S06.E01: Cake

[MerBearHou]

To me, AGAs are beautiful in a retro-look way and they apparently cook like a dream.  They're expensive and I remember very well that Sookie on Gilmore Girls sprang for the "fancy English oven" for the new inn she ran with Lorelei.  It was an AGA.  

Edited July 2, 2016 by MerBearHou

[Athena]

55 minutes ago, Rinaldo said:

After Flora mentioned her family's Aga, I looked up the term. Can any of our British readers tell me, are they rare, or characteristic of certain sorts of households? (Old houses, or rural location, or anything like that?)

They aren't rare exactly, but they are more common in older and rural homes and manors. So you're more likely to see them in the home of someone from the upper or middle classes, but lots of farm homes have AGA and AGA type ovens too. They are expensive to install and some people do not like them at all. However, those who love them, are truly big aficionados. They are never truly off and act as an additional heat source for kitchens or smaller homes. They are known for their longevity as many have lasted about 50 years. Mary Berry has a whole cookbook about them. You can get them in the USA, but I think the price is exorbitant.

As mentioned above, contestant Paul is not just a prison guard, he's a Prison Governor which is like an American Prison Superintendent or Warden.  

[Texasmom1970]

I simply adore this show, mainly because we get to see some truly talented bakers, unlike some competition shows. I also live the fact that even though we learn some about the contestants the foof is the star.

Also I adore Mary, she seems so sweet and genuine!

[tvchick]

The Washington Post will be recapping each episode and adding commentary from a local baker. Here is the first:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/food/wp/2016/07/02/the-great-british-baking-show-recap-ep-1-batter-up/

[meep.meep]

So no more pretty yellow and blue Kitchen Aids? So sad.....

Ian has more of a receding hairline than Mats.

[justmehere]

Watching this show gives me delusions of grandeur, as if I could go and bake anything and everything on par with these creations. It also makes my mouth water. So many of those cakes looked sooo yummy. I do wonder, though, if Paul and Mary feel a little sick when the recipes are sweet. No doubt they only take a small taste of each, but especially early in the competition, that's still a lot of cake! Also, the suspense is incredible!

I felt bad for Stu, trying to stand out a bit and failing on each challenge. I can't help rooting for the underdog, but it was pretty clear he wasn't going to make it.  Very much appreciated Paul's comment at the end that you have to be really good just to get into the tent. If Stu's ambition got the better of him, at least he made the show, which is pretty huge in itself. (Ugne's ambition both helped and hurt her in different challenges; you don't know unless you try.)

So far, I like pretty much everyone and can't wait to see more!

[stillshimpy]

It was Mary who said the flavor of the gin just wasn't really there.  Confirming what I have always suspected:  Mary would be a blast to hang out with under any circumstances.  

They kept saying the same thing about the kirschwasser in the black forest cake and in my experience?  Wow is that stuff not for the meek.  Commenting on being able to detect the kirsch or not detect it.  Apparently Mary really likes to be able to detect her spirits.  

Part of the reason she's entirely constructed of awesome and vivid colors. 

[mlp]

Quote

The Washington Post will be recapping each episode................

Thanks for the link.  I enjoyed the article.  I hope you'll post a link or at least remind us every week!!

[Rick Kitchen]

After reading the Washington Post article, I forgot that I wanted to comment on Marie washing up while the others were still busily working away.  THAT was part of why she was my favorite.

[Mondrianyone]

This was like Christmas in July!  I'm so happy it's back again.

I loved all of them, right from the get-go.

I made a chocolate-beet torte a few years ago.  It was interesting, but I wouldn't make it again.  I knew that Stu was on the road to ruin as soon as I saw those beets in his mixer.

There've been AGAs in several of the B&Bs I've stayed at in England.  They're very beautiful, very expensive, and I think there's probably a pretty steep learning curve to them.  I fell in love with a forest green one, but I don't think it's in my future.

Just so glad to be back in the tent.

[beeble]

I'm another newbie to this show, and I loved it! Nobody's equipment failed, nobody was out of their element ("I'm a vegan sandwich-maker/I'm a Paleo barista"), and nobody is evil. What a concept. 

I got a sugar buzz from merely watching this. How do Mary and Paul not pass out from eating this rich food? I'll bet they carried around the bottle of gin to balance out the sweetness.

[lucindabelle]

I love this show so much it hurts. I'm laid up with foot surgery and this is perfect timing..l except that it inspired a true baking passion when it was on before (I can now make a very good Swiss roll, thanks very much!) and I can't stand up. Oh well.

 

i love UnReal but I love that this show demonstrates that yes, we can make high drama out of something when the something is interesting in its own right, no "I'm not here to make friends." No villain-redemption arc. They can even practice at home!

 

i do sometimes have the sense I wouldn't like these recipes much... Never cared for walnut cake and to me a Black Forest cake with white icing is.l. Not a Black Forest cake.

I definitely appreciate the gentility and decency throughout. After the irish guy dumped his baked Alaska last year I was ver glad Forrer didn't dump her cake, and the judges were kind. Paul leading with "what happened?" Was such a wonderful way to let her know that he knew she could do better. A "teachable moment."

 

before re i saw this show I thught I liked to bake, because I made cookies and  muffins and brownies. Hah. Since watching I've come to see that a whole bunch of people I know here in the us who say they bake... Don't really. Have never made a Swiss roll. Can't do pastry! Not a pie crust, not choux! Piffle.

 

tamal ftw. That collar was awesome and injecting the Madeira cake with rose water was both smart and hilarious.

 

oh and I also love Marie. She can be my grandma anytime. (She's not old enough to be but she just has that kind of air!)

 

i aso also love how all the bakers are hobbyists and some are really slim. It's baffling but adorable.

Edited July 3, 2016 by lucindabelle

[Quilt Fairy]

On ‎7‎/‎2‎/‎2016 at 1:11 PM, MerBearHou said:

When Dorret's cake became a messy blob, I said "oh noooo" a little louder than expected and my husband thought something had gone wrong in our home.  I said "no, it's just a cake disaster on the show" and he thought I was a little nuts

Hah! I did the same about a month ago when I was able to watch this episode on-line. And I did it again last night, even though I remembered it was coming.

I love the ethnic mix of the contestants every season; it's particularly ironic in the wake of the Brexit vote. And yet, regardless of where they were born, they almost always seem quintessentially British.

Interesting to learn about the AGA. I've seen it mentioned in many a British mystery set in the 1930s and it was used so often that I assumed it had morphed from a specific brand to a generic term for stove, the way the British always say "hoovering" instead of "vacuuming" and we say "Kleenex" instead of "tissue". The always-on business doesn't seem very appealing during a hot, sticky summer, but I guess the British don't have too many of those.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Quilt Fairy

[pancake bacon]

Don't you think Mat looks like an adorable, taller, less chin-y younger brother of Matthew Goode?

Edited July 4, 2016 by pancake bacon

[Winter Rose]

So it's not just me then, I kept thinking Matthew Goode too.

I'm not brand new to this show - newer - but I find it so refreshing to be able to focus just on the baking. The contestants seem like a pleasant bunch but it's nice not to be distracted by sob stories.

I agree with the elimination. A little creativity's fine but this is hardly the first time I've seen someone screw themselves because they got too caught up trying to think outside the box. Make the thing you're asked to make.

[Raynedon]

I absolutely love this show and I'm so excited that all of the regular "cast" is back for this season. Your recap/review is like a dollop of whipped cream on top of an already rich and delectable dessert - otherwise known as the GBBO. The British sure can produce a quality show, can't they?!

[meep.meep]

14 hours ago, ArmoPrincess said:

So refreshing to watch a cooking show where a) you'll learn something; b) the judges aren't condescending; and c) the contestants aren't psychotic a-holes. ARE YOU LISTENING TOP CHEF?

To my mind, one major reason this is successful is that the contestants get to go home between episodes.  So they get to decompress with people they know, not total strangers.

Top Chef is for professionals, this is for amateurs.  No comparison.

[Rick Kitchen]

MasterChef US is for amateurs, too, but it's still full of drahmaz and assholes.

[lucindabelle]

3 hours ago, meep.meep said:

To my mind, one major reason this is successful is that the contestants get to go home between episodes.  So they get to decompress with people they know, not total strangers.

Top Chef is for professionals, this is for amateurs.  No comparison.

I don't follow. What is professional about living where you work and being forcibly prevented from normalcy? That doesn't actually exist in the real world. In my mind Top Chef is not for professionals, just for professional reality TV competitors. 

 

REAL chefs, bakers, etc, go home, try recipes more than once, live in their own surroundings, pet their cats and dogs, hug eir spouses and wives.

[meep.meep]

The people who compete on Top Chef are in the food business.  I have been to many of their restaurants.  Cooking is their career.  The people who compete on this show are amateurs - they don't make their living by cooking.

A better comparison is to MasterChef where the judges and contestants are indeed frequently unpleasant.

Contestants on competitive reality shows are often sequestered from their family and friends to maintain security. That isn't the case with this show and I think it helps the contestants that they can return to normalcy.

[Jodithgrace]

My friend in Ireland had an Aga and it was wonderful! I think they are perfectly suited for places like Ireland, Scotland and Northern England where the weather seems perpetually damp and chilly. 

I was so excited about this show returning. I love the diversity of the cast each season and the loveliness of all of the contestants. There's none of that, "Black forest cake? Hers looks more like Black forest puddle!" kind of commentary that you get on American competition shows, and which has gotten really old. 

I love the fact, that except for the technical challenge, the contestants know the challenges in advance and get to practice them. I also get a kick out of the extremely optimistic sketches of the proposed bakes and how the reality seldom comes anywhere near them. Though Flora's Black forest cake with the pink and chocolate layers, and perfect piping came pretty darned close this week. 

I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I seldom bake from scratch. I'm also not much of a sweets eater, so I'd much rather watch people bake these amazing creations than eat them. But that's much less fattening so for me it's a win win. 

[Mabinogia]

17 minutes ago, Jodithgrace said:

I also get a kick out of the extremely optimistic sketches of the proposed bakes and how the reality seldom comes anywhere near them.

I love those sketches. I wonder what they end up doing with them. It would be pretty cool if the contestants got to take them home as a momento. It is fun to compare the sketch to the final product.

I also love the three challenge concept. No one is going to be booted off on one, single mistake. You have three chances each round. Maybe you're not so good at remembering exactly how to make something with vague instructions so you tank the technical, but you could knock it out of the park in the signature. Dorritt is a great example of that. On any typical cooking show that show stopper would have been her ticket out, but she had two other bakes that she did well enough on to survive while poor Stu overthought all three. He had the chance to stop with the alternative stuff, the judges had dropped enough hints that they wanted pretty much what they were asking for but he didn't really listen.

That's another thing I like, that the judges pretty much show when they think something is a bad idea and it's up to the baker to decide if they are going to follower that advice. It's all so civilized and not designed to humiliate or crush anyone. I think the judges, Mary in particular, really enjoy seeing what these amateurs can do. It's sweet.

[GaT]

6 hours ago, meep.meep said:

To my mind, one major reason this is successful is that the contestants get to go home between episodes.  So they get to decompress with people they know, not total strangers.

I think that helps a lot, also, they go home & practice (except for the technical I guess) what they're going to bake the next weekend which I'm sure helps a lot. They're not stressed from having something thrown at them & told to bake, though I'm sure they're stressed just from competing. But of course, when they did the US version of this, they filmed it in England so the contestants didn't get to go home during the week like the UK ones do.

[Rinaldo]

In fact, from what I recall, the bakers are told the entire schedule of signatures and showstoppers in advance of shooting episode 1, so that they can start planning and letting production know their ingredient requirements for each item. (The technicals, of course, are not known in advance.) This surprised me at first, but on consideration it makes sense that they would have more than 4 days to make their plans for some of these elaborate confections. They still undoubtedly would be doing most of their actual trial runs one week at a time.

[Quilt Fairy]

26 minutes ago, GaT said:

But of course, when they did the US version of this, they filmed it in England so the contestants didn't get to go home during the week like the UK ones do

If you're talking about the embarrassment that was the Great Holiday Baking show from last fall, I believe all of those people were already resident in Britain.

If you're talking about the American Baking Championship with Jeff Foxworthy from several years ago, which was as close to a "US version" of this show as we'll get with actually talented home bakers, I'm not sure if they went home between rounds or not, but I rather think they didn't. It's a problem of logistics: if you have people from all over the US traveling back and forth every weekend would be a lot more time-consuming and stressful than traveling around the UK (although it sounds as if the Scots contestants might be far enough away to have to fly).

[GaT]

22 minutes ago, Quilt Fairy said:

If you're talking about the embarrassment that was the Great Holiday Baking show from last fall, I believe all of those people were already resident in Britain.

Yeah, that one. If they were already living in Britain, that may explain why their skills weren't even close to the British contestants, the pool of possible bakers must be pretty small.

[Athena]

2 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I love those sketches. I wonder what they end up doing with them. It would be pretty cool if the contestants got to take them home as a momento. It is fun to compare the sketch to the final product.

 

2 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

I also get a kick out of the extremely optimistic sketches of the proposed bakes and how the reality seldom comes anywhere near them. Though Flora's Black forest cake with the pink and chocolate layers, and perfect piping came pretty darned close this week.

Tom Hovey is the illustrator. He started as an editor on the show, but they were missing a key element so he pitched the idea for illustrations. He ink sketches it, then it is scanned for colouring and the words. He actually does ink sketches based on the finished product, but he does have artistic license as his goal is always to do it as the bakers intended it. It takes him about one week to sketch one episode. He's done over 1000 for the show. Bob from S05 says he owns a couple of the sketches. For more information, please go to this somewhat spoilery article which does not have winners but does include bakes from S06:

Spoiler

Tom Hovey Illustrator

Yes, the contestants know all the Signatures and Showstoppers once they are admitted to the final 12. This allows for critical preparation of supplies and materials. Even though it's only every weekend, the shooting days are long (averaging 12 hours each day).

In the comparison of UK and US food competition shows, my favourite ones are the UK professional versions of MasterChef UK and Great British Menu. Like GBBO, these are low personality drama and it's all about the food. As with GBBO, the contestants get to go home which helps a lot. 

[jumper sage]

Love this show.  I am just upset that I know who wins.  If you want to watch Bravos the People Couch with kids, close your eyes  for the first few minutes and turn off the sound.  The kids are all Brits, and cute as all get out, so they review the final episode of what we are now watching.

[andromeda331]

After hearing so much about the show I decided to watch the season they have on Netflix which I think was last season before watching this episode. But I'm really amazed how good it is. Its so refreshing to have normal contestants. There's no villains, over the top personalities or the endless sob stories, just normal people who loved to bake. So much of what they prepare looks really good. I like the three rounds and how the contestants have been practicing at home (not the second one but the other two), I really like seeing the different takes on each recipe like the different ideas on the Black Forest cake, some panned out and others didn't. Some of the cakes looked really good and some didn't. I felt for Dorritt when her cake fell and liked Mel (?) went to go comfort her. I also really like learning about different cakes, pies, and/or different techniques. For example the Madeira cake I had never heard of before, there were some in the last season I hadn't heard of before and now what to try.  I wish more baking competitions were like this one.

[Mabinogia]

Thanks for the intel on the illustrator. Very interesting that he does the drawings after the bakes. They really are quite lovely drawings and I do think they add to the shows overall charm.

[Mondrianyone]

17 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

I was so excited about this show returning. I love the diversity of the cast each season and the loveliness of all of the contestants. There's none of that, "Black forest cake? Hers looks more like Black forest puddle!" kind of commentary that you get on American competition shows, and which has gotten really old.

It didn't really occur to me until I read your post that in the voice-overs we get from the bakers, there's virtually (or actually) no commentary on other people's efforts.  They either worry about what the judges will say about a decision they themselves are making, talk about their personal history in baking a particular item, celebrate their own victories, or lament their own failures.  I can't remember anyone ever commenting on another contestant's output, except maybe to sympathize with something that went wrong or praise something that turned out beautiful.  And always with humor and/or kindness.  Clearly there's no one on the other side of the camera encouraging them to say something bitchy.  It's lovely.  We could learn a lot from this.  But I'm pretty sure we won't.

[lucindabelle]

19 hours ago, meep.meep said:

The people who compete on Top Chef are in the food business.  I have been to many of their restaurants.  Cooking is their career.  The people who compete on this show are amateurs - they don't make their living by cooking.

A better comparison is to MasterChef where the judges and contestants are indeed frequently unpleasant.

Contestants on competitive reality shows are often sequestered from their family and friends to maintain security. That isn't the case with this show and I think it helps the contestants that they can return to normalcy.

I understand that I was just commenting on the juxtaposition of their being professionals and not going home. I understan why reality TV shows sequester but I disagree that it works. It merely makes the challenge a prison sentence which has zero to do with real life. It heightens tension artificially. 

 

People  who make a living doing a skill are not necessarily better than people who don't. Remember for many years Olympic athletes had to be "amateurs" too. Id guess most o these bakers could out a&e the people on other cooking shows. What's more most other cooking shows have an artificial ticking clock which prevents dishes that take time from being presented.

[Crisopera]

I cannot tell you how much I love this show - not one contestant uttered the words "I'm not here to make friends."  And there's a whole genre of British popular fiction about wealthy families and their discontents (usually in the upper-middle-class countryside) called "Aga Sagas."

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

PBS Gets A New Season Of The Great British Bake Off, And Loving This Premiere Is A Piece Of Cake

Get back in the tent and savor the scrumminess of Season 6!

[Kohola3]

What is it with the British and beet root?  I have never seen it in the US and the reaction to it makes me really reluctant to ever try it, especially in baked goods.  I adore beets but I can't imagine incorporating them into a cake.

Some of the signature bakes looked SO yummy!

[tpickles7437]

What is it with the British and beet root?  I have never seen it in the US and the reaction to it makes me really reluctant to ever try it, especially in baked goods.  I adore beets but I can't imagine incorporating them into a cake.

Some of the signature bakes looked SO yummy!

I love beets too - a couple years ago, I had an amazing crop from the garden and didn't know what to do with them. I gave a lot away, but turns out, lots of people I know hate beets. My husband and his family are pretty anti-beet, so I googled for ways to sort of hide them in recipes, like how people do with zucchini. Found a recipe for a chocolate cake with shredded beets in the cake, and pulverized beets in the frosting. It was sooooooo good. A real pain in the ass to make, but delicious!
(But my in-laws were very offended that I "tricked" them into eating beets, so I haven't made it again)

[Rick Kitchen]

I think people who want to stay organic use beetroot as a red coloring instead of artificial coloring

[ElectricBoogaloo]

You can definitely add beet root for color without any beet flavor. I recently went to a restaurant that had lamb cupcakes with mashed potato frosting that were dyed pink with beet root. They were an awesome bright pink color and they just tasted like mashed potatoes.

[Clanstarling]

I'm thrilled the show is back too. I've only seen one season before (thank you Netflix - or was it Amazon?).

In these troubling times, watching an episode is like slipping into a warm bath with a nice glass of wine. Sheer pleasure. I record it and watch it with my grown daughter when she has the time. It's a lovely time to spend together.

Mary must have quite the capacity for gin. She should get together with a former teacher of mine who brought a Harvey Wallbanger cake to our final. By the time I was mid essay, I was (illegally, since I was underage) feeling no pain.

[Rinaldo]

The UK is my favorite country to visit -- I've been there several times and I hope to go again, i love the places, the arts, and the people. But boy, can they put away the drink. A pint or three with lunch in the pub, something civilized late in the afternoon, wine with dinner, and very likely a top off at another pub as the evening winds down. And it doesn't seem to affect them (hats off); I had to give up even trying to keep up, or I would be on my face on the sidewalk. And even by their standards, more than one baker over the years has remarked on how Mary loves her tipple, and that the way to score high on a challenge was to "booze it up" for her; joking of course, but still founded on their perception. Along with all this goes great skill in handling it. I certainly can't imagine Mary ever losing control or slurring her words, always a perfect, poised lady.

[Juneau Gal]

This show is my happy place; absolutely adore it and am so glad we are getting another season. It is beyond refreshing to watch people who are happy for the winner, sad for the loser, and do ALL of this simply for the hope of at least once being named Star Baker and maybe, just maybe winning the loving cup at the end. No trips, appliance packages, big money. Simply a trophy and the opportunity to create with bakers under the tent and be judged by the best. 

Stu was a goner from the get go, wasn't he? Too bold and creative without the skills to back it up. I worried that with Dorret's mousse disaster she might have pulled Stu's fat out of the fire, but the judges made the correct decision. If Stu had stayed we would have just seen another week of wacky ideas gone astray. 

[lucindabelle]

On July 8, 2016 at 2:05 PM, Rinaldo said:

The UK is my favorite country to visit -- I've been there several times and I hope to go again, i love the places, the arts, and the people. But boy, can they put away the drink. A pint or three with lunch in the pub, something civilized late in the afternoon, wine with dinner, and very likely a top off at another pub as the evening winds down. And it doesn't seem to affect them (hats off); I had to give up even trying to keep up, or I would be on my face on the sidewalk. And even by their standards, more than one baker over the years has remarked on how Mary loves her tipple, and that the way to score high on a challenge was to "booze it up" for her; joking of course, but still founded on their perception. Along with all this goes great skill in handling it. I certainly can't imagine Mary ever losing control or slurring her words, always a perfect, poised lady.

Lol and its reflected in their TV shows too, delightfully. On "The Good Wife" board people were muttering darkly about Alicia  being an alkie because she poured herself a glass of red wine every night. I scoffed but it turns ou that is what the show runners as doing,

 

on "Vera" I once saw an episode where, I counted, someone was drinking iEVERY SINGLE SCENE. It's as if the directors didnt  know  what to do with their hands! And in one scene delightfully Vera the investigator drink with a person she was interrogating! Adorable