Fall in Love with Flavor: “The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook” Author Richard S. Sargent returns with flavor and fun!

Fall in Love with Flavor: “The Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook” Author Richard S. Sargent returns with flavor and fun!

We are here today with author Richard S. Sargent with a new book, the Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook. 

Richard Sargent:

Of course. Thank you so much for having me. 

Joe Winger

We’re gonna link to your last book (Horror Movie Night Cookbook) as well, but your new book is out the Chick Flick Cookbook.

What is the most important message you wanna share with our audience today? 

We are here today with author Richard s Sergeant with a new book, the Ultimate Chick Flick Cookbook. Richard, thank you for joining us today.

Of course. Thank you so much for having me.

We had a lot of fun. We’re gonna link to your last book as well, but your new book is Out the Chick Flick Cookbook.

What is the most important message you wanna share with our audience today?

I learned a lot while making this book, honestly, because when I started it, I just thought that chick flicks were fluff. There wasn’t much meat on their bones. The whole will they, won’t, they? Yeah, of course. They’re going to.

Scenario just did not appeal to me very much. But what I heard from the horror cookbook was that we love the idea, but we don’t love horror movies. Try something else. And I thought okay, maybe I’ll challenge myself with chick flicks. So I actually learned, and what I’d like other people to consider as they’re making their way through the book is there’s a whole lot more to chick flicks than what we once thought.

Especially when you consider the food that is, intertwined within it. Some of them are really smart and and I just don’t think they get the credit that they deserve.

I like that. That actually brings up one of my questions, which was each of the movies you talk about, you have a two to three sentence summary right below the title, and if we’re being honest, it’s they’re, I found them to be unique.

Like I, the first time I read one of the summary is I thought, okay, it’s like an IMDB random, vague summary. It’s very much your point of view on each movie. And I’m curious as to why you, how you chose whether to go more specific versus your point of view and like the pretty woman, for instance, all these different movies like the when Harry Met Sally.

So if you could bring one or two up and explain how you chose to be unique with your summaries.

Yeah, of course. I like to explain to the reader why I chose what I chose. There are a lot of other cookbooks out there, a lot of film cookbooks that are just like, oh, she wears a pink dress, here’s a pink cocktail.

That’s what I try to avoid. So I like to explain in my little blurbs why I chose what I chose, how I related to. That scene in particular, or the movie overall and why I feel like it’s a cut above the rest of the other chick flicks in this case. So that’s how I choose what to write there. Like with the pretty woman one that you brought up, my, my recipe for that is of course escargo related because, she throws it across the room.

So instead of just doing, your. S cargo and butter and garlic. I made a dip out of it. I wanted to explain that’s how I the path that I took to get to my recipe, basically. So with Pretty Woman, that’s how I did that. And then with when Harry Met Sally, that’s a classic that I think people are starting to maybe look at a little.

Negatively. They saying that, that’s where we started criticizing women and calling women complicated and things like that, which is why I chose the recipe that I chose where she makes her order at the restaurant and he calls her high maintenance. I wanted to show that she’s not high maintenance, she just knows what she likes and there’s a huge difference.

So I, I went with her order, but I, tweaked it for my own taste and to make it a little more original, but still bring you into the film. So that’s how I got to my blurb and my recipe for when Harry met Sally.

Perfect. So let’s go back to the beginning and obviously you mentioned your horror cookbook from a year or two ago.

You mentioned a little bit about. Choosing, same idea, different genre. Let’s talk about what did you learn during the horror cookbook that you brought into your process this time around the Remain comedy cookbook?

Yeah. I I learned that I need to test every recipe. It’s it, when I did the horror cookbook, I was, I started out just doing it for fun. I wasn’t trying to, make a career out of it. So this time I learned that I need to be a little more precise with everything. And, and a little more accessible, like with the horror cookbook, I had things in there like alligator and piranha and things you can’t really find at, your local convenience store.

So I tried to keep all that stuff down to a minimum this time around stuff you could find at locally. And and if you can’t, I know you can talk to your butcher and get it there. So I try to be a little more, accessible this time around for sure, but I wanted to keep my general idea the same because I do I learned that it works and a lot of people love it and I heard such positive feedback with people doing their own nights that it it really lit my fire to get this one going.

So I learned just to trust myself and and to just go with it.

Beautiful. I know today we’re talking about the Chick Flick book, but one more just comment for you about the horror. We both know how avid the horror community is. And every time, all year long when I saw people who were into that genre, how, like I was at a wedding about a year ago in Arizona.

The bride is a huge horror fan, and she had items from your cookbook at the whenever it’s called, the night before thing. Then I poured the night before the wedding, and so the place was themed. She was making stuff because she was inspired by your book. So just know. No

way. I can’t

imagine people out there been inspired by the work you do.

Oh my gosh. So as a person and as an author, I just, I hope you hear about this kind of stuff all the time because you are making people out there really happy with your work.

Oh, thank you so much. That actually Ah, so happy to hear that. Oh, that’s so nice to be part of somebody’s special weekend.

That’s great.

So maybe with that in mind, because obviously when we’re looking at this new book, we’re with Richard Sargent Today and the Ultimate Chick Flick cookbook. With that in mind, whether it’s a girl’s night out, whether it’s a dinner party, whether it’s some kind of a dating experience. Do you keep in mind the context of how this book will be used?

And if so, what are some of the things you think about? What kind of experiences do you think are perfect for the Chick Flick cookbook?

Yeah. I actually do consider all of that. I think that. As film is one of my favorite things in the world and cooking as well. So being able to combine that, I feel like there are so many different ways to experience this.

Yes, a Girl’s Night would be perfect for this book, even for the horror book, but it would be perfect for this book. Get all your friends together, cook together, it’s. Together brings out an intimacy in your relationships that may not otherwise be there. You’re forced to be in the same room.

It’s a little you got high stakes going on, it brings people together and I think that just in these films it’s the same, but I think Girls Nights now, apparently, wedding events I’d love to, I’d love to see. Local restaurants do a night based on the movies in the books.

That would be cool to see and something I would love to be a part of. I think, yeah, date night would be perfect. I, yeah, I just try to consider the many ways this can be used and try to appeal to all of that.

Beautiful. So I’m gonna name a few of the movies just because I think you did a, such a fun job picking the movies as usual.

You always pick fun movies and if we can go over just I’ll name, obviously there’s Legally Blonde, there’s Dirty Dancing, little women waitress, waitress, Barb, of course Barbie when it comes to the dishes. Can you talk about, you don’t have to go into detail with the dish itself, but just how you came up with the pairings and what was that process looking like for you?

Yeah. So the way I come up with the dishes typically is if they eat something important or there’s any sort of food or beverage reference in the film that is more than just, Hey, look, I’m drinking. A glass of milk or something. If it’s important, I will use it and I will figure out a way to make it work.

And that’s where I will start and then build my recipes off of that. So four waitress with the pie there were so many things to choose from that movie, but the moment that I thought was, the most romantic was when she made that pie with him, for him to teach him how to make the pie.

So that is, where I went to with that. But, and that’s typically how I’ll go, as long as it’s an important moment. And if I can’t find something that they ate, I’ll maybe, base it on where the film takes place. Is there a, a meal that everybody is familiar with from, Chicago or wherever?

And then do my own twist on that.

And the one thing I wanna mention, I, so it’s interesting to hear you talk about your process and how it’s evolved from the last book to this one. I believe drinking games were involved in both. I thought this time I. There was a lot more detail as far as watching the movie along with as you’re cooking and eating and such, and it’s just a lot of fun, man.

I can’t begin to tell you how much fun your books are for me. Thank you. If you bring up any of the drinking tips or the drinking team games you might remember and talk us through one or two of them.

Oh my goodness. One of the ones that I, really liked was when I was watching under the Tuscan Sun.

And I just, God, it’s such a magical movie as far as the atmosphere goes. And I just kept thinking, yeah, I could live there. I definitely wanna live there. I could live there for a year, maybe six months. Why don’t I just retire there? And I thought that every 10 minutes, and I’m thinking to myself, are other people gonna think this about, as they’re watching this movie and the beautiful landscape of Italy, are they gonna think, wow, I.

I’m gonna make that my drinking game. So every time you think, yeah, I wanna live there, you have to take a shot. So that is my drinking game front of the Tuscan sun, which I really like. ’cause that, that makes it a little more personal than, some of the other things you may find.

What are the other ones that I like? Lemme think what? Oh, the thriller one? Yeah. 13, going on 30 was another fun one that I like. That’s probably, that’s top five favorite chick flicks for me anyway. But watching that movie the music that they use in it is just so iconic and it brings you, into her world. And so I wanted to incorporate that into the drinking game.

So take a five second drink every time you hear a popular song, but take a ten second chug for the thriller dance which is what I based my drink on. When she’s at the bar drinking her pina colada not virgin, I. That’s what I based my drink on for the movie. So I wanted to incorporate that into the drinking game as well.

So that’s why I did a sort of two layered drinking game for that. So yeah, the drinking games are fun and hopefully people enjoy them.

I noticed, and I might be reading into it a little bit, but I felt like there were a few suggestions towards. Potty body positivity. And I’m wondering if that was a deliberate choice. If that was reaching a, not a generation that’s now more looking to that, or if that just happened to be the wording sometimes and I was reading into it.

I am glad that you did get that message. It may have been subconscious for me putting it in there. I’m not sure because that’s something I’ve always struggled with myself and that’s something that I. Do find relatable personally for a lot of these chick flicks. But did I intend to necessarily put that in there?

I guess maybe subconsciously I did.

I just, for me, when I look at cookbooks, we don’t often think of that. And I just found one or two and they were talking like two, three words here and there. It wasn’t, it was very subtle and I just thought, what a unique idea to do that. So I wanted to ask and apparently was subliminal or subconscious, which kind of makes it even better from all the different recipes in the book.

Now that you’re getting reader feedback and audience feedback, is there one or two that you keep hearing about how much people love a certain recipe? I.

For this one they love the girls trip recipe. I did a a poboy, but I used flavors you wouldn’t usually use like banana and grapefruit in the preparation of the poboy.

And and people really seem to be responding well to that one. For the horror book. Oh man, I. I surprisingly, the popcorn from Scream gets a lot of love. I hear how it’s the best popcorn people have ever tasted, and I’m like, great. I have other really hard stuff in there. Did you like that? But no, it’s great to hear any type of feedback to just be able to.

To say, okay, I did something right.

Good for you. So as we know, and as our audience from the last time around knows you do the film background, this is now your second cookbook. Are you considering a cooking show? Is that in your, is that something that’s seriously in your future? You have to be, you’re at, yeah.

Look at your face. You’ve been asked about it. We’re not allowed to talk about it or

No, we can definitely talk about it. I being real with you, I. That gives me so much anxiety. I just, having somebody watch me go through this process sounds like a total nightmare, but I, it is something I have talked about with a few producers about maybe doing something, especially with the horror one, where we bring in maybe a star of the film and have them cook with fans of the film from the book. And we’ve tossed around several ideas, maybe just doing it for YouTube, that, this or that. But and I would host it or something like that, but I don’t, there’s nothing set in stone.

It is something we, that I’m discussing. Yes.

You should definitely do it, and even as you express your anxiety about it, the one thing I would bring up is from our conversations, at least you come across as a very personable person and so A, I think you’d get more comfortable with it as you did a few, but B, from an audience against, here’s the reality.

I think most people feel anxiety in a kitchen, and so you being the host or part of the show. Having that anxiety is so extremely relatable. Like I cook at, several times a week. I’m rarely comfortable with any part of the process and I’m usually cooking something based on something professionally and like what we’re talking about here, kinda stuff.

I just think people are anxious to begin with in a kitchen. So if anything, embrace that. Perhaps. As we wrap up, up though what are the best ways to stay in touch with you for our audience who’s. Either knew about you from last time or they’re just meeting you today, what are the best ways to find the new book and learn more and follow you?

Yeah so you can follow me on Instagram or Facebook at movie cookbook series which has changed from last time. So it’s movie, at movie cookbook series this time. And, you can buy my books on Amazon or, your local bookstore. So that’s where you can find me. And I usually keep my Instagram updated and sometimes I do a little bonus recipe here or there.

And I’m trying to do a little book tour now. Set up some.

I’ll be coming to your city sometime soon. So yeah, stay in touch on Instagram. I would love to hear from you and if you do your own movie nights, I’d love to hear about them. And yeah.

Now I noticed you said book series, so is there another is there another book on the way?

Yes. So the next book that will be coming out is the Queer Movie Cookbook, so it’ll be focused on lgbtq plus themed films.

Outstanding. And not to spoil any of that, but are there any titles out there we should be thinking about getting excited about? And when will that book, do we have a release date for it yet, or is it too far in the future?

I don’t have a release date for it yet. I have already put the finishing touches on it though.

But I’m thinking maybe by the end of the year I’m hoping that it’s out, if not, maybe maybe early next year. And I tried to use a lot of the classics, but a lot of ones maybe people haven’t necessarily heard of or seen before.

Perfect. One last push to promote this amazing book with Richard s Sergeant, the Ultimate Chick Flick cookbook.

Richard, as we go by it, as we bring it to our kitchen this week, any message for the audience? They bought the book. They’re in the kitchen. They wanna be having your vibes with them. They’re excited about the night. Any message to them as they’re about to cook one these amazing, fun recipes.

Have fun. That’s why I make these books.

I want to I want to make the people that use them have as much fun as the people in the films. Have fun, enjoy your time with the people that you’re cooking with and watching the movies with. And and I hope that, it becomes a meaningful night for you and maybe your relationship.