Spring Baking Championship - General Discussion

[Cetacean]

I didn't mind Molly tonight. But there are still SO MANY bakers left.  How long is this going to drag on?  Until the summer solstice?

[Grizzly]

Kim went home because they couldn't taste the sesame in her cake.

I loved the colors in Nancy's outfit. Can't believe Duff spent 10 minutes on that bird head. Added nothing to the piece. Wonder if Romy knew how useless that advantage was? Most of the cakes were beautiful.

[TomGirl]

2 minutes ago, Grizzly said:

I loved the colors in Nancy's outfit.

Me, too.  I liked her hair tonight as well.  

[susannah]

I haven't seen this show this season except for a bit of the first show. I watched a few minutes tonight, and now I know why posters have been going on about Molly. I couldn't stand to watch her five minutes! They had to make Japanese cheesecakes and she was practically pinning a guy into the corner, "what are you using, why are you using it," with her teeth kind of bared! She's scary!

[mlp]

Based upon the judges' comments and what I could see, I fully expected Kim to be eliminated.  Tom did mess up the writing on his cookie but they said it tasted good.  I was happy with the decision.

[libgirl2]

I will say the cakes were gorgeous. The bird was okay. 

[MsMalin]

On 3/26/2022 at 7:59 AM, RuntheTable said:

However, I did not appreciate Dennis coming out. There is a time and a place for everything, and I am not watching a baking competition to hear about the contestants sexual preferences

Exactly! What's next? Having to hear about a childhood  trauma or someone's divorce ? It has nothing to do with cooking.  

I would feel somewhat sad if I were the parents hearing my son was gay from a tv cooking show. 

[rlc]

I hope that Dennis doesn’t ‘whoops’ himself into the finals. Carolyn, Justin, and Romy are my picks for top 3, but I fear that their lack of story/drama will supersede their baking abilities.

[libgirl2]

30 minutes ago, rlc said:

I hope that Dennis doesn’t ‘whoops’ himself into the finals. Carolyn, Justin, and Romy are my picks for top 3, but I fear that their lack of story/drama will supersede their baking abilities.

Yea, it seems they really want someone with a "story". 

[littlebennysmom]

This is now Spring Baking Championship with Molly Yeh and special guest star Tom!

Edited March 29, 2022 by littlebennysmom

[butterbody]

15 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

In the Cherry Blossom episode, I liked that Caroline asked to sample her own cheesecake! 

She ate her cake, too! I've never seen a baker ask to taste their stuff and I would wanna know, too!

I also can't stand Molly. I really wanted to watch that Ben & Jerry show but she absolutely ruined it. I couldn't get past the first episode.

Last night I made the banana cake from a few episodes ago. I used the same canned dulce de leche. Nancy was right, they really do need to bottle that stuff. Oh wait, they already did. He got it out of the can and nobody noticed!

[marmalade]

This show is really evolved  into a reality show that  is really not about the baking , but more about characters.

I really was annoyed when Tom had to announce he was a drag Queen and Dennis had to come out last week while baking .  I don’t have a problem with either , just don’t see why this was brought up while baking . 
I really think that these contestants bring on drama or reveal major things during a bakery show to help them get noticed and also affect the judging .

Dennis got two ribbons after coming out!

BTW the ribbons are childish are pointless , just like Molly ! 

Tom’s antics are also annoying . He seems like a person who is using the baking show for other reasons . He is drama is so stupid . But I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up being a FN “personality” even if he loses .

Molly’s overly dramatic reactions are like kindergarten trwcher on steroids . She had to blab so much they they cut the judging comments down . She also has to sit at the table and stuff her stupid face and make ridiculous expressions while she eats .

I really think Diego , Romny and Carolyn are the best bakers, but I don’t know if they have exciter dippy Molly enough with stories to get them into the finals .

Edited March 29, 2022 by marmalade

[Madding crowd]

I like Justin too but he doesn’t act crazy or add crazy details to his bakes so he probably won’t go to the end. Still don’t like Molly , she over acts all the time.

[libgirl2]

3 minutes ago, Madding crowd said:

I like Justin too but he doesn’t act crazy or add crazy details to his bakes so he probably won’t go to the end. Still don’t like Molly , she over acts all the time.

They tried with Justin and the color blindness but I guess he just isn't crazy enough for them. 

[Madding crowd]

To me his bakes looked nice but somewhat understated compared to the others, but I don’t see the colors being that off. 

[dleighg]

So for the bakers who've never made a Japanese cheesecake-- how on earth would they know where to begin? Are they given some sort of heads up ahead of time? Or given a basic recipe?

And while I get that everything has to be (theoretically) edible, no one ever actually eats wafer paper, do they?

[Cetacean]

20 minutes ago, dleighg said:

So for the bakers who've never made a Japanese cheesecake-- how on earth would they know where to begin?

I'm sure they are notified ahead what the expectations will be for every episode.  This isn't a technical challenge where they get a rudimentary recipe and have to figure it out.  

[Maya]

Has anyone tried a Japanese cheesecake? I’m wondering how it compares to the American version, other than its fluffy texture. Is the taste similar or is it milder? Everyone was adding so many other flavors. 

[Cetacean]

I don't know about the cheesecake but I have had desserts from a Japanese bakery and they were never very sweet.

[marmalade]

Why did Molly have resent cherry blossom festivals as if it’s something that is so unusual   Duh Washington had a cherry blossom festival and so do many city’s in the US.

I think  choosing Japanese cheesecake was a bit unfair to those who don’t know how to make it .   
Tom didn’t make a good cake .  It was savory and it looked really bad , but he totally has the spotlight because of his “personality “! 

[MyMaui]

Spoiler

 

I was hoping it was Tom going home.  I'm tired of him after this episode. Please take Molly with you when you leave.  I like Carolyn but what was with the 'can I taste it with you'.  Reminded me of Richard Blais from Top Chef.  They should have said no, you had time to taste it before you presented.  

 

I guess I am just over this season.  Molly's name added, Molly's farmhouse added, Molly's ribbons added. It is not Molly's show.  You ruined the Halloween Pumpkin Wars with this crap of hosting.  It didn't work.  

 I want it to be baking championship with a host that is not front and center and the "star" of this show.  There should be no star of the show.  It should be a host with bakers.

If they want to do this then I will watch other shows.  I hope your ratings will reflect what people want and not what Food Network wants to do.

[Spunkygal]

30 minutes ago, MyMaui said:

  Hide contents

 

I was hoping it was Tom going home.  I'm tired of him after this episode. Please take Molly with you when you leave.  I like Carolyn but what was with the 'can I taste it with you'.  Reminded me of Richard Blais from Top Chef.  They should have said no, you had time to taste it before you presented.  

 

I guess I am just over this season.  Molly's name added, Molly's farmhouse added, Molly's ribbons added. It is not Molly's show.  You ruined the Halloween Pumpkin Wars with this crap of hosting.  It didn't work.  

 I want it to be baking championship with a host that is not front and center and the "star" of this show.  There should be no star of the show.  It should be a host with bakers.

If they want to do this then I will watch other shows.  I hope your ratings will reflect what people want and not what Food Network wants to do.

And when Tom takes Molly with him, don’t forget to also take that stupid stool she sits on at judges table. 

[MyMaui]

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

And when Tom takes Molly with him, don’t forget to also take that stupid stool she sits on at judges table. 

Yes, yes most importantly yes!!

[Catfi9ht]

I disagreed with Carolyn's lantern cake being top 2. It looked messy and unfinished to me. I would have put it more in the middle. 

Diego didn't have a good showing this episode which made me nervous. He, Romy, and Justin are my top 3. I feel like Justin is getting overlooked because he's quiet.

I really like Duff's personality and thought we got to see it more tonight. He's so goofy and makes me laugh.

[dleighg]

I hated that at the end, after (irritating) Tom survived, the one judge said something like "don't do that to us again!". I mean, way to signal that he's a favorite.

I realized what Molly reminds me of: a preschool teacher who over-emotes CONSTANTLY with that ridiculous smile on her face. "I'm so PROUD of you!!!!!!"  That's SO SMART!!!!"

And she dresses like a little girl who's being dressed by her grandmother. (I should know; I had one of those MILs for my little girl)

[libgirl2]

19 minutes ago, dleighg said:

I hated that at the end, after (irritating) Tom survived, the one judge said something like "don't do that to us again!". I mean, way to signal that he's a favorite.

I realized what Molly reminds me of: a preschool teacher who over-emotes CONSTANTLY with that ridiculous smile on her face. "I'm so PROUD of you!!!!!!"  That's SO SMART!!!!"

And she dresses like a little girl who's being dressed by her grandmother. (I should know; I had one of those MILs for my little girl)

I felt the same way. Look at the Julia Child show, the one who left was an early favorite. So Tom can make a mistake but since he has personality they are going to give him another chance? 

12 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

I disagreed with Carolyn's lantern cake being top 2. It looked messy and unfinished to me. I would have put it more in the middle. 

Diego didn't have a good showing this episode which made me nervous. He, Romy, and Justin are my top 3. I feel like Justin is getting overlooked because he's quiet.

I really like Duff's personality and thought we got to see it more tonight. He's so goofy and makes me laugh.

I thought it looked very nice and had no problem with that. 

I agree on Justin, he is just too quiet and he also doesn't seem to be exploiting his color blindness.

[Maya]

I will be shocked if anyone other than Jaleesa wins. 

[marmalade]

So the preview showed a cookie salad for next week ? That is one of Molly’s midwestern specialties !  Is she really a producer on the show ?   How is that a competition for professional bakers ?  Not to me think it’s gross !

Molly truly seems to be mentally about 10 years old !

It seems more like Molly is not just a host but it is her show , and more than in name .

I have a feeling FN wanted more Asian representation , so Molly is being pushed front and center.  
How fair was it to have a competition based on an obscure dessert like Japanese cheesecake ?  Of course Carolyn had an advantage , she makes it all the time !   I do think her decorating was very sloppy even though the idea of the lantern was good. I think it was just her week to win so they ignored the sloppy decorating .

I have to say I am disappointed that not only has FN turned this into a bad reality show , complete with drama and characters , but they seem to want to use the show to promote things that have nothing to do with baking .

It looks like it was not ok to be white and/or  straight and get picked to be a contestant this season .  I think Justin is good , but the fact he may not be a part of the LBGTQ community and he isn’t playing up some drama might get him eliminated.

The representation of persons  of different sexual orientations, ethnicities and races is great , but in the last two baking championships there was very little or no white women in the show, and if you are white male , it seems you can not be straight .

Sorry , but I would like the show to be about the best bakers people needing to have some kind of reveal or drama while baking !  I don’t think it’s totally real , and  it seems to be staged and influencing the judging .

 

 

 

[libgirl2]

I saw the preview for the cookie salad. Yuck. 

[Catfi9ht]

I think I was so upset by the concept of a cookie "salad", I blocked it out and forgot to mention it in my comment above.

Next week might break me. 

[Cetacean]

40 minutes ago, marmalade said:

Sorry , but I would like the show to be about the best bakers people needing to have some kind of reveal or drama while baking !

They need to keep every single personal detail out and just concentrate on the baking.  So many of these competitions dissolve into tearful stories about baking with nana or finding their soulmate or dedicating life to their kids.  I don't give a rat's patootie about any of that.  If you absolutely have to say something  about their background, do it like GBBO and give a brief (and I mean seconds) bio on the first show and leave it at that.

A baking competition is not the place to make any public declarations of any kind. Just bake and shut the hell up.

[dleighg]

11 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

dedicating life to their kids

I am SO tired of the "I have to do this for my kids, to show them they can do ANYTHING."

I mean, I have two grown kids who've done fine for themselves, and I never felt a need to somehow prove something to them. I lived my life and they did "them."

[Rammchick]

19 hours ago, Maya said:

Has anyone tried a Japanese cheesecake? I’m wondering how it compares to the American version, other than its fluffy texture. Is the taste similar or is it milder? Everyone was adding so many other flavors. 

It's nothing like western cheesecake.  It generally has no taste of cheese at all, or at least I've never noticed that it does.

1 hour ago, marmalade said:

Sorry , but I would like the show to be about the best bakers people needing to have some kind of reveal or drama while baking !  I don’t think it’s totally real , and  it seems to be staged and influencing the judging .

This is for sure producer driven.  It's a hallmark of many other FN shows (looking at you, Chopped, although in fairness, they've toned it down quite a bit).  For some reason, the producers encourage this sort of "sympathy sharing", and then it's repeated over and over.

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, Catfi9ht said:

I think I was so upset by the concept of a cookie "salad", I blocked it out and forgot to mention it in my comment above.

Next week might break me. 

And it is a Molly specialty. How about next season we just have her compete against a bunch of entertaining stores? 

So a cookie salad is pudding with cookies on top? 

Edited March 30, 2022 by libgirl2

[HyeChaps]

Is Molly participating in the judging?  I hope not. 

[Cetacean]

16 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

So a cookie salad is pudding with cookies on top? 

Pretty much.  In all fairness to Molly, it is popular Minnesota/North Dakota thing.  As with so many regional dishes, it sounds bizarre to those not used to it.  It turns up at all kinds of events especially showers and church suppers.

[libgirl2]

6 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

Pretty much.  In all fairness to Molly, it is popular Minnesota/North Dakota thing.  As with so many regional dishes, it sounds bizarre to those not used to it.  It turns up at all kinds of events especially showers and church suppers.

I saw that. It just seems weird to have on a show like this. 

[Cetacean]

8 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I saw that. It just seems weird to have on a show like this. 

I don't consider it a baked dish.  I mean you bake the cookies but once they are crammed into the soft stuff they lose their crispness and taste.

[libgirl2]

2 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

I don't consider it a baked dish.  I mean you bake the cookies but once they are crammed into the soft stuff they lose their crispness and taste.

That is why I think it is kind of weird. It is more pudding than cookies. If I had mad baking skills and I went on a show and they wanted me to make pudding, I would be taken aback. 

I hope it won't be for the second round because I consider that this show's GBBO "showstopper". 

Edited March 30, 2022 by libgirl2

[marmalade]

1 hour ago, Cetacean said:

Pretty much.  In all fairness to Molly, it is popular Minnesota/North Dakota thing.  As with so many regional dishes, it sounds bizarre to those not used to it.  It turns up at all kinds of events especially showers and church suppers.

I guess I can understand it for a child’s party , but I can’t imagine adults eating and calling it a “salad”! Gross 

[libgirl2]

8 minutes ago, marmalade said:

I guess I can understand it for a child’s party , but I can’t imagine adults eating and calling it a “salad”! Gross 

It is pudding with cookies not salad. I get people might enjoy it but this is a baking show. 

Edited March 30, 2022 by libgirl2

[mlp]

17 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

I disagreed with Carolyn's lantern cake being top 2. It looked messy and unfinished to me. I would have put it more in the middle. 

I agree and it didn't feature a whole tree which the bakers were told at the start they should include.  Not all of them did so I guess that instruction didn't mean anything.

I also agree that FN has been selecting a mix of contestants with an eye to being "woke."  There has always been a mix of males and females and various ethnicities on these shows (a good thing) but, on Ali Khan's season, the contestants were almost all women "of color."  I have a hard time believing that casting was a representative sample of the application pool.  This year, they've added gay and made sure we all know about it.  The main criterion should be baking skill.  

[libgirl2]

11 minutes ago, mlp said:

I agree and it didn't feature a whole tree which the bakers were told at the start they should include.  Not all of them did so I guess that instruction didn't mean anything.

I also agree that FN has been selecting a mix of contestants with an eye to being "woke."  There has always been a mix of males and females and various ethnicities on these shows (a good thing) but, on Ali Khan's season, the contestants were almost all women "of color."  I have a hard time believing that casting was a representative sample of the application pool.  This year, they've added gay and made sure we all know about it.  The main criterion should be baking skill.  

I think there is a formula on all of these shows but again, it isn't necessarily brought up every second, it is just what it is. GBBO has a formula but they don't hit you over the head with it. I feel like I am getting hammered (and not in the fun way) every Monday night. Add to that Molly and its not as much fun anymore. 

[Darian]

2 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

It is pudding with cookies not salad. I get people might enjoy it but this is a baking show. 

Totally agree. When I hear of a food and it reminds me of something my friends and I would have concocted when we'd smoked a bunch of weed in college, it's not something I want to see on a baking show, especially when they talk about "elevating" desserts. And I know there's a "high" and "elevating" joke in there, but this season has annoyed me too much to make it. 

I can take some changes. I like the judges sitting. I like Kardea. Molly might be ok-ish if the whole thing weren't now about her and her brand. Nancy is Nancy, and she'll always annoy me.       

[libgirl2]

3 minutes ago, Darian said:

Totally agree. When I hear of a food and it reminds me of something my friends and I would have concocted when we'd smoked a bunch of weed in college, it's not something I want to see on a baking show, especially when they talk about "elevating" desserts. And I know there's a "high" and "elevating" joke in there, but this season has annoyed me too much to make it. 

I can take some changes. I like the judges sitting. I like Kardea. Molly might be ok-ish if the whole thing weren't now about her and her brand. Nancy is Nancy, and she'll always annoy me.       

OMG, my mind didn't go there but now I will be thinking that all next week. I'll be curious how they elevate it. From what I saw in pictures, its kind of like a tater tot casserole, there are people who like it (I do) but I wouldn't get a Michelin star from making it. 

[TVbitch]

6 hours ago, marmalade said:

I have a feeling FN wanted more Asian representation , so Molly is being pushed front and center

Molly is Asian?! I seriously had zero idea! I thought her last name was just her married name or something. 

I like quite a few of the bakers, but having both challenges be cakes with essentially the same design theme did not make for a riveting episode. Also, getting 10 minutes of help from one of these judges has got to be the most worthless prize in the history of prizes. 

[emmawoodhouse]

37 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Molly is Asian?! I seriously had zero idea! I thought her last name was just her married name or something. 

I like quite a few of the bakers, but having both challenges be cakes with essentially the same design theme did not make for a riveting episode. Also, getting 10 minutes of help from one of these judges has got to be the most worthless prize in the history of prizes. 

Molly kept her maiden name. Her dad has been on her show, and he's definitely Asian. She married a white dude.

[Cetacean]

29 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Molly kept her maiden name. Her dad has been on her show, and he's definitely Asian.

Her father is Chinese, her mother is Jewish.  She addresses recipes from both cultures on her show.  Her parents are really delightful people.

[Gramto6]

27 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Molly kept her maiden name. Her dad has been on her show, and he's definitely Asian. She married a white dude.

And if I recall correctly, her mother is Jewish. So they cover two in one person! Don't like her no matter what her ethnicity is. She is just too fake for me...

[Frost]

7 hours ago, Cetacean said:

  In all fairness to Molly, it is popular Minnesota/North Dakota thing. 

I am a Minnesotan and I have never heard of Cookie Salad.