Season 3 Discussion Thread

[DanaK]

Season 3 premieres June 17 2024

Meet the home cooks this season

https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/from-alaska-to-massachusetts-meet-the-home-cooks-competing-in-season-3-of-the-great-american-recipe/

[blueray]

I watched this when it aired yesterday. It seems to be another group of interesting people and verity which is good. I just wish they kept the eliminating one person each week. It makes it more interesting. They are doing it the same as last year, which I found confusing. I'm still not sure why the people made the finale did.

Edited June 18, 2024 by blueray

[milkyaqua]

The new judges seem okay and the contestants seem okay but I wish some of the challenges could at least have the contestants cooking the same type of dish with their own spin instead of eight entirely different dishes.  Ugh.

Also, for some reason the only thing I took from this epi was the Alaskan cook not doing a quick pickle on her veg for the bahn mi.

[nanmar33]

The judges all seemed very favorable for the first week. 

I am so tired of Tiffany always saying the cooks need to add salt.  The US uses way too much salt and it usually overwhelms the dish.  I use virtually no added salt in my cooking as I would rather have the other flavors front and center.  There are so many health problems related to salt intake that its use should not be encouraged.  

[Rammchick]

4 hours ago, nanmar33 said:

The judges all seemed very favorable for the first week. 

I am so tired of Tiffany always saying the cooks need to add salt.  The US uses way too much salt and it usually overwhelms the dish.  

I think everyone's palate is blown as a result.  Definitely too much salt in prepared foods, not to mention what we add to our plates from the shaker.  I have a friend who salts her food before she even tastes it.

Edited June 20, 2024 by Rammchick

[homechefT]

13 hours ago, nanmar33 said:

The judges all seemed very favorable for the first week. 

I am so tired of Tiffany always saying the cooks need to add salt.  The US uses way too much salt and it usually overwhelms the dish.  I use virtually no added salt in my cooking as I would rather have the other flavors front and center.  There are so many health problems related to salt intake that its use should not be encouraged.  

Um... Salt brings out the flavor of ingredients... It's not its own "flavor profile." I can't imagine what kind of completely bland food you're serving people.

[homechefT]

My issue with this first episode was Jon making enchiladas in round 1 with boiled chicken. And Doug acting like he "invented" a new sauce for his ridiculous Pittsburgh Pocket. He made a BBQ sauce. That's it.

[jcbrown]

And there was no comment on the one woman shredding chicken with a hand mixer, was there? I thought that was...interesting.

I agree that having such disparate dishes makes the judging a bit of a muddle. I think I sat out last season after not making it through season 1. Will they have a leader board or any way to tell whose cumulative scores are the best?

[Rammchick]

On 6/21/2024 at 5:26 PM, jcbrown said:

Will they have a leader board or any way to tell whose cumulative scores are the best?

No, at least based on last season.  And the choice of the three finalists was not what we expected either, particularly one home cook who hadn't really distinguished herself throughout the season.

Edited June 24, 2024 by Rammchick

[homechefT]

Sooo...she made risotto incorrectly and then followed up with MORE Arborio rice to make Arancini... And she screws THAT up! It's a good thing they're looking for originality on this show... 

[Rammchick]

It's kind of disingenuous to show the host announcing the theme of the challenge and then the cooks reacting shocked or excited.  It's so very clear that the ingredients they use are provided and have to be known beforehand.  I'm pretty sure most kitchens, even the most well-stocked, don't have egusi 😏

[milkyaqua]

35 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

I'm pretty sure most kitchens, even the most well-stocked, don't have egusi

Yes, that's been obvious from the first season on pretty much any of these competitive cooking shows.

I guess this one wasn't that exciting since I totally forgot to check this thread yesterday.

 

[2soon2tell]

I’m sorry, who has black truffle as their go to ingredient ? It’s like $80+ an ounce. Also, if you want more salt in your food, pick up the salt shaker and add it. 

 

[nanmar33]

On 6/20/2024 at 10:28 PM, homechefT said:

Um... Salt brings out the flavor of ingredients... It's not its own "flavor profile." I can't imagine what kind of completely bland food you're serving people.

Salt has a very distinctive flavor.  Put some salt crystals on your tongue and you can definitely taste it.  My food is not bland.  It is full of flavor using other spices.

[nanmar33]

The last episode is what I don't like most about this show.  Tim won best overall for his raspberry tarts and he used store bought jam for the filling whereas Marcella made pastry and filling all from scratch.  Such a difference in difficulty.

Also, Adjo needs to stop relying on plantains all the time.  Seems like that is all she uses now.

Looks like the frontrunners are Mae, Adjo, and Doug.

[milkyaqua]

3 hours ago, nanmar33 said:

The last episode is what I don't like most about this show.  Tim won best overall for his raspberry tarts and he used store bought jam for the filling whereas Marcella made pastry and filling all from scratch.  Such a difference in difficulty.

Also, Adjo needs to stop relying on plantains all the time.  Seems like that is all she uses now.

Yes, to your post.  And I'm still annoyed that we can't get at least one episode where everyone has to put their spin on the same type of dish (eveyone has to bake a cake or make a stew or make a jello mold, or whatever).  This show could be so much more interesting if they did that.

[zoey1996]

I just finished episode 3. I wonder why Ingrid had to leave? 
I was drooling over the crab cakes. The salmon looked good, too. 
I’ll join in in wishing for an episode where they all cook the same dish.

[zoey1996]

Enjoyed the holiday topic. Oyster dressing shouts Thanksgiving to me, so I was interested in it Tim’s take on cornbread dressing. 
Loved the whole fried redfish but enough plantains already! 

[carrps]

I've always wanted to eat a whole fried fish. It's so appealing to me.

Don't like cornbread stuffing. Too sweet for me. Also, another major part of Tim's dish was store bought.

I love mussels, so I was really craving Marcella's dish. As soon as I saw she was doing seafood, I said "Aha, the Feast of the Seven Fishes!"

 

[milkyaqua]

The thing with cornbread dressing is that it doesn't have to be sweet.  Some Southerners are very adamant that cornbread should not have sugar as that's some Yankee thing.  As to fried whole fish, Chinese restaurants are good about doing whole fish in different ways including fried.

And agree, I'm over Adjo sticking plantains in every dish no matter how many different ways she can do them.  Jon constantly is getting called out about salt.  Not sure why Doug would think several different types of mushy beans was a good idea.  And by now they all should know if they have some main ingredient (Kim) the judges want that seasoned individually.

I still want a cook a similar dish challenge but I know I'm just wishing.

Edited July 24, 2024 by milkyaqua

[carrps]

2 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

As to fried whole fish, Chinese restaurants are good about doing whole fish in different ways including fried.

Yes, this is where I've usually seen it.

2 hours ago, milkyaqua said:

The thing with cornbread dressing is that it doesn't have to be sweet.  Some Southerners are very adamant that cornbread should not have sugar as that's some Yankee thing.

Corn is naturally sweet, though. It doesn't need added sugar to be too sweet for me.

[zoey1996]

The recipe swap was interesting. I’ve had the strawberry pretzel dessert at office potlucks. Usually it’s good. I’d like to make the stuffed artichokes. I make a sausage white bean soup sometimes with white potatoes, similar to Olive Gardens Zuppa Toscana, but I dislike sweet potatoes.

[carrps]

I was drooling for John's chile rellenos, but I was confused by his saying it was unusual (or rare?) for them to have the fluffy coating, because that's the way they're made here in SoCal 99% of the time. Unless he was including California under his "southwest" umbrella. But other than the southwest are chile rellenos all that common?

 

 

[milkyaqua]

I've maybe only seen one cooking show where chili rellenos didn't have the fluffy egg white coating.  I was glad Jon had a good showing though.

I'd heard of the strawberry pretzel dessert before.  There are lots of regional desserts with ingredients that folks wouldn't think went together.

Ajoh once again misses the timing on a dish.  When she dropped that pasta at the start (and granted who knows how the actual time is being shown on these shows) I knew the judges were going to ding her and even though some folks don't like their shrimp barely cooked, no way were the judges going to appreciate rubbery overcooked ones.

 

[Rammchick]

20 hours ago, carrps said:

But other than the southwest are chile rellenos all that common?

I used to live in the east, and ate them regularly in not only Mexican restaurants but as bar food.

 

[nanmar33]

I laughed about the strawberry pretzel dish and  Doug saying it was Pittsburgh.  That is such a southern dish.  My aunts in the south made it for every get together.

I'm curious who will be in the finals.  Doug and Adjo both have a lot of goods, but also a lot of bad dishes.  I wonder if Tim will be in the finals as he has no bad dishes and 3 goods with one overall best.  Although there is usually an agenda with the finals.  I don't think Doug fits the profile for the finals. 

Here are the standings so far:

GoodTotal GoodsOverall Best

 

 

Did anyone else find the blue lipstick very distracting and odd?  Never saw anyone wear blue lipstick.

[CharlizeCat]

Thank you for posting that scoreboard. Very helpful!

[zoey1996]

8 hours ago, nanmar33 said:

Did anyone else find the blue lipstick very distracting and odd?  Never saw anyone wear blue lipstick.

Agree. I've seen younger teens wear blue, but never anyone else. 

[carrps]

Artsy types wear colors like that. I've seen it for years now on people like contestants on shows like Project Runway. I've even seen it IRL. I don't even notice it any more.

[Rammchick]

On 8/2/2024 at 11:23 AM, carrps said:

Artsy types wear colors like that. I've seen it for years now on people like contestants on shows like Project Runway. I've even seen it IRL. I don't even notice it any more.

I didn't get the feeling that Adjo was an artsy type -- wasn't she initially introduced as a scientist (not that the two things are mutually exclusive)?

[tootsie]

It's certainly a non-traditional competition, but for all my casual viewing, the 3 contestants selected for the semi-final/final (?) were the 3 I would have picked.  I knew Kim was out of the running early on and the fellow with the farm background (Doug? sorry. Too lazy to look back at names) just behind her (tho I personally favor mushy baked beans.) My preferred choice for winner is John. No reason. Just because. But Marcella should probably win for authenticity and competence. Imhoo.  (But I'm a lazy cook-for-one with my kitchen expertise rated in negative numbers so ignore my prediction.) p.s. have watched this every season to date and enjoyed these judges best of the 3 seasons

[milkyaqua]

Also not surprised by the three choices.  Glad Ajoh finally got her shrimp right, lol.  I don't know what the fascination was for folks cooking shrimp so early.  They don't take long to cook.

I'll be fine with any of them winning.  I still wish this show would make it a little harder and have the contestants all cook the same type food for a few of the challenges.  Ugh.

[carrps]

I also agreed completely with the finalists. And when they got to the third spot, I said "John" before they could. I like his trajectory. He listened, improved, and made delicious-sounding food. I'm thinking Marcella will likely win, as well. She has the chops, good stories, and I wanted to eat everything she made. I like Adjo. Her story is great, but I'm not as interested in her food. She re-used so many of the same ingredients (plantains, anyone?), and a lot of her dishes seemed too alike. No problem with her being a finalist though.

 

[nanmar33]

I knew from day one that Adjo would make the finals.  Also thought John would and then it was toss up between Marcella and Mei because the judges love ethnicity.  The more ethnic your cooking, the better.  Season 1 finalists cooked Vietnamese food, Mexican (winner), and Syrian.  Season two finalists were Libyan (winner), Guyanese, and Caribbean.  This season, African, Mexican, and Sicilian/Italian.  Tim had 3 goods and one overall best and no worst dishes, but didn't make the finals.  Adjo had 3 worst dishes.  And, she got a pass on the overcooked shrimp (and got one of the best dishes with it) which no one else did.  Tim and Doug just didn't have an ethnic slant to their cooking to be in the finals.

[tootsie]

Well, there you are. Adjo had a wonderful and highly empathetic story and presence, but she wouldn't have been my choice as a culinary winner. From the beginning of this series, the criteria for winning have escaped me.

I don't know what I think of having other contestants as helpers...too much salt in the wound? (ha) I don't recall that happening in earlier seasons. But I enjoyed the use of the box of goodies from home. Contestants must have had a heads up of the contents, right?

I also wonder if "The Great American Recipe " is the best name for this competition. I know it's a reminder that America is a "melting pot" of cultures and foods so I get that, but it still doesn't feel like the best name.

A final, comprehensive review summarizing why the 3 made the final and why the winner won would be helpful...especially for literal-minded people like me. But I doubt that will ever happen. 

[Rammchick]

I was laughing to myself, watching the finale.  I'd never be selected as a contestant on a show like this.  I've never been married, have no children, no family, and no real culinary traditions aside from recipes I make myself, which are all over the board in terms of cuisines.  There'd be no one to send me a care package from home unless my dog learns how to read and write.  Clearly the criteria for inclusion is pretty specific, and "childless pet ladies" don't make the cut.

I could have predicted Adjo as the winner from the first episode -- her food was definitely the most interesting from a foodie perspective.  I'm a lover of Asian food and cooking and I immediately latched onto Mae, but I was sad to not see much from her that I wanted to cook myself.

Edited August 16, 2024 by Rammchick

[milkyaqua]

Not surprised Adjo won but I also wonder what exactly are the criteria for winning and why didn't we the judges deliberate over the three finalists and their dishes throughout the series or did they just focus on the final challenge?  Also, pretty much every finalist got called out about something not being quite right with their dish.  So did Adjo win because she was smart enough to redo a dish and nail it when it most counted?

If they were focusing on overall performance, how do they give Adjo the win when as said by other throughout the weeks, she used plaintains in practically all of her dishes?  As for her cuisine being more interesting, sure, as a country the US isn't all that adventurous when the subject of food from Africa comes up so I can see it from that standpoint.

This is the third series I've watched and once again it all feels arbitrary.  There are changes some have been asking for since the start but obviously TPTB don't care about those concerns and are fine with things the way they are.  It all seems like a waste of time.

Edited August 13, 2024 by milkyaqua

[carrps]

Personally, I was surprised that Adjo made the finals, let alone being the overall winner. Her food seemed to be very one note. Mostly the same ingredients and flavors, and her culinary skills were not all that. I like a little spice, but Adjo seemed very aggressive about making everything hot Hot HOT. That seemed to be right up Tiffany's alley, and I have a suspicion that Tiffany's opinion counts more than the others. Nothing she made appealed to me, but that's just taste. I've had Fufu and didn't like it. The fried plantains looked good, but that's almost more a garnish than a dish. And the taro balls? Fried anything will appeal to most people. Oh, well.

Meanwhile, everything Marcella and John prepared made me drool.

[Salacious Kitty]

When they brought out Silvia to judge the first challenge, I knew Jon wouldn't win. And Sicilian food isn't exotic enough. So we get African Adjo and her plantains for the win. I called it when the final 3 were announced. 

I guess Native American food will win next season, if there is one. eta Just saw the announcement in the media thread that the show hA been renewed, so I am sticking to my prediction. 😀

Edited August 13, 2024 by Salacious Kitty

[Shelbie]

On 8/13/2024 at 12:23 PM, milkyaqua said:

This is the third series I've watched and once again it all feels arbitrary.  There are changes some have been asking for since the start but obviously TPTB don't care about those concerns and are fine with things the way they are.  It all seems like a waste of time.

This is exactly how I feel.
Watching the finale I fast forwarded through all the family stories and just watched the “judging” which had no standards as far as I could see.

That’s it for me. I won’t be watching next season as it doesn’t even work as a background show for me while I crochet.

[zoey1996]

I could quibble with who the judges chose as finalists. Adjo had Best, but more worst dishes over the course of the program. Marcella was deserving. Tim was better according to scores, never a worst. Jon learned over the season. And Mae, I'd love for her to cook for me anytime!

I was also influenced by choices of ingredients. I don't eat lamb or veal. I've had venison, but never moose or goat, neither appeal to me at all.

I still enjoy watching this, and I'm glad it will have another season, despite its faults.

[Hollie M]

I would love to learn how to cook some of these food items from Season 3 cooks. It would be fun to see the cooks demo there most popular requests 

FuFu would be my top one!

[CharlizeCat]

I wasn't surprised Adjo won. I felt it was telegraphed from early on in this latest series. I was rooting for Marcella. Her food looked the best to me.

I get so tired of cooking shows that are based on who has the most compelling life story to share. (We got enough of that from the defunct "Food Network Star" show.) I also still don't understand what the concept of this show is. Does PBS want cooks who are from other countries to come in and show how to introduce their culture into US cooking OR do they want cooks from different regions of the US to represent the cooking style of their region? 

It would really be more interesting and seem more fair to have everybody cook the same dish but put their cultural/regional spin on it.

It's like comparing apples to oranges. 

I don't hate this show, but wish it was more equitable. It's pleasant to have on as background and interesting to learn about new foods.

 

 

[chessiegal]

This is what PBS has to say about Season 3 on the show's web site.

Quote

Season 3 of The Great American Recipe celebrates the stories and recipes of eight talented home cooks. With a wide diversity of cooking styles influenced by their varied backgrounds — from Sicilian to Salvadoran, West African to Chinese, Alaskan to Tex-Mex, the contestants in Season 3 represent the delicious diversity of American home cooking.

Hosted by Alejandra Ramos, the series gives home cooks from different regions of the country the opportunity to showcase their beloved signature dishes that tell the story of who they are and where they are from. Returning Judge Tiffany Derry, is joined by Chef Tim Hollingsworth and Food Writer Francis Lam, who bring their professional insights and deep culinary knowledge to encourage and support the contestants throughout their journey.

In Season 3, they come together in Nashville, Tennessee to share their most memorable recipes. Each week the home cooks will compete in two different rounds of cooking. In each round the home cooks create a dish specific to a theme, showcasing their culinary backgrounds, styles, techniques, and unique flavors. At the end of each round, the Judges taste and critique each home cook’s individual dish. After each Judges' tastings, the Judges announce their two favorite dishes. Then after the second round, the Judges announced their two favorite and two least favorite dishes, and one home cook is named the winner of the round. After eight weeks of sharing their most cherished family recipe and heartfelt stories one home cook will be crowned the winner of The Great American Recipe.