Next Baking Master: Paris - General Discussion

[kirklandia]

On 6/4/2024 at 9:03 AM, aghst said:

those high-end macrons in Paris

I suppose the presidency is about as high as you can get!

[Texasmom1970]

On 5/28/2024 at 3:24 PM, Grizzly said:

Anyone else think De'Andra might be pregnant?

Might have an upset stomach from deep throating two of those chocolate "Cruffins."  😃

[Starry-Eyed]

On 6/6/2024 at 5:45 PM, lavenderblue said:

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....

Yeah, I DEFINITELY think there were some producer shenanigans. It might not necessarily have been about Keely specifically, although I think she is a production darling, but about making sure they didn't get down to all dudes halfway through the show.

[RoxiP]

I find no comparison between Demaris and Keely at all, except perhaps they are both from the south.  Demaris certainly didn't win her competition by flashing her boobs and flirting with the judges. 

[Grizzly]

Does that penthouse come with laundry service? The suitcases they tote out of there, no way all the clothes they wear fit in it. 

Cedric has really surged to the front. I think either he or Robert will win. Can't see Joe or Deandra pulling this out.

[MerBearHou]

Cedric is so reliably good.  Gorgeous souffle.  But I’d love for Robert to win the whole thing.  Tonight was a very close call for him.  Glad Keeley’s gone — she messed up so many of the steps in the last challenge and has been on borrowed time.  

[Ancaster]

I have no idea who the special judge was, but if she's actually based in France she should know how to pronounce "Bon appetit".

[carrps]

She was the daughter of Lebanese immigrants to Canada who came to France a few years before.

[Salacious Kitty]

12 hours ago, Ancaster said:

I have no idea who the special judge was, but if she's actually based in France she should know how to pronounce "Bon appetit".

I didn't hear anything off, unless Julia Child mispronounced it all those years. 

[carrps]

Oh, thank Og, Keely is gone. I don't know how much longer I could have dealt with all the eyelash batting. And what a surprise. She grew up as daddy's pampered darling. I'm sure she was a sparkly princess with daddy wrapped around her pinky.

[RoxiP]

43 minutes ago, carrps said:

Oh, thank Og, Keely is gone. I don't know how much longer I could have dealt with all the eyelash batting. And what a surprise. She grew up as daddy's pampered darling. I'm sure she was a sparkly princess with daddy wrapped around her pinky.

I'm sure her father was trying to make up for her lack of a mother.  Sometimes that backfires.  She is young, only 23.  Sad that she's pretty unlikeable but she has time to grow and mature.  

[surfgirl]

Add me to the 'Glad she's gone list. I find Cesric so egotism disagreeable, but one cannot deny he has the skills and delivers the goods each week. I did love that he went with a straight up classic version of a soufflé whilst Keely bragged about being different. Girl, if you've learned anything in Paris let it be thst the French do not like you effing up their classic desserts!

I don't think Deandra or Joe have what it takes to win. It's between Cedric and Robert at this point, and I give the edge to Cedric because he learned his technique from a French pastry chef.

[Ancaster]

2 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I didn't hear anything off, unless Julia Child mispronounced it all those years. 

The final t (in bon appetit) is silent in French French.

[carrps]

1 hour ago, surfgirl said:

Girl, if you've learned anything in Paris let it be thst the French do not like you effing up their classic desserts!

Plus, this show really seems to emphasize technique. It better taste good, but if your technique is poor, you won't win, and you might even go home.

 

[carrps]

1 hour ago, RoxiP said:

I'm sure her father was trying to make up for her lack of a mother.  Sometimes that backfires.  She is young, only 23.  Sad that she's pretty unlikeable but she has time to grow and mature.  

Yes. That's not a good way to raise a kid, but she seems smart enough to figure out soon enough that she'd do better with a little less self-regard. Giving you the side-eye, too, Cedrick.

[aghst]

Ding dong the witch is dead.

Just kidding.

Seems like it’s a cumulative judgement for her last 3 or 4 bakes, not just the last one.  Also maybe a rationalization that she’s only 23 and made it this far.

The producers successfully got her to come across as very competitive compared to the others, like she’s being deceptive about her ambition.

So who knows if she had such a big ego about her skills or they encouraged her to appear that way.

 

Do the judges take just one or two bites so that they don’t have a sugar OD?  Or even taste the samples, chew them and then spit them out?

Kind of like wine judges who smell, taste, swish the wine around and then spit it out before the next wine?

Because Stephanie and Ludo aren’t even chubby but they’ve tasted dozens of desserts this season.  The contestants allude to surviving for at least another week and Keely says she lasted 6 weeks in Paris.

But I really wonder if they’re only having these bake offs and filming the show just once a week and the contestants are just hanging out the rest of the week.

 

[DEL901]

6 hours ago, aghst said:

But I really wonder if they’re only having these bake offs and filming the show just once a week and the contestants are just hanging out the rest of the week.

 

It is a reality show tradition for contestants to refer to the passage of time based on when episodes would be shown.   The producers aren’t going to pay for contestants to have a vacation in Paris.  Ever shows like Jeopardy…they talk about yesterday’s returning champ but film 5 episodes in one day.  

[RoxiP]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who finds Cedric's ego off-putting but I agree - he does back it up with excellent results.

[aghst]

4 hours ago, DEL901 said:

It is a reality show tradition for contestants to refer to the passage of time based on when episodes would be shown.   The producers aren’t going to pay for contestants to have a vacation in Paris.  Ever shows like Jeopardy…they talk about yesterday’s returning champ but film 5 episodes in one day.  

That's what I was getting at, then the judges really have to sample a lot of sweets in a short time.

[susannot]

Cedrick's souffles were just so perfect. I cannot remember better souffles on any cooking show.

[mlp]

I have to give Keely credit for being as good as she is at such a young age but I won't miss her ego and flirtacious behaviors.  Glad she's gone.  I hated seeing Robert on the bottom with her but I wasn't very worried because her faults seemed a lot worse.  Cedric is definitely a contender but I'm still hoping for a Robert win.

[Splashy]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

I have to give Keely credit for being as good as she is at such a young age but I won't miss her ego and flirtacious behaviors.

Yes, she'll be fine. If she's this good at 23, and continues to learn and grow, she will have a fantastic career. 

I've kept my eye on DeAndra because she's the closest to me geographically and would like her to do well. But also pulling for Robert; he is also so handsome 😁

[Grizzly]

Geez, for a minute I thought they were setting us up for a Joe victory. His showpiece was amazing. Very happy for the winner.

And on a shallow note, where can I sign up for that river cruise?

[MerBearHou]

The level of Paris masters gathered for this multi-week competition was absolutely impressive.  The opportunities for these pastry chefs to learn were A+.  Then you get a Seine River ride.  Add in the knowledgeable, warm, funny, kind Stephanie Boswell to lead the show, along with the highly respected Ludo Lefevbre.  Plus some seriously, seriously talented pastry chefs.  It was a surprisingly well-done competition IMO.

And I’m THRILLED with tonight’s winner!!!  Robert made me get a little teary.  He was just so grateful and humble.  I like Cedric and he has so much talent, but my gosh, the man is not humble in the slightest!  And I do believe this will be a fantastic boost for sweet Joe’s business.  I love the baking tradition from his father and he definitely has talent — his showpiece was stunning and as Jade, the chocolatier said, he accomplished so much with finesse and beauty in a relatively short amount of time on the finale.

Edited June 18 by MerBearHou

[rlc]

Find yourself a partner in life that likes you half as much as Cedric likes himself.

Congratulations to Robert!

[surfgirl]

Surprised Cedric did not win because despite his ego, the guy dies deliver week after week.

Robert's finale desserts were okay,  ut his Showstopper looked like a hot mess when they showed the cut piece. It was like he mashed two different cakes together.

Surprised at how good Joe did, good for him! I hope his family business gets a real boost from this.

When Ludo tossed that piece of cake at the beginning of the episode all I could think was 'producer driven bullshit alert!' Thst was stupid and Ludo shoufmhave refused to do it. 

[tv echo]

I was rooting for Robert so I'm glad he won. I also like Joe and would have been fine if he had won. Cedric was just too smug for me.

Edited June 18 by tv echo

[aghst]

These desserts are so complex, with multiple elements.

Are they typical of high end pastries?  They referred a couple of times to some of the deserts being good enough for a Michelin restaurant or a hotel.

But I wonder if being on a TV show overemphasizes presentation.  Desserts are suppose to look great but the ones on this show often featured multiple elements, like jams, creams, nuts, etc.  They really needed those drawings with labels for people to see all the different parts.

I would guess that they didn’t conjure them up in real time, that there was some bit of planning, to make sure they had the ingredients, as well as tools like molds and so on.  You also wonder if these are purely the inventions of the contestants or there are consultants behind the scenes.

I was impressed that the chefs drew on their lives, memories dear to them, to design creations meant to be evocative.  Again did they get help to shape some of these stories?  Did they come up with some of these personal narratives off the cuff or did they have to do multiple takes, maybe rehearse a little?

Certainly it was effective in drawing viewers in, identifying with them.  Robert and  Joe spoke movingly about their memories and connections to their grandfather and father, respectively.  Robert also talked about feeling fortunate to have opportunities which historically haven’t been available to people like him.

But it remains to be seen what winning this competition or doing well enough to reach the finale does for their careers.  Will enough people who watched this show visit Joe’s family bakery?  Will either Robert or Cedric get similar benefits if they own businesses?  Or perhaps They can land some prestigious position with a fine dining restaurant or 5-star hotel.

Or maybe they just get boost to their IG accounts and they can get some kind of sponsorships.

 

[susannot]

Am I mistaken or is the only prize $25000 worth of baking equipment?

[Rickster]

1 hour ago, aghst said:

These desserts are so complex, with multiple elements.

Are they typical of high end pastries?  They referred a couple of times to some of the deserts being good enough for a Michelin restaurant or a hotel.

But I wonder if being on a TV show overemphasizes presentation.  Desserts are suppose to look great but the ones on this show often featured multiple elements, like jams, creams, nuts, etc.  They really needed those drawings with labels for people to see all the different parts.

 

I’ve got a couple of high end French pastry books, granted about 20 years old, so styles might change, and yes, the recipes are generally very complex with multiple elements. However, the photos look a lot neater than what was done on this show, which might be a reflection of the skills of the contestants and/or the pressure of the competition framework.

[Irlandesa]

10 hours ago, surfgirl said:

When Ludo tossed that piece of cake at the beginning of the episode all I could think was 'producer driven bullshit alert!' Thst was stupid and Ludo shoufmhave refused to do it. 

I don't know.  He has been pretty brutal.  I can believe this was him.

3 hours ago, aghst said:

Are they typical of high end pastries?  They referred a couple of times to some of the deserts being good enough for a Michelin restaurant or a hotel.

Most of the desserts are typical of high-end Michelin star restaurants. But the showstoppers would be for special occasions. 

2 hours ago, Rickster said:

However, the photos look a lot neater than what was done on this show, which might be a reflection of the skills of the contestants and/or the pressure of the competition framework.

Food photography is very specific.  They have hours to touch up the item, including adding paint or extra support to make sure it looks good. 

I do wish that they had done blind judging for the finale.

Edited June 18 by Irlandesa

[surfgirl]

In theory I liked rhis show but I disliked both judges. I also felt that they could have played up the Frenchness a bit more. It felt like 'here are a bunch of powdunk Mericans in Paris' and it could have been so much more. 

[mlp]

I thought the right people ended up as finalists and I was delighted that Robert won as he's been my favorite all along.  Cedric is very good but he's a bit off-putting.  Joe's showstopper looked great but he hasn't been a front runner so I would have been disappointed if he'd come from behind and won at the last minute.  I did like him though.  I hope we see Robert again.  He could judge a baking show maybe.

 

12 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I don't know.  He has been pretty brutal.  I can believe this was him.

I can believe it.  I remember when Ludo was on The Taste.  He was a screaming maniac.  I've also seen him cooking in a quiet kitchen with his daughter and coming across very differently.  He's mercurial.

 

 

[laredhead]

For some reason, my DVR did not pick up the finale show after the cheese dessert semi final show.  It will be rebroadcast on Food Network on Friday so I can watch it then.  Doesn't matter that I know in advance who won, I enjoy watching the techniques by each contestant.

[Texasmom1970]

I am really gonna miss the dessert and Paris scenery porn from this show! Happy that Robert won, such a gracious winner!

[carrps]

3 hours ago, laredhead said:

For some reason, my DVR did not pick up the finale show after the cheese dessert semi final show.  It will be rebroadcast on Food Network on Friday so I can watch it then.  Doesn't matter that I know in advance who won, I enjoy watching the techniques by each contestant.

We, too! If I hadn't come here, I'd have never known. We found it on OnDemand, but it's only there until tomorrow! 

I was happy with how everything turned out. Agree that Joe's Showstopper was very impressive, but Julien was right -- his macarons were too big. I loved Robert's bonsai tree. Too bad he didn't have time for it to set completely. Ah, Cedric. Gold leaf blizzard! And his Showstopper was a little underwhelming. First, I hated the royal icing scallops. I know he said he intended it to look old-fashioned, but it looked klunky and granny. And all it was was a single layer cake with his sugar tornado.

 

Edited June 19 by carrps
There's a HUGE difference between Sowstopper and Showstopper!

[Splashy]

I am laughing so much at the Cedric comments, but seriously, he does have some mad baking skills. So happy for Robert! I like that Joe was not afraid to take risks, even though several times it did not work out. I think that is one of the best ways to grow and learn, so he will keep rising in his career. All 3 have my respect.

Had to laugh when I noticed Cedric used yet more gold leaf in both of the final episodes.

I never warmed up to Ludo. Something about him is just off-putting to me. Did he always have the stud in his nose? I just noticed it in the finale.

[meep.meep]

I really enjoyed the show.  The setting was great, the bakers were talented, and the judging and hosting were top level.  I hope FN gets the word that we don't all want to watch Chopped or their assorted Baking Championships ad infinitum.  There's room to change a little bit.  Too bad the prize was so chintzy.

Cedric and Robert realizing they were both making pavlovas was hilarious.

[aghst]

Does FN have any other shows in Europe besides this one and Ciao House?

Or in Asia too?

[carrps]

2 hours ago, Splashy said:

Did he always have the stud in his nose?

Don't know if he's had it for a while. I think so. But I did notice that it was a diamond this week. Doesn't bother me, but he lives in L.A. (as do I), and they're ubiquitous here. I don't even notice them.

[Splashy]

2 hours ago, carrps said:

Don't know if he's had it for a while. I think so. But I did notice that it was a diamond this week. Doesn't bother me, but he lives in L.A. (as do I), and they're ubiquitous here. I don't even notice them.

Yeah, maybe he wore something more subtle the rest of the time, so it didn't catch my eye. Or, now that I think of it, they usually showed him (camera angle) at eye level or below (he's usually standing), and this time the camera was above him since he was sitting at the judging table, so it was visible this time. 

And on another shallow note 😁, in the previous episode, DeAndra looked fabulous in that blue dress on the evening cruise! Great color on her. 

Edited June 19 by Splashy
Needed to add an emoji, of course!

[carrps]

1 hour ago, Splashy said:

And on another shallow note 😁, in the previous episode, DeAndra looked fabulous in that blue dress on the evening cruise! Great color on her. 

Yes! I meant to say this as well. The entire ensemble was perfect.

[Splashy]

7 hours ago, meep.meep said:

Cedric and Robert realizing they were both making pavlovas was hilarious.

Yes! Especially Cedric's expression 🤣

[MerBearHou]

As I look back on the season, even though he didn’t intend to be, Cedric was good for some laughs — his bravado was such a huge part of his time on screen and he seemed to embrace the “I’m so good” AND also make it kinda funny.  Kinda.  

[ruffy666]

On 6/17/2024 at 8:23 PM, MerBearHou said:

 I like Cedric and he has so much talent, but my gosh, the man is not humble in the slightest!  

I didn't like Cedric when he was on (I don't remember which) Baking Championship and I didn't like him on this show-- until they had a brief segment where he mentioned his childhood and his difficulty relating to other people, I guess I've grown a little more sympathetic.  But just a little, because the sassy mmhmms and oohhhhhs and OKAYS he makes when someone offers any feedback is still pretty obnoxious :)

[Splashy]

19 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

As I look back on the season, even though he didn’t intend to be, Cedric was good for some laughs — his bravado was such a huge part of his time on screen and he seemed to embrace the “I’m so good” AND also make it kinda funny.  Kinda.

He did sorta become the star of the show, didn't he? And before Keely was eliminated, they seemed to give her most of the talking head time.

What I found interesting about Joe is that he was just kinda there the whole time doing his thing - no drama, no over-the-top personality traits, and quite a few of his risk-taking bakes didn't pay off, but Whoa! He made it to the finale! Good for him. 

[RoxiP]

And Joe's finale showstopper was arguably the best of the three.  

[Ancaster]

Stephanie: winning will "put you on the global map."  Not so much.

[Ancaster]

On 6/19/2024 at 11:30 AM, meep.meep said:

I really enjoyed the show.  The setting was great, the bakers were talented, and the judging and hosting were top level.  I hope FN gets the word that we don't all want to watch Chopped or their assorted Baking Championships ad infinitum.  There's room to change a little bit.  Too bad the prize was so chintzy.

The prize on Great British Bake Off (which this show can only aspire towards) is a cake stand and a bunch of flowers.