Movie munchies: Mouth-watering recipes inspired by 10 of our favourite movies

Have you ever watched a movie and felt the strong urge to devour the food shown on screen? You are not alone. Movies have the ability to portray even the simplest of dishes as irresistible, bringing our attention to gastronomic gems that we would not have even thought about on any other day.

And it definitely doesn’t help that you can’t get some of these dishes off your nearest restaurant‘s menu. If you have the time and the courage, put on your apron and have a go at recreating movie magic at home.

Here are a few of the most iconic foods from movies of the 2000s that you can easily whip up (and chow down) at home.

P.S I Still Love You (2020): Cherry Turnovers

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Lara Jean (played by Lana Condor) is known for her love of baking in Netflix’s hit teen romance trilogy: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. In the second instalment, P.S. I Still Love You, Lara whips up mouth-watering cherry turnovers for her boyfriend Valentine Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo).

Light, buttery and flaky, these pastry pockets are filled with a sugary cherry reduction. Not a fan of cherries? Switch them out for a fruit of your choice like strawberries or apples – it’s a heavenly sweet treat either way.

See recipe here.

Parasite (2019): Ram-Don

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Earlier this year, Parasite was the talk of the town, thanks to its historic Oscar sweep. What got almost as much attention was its iconic Ram-don aka Jjapaguri.

While the combination of the two popular instant noodles Chapaghetti (black bean sauce-based) and Neoguri (udon-style soup-based noodle) isn’t new, the addition of premium Hanwoo beef to the inexpensive noodles in the film highlights the film’s overarching theme of class divide.

The best part? Ram-don is a very simple dish to make once you have procured all the ingredients – except for Hanwoo beef which is not available in Singapore due to its strict export restrictions.

View recipe here. 

Bao (2018): Steamed Dumplings

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Directed by Domee Shi, Pixar’s first-ever female director, the animated short, Bao, follows a Chinese mother suffering from empty nest syndrome who gets a second go at motherhood when one of her handmade dumplings spring to life as a uber adorable dumpling boy.

To ensure authenticity, Shi’s mom even chipped in with her own dumpling recipe and techniques. Want to make these pouches of goodness at home?

Check out Shi’s mom’s old-school dumpling recipe below – we can assure you that these won’t come to life. Rope in a few of your family members for some quality bonding time and have fun!

View Pixar’s original recipe here.

Spiderman: Homecoming (2017): Larb

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The last film you would expect to be featured in a food-related article would be an action-packed Marvel movie, but the larb-centered interaction between Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) got our attention.

Regardless of whether you have watched the movie or not, you will ‘larb’ this scrumptious Thai meat salad. Larb, popular in Laos and northern Thailand, consists of a garlic and herb-flecked meat filling wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves.

Pro-tip: Dip the lettuce wrap in sriracha for an added kick.

View recipe here.

Chef (2014): Berries & Creme

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In this popular comedy-drama, Jon Favreau takes on the role of a celebrity chef who, after losing his job, attempts to start afresh with a food truck.

The movie features multiple delicious creations like the Mojo Pork Cubanos, the Aglio e Olio Pasta that Carl (Jon Favreau) makes for Molly (Scarlett Johansson), and of course, everyone’s favourite grilled cheese sandwich.

Another stunner though is the Berries & Cream which comprises of Grand Marnier-infused assorted fresh berries served with a dollop of fluffy whipped cream and a generous sprinkle of caramel brittle dust.

You can also revisit these culinary gems on Jon Favreau and Roy Choi’s (Chef’s culinary advisor) new Netflix show, The Chef Show.

View the original recipe here.

The Hunger Games (2012): Raisin and Nut Bread

Apart from being a food staple, bread also plays a symbolic role in The Hunger Games trilogy. Each of the 12 districts of Panem has its unique version of bread influenced by its industry and location.

For instance, the tech-focused District 3’s bread takes the form of petite, square-shaped rolls, while District 4, the fishing industry, has salty, fish-shaped bread.

If you have some time to spare and would like to engage in the therapeutic act of making your own bread, try Peeta’s (Josh Hutcherson) Raisin and Nut Bread.

View recipe here.

Julie and Julia (2009): Boeuf Bourguignon

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Julie & Julia is a movie adaptation of American cooking teacher and TV personality Julia Child’s autobiography and a memoir by Julie Powell.

Throughout the film, Julie Powells (Amy Adams) documents her daily experiences cooking each of the 524 recipes in Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep) Mastering the Art of French Cooking cookbook. As you would expect, food is the star of this classic, in particular exquisite French fare.

Thinking of what to cook for a hearty dinner? Make Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon – a flavoursome beef stew braised in red wine – just don’t burn it like Julie in the film.

View recipe here. 

Waitress (2007): Pies

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In Waitress, Jenna Hunterson (Keri Russell), a young waitress trapped in an abusive marriage and a dead-end job, vents her life’s miseries through her rather interestingly named pies like I Hate My Husband Pie and I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie.

Luckily, these pies, unlike their miserable names, are *chef’s kiss* delightful. The movie inspired a Broadway musical that continues the pie tradition with more flavours like Deep (Shit) Dish Blueberry Bacon Pie and Marshmallow Mermaid Pie.

View recipes here. 

Ratatouille (2007): Ratatouille

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Ratatouille needs no introduction for being one of the most iconic food-centric Disney movie with an impressive attention to culinary detail.

There’s no doubt that at some point in time we have thought about recreating the movie’s namesake signature dish, Ratatouille – the very dish that sent the film’s food critic, Anton Ego, into a nostalgia-induced trance.

A reinvention of the classic Provençal vegetable stew, the cinematic version known as Confit Byaldi comprises of intricately plated vegetables instead of a gloppy stew.

View recipe here. 

Spirited Away (2001): Onigiri

Spirited Away is the movie that catapulted Japan’s cult favourite Studio Ghibli into fame, and even clinching an Academy award. With gluttony forming one of the main themes of this movie, gastronomic delights aren’t in shortage in the animated film.

Towards the end, Chihiro’s friend Haku comforts her with onigiri (Japanese rice ball). While the onigiri in the film are plain, authentic onigiri are usually wrapped with nori and contain a meat or vegetable filling.

View recipe here. 

This article was first published in City Nomads.