Spring Baking Championship - General Discussion

[CheshireCat]

After the first challenge, I thought there are quite a lot of talented bakers this time around. After the cakes, not so much. But they don't have nearly enough time. How are they supposed to properly chill those cakes? It's just not possible and they do need chilling.

Some of the cakes looked more like summer cakes but I guess, if you have as many different weather zones as the US has, you do have areas where you can go swimming in spring.

Christians cake didn't just look like summer, I also didn't see an activity that it represented and I don't believe he mentioned one. And yet, didn't they have to decorate the cake with what they loved doing as soon as spring came around?

I thought many of the cakes looked good or had potential from the outside but from the inside they were rather boring and what was up with the number of bakers who didn't cut their layers in half and then had only as much filling as they needed so that the layers would stick to each other? As far as I know, the ratio is 1:2, one part filling, 2 parts cake. I doubt that the judges tasted much of the filling with some of the cakes.

I don't know who the baker was who chose lingonberry but why did she chose them when she has never tasted them before? And salt in a way that you can taste it? Seriously? Just no. Not with lingonberries. Those things aren't just tart, they're tart. As in sour. You do not need any salt to cut through any sweetness with lingonberries. (Unless you add so much sugar that you lose all the tartness but then you don't need lingonberries anymore).

Who decided that sunflower was an option? Sunflowers are not spring flowers.

I was happy that Jai won the first round and not Christian. Her piping looked really amazing! I'm also not mad about the baker who went home. His upper tier especially was a hot mess. The fondant wasn't just sloppy and it didn't just not represent a basket but it was also bulging. That cake was not pretty.

5 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

Can’t remember which baker decorated with blueberry vines-but that’s not a thing in nature.  

Well, Jesse is picking berries in spring, so, I guess, they can have blueberry vines, too 🤷‍♀️

8 hours ago, Cetacean said:

Why is Christian so ingratiating?

Probably because Nancy likes him? (She has a tendency to like the candidates that I don't like for one reason or another).

[libgirl2]

40 minutes ago, CheshireCat said:

After the first challenge, I thought there are quite a lot of talented bakers this time around. After the cakes, not so much. But they don't have nearly enough time. How are they supposed to properly chill those cakes? It's just not possible and they do need chilling.

Some of the cakes looked more like summer cakes but I guess, if you have as many different weather zones as the US has, you do have areas where you can go swimming in spring.

Christians cake didn't just look like summer, I also didn't see an activity that it represented and I don't believe he mentioned one. And yet, didn't they have to decorate the cake with what they loved doing as soon as spring came around?

I thought many of the cakes looked good or had potential from the outside but from the inside they were rather boring and what was up with the number of bakers who didn't cut their layers in half and then had only as much filling as they needed so that the layers would stick to each other? As far as I know, the ratio is 1:2, one part filling, 2 parts cake. I doubt that the judges tasted much of the filling with some of the cakes.

I don't know who the baker was who chose lingonberry but why did she chose them when she has never tasted them before? And salt in a way that you can taste it? Seriously? Just no. Not with lingonberries. Those things aren't just tart, they're tart. As in sour. You do not need any salt to cut through any sweetness with lingonberries. (Unless you add so much sugar that you lose all the tartness but then you don't need lingonberries anymore).

Who decided that sunflower was an option? Sunflowers are not spring flowers.

I was happy that Jai won the first round and not Christian. Her piping looked really amazing! I'm also not mad about the baker who went home. His upper tier especially was a hot mess. The fondant wasn't just sloppy and it didn't just not represent a basket but it was also bulging. That cake was not pretty.

Well, Jesse is picking berries in spring, so, I guess, they can have blueberry vines, too 🤷‍♀️

Probably because Nancy likes him? (She has a tendency to like the candidates that I don't like for one reason or another).

I think Christian's activity was going to the farmers market. 

[Cetacean]

7 hours ago, Phebemarie said:

Can’t remember which baker decorated with blueberry vines-but that’s not a thing in nature.  

And when she did the whole "all of the loving and happy family frolicked throught he woods and picked blueberries together in the spring" my eyes rolled back so far I could see behind me.  You harvest blueberries August.

[MsMalin]

Really enjoyed last nights show.

I don't think Love theme will be a problem. Last night was things you love to do. Other themes could be animals you love, cars you love, things you love to hate. And at least its not Sprinkles theme every week!

[libgirl2]

46 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

And when she did the whole "all of the loving and happy family frolicked throught he woods and picked blueberries together in the spring" my eyes rolled back so far I could see behind me.  You harvest blueberries August.

I did wonder about that 

[laredhead]

I have questions.  These contestants don't just show up with no prior knowledge of what they will asked to be baked - right?  They are given a general idea of the types of things, and can bring recipes with them, like the contestants on the Great British Baking Show - right?  Knowing what will be expected of them in general - cupcakes, cake, pie, etc., and knowing that there will be probably only 90 to 120 minutes to complete the task, why don't they practice, practice, practice at home before they get to the actual filming.  I've heard the GBBS contestants talk about doing nothing but baking for weeks before their appearance, and those people are competing for just a cake plate, not $25,000.  Victoria, and others who seem to have time mgt problems are used to taking an entire day (or maybe more) to make and decorate those "masterpieces" that are shown before each contestant's intro as examples of their work.  Some people perform better under pressure than others.  If they can't multi-task, and turn out a great bake in the given time, perhaps they should not have entered the contest.  So, back to my original question; does anyone know exactly how this show works as far as advance notice of what will be required?  

Edited March 7, 2023 by laredhead
Spelling correction

[libgirl2]

19 minutes ago, laredhead said:

I have questions.  These contestants don't just show up with no prior knowledge of what they will asked to be baked - right?  They are given a general idea of the types of things, and can bring recipes with them, like the contestants on the Great British Baking Show - right?  Knowing what will be expected of them in general - cupcakes, cake, pie, etc., and knowing that there will be probably only 90 to 120 minutes to complete the task, why don't they practice, practice, practice at home before they get to the actual filming.  I've heard the GBBS contestants talk about doing nothing but baking for weeks before their appearance, and those people are competing for just a cake plate, not $25,000.  Victoria, and others who seem to have time mgt problems are used to taking an entire day (or maybe more) to make and decorate those "masterpieces" that are shown before each contestant's intro as examples of their work.  Some people perform better under pressure than others.  If they can't multi-task, and turn out a great bake in the given time, perhaps they should not have entered the contest.  So, back to my original question; does anyone know exactly how this show works as far as advance notice of what will be required?  

And the comments about not making cake. Maybe, I'm stupid but I would think most bakers should be able to make one and if it were a weakness, wouldn't you practice like mad? You know you are going to have to  make a cake at some point. 

[RoxiP]

I kind of like the woman with the heavy Southern accent.  She is quick-witty (I know that's not a thing...LOL).  

I've been wanted a biscuit drenched in butter since I watched last night's show.

[laredhead]

RoxiP, I'm from the south, and I've never been able to make a biscuit to save my life.  However, I sure would try a butter swim biscuit, and that's also a term I've never heard.  Off to check the internet for a recipe.

[MsMalin]

I would love it if they would have a "behind the scenes" show so that we could know all of the logistics.

I think they know ahead of time what the challenge will be and are able to practice. Maybe the surprise is thrown at then at the last minute. One reason I think this is the case is because special ingredients are often used that Food Network has to have available.

The lack of time is my pet peeve.

[Dibs]

Am I the only one who's annoyed by the "personal stories" the bakers bring to these shows?  We know you're a mom and a home baker; we don't need to hear about your kid (by name) every single challenge nor does every bake need to be inspired by or dedicated to him.  Same for brothers serving in the military, dead grandmothers, etc.  It reminds me of Go Fund Me or those Buy Nothing pages where you can't just say you want or need a free item, you have to include some sob story as to why, and the most heart-wrenching one wins.  But then I'm also annoyed by "I made for you today," so maybe I'm just a grump!

[libgirl2]

25 minutes ago, Dibs said:

Am I the only one who's annoyed by the "personal stories" the bakers bring to these shows?  We know you're a mom and a home baker; we don't need to hear about your kid (by name) every single challenge nor does every bake need to be inspired by or dedicated to him.  Same for brothers serving in the military, dead grandmothers, etc.  It reminds me of Go Fund Me or those Buy Nothing pages where you can't just say you want or need a free item, you have to include some sob story as to why, and the most heart-wrenching one wins.  But then I'm also annoyed by "I made for you today," so maybe I'm just a grump!

I'm kind of yes and no on them. I don't mind getting to know the contestants, but I don't like that information used for dramatics. 

[Cetacean]

22 minutes ago, Dibs said:

Am I the only one who's annoyed by the "personal stories" the bakers bring to these shows?  We know you're a mom and a home baker; we don't need to hear about your kid (by name) every single challenge nor does every bake need to be inspired by or dedicated to him.  Same for brothers serving in the military, dead grandmothers, etc.  It reminds me of Go Fund Me or those Buy Nothing pages where you can't just say you want or need a free item, you have to include some sob story as to why, and the most heart-wrenching one wins.  But then I'm also annoyed by "I made for you today," so maybe I'm just a grump!

I will join you in the grump group.  I have posted before that I have no interest whatsover in anybody's tearful tributes to anybody.  I couldn't care less about sob stories, just shut the hell up and bake.  They are all in in for the money, plain and simple. Stop wasting my time with meaningless drivel.

[littlebennysmom]

30 minutes ago, Dibs said:

Am I the only one who's annoyed by the "personal stories" the bakers bring to these shows?  We know you're a mom and a home baker; we don't need to hear about your kid (by name) every single challenge nor does every bake need to be inspired by or dedicated to him.  Same for brothers serving in the military, dead grandmothers, etc.  It reminds me of Go Fund Me or those Buy Nothing pages where you can't just say you want or need a free item, you have to include some sob story as to why, and the most heart-wrenching one wins.  But then I'm also annoyed by "I made for you today," so maybe I'm just a grump!

You're right.  I was watching SBC reruns prior to the new show and Daniela's constant harping on "I'm a home baker!" was tedious.  I bet the producers put her up to that, still annoying.

[Rammchick]

22 minutes ago, Cetacean said:

I will join you in the grump group.  I have posted before that I have no interest whatsover in anybody's tearful tributes to anybody.  I couldn't care less about sob stories, just shut the hell up and bake.  They are all in in for the money, plain and simple. Stop wasting my time with meaningless drivel.

This is motivated by producers.  I suspect some of them are embarrassed.

[Shenanigan7070]

I really want to like Christian, since he said he taught culinary arts to special needs people, but his personality is leaving me a little cold so far. And I didn't see "going to the farmers market" anywhere in that cake, although it was admittedly beautiful. Maybe he'll grow on me.

Was happy Jai won. And I enjoyed the one guy's cake that looked like two dead bodies dumped on a hillside. 

 

[libgirl2]

7 minutes ago, Shenanigan7070 said:

I really want to like Christian, since he said he taught culinary arts to special needs people, but his personality is leaving me a little cold so far. And I didn't see "going to the farmers market" anywhere in that cake, although it was admittedly beautiful. Maybe he'll grow on me.

Was happy Jai won. And I enjoyed the one guy's cake that looked like two dead bodies dumped on a hillside. 

 

I wanted to like him too for the same reasons but he just seems kind of smug. I guess let's see where he goes in the next episode. 

That cake with the guys rolling down was cute and from what Duff said, is hard to do. I thought it was cute. I didn't think dead bodies, but now I do. 

[Shenanigan7070]

Quote

That cake with the guys rolling down was cute and from what Duff said, is hard to do. I thought it was cute. I didn't think dead bodies, but now I do.

Ha - sorry! I watch way too much true crime.

[MerBearHou]

20 minutes ago, Shenanigan7070 said:

And I enjoyed the one guy's cake that looked like two dead bodies dumped on a hillside.

I kept waiting for Duff to comment on the dead bodies sliding down the hillside!  I saw it too...

Enjoyed that different cake -- nice job, Luke.

Edited March 7, 2023 by MerBearHou

[RoxiP]

Regarding Christian - I am wondering if he might possibly be Asberger's or slightly on the spectrum - he has that affect and also he teaches culinary skills to special needs people - not something I think most bakers would aspire to unless they had a good reason to do so.  Just my thoughts.

I don't mind knowing their stories at first but I do not need to hear about them over and over.  Knowing something about them personally makes them relatable but I did not need that gentleman to tell me numerous times that he was baking for his daughter who loves to hunt Easter Eggs.  Most everybody's daughters loves to hunt Easter Eggs.  She is cute but not special in that regards.

[Lamb18]

5 hours ago, Shenanigan7070 said:

I really want to like Christian, since he said he taught culinary arts to special needs people, but his personality is leaving me a little cold so far. And I didn't see "going to the farmers market" anywhere in that cake, although it was admittedly beautiful. Maybe he'll grow on me.

Was happy Jai won. And I enjoyed the one guy's cake that looked like two dead bodies dumped on a hillside. 

 

I'm watching right now. I think Christian is the one who reminds me of Jared from Subway. 

I'm glad to read Jai won the challenge as she lives around 30 miles from me. 

[bilgistic]

6 minutes ago, Lamb18 said:

I think Christian is the one who reminds me of Jared from Subway.

YES.

I also thought the figures "rolling down the hill" looked like two bodies that had been sawed in half at the waist. It just wasn't good.

[Maya]

I think Christian is just really, really nervous. It looked like he was shaking when he was talking to the judges. 

[kirklandia]

I knew Manja was in trouble when they said her gelée was -- gelatinous.

Edited March 8, 2023 by kirklandia

[Irlandesa]

On 3/7/2023 at 1:01 AM, kathyk24 said:

I thought Keem should have gone home he put no effort into decorating his cake.

I agree.  I didn't have a problem that he's the one who went home, even if the other bottom contestant had issues in both of her bakes.  It's early so the boot is usually based on the second bake.  And even though her cake was falling down, it did look decorated and the flavors were good.  Again, it's early and they don't typically boot people whose flavors they like because of presentation (although Keem's wasn't presented well either), until later in the competition. 

17 hours ago, laredhead said:

I have questions.  These contestants don't just show up with no prior knowledge of what they will asked to be baked - right?  They are given a general idea of the types of things, and can bring recipes with them, like the contestants on the Great British Baking Show - right?  Knowing what will be expected of them in general - cupcakes, cake, pie, etc., and knowing that there will be probably only 90 to 120 minutes to complete the task, why don't they practice, practice, practice at home before they get to the actual filming.  I've heard the GBBS contestants talk about doing nothing but baking for weeks before their appearance, and those people are competing for just a cake plate, not $25,000. 

They are told they can bring recipes and I also suspect they're asked if they'd like to have special ingredients.  I can't imagine mayonnaise would be something a baking competition would always have on hand. 

But I think the difference between this and GBBS is that there's usually a week between each filmed episode of GBBS where contestants go home and can practice the two bakes they know about for that week.  They don't have to focus on a whole season whereas the US baking championships usually film daily without a break.

And the GBBS challenges are pretty straight forward,  The SBC has an element of surprise (pick a berry) and then a twist (cara cara oranges which was only known after Christian won).  So they can practice cakes but not everything.

10 hours ago, Rammchick said:

This is motivated by producers.  I suspect some of them are embarrassed.

Yep.  And editing.  They'll make sure every mention of a kid or spouse gets shown.  I wonder how many people make up their "favorite outdoor activity" because I don't know if I'd have one.  Not an outdoors fan. 

4 hours ago, Lamb18 said:

I'm glad to read Jai won the challenge as she lives around 30 miles from me. 

She's localish to me too.  I saw her on a few local TV shows advertising her appearance on this show. I had never heard of her but I'm glad she started off well. 

And when they mention her hearing loss for the bazillionth time, I'd like the record to state that she never mentioned her hearing loss on any of the appearances I saw her have nor is it mentioned on her bakery's website.  It wasn't until this episode that she confirmed my spec.

So any and every mention is likely going to be producer-driven.

[Catfi9ht]

Christian is the spitting image of Buster Bluth from Arrested Development to me.

I liked all of the bakers and didn't see anything weird or egotistical from any of them. It seemed like there were more of them than usual. It's just the first episode and there were a lot of contestants so we didn't really get to spend much time with them either.

I think some folks don't realize how hard or intimidating it is to be on these shows. It isn't just the judges or one camera in your face. There are cameras everywhere and producers are usually assigned with a camera man to ask questions to the contestants while they're filmed in action. Sometimes there is a crane camera to get wider shots. And professional camera lenses are huge and can be overwhelming.

GGG did a behind the scenes show which showed the contestants view quite a bit. It had four stationary cameras, one crane camera, and three shoulder operated cameras all filming at the same time. Plus, there are producers assigned to each camera operator and other producers floating around to setup shots and coordinate timing of interviews and such. They also have lots of other staff standing just outside of camera view to help with other things. It's A LOT of people and looks very chaotic and intimidating if you're not used to it.

Some contestants make it look easy. Most people are not used to seeing all the chaos of cameras constantly filming you with camera operators and producers moving around quickly AND having a camera shoved in your face AND having to cook something with a lot less time than you're used to AND the temperature is much hotter than it looks on TV because of all the lights.

I felt bad for the lady, Michelle maybe?, that made the Guyanese biscuit. These judges had never had one and said it was too dense. Maybe they're supposed to be different than US biscuits? Stuff like that annoys me because they were obviously judging it from a US perspective and they shouldn't. 

The last Holiday Baking Championship completely dropped the requirement the flavors had to be seasonal so if they do that here, I don't really care. It might be good actually because it's one less thing for Nancy to screech about. The less time she spends on camera the better.

I'm a little iffy on the love theme. There are a lot of options so it may not get annoying. Hopefully not.

So far, it was a good start. Nothing really stood out as cringey for me. Looking forward to seeing some nice people bake some nice things.

[CheshireCat]

4 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

But I think the difference between this and GBBS is that there's usually a week between each filmed episode of GBBS where contestants go home and can practice the two bakes they know about for that week.  They don't have to focus on a whole season whereas the US baking championships usually film daily without a break.

And the GBBS challenges are pretty straight forward,  The SBC has an element of surprise (pick a berry) and then a twist (cara cara oranges which was only known after Christian won).  So they can practice cakes but not everything.

The German version of GBBS allows the contestants to bring decoration for the third bake as well. (Sometimes for the first bake, too). But the judges mentioned recently that they don't judge anything that is done at home.
The contestants also specify which baking pans they'll need and they get the ingredients to themselves and for the third bake, at least, they get them as often as they need them. And if they do have to add an ingredient they didn't know about before like herbs or fresh fruit then they have enough of everything for everyone.

I prefer when the contestants have the ingredients at their baking station. I find the baking championships restless enough with the short segments we get of each baker and having the ingredients at the baking station keeps the contestants more or less stationary. The German show also provides a fridge-freezer combination for every contestant that is right next to their station. They only have to share the quick freezer (I'm currently missing the English word even though I know they used it yesterday).

 

4 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

I felt bad for the lady, Michelle maybe?, that made the Guyanese biscuit. These judges had never had one and said it was too dense. Maybe they're supposed to be different than US biscuits? Stuff like that annoys me because they were obviously judging it from a US perspective and they shouldn't. 

Yes, it's like when they say they don't taste any ginger in anything gingerbread when the gingerbread that came from Europe had hardly any ginger in it to begin with. So, even if the US versions do, there is a gingerbread where cinnamon is the dominant spice. Even the gingerbread cookies that Disney's Grand Floridian sells don't have ginger as the main ingredient. Would they tell their pastry chefs that this is not a gingerbread cookie that they're selling?

Generally though, I think Nancy is the weakest judge. Most of the time, she says something about taste (I don't get this or that or I can taste this or that well) or the look of the cake. The other judges have started to say more about texture and composition and it feels a bit more constructive.

ETA: Blast chiller is the word I was looking for. Remembered almost the moment I left the topic. 😅

[libgirl2]

4 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

 

I felt bad for the lady, Michelle maybe?, that made the Guyanese biscuit. These judges had never had one and said it was too dense. Maybe they're supposed to be different than US biscuits? Stuff like that annoys me because they were obviously judging it from a US perspective and they shouldn't. 

 

I thought the same, it wasn't a US/Southern biscuit! 

[Cetacean]

34 minutes ago, CheshireCat said:

I prefer when the contestants have the ingredients at their baking station.

I agree.  I'm not sure if rhe frantic running to and fro is supposed to elevate the drama but I just find it distracting and annoying. 

And it irks me that they surprise ingredient is something so odd that it just will not go with all other flavors.

[dleighg]

One of the women pronounced peony pee-OH-nee twice. 

I have never heard it pronounced that way. Ever.

I thought that chocolate angel food cake was going to be a bear to get out of the bundt pan as soon as I saw her do that. Aren't angel foods usually in a smooth pan precisely so you can run a knife around? (And I always put a parchment ring in the bottom). Those things stick, BY DESIGN! She was lucky to get it out.

[bilgistic]

6 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I wonder how many people make up their "favorite outdoor activity" because I don't know if I'd have one.  Not an outdoors fan.

How do I convey "walking from the apartment to my car and back" in a bake?

[littlebennysmom]

2 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

 

Generally though, I think Nancy is the weakest judge. Most of the time, she says something about taste (I don't get this or that or I can taste this or that well) or the look of the cake. The other judges have started to say more about texture and composition and it feels a bit more constructive.

ETA: Blast chiller is the word I was looking for. Remembered almost the moment I left the topic. 😅

But Nancy does "conductor arms" when she likes something!

You're right, she's tedious.

[BookWitch]

If you go here it shows the application form to fill out. Lots of questions and you have to submit a video. 

[dleighg]

I couldn't help but see the blueberries as pies of deer poop. (Yes, I have deer who hang out in my yard)

 

[dleighg]

Does the "Spring Baking Championship: Easter" have its own thread?

[bilgistic]

3 hours ago, Cetacean said:

I agree.  I'm not sure if the frantic running to and fro is supposed to elevate the drama but I just find it distracting and annoying.

I hate the running SO MUCH. It's wildly unfair for many reasons. Just draw numbers already! Once everyone has their ingredient and is at their station, THEN start the timer! SHEESH!

[TVbitch]

18 hours ago, Shenanigan7070 said:

And I enjoyed the one guy's cake that looked like two dead bodies dumped on a hillside. 

It looked like they were taken to the "train station" by Rip on Yellowstone. 

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, bilgistic said:

I hate the running SO MUCH. It's wildly unfair for many reasons. Just draw numbers already! Once everyone has their ingredient and is at their station, THEN start the timer! SHEESH!

I wonder what the show would do if they had a contestant that was on crutches or had a disability and were not able to run. 

[HyeChaps]

Anyone who watches Kids Baking Championship knows that Duff HATES SEEDS!

[kathyk24]

4 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I wonder what the show would do if they had a contestant that was on crutches or had a disability and were not able to run. 

I use crutches and there is no way I could be on this show. In addition to the running I couldn't stand on my feet long enough without pain.

[mlp]

13 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

I felt bad for the lady, Michelle maybe?, that made the Guyanese biscuit. These judges had never had one and said it was too dense. Maybe they're supposed to be different than US biscuits? Stuff like that annoys me because they were obviously judging it from a US perspective and they shouldn't. 

Maybe I'm not remembering correctly but it seems to me that she said that Guyanese biscuits are denser than what's usually found in the U.S. when she was talking about them.  It also seems to me that the judges should have been informed ahead of time as the producers would have known that and the contestants can't argue with the judges.

[libgirl2]

23 minutes ago, mlp said:

Maybe I'm not remembering correctly but it seems to me that she said that Guyanese biscuits are denser than what's usually found in the U.S. when she was talking about them.  It also seems to me that the judges should have been informed ahead of time as the producers would have known that and the contestants can't argue with the judges.

Though when she mentioned what they were, the judges could have asked how they differ from those found in the US. 

[RoxiP]

Or it could be that the judges just didn't enjoy the biscuit's texture and dismissed it because of that.  

Pee O Nee?  I think that's how I pronounce it...LOL!

[MoonKitty]

Just a few thoughts--

* I didn't get to know the contestants well enough to develop any significant likes or dislikes, though I reserve the right to turn into a serious fangirl/hater as the weeks progress.

* I thought Keem performed like he didn't really care all that much. I mean, just loading up those berries in a ridiculous pile? Even I, with my very basic baking skills, could see that was a bad idea.

* Is it just me or is Jesse looking especially fricking FINE? Maybe it's because last year's host was so . . . disastrous, but OMG, Mr. Palmer is a sight for my sore eyes. I am in for this season to get a weekly dose of 2023 Jesse.

 

[CheshireCat]

2 hours ago, HyeChaps said:

Anyone who watches Kids Baking Championship knows that Duff HATES SEEDS!

That is exactly what is bothering me about the judging. That he doesn't like seeds is his problem. He's supposed to judge the bakes based on composition, texture, taste, looks etc but not his personal preference. So, if the seeds work because they give you something to bite on/a crunch when the bake would otherwise be just soft cake, soft buttercream, soft mousse etc, then he's supposed to judge that. When the seeds just distract from the rest of the bake then he's supposed to say that. But what he likes or doesn't like is completely besides the point.

I think this is where all the judges are lacking (and where I'm completely spoiled by the Great German Baking Show).

[libgirl2]

1 hour ago, RoxiP said:

Or it could be that the judges just didn't enjoy the biscuit's texture and dismissed it because of that.  

Pee O Nee?  I think that's how I pronounce it...LOL!

Perhaps. I was reminded of years ago, I came back from a visit with family to the DR and brought back dulce de leche candy for my co-workers. The only one who liked it was Hispanic. Everyone else made a face and said it was bland. Or another time with a tres leches cake that people said was "weird". 

Tastes are tastes but I feel like the judges went in expecting a southern biscuit and could not reconcile when they didn't get one. 

Edited March 8, 2023 by libgirl2

[CrazyInAlabama]

I agree the running, and battles for specific ingredients needs to stop.  They've had a few contestants fall, and the fighting needs to end.    Just draw knives with numbers on them, and choose one-by-one, like Top Chef does. 

Edited March 9, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[jcbrown]

On 3/7/2023 at 10:53 AM, laredhead said:

RoxiP, I'm from the south, and I've never been able to make a biscuit to save my life.  However, I sure would try a butter swim biscuit, and that's also a term I've never heard.  Off to check the internet for a recipe.

Check seriouseats.com for their "two-ingredient cream biscuits" and "Food Lab's buttermilk biscuits" recipes. Never fail recipes for me and I am formerly biscuit-challenged.

18 hours ago, Catfi9ht said:

I felt bad for the lady, Michelle maybe?, that made the Guyanese biscuit. These judges had never had one and said it was too dense. Maybe they're supposed to be different than US biscuits? Stuff like that annoys me because they were obviously judging it from a US perspective and they shouldn't. 

The last Holiday Baking Championship completely dropped the requirement the flavors had to be seasonal so if they do that here, I don't really care. It might be good actually because it's one less thing for Nancy to screech about. The less time she spends on camera the better.

I felt bad for her, too, for the same reason. Kardea started right away to harp on what a biscuit should be like but maybe that kind shouldn't be. Completely agree that the less camera time Nancy gets, the better. I want to slap those "conductor arms" right off of her.

11 hours ago, bilgistic said:

How do I convey "walking from the apartment to my car and back" in a bake?

😆 Please come sit by me.

2 hours ago, CheshireCat said:

That is exactly what is bothering me about the judging. That he doesn't like seeds is his problem. He's supposed to judge the bakes based on composition, texture, taste, looks etc but not his personal preference. So, if the seeds work because they give you something to bite on/a crunch when the bake would otherwise be just soft cake, soft buttercream, soft mousse etc, then he's supposed to judge that. When the seeds just distract from the rest of the bake then he's supposed to say that. But what he likes or doesn't like is completely besides the point.

I don't disagree, but FN has made it abundantly clear that if you serve eggs to Guy Fieri or raw red onions to Scott Conant, you shall be smited. So I do think it would be good gameplay to figure out what "hard pass" ingredients your judges have ahead of time. But yeah, Duff should get over himself, too. I can't stand cilantro but I understand the function it serves in recipes and I get why some people like it in various contexts, even though I am not one of those people.

Edited March 9, 2023 by jcbrown

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

Completely agree that the less camera time Nancy gets, the better. I want to slap those "conductor arms" right off of her.

I'm no huge Nancy fan, but I don't find her "conductor arms" any more annoying than Carla Hall's "duuuuuude", Paul Hollywood's handshake, or any of the other "trademarked" signifiers that a judge really likes something. And when I say I don't find it any more annoying, I mean I find them all annoying 😆 

Spring has always been my least favorite of the four X Baking Championships (though ironically, two of my all-time favorites came from SBC), so I'm slow to warm up to this one. It doesn't help that it immediately follows the usually-delightful Kids edition (and this year's KBC was especially delightful). The love theme wasn't too bad once they got past the intro, so we'll see how that goes.

I actually thought Christian's cake looked fantastic, springy or not. Several of the others looked really impressive, too.

Edited March 9, 2023 by tracyscott76
Cut down the quote to the relevant part

[rlc]

Too early to pass judgement on the contestants (not that that has ever stopped me before) but so far, I don't think I particularly like Christian, but respect that he's playing the hell out of the game. 

Come on, people- let's take a minute to respect the major flex.

Challenge: bake something that reminds you of the time you first fell in love with baking.

Christian: The moment I first fell in love with baking was when I was invited to the James Beard House to bake.

Well played, sir. Well played.

Looking forward to next week, and thoroughly appreciating the lack of sprinkles.