A Chef's Life - General Discussion

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, rmontro said:

I don't know, seems like she was traveling quite a bit for awhile there, doing the food truck, doing festivals, doing food events, doing book signings, meetings for the book, etc.  At one point I think she decided she was going to stay home more.

They were part of a handful of episodes but they were concentrated on her food and usually rooted in her figuring it out in her restaurant based on what was available to her not looking into other cuisines/specialities around the South, showing her life at that moment. I mean I guess we will find out sooner or later (probably later since they just wrapped and the lead time on PBS shows is often long). 

[biakbiak]

Her new show, Somewhere South, starts Friday at 9. It’s PBS so it might not be al markets but it is happening in the Bay Area.

Edited March 26, 2020 by biakbiak

[rmontro]

23 hours ago, biakbiak said:

Her new show, Somewhere South, starts Friday at 9. It’s PBS also it might not be al markets but it is happening in the Bay Area.

Thanks, I would have missed it if you hadn't said something.  It's on here also on WFYI, the Indianapolis station.  Next week too.  I see the episodes are an hour long.

[chessiegal]

No sign of it showing up in my markets through the first week in April. (DC/MD)

[knitorpurl]

Thanks for the heads up. All set on the Tivo.

The episode description sounds good.

Thanks for the heads up. All set on the Tivo.

The episode description sounds good.

[chessiegal]

I was watching Create today and saw a promo for her new show airing Monday night. DVR is set to record all new episodes.

[rmontro]

Watched last night's episode of Somewhere South.  Seemed a lot more like a normal food show, give the history of a type of food, travel around to different areas getting their take on it, and tasting different versions (in this case, hand pies).  As opposed to being about the restaurant and Vivian's career and family.

There was one shot of Ben and the kids at the Latino festival, but there was no attention called to it.  I thought the new show was enjoyable enough, but at an hour long it's a bit tedious.  Probably would be more digestible in two half hour parts, like they did with many Chef's Life episodes.

[GaT]

Well, I watched Somewhere South, & it does just seem like a continuation of the last season of A Chef's Life, Viv driving around to see different food. Also, she was complaining about how she didn't have enough time for everything, so she decides to open another business?

Also, I'm surprised that they got so political.

Edited March 29, 2020 by GaT

[rmontro]

Watched the porridge episode, not much to say about it.  Not sure why Vivian seemed so shocked that the one lady said she cooked for the servants.

Next week is dumplings.  Seems a lot like the hand pies, doesn't it?  Stuff wrapped up in dough?

[GaT]

This show is too long at an hour, it's just not interesting enough to fill all that time. I may just take it off my DVR.

[chessiegal]

The first episode hasn't even aired yet in my market. Monday night on Create.

[buttersister]

Ep 2 of Somewhere South takes on something rarely addressed from the privileged side, race and southern—or soul—food. As awkward as ever, at least Vivian demonstrates more awareness than in the entire Chef’s Life series. Mashima Bailey’s episode of Chef’s Table was outstanding, good to see her here.

[rmontro]

On 4/4/2020 at 6:26 PM, GaT said:

This show is too long at an hour, it's just not interesting enough to fill all that time. I may just take it off my DVR.

I'm not taking it off my DVR, but I agree it seems a little long at an hour.  Like I said before, it would be better in two half hour segments, like they did on A Chef's Life.

22 hours ago, buttersister said:

Ep 2 of Somewhere South takes on something rarely addressed from the privileged side, race and southern—or soul—food. As awkward as ever, at least Vivian demonstrates more awareness than in the entire Chef’s Life series.

I don't know about all that, but it sure looked tasty.

[rmontro]

7 hours ago, LucindaWalsh said:

I don't think it is going to be stuffed dumplings but I might be wrong. It is probably going to be what is called chicken pastry or chicken slick depending on where you are and that is a chicken broth with a thinly rolled dough dropped into it.

Well I'm pretty sure the previews showed someone putting meat on a piece of dough and folding it over, it reminded me of the hand pie episode.  I'm sure there will be other variations though.  We'll find out tonight, I guess.  Thanks for the info, I don't know that much about dumplings, I rarely eat them.

[biakbiak]

Luckily I still had a few different homemade dumplings in my freezer so I could eat them after I watched this show because all the dumplings looked so good.

[rmontro]

Okay, watched the dumpling episode, and it was significantly different from the hand pie episode.  They even mentioned the chicken pastry.  I still say the topics get kind of dull at an hour long.

[GaT]

They opened another restaurant??? Anybody else remember her complaining about lack of time when she just had the one??

[buttersister]

At least this time, they hired a head chef for the new restaurant. Hope he sticks. It may also help if she's not trying to write another book at the same time.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, GaT said:

They opened another restaurant??? Anybody else remember her complaining about lack of time when she just had the one??

It opened in 2017 when they were still filming A Chef’s Life, in fact it was mentioned on that show, so I assume they filmed this for A Chef’s life but didn’t use the footage. It’s in Wilmington so they definitely aren’t managing the day to day.

I got a care package from a friend today that had several kinds of Geechie Boy grits that were featured in last weeks episode so I am excited!

Edited April 12, 2020 by biakbiak

[chessiegal]

I finally got to see an episode of the new show - the one on dumplings. I thought it was boring and too long.

[rmontro]

On 4/16/2020 at 1:42 PM, chessiegal said:

I finally got to see an episode of the new show - the one on dumplings. I thought it was boring and too long.

I don't know whose bright idea it was to make this show an hour.

[rmontro]

Watched the pickle episode.  Thought it was interesting, but it still dragged at an hour.  I notice this show seems to include a lot more ethnic variations than A Chef's Life had.  Maybe it's Vivian's way of being more "woke", I don't know.  I love kimchi, so that was the part that interested me most.  I didn't like hearing about the Korean parents' chicken sexing job, and I won't go into any more detail than that.

I noticed on the end credits, that Vivian is listed as producer/director, so I couldn't help but wonder what kind of input that director credit indicates.

[GaT]

I've decided the reason this show seems to be soooo looooong is because it has no commercials. Normally when you watch an hour long show, there are commercials to break it up so the show is more like 45 minutes. This show is the full hour, & it's just too long. I never needed to know this much about collard greens.

[rmontro]

On 4/25/2020 at 3:43 AM, GaT said:

I've decided the reason this show seems to be soooo looooong is because it has no commercials. 

I'm sure that's part of it, there's nothing to break it up.  But I can watch a good movie and the time just flies by.  It's not that this isn't interesting, it just seems dull in the amount of time that it's on.

I've also noticed that I keep expecting the Avett Brothers to start playing at the beginning. 

I love Indian food, so I enjoyed the discussion on Saag Paneer.  I've always said the only way I could go full vegetarian is if someone cooked me Indian food every day.

I rarely have collard greens, but I have a frozen bag of them in my freezer (they were about the only veggies left in the store that day).  Can I just heat them up and eat them, or do they need to be prepared a certain way?  Anyone know? 

[buttersister]

I’m appreciating this show more than I did A Chef’s Life. It goes deeper into Southern food ways, is more inclusive of history and culture surrounding the category and, so, for me, more interesting. 

Bonus: Vivian’s not whining about her life!

[chessiegal]

47 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Bonus: Vivian’s not whining about her life!

Amen!

[LeDucDiableBleu]

I think A Chef’s Life caught her at a really hard time in her life. She was so worn down, running the restaurant, raising young twins, kind of a jerk husband, the cookbook and moving to NC. I’ll cut her slack on that. But I’m rewatching it and I’m really turned off with her constant complaining and “these yokels don’t understand what a big deal we are.” I’m sure that they were in a much better position in NYC, bringing elevated southern food to the city. The concept doesn’t play as well when you’re in the actual south. She seemed bitter that she had to move, and resentful. That’s how generational wealth works though. But I’m sure she’s over it now and I look forward to the new series, I just have to get pbs passport.

[rmontro]

3 hours ago, LeDucDiableBleu said:

I’m really turned off with her constant complaining and “these yokels don’t understand what a big deal we are.” I’m sure that they were in a much better position in NYC, bringing elevated southern food to the city.

She complained a lot, mostly about being tired and too busy.  But I didn't really get the "yokels don't understand us" vibe.  Except that there seemed to be a disconnect between their wanting to run a (somewhat snobbish) gourmet restaurant and their customers, who just wanted to eat practical food at a good price.  

The new show's okay, but it's a little draggy at an hour.  It's more effective in half hour doses, as has been said.  

[chessiegal]

I don't think their customers want down home cooking at a good price. People know their food is not your regular Southern fare and are willing to pay for it. Otherwise they wouldn't be packed and you needing a reservation to get in.

[rmontro]

2 hours ago, chessiegal said:

I don't think their customers want down home cooking at a good price. People know their food is not your regular Southern fare and are willing to pay for it. Otherwise they wouldn't be packed and you needing a reservation to get in.

No, certainly not down home cooking.  The customers know they are going to a gourmet restaurant.  But they still wanted what they wanted.  Vivian and Ben often talked about how they didn't really like serving steaks (because it wasn't fancy, I gather), but that they would fly out of the kitchen when it was on the menu.  

[chessiegal]

I don't think of steaks as down home Southern cooking. Chicken fried steak is, but not a good quality steak.

[buttersister]

Quote

Vivian and Ben often talked about how they didn't really like serving steaks (because it wasn't fancy, I gather), but that they would fly out of the kitchen when it was on the menu.  

Right, my impression was that while a steak can be considered fancy or not, depending on the cut, quality and preparation, Vivian's objection seemed to be that steak is straightforward, not the kind of dish she felt challenged by—or the types of dishes she was trying to spotlight as a chef.

[LeDucDiableBleu]

On 8/2/2020 at 9:23 PM, rmontro said:

She complained a lot, mostly about being tired and too busy.  But I didn't really get the "yokels don't understand us" vibe.  Except that there seemed to be a disconnect between their wanting to run a (somewhat snobbish) gourmet restaurant and their customers, who just wanted to eat practical food at a good price.  

The new show's okay, but it's a little draggy at an hour.  It's more effective in half hour doses, as has been said.  

 

That's exactly the attitude that's off-putting - that southerners don't appreciate gourmet, chef-made food and just want practical food at a good price. It's condescending. As if people from the south are too dumb.

She and Ben literally said that employees who left didn't know what a good opportunity it was to work for them. That is a clear "yokels don't understand us" example.

 

[buttersister]

Caught a rerun of the original series today. It reminded me of what a hot mess Vivian could be. She was co-cheffing a dinner out of town and naturally, screwed up a bunch of stuff. But it turned out fine, due mostly to the incredible graciousness of the home team’s chef and his crew. She managed to be condescending to them anyway. Or, she’s just that awkward a person.
 

I prefer the newer show. Somebody injected some awareness, it sits better with me. I liked exploring, hell, recognizing the roots of many of the dishes.

[LemonSoda]

Several years late I finally saw the holiday episode and it gave me the feels.