Yum!

blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

On 10/18/2016 at 4:48 AM, Wayne said:

My local library has this on order and I'm first in the queue.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/city_of_gold_2016/

 

I'm not familiar with Jonathan Gold's writing however it is receiving very favourable reviews.

Anyone seen it?

 

I'm a long time fan of Jonathan Gold's writing.  As @Thanks for the Crepes would predict, I very much enjoyed the City of Gold documentary.  When I first heard the title, I sort of rolled my eyes, but after seeing the film, it's entirely appropriate as it's as much a documentary portrait of LA as it is of Mr. Gold.

Two little nuggets from the film that stood out to me were the comment from the woman who said that his use of the second person in his writing was unappreciated or undervalued (I can't remember her exact words).  I've certainly been aware of it and always felt that it gave his writing an relaxed, conversational style.  She pointed out something more - how it forms a bond between reader and writer.  I hadn't fully appreciated it but have since recognized it almost every time I read a review.  It's not that he writes every review as a personal letter, just that he has a very deft touch in the use of that tool.

The other nugget was from a commencement address he gave where he asked himself whether his own college learnings had prepared him for his career. Certainly it's been a career that he probably couldn't have imagined at the time.  Anyway, he had a number of things to say.  One was to the effect that both the comprehension of form and the ability to describe abstract sensation were things he had learned in his music and art classes and were really all he needed to know.  That statement delights me and his ability to craft it so concisely impresses me greatly.

 

There's a bit more background on the film in this interview with filmmaker, Laura Gabbert.  It's from Evan Kleiman's Good Food podcast/radio show and also includes an interview with Jonathan Gold, who is a regular contributor.

 

@Thanks for the Crepes's observations about the lack of actual food footage or description are correct.  This is a portrait of a writer and the city he writes about.  The people who own, cook and serve in the restaurants he visits play a supporting role but the actual food itself isn't a big part of the story at all.

 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts after watching.

 

And a little aside:

On 10/19/2016 at 1:03 AM, Thanks for the Crepes said:

There is footage of a Oaxacan restaurant with something that looks a little like a pizza made on what I think? might me a really giant flour tortilla, but we won't know from this video.

The Oaxacan restaurant was Guelaguetza and the dish was tlayuda. From this recent LA Times article on the best local offerings:

Quote

The  base is a large, thin corn tortilla toasted on a comal until dry and firm. The base is spread with asiento, the brown drippings from rendered pork skin. Next comes a layer of mashed black beans, the preferred bean in Oaxaca. (It's common to cook the beans with the anise-scented leaves of the aguacate criollo, the native Mexican avocado tree.) Then on go shredded cabbage or lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, Oaxacan cheeses and Oaxacan meats. The big three meats are tasajo, which is thin-sliced beef; cecina, which is spiced pork; and Oaxacan chorizo. Some restaurants also offer carne asada and chicken.

Yum!

×
×
  • Create New...