The Cinema Chefs

Jenn and Clara discuss the best ways to make Sunday gravy, various types of tomatoes, their favorite herbs for tomato sauce, and other Italian ingredients in The Godfather. 

Chapters

0:16 Sunday gravy in The Godfather

0:25 Content warning

1:18 What is the one-sentence summary of the movie?

1:30 Cast/crew

1:58 The Coppola film dynasty

3:17 "The Offer" 

4:12 Masculine movies

5:01 Immigrant stories

5:30 Movie quotes

6:18 Clemenza's sauce (Sunday gravy)

7:48 Filipino spaghetti

8:30 What makes a great tomato

10:28 DOP/AOC

11:32 Clara's ultimate tomato sauce

14:09 Vegetarian/vegan bolognese tips

15:25 Symbolism of oranges

16:32 where is Clemenza's sauce in the movie?

18:53 Ingredient breakdown

20:34 All about garlic

[Ad break]

26:30 Tomatoes!

30:45 Freezing ingredients

31:42 Proteins

33:22 East Coast v. West Coast produce

35:01 What did Jenn and Clara prepare to eat?

37:07 Culinary terms, techniques and ingredients

42:01 Call to action: where is the best place for red sauce?

43:35 That's a wrap!

Links We Mentioned

• Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce from the New York Times
• California Consumer Sue Cento
• Showdown: Comfort Food, Chili & BBQ by Jenn de la Vega (Affiliate link)

Sounds We Used

• Italian Food Music by Andriih
• Epic Transition by u_adx0915qo1
• FX Evil Sting by v0idation
• Italian Cafe Music by Andriih

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!

Jenn and Clara discuss the specific roles in a French brigade system and what they all do through the film Ratatouille. How exactly do brigades make a kitchen run better? The pair also share the do’s and don’ts of cooking ratatouille: chunks versus thin circles, baking versus stovetop, and more. They will help you make the best ratatouille of your life. This episode is sponsored by Shut Up N' Eat.

Chapters

0.38 One-sentence summary of the movie

0.47 Why we chose this scene

1.00 Fan favorite

3.30 Why Jenn and Clara love this movie

4.30 High-end kitchen details

4.54 B.F. Skinner!

5.57 Understanding Comics

6.45 Let's talk the French brigade system

7.36 Women in the kitchen

9.45 Pastry department

10.15 Plongeur/dishwasher as the king of the kitchen

12.00 The ratatouille!

[AD BREAK]

15.12 Herbs

16.09 Where is the ratatouille in the movie?

17.48 How to cut vegetables

18.45 Taste memory

19.55 Cooking for critics

21.36 Culinary terms and techniques

23.53 Clara tries one of the greatest wines ever made

26.41 The joys and challenges of tasting menus for guests

27.00 Chef toques and chef coats

29.36 Where Clara and Jenn get French food 

30.41 Our next episode 🍝

Links We Mention

• Allez Celine
• Larousse Gastronomique (Affiliate)
• Understanding Comics (Affiliate)
• The Ecoffier Cookbook (Affiliate)

Sounds We Used

• Dishes by Freesound_community
• French Cafe Jazz Guitar Track by Moonpub
• Calming Ambient by penguinmusic

Guests

Adeline Um, https://www.instagram.com/adelineum

Casey Corn, https://linktr.ee/casey_corn

Diego Leon, https://www.instagram.com/dandyinthebronx 

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!

Jenn and Clara discuss the famous cantina scene in Star Wars: A New Hope. What makes a good dive bar, home bar, and great cocktail? They share their tips and tricks for setting yourself up for success with the right wine, spirits, glassware, and tools. Plus, theories on the props and food styling for bantha milk.

Chapters

0.48 One sentence summary of the movie

1.08 Why we chose this scene

1.21 Cast, crew, & awards

2.54 A pop culture phenomenon is born

3.03 The concept of the summer blockbuster

3.30 The real life cantina at Disneyland

4.58 Effects of media consumed during childhood

5.56 The cantina scene

6.00 Blue bantha milk

8.04 Facts and figures about the cantina

9.05 Obi Wan, Luke Skywalker, and Hans Solo walk into a bar...

9.30 Aliens vs, droids

10.34 Why a giant tumbler?

11.43 Bar glassware

13.48 Home bar basics

15.03 Simple syrup

15.47 The Spaghett

[AD BREAK]

17.41 Bar tools

18.53 Easy garnishes

19.52 Golden ratio for cocktails

20.34 Perfect cocktails

21.32 Jenn and Clara's favorite cocktails

22.55 Mocktails/zero proof cocktails

24.22 Where is the cantina scene in the movie?

26.50 Culinary terms and techniques

28.54 Where is the best place for a drink?

32.15 Our next episode 🐀

Links We Mentioned

• Oga's Tavern menu at Disneyland
• Library Bar at Rittenhouse Hotel
• Bar Contra in Manhattan
• Goldie's in Greenpoint
• Dave Arnold's Links

Sounds We Used

• Robot Noises by Freesound_community
• Space Cantina by Luis Humanoide
• Cash register fake by Capslok (Freesound)
• Bar chatter by Freesound community
• Sera Nova and the Celestials - Astral Loop
• Darth Vader breathing by Freesound community

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!

Jenn and Clara discuss the numerous Singaporean specialties in the hawker stall scene in Crazy Rich Asians, including satay, laksa, char kway teow, and the famous carrot cake. They also cover the complicated dynamics at the intersection of family, social class, and food.

Chapters

0:22 Hawker cuisine in Crazy Rich Asians

0:40 One sentence summary of the movie

1:15 Cast, crew, and awards

2:53 Gold open movement

3:35 Newton Food Centre

4:50 All about satay

6:13 Allergy woes

6:2626 Chili crab!

7:47 Noodle time

8.30 Fish sauce and shrimp paste

9:04 Importance of mise en place and reading recipes 2X

9:57 All about laksa

10:45 Carrot cake in Singapore is not dessert

11:24 demographics of hawker stall workers

12:00 Where is Hawker cuisine in the movie?

14:00 "Asian spicy"

[AD BREAK]

15:46 Culinary terms

18:43 Asian manners

19:40 Food is love

20:35 Our next episode 🌟

Links we mentioned:

Sounds we used:

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!

Jenn and Clara discuss the numerous dishes presented to the spirit No Face in Spirited Away, ranging from sushi to multiple fish preparations, stuffed squid, fruit, rice, desserts, and dumplings. Plus, how to enter the spirit world without upsetting anyone.

Chapters

0:37 One-sentence summary of the movie

0:51 Why we chose the film

0:55 Cast and awards

1:22 Introduction to the Japanese spirit world

2:17 Our changing perception of the film

4:26 Japanese Kit Kats and Pocky

5:17 Pigging out at the festival

6:12 Haku gives Chihiro onigiri

7.07 Spirits cosplaying humans

7:54 Various foods in bathouses

9:20 The feast for No Face

10:13 Steamed buns

11:48 Staff meal versus the food on the menu

12:07 Sushi, nigiri, and maki

13:40 Asian sweet potatoes

15:27 Katsu

[AD BREAK]

17:47 Where is The Feast in the movie?

20:00 Asian greatest hits of the kitchen

21:15 Culinary terms and techniques

22:22 Shokupan v. brioche

24:12 What's in a name?

27:48 Our next episode 🍢

Links We Mentioned

Sounds We Used

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!

Jenn and Clara discuss the intense and gorgeous opening 40-minute sequence in the film, The Taste of Things, which highlights the heavy technique and ingredients in 19th-century French gastronomy. Classics like vol au vent, pot au feu, and techniques like poaching, braising, and flambe are also discussed.

Chapters

0:22 French Gastronomy in The Taste of Things

0:39 One sentence summary of the movie

0:50 Fun fact 

1:00 Why we chose this film

1:30 Cast, crew, and awards

2:14 Chef Pierre Gagnaire 

2:59 Culinary team

4:19 Culinary Class Wars: Hollywood edition

5:06 What's in a name?

6:00 The garden

7:17 Purple carrots

8:03 Zero food waste

8:50 The props

9:45 The lunch menu

10:15 Consomme

10:35 All about poached turbot

12:13 Tourneed potatoes (any why we don't like them)

13:24 French mother sauces

14:11 Auguste Escoffier in the house!

[Ad break]

16:25 Seafood vol au vent

18:30 Asparagus

19:19 Meat course

21:08 Sauce bourgignette

22.37 Baked Alaska

24:47 Where is the scene in the movie?

28:37 Culinary terms

33:14 Meal of love versus a meal of zero substance

34:12 Clara and Jenn's picks

35:58 Our next episode 🐷👻

Links We Mentioned

Sounds/Music We Used

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!

Jenn and Clara discuss the different lunches the teens bring to detention in The Breakfast Club and what these lunches tell us about their personal lives, who they are, and how we can improve upon what they brought. Is there a best way to make a PB & J? Is there a place for Cap’n Crunch beyond breakfast?

Chapters

0:19 School lunches in The Breakfast Club

0:24 Content warning

0:37 One-sentence summary of the movie

0:52 Movie cast, crew, and awards

1:22 Clara almost lived with the costume designer on the film

1:58 "Don't you forget about me" becomes an instant movie classic

2:20 How Pitch Perfect is connected

2:58 Who these teens are via their lunches

3:18 Claire's lunch

5:25 Rice controversy

8:00 Benefits of reheated rice 

8:52 Andy's lunch

9:25 What's the best cheese for turkey sandwiches?

10:20 Dijonaise!

11:54 Brian's lunch

12:58 Best PB & J

14:20 Sandwich taquitos

15:00 Wonder Bread canapés

[AD BREAK]

17:10 Alison's lunch

19:00 Cap'n Crunch as an ingredient

19:54 Bender's (lack of) lunch

21:00 Soda is BAD

21:50 Clara's typical school lunch

23:00 Jenn's typical school lunch

23:43 Jenn's life in hot dogs

24:35 Eric Joon Ho Kim's best peanut butter sandwich

25:36 Clara's perfect lunch

27:00 Jenn's perfect lunch

28:15 Where is it in the movie?

36:29 Culinary terms

33:53 What happened to pimento?

34:52 Restaurant recs from Clara and Jenn

37:20 Our next episode 🇫🇷

Links We Mentioned

• Is Leftover Rice Better For You? Via Delish
• Effect of cooling of cooked white rice on resistant starch content and glycemic response - PubMed
• The History of Sushi in America via Michelin Guide
• Dijonnaise commercial
• Cereal French Toast by Binging with Babish
•  

Sounds We Used

• Timpani boing fail by u_ss015dykrt
• Jazz Restaurant Cafe Music by HitsLab
• AlBundyX-Mexican-Turkey by Freesound_Community
• Plastic Crunch by Freesound_Community
• Soda Can Open by OxidVideos

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!

Jenn and Clara explore the hybrid noodle dish jjapaguri in Parasite and how the addition of hanwoo beef turns this cheap, quick dish into something only the wealthy can enjoy. The duo also discuss the Wagyu grading system and some culinary details lost in translation.

Chapters

00:52 One sentence summary of Parasite

1:25 The cast

1:50 Awards sweep

3:00 Everyone loves Korea

3:47 What is jjapaguri/chapaguri?

4:26 What is Hanwoo beef?

4:59 Korean Beef Rhapsody

5:28 What is Wagyu beef?

6:00 Meat terroir

7:10 Alphanumeric meat grading system explained

10:57 Hanwoo beef versus Wagyu beef

12:05 Korean Airlines 

[Ad break]

14:54 How the Kim family diet changes over time

15:46 Nong Shim stock skyrockets

16:48 Jaapaguri scene

17:20 Do high-quality ingredients belong on cheap food?

18:05 Where is jjapaguri in the movie?

19:30 Jajangmyeon versus jjapaguri

21:00 Korean Chinese food

21:30 Does water boil faster on induction burners?

22:07 Tips for making the best jjapaguri

23:30 Lost in translation

25:55 Culinary terms from Parasite

26:19 Soju party!

28:15 The significance of cut fruit

29:34 Socio-economic hierarchies

30:05 About the house

30:28 Our recommendations

32:30 Our next episode 🍱🥪

Links We Mentioned

• Ramen Hacks (Members only)
• Hanwoo Rhapsody
• Food52 - What is Ramdon?
• Korea Pops, Seafood Soars, and More Top Trends from 2025 Summer Food Show
• Raku in Las Vegas
• Soju Party by Irene Yoo (Affiliate link)

Sounds We Used

• Cow Mooing by u_jd81cxyq22
• Sting, Rimshot, Drumroll by Freesound Community
• Stray Wolves by Moodmode

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!

Jenn and Clara explore the world of offal through the lens of Indiana Jones & The Temple of Doom. While the courses at the royal banquet were meant to shock and awe, we break down the delicious ways you can enjoy nutrient powerhouses: blood, bones, and offal (organ meats). Make sure to take your time and let your offbeat proteins get a good soak.

Chapters

1:04 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

2:15 Music by John Williams

2:34 Production was cursed but won awards

4:00 All about Ke Huy Quan

4:34 Hysterical female and orientalism

6:25 Where is it in the movie?

6:33 Snake surprise

7:18 Scarabs and eating bugs

9:59 Soup of the Head

11:37 [Ad Break]

12:32 Chilled monkey brains 

13:09 Head cheese and the benefits of eating brains

14:40 Offal and nose-to-tail dining

16:25 Our favorite offal

16:45 Do's and don'ts of cooking offal

18:43 Blood sausage around the world

20:38 Culinary terms

21:59 Clara and Jenn's favorite places for offal

23:01 Our next episode 🍜

Links We Mentioned

Sounds We Used

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!

Jenn and Clara discuss the differences and similarities of New Orleans Creole and Cajun in the film Last Holiday starring Queen Latifah. Learn about the heavy European, Native American, and African culinary influences in this flavorful and vibrant cuisine. Do tomatoes make that big of a difference, and who has time to make dishes with more than 12 ingredients? The popular dishes of the Big Easy are anything but easy to prepare.

CHAPTERS

0:30 Kick off to season 2 and Last Holiday

1:01 Content warning

1:21 Why we chose this movie

2:05 Notable actors

4:20 Jenn and mise en place

6:14 Food porn

7:30 Chicken Tchoupitoulas

9:04 New Orleans cuisine defined

12:20 Roux defined

12:54 The Holy Trinity

13:30 Immigrants in New Orleans

15:30 Jenn's picks for NOLA

[Ad Break]

18:15 Collard greens and more

20:00 Clara's and Jenn's favorite Creole dishes

23:40 Where is Cajun and Creole food in the movie?

25:30 The secret of life 

26:30 Knife cuts and culinary terms

28:50 Dark roux

30:00 Muffuletta

32:28 Clara's and Jenn's best places for Creole and Cajun food

34:44 Our next episode 🙊

Links

Additional songs

Support the show! Join our membership program.

Follow The Cinema Chefs on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Instagram

Follow Clara Park on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Letterboxd

Follow Jenn de la Vega on Instagram

Theme music by penguinmusic - “Paradise Island” and "Elegant Minimal "from Pixabay.

Logo by Nikki Newsome

Share the show with a friend!