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I go through phases when I crave instant ramen (Nong Shim) and awful frozen pizza that doesn't even taste like pizza (Zesty Four-Cheese Celeste Pizza for One). I also have a terrible (Diet) Coke habit, but I'm not particularly ashamed of these consumptions. Indeed, I wouldn't call them guilty pleasures, since I think the only people whose pleasures are truly guilty are pedophiles and their ilk.

Tampopo, Ratatouille, and Babette's Feast express such passion for food. I watch each of them once a year. I'd also suggest Gurinder Chadha's movies. Bend it Like Beckham is built on aloo gobi, which Chadha cooks in one of the extras. Much less well known, What's Cooking? is worth checking out, its culture-clash clichés notwithstanding. For the same reason, I'd wouldn't mind watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding again.

Is it wrong to consider The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover a food movie?

Thanks for the great suggestions, everyone, including general advice about what to expect on a Greyhound bus adventure. I've done >24-hour bus marathons through the Midwest; this next one is through the Deep South—to New Orleans, as a matter of fact, where I've never been and where I will definitely spend on food the money I saved on airfare. Anyway, I expect I'll pick up plenty of fodder for my never-to-be-written novel as I observe my fellow passengers and snack on salad-filled wraps. I also love the idea of Nutella, which I can eat with a spoon but won't. The trickiest, most important thing will probably be to stay hydrated while avoiding the bus bathroom. Oy.

SE recently ran a piece about preparing rice:

How to Cook Rice

It attracted lots of comments. Looks useful.

my friend in germany makes the best potato salad. she boils them, peels them while they're still hot, then pours hot broth over them. after the broth has been absorbed, she adds onions, mustard, and cider vinegar. it is soooo delicious.

our "loaded potato salad" always get raves....I never measure just mix to taste...
baked new red potato's skin on..cubed
diced green onions
diced celery
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
crumbled bacon
mayo
sour cream
dried mustard
white wine vinegar
cruched garlic
sea salt
pepper
celery seed
diced hard boiled egg whites
smashed hard cooked yolks (blended with mayo and sour cream)

a wonderfully rich salad, that can be heated and also served warm.

New Potato Salad

Lunge for this recipe the moment the first tiny redskin potatoes appear, but it may also be made simply because you have some wonderful leftover roasted ham on hand. (Incidentally, the first steps of this recipe may be used to provide great roasted potatoes for a side dish.) And if new potatoes are at hand, so are fresh herbs: Please try to use them. You’ll probably want to double this, if you’re going to the trouble. But don’t crowd the potatoes in the roasting skillet or they’ll steam and never achieve that roasting flavor. And be sure to serve the salad at room temperature or slightly warmer. I think potato salad served cold is silly.

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. tiny new potatoes, a little bigger than marbles, halved or quartered if not,
washed and patted dry
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or duck or bacon fat
2 tablespoons tarragon-infused white vinegar (to taste)
1 stalk of celery, diced
3-4 scallions, white and light green parts only (or shallots), minced
1/2 lb. ham, sliced into bite-sized pieces or strips (or good bacon, fried and diced)
1 tablespoon minced chives
1/2 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons prepared mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves, or 1 tablespoon dry (to taste)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dry)
slices of hard-cooked egg (optional)
1/2 pound smoked trout, skin and bones discarded, flaked (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat for several minutes. Add the olive oil, and carefully stir in potatoes. (A splatter screen would be quite useful.) Sauté for five minutes, shaking skillet often after the first two minutes. Pepper them to taste.

Transfer skillet to oven. Roast 20 minutes, or until tender, giving the skillet a couple of shakes after 10 minutes to redistribute the potatoes.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Stir in tarragon vinegar. Bring to room temperature.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Taste carefully. You might want more crème fraiche, or salt. Serve at once, with an extravagant dollop of crème fraiche and chopped chives on top. Come to think of it, a decorative tablespoon of good salmon roe would be most welcome, too. Finish with optional slices of hard-cooked egg.

Yield: plenty for four

dijon mustard is good in the warm potato salad

only ten??? in no particular order, the first ten things that jump to mind:

olive oil
eggs
butter
limes
vinegar {a zillion kinds}
vanilla sugar {homemade}
yogurt {goat, fage, or siggi's skyr}
dijon mustard
sea salt
penzey's four peppercorns mix