I love food. I’ve spent my entire life as a full-time eater and explorer of the dining seas, and I’ve always been a bit baffled and irked by the lack of female executive chefs that I’ve seen working in professional kitchens, and I’m sure that some of you have witnessed this same disproportion in kitchens as well.  Amuse Bouche: A Chef’s Tale is a documentary that actively demystifies how women can be perceived within the professional kitchen, and follows the intriguing life of a strong and successful chef, Barbara Lynch, of No. 9 Park in Boston.

Barbara’s story is communicated in chronological order, from her challenging childhood growing up in the South Boston projects, to her life now on the cutting-edge of cuisine. One of the highlights in of Barbara’s journey was the way she cleverly gained a four star culinary education by cleaning dishes for an instructor and in exchange she was allowed to sit in on classes. Slowly but surely she climbed the cooking ladder and became a rising star in the cooking world, all on her accord and under her own definitions.

We at WICinema love encouraging underdog stories like Barbara’s, but not only that, we love films created by women that are made to inspire women. The filmmaker, Maryanne Galvin (What’s Going On Up There?, The Pursuit of Pleasure) has explored and challenged different American narratives throughout her prolific career.  Some topics that she has covered include the evolution of female sexuality in the United States, and the effects of living an anti-consumptive life. I really enjoyed how Maryanne’s viewpoint that food and art are truly synonymous counterparts was woven throughout the film, and that both have the power to positively effect lives. Both art and food offer “something beyond the boundaries of [mere human] existence” which can give both greater powers to bring people and communities together. With Amuse Bouche, Maryanne keeps this basic message simple and uncomplicated, which makes the entire documentary pleasant and easy to swallow.

            My only other recommendation, besides seeing this enjoyable documentary, is to make sure you do not watch it on an empty stomach. This would be a fun film to watch with a few friends and a glass of wine and any snack of your choosing. And there’s no need to worry if you only have the boxed kind of wine around; I don’t think that Chef Lynch will say a word about it.