akr

Charisma is in the eye of the beholder I guess. I think he's delightful and the low-key wry humor and oddities make for good TV, too. They wisely cast to have people who appeal to a variety of viewers; some that quite got on my nerves (Helena, for example) seem to be favorites of others. If they were all Juergens, it wouldn't work, but if they were all Lizzies, it wouldn't work, either. You need some balance.

Seems they are doing two heats of four each week, with the first one shown in two episodes on Mondays, sandwiched around an episode of The Eastenders, so basically it's just the one episode split in two with a half hour break in between (skills tests, then signature menus). The second group of four each week gets their episode shown in a one-hour block, as an official single episode rather than two separate ones, on Wednesday or Thursday depending on the week, and then the QF rounds are on Thursday or Friday, depending on the week. Schedule for the first three weeks is MMThF, MMWTh, MMThF; I'm just assuming the pattern will more or less hold for the fourth week of heats (there are 32 competitors, same as last year). There are 4 episodes a week during this phase (16 total), and 22 episodes overall. I wasn't sure during the skills test if Monica's test was just harder, but it was pretty clear who the top two were going to be by the end. ETA: Upcoming episodes schedule here (for the next three weeks): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mx9xb/broadcasts/upcoming, with brief episode descriptions including what the skills tests are (for episode 1: "The first Skills Test features bangers and mash and monkfish with pea and bacon ragout"), and which critics they'll be cooking for in the QF episodes.

"Free From" is actually free from dairy, free from gluten, and vegan, if I remember correctly (signature, technical and showstopper each being free of different things) - rather than free to do what you want; so, more restriction, not less. Who knows, though, maybe she's fiddled around with some of those things and will do well.

I find hibiscus has an astringency to it that I don't care for. I'm most familiar with it used in karkadeh, in Egypt - a sweetened iced hibiscus tea, basically, which most people seem to find very refreshing; I've also tried Celestial Seasonings teas that turned out to have hibiscus in them and didn't like any of those either. Matter of taste I guess as many of those are popular flavors. I agree that there's a little bit of a berry-like flavor to it, but not enough to counter the tannic quality; it's berry-like in the sense that carob is chocolate-like: faintly so. It's non-tannic qualities seem thin, not enough to counteract the tannin; or maybe it's just not complex enough. I don't mind astringency or tannins at all in other drinks, such as cranberry juice, tonic water, or red wine, but in hibiscus drinks there's not enough else there to save it for me.

The donut shops I grew up with in the seventies had "French crullers" (and still do) - and they're apparently the exact same thing as "choux nuts." (I loved them - preferably just lightly glazed). I would not do well at these challenges because I do not want all the extra stuff they're required to pile on their donuts in order to do well. Sure, it's extra work, but it's extra work that makes the end product less appealing. If I had to, though: a Boston Creme Pie french cruller could work (custardy filling, chocolate glaze), and for the nonfilled version, something not overly sweet. Pistachios sound decent, but a good version would be too plain for Bake Off (toffee is the obvious way to gussy it up, but that's too sweet). Passion fruit or key lime glaze, with little globs of mascarpone cheesecake elegantly piped on top so that it'd be seen as extra enough? I'd still choose the plain ones over the fancier topped ones. Anyway, the name "choux nuts" may be new, but these are not a new thing or an especially fancy one, at least not where I grew up.

From the NYT: "And the BBC’s latest offering, “Vigil,” a drama investigating a mysterious death on a nuclear submarine looks set to continue this trend, attracted double-digit-millions of viewers to its first episode, according to the BBC. Set to air on the U.S. streaming service Peacock later this year, it’s fair to say “Vigil” is also full of unexpected twists and turns." https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/arts/television/bodyguard-line-of-duty.html

In Canada, I suspect it may have been a poorly designed challenge (platform unnecessarily high, not a big enough pit, and/or they didn't fluff the foam between jumpers, so by the time the last one went, everything was too tamped down and the landing surface wasn't as forgiving, especially for a larger queen (mass x acceleration . . .)). I know they've done this sort of thing before, but just because they've gotten away with it before doesn't mean it's completely safe.

His didn't strike me as simple at all. Maybe more streamlined than others in their aesthetic (not a lot of delicate icing details), but technically very challenging, and I thought both of them were among the most aesthetically pleasing of the bunch, and that adding icing frills or something would have detracted. It's not as though he just ran out of time and didn't decorate; he spent the time on meticulous construction and polish. I suppose he could have added more icing to the windmill but I preferred it as it was. Most of the others in both weeks were quite messy and amateurish looking. (I'm one of those who would prefer that they don't ask them to do construction projects. It's gotten beyond silly. It was one thing when they asked that of the celebrities, who mostly can't bake, but can awkwardly construct something out of cake or sugar cookies and spin a story about it, but when you have people who can bake, I'd prefer that they let them do that. )

Looks like a good range of ages and backgrounds. I like this fellow's motivation: "Born in Trinidad, Jairzeno started his baking journey after losing faith with delicious-looking products that didn’t taste as good as they looked." Similarly, "[Jürgen] started baking after being unable to find traditional German bread in the UK, and is now well-known for his Jewish challah bread, and for celebration cakes that he bakes for friends and family." (Plenty of others who have really interesting sounding bios, too, and several who enjoy the decorating aspect of things for people who enjoy that. Perhaps we will get some discussion of style vs substance . . . .)

I agree - it was great! It's also on Paramount+ so if you've paid for that to watch The Good Fight and still have some time on your subscription, you might enjoy it as a binge watch.

I didn't think I'd appreciate an all lip synch battle episode, but I did - because ALL of them got a good edit, and a timely reminder that they were all stars, too, and why. Everyone got to go out on a high note, even if they didn't win, and even if they were out in one of the first episodes, we were reminded that we should want to see more of them, too. Aside from Silky, I think Jan benefited the most from this. I thought that one was a tossup but probably would have given it to Silky, too (Jan ahead for most of it, and then Silky slowly caught up and then passed her with the guitar antics (if she hadn't done so many things with it, it wouldn't have been enough, and I can see why others may have tired of the props by then, but "robbed," as some see it, seems pretty hyperbolic. Both did a great job.) Seeing one superb performance from Jan might even have been better for her than seeing her twice - no chance of diluting that excellent last impression. I was happy for her, even though of course she would have preferred to win. They didn't film them all at once, just showed them all at once, so it probably didn't take much longer to watch for them than it did for us. They would have had the whole thing edited in advance aside from the one with Eureka.

I've actually quite enjoyed it, even though there's plenty to pick apart (and I will never watch Drag Tots). The formula may be getting old, but the queens are easy to root for and I've enjoyed the camaraderie among this particular group. I'm also glad that, at least so far, they've been voting based on perceived merit rather than trying to get rid of their biggest competition. Maybe at this point they worry that it will turn the fandom against them. I suppose it helped that I had very low expectations, and that I never watch anything without also doing something else - checking email or news or such - so I can tune it out when there's just too much filler. But mostly, there are just a bunch of them who I didn't remember very well and have enjoyed getting to know again.

Apparently she said on social media (instagram?) that "sometimes we just don't vibe with a song (no shade)" and that she hadn't expected to be lip syncing and so hadn't prepared enough. (There was a screenshot of her post about this on reddit.) Makes sense to me. It's not as though she could hide who she voted for forever anyway, so why throw away a chance at the cash?

I suspect the wealthy benefactor. He was centered in the shots of the spectators in Wackner's courtroom at the end, with him giving a slow clap and a nod of satisfaction in the midst of the applause in the last shot. Then they cut from him to Marissa, looking as though she's pretty sure she's figured out the connection. Wackner, however, does not seem to have put it all together.

I can't assess sincerity from the statement; I don't think there's anything he could say that would make people trust him on it at this point. Time will tell.

Thanks for the recaps. I actually haven't been able to get myself to watch these last two episodes; I might go back & catch the first one, for Kishwar's daughter & maybe a few of the recipes, but the second sounds interminable, especially since it's a pressure test. I would only care if I was invested in more than one of them, and didn't already know that she was almost certainly not going to win because the betting odds had been decisively towards Justin all this time. I tried to set that knowledge aside, but by the very end, there wasn't much suspense left, either in how it was going to come out or in how it was likely to be edited; and when I saw that he had in fact won, I found that I just had no motivation to watch. I've been tired of the Pete & Justin (& Andy & Jock) show for quite a while, so just knowing who won is enough. I wish them all well, but I've had my fill of watching them. I'd be happy to see more of my favorites, though (Kishwar, Depinder, Minoli, Tommy, Linda, & Sabina). I find it's usually harder to keep my interest at the very end. There aren't enough cooks left to fill the time, and I don't care for pressure tests that much even when the stakes are lower. I suppose if it had been three of my favorites, though, I would have been interested in seeing all the interactions and such.

Pete has updated his instagram to give credit to Relae for various recipes, in response to the criticism. It turns out with some of them (including the recent zucchini one) he did not have recipes, only the photos (from the restaurant's website), and he worked it out from there. Hard to do! I still think he should have given more credit from the get-go, but the judges may have led him to believe he'd done enough. In any event, he's made the adjustment, so good for him. (Honestly, based on the diner reviews of the zucchini dish, it sounds like Pete's version may have been an improvement. His filling sounded more appetizing.)

I suppose it's an accomplishment that she hasn't racked up any new last names since she was 23.

Yes, thanks for the link. I suppose the only upside is that he's under a microscope now. Any behavior or decision that's even a little bit questionable should be a lot harder to get away with, at least in the near term.

Since I've been critical: It seems Pete at least tweaked the oyster dish a bit; the original uses a leek emulsion rather than an oyster emulsion. It's still awfully close (and the original sounds better), but credit for not doing things exactly the same way. I imagine he got the oyster emulsion from him somewhere, though. Puglisi's book encourages people to mix and match components. (Side note: if I went to a seriously fancy restaurant, I think I'd be a little annoyed at other diners taking pictures of all their food. It's fine if you're reviewing a local takeaway or more casual spot, but somehow in that expensive setting it feels like it gets in the way of the mood for other people.)

I found that exact same article featuring the oyster dish almost instantly! Oh, Pete. The zucchini one was harder to find, but probably also from Relae. I found this picture in a diner's review of their meal there: https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g189541-d2045377-i337415457-Relae-Copenhagen_Zealand.html As for whether this approach is already a bit dated, it appears Puglisi, at least, is moving on. Here's this on his decision to close Relae & another of his restaurants: "Puglisi’s restaurants are less exalted than Noma on the international stage, but his approach to hyper-seasonal, organic cuisine influenced a generation of Copenhagen restaurants, and the closing of his first two restaurants signifies an end to a certain era of avant-garde defiance in the local food scene, even as it embraces other Puglisi influenced. (Puglisi’s three other restaurants — the bakery and restaurant Mirabelle; vermouth and snacks bar Rudo; and Bæst, an Italian restaurant with award-winning pizza — will remain open.)" https://www.eater.com/2020/9/17/21439564/christian-puglisi-interview-closing-relae-manfreds-copenhagen-restaurants It's reasonable that other people should want to play with these ideas for a while, but ultimately it's rather intellectual and after a while the conceit gets old. I'd rather have Elise's & Kishwar's recipes from this set of duels than either of Pete's (cough, cough, Christian's); at least Kishwar's curry is up (and appears more doable than many of hers, although I doubt I could do half as good a job at it.) Another diner was unimpressed (for the price tag), and snapped this picture: https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g189541-d2045377-i301199542-Relae-Copenhagen_Zealand.html

I wouldn't mind eating this dessert, but watching 5 people try to recreate it wasn't particularly interesting to me. It's the sort of episode that reminds me why I don't watch (most) dessert competitions (GBBO is an exception), even though I am a sucker for competitive reality shows where the contestants actually have to be good at something. I don't enjoy watching fiddly things. At least I had people to root for. Well, just Kishwar at this point. If it's Pete & Justin in the finale, I'm not sure I'd watch - I'm tired of both of them. If one of them deserves to win, congratulations - they're both nice guys, although to continue the discussion from above, although I don't mind that Pete is turning to specific recipes for guidance, I do think he needs to credit his sources more (I checked and he is not doing so at all in his recent instagram posts, where people go on in the comments about how incredible it is that he would think to make a croissant out of celeriac & he just says thank you. Well, it's great that someone did, and it turns out nori can also make a good filling for one - which I think would actually be pretty hard to pull off, so kudos there - but credit where credit is due, Pete. You can say, I got this great idea from one of my favorite cookbooks/one of the chefs I'm most inspired by, to make a "croissant" out of celeriac, with a savory filling. It's pretty technical, but I thought I'd give it a try and see if these flavors would work with that. Is that so hard? (or, he could skip the "croissant" part of the presentation & just do a layered thing with the same technique, and I think then he wouldn't need to credit anyone at all. He could call it a millefeuille or something.) I give him credit for trying things that are hard and doing them pretty well, but not credit for coming up with them. He doesn't have to say it's Puglisi every time (at least once it was Heston Blumenthal), but it seems very poor form to be essentially taking credit for someone else's creativity. Just acknowledge that the idea came from somewhere.

It appears to be a takeoff of another dish from Relae (Christian Puglisi's restaurant), although the nori filling was his idea. The original is reviewed here: https://www.somemeals.com/p/copenhagen-is-killing-it ("The best thing we ate [as part of a 4-course tasting menu] was hands down the celeriac 'croissant'—layers and layers of crispy, caramelized root vegetable infused with savory herbs and, if I remember correctly, a briny olive paste"). (I found this by googling "celeriac croissant"; there was an image that looked almost exactly like Pete's except for the plate (Relae used a less pretentious plate than Pete did, although that may be more to do with the options available at Society than with Pete)): (you can even see where the string held the celeriac bundle together during cooking in the Relae version.)

You pretty much knew as soon as they said 4 savory & 2 sweet that it would be one of the desserts that would go home. On Masterchef UK (the professionals, maybe?) they do something very like this challenge but without anybody going home just from the restaurant challenge; after that, they get to go back to the studio & cook something where everyone is cooking under the same constraints. I prefer the level playing field. Oh, well. I didn't really expect Sabina to go all the way, and she did well to go so far. I'm not at all interested in going to this restaurant - seems a pretty stuffy environment, no matter how good the food is ("contemporary" if contemporary is corporate expense account lunch c. 1990?) - and I found it a little implausible that they all met the standard with only 2 1/2 hours & no prior thinking on what they might do. That's not what the actual 3-hatted chef is going to do for his first service. It seemed Justin got dish of the day mostly just by using the most expensive ingredients - which suggested to me that the praise for the other dishes was overblown. Yes, butter, lobster, & tarragon is bound to taste good - you'd be hard pressed to mess that up. Tarragon was probably one of the easiest assignments (along with the yuzu, perhaps). I thought the dessert assignments were much more challenging, and am not sure any of them would have been able to do much better. If Sabina drew the tarragon & savory, you can bet she'd still be there. If Linda had the peppercorns or the yuzu, same. My favorites of who's left are Kishwar & Linda; I find Justin & Pete a little exhausting. However, even though I'm not drawn to the same recipes that Pete is, I disagree with people who assume that because his stuff looks weird it can't possibly be good. Maybe you wouldn't order it off the menu, but many of these things are on the menu, and loved, at highly regarded restaurants, and I'm going to assume that all those critics and diners are actually enjoying the sort of dishes he's inspired by. I'm completely sold on the notion that his food is very tasty as well as highly conceptual (except for on a few occasions where he got caught up in an idea & let taste be secondary). No, he's not inventing the concepts, or quite replicating them (because his inspirations are often recipes that would take days to recreate), but none of them are. Still, I prefer something like Elise taking familiar techniques and adapting them to highlight the ingredients at hand, or Kishwar using her deft hand with spices, etc.

Thanks for the links. I read both the articles, though, and think it suggests the repeated violations were for his interactions with the one employee with whom he'd had an affair, and it's just that they're referring to a series of unpleasant and/or unprofessional interactions they may have had during or in the aftermath of the affair. I believe in only holding people accountable for what they actually did, and I'm not going to assume there's more without evidence. It was a huge mistake that rightly cost him his job, but if that's all it is it's not the same as someone who's a serial offender. I think Top Chef handled it in part in the editing. You can't really edit out the winner, even if they wanted to, but they did edit him so that we won't particularly remember him even though he won. He'll be the guy who won that season that Shota & Dawn were on - oh, and Maria, and Jamie, and Sarah, & Byron. And Sasha who had that really long run on Last Chance Kitchen, and Avishar from Ohio who made some quirky food, and Gabriel who used to work for Tom Colicchio. The big thing we'll remember about Gabe is not that he made great mole and was the first Mexican-American winner, but that there was a scandal and there were other people we were rooting for instead of him.