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, no matter who you are.

Chapters

1:51 About The Menu

2:43 Amuse bouche

5:08 The diners

9:40 What is a Pacojet?

10:42 References to Noma

11:38 How do fine dining restaurants turn a profit?

13:34 Dining as a competitive sport

14:40 The burger

18:56 Our thoughts on pickles

21:47 Culinary terms in The Menu

32:49 Where do you get the best burgers?

35:46 Our next episode 🥄

Other media we mentioned:

• 3-Minute Double Smash Burgers by RecipeTin Eats
• Cleaning at Mugaritz
• Soak Your Ground Meat in Heavy Cream

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Music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” from Pixabay.

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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 Where is The Platform in the movie?

5:24 What to do with leftover wine

6:35 How to use meat bones

9:11 Transform old bread

12:24 Vegetables & fruit scraps

16:19 Using the entire citrus 

18:08 Utilizing 100% of a condiment in a jar

20:02 What to do with older fruits & vegetables

22:00 About prosciutto

23:44 Escargot or no?

26:00 Current events

28:05 A slight disagreement about bouillon

30:06 Why you should buy whole fish

34:20 Tips for reducing food waste

38:04 Our next episode 🍔

Links we mentioned:

• Don't Throw That Out! Tips to Avoid Food Waste
• Zero Waste Kitchen - Easy Upcycled Cooking Ideas

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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 more of a suggestion than a steadfast set of rules.

Chapters

0:40 About Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

1:58 Where is the 3-course chewing gum in the movie?

3:00 What is a 3-course meal? Plus, other types of courses

6:25 Thoughts on tasting menus

9:22 Tomato bisque vs Tomato Soup

10:02 Roast beef & other cuts

10:46 Comparing the meals in the film

13:05 The best ways to make baked potatoes

15:59 Know your food system

19:24 What is the best potato dish to have with meat?

21:48 Blueberry pie & cream

28:04 Our ideal multi-course chewing gum

31:55 Where is the best multi-course dinner?

33:42 The best pie shops

34:50 Tips for hosting course meals

37:27 Our next episode 🔼⬇️

Links we mentioned:

• The Best Blueberry Pie by Scientifically Sweet
• 50 Pies 50 States by Stacey Mei Yan Fong (affiliate link)
• Galette by Rebecca Firkser (affiliate link)
• Magpie: Sweets and Savories from Philadelphia's Favorite Pie Boutique (affiliate link)

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Music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” from Pixabay.

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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 this podcast (lore drop!)

6:12 Some context before we meet Alma

8:48 Where is the breakfast scene in the movie?

12:55 What is Welsh rarebit?

14:33 A poached egg (not too runny)

18:25 What items were missing from this breakfast?

21:41 Scones? Scones

24:07 Coffee or tea? Lapsang

28:48 Can you clock when someone orders with style?

34:23 Our next episode 🍽️

Other media we mentioned:

• A Breakdown of the Full English Breakfast by I Am a Food Blog
• Mei Lin's Poached Egg Hack
• Dave Arnold's Egg Chart
• Eater's Map of English Breakfast in NYC
• The Breakfast Bible (affiliate link)

Disclosure: If you purchase from our links, we may earn a commission.

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Music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” from Pixabay.

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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

0:37 About Oldboy

3:39 Egg Films

6:58 Where are the dumplings in Oldboy?

12:23 What are dumplings?

14:35 How we make dumplings

15:53 Randwiches lore

20:49 The ideal frying temperature

24:04 Our favorite dipping sauces

29:16 Order of operations and what is the best dumpling size?

28:39 Our favorite dumpling shapes

33:57 Where to get the best dumplings

36:40 Dumpling troubleshooting

38:31 Our next episode 🧵🪡

Links we mentioned:

• Chinese dumplings, an ultimate how-to guide by Red House Spice
• Dumpling Skirt
• Showdown: Comfort Food, Chili & BBQ
• Copper Cash Dumpling
• Woks of Life
• Ahnest Kitchen
• Maxi's Noodle on Food.Curated
• Maangchi Youtube

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Music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” from Pixabay.

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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 shrimp, cook shrimp, and which shrimp products reign supreme. Final note: size does matter, even in the world of shrimp.

Chapters:

0:34 About the movie Forrest Gump

2:47 Where is shrimp in the movie?

6:41 Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. lore

7:53 What are shrimp?

8:53 Our favorite ways to enjoy shrimp

10:07 Broiling vs. Baking

11:08 U Classifications

13:20 What's the difference between prawn and shrimp?

15:19 Poaching and steaming shrimp

17:53 Pan-frying vs. Deep frying vs. Stir-frying

20:22 How to buy and clean shrimp

25:44 Can you eat the whole shrimp?

27:20 What if my shrimp tastes dirty?

28:47 How else can you cook shrimp?

29:48 Wild vs. Farmed Shrimp

33:20 Our next episode 🥟

Other media we mentioned:

• Coconut shrimp by The Woks of Life
• Watch the Forrest Gump trailer
• Tour Bubba Gump's London location
• FARE shellfish allergy explained
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch

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Music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” from Pixabay.

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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 

1:22 About the movie Chef

5:07 What is a Cubano?

6:30 The bread

7:18 Where is the Cubano in the movie?

8:14 The Ingredients

11:50 The Techniques

15:16 Cubano vs Medianoche

17:47 Where to get Cubanos

23:10 How to make it vegetarian

27:50 The Chef food truck 

32:54 Our next episode 🦐

Other media we mentioned:

• Miami-Style Cuban Sandwich Recipe (Cubano) by A Sassy Spoon
• Watch the trailer for Chef
• Hannibal Buress’ sandwich secret

--

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Music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” from Pixabay.

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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 Chopped, Snack v. Chef, Guy’s Grocery Games, and Gastronauts.

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Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

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Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

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