Watch this wonderfully bizarre video of David Lynch cooking quinoa
Just when you think you have seen everything from David Lynch, another surreal clip comes around the corner — something a bit like a 20-minute explainer on how the acclaimed filmmaker likes to cook quinoa. To set the stage, the director himself adds the mise-en-scène: “The kitchen should be separate, and it should be mostly cement and stainless steel, with high-powered hoses and drains in the floor,” Lynch once commented, and it is on that unorthodox notion that we learn about quinoa.
The short film – if it can be deemed that – is dimly lit and features Lynch gently describing his cooking technique while drinking red wine, adding vegetables to his quinoa, and describing a somewhat bizarre train journey which saw him and his friends travel from Athens, Greece, to Paris, France.
The story, which dips in and out of Yugoslavia and features a strange tale of sugarwater, moths, frog moths and a stop off in Venice, Italy, becomes more and more captivating while taking on an almost hypnotic edge before the we’re reminded Lynch is, in fact, still in the frame as he lights up a cigarette and brightens up the scene for a very split moment.
With the music ranging from slightly intense to gently murmuring in the background, Lynch stops telling his detailed stories of the past and returns to the kitchen to finish cooking his quinoa. If the entire thing seems too surreal to be a true cooking tutorial video, that’s because it is. The clip was initially planned to feature as part of the DVD extras footage for Lynch’s experimental thriller film Inland Empire. However, the film did the rounds before it got pulled for legal reasons: “The lawyers got involved, and it was pulled down.”
Below, see the clip in its entirety and follow Lynch’s recipe to give it a whirl.
David Lynch’s quinoa recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1⁄2 – Cup quinoa
- 1 – Cup water
- 1 – Pinch sea salt
- 1 – Vegetable bouillon cube
- 1 – Cup broccoli spear (fresh or frozen)
- 1 – Teaspoon Braggs liquid aminos or one teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 – Teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
- Rinse your quinoa well in a mesh strainer (David Lynch didn’t do this, but it is supposed to make your quinoa less bitter).
- Add the quinoa to a small saucepan, along with one cup of water, one veggie bouillon cube, and a pinch of sea salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for seven minutes.
- Add the broccoli, cover again, and cook for three more minutes. Check the quinoa. If there is still water in the pan, cook for five more minutes or until the water is absorbed.
- Transfer to a bowl. Add a Braggs Liquid Aminos and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Put on your favorite David Lynch movie, and enjoy!
Watch the man himself cooking up the quinoa below.
