Next Baking Master: Paris - General Discussion

[DEL901]

I’ll say again…I wish it was like all the seasonal Baking Championships and contestants didn’t watch the commentaries.   Would be nice if they had a better sized kitchen too.  

[Irlandesa]

On 5/16/2024 at 9:10 AM, RoxiP said:

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.)

Jeremy was on a local TV show (shown in other parts of the country too) and he was very snarky but in a way that made me laugh. 

[aghst]

I am not best qualified to render judgement on desserts.  More than satisfied with stuff you can get off the shelf.  I wouldn't even know where to find some of these fancy creations.

Probably at some fine-dining restaurant or that chocolate shop they showed in this episode.  I looked it up, the bonbons probably go for €50-60 or more a box.

I've tried chocolates infused with orange for instance.  It was okay but I didn't really want to get more.  Not sure about herbs or savory flavors.  Those probably are too bespoke to be manufactured and sold through regular stores.

Again, I'm satisfied with conventional, widely available chocolate products.

Also not that into cream-filled chocolate, though I guess they're the height of fancy chocolates.  I prefer something simple with hazelnuts.

The artistry shown should be appreciated.  But most of the viewers of this show aren't going to be able to try anything like the things shown.

I guess if they make the presentation appealing enough, people will watch.  Otherwise, I don't have any idea what the flavors they're referring to taste like.

Then again, it's probably true of other cooking shows so they have to convey how wonderful these dishes and desserts are through visuals (well-lit and photographed) and descriptions by the judges in this show.

Jennalyn wins last week, eliminated this week.  They said her cake didn't have the right textures.  Viewers will just have to take their word I guess.  

[Backwards999]

The judges pretty much went ham on Jennalyn this episode.  It seemed like a direct reflection of how the other competitors felt.  Why would that one baker make fake chocolate pretzels instead of making real chocolate pretzels?  It seemed odd but maybe she wanted to show more chocolate work.  In any case, they really want them to execute whatever advice they get during the advantage.  

[mlp]

I could see why the other contestants were annoyed by Jennalynn so I wasn't sorry to see her go.  So far, my money is on Robert but it's early days yet.

Many if not most of the chefs were having trouble getting their bonbons out of the molds and they were all banging away.  Commercial.  Everyone has nice, neat little bonbons ready for judging.  I wonder how that worked.

Edited May 22 by mlp
Correct typo

[RoxiP]

Some of them utilized heat to get them out of the molds and some of them just kept banging, but there were definitely some broken bonbons in their displays 

The guest judges have really been great so far.

Keely is annoying but she must be good at her job. Of course they also utilize her expressions to the max - she is definitely getting the mean girl edit (and looks like it is well deserved). I agree - Robert is still my favorite.

[meep.meep]

Keely does seem like a mean girl but her work is neat and impeccable.  When the judge said her bonbons tasted like the pink and white animal crackers I lost it.  I ate so many of those!

I loved them saying they were going to the most romantic place in Paris, followed by a shot of torrential rain!

[DEL901]

I find Ludo hilarious because he has no poker face.  If he doesn’t like something or it shocks him, he can’t hide it.  

[bilgistic]

18 hours ago, mlp said:

I could see why the other contestants were annoyed by Jennalynn so I wasn't sorry to see her go.

Her hair being constantly in her face annoyed me. PULL IT BACK!

[carrps]

I'm tired of Keely getting at least 50% of all the facetime in their walkabouts. I think she's flirting hard with one of the cameramen. All her antics distract from her actual (real) skills.

Although I do have to say I have an inexplicable love for those pink and white animal cookies (Mother's brand only).

 

[Starry-Eyed]

On 5/15/2024 at 2:59 PM, Irlandesa said:

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.

 The voiceover even sounded edited to me. I definitely think she actually said something longer, talking about how it was a lose/lose either way, similar to what Keely said, but they trimmed out that part.

[Irlandesa]

I am not a fan of how the two bakers decided to work completely together as a strategy to avoid getting the boot and having it work.

[SweetSable]

10 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I am not a fan of how the two bakers decided to work completely together as a strategy to avoid getting the boot and having it work.

You also risk both being sent home, which I wish is what happened.  It's one thing to not have an elimination because everyone did great, but that wasn't the case.    

 

Edited May 28 by SweetSable

[aghst]

So will they eliminate two next time to catch up?

One of the cast said this was half way through so 4 more eps. To crown the winner.

It all looked great but guess the taste or some other attribute was lacking like the runny cream on one of the desserts.

[mlp]

I thought the women who did the model's lunch would be in the bottom because the red thing that was supposed to be a pastry didn't look like anything in particular to me and the ashtray looked less than appetizing.  Grey is not a good color for food.  

If I'm not looking at Lindsay when she speaks, I think I'm listening to Damaris.

Still rooting for Robert.

[Grizzly]

Anyone else think De'Andra might be pregnant?

[Ancaster]

On 5/20/2024 at 11:21 PM, aghst said:

 

I've tried chocolates infused with orange for instance.  It was okay but I didn't really want to get more.  Not sure about herbs or savory flavors.  

You need to join the hoi polloi/great unwashed and try Terry's Chocolate Orange.  Yum.  If you have a Cost Plus/World Market near you, they probably have it.  Milk chocolate flavoured with orange, nothing fancy, except shaped like an orange and in segments!  It used to be traditional at British Christmases when you would "Tap it and Unwrap it."  (Maybe you had to be there 🤣)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=238664613730202

 

Edited May 29 by Ancaster

[Maya]

21 hours ago, SweetSable said:

You also risk both being sent home, which I wish is what happened.  It's one thing to not have an elimination because everyone did great, but that wasn't the case.    

 

I think they just didn’t want to eliminate Keely. If she goes, who will do 90% of the talking heads? lol 

Edited May 29 by Maya

[aghst]

Yeah what if she ends up winning?  The other chefs are going to be right to be pissed.

[Splashy]

20 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Anyone else think De'Andra might be pregnant?

Haha - I said Watch, she'll turn out to be pregnant!

[Ancaster]

On 5/19/2024 at 4:19 AM, tv echo said:

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.

Have you watched The Great British Sewing Bee?  It's a masterclass in lovely competitors being nice to each other. 

[Ancaster]

On 5/9/2024 at 12:15 PM, Splashy said:

 

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. 

I think it's an American thing.  I'm European and the first time I saw it I wanted to barf.  It may only be eggs and oil, but if you're not used to it, it looks very wrong going into a cake.

[carrps]

17 hours ago, Ancaster said:

You need to join the hoi polloi/great unwashed and try Terry's Chocolate Orange.  Yum.  If you have a Cost Plus/World Market near you, they probably have it. 

Yeah, that's where I got it. I love the chocolate/orange combination (I have an awesome chocolate cake recipe with orange liqueur), but the chocolate orange didn't do it for me. 

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, carrps said:

Yeah, that's where I got it. I love the chocolate/orange combination (I have an awesome chocolate cake recipe with orange liqueur), but the chocolate orange didn't do it for me. 

I get it.  It's totally one of those childhood memories/traditions that may not translate - or even survive!

If I could bake I'd ask for your cake recipe.  As it is, I'll just have to come over to your place next time there's a virtual PT food-based get together.

Edited May 29 by Ancaster

[Starry-Eyed]

On 5/28/2024 at 5:24 PM, Grizzly said:

Anyone else think De'Andra might be pregnant?

That was the first thing that popped into my head. Could be something else entirely, of course.

[MsMalin]

I am loving everything about this show,especially Stephanie. Funny that we like these shows given we can't smell or taste the entries.

[MerBearHou]

I *always* love Stephanie Boswell.  Her humor is quick and wonderful and her knowledge is so strong.  

[susannot]

Does anyone think that Keely acts inappropriately flirtatious with Ludo?  And he with her?  She can bake but she also wears low cut garments and acts sexy all the time.  I dislike her.

[Grizzly]

What the hell is Keely wearing? Taking a trip to the fashion capital of the world, I must bring this moth eaten, caught on a nail, sweater. 

Robert is being too stubborn about his crepes. Wasn't there a height requirement?

Happy that DeAndra did so well but no way am I eating a cucumber cake. And I am jumping up and down that Jeremy is going home!

[susannot]

Damn.  I thought Jermey was a front runner.

[MerBearHou]

I had switched over for a few minutes to watch the college baseball regionals and missed Keely’s big advantage — I’m gathering she got immunity??  She may be talented but wow, she is impressed with herself and how charming she thinks she is.  I’ll never, ever order a cucumber cake, no matter how pretty DeAndra’s was.  Jeremy’s cake looked like wet dog food spread on top of a cake — super unappetizing.  He deserved to go for that.  

[Irlandesa]

55 minutes ago, susannot said:

Does anyone think that Keely acts inappropriately flirtatious with Ludo?

I'll have to watch.  I actually think Ludo seemed to be crushing on Jeremy--not in a romantic way but he seemed to get a kick out of him.

I'm actually disappointed Jeremy is leaving.  He cracks me up.  But I really wish they weren't so obvious about who is going home.  The minute he said he didn't plan on being the bottom, I knew he would be. 

[surfgirl]

Am I the only one who is t surprised Jeremy is gone? He has waaay too high an opinion if himself and quite frankly, his presentation is lacking. 

I also don't cate fir Keely, at all. 

And I thought Deandra's cake would win tbh.

[Irlandesa]

I forgot to talk about the show.  I didn't like either challenge even if it was amusing watching them try to make crepes.  I love crepes but I hate crepe cakes with the fire of 1000 burning suns.

And desserts with vegetables like olives? Nope. 

I wish they would have just said that Lindsay had to leave for a personal matter instead of showing her crying on the phone but without a plan to give us more details. 

[aghst]

They had 3 hours but it seems the expectation are to incorporate so many elements, like they have to make these cream fillings as well as build out the overall structure of the dessert.

I look at when chefs in general are using tweezers and handheld torches and some method of freezing parts of the dessert.

It's about presentation, making foods photograph well.

You look at these beautiful creations but does it give you some visceral pleasure when you eat or are you kind of trying to taste all the different components?

First world problems.  While some parts of the world struggle with getting enough nutrition, we have such abundance that we are literally playing with the food, making little sculptures with them, to win competitions on TV.

I guess I'm here more for the scenery because I wouldn't know where to get these desserts.  I've looked up some of the places they visit, the specialist pastry shops run by these guest shops.  Maybe I will seek them out but I would probably not spend the money even on those high-end macrons in Paris so probably not.

 

 

[carrps]

19 hours ago, susannot said:

Does anyone think that Keely acts inappropriately flirtatious with Ludo?  And he with her?  She can bake but she also wears low cut garments and acts sexy all the time.  I dislike her.

She flirts with everybody. She always making goo-goo faces at the camera. She's not as hot as she thinks she is.

[mlp]

Just for the record, I don't like Keely either - for all the reasons already stated.

I was confused about the choices the chefs made.  I thought the challenge was to use things that are actually fruits but used as vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes.  Two of them went for corn which is considered a grain or vegetable, not a fruit.  None of the judges said anything.

The cucumber cake looked nice but I can't really imagine what it would taste like.  Robert's avocado was cool.

 

[meep.meep]

Jeremy sure looked like a bitter Survivor jury member at the end.  How did he, and Keely turn milk chocolate into unappetizing pinkish brown globs?

The challenge was to use fruits that are normally used as vegetables.  There is no botanical definition of vegetable - vegetables can be fruiting bodies (avocados, squash, cucumbers), or berries (tomatoes), or stems (celery), or roots (carrots, potatoes), or even flowers (artichokes).  Corn was legit for this challenge.  Nuts probably wouldn't have been acceptable.  I wonder if they had to clear their choice before starting.

I'd like to try the cucumber cake, but facing it on a menu, I doubt that I'd order it.

[Rammchick]

1 hour ago, meep.meep said:

I'd like to try the cucumber cake, but facing it on a menu, I doubt that I'd order it.

It's one of those things that sounds really interesting.  But if given the choice between something decadent and familiar and something "interesting", the former would probably win every time.

[statslady]

On 5/28/2024 at 4:12 PM, mlp said:

I thought the women who did the model's lunch would be in the bottom because the red thing that was supposed to be a pastry didn't look like anything in particular to me and the ashtray looked less than appetizing.  Grey is not a good color for food.  

If I'm not looking at Lindsay when she speaks, I think I'm listening to Damaris.

Still rooting for Robert.

But try the grey stuff, it's delicious!

[carrps]

I forgot to mention it, but can Cedric not put gold leaf on everything??? It's so out-dated and fussy.

[GeorgiaRai]

Do I remember correctly that DeAndra made a good crepe cake but was dinged because chocolate & banana was not an innovative combination, then Keely won the challenge with... apples & caramel sauce?

[carrps]

Yes! I argued with my TV while I was watching when they said this. That has to be the most predictable combination.

[MsMalin]

Am I the only one who is so over gold leaf? In fact I never was into it in the first place. Just a gold tissue blowin' in the wind.

[aghst]

I don't think I've ever had anything with gold leaf.

Occasionally people write these "best hamburger" stories and I noticed some of the most expensive ones, like around $100, have gold leaf.

Didn't pique any interest.

[carrps]

It doesn't add any flavor, and while it won't kill you, it's not necessarily good for you, either. So pretentious.

[surfgirl]

11 hours ago, meep.meep said:

Jeremy sure looked like a bitter Survivor jury member at the end.  How did he, and Keely turn milk chocolate into unappetizing pinkish brown globs?

The challenge was to use fruits that are normally used as vegetables.  There is no botanical definition of vegetable - vegetables can be fruiting bodies (avocados, squash, cucumbers), or berries (tomatoes), or stems (celery), or roots (carrots, potatoes), or even flowers (artichokes).  Corn was legit for this challenge.  Nuts probably wouldn't have been acceptable.  I wonder if they had to clear their choice before starting.

I'd like to try the cucumber cake, but facing it on a menu, I doubt that I'd order it.

I beg to differ. There are some produce, like tomatoes, that rhe public thinks are veggies, but they're actually fruits. And I too thought that was thr point of the challenge, nit taking any old veggie like corn, which is sort if a veggie fresh and a grain dried. IMO.

Also, they clearly said in the crepe cake challenge, thst the cake had to be at least 3" tall. Yet at least three if not more has presented cakes that weren't more than an inch high, and nit one judge mentioned that criteria.  If you're going to specifically mention a challenge criteria then I damn well expect you to use that as a benchmark in judging. 

[Salacious Kitty]

Well, Keely was praised for having such a TALL cake. So, height did play in her petite challenge win. 

[SweetSable]

On 6/5/2024 at 1:05 AM, mlp said:

Two of them went for corn which is considered a grain or vegetable, not a fruit.  None of the judges said anything.

Before the challenge the judges listed foods the contestants could use and I'm pretty sure corn was one of them.  

[lavenderblue]

I've been indifferent to Keely but after two weeks in a row of being protected with "we can't tell who did what on your terrible team dessert! you both stay!!!" and a random mid-season immunity only announced after her petit challenge victory, well, it starts to look a little convenient. What motivation the network/producers may have for keeping her, who knows, but with this on top of all the talking head segments....

Edited June 6 by lavenderblue