What's Cooking? explores the intersecting lives of four distinct families living in the same Los Angeles neighborhood—Vietnamese, Latino, African American, and Jewish—as they prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving. The film brilliantly highlights how each household incorporates its unique cultural heritage, traditions, and culinary flavors into the traditional American holiday meal. Beneath the festive cooking preparations, each family navigates contemporary social issues, secret family dramas, and generational tensions that ultimately underscore shared human bonds.