Selena + Chef - General Discussion

[Scarlett45]

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From HBO Max,

This new reality series takes quarantine cooking to a whole new level. Each episode follows musical, TV, and film star Selena Gomez as she figures out how the heck to use her kitchen. With the aid of a different professional chef every episode Gomez learns to cook everything from French omelettes to octopus. The best part of this series — other than the fact that it lets this star make a fool out of herself — is its pacing. Selena + Chef unfolds at a pace that lets you easily follow along at home.

@Rabithed I created a thread for this show. Enjoy!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Forget Selena. I want to watch Ludo teach people how to cook every week!

[Rabithed]

I think Selena comes across very likeable! I’m really enjoying this series.
She is such a newbie in the kitchen, I like the way they poke fun at it  

“My oven doesn’t have a broil or convection!” Show points out both behind her. 

Monma and Poppa are surprisingly unhelpful. 

I enjoyed the first episode with Chef Ludo and the French omelette. The chef with the octopus dish was fun too. 
 

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I've watched a few more episodes and Selena does come across as normal and likeable. I think it's (unfortunately) common for people these days to get well into their 20s without knowing how to cook so the premise is believable.

When the parchment paper caught fire in the oven, Mr. EB said, "That's what I've been expecting to see since the first episode!" I'm glad that she didn't edit that out and that she's fine making fun of herself for not knowing how to use her own oven. You could tell that Nancy is a professional chef - while everything was going wrong in Selena's kitchen, Nancy just stayed calm and kept going. Nancy also got extra credit for being the first chef who wasn't constantly YELLING for the entire episode.

Hearing bruschetta pronounced incorrectly is a pet peeve of mine so I was prepared to dislike Jon and Vinny but I ended up not hating them.

I loved how genuinely paralyzed Roy Choi's daughter was when she realized that Selena was facetiming with Taylor Swift. I also liked that even though his recipes often have a lot of ingredients, he showed how easy it is once you have everything ready to go. Throw it all in the blender! I need someone to make those breakfast tacos for me. They looked amazing!

Angelo Sosa's episode was great too. Everyone has their own way of making guacamole so I'm always interested to see different twists. He lost me at the shaved white chocolate, but I liked that he encouraged her to just try new things. And I guess it wasn't that bad if her Papa liked it! Angelo also got an A+ for using oyster sauce and no soy sauce in his fried rice. I'm definitely going to try cracking an egg with one hand now that he explained it.

I watched the very first season of Top Chef and didn't recognize Candice. Even once I found out who she was, I still didn't remember her from Top Chef. I still remember several of the chefs from the first season (Harold, Tiffani, Lee Ann, Stephen) but I was still totally blanking on Candice.

[biakbiak]

This was the first thing that came up when I opened the app and I just wanted to test the throwing it to my tv so I tried this because it was short and there and thought it was cute.

[biakbiak]

11 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

watched the very first season of Top Chef and didn't recognize Candice. Even once I found out who she was, I still didn't remember her from Top Chef. I still remember several of the chefs from the first season (Harold, Tiffani, Lee Ann, Stephen) but I was still totally blanking on Candice.

Her hair was much lighter, she was the youngest and just out of culinary school. Stephen was frequently a dick to her and she called him a douchebag, it was well deserved. 

[chabelisaywow]

I haven't finished all the episodes. Selena is stressing me out because she doesn't tuck her fingers while using her knife.  I am glad Roy mentioned it. but still...... I am worried for her!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

4 hours ago, chabelisaywow said:

I haven't finished all the episodes. Selena is stressing me out because she doesn't tuck her fingers while using her knife.  I am glad Roy mentioned it. but still...... I am worried for her!

I was waiting for her to slice her fingers in every episode!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2 begins streaming on January 21. I'm most excited about José Andrés, Kelis, and Marcus Samuelsson (Evan Funke, Jordan Andino, and JJ Johnson are my next tier down). I vaguely remember Aarti Sequeira because she competed on that Food Network show but I don't remember anything else about her.

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2.1 Curtis Stone

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Michelin-starred chef Curtis Stone adds perfectly cooked steak sandwiches to Selena's arsenal. And for dessert? Key lime pie parfaits.

Recipes:
steak sandwiches with caramelized onions and cheddar
salt and vinegar chips
key lime parfaits

Original air date: 1/21/21

Edited January 23, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

How did I just learn in the year 2021 that Curtis Stone is married to Janet from 90210?! I love that in the season premiere, we got Selena burning herself, repeatedly popping the beaters out of the hand mixer (instead of turning it on), almost setting a cord on fire, and unable to find both the hand mixer and the lemon press.

FYI - I used to squeeze my lemons and limes by hand. I thought a lemon press was a waste of money and a unitasker. Then I got one and realized how much extra work I had put myself through for no reason. They cost $10-$20 so just go buy one.

I was glad that when Selena said she liked her steak medium well and Curtis told her to trust him and cook these medium rare, she didn't argue with him. And she ended up loving her steak sandwich so he was right!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2.2 JJ Johnson

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James Beard Award winning author, chef, and humanitarian JJ Johnson leaves Selena's household speechless with a flavor-packed seafood gumbo.

Recipes:
seafood gumbo
gumbo spice mix
jasmine rice

Original air date: 1/21/21

Edited January 23, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

2.3 José Andrés

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It's tapas time as chef, restauranteur, and humanitarian José Andrés shows Selena that sometimes, the most delicious dishes don't call for precise recipes.

Recipes:
Tichi's gazpacho
new way omelette
mussels à la Gallega
gambas al ajillo
pan con tomate

Original air date: 1/21/21

Edited January 23, 2021 by ElectricBoogaloo

[biakbiak]

I could watch Jose all day! I adore him so much and they were great together. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

José is a delight but he's also such a force for good. If you haven't read We Fed an Island, I definitely recommend it. He has made it his mission to feed people wherever it's needed.

Ha, I loved that he said his chef friends who had already done previous episodes of the show asked him to save Selena's fingers. I'm with Raquelle - I'm still afraid that Selena is going to cut herself badly one of these days.

I loved that José's recipes were so simple. So often people who don't know how to cook are intimidated or afraid to try because they think it's going to be really complicated or difficult or they need a million ingredients. The recipes he made in this episode had very few ingredients, had simple instructions, and didn't take two hours to prepare.

I had to try the microwave eggs because it was so fast and easy. Interestingly, the recipe on the website is slightly different than what was used on the show. The recipe says to mix the eggs, mayonnaise, and cheese together and microwave in a bowl (no oiling). What they did on the show was oil a pyrex measuring cup (to prevent sticking), coat the inside with cheese, then add the mixed together eggs and mayonnaise. As someone who has microwaved A LOT of things (including eggs), I would recommend always oiling beforehand to prevent sticking. If you have a large pyrex measuring cup (2 cups or larger), I would microwave the eggs in that rather than a bowl. The reason is that the measuring cup is built like a column so the bottom is almost the same size as the top which means the eggs will cook more evenly. A bowl has a curved bottom so the bottom is much smaller than the top, which means the eggs won't cook as evenly. I sopped up the extra sauce with a piece of bread after I ate the eggs - YUM! There is definitely a slight mayonnaise taste to the finished eggs, but I didn't mind because I like mayonnaise. I'm thinking about adding some mayonnaise instead of milk/cream the next time I make scrambled eggs to see if it produces a more custardlike texture.

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S1 recipes:

Antonia's seafood tostada
Candice's spicy miso ramen
Nana's cheesy chicken tortilla chip casserole
Ludo's French omelette
Nancy's braised leeks
Jon & Vinny's chicken
Roy's Korean BBQ short rib breakfast tacos
Tanya's buttermilk fried chicken
Nyesha's dog biscuits
Daniel's chicken meatballs
Angelo's Baja fried rice

 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Thanksgiving recipes:
Aarti's tandoori butter turkey breast and sweet potatoes
Aarti's gravy
Aarti's cranberry chutney
Aarti's green beans

These Thanksgiving recipes were also listed on the website but we didn't actually see them cook any of these dishes on the show:
Nana's white cornbread stuffing
Nana's pea salad
Nana's cheesy potato casserole

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E4: Marcus Samuelsson

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Internationally acclaimed chef, restaurant owner, and bestselling author Marcus Samuelsson coaches Selena through a heartwarming salmon dish (and her fear of fish guts).

Recipes:
honey mustard glazed salmon, charred citrus bulgur salad, and miso salmon broth
 

Original air date: 1/28/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E5: Kelis Rogers

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Singer/songwriter, cookbook author, and classically trained chef Kelis Rogers dials in from her sustainable farm in Temecula, CA, to introduce Selena to a decadent oxtail yucca poutine recipe and a quick 'n' easy fruit buckle.

 

Original air date: 1/28/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E6: Jordan Andino

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New York City-based TV chef and judge Jordan Andino lights up Selena's kitchen with a meal that embodies the unique flavor profile of Filipino cooking: chicken adobo with jasmine rice followed by jackfruit and plantain turon for dessert.

Recipes:
chicken adobo with jasmine rice
jackfruit and plantain turon

Original air date: 1/28/21
 

[MaggieG]

I'm enjoying this show. I'm a little too old to have been a Selena music fan but I think she is cute on this show. I love Nana and Papa. Raquel annoys me sometimes. 

I loved Jose Andres and Jordan Andino. I would love to hang out with them.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I enjoyed the second batch of chefs this season. Marcus was exactly as he always is, Kelis was calm when Selena set her kitchen on fire, and Jordan gave us the classic lola reaction to someone else's cooking: "It's okay."

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E7: Marcela Valladolid

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On a mission to demystify a traditional mole recipe, chef and author Marcela Valladolid helps Selena connect to her Mexican roots with shredded chicken mole enchiladas.

Original air date: 2/4/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E8: Evan Funke

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Two-time James Beard Award nominated chef and cookbook author Evan Funke hosts a masterclass in handmade pasta.

Original air date: 2/4/21

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E9: Graham Elliot

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Two-time Michelin-starred chef, TV host, and author Graham Elliot puts his unique spin on a mouthwatering hamburger and deconstructed Caesar salad.

Original air date: 2/4/21

[biakbiak]

I did tapas tonight so tried his omelette with piquillo peppers, so good and so simply. The texture is lovely.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

4 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I did tapas tonight so tried his omelette with piquillo peppers, so good and so simply. The texture is lovely.

I couldn't believe what a difference the mayonnaise made in the texture. Bonus: it's super fast and easy so this will definitely be entering my list of things to make when I'm too lazy to really cook.

[biakbiak]

3 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I couldn't believe what a difference the mayonnaise made in the texture. Bonus: it's super fast and easy so this will definitely be entering my list of things to make when I'm too lazy to really cook.

I am thinking next time I have leftover homemade aioli I will use that and maybe switch up the cheese. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

8 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I am thinking next time I have leftover homemade aioli I will use that and maybe switch up the cheese. 

Ooh, that sounds delicious! I made mine without cheese because I wanted to see if the texture was as promised. Next time I'll have to add whatever cheese I have for some extra melty goodness. I was just wondering what cheese I had in the fridge because I saw that viral tomato pasta recipe a few days ago and thought I should try that too!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Evan Funke's meat sauce sounded freaking DELICIOUS. Ha, but how much do you want to bet that the day after they shot that episode, Selena used the second batch of pasta dough and then popped open a can of Ragu? Not that I'm blaming her. Three hours is a long time to wait for sauce.

[biakbiak]

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Three hours is a long time to wait for sauce.

The great thing about a long simmering sauce is that it is even better in the fridge for a few days but most of all freezes amazing so it meals for months later. So making a huge pot that can equal an amazing dinner several times over a few monthss? Is something that a lot of people can incorporate into their lives.

Hand rolling that pasta on that board? That’s probably never going to happen again. But a lot of people have the pasta attachment or can buy some great pasta to serve it with. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

HBO Max finally has the recipes from the final three episodes posted!

Marcela's Shredded Chicken Mole Tacos
Marcela's Cinnamon Sugar Dusted Bunuelos

Evan's Ragu Bolognese
Evan's Tagliatelle

Graham's Burger
Graham's Deconstructed Caesar Salad

And for some reason, they didn't post any of the recipes from the Kelis episode until now too.

Kelis' Oxtail Poutine with Yuca and Farm Fresh Herbs
Kelis' Farm Fresh Rosemary Apple Cranberry Buckle

[biakbiak]

I made Marcus’s salmon dish. I didn’t get a chance to go to the market that has fish heads but was planning on using some homemade fish stock in the freezer. However, when I tasted the bulgar salad by itself I really enjoyed it and was much more in the mood for that than something brothy so just served alongside the salmon. Both were delicious and will definitely make it into the rotation. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

11 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I made Marcus’s salmon dish. I didn’t get a chance to go to the market that has fish heads but was planning on using some homemade fish stock in the freezer. However, when I tasted the bulgar salad by itself I really enjoyed it and was much more in the mood for that than something brothy so just served alongside the salmon. Both were delicious and will definitely make it into the rotation. 

YUM! I love when recipes work exactly as they're supposed to. It's really disappointing when you see a recipe on a cooking show and then it turns out to be more work or less delicious than you thought it would be.

[biakbiak]

8 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

turns out to be more work

I do think making a stock for the dish might have pushed it into the “too much” work/time category especially when the two other components were strong without it. 

On the plus side I used the broth that I didn’t end up putting in the dish to make ramen with the leftover salmon for lunch that was delicious! 

[ShellsandCheese]

Just discovered this show and I am kind of obsessed with it. I really like Selena's kitchen and I want her Vitamix Blender, alas I don't have $500-$600 bucks to drop on that particular model at the moment. I'm going to try my first recipe from the show next week and I'm so excited. I am obsessed with Kelis and her second act, that's how you live a life. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

For those of you who enjoyed the Kelis episode, she just did a tour of her farm in Temecula for Harper's Bazaar:

 

[twoods]

Watching this show with the girls and loving it. I love how down your earth Selena Gomez is, and all the recipes look amazing. 

[SailorGirl]

On 9/14/2020 at 3:54 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I was waiting for her to slice her fingers in every episode!

Still on season 1 -- I love that it became a running joke through each episode -- "claw your fingers so you don't cut yourself" and her still not learning how or applying the advice. (of course this is funny only because she doesn't actually injure herself).

I am pleasantly surprised about how much I am enjoying this show. 

And Ludo was absolutely the best chef to start the series -- he is just so damn French!! 

I loved how subsequent chefs gave him a hard time and commiserated about him with Selena -- in a way that clearly indicates they all love him. Antonia's story of him yelling at her on a plane was highly entertaining!  

Edited October 5, 2021 by SailorGirl

[MaggieG]

I really enjoy this show. Selena is very easy-going and likeable, plus the chefs were all good. Raquel can be a little annoying though.

I'm starting a petition to get Steve Martin and Martin Short to join Selena for an episode next season. That would be fun.

[Anela]

I meant to check this out, last October. How has it almost been six months, already?

I put it on tonight, as company (I love to watch people cook), and she's adorable. I'm not that familiar with her, I know her name, and that's about it. 

[buckboard]

Hadn't heard about the show until we saw word of the new season.  (We love her in Only Murders in the Building.)  We started with season 1 and are now racing through to the start of season 2.

I wish Papa and Selena's friends would stop making fun of her mistakes.  She's such a likeable person and all the negative "just joking around" is hurtful.

[anniebird]

On 9/5/2022 at 2:16 PM, buckboard said:

Hadn't heard about the show until we saw word of the new season.  (We love her in Only Murders in the Building.)  We started with season 1 and are now racing through to the start of season 2.

I wish Papa and Selena's friends would stop making fun of her mistakes.  She's such a likeable person and all the negative "just joking around" is hurtful.

I think Papa is a jackass.

[MaggieG]

Raquel still annoys me and I laughed when Gordon Ramsey kept calling her Rachel. 

[LemonSoda]

Late to this but really enjoying it. She’s adorable. I love so many of the chefs featured.
My only annoyance is the heavily featured Always pan. They lose their slickness after a few months. 

[cmfran]

Late to the party as well, but I'm enjoying it overall. I have a few thoughts, though.

-Selena is very likable and seems like she's really trying, but she has a difficult time remembering how to do things she's already learned in past eps. And she really needs a knife skills class. I'm always waiting for her to cut a finger off.

-Does she do any cooking off camera in her spare time? I kind of doubt she'll ever make any of these recipes again.

-It seems like someone bought every kitchen appliance/gadget available for her, but she doesn't know what she owns or how to use it.

-What do her friends do for a living?

[Barlowe]

On 1/16/2023 at 9:04 AM, cmfran said:

Late to the party as well, but I'm enjoying it overall. I have a few thoughts, though.

-Selena is very likable and seems like she's really trying, but she has a difficult time remembering how to do things she's already learned in past eps. And she really needs a knife skills class. I'm always waiting for her to cut a finger off.

-Does she do any cooking off camera in her spare time? I kind of doubt she'll ever make any of these recipes again.

-It seems like someone bought every kitchen appliance/gadget available for her, but she doesn't know what she owns or how to use it.

-What do her friends do for a living?

I think she has a private chef/eats out primarily although I’m sure there’s meals she can cook for herself or that her grandparents make. There’s a chance one of the simpler recipes she’s recreated for herself but that’s a pretty small chance. The show is mainly for her to do philanthropy by donating to a different cause each episode and was also to give her something to do in the pandemic.

I don’t know the filming schedule but I don’t think it’s that close together so she forgets plus having a new chef each time probably throws her off. As well most chefs don’t realize she has weak muscle strength as a result of her lupus so they have her use knifes that aren’t suited for her and other tools that are too much for her. And she tends not make accommodations either so she either struggles or eventually let’s her friends do it.

The rest of her friends are influencers/regular people I think but  Racquel is like a friend on her payroll, it’s never been stated but she’s likely one of her assistants because she lives with Selena and travels with her as well. There’s a few celebrities with arrangements like that because they want a companion to travel around with but a regular working person can’t do that.

[Grizzly]

Is anyone watching her new holiday episodes? Just saw the first one with Alex Guarnaschelli. Cute show. I love Alex (her facial expressions) and Selena seems very relatable. The dishes all looked delicious and seemed easy enough for a novice cook. So funny how amazed Alex was that Selena had every cooking utensil in the book. And called out Rachel for eating the cheese. But wearing white dresses while making tomato sauce, beef gravy, and chocolate bark seemed risky. Kudos to Gracie for washing her hands.

[Grumpbump]

3 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Is anyone watching her new holiday episodes? Just saw the first one with Alex Guarnaschelli. Cute show. I love Alex (her facial expressions) and Selena seems very relatable. The dishes all looked delicious and seemed easy enough for a novice cook. So funny how amazed Alex was that Selena had every cooking utensil in the book. And called out Rachel for eating the cheese. But wearing white dresses while making tomato sauce, beef gravy, and chocolate bark seemed risky. Kudos to Gracie for washing her hands.

We watched it last night and really enjoyed it.  I laughed out loud when the Selena was making the cheese sticks and taking them right from the oil directly to the prepared plate, instead of placing them on the tray with the parchment paper to drain.  Alex's face to the 4th wall (us at home) was hilarious!  And I have to try to make that roast beef.  

This season is definitely going on our DVR.

I have never seen the prior episodes and man, did I curse out Gordon Ramsay at the flashback.  He's such a donkey (to use one of his favorite terms).

[paramitch]

I watched this to have something to put on while I was doing stuff around the house, and was pleasantly surprised. 

My favorites so far have been Alex G. (absolutely adore her), Ludo (his wife "translating" Ludo's excited French-accented English was so freaking cute), Jose Andres (the man is just a hug personified), Michael Symon (who was so sweet with her -- bonding over Lupus with her and not letting her put herself down -- you can tell he's a father himself), and I even enjoyed Richard, who I like but find stressful to watch, if that make sense.

But I thought Alex, Jose, and Michael were just especially delightful. They were so supportive, kind, and funny and truly seemed to make Selena comfortable.

I alternate between finding Selena's friends and family sweet and obnoxious. I'm not a fan of "I'm just kidding!" teasing, where people point out your real shortcomings and then pretend like they didn't mean it WHEN THEY DID. Aghgh.

But it does seem like Selena encourages this, and maybe does that to keep things real around herself. She herself comes across as a really humble, down-to-earth person who appreciates what she has, and it's very touching to me that she constantly attempts to downplay her chronic illness and the associated handicaps. As someone with a similarly serious chronic illness, I understand and respect this (and am moved by it too).

So far I find Papa kind of assy, and Raquel seems like an entitled twit -- yet -- who is also genuinely occasionally sweet and hilarious. So my jury's still out.