The Cinema Chefs

Jenn and Clara dive into special occasion dining via the lavish meal prepared for VIP Louis Prima in Big Night. How do you set the best table? Do all centerpieces need to be flowers? How do you cook for people with highly varied diets? Why make-ahead dishes are your lifeline and where to go if you don’t feel like cooking a special occasion dinner. Chapters 0:26 About Big Night 2:48 The table setti...

Jenn and Clara explore the world of ramen through the eyes of the titular character Tampopo and her merry band of “experts.” What makes a great ramen soup base? Does the age or quality of the chicken matter if you’re simmering it? How exactly do you make bonito, and why you might want to leave ramen noodle making to the experts. Chapters 0:38 About Tampopo 3:44 How to make a great ramen broth 9:41...

Jenn and Clara explore the world of diner food in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction , where you can have breakfast any time of day! They extol the virtues of the metric system when it comes to cooking and baking, as well as the intricacies of a $5 shake (not adjusted for inflation). Is all fast food The Worst? Can food be cheap AND delicious? What makes a great pancake rise? Tune in to find out. Ch...

Jenn and Clara debate the pluses and minuses of meals prepared in Michelin-starred kitchens. Is it possible to achieve culinary perfection and still be a nice person? Does it make sense to source hyper-locally for all four seasons in a deciduous climate? Has abusive chef culture gone out of style, and what are the effects on kitchen culture? Plus, the world’s greatest smash burger hits the spot, n...

Jenn and Clara break down optimal ways to utilize food scraps, how to stretch out ingredients, and how to upcycle all things edible in the Spanish horror film, El Hoyo (The Platform). The duo discusses techniques like pickling, fermentation, and more. Ingredients that are typically viewed as trash can get a second chance at life. Chapters 0:34 About The Platform 3:20 What is a panna cotta? 4:48 Wh...

Jenn and Clara break down the best and worst ways to prepare the 3 course meal that Violet Beuregard experiences while on tour at the Factory. The two then share their experiences with their own cultural dining practices, the cadence, and format of meals around the world from antipasti in Italy to a refreshing plate of cut fruit at the end of many meals in Asia. Meal formats nowadays tend to be mo...

Jenn and Clara delve deep into the finer points of the English breakfast, including egg cookery, differences in types of bacon and sausage, what makes clotted cream so darn delicious, and how a man’s tea order says so much about his tastes. Also, discover the joy of Welsh rarebit and how a toast rack can also be a symbol of quiet luxury. Chapters 0:38 About The Phantom Thread 2:14 Why we started t...

Jenn and Clara discuss Dae-su’s first, last, and only meal while imprisoned in Oldboy: fried dumplings. They dive deep into the storied global history of dumplings and debate what makes a great dumpling, from the optimal filling to the proper thickness of skin and which cooking technique reigns supreme. Chapters 0:34 About Oldboy 3:40 Egg Films 6:58 Where are the dumplings in Oldboy? 12:23 What ar...

Jenn de la Vega and Clara Park dive deep into the anatomy of shrimp, rules for proper sourcing, visual cues of the freshest shrimp, and the seemingly infinite ways to cook them from the bayou to Beijing. Bubba’s monologue in Forrest Gump is just the beginning of the wide world of shrimp cookery. Despite Jenn's shrimp allergy, prepare to be schooled by our vast opinions on the best way to eat shrim...

Jenn de la Vega and Clara Park explore and discuss all aspects of the Cubano sandwich from the movie Chef.  The Cubano is more than just a sandwich. Join us for our discussion about the pros and cons of different cuts of pork, the world of mustard, how pickle brine belongs on sandwiches (and not in the garbage), and a query: is butter always better than margarine?  Chapters: 0:41 About us  1:20 Ab...

The Cinema Chefs podcast highlights the fundamentals of cooking by exploring food scenes in movies. Hosted by Chefs Clara Park and Jenn de la Vega, this duo has decades of culinary experience, including Michelin-starred restaurants, all aspects of cookbook writing, product development, cooking classes, and, of course, food styling and craft services for film and TV. You might recognize them from C...