The Kitchen - General Discussion

[trudysmom]

10 hours ago, chick binewski said:

I'm torn between thinking the fancy-shaming of GZ is forced by producers and that the cast actually hates him.

Agree!  I wish they would leave him alone.  They pounce on his every move, like bullies in school waiting to pick on the nerdy kid. Personally, I hate arugula ( all bitter/spicy greens for that matter) but the salad looked great.  Those fresh tomatoes really did it for me. 

Sunny having no clue how to build a 'jar-fait', really did it for me in a whole different way. She's giving Sandra Lee a run for her money at this point. 

[Cozytea]

Sunny really isn't even part of the show anymore.  Did anyone else think the outside area Sunny was in looked fake? I know they have a real outside area. I wonder if they built Sunny an area to spare  her from cooking in the rain like last week ?

I don't understand what all the no mayo "shock" was about. Yeah, there is macaroni salad with hard cooked egg and mayo but a pasta salad with a vinaigrette is pretty common too, isnt it?  I've never put arugula in mine but GZ's looked good. I always put in blanched broccoli,  grape tomatoes, olives, diced provolone,  diced Genoa salami and a vinaigrette and rotini pasta.  Simple but yummy .

Loved Alex's fruit salad.  The melon looked so refreshing. 

[bichonblitz]

4 hours ago, Cozytea said:

I wonder if they built Sunny an area to spare  her from cooking in the rain like last week ?

Is Sunny so special that they would build her a special outside area? Get your butt inside like the rest of them, Sunny, or get off the show. I'm sure it would be no problem to find a replacement for her that would be an actual team player since she really brings nothing of importance to the show. Ice tea in a bag. 

[Yeah No]

16 hours ago, maggiemae said:

I think this was filmed relatively recently and I find it annoying they are not all outside or Sunny inside. Or tasting!

They are tasting now but I doubt these last two weeks were filmed that recently judging from the outerwear Sunny is still wearing in these episodes.  It's been beastly hot and humid in this area for well over a month now.  That's annoying because they should at least film some Summer episodes in the actual Summer.

4 hours ago, Cozytea said:

Sunny really isn't even part of the show anymore.  Did anyone else think the outside area Sunny was in looked fake? I know they have a real outside area. I wonder if they built Sunny an area to spare  her from cooking in the rain like last week ?

It looked like the real outside area to me but I think they actually installed an awning to protect her from the rain.  But the water that looked like it was streaming down the camera lens was completely ridiculous as is everything about Sunny these days.

2 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

Is Sunny so special that they would build her a special outside area? Get your butt inside like the rest of them, Sunny, or get off the show. I'm sure it would be no problem to find a replacement for her that would be an actual team player since she really brings nothing of importance to the show. Ice tea in a bag. 

I think they built her an awning but still I thought the same thing as you!  She'd probably have to take a crap on a plate before they'd get rid of her.  I will not explain that comment...

Edited July 18, 2021 by Yeah No

[chick binewski]

9 hours ago, trudysmom said:

Agree!  I wish they would leave him alone.  They pounce on his every move, like bullies in school waiting to pick on the nerdy kid. Personally, I hate arugula ( all bitter/spicy greens for that matter) but the salad looked great.  Those fresh tomatoes really did it for me. 

 

4 hours ago, Cozytea said:

Sunny really isn't even part of the show anymore.  Did anyone else think the outside area Sunny was in looked fake? I know they have a real outside area. I wonder if they built Sunny an area to spare  her from cooking in the rain like last week ?

I don't understand what all the no mayo "shock" was about. Yeah, there is macaroni salad with hard cooked egg and mayo but a pasta salad with a vinaigrette is pretty common too, isnt it?  I've never put arugula in mine but GZ's looked good. I always put in blanched broccoli,  grape tomatoes, olives, diced provolone,  diced Genoa salami and a vinaigrette and rotini pasta.  Simple but yummy .

Loved Alex's fruit salad.  The melon looked so refreshing. 

I make a tuna noodle pasta salad that's soaked in mayo & I love it but yeah, other than traditional macaroni salad many pasta salads don't use mayo. 

I'm finding arugula to have a really irritating mouth-feel lately, so I chiffonade (as best I can) a little fresh spinach, avocado, goat cheese and whatever good tomato I can find and toss with a little lemon dressing (homemade on the odd occasion when I'm not being lazy) and GZ is right - it's SO good when it's on the warm-ish side.

And he didn't call them out when they misidentified rotini as fusilli!!

Since Sunny stopped filming in her backyard with the sad grill (her yard seemed like she had a lot of space but ffs Michael Symon doesn't use a $10k grill - he just has the good sense to set out a worktable) it seems like she's filming where the show used to go for their "outdoor" set - they just moved in the fence a bit. Am I wrong on that?

 

[scenicbyway]

I would guess there were Covid requirements to get everyone back like not tasting each other’s food and staying 6 feet apart.  I’d rather have Sunny in studio than Alex… 

Perhaps there’s a medical reason Sunny is outside? Maybe it’s capacity? They couldn’t spread them out in the studio enough so just decided to keep Sunny out at the grill?

I’m surprised Katie went back in, she’d been fairly isolated before.

I enjoyed the show more from their home kitchens, it’s always been an awkward show.

[annzeepark914]

I watched today's show, hoping it would be a repeat of yesterdays. But, it was from maybe 2016 or '18??  GZ's steak with a salsa of sorts looked very good. I'm going to try peeling a mango his way (usually it's such a mess peeling with the mango falling apart on me). Eventually I had to turn it off. Katy's vocal fry & Sunny's bellowing got on my last, frazzled nerve.

[biakbiak]

Sunny commented a few months ago on one of her IG photos that she has autoimmune issues and felt safer filming outside with just one camera person. 

Edited July 18, 2021 by biakbiak

[annzeepark914]

2 minutes ago, scenicbyway said:

I enjoyed the show more from their home kitchens, it’s always been an awkward show.

This!!!^^^^ "Awkward show" is the *perfect* description of The Kitchen. It's the phoney kibbitzing, back & forth ad nauseum, that's the problem.  

[Yeah No]

38 minutes ago, scenicbyway said:

I would guess there were Covid requirements to get everyone back like not tasting each other’s food and staying 6 feet apart.  I’d rather have Sunny in studio than Alex… 

Perhaps there’s a medical reason Sunny is outside? Maybe it’s capacity? They couldn’t spread them out in the studio enough so just decided to keep Sunny out at the grill?

Actually the Covid restrictions went away in the tri-state area months ago now, like in May so perhaps they filmed these last two episodes after that happened but before it got really hot, because they were back to tasting.

I'm thinking Sunny is a curious combination of two things - very Covid avoidant due to medical issues and also vaccine avoidant (or if not avoidant not trusting its effectiveness for her) as well.  Which would explain her not wanting to be that close to anyone indoors.  But it doesn't really make too much sense anyway because if anyone did any research they'd find out that even an un-vaccinated person has very little likelihood of catching Covid outdoors especially from vaccinated people and especially if they're more than 6 feet apart.  

What really gets me is that because of her no one else can be outside or cook on the gas grill.  I seriously got the impression that Jeff in particular is not happy about this after hearing some of his under-breath comments about how certain things he was cooking on the stove-top grill pan came out better on an actual grill.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Yeah No

[chessiegal]

I think Sunny has said she has UC (ulcerative colitis). So does my husband. I'll give that he has a milder version, but his very attentive butt doctor said nothing to him about being more vulnerable to Covid. He's also been fully vaccinated since March, and took every precaution before then.

Sunny seems to have issues beyond having underlying physical health issues. She seems very thin-skinned.

[Yeah No]

5 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I think Sunny has said she has UC (ulcerative colitis). So does my husband. I'll give that he has a milder version, but his very attentive butt doctor said nothing to him about being more vulnerable to Covid. He's also been fully vaccinated since March, and took every precaution before then.

Sunny seems to have issues beyond having underlying physical health issues. She seems very thin-skinned.

I agree, I don't think she needs to worry as much as she does.  I am THE most Covid worried person out there.  I have several risk factors including being older than she is plus my father died of Covid so if anyone has reason to be nervous it's me, and yet I have been vaccinated am dining indoors these days, carefully.  Of course if the numbers go up again I might stop doing that but while they're so low I'm enjoying myself.  I hope she gets over her fear because it's crippling and no way to live your life.  I get it that people with autoimmune issues can't be sure how much the vaccine is protecting them but when numbers are so low, which they have been around here for a couple of months now, your risk is already that much lower.  Plus if you're in a room with only a few vaccinated people in it, once again your risk is even lower.  Plus if those people are outdoors with you socially distanced, the risk is almost nonexistent.  So IMO her fear is pathological at this point.

[biakbiak]

16 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

I think Sunny has said she has UC (ulcerative colitis). So does my husband. I'll give that he has a milder version, but his very attentive butt doctor said nothing to him about being more vulnerable to Covid. He's also been fully vaccinated since March, and took every precaution before then.

Yes, she has UC but that doesn’t mean that is her only issue. Also, is there any indication she isn’t fully vaccinated? 

5 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Plus if those people are outdoors with you socially distanced, the risk is almost nonexistent.  So IMO her fear is pathological at this point.

We literally have no idea when they filmed these episodes and even pre-covid they often filmed several at a time so this could have been filmed months ago. On her IG she has been out and about this summer. 

Edited July 18, 2021 by biakbiak

[buttersister]

I'm going to respect Sunny's choice here. And be open to the idea that she finds her cohosts annoying AF and this is a great way to not be around them.

[Mondrianyone]

22 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Sunny seems to have issues beyond having underlying physical health issues. She seems very thin-skinned.

This for sure. There's some reason she didn't want to let them film in her house, and I don't think health or COVID had much if anything to do with it. But now that's she's made such an issue of it, she's kind of locked herself into that position and out of the studio (although she had no problem filming that Easter basket competition show indoors with total strangers).

So today she froze bags of tea and squished cookies and premade pudding into cups till they overflowed. She really brings a lot to the table.

[biakbiak]

1 minute ago, Mondrianyone said:

There's some reason she didn't want to let them film in her house,

She stated that it was her sanctuary and she liked to separate her work life from her home life. Seems like she decided on boundaries ans stuck with them which seems pretty healthy to me. 

Edited July 18, 2021 by biakbiak

[trudysmom]

I've come to dislike Sunny to an unreasonable degree but I have to respect her choices in regard to Covid.  It may seem like over-vigilance to some but for those who are truly fearful it cannot be taken too seriously.  I wish they would just do her segment and be done, then back to the kitchen or vice versa.  Stop pretending that she's just a few steps away on the patio, you're not fooling anyone!!

[Mondrianyone]

16 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

She stated that it was her sanctuary and she liked to separate her work life from her home life. Seems like she decided on boundaries ans stuck with them which seems pretty healthy to me. 

Except I can remember numerous times she's filmed in her house--at least once pretty recently when Jeff sent her a box of meat to advertise his new business and she opened it in her living room. I know the "sanctuary" premise seems somewhat reasonable, but I'm just not buying it.

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

We literally have no idea when they filmed these episodes and even pre-covid they often filmed several at a time so this could have been filmed months ago. On her IG she has been out and about this summer. 

Having watched this all Winter long and seeing her outside her own house in the snow I can pretty much pinpoint the start of the in-studio episodes at sometime in April.  That was around the time the Covid numbers in this area started going down a lot plus the vaccine was available.  But all that doesn't really make much difference because no matter when these episodes were filmed it still remains that even unvaccinated and at risk her chances of catching Covid from the cast outdoors while carefully socially distanced would be pretty remote or so say the many articles written indicating that there are no known cases ever to have been conclusively traced to such a situation.  I just think it's beyond ridiculous that they had an episode on grilling and couldn't even show most of the cast actually, you know.....grilling.  If she was that uncomfortable they could have excluded her from the scenes in which the others were outside grilling.  I don't know why the show should be being severely curtailed because of her and her pathological fears.

[Irlandesa]

4 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

I watched today's show, hoping it would be a repeat of yesterdays. But, it was from maybe 2016 or '18??  GZ's steak with a salsa of sorts looked very good. I'm going to try peeling a mango his way

I don't love shrimp but Jeff's treatment of the shrimp in the spring (or summer I guess online) roll bowl looked good for me so I made it tonight except with salmon.  I put the siracha seasoning on it, baked it and then made the glaze to pour over it at the end.

It. was. delish! I never watch repeats but I'm glad I did today.  The only segment I recognized I think was the final segment with the multi-colored drinks. 

As for Sunny, since I don't want people judging my extra COVID precautions even though cases are low and I've been vaccinated, I'm not going to judge her even if she might go further than I do at the moment.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Irlandesa

[Yeah No]

24 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

As for Sunny, since I don't want people judging my extra COVID precautions even though cases are low and I've been vaccinated, I'm not going to judge her even if she might go further than I do at the moment.

I don't judge her for that even though I don't agree with her, but I do judge how her demanding extra precautions is affecting what the others can and can't do on the show.  I think it's pretty ridiculous for her to be the only one out there actually grilling on a grilling episode.  TPTB could have left her out of any segments filmed on the patio with the others using the outside grill but they didn't which IMO makes zero sense, but then again what has made any sense anywhere lately?  (I don't expect an answer)

[biakbiak]

52 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

don't judge her for that even though I don't agree with her, but I do judge how her demanding extra precautions is affecting what the others can and can't do on the show.  I think it's pretty ridiculous for her to be the only one out there actually grilling on a grilling episode. 

Is there an article about this being the case or is all of this just speculation, like saying she was vaccine hesitant even though I couldn’t find anything about either claim.

[Yeah No]

13 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Is there an article about this being the case or is all of this just speculation, like saying she was vaccine hesitant even though I couldn’t find anything about either claim.

It's speculation based on the fact that some people with autoimmune issues are generally vaccine hesitant based on past experiences with other vaccines.  I actually saw a serious study done on this online but I can't call it up right now.  Whether such a person needs to be hesitant or not is another question and there appears to be a lot of conflicting information on that online.  I think it depends on what kind of autoimmune condition the person has as to potential negative reactions to a vaccine, but the fact that there is conflicting information on this makes me sympathetic to anyone with that hesitancy.  There also appears to be doubt as to how well someone with an autoimmune disorder would be protected by the vaccine, so that's another reason to support such a person feeling uneasy about being around others even after getting vaccinated.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Yeah No

[annzeepark914]

Is Sriracha seasoning very hot? If so, what would be a good substitute? 

I missed the name of the drink Jeff was making in today's show. What was it called? TIA.

 

[Irlandesa]

26 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Is Sriracha seasoning very hot? If so, what would be a good substitute? 

For my first quick taste before I put it on the fish, I felt it was kind of spicy.  (I don't like spice).  But once I put it on the fish, and especially with the glaze, I had no issue with it. It's actually more on the sweeter side. 

Here are the ingredients:  sugar, garlic, onion, crushed red pepper, paprika, vinegar powder, citric acid, cayenne, cilantro.

Different brands might vary a little but those are the basics for sriracha seasoning. 

Edited July 19, 2021 by Irlandesa

[biakbiak]

2 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

It's actually more on the sweeter side. 

Yeah I frequently use it in place of ketchup or 50/50 in different things like a meatloaf glaze or bbq sauces and even my goddaughter and niece (10 and 7) don’t find it too hot. 

[Gramto6]

I often mix it with mayo as a dip for roasted cauliflower or french fries.  A tiny bit spicy but not off putting.

[Irlandesa]

To be clear, Sriracha seasoning, which is what Jeff used,  is different than the sauce. I think the sauce has more of a kick to it.

2 hours ago, Yeah No said:

TPTB could have left her out of any segments filmed on the patio with the others using the outside grill but they didn't which IMO makes zero sense, but then again what has made any sense anywhere lately? 

Right.  There are alternatives which is why I don't blame Sunny. 

And they can grill inside.  They often do with a grill pan. 

[Gramto6]

2 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

To be clear, Sriracha seasoning, which is what Jeff used,  is different than the sauce. I think the sauce has more of a kick to it.

 

I missed that part of the show. And yes, what I use is the sauce which is more on the spicy side. I didn't know there was a Sriracha "seasoning". I'll be checking Amazon for it.

[annzeepark914]

I found the drink recipe. It's a dragon fruit margarita. Looked so good with the salted rim.

[Irlandesa]

3 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

I missed that part of the show.

 

I figured when people started talking about mixing it with ketchup. Easy mistake to make if you didn't see the preparation.   Here's a version of it. I bought my local grocery store's version but they're similar.

He put it on shrimp and then made lime honey sauce he glazed the shrimp in for the last bit of its cooking.  Like I said, I made that separately and put it on top of my salmon.  I love lime so the sweet, acidity and fattiness of the salmon worked so well for me.  It'd probably be good in a salad as well.

 

 

 

[Gramto6]

18 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

 

I figured when people started talking about mixing it with ketchup. Easy mistake to make if you didn't see the preparation.   Here's a version of it. I bought my local grocery store's version but they're similar.

He put it on shrimp and then made lime honey sauce he glazed the shrimp in for the last bit of its cooking.  Like I said, I made that separately and put it on top of my salmon.  I love lime so the sweet, acidity and fattiness of the salmon worked so well for me.  It'd probably be good in a salad as well.

 

 

 

Thanks I found that on Amazon and I put it on my Shopping List. I am a spicy person so I actually like the sauce just fine. It burns for a second or so but it is a so good burn...I'll take it!

Edited July 19, 2021 by Gramto6

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

I missed that part of the show. And yes, what I use is the sauce which is more on the spicy side. I didn't know there was a Sriracha "seasoning". I'll be checking Amazon for it.

I'll have to look for it too.  I'm not a spicy person but I like Sriracha.  It has about the same heat level as Frank's hot sauce so it's not too spicy for me in moderation.  I love it in noodle soups like pho.  Speaking of Frank's, they make a dry hot sauce seasoning and even a Buffalo seasoning.  I just saw them in my local supermarket.

[bichonblitz]

Sunny has posted on Instragram photo's of her hanging out with people. There are also photo's of her on "Beat Bobby Flay" where she is sitting closely with other judges.  I don't buy her Covid fear. 

[biakbiak]

57 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

Sunny has posted on Instragram photo's of her hanging out with people. There are also photo's of her on "Beat Bobby Flay" where she is sitting closely with other judges.  I don't buy her Covid fear. 

There is a lot of evidence that the episodes now airing were filmed in 2019. Like Chopped which had a ton of episodes banked and did not go back into production.

Its not at all uncommon. Worst Cooks episodes were also filmed pre-pandemic. And sometimes have aired two years after they were actually filmed.

Edited July 19, 2021 by biakbiak

[StatisticalOutlier]

22 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

"Awkward show" is the *perfect* description of The Kitchen. It's the phoney kibbitzing, back & forth ad nauseum, that's the problem.  

The kibbitzing is why I watch the show.  The recipes are secondary, which is probably why I didn't like the home shows at all.  I also like the random tips, which are more frequent when they're all together.

On the cucumber in fruit salad issue, I have a friend who hates cucumbers.  He doesn't really know why, but I think it has to do with when he worked in a grocery store like 60 years ago and was around rotting watermelons.  He also can't stand watermelons, and I really concentrated once and decided that cucumbers and watermelons (both of which I love) have a kind of similar taste.  So I can see cucumbers fitting in in a melon salad if watermelon would. 

One thing I didn't understand was Alex's aversion to chicken skin when discussing fried chicken (GZ's on that same page), but upon tasting Jeff's fried chicken, saying she was ambivalent about the meat but would be happy to eat just the crust.  It's made of skin.

[Yeah No]

3 hours ago, biakbiak said:

There is a lot of evidence that the episodes now airing were filmed in 2019. Like Chopped which had a ton of episodes banked and did not go back into production.

Its not at all uncommon. Worst Cooks episodes were also filmed pre-pandemic. And sometimes have aired two years after they were actually filmed.

This article is speculation on "Beat Bobby Flay", but I read the same thing somewhere else reported as fact.  I don't remember where, although I remember thinking it was a reliable source.  It could have been Bobby Flay on his social media answering fans questions.  Also, the last two seasons of "Hell's Kitchen" were filmed pre-pandemic.  I think the one airing now was filmed in 2018!

I just had a pet peeve moment because the author of the article under your link used the word "unphased" when it should be "unfazed".  Seriously, sometimes I think we're living in the end times. 😏

[annzeepark914]

Back in the 80's or early 90's, KFC offered skinless fried chicken. I loved it. But that didn't last long. It has to be mega crunchy for me to enjoy fried chicken. So, I always get wings (more crunch, less meat)...from Popeyes, along with sides of red beans & rice, and coke slaw. Alex needs to visit Popeyes 😎

6 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

😎

 

6 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

😎

 

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by annzeepark914

[Irlandesa]

I remember seeing Bobby Flay in interviews in the past year and he was very open that, by happenstance, he had a ridiculous number of episodes banked.  Something like 100. 

Chopped also had episodes banked but I also think it's pretty clear, with their outdoor competitions, that they've done some pandemic-era episodes.

[buttersister]

Older episode on earlier ( from the five-host days). Banter just as lame. Recipes not that interesting, Katie’s voice screeched, Jeff was obnoxious and ill at ease next to Geoff. Jet Tila showed up to make beef ‘n’ broccoli for Thursday dinner and clearly hadn’t received coaching, lots of “yo” that sounded like a nervous tick. Sunny’s wigs have improved, though.

[buttersister]

On 7/18/2021 at 8:48 PM, Yeah No said:

I do judge how her demanding extra precautions is affecting what the others can and can't do on the show

Is she a producer now? Because that's who decides who does what.

[chick binewski]

If Katie thinks eggplants stuffed with harissa chicken & pine nuts is fun for kids I think she is in for a long and arduous process feeding her daughter.

The roasted carrots looked like they were done nicely but idk about pairing them with carrot top pesto. Also, I take back my guess that Sherri is on the regular outdoor set - I caught the upper corner and it looks like she's in the backyard of a house in Jersey (it just had a very specific feel to me).

They may be filming out of sequence but they're back to not eating this week! 

[buttersister]

7 hours ago, chick binewski said:

but idk about pairing them with carrot top pesto.

I’ve done that. Carrot tops are on the bitter side and carrots on the sweet side, so can be a nice combo. Suggest balancing the tops in the pesto, adding basil.  

[Westiepeach]

On 7/24/2021 at 2:20 PM, chick binewski said:

If Katie thinks eggplants stuffed with harissa chicken & pine nuts is fun for kids I think she is in for a long and arduous process feeding her daughter. 

Can’t really fault her for that. If that is what she will feed her daughter at a young age… that is what her daughter will consider normal. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[chick binewski]

39 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

Can’t really fault her for that. If that is what she will feed her daughter at a young age… that is what her daughter will consider normal. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I love seeing little foodie but I posted the morning after having dinner with my three nieces. We're a family who loves to  eat everything yet it is a battle of wills to get 2 of the kids to try anything more than buttered noodles.

Now, when I was young this simply would not have been tolerated - I had to eat what was served. Sometimes that was great (and I think it's served me well as a home cook), but sometimes mom served peppers and eggplant and a whole host of other foods some children's palates might not welcome.  But it all depends on the kid.

[annzeepark914]

We ate what we were served. Sometimes my mom prepared crispy fried eggplant with ketchup to dip it into. To this day I think of eggplant as meat (strange!) and love eggplant. When we had steamed asparagus, she put a shot glass filled with a mayo/ketchup mixture by our plates so we could dip the asparagus.

[Koalagirl]

On 7/19/2021 at 12:12 PM, biakbiak said:

There is a lot of evidence that the episodes now airing were filmed in 2019. Like Chopped which had a ton of episodes banked and did not go back into production

Saturday’s show had to have been filmed after June 2020 because Alex is wearing her engagement ring and she got engaged that month. 

[biakbiak]

52 minutes ago, Koalagirl said:

Saturday’s show had to have been filmed after June 2020 because Alex is wearing her engagement ring and she got engaged that month. 

I was referring to Beat Bobby Flay, where a poster was using the fact that Sunny was on that show with no social distancing and so wasn’t actually concerned about Covid not about this show which clearly has been filming during the pandemic. 

Edited July 26, 2021 by biakbiak

[Koalagirl]

17 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I was referring to Beat Bobby Flay, where a poster was using the fact that Sunny was on that show with no social distancing and so wasn’t actually concerned about this show which clearly has been filming during the pandemic. 

Aha!  I thought there was general speculation as to when these shows were taped.  

[Yeah No]

Chicken stuffed with eggplant and pine nuts would have been a tame dish in my childhood.  Growing up in a Sicilian family I was eating clams on the half shell, lobster, sardines, calamari, mussels, all manner of spicy dishes and complicated flavors and textures galore.  Stuff like meatballs, braciole, spicy sausages and peppers, etc.  And my mother never forced me to eat anything, LOL.  It really does depend on the kid.  Plus my family were gifted cooks.  My husband (who I met when he was 21) said he thought he was a picky eater until he met me and ate my family's food.  He had no idea that fish and seafood could taste so good, not to mention vegetables.  His family were just horrible cooks!