Summer Baking Championship - General Discussion

[goldenpuppy]

7 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

Is Carla really a baker, though? Prior to appearing as a judge on these baking competitions, she was known for being on Top Chef - a cooking show, not a baking show. I'm guessing she can bake, but who's to say she's any better or worse at it than Damaris? Baking isn't what either of them is known for. Duff is the only confirmed, professional baker on this particular panel.

Obviously whether or not one likes Damaris' voice or personality is a matter of opinion, but I'm sorry, Damaris is not "just negative". She has plenty of effusively positive things to say, but for some reason her critical comments are the only things that some people remember. People were saying she was rude to the contestants, when Carla is saying things like "it looks like your cake fell on the floor" and "your gelatin is like salami." Duff has his share of negative comments as well, and his commentary on John's rainbow cookie was the epitome of nitpicking: "there's a stray crumb on the corner."

Carla  has way more experience baking and cooking than Damaris . I know she was just selling her cakes on QVC.

Damaris always starts out with a totally negative comment and doesn’t balance her criticism with positive comments most of the time .   I wonder if no one else was available for this show so they picked her . 
From the reactions on social media FN is getting a lot of negative feedback , so hopefully she’ll go back to her other shows and not be back for anymore baking competitions .

 

 

Edited June 16, 2023 by goldenpuppy

[kathyk24]

5 minutes ago, goldenpuppy said:

I agree , I am glad John went instead of  Alyssa .

I used to find Damaris funny, but now I just find her just weird and unlikable . When she’s not weird she’s crabby  and not nice at all .

I have seen Damaris on Beat Bobby Flay and she is over the top weird and obnoxious , but I thought she might be tolerable on this show . She is Debbie Downer and I agree about her annoying voice!  Hard to believe she won FNS with that voice . 

I don't have a problem with Damaris's voice we all can't sound alike. I think she gives better criticism than Nancy's it's not holiday or spring enough. If she praised everything people would complain about that as well.

[CheshireCat]

5 hours ago, goldenpuppy said:

Carla  has way more experience baking and cooking than Damaris . I know she was just selling her cakes on QVC.

I don't think experience is what makes a good judge or qualifies someone to be a judge. I have baking experience but, as most if not all judges are, I'm self-taught. I couldn't tell anyone where their mistake was, why a consistency is the way it is, why something may not have worked etc. A trained baker should be able to do that because it's what they learn. And, of course, if the judge is not only a trained baker but also an educator, it makes the judging even better.

Speaking about judging, is it just me or have they kept the judging very, very short so far? They have to at the beginning because there are so many bakers but I still feel like they're not spending a lot of time on the judging.

 

On 6/14/2023 at 12:49 AM, tinderbox said:

Isn’t cheesecake technically considered a cake?  I thought one of the judges would have mentioned it, even in passing.  

They probably didn't say anything because unlike the Italian Rainbow Cookie, you could not have baked a cheesecake in layers to achieve the rainbow effect. He had to find another way to incorporate it.

 

On 6/13/2023 at 7:43 PM, springbarb said:

Duff even pointed it out--ROY G BIV.

The flag order was weird. I would love to know if Yohann actually said something about it and they cut it out during editing or if he just had no explanation.

That said, I'm not sure where Duff gets 7 colors from.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, goldenpuppy said:

Damaris always starts out with a totally negative comment and doesn’t balance her criticism with positive comments most of the time .

I don't expect people who don't like Damaris to voluntarily rewatch, but if you do watch the episodes back, you will see that this is objectively not true. Doesn't always start negative, often has positive to balance the negative, sometimes doesn't say anything negative at all. Never mind the fact that we're not seeing all the judges' comments so it's hard to say that any of them are only saying negative (or positive) things.

[laredhead]

If more time was given for the bakers to bake and finish the final product, then a lot of the criticism would be avoided.  I bet Yohann turns out beautiful bakes when given adequate time.  On top of minimal time, the producers think it's wonderful to then toss in a surprise add on at almost the last second to add to the "drama".  I always laugh when I'm trying to mix a boxed cake mix that's supposed to take 5 minutes to prepare.  15 minutes later, I'm just getting it into the pan to bake.      

[Shermie]

On 6/8/2023 at 11:28 AM, dewelar said:

On 6/7/2023 at 8:42 PM, Shermie said:

How do they want it pronounced? I’ve only heard Ne-vah-dah.

They pronounce it Ne-VA-duh, with a short 'a' like in "ham".

I think that’s the same thing. What’s the incorrect way?

I don’t mind Damaris; I think it’s good to have some criticism in a competition. I don’t always find the criticisms to be equal, but that could be editing. However, if editing is making a viewer think that the critiques are unfair, then I guess it’s bad editing. 

Since it’s a baking competition, I do wish they would veer away from the stupid drama of inserting a random “surprise” in the middle of the baking process. And stop combining weird ingredients just because they can. Or at least, give everyone the same random combination of flavour and spice and have them all make a cake that reminds them of the beach. That’s a true competition, when the playing field is equal. I mean, one person gets chocolate and mint, and the next gets hot peppers and matcha, or whatever? Please.

[Pixley]

With Yohann’s mirror glaze not being in the correct ROY-G-BIV order —— I can see it in a couple of ways.

I like things in order, so yes it was disconcerting to not see the rainbow how I expected it.  🌈

The colors were in the correct color wheel order (yellow, orange, red, violet, indigo, blue, green), so not completely out of order just started with a different starting color.  Also, being in this order made me think of a sunset going into the water and land.  Since he mentioned the hot summer in Miami, I thought of the beach in the evening.  I do live in the Midwest, so maybe it is just how I imagine the evenings would be.  🌅 

[dewelar]

2 hours ago, Shermie said:

I think that’s the same thing. What’s the incorrect way?

Ne-VA-duh, with an a like in "ham", is correct.

Ne-VAH-duh, with an a like in "car", is incorrect.

[Catfi9ht]

Carla is adorable and I thought this was too cute not to share.

 

[carrps]

On 6/13/2023 at 6:26 AM, RoxiP said:

I thought those meringue things of Ahnrika's (sorry, drawing a blank on both what those meringue things are called and how to spell her name - I blame chemo (even though I'm almost a year past it...LOL)) looked like cow patties.  

Pavlova. Named after the famous ballerina from the early 20th c. She was doing an Australian tour, and the dessert was invented and named for her there.

[carrps]

On 6/15/2023 at 7:53 AM, libgirl2 said:

None of this is hurting him. I am convinced he can make pretty much anything. Maybe they need to throw in a cookie salad? 

Why don't we have a barfing icon???

[mojoween]

On 6/16/2023 at 6:41 AM, CheshireCat said:

Speaking about judging, is it just me or have they kept the judging very, very short so far?

I’ve noticed that some of the heats the editors only show one judges critique.  I wonder why that is.

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

I’ve noticed that some of the heats the editors only show one judges critique.  I wonder why that is.

Maybe to justify a pre-determined outcome? 

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

I’ve noticed that some of the heats the editors only show one judges critique.  I wonder why that is.

Maybe to justify a pre-determined outcome? 

More likely that the judges all made similar comments and there was no need to show them all.

[littlebennysmom]

The major shilling of the Barbie movie is setting my teeth on edge.

[libgirl2]

That was kind of a crappy advantage.  

[libgirl2]

I pretty much called that. 

[Grizzly]

I can't believe the finale is next week. Did that go by fast for the rest of you?

[Adeejay]

Anrika was robbed!  That advantage wasn't an advantage at all.  

Edited June 20, 2023 by Adeejay

[Guest]

Duff: "Yohann really could have benefited from another 15 minutes." Well no s***, Duff! They all could benefit from another 15 minutes.

Carla, about Anrika's toy cake: "It could be neater." Understatement of the year. Her cake would have had to taste out-freaking-standing to have kept her in it.

Thought Zoe was a bit robbed again. Maybe this is setting up an "always a runner-up until the last challenge!" win for her. Rooting for her or Alyssa.

[kathyk24]

18 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

That was kind of a crappy advantage.  

That really wasn't an advantage at all. There was no way strawberry milk was going to taste good with a lemon-lime cake.

[libgirl2]

49 minutes ago, kathyk24 said:

That really wasn't an advantage at all. There was no way strawberry milk was going to taste good with a lemon-lime cake.

I thought she would get the milk and they would get the peppercorns. 

[invisiblegirl12]

I can't unsee the maxi-pad shaped pattern on the wall behind Jesse during the Main Heat intro. 🫠

[CalicoKitty]

On 6/8/2023 at 9:13 AM, RoxiP said:

There is also a town in Texas named Nev A duh...long A.  I think they pronounce the name of their town wrong...LOL!

There is a Ne-VAY-DUH in Iowa, too.

[MsMalin]

On 6/7/2023 at 8:42 PM, Shermie said:

How do they want it pronounced? I’ve only heard Ne-vah-dah.

Ne-va (rhymes with pla as in platypus NOT vah rhymes with paw)-da

[Frost]

I wasn't a fan of either Anrika or John, so either could have gone home.  I'm glad it was John mainly because of his Italian Cookie that's actually a cake.  Did he use any other name than "Italian Cookie"?  I tried googling and dozens of recipes come up.  There doesn't seem to be just one.

I'm rooting for Zoe for the win!

[mojoween]

I thought for sure Jesse was going to do a fakeout and four people would be going to the finale.

Unlike the spring show, Zoe, Yohann and Alyssa have been strong all season.  But this did go quick, feels like it just started!

[libgirl2]

2 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I thought for sure Jesse was going to do a fakeout and four people would be going to the finale.

Unlike the spring show, Zoe, Yohann and Alyssa have been strong all season.  But this did go quick, feels like it just started!

I thought he was going to do the same thing! 

[laredhead]

12 hours ago, tracyscott76 said:

Duff: "Yohann really could have benefited from another 15 minutes." Well no s***, Duff! They all could benefit from another 15 minutes.

 

You are absolutely correct.  Given enough time, all of them could have done a better job.  Wasn't is Zoe who said she had made a "toy" cake previously and it took her 4.5 hours.  This really isn't a contest for the best baker, it's a contest to see who does the least horrible job in an unrealistic time frame.

[Suzn]

10 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

There is a Ne-VAY-DUH in Iowa, too.

Missouri too.  Also Ne-VAY-Duh.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, laredhead said:

You are absolutely correct.  Given enough time, all of them could have done a better job.  Wasn't is Zoe who said she had made a "toy" cake previously and it took her 4.5 hours.  This really isn't a contest for the best baker, it's a contest to see who does the least horrible job in an unrealistic time frame.

"Your black lines are shaky" Well yeah, because after taking the time to figure out what they're doing, mix the batter and frosting, bake the cake and frost it, AND figure out how to incorporate strawberry milk, they had about 5-10 minutes to pipe out those lines. Thought they looked damn good, considering. Anrika really should have gone the piping route, too, instead of using fondant - but hindsight is 20/20.

I didn't think Alyssa's candle was as bad as the judges made it out to be, but it might have played better if it was shorter. It did look a little odd standing up so much higher than everything else. Regardless, I thought it was a cute idea to make it a little different.

[RoxiP]

I haven't watched the latest episode but I did want to state that Yohann lives out what is celebrated in Pride month - who cares what order the darned stripes on the cheesecake are?

[libgirl2]

54 minutes ago, laredhead said:

You are absolutely correct.  Given enough time, all of them could have done a better job.  Wasn't is Zoe who said she had made a "toy" cake previously and it took her 4.5 hours.  This really isn't a contest for the best baker, it's a contest to see who does the least horrible job in an unrealistic time frame.

Yes, she did. I would love to see them give the bakers more time. So many of the people who go home are good bakers, it shows when they show what they can make.... but they need time. Otherwise, you rush, make mistakes and get sloppy. 

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, RoxiP said:

I haven't watched the latest episode but I did want to state that Yohann lives out what is celebrated in Pride month - who cares what order the darned stripes on the cheesecake are?

No one cared, ultimately. The judges dropped it and gave him the win. But the initial comment on the subject here acted as if the judges were being completely ridiculous by asking why the stripes weren't in the traditional rainbow order. Other commenters thought it was a fair question. I don't think living out what is celebrated in Pride month should make someone immune from having their decorating choices questioned in a baking competition.

[TexasTiffany]

2 hours ago, mojoween said:

I thought for sure Jesse was going to do a fakeout and four people would be going to the finale.

Unlike the spring show, Zoe, Yohann and Alyssa have been strong all season.  But this did go quick, feels like it just started!

This is how I feel. Suddenly, it's the finals. 

I'm enjoying the show, but I am disappointed in the challenges. Of course I don't like the twists way into the challenges. But. I'm not impressed with any of the desserts they've made all season. In the other versions of the Baking Championships there have been some spectacular creations. They've also had diverse challenge concepts. These bakers haven't been tasked to do much imo.  

I'm so over Yohann. I wish his attitude was better. All the bakers have the same time frame dude.

Please take away the sprinkles. 

[rlc]

I feel like Yohann is the predetermined winner after denying the win to two other arguably more deserving French contestants on previous seasons. Le sigh.

Edited June 21, 2023 by rlc

[libgirl2]

16 minutes ago, rlc said:

I feel like Yohann is the predetermined winner after denying the win to two other arguably more deserving French contestants on pervious seasons. Le sigh.

 I kind of had that feeling because as I said initially, there is always a French baker on these shows and he has shown that he is a very good baker, so yea, he is probably going to win. The French are overdue. 

Edited June 20, 2023 by libgirl2

[Kitgreen]

Yohann whining about every competition is annoying! What did he think would happen on the FN baking championship? He’s good but he’s being pampered a bit .

Anreka seemed nice but she did mess up more than anyone .

Never could stand Damaris and she’s grating as a judge .  I’ve seen few times on Beat Bobby Flay and she is over the top weird with her stupid antics . 
I can’t take her seriously when she’s judging bakers when she acts like an idiot on the other show.

 

[springbarb]

This HAS gone quickly. Do we know what Food Network has scheduled for Monday after this one ends?

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, springbarb said:

This HAS gone quickly. Do we know what Food Network has scheduled for Monday after this one ends?

Season 4 of BBQ Brawl premieres on Monday, July 10th. Presumably they'll be doing some special (or a rerun) on the 3rd for the holiday.

[Tippi]

This season is just meh for me.  I am probably the one viewer out there that really only got invested in one competitor (Kyle) and I know that he probably did the worst ever on any of the seasons.  No one else has really grabbed me and the challenges just seem too hard and glaringly obvious that they are not giving them enough time to put out a stunning result.

Jesse's fine, the judges are fine, I don't mind Damaris, but this just isn't the season for me.  Hoping for a good Fall season of the show!

[kathyk24]

I want to see Alyssa win I thought her rainbow cake looked great. Summer isn't a prime time for baking people will have fruit or ice cream for dessert instead of cake or pie. I agree that the bakers either need more time or get rid of the stupid twists.

[RoxiP]

Boy did Yohann really psyche himself out that first round.  Although Duff's "needs 15 minutes more" comment was a little ridiculous, what I think he was really saying is that Yohann needed to stop and calm himself down so he could move forward with a clear mind.  He went off the rails and barely pulled himself together.

I won't mind if Yohann wins, but then again I think any of these final 3 would be a worthy winner.  Alyssa is like sunshine (although last night I found her a little offputting - something about the Barbie vibe turned her into a valley girl), Zoe is the steady professional, and then there is Yohann - he always turns out something that seems to taste good but sometimes his stress levels keep him from succeeding.

Since I was watching a couple of days late I noted the judge's comments and Carla was a lot more critical than Damaris, at least in this episode.

Yuck to BBQ Brawls.  

Edited June 21, 2023 by RoxiP

[AZChristian]

Do grown women still get all giddy about Barbie and Ken?  I thought that whole thing was a bit over the top.

[libgirl2]

8 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Do grown women still get all giddy about Barbie and Ken?  I thought that whole thing was a bit over the top.

They are always giddy with whatever movie that is being promoted. 

[Frost]

29 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Do grown women still get all giddy about Barbie and Ken?  I thought that whole thing was a bit over the top.

I wax nostalgic about Barbie and Ken (and her convertible, and her house, and her camper, etc!) but only in regards to fond childhood memories.  I have no urgent desire to see the movie.  I call Producer shenanigans on the gushing.

[Pi237]

Obviously, it’s a baking competition, so things will lean toward the sweet side, but it seems the challenges & twists were super sugary this season. Cereal, strawberry milk, donuts, ice cream…I’d like to see something a bit more sophisticated or unusual for the finale. Or a ‘make your best dessert’ no parameters outside time limits.

[libgirl2]

6 hours ago, Frost said:

I wax nostalgic about Barbie and Ken (and her convertible, and her house, and her camper, etc!) but only in regards to fond childhood memories.  I have no urgent desire to see the movie.  I call Producer shenanigans on the gushing.

I was majorly into Barbie as a kid. I still have some Barbies, so I guess I'm still "into" them. Not sure about the movie though. The Barbie theme seems to be much more 80s/90s, I'm a 70s Barbie person. Now if Mod Ken is going to be in it, I might just see it! 

[2soon2tell]

6 hours ago, Frost said:

I wax nostalgic about Barbie and Ken (and her convertible, and her house, and her camper, etc!) but only in regards to fond childhood memories.  I have no urgent desire to see the movie.  I call Producer shenanigans on the gushing.

They did the same thing with the Addams Family movie a few years back during the Halloween Baking show.

[libgirl2]

41 minutes ago, 2soon2tell said:

They did the same thing with the Addams Family movie a few years back during the Halloween Baking show.

Didn't they do Puss in Boots this past HBC?