Behind the Scenes & What I Cooked Last Week

How I Develop and Film My Recipes, Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup, Chicken Milanese, Seared Scallion Oil with Eggs & Buttered Rice

Hi everyone,

It’s been a difficult week in LA with the wildfires. Thankfully, we evacuated safely and are now in San Diego, but it’s heartbreaking to see the devastation. Sending love to everyone affected.

This week, I’ll be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into creating and filming a recipe for Instagram. I’ll take you through the whole process, from the first spark of inspiration to editing the video and recording the voiceover. Plus, I’ve added a couple tips for anyone looking to dive into content creation.

But first, here’s this delicious recipe for a Thai red curry noodle soup that I made last week. It’s soothing and flavorful—perfect for early January. 

What I Cooked Last Week! ↓

Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

This soup hits on all the flavors in perfect balance. It’s creamy, spicy, tangy, and sweet, and draws inspiration from a Thai red curry and Vietnamese chicken pho.

Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup

76.1KB ∙ PDF file

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You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)

Behind the Scenes of a Recipe Video

Step One: Idea Generation 💡⚡

Many of my recipe ideas start like a daydream or come out of nowhere in a flash of inspiration. This past year, I read The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (a birthday gift from my friend Laz), and it really helped me trust my intuition and tap into my creativity. Rubin takes a spiritual approach, suggesting that every idea comes from a source—whether it’s the universe or something else you believe in—and when an idea pops into your head, it’s time to bring it to life. So, whenever I get that spark for a new recipe, I try to follow it without second-guessing myself. 

And as some of you might recall from a previous newsletter, my mom and I talk on the phone a lot. We’ll brainstorm together, and I’ll talk through ingredients for a dish. Sometimes she brings me ideas, too, but most of the time I shut them down (lol). Of course, she does come up with some great ones, like her rice paper dumplings and crispy potato tart! Once the recipe idea starts coming together, I’ll put it in the Notes app on my computer, writing out a loose first draft with ingredients and measurements. When I actually cook and film the recipe, I’ll tweak things as I go. I like to feel out the amounts as I go, but having a basic blueprint makes everything flow a little smoother.