Parasite
Parasite was by far my favorite film of 2019. I’m almost never happy with award season outcomes, but Director Bong Joon-Ho more than deserved all of the wins– this is A+ cinema.
The movie focuses on the destitute Kim family in South Korea, who scam their way into the well-to-do household of the Parks. As tutors and servants, the Kims are able to worm their way into a world that they simultaneously mock and envy. Dark comedy combines with disturbing thriller, and in the process the audience is confronted by the negative (and currently lingering) effects of classicism and socio-economic disparity. And don’t get me started on the creeper in the basement…
What people may not realize is that, in addition to a number of other techniques and motifs, Bong Joon-Ho utilizes food throughout Parasite to get his point across. In this movie menu I’ve tried to reflect some of what I learned reading into the dishes from the film. Note, I didn’t make a cocktail– just plan on drinking all the booze you have in the house and you’ll be on theme.
The Movie
The Menu
Ram-Don helps to encapsulate the class divide showcased in Parasite. It's telling that Mrs. Park asks specifically for the highest quality Korean beef to be used in an instant noodle dish-- even when the Parks eat the "food of the lower class", they have to up-scale it. But Ram-Don is delicious with or without IMO. Cut the steak into ½ inch cubes, pat dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil over medium high heat and cook the steak through, about 4-5 minutes, turning the pieces to ensure that all sides brown. Set aside. Now it's time for your noodles-- if you're leery about spicy, you might want to start with half of the spice packets, but I used them all. Place a medium saucepan over the burner. Fill your saucepan without about 3 ½ cups water, and bring to a boil. Add all of the contents from the both noodle packets, and continue to boil until the noodles have softened and the water has reduced to a thick brown sauce, about 6 minutes—if you need to, you can add ¼ cup of water to continue cooking to desired level of noodle softness. Toss in steak cubes and stir, ensuring that steak is fully coated in the noodle sauce. Divide among two bowls, top with scallions and serve! Korean grocers and Asian markets are very likely to have these noodles in stock, but I found mine on Amazon. Of course, they were the American imports, so if anyone knows where to get the real deal stuff let me know. Rather than Da-Song's birthday cake, I baked a Taiwanese Castella cake-- the cake at the root of Geun-sae's debt and bizarre hermitage in the Park family's basement. A huge but short-lived fad in South Korea in 2016, Castella cake shops flooded the market until the bubble burst, and many middle-aged shop owners were left without a job or any savings. It's a sweet cake, so I've paired it with some soju soaked peaches (Moon-gwang's... favorite? Yeesh). Combine sugar, water and lemon zest in a small saucepan and bring to a boil-- simmer until the sugar is dissolved, and allow to cool. Add your peaches and soju and let soak while you bake your cake. Preheat oven to 350, and line a 5x9 baking pan with parchment paper-- by cutting the corners away, you can fold up the edges nicely against the sides of the pan. Lightly beat the eggs using a stand mixer at a low speed. Add the sugar and mix. Beat the egg at high speed for several minutes-- you are trying to get to an off-white color. Eventually, when you lift the mixer, a rippling pattern should remain on the surface. Dilute the honey with the heated water. Add it to the beaten egg and mix for 1 more minute at high speed. Switch to low speed and mix for about another minute until it has a fine, glossy texture. Next, add your bread flour into the egg mixture. At medium speed, whip for another minute until it has a smooth texture again. Pour the batter into your baking pan, and slash the batter in a zig zag patter to remove any air bubbles. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 and continue to bake for 30 minutes more. The baking temperature and time depend on the type of your oven, so adjust them accordingly if you think the top of the cake is getting too brown. To test done-ness, pierce the castella cake with a toothpick. With other cakes, you want the toothpick to come out completely dry-- but for a castella cake you're looking for a bit of moisture (dry and clean means the castella has lost its moist texture). IMMEDIATELY remove cake from the pan and peel away parchment paper. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in fridge for several hours (overnight is best to retain moisture). When ready to serve, slice and plate with soju soaked peaches. Castella cake is normally served without frosting or icing of any kind, but a nice dollop of whipped cream couldn't hurt if you've got it. 
Ram-Don with Beef
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Castella Cake with Soju Peaches
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Epilogue
It’s important that we remind ourselves that America is NOT the only producer of quality films. Parasite is a perfect example. We have to be more open to international and foreign language films. Here’s a list you can start with now.
Besides, subtitles are fun! Ok, end soap box rant.
For more menus, check out my movie directory here!