A Few Nickels in the Slot Buys You Lunch at the Automat

(Editor’s note: THE AUTOMAT will show twice on Turner Classic Movies, Tuesday, November 22. There will also be for classics with automat scenes.)

By Gaetano Kazuo Maida

(Updated November 21, 2022; originally published April 2022)

A film that starts off with the instantly recognizable dulcet tones of Mel Brooks gushing, “one of the greatest inventions, insane centers of paradise…” is irresistible even if you’ve never heard of the Automat. For those of us of a certain age from New York or Philadelphia (and yes, I’m one: born and raised in New York, with family in Philly), the Horn & Hardart Automat was a unifying experience of childhood delight and teenage necessity. You didn’t need a lot of money to eat, just a handful of nickels… In its heyday (1920s to the 1970s) it was, in just two cities, the largest restaurant chain in the country by any measure, at one point in the 1940s serving fully 10% of the population of Philadelphia. Continue reading

My Fancy Future Breakfast

by Julie Lindow

SFFancyFoodExhibitionStandArea

My fancy future breakfast includes sheep-milk yogurt, farm-direct and organic coffee with mushroom creamer, breakfast chocolate, pasta, California honey, and a Moringa green shake. That is exactly what I ate at the 2020 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, California. As I ate, I learned that in the future, food will be sustainable, organic, fair trade, or rather farm direct, and nutrient dense.

Continue reading

RECIPES FROM THE BIGGEST LITTLE APRICOT LANE FARMS

THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM is a film that takes us through a wild ride of emotions with the team who have made Apricot Lane Farms a success under the guidance of Molly and John Chester. One of the most important end products is food and they have created many wonderful recipes. EatDrinkFilms is thrilled to have been given permission to offer some of them to you.

Traditional foods are the real, whole, unprocessed ingredients of our ancestor’s kitchens. These simple foods nourished us for centuries, before modern food processing turned our health upside down.

The Apricot Lane Farms believes in focusing on simple recipes with high quality ingredients- that’s really the heart of the traditional foods movement. Their culinary team, led by Molly Chester, is proud to share a few favorite recipes with you and your family to try at home.

Image result for Grilled Zucchini and Onion with Warm Italian Vinaigrette apricot lanes

Continue reading