Next Baking Master: Paris - General Discussion

[RealityCheck]

Food Network
Premieres Monday May 6, 2024 at 9PM ET/PT
Ten American bakers travel to Paris for Food Network’s ultimate pastry competition..
Competitive Reality & Game Shows

Press Release

Edited May 6 by RealityCheck
Added press release

[tv echo]

I enjoyed the premiere episode overall.

Pros - the Paris backdrop, watching these bakers make all these amazing looking desserts, and the subtitling.

Cons - some of the bakers are getting a villain edit (or maybe they're really that sneaky and mean in person), the show's leaning into personal drama, and a seeming miscast of that one baker whose baking skills seem noticeably below that of the other bakers.

Edited May 7 by tv echo

[Rammchick]

12 hours ago, tv echo said:

Cons - some of the bakers are getting a villain edit (or maybe they're really that sneaky and mean in person), the show's leaning into personal drama, and a seeming miscast of that one baker whose baking skills seem noticeably below that of the other bakers.

There's an expectation there's going to be sabotage.  I hate that.

[susannot]

Enjoyed the show.  There was some high-level baking, especially by the top 3 in the Grand challenge.  Except.....that girl who made pearls (Keely?)  seems like a little bitch.

That Paris hotel and Chef Quentin were special.  It seems that the Food Network might be spending more money on this show than usual.  However, there is no cash prize, which is cheap.

[Grizzly]

I haven't finished it but I'm already sick of Jeremy, Keely's boobs and her sucking up, and nose rings. 

[Chit Chat]

Ludo doesn't seem like he likes Americans very much!  

I was rooting for Brooke since she's local to me.  She bakes desserts for Top Chef winner Kelsey Barnard Clark's restaurant KBC.  I've had some of her desserts and they were delicious!  This show didn't do her justice.  I'm surprised that the cake with potato chips made it through.  That didn't look appetizing at all.  

Some of the desserts presented by the bakers looked really bad.  I expect perfection at this level.  Maybe that's why Ludo looked like he smelled a turd the entire show!  I probably won't watch now that Brooke was eliminated.  Some of the bakers were a little too arrogant, so between them and Ludo, I was left aggravated with the show.  Hopefully some of them step it up with their desserts.  Some of them need to work on their presentation skills!

Edited May 8 by Chit Chat

[SHERMDOG]

When i look at Jennelyn, all I see is Mantis ftom Gardians of the Galaxy!! I liked the character in the movie! LOL!!!

Just a bit strange!

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, Chit Chat said:

Some of the desserts presented by the bakers looked really bad. 

I think it's because they said it was hot in their kitchen, and they're working in a time crunch and most likely won't have to worry about in their own kitchens. 

I am surprised that they kept the Milk Bar disaster.  Although, I will defend her use of mayo.  I thought the French chefs' reaction to that was over-the-top. Mayo (or aioli) is just basically eggs and oil. 

But otherwise, I was kind of amused at how snarky they were.  It's definitely a different dynamic. 

[Chit Chat]

8 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I think it's because they said it was hot in their kitchen, and they're working in a time crunch and most likely won't have to worry about in their own kitchens. 

They're supposed to be a top-notch bunch of bakers, so they should be able to handle the time crunch aspect.  I'm assuming they practiced at home and have probably watched a million baking shows!  Heat or no heat, some of those desserts didn't look appetizing to me.  Again, I expected better from the supposed "best."

I thought the carrot cake was pretty and looked delicious!   

[laredhead]

Not only was the kitchen very warm, their prep and cooking areas are within inches of each other.  That's so different than other baking shows where each contestant has some more space from which to work.

The contestant who put mayo in her cake should have stayed mum about her 'secret' ingredient.  Yes, it really is just oil and eggs, and you can't taste a mayo flavor when it's baked into something. 

[tv echo]

Out of curiosity I looked up the bakers' bios for this show on the Food Network website (they were not very detailed)...

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/next-baking-master-paris/photos/meet-the-bakers-next-baking-master-paris 

• Brooke - self-taught and restaurant-trained, skilled pastry chef
• Cedrick - professional pastry chef who studied at Le Cordon Bleu
• DeAndra - professional pastry chef in high-end restaurants
• Jennalyn - classically trained pastry chef who's worked in fine dining and Michelin-starred restaurants in NYC
• Jeremy - attended culinary school to become well-rounded chef, held many pastry jobs, taught a class in Paris a few years ago
• Joe - attended Culinary Institute of America, now runs the family bakery that was opened by his parents 45 years ago
• Keely - after culinary school, worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and started her own baking business (at 23, she is youngest baker)
• Lindsay - currently a pastry instructor
• Paige - after attending culinary school, worked in high-end bakeries and Michelin-starred restaurants in US and Europe
• Robert - attended culinary school and also studied art, first restaurant job was at French bistro 

Edited May 8 by tv echo

[susannot]

I recognized Cedrick.  He previously competed on Holiday Baking Championship.

[Chit Chat]

2 hours ago, laredhead said:

Not only was the kitchen very warm, their prep and cooking areas are within inches of each other. 

Thing is, some people's desserts melted while others didn't.  I think some of them just effed up Creams 101!!  

[mlp]

I really enjoyed the first episode and I like both Stephanie and Ludo which helps.  I thought most of the contestants did well considering nerves, heat, unfamiliar kitchen and tools and possibly jet lag.  Based on their collective bios, I expect to see some impressive creations as they settle in.

[aghst]

So it seems like most of the contestants are professional pastry chefs already.

Why are they doing this show, probably for exposure, increase the number of their social media followers?

Because $25k in equipment doesn't seem like a huge incentive.

In any event, I liked this first episode.  They show a lot more of Paris than Ciao House did of Florence/Tuscany.  That "penthouse" is great.  Paris hotels charge a lot for views of the Eiffel Tour.  This place had views of the Invalides dome and the gold statues on the Pont Alexandre III.  The rooms looked tiny and they were doubled up so it may be some hotel floor they rented out or something.

Le Royal Monceau is a 5-star hotel, so they either paid for that tie-in or maybe the hotel thinks FN viewers would stay in a place which is well over $1000 a night.

I don't know anything about baking but like I said, these are professional bakers and they know all the French words or jargon for pastries.  Looks like they probably got some time to plan their creations.  It's not like they came back from the hotel and whipped something up, over 3 hours, as the editing showed.

They sat down with the artists to make renderings of what they were planning.  The drawings looked better than some of the actual products.  The gold leaf just looked splotchy on some of the cakes.

Also, has to be an occupational hazard to taste a lot of sweets, creams, etc?  A few of them don't seem to mind but some of the women are petite.

Some of the reactions were funny.  The two French guys seemed highly offended when they found out that one cake had mayo in it.

 

 

[Rammchick]

Oh if only we could get all these people to stop saying "MARscapone".  What a wonderful world this would be!

[tv echo]

8 hours ago, aghst said:

Why are they doing this show, probably for exposure, increase the number of their social media followers?

 

Free trip to Paris? More exposure to land them another TV baking gig? Ambitions to become a celebrity chef? Who knows.

Edited May 9 by tv echo

[Chit Chat]

On 5/8/2024 at 7:52 AM, laredhead said:

Not only was the kitchen very warm, their prep and cooking areas are within inches of each other. 

Their cooking areas did seem rather cramped, but I think there were 2 rooms in which they were working from.  I don't think all of them were in one area.  Seems like with every cooking show I've ever watched, they all complain about the kitchen being hot.  They really should be prepared for that possibility.  Even if they were spaced out more, a kitchen is going to be hot with that many ovens and appliances going!  Maybe there was no air conditioning, or it was set up too high, but again, they should prepare for the worst-case scenario when going on a cooking show!  

[aghst]

The kitchen they're in seems well-equipped.

If it feels cramped and hot, it's probably because they cast a lot of contestants, so that they could fill whatever number of episodes they wanted and the kitchen is also full of production crew and TV lights.

It's not a TV studio, it seems to be an actual culinary school.  Presumably in a couple of episodes, fewer contestants will lead to fewer complaints about being cramped and hot.

[Chit Chat]

1 hour ago, aghst said:

 Presumably in a couple of episodes, fewer contestants will lead to fewer complaints about being cramped and hot.

I think the line of "the kitchen was too hot and that's why my dish didn't hold up" is a favorite excuse by chefs and bakers alike!  I've heard it too many times to actually take them seriously.  😜

[Splashy]

1 hour ago, Chit Chat said:

I think the line of "the kitchen was too hot and that's why my dish didn't hold up" is a favorite excuse by chefs and bakers alike!  I've heard it too many times to actually take them seriously. 

Oh it can be real, though. I had a boyfriend whose birthday was in July. I could never make him a nice cake because my decorations would melt since I had no air conditioning in that apartment. It's so frustrating! Plus, I'm extremely sensitive to hot & humid weather, so it was doubly frustrating. I have AC now, though 😁.

8 hours ago, Rammchick said:

Oh if only we could get all these people to stop saying "MARscapone". 

Again. Yep, I noticed it, too.

I didn't understand the 2 french guys' huge overreaction to the mayo-in-the-cake thing. That is not a new idea; it's been around forever. Have they never heard of it? Or did they just consider it some gauche American thing? Sheesh. 

[Irlandesa]

6 hours ago, tv echo said:

Free trip to Paris? More exposure to land them another TV baking gig? Ambitions to become a celebrity chef? Who knows.

There does seem to be an element of instruction too.  It's not the same thing as stage but it is the opportunity to pick up tips and tricks. 

1 hour ago, Chit Chat said:

I think the line of "the kitchen was too hot and that's why my dish didn't hold up" is a favorite excuse by chefs and bakers alike!  I've heard it too many times to actually take them seriously.  😜

It is real and some are going to be better at adjusting to it than others.  That doesn't mean they aren't putting out spectacular things when they have a controlled temp and don't have to rush.  If they mousse isn't set on time, they can usually wait as a lot of pastry prep, from what I understand,  is done early in the day so only finishing touches get completed at night.

[MoonKitty]

On 5/8/2024 at 8:52 AM, laredhead said:

The contestant who put mayo in her cake should have stayed mum about her 'secret' ingredient.  Yes, it really is just oil and eggs, and you can't taste a mayo flavor when it's baked into something. 

"Oh, my secret ingredient? Eggs and oil: I emulsified them before adding to the batter giving my cake richer mouth-feel." 

On 5/7/2024 at 10:23 PM, Grizzly said:

I haven't finished it but I'm already sick of Jeremy, Keely's boobs and her sucking up, and nose rings. 

Keely is a cartoon only lacking a black mustache to twirl as she plots villainy. Hope she sticks around!

I adore Paris and love watching what my husband and I call "Paris Porn"--those lush views of the city. 

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, MoonKitty said:

I adore Paris and love watching what my husband and I call "Paris Porn"--those lush views of the city. 

If you have Nextflix, you should watch the Parisian Agency (L'Agence).  It's high end Parisian (and some outer French) real estate porn.

[Chit Chat]

3 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

It is real and some are going to be better at adjusting to it than others. 

I live in the south.  I understand heat & humidity!!  Heat or no heat, some of their creations looked terrible.  I expected better from that level of competition.  I think that's why Ludo looked horrified at some of the desserts he was judging. 

[DEL901]

I wish the other contestants weren’t around for the critiques, like in the seasonal baking championships.  

[meep.meep]

On 5/8/2024 at 6:50 AM, susannot said:

I recognized Cedrick.  He previously competed on Holiday Baking Championship.

That must be where I recognize him from.  I thought it was from a long ago show with many chefs traveling the world.  That was a guy named Donavan who spoke perfect French.

 

[kirklandia]

I didn't think that using mayonnaise in cakes is unheard of.  Maybe just too untraditional for Ludo - he seemed quite taken aback.  
According to Escoffier, mayonnaise is one of the French mother sauces.  I always feel quite French when I dip my frites in it.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Mayo is oil and eggs, so I see nothing odd with using it in cake.      

[DEL901]

I was looking at the show name….Next Baking Master: Paris.   Does this mean that if there is another season, it might be set in a different city?

[Maya]

2 hours ago, DEL901 said:

I was looking at the show name….Next Baking Master: Paris.   Does this mean that if there is another season, it might be set in a different city?

Maybe this is Food Network’s answer to Top Chef?

[RoxiP]

My favorite so far is the guy (I think it is Robert) who (for lack of a better explanation) is half black/half Asian. I can't remember what he baked but he seemed very confident without being overly arrogant or playing for the camera. If I remember correctly he won the master challenge?

[susannot]

Chef Yohan was adorable and so was his little pastry shop. Most of the chefs' creations were disasters.  Cedrick's was good.  I prefer a classic creme caramel.  In fact, I'm going to practice it all summer.

[Rammchick]

Go home already, Mean Girl Keely.  I got my hopes up tonight, only to have them dashed.

[RoxiP]

That caramel looked delicious - I wanted to taste it myself!

[aghst]

Man it has to be an occupational hazard, eat so many desserts.

They're really doing well with the scenery interstitials, far better than Ciao House Season 1.

I do like that they feature different guest chefs who specialize in something and using that as a theme for the episode.

I've never had Petit Fours, something I may have to seek out.

[Maya]

I like this show but I could live without the gossiping and fake drama. 

Edited May 15 by Maya

[Linda956]

I love the views of Paris and the Pastry Porn, but some of the women are obnoxious.  And the first rule of cooking/baking: if you have long hair- pin it up or wear a cap.  Otherwise it's unsanitary when cooking with strands of hair potentially falling in the food.

[aghst]

TV show.

How many TV chefs wear hats or try to tie up their hair?

[DEL901]

3 hours ago, aghst said:

TV show.

How many TV chefs wear hats or try to tie up their hair?

Tiffany Faison wears those unflattering but professional braids.  

[chessiegal]

Even if you have hair tied up, hairs can shed and potentially fall into food. Only a full head cover like a net or cap can prevent it. 

[RoxiP]

I was saddened to see Paige go.  Definitely would have preferred it to be Keely.

[aghst]

OK, this is the second cooking show I've watched.  The other was Ciao House.

There's no transparency in the judging process.  Even  the whole judgement scene is filmed and edited.

It's not as presented, which is the judges taste the different dishes and pass judgement right then and there.

So they probably want to keep Keely around, she's young and wears low-cut tops often.  Plus she's mocking other contestants so she can stir up drama.

They can eliminate whomever they want for arbitrary reasons but probably  they favor those whom they think will keep viewer interest.

Of course other competitive reality shows aren't transparent either, about how they determine winners and how they eliminate losers.

 

 

[Irlandesa]

I knew the minute they had Paige act sad that Keely was leaving that Paige was the one getting the boot.  This show's editors like to do their contestants dirty.  A contestant could praise their colleagues, but once they say one negative thing, it gets included.

It's the same way they kind of foretold Keely and Paige landing in the bottom when they had one baker mention he thought those two (and two others) were people to look out for.  At the time, only Paige made sense since she had just won the petit bake. 

I don't think they played fast and loose with kicking out Paige because they'd rather have Keely.  Of the bakers, she's the only one whose dessert didn't taste like caramel on a caramel challenge. 

 

 

[meep.meep]

Sounds like the other bakers are getting tired of the Filipino gal - so much liquid nitrogen!  It would be hard to work next to her.  Cedrick was robbed.

 

[40Love]

8 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I don't think they played fast and loose with kicking out Paige because they'd rather have Keely.  Of the bakers, she's the only one whose dessert didn't taste like caramel on a caramel challenge. 

Plus, she kind of (unintentionally) insulted the guest judge when she seemed to disregard his advice.

Her advantage, IMO, was crappy. 10 whole minutes w/a baking icon??! She could barely get her question in, before time was up. She was concentrating on the clock, his advice, her dessert. Her "advantage" was a distraction. Bummer. 

[tv echo]

[RoxiP]

Jeremy is coming across as so snarky and yet he makes breakfast for everyone every morning...nice!  (I kind of like Jeremy's snarkiness - he has all the good villain lines.)

[tv echo]

I don't like the promo for the next episode indicating "animosity" in the house against Jennalyn. I never like it when the other contestants on a reality competition show gang up on one contestant (it's happened on previous seasons of Project Runway and Top Chef), especially when it's related to that contestant winning a challenge. Agree or disagree, it's the judges' decision. But, of course, the contestants are not going to complain to the judges. In such situations, the other contestants act like they would only be satisfied if the one contestant quit the show.

I want these shows to focus on the skills being tested, be it baking, cooking or sewing. I want to see the contestants learn and grow and challenge themselves. But ymmv.

Edited May 19 by tv echo

[RoxiP]

I just ignore the catfighting because it doesn't have much to do with what they produce - although I will admit that she would get on my nerve with all her running around and bumping into people.  She is not, however, in charge of the judges' decisions - she can't help it if her dishes make them happy.

Perhaps the other contestants should concentrate more on their own dishes and then they wouldn't have anything to complain about!