DHDancer

So what's with the swipe of sauce up the side of the bowls? It looks truly awful to me, and how in the heck are you supposed to be able to utilize it? Interesting that it was all about being cool, refreshing and yet good flavors. I'm glad Grayson is gone: she just couldn't take responsibility for anything she does. Edited to add that apparently the sauce up the side of the bowl is now called a "splash". Another pretention...

omg, "It was like snot on a rock" Classic, Padma!!! Quote of the week... And couldn't have happened to a more precocious idiot.... I'm glad Wesley won the quickfire. His self-awareness of his image as a messy chef is to his credit.

These kids designs are pretty amazing. As Kelly said, there was not a boring outfit on the runway. Given this was Broadway, I did think the winning design was the most appropriate. I sure hope future adult contestants are sitting and taking notes! It was right that Matt went as there's just so many chances you should give the competitors. And I have to say I'm glad I don't have to struggle with his gender agnosticism any more -- a beautiful person but I was having to work so hard to keep him defined (and I couldn't let it go for some reason) Edited to correct names and comply with moderator suggestions.

I wondered at the "Dulcinea" title and just assume there's some reference to Don Quixote that I missed with the lousy sound and multitasking. I need to rewatch this on demand with full focus, and hopefully better sound control: or at least I'll turn on CC :)

Loving this! Hate that they are pushing the commercials to barely tolerable levels however. Charles Dance continues to be just amazing. I've been wondering if that was really him under all that "creature" but the face shots definitely look like it's him, even if here's a body double for the full shots. Incredible, given his age (nearly 80 I believe). Some really cool twists. I keep thinking about Children of Earth, the BBC production that was a "special" episode of Torchwood. I keep waiting for the drug-addicted aliens to appear.....

Yeah, what's with the Season of the Carrot?? I like carrots well enough but jeez, is there some growers lobby going on this season?

Oh the sweet thing was when all the other diners RAVED about the dish and she had no grounds for comeback. THAT was the moment for me :)

Damn! Tom was determined to make Frances pay for those canned chickpeas!!

Ugh I didn't know about the green mould thing. My problem is the proximity of the fingers to the cream outlet in the nozzle; I've yet to be able to not get my finger in the cream when pushing the nozzle the couple of times I've been forced to use Redi Whip (or have no cream at all --- probably a wiser decision in retrospect). I might live with very close friend or family fingers, but knowing that stuff is used extensively in restaurants UGH....

Yeah, whipping cream is a fundamental technique and not a very hard one at all. I suspect he's only ever used Cool Whip (one of the most evil products ever made) or RediWhip (am I the only person who finds the whole nozzle thing incredibly unhygenic?)

On the rewatch going on now, I just choked on my G&T when Grayson said she followed the challenge "perimeters" HAHAHHAAHA. And I think we've talked way too much about her already but why would you come back to a competition knowing that cooking corner Italian restaurant food is NOT going to get you far, sigh. Sorry, just realized I posted this under the wrong episode .... should have been the Hollywood tasting epi...

The following is all my opinion based on 30 years of living in the US. Americans make a fruitcake that is really more a confection: mostly glace fruits and nuts with almost no cake batter. It's not bad in the right circumstances (tiny sliver with black coffee after dinner). I think real fruitcakes (as defined by English fruitcake standards) do exist but are rarely made. I make a traditional English fruitcake at least once a year for christmas. And I do make boiled fruitcakes (method of prepping the fruit) occasionally otherwise -- they make excellent cakes to keep around for a slice of something sweet :)

Sigh. Those weren't fruit cakes -- they were cakes with fruit. You would NEVER frost a real fruit cake like they were doing: if you "ice" it, you use marzipan and royal icing (or god awful fondant if you must). And I agree about the lady fingers: they are not supposed to be above the cake top like that and tirimisu is a dessert, not a cake!

They are essentially Florentines without the nuts and chocolate. If you rolled florentines as soon as they came out of the oven and filled them with sweetened whipped cream, you'd have brandy snaps.

I think they do have time to practice --- it was mentioned in the episode as someone saying either it turned out better or worse when he/she practised it during the week. And yes, obviously filmed in the UK at the exact same location as the UK show. And in early spring, judging by the crocus but that could be editing faux pax...

Argh, a really hot button with me is TO GIVE vs TO GIFT!!! There's absolutely nothing wrong with using either but please, in the right situation. Mary didn't "gift" the ingredients for the first challenge -- she GAVE them the ingredients. Makes me absolutely nuts turning nouns into verbs but in the case of "to gift" I grit my teeth as long as it is used in relation to giving an actual gift. Interesting start: these people don't seem very experienced. Oh, and why didn't they just have Mel and Sue be the hosts? The "who the hell are these people" American hosts were a waste of space. (and ps the woman host looks like she's never eaten a cookie/biscuit in her life)

I was just coming here to post this as well. I watched all 6 episodes back-to-back this weekend and cannot recommend it highly enough. It is INTENSE but it needs to be. I've always loved Stellan Skarsgard so watched this for him but I have to say Nicola was just fabulous in her role (and the other supporting cast weren't shabby either). Check it out on Netflix.

OK, so I still can't buy into the guy still having the ring, having been through a sinking yacht, trying to make sure his girlfriend is safe while almost drowning, and ending up with hyperthermia. Then rescue, transfers from coast guard helicopter etc etc etc. Sorry, that is sooooo suspending disbelief. Apart from that, the show was mildly entertaining but mainly because it's like putting on a comfy old (very old) sweater :)

that one jumped the shark when the guy pulled the ring box out from ???? (there ain't no pockets in hospital gowns). PS and I was saying before he did that, "oh please, don't produce a ring" .......

Am I the only one wondering why they cast an actor to play Ralph who looks Anglo Indian?

Thought I'd share this link from Kimberley Wilson's website (where there are some truly scrummy recipes) She has a page that links to all the contestants' websites. Most useful!!! http://www.butimhungrynow.com/#!bakers-dozen/c1n5l

Picnic Pie is the category that pork pies, ham and egg pies, and other cold pies of the type fall into. These are pretty common in the UK. And interestingly they are usually made with a hot water pastry, something not mentioned on GBBS in either of the two series I've seen. Re HP (aka brown) sauce, I find A1 an okay substitute if pressed. HP is becoming much more common as already mentioned, and yeah, it's pricey. It's not hard to make your own if you're up for it :) (google offers plenty of options)

Ashley looks good on Rachel Zoe (for a change) but she really is delusional, and everyone is supporting that delusion while laughing behind their hands. Even Kelly Osborne, who's sitting there no longer a plus size gal....

reposting what I posted on the Live Chat: Sorry, but I can't support Ashley as being brave etc etc. The proof is in which of us plus size people would wear (let alone shell out cash) for any of those clothes. My hand is firmly by my side..... BUT I do applaud her for doing what she wanted: she just needs to get a very large dose of reality. Oh and she needs to get over her "gift" mentality, sorry....

Ha! Going to be FUN seeing how Ms Beyond Skinny Rachel Zoe deals with a FAT person on her show and in her face!!!!