luvapickle

I like this better than Holiday Wars....but just by a bit. Because at least there's more actual edible items going into it. Still wish the 2nd part involved tasting as well. Since it is about edible designs. This is my biggest pet peeve, being a pro baker.

Glad the guy won, loved his puppies. Reva....lol...I saw her & went she's an assistant again. This will not go well. And voila. She's hard enough to watch when it's her show all the way. But I do get what she meant by using her for more. Yet if I was used to doing the gingerbread myself, I would be a control freak. Thus why I would never do one of these shows...

Lol, because that's what pull apart cupcake cakes are. It's mainly for those who don't want to bother with cutting, or in my case I get a lot of families who take them to venues. So it cuts out the cutting & cutting charge. Panettone should not be dry if made right(Sicilian here). And bread pudding was the first thing I thought they would all do as it is the type that soaks up easily.

Yea, we always had knit mittens(& every other kind). Yes they got wet, but so did the rest of our bodies. You don't play in snow to stay warm & dry.

Yes!!! In my bakery I make all different kinds of Christmas cookies-decorated is just a small bit. And I only use buttercream-I don't use royal icing as it tastes like crap(IMO).

Thanksgiving Cake Spectacular is on Sunday in case anyone wants to watch0with Maureen McCormick this year. Be careful looking at the guide, because they have these episodes really screwed up.

I've been Sicilian my whole life 🙂 and I take offense that somehow lasagna is considered non-traditional. We always had lasagna & Caesar salad on Thanksgiving-even before I was born my brothers said grandma would make it for as long as they remember. We also had all the other stuff: turkey, different vegetables, 50 different kinds of starches...did I say Sicilian? Now we do it for Christmas, since we go out for Thanksgiving. As for some not being up to par, I think the timing factor has been ingrained in them with watching these challenges. They have it in their head, they need to be quick, so let's take shortcuts-but not the good kind. Don't use something pre made if it makes up a great part of the dish. I also think the idea of working in another culture, but it still Thanksgiving is a bit odd, IMO. Mainly because if you have another culture-you don't try to make them confine to your traditions. I have a sister in law from Jamaica-so it's food from there that she brings in. It BECOMES part of the tradition as it is.

Lol, besides Ree Drummond, the other judges are way too picky for me. How can they meet the requirements of someone who likes cookies baked less, to someone who insists the cookie is raw if not baked crispy. And to say they taste like dough & not cookie? That's bullarky. And was rude, imo.

I've made black cookies. However I use a chocolate base. That way I end up using very little dye. Same with buttercream, always use a chocolate fudge base.

They are really doing different things this season.- Don't get those sticky buns too often & we had two of them doing it. Plus that layer bar was different than the usual 5 or 7 layer bars. I don't mind Nancy feeding Jesse. Chances are he's asking for a bite, since most of the time the hosts don't eat anything. Occasionally we'll see a bite here or there. Possible. Or he used far more than anyone else. Since they don't show everything available, it's hard to know.

Semolina can be made from maize, so maybe it productions fault for not labeling it as such. Just like rice it comes in different varieties.

As a baker, I feel taste should always win out. Otherwise all cakes could be rice krispies(like some cake makers) or worse Styrofoam 🙂

I know what you mean about cutting it off. The Cooking Channel has been doing that as well. What I do is when it gets to 58 minutes, I hit slow forward, & I usually just catch who the winner is. What would be nice is if these shows would post who the winner is on their website or something. There's still a Freakshow Cakes episode, that I have no idea who won.

Brandi Milloy. Yea, she was overly picky about everything. But I like how Matt Adlard would then go the opposite(after giving her a look). He is a great judge!

That's just screwup on FN's part with the guide. You'll just have to watch what you record(as in the description part).