S08.E07: Italian Week

[theatremouse]

3 hours ago, dleighg said:

For the pizza, why on earth were they trying to put the pizza on the peel after they sauced it? 

Because they don't know how to make pizza? I'm assuming the instructions didn't tell them to assemble the pizza on the peel first because part of what they were testing for is knowledge of how to deal with using a peel. So the folks who assembled elsewhere failed the test.

[rab01]

On 9/8/2018 at 7:04 PM, magdalene said:

For crying out loud - why can't they put AC into that fancy tent??

This is a common issue in reality shows.  There's often no AC because it interferes with the audio recording.  

As for the heat this week, at least it did not prevent pizza or cannoli from cooking properly like has happened sometimes when the bakers are asked to do chocolate work or mousse or ice cream in 90+ degree heat.  This was incredibly unpleasant (and possible dangerous) but not interfering with the results of the challenges.

[Kathira]

On 9/8/2018 at 7:04 PM, magdalene said:

For crying out loud - why can't they put AC into that fancy tent??

Stacey in particular looked so beet red at one point that I feared for her well-being.

Air conditioning makes noise that makes filming difficult, when part of the show is to hear what people are saying. I've read more than one interview with contestants where they talk about that. It's true on Top Chef also, where the kitchens they work in have not only many ovens, but hot stove tops also. At least they're usually inside. (Not always, though, and some of their more memorable moments have been outside in the elements.) I feel most sorry for the baking show folks when it's rainy and damp. Maybe the heat melts their fancy decorations, but the damp and humidity has to be a bear to deal with when you are trying to get your dough to rise properly. 

[chaifan]

This was a weird week for me.  I know they've done fried dough as a theme in the past, but outside of that theme I don't think cannoli (cannolo) fits in a baking challenge.  Don't get me wrong - I love cannoli, and I love some of the flavor combos that were shown.  I'm just saying that there's no baking, and it's a baking show. 

I'm also not sure how I feel about pizza as a GBBO challenge.  Yeah, it's baked.  But I don't think of pizza as something that falls into a general "baked goods" category.  It just seemed a bit out of place.  The other problem is, "good" pizza is a totally subjective thing.  I don't care what label you put on it - sicilian style, New York style, Chicago style - there are still a lot of variations, and most of it comes down to personal preference.  So I could see it as a signature bake, but I didn't like it as a technical where only one version was acceptable.

So I think they were stretching a bit on what to put in an Italian theme week.  The sfagablahblahblah looked wonderful, though!  I never heard of them before, and now  want one. 

I was a bit surprised it was Yan and not Kate that left this week.  Kate should be the next to go, followed by Stacey.  My guess at the final 3 is Steven, Liam and Sophie.  And any of them could take the win. 

[WookieeCookieez]

I was curious how Kate managed to get her finger into the fan to be cut. I don't recall seeing fans on the benches near where they were working, so how did she accidentally stick her finger into the blades? I'm also assuming that any fans wouldn't have had exposed blades without any kind of wire cage/cover for safety. I just don't get it.

That said, I was very disappointed that Yan was sent home instead of Kate, who didn't ever produce anything that really impressed me.

[Kohola3]

The whole Italian week thing just didn't sit well with me.  Maybe, as chaifan says, the taste of pizza is really subjective and regional as well so I don't give a lot of credence to the judging.  Did pizza even originate in Italy, at least in the form we we see it today?  The whole episode just seemed off somehow.

[spaceghostess]

On 9/10/2018 at 10:54 AM, dleighg said:

For the pizza, why on earth were they trying to put the pizza on the peel after they sauced it? And it looks like many of them skipped a sprinkle of flour or corn meal or semolina on the peel so that it slides off. Personally I bake my pizza on parchment on the stone. Slides right off my cookie sheet :)

I also wondered why nobody was using parchment. I prepare the pizza on the parchment and deposit both on the super-hot stone. Bake, slide parchment and pizza off the stone, and we're in business!

I was meh on Italian Week. Or maybe just frustrated by it because there isn't a chance in hell to get decent (or any) sfogliatelle where we live.

Edited September 29, 2018 by spaceghostess
Accidental spoilage

[Rickster]

Count me as someone who also uses parchment very successfully with pizza, although I trim the paper to roughly the shape of the pizza when its on the peel.

I thought one issue with this episode is that Italian desserts like cannoli and sfogliatelle are usually judged by consumers on a basis of authenticity, with arguements over things like whether chocolate chips in the ricotta filling are acceptable or not (at least where I live), while on the other hand, the bakers on GBBO are trying to display creativity in fillings and flavorings to distinguish themselves. I thought this created a sort of dissonance in the episode, like where Paul quizzes one contestant on whether she’s going to use sheep’s milk ricotta to make an authenic cannoli, while in other corners of the tent people are stuffing cannoli tubes with things like Smores. I thought applying creativity to these sorts of items just didn’t work, while on the other hand, French patisserie seems to accept innovation and creativity very readily.

[Lovecat]

On 9/28/2018 at 10:09 AM, spaceghostess said:

I also wondered why nobody was using parchment. I prepare the pizza on the parchment and deposit both on the super-hot stone. Bake, slide parchment and pizza off the stone, and we're in business!

I was meh on Italian Week. Or maybe just frustrated by it because there isn't a chance in hell to get decent (or any) sfogliatelle where we live.

Production removed their rolling pins, forcing them to hand-toss the dough, so I’d wager they removed the parchment paper from their drawers to force them to figure out the peels.  Either that or it was so hot no one could think straight enough to get to parchment as a simple solution to the problem!

[desertflower]

I'm way behind, just now watching this season on Netflix. But I just wanted to say Noel cracked me up when he said he couldn't tell where Paul's finger ended and the cannoli began since they were the same color. Then later he said maybe he could request that color next time he goes in for his spray tan. Lol! I'm enjoying the new hosts. 

[Bethanne]

On 9/4/2018 at 3:55 AM, GaT said:

I'm completely unspoiled, but at this point, I don't see how Stephen doesn't win. He seems like the most consistently good to me.

I was wondering if the "never before" Italian week was a result of channel 4 wanting something different, or a result of just making a change to keep a show fresh. Italian week felt a bit different to me (maybe it was the pizza), & I worry about channel 4 wanting things that will change the show.

I don't think the things she picks for the technical are in the same league as the things Mary picked. 

I think for me, Mary was so properly British. Her entire demeanor, all the way down to the technical bakes that she chose, were just the epitome of what the show is meant to highlight. True, fussy, British baking. Pure, while I love her in a different way, is too...clunky. I don’t know if that makes any sense! 

[ABay]

Compared to Mary and the former feeling of the show, Pru is kind of uncouth.

[ombelico]

2 hours ago, ABay said:

Compared to Mary and the former feeling of the show, Pru is kind of uncouth.

We're all uncouth compared to Mary.

[ABay]

Fuckin' A.

[chaifan]

On 1/6/2019 at 3:45 PM, ABay said:

Compared to Mary and the former feeling of the show, Pru is kind of uncouth.

I made this comment in one of the earlier episode threads - I see Mary as more of a mom, where Prue is the crazy aunt everyone loves.

[blueray]

Bumping this up from the future. But I found it interesting how people were describing Margherita pizza as different from what they showed on the show. Because of when I think of it, I think of 100% of what they showed including the fresh basil leaves and tomato sauce. Maybe it has to do with a fairly high portion of Italians living where I live.

I'm glad to see that other people were bothered by the heat being main problem. Get the fans lol. Maybe they did in later seasons?

Edited May 8, 2020 by blueray

[dargosmydaddy]

Just getting around to watching this now (I watched and adored the PBS seasons years ago), and I had thought I was spoiled for the season-- I could have sworn I remembered reading Yan won. Now she's eliminated and I'm torn between feeling sad (I really liked Yan, and would have much rather seen Stacey or Kate go), and kind of exhilarated that I'm not actually spoiled! Really hoping it's a Steven/ Sophie/ Liam final. I adore Steven, but I'd be thrilled seeing any of those three win.

I'm just loving this season in general, and glad I've rediscovered my GBBO love.

[LeDucDiableBleu]

On 9/6/2021 at 11:24 PM, dargosmydaddy said:

Just getting around to watching this now (I watched and adored the PBS seasons years ago), and I had thought I was spoiled for the season-- I could have sworn I remembered reading Yan won. Now she's eliminated and I'm torn between feeling sad (I really liked Yan, and would have much rather seen Stacey or Kate go), and kind of exhilarated that I'm not actually spoiled! Really hoping it's a Steven/ Sophie/ Liam final. I adore Steven, but I'd be thrilled seeing any of those three win.

I'm just loving this season in general, and glad I've rediscovered my GBBO love.

 

This is my favorite season, and I just finished binge-ing it for umpth time. No spoilers - when I first watched I didn't really care for Kate, but the more I watched the more I grew to like her. She just seemed surprised to be there every week and making the most of it. I adore Steven and Liam. And more than anyone on GBBO I liked the flavors Liam picked. I think I must have similar tastebuds and cravings lol. One day I will make his millionaire shortbreads with peanut butter caramel, but I'm not nearly skilled enough yet!