Actually, I don't watch the Hairy Bikers because of the way they look - I can't imagine wanting to eat any food that they've haired over.
That's brilliant it really made me laugh. The one I have trouble watching for a similar reason is Tom Kerridge. Nice recipes and all and not a problem that he is a bit chubby but he always looks so sweaty and like he might drip perspiration in to the food. Eww!
The Bikers are often quite funny and I particularly liked their diet phase and still use some of those recipes. One of them said 'there is no secret to diets, you just do a bit more and put less in your mouth' which is so true.
HHGTTG go for it - never a truer word was spoken. So many deserving of that wooden spoon and not all of them children...
I find a lot of Mary Berry objectionable - her remarks on feminism being unnecessary was a bit rich (pun intended) coming from a well off lady with a nanny for her children which then allowed her to carry on working with no hassle, her attitude to spanking etc etc. In several of her interviews I did think her to be a bit of a snob.
However her cooking is of a classic standard and is very, very good. She knows what she is talking about and is calm and authoritative in delivery, which is lovely. Basically, she is another Delia which is OK by me.
Another TV chef I like is Nigel Slater who is also calm. However, I confess that the person who really makes me want to cook is Jamie Oliver - his food taste is very similar to mine! And he is anything but calm!
I find a lot of Mary Berry objectionable - her remarks on feminism being unnecessary was a bit rich (pun intended) coming from a well off lady with a nanny for her children which then allowed her to carry on working with no hassle, her attitude to spanking etc etc. In several of her interviews I did think her to be a bit of a snob.
However her cooking is of a classic standard and is very, very good. She knows what she is talking about and is calm and authoritative in delivery, which is lovely. Basically, she is another Delia which is OK by me.
Another TV chef I like is Nigel Slater who is also calm. However, I confess that the person who really makes me want to cook is Jamie Oliver - his food taste is very similar to mine! And he is anything but calm!
I quite agree that her recipes are the really important things and they are ones which are easy to achieve at home. I quite like the habit she has of producing items of cookware which she has used successfully for a long time instead of most chefs who seem to have a contract with Steamer Trading or perhaps in some cases Harrods. Speaking of which, I find Nigella rather annoying the way she keeps smirking at the camera however I have used a number of recipes from her website and they have been excellent.
Fashions change, I am sure they are ladies of yore who modeled their dinner parties upon those presented by Fanny Craddock whereas nowadays we can only sigh with relief that blancmange is no longer in vogue.
I can't be bothered with many cooking shows of late. However, I have taken something away from each of the Mary Berry shows. From tonight, I might try the roasted veg in a pie idea and I'll try mixing cream with Greek yogurt next time I fill M&S ready made meringue nests!
Here's a great tip and trust me, it works. This may look like a fresh quote but actually I wrote it yesterday, wrapped it tightly in cling film and put it in the fridge. You can do this, you know, if you haven't got time to comment straight after programmes, then just bring out your statement and whip off the cling film in time for it to come up to room temperature. Other posters will be the none the wiser! I've been doing this since the 60s. But it must be cling film and not tin foil because I am not as obsessed about tin foil as cling film. I love cling film. I even got married in it!
Here's a great tip and trust me, it works. This may look like a fresh quote but actually I wrote it yesterday, wrapped it tightly in cling film and put it in the fridge. You can do this, you know, if you haven't got time to comment straight after programmes, then just bring out your statement and whip off the cling film in time for it to come up to room temperature. Other posters will be the none the wiser! I've been doing this since the 60s. But it must be cling film and not tin foil because I am not as obsessed about tin foil as cling film. I love cling film. I even got married in it!
That's funny, but I particularly like Mary's tips for forward preparation. Entertaining can be really stressful and it's all very well TV chefs showing you how easy a dish is to make but most of the time you're making more than one thing at a time; accompaniments, etc and
anything that helps you remain calm and enjoy your guests is extremely valuable. The tip of making a salad that's good to go 24 hours before serving was really useful I thought.
That's funny, but I particularly like Mary's tips for forward preparation. Entertaining can be really stressful and it's all very well TV chefs showing you how easy a dish is to make but most of the time you're making more than one thing at a time; accompaniments, etc and
anything that helps you remain calm and enjoy your guests is extremely valuable. The tip of making a salad that's good to go 24 hours before serving was really useful I thought.
I love the homage to the God of Clingfilm. and the useful ideas. Covering a tray with foil to make a serving platter is the kind of thing I would do myself. I also love the way that both Delia and Mary describe themselves as home cooks which is something I feel I can probably manage although I could certainly never aspire to be a real chef.
That's funny, but I particularly like Mary's tips for forward preparation. Entertaining can be really stressful and it's all very well TV chefs showing you how easy a dish is to make but most of the time you're making more than one thing at a time; accompaniments, etc and
anything that helps you remain calm and enjoy your guests is extremely valuable. The tip of making a salad that's good to go 24 hours before serving was really useful I thought.
I completely agree. I entertain a lot and I prepare most of what I serve way ahead. I just find Mary's joyous shiny thrill at every mention of cling film rather amusing but come to think of it no one else on TV seems to mention cling film or these very basic types of tips. In fact in Mary's own home she has the best accessory of all: a walk-in fridge. I think most people's fridges are too small to deal with large scale entertaining. When I lived in the USA I had a huge American fridge/freezer in the kitchen and a second one in the garage which I kept empty and switched off but would switch on and use exclusively for food prepared for entertaining. You could get huge trays of party food in it. Unfortunately I have no garage in England and no room for a second fridge. But were I to give a tip to reduce major stress it would be to design your kitchen to have 2 ovens and a spare storage fridge for entertaining only.
Haha I agree with you all - clingfilm gives her thrills
She said a few episodes ago that she was one of the first people in the country to be invited to view and use this 'miracle product' from the USA, and I guess that excitement is still there for her.
We take so much for granted I suppose. When Mary was young, it was quite a toil to keep food fresh and appealing.
I've really enjoyed this series because she's aiming it at cooking for specific occasions. I probably won't use a lot of the recipes exactly as shown as I mainly cook veggie meals, but stuff like the dauphinoise potato topping and the pasta with creme fraiche for a quick sauce can be adapted. And I love watching her cook and the way she cooks things that she really enjoys eating!
I started watching Nigella Kitchen on one of the digital channels and I find her fascinating to watch, but a lot of it uses pre-prepared ingredients rather than cooking from scratch like Mary.
I've cooked the cottage pie with dauphinoise potatoes, and the pasta with parma ham, mushrooms and parmesan cheese this week. Both were easy and really tasty
I rather agree with you, I can't 'warm' to her at all. It confirmed I was right when I read about how she whacked her kids with a wooden spoon![/QUOTE]
That was the way it was way back in time. I wish my mother had used a wooden spoon - her favourite weapon was a belt. Cruel times in some families but it made me determined never to hurt my children in such a way and I never did.
Mary Berry is a tough lady and does some great cooking but I like her cake-baking best as I am hopeless and my cakes are always a mess. She makes it all look so easy!
Comments
That's brilliant it really made me laugh. The one I have trouble watching for a similar reason is Tom Kerridge. Nice recipes and all and not a problem that he is a bit chubby but he always looks so sweaty and like he might drip perspiration in to the food. Eww!
The Bikers are often quite funny and I particularly liked their diet phase and still use some of those recipes. One of them said 'there is no secret to diets, you just do a bit more and put less in your mouth' which is so true.
HHGTTG go for it - never a truer word was spoken. So many deserving of that wooden spoon and not all of them children...
However her cooking is of a classic standard and is very, very good. She knows what she is talking about and is calm and authoritative in delivery, which is lovely. Basically, she is another Delia which is OK by me.
Another TV chef I like is Nigel Slater who is also calm. However, I confess that the person who really makes me want to cook is Jamie Oliver - his food taste is very similar to mine! And he is anything but calm!
I quite agree that her recipes are the really important things and they are ones which are easy to achieve at home. I quite like the habit she has of producing items of cookware which she has used successfully for a long time instead of most chefs who seem to have a contract with Steamer Trading or perhaps in some cases Harrods. Speaking of which, I find Nigella rather annoying the way she keeps smirking at the camera however I have used a number of recipes from her website and they have been excellent.
Fashions change, I am sure they are ladies of yore who modeled their dinner parties upon those presented by Fanny Craddock whereas nowadays we can only sigh with relief that blancmange is no longer in vogue.
i was thinking the same. Tempted to make it this weekend, although I'll halve the quantities as the original recipe is for 10.
That's funny, but I particularly like Mary's tips for forward preparation. Entertaining can be really stressful and it's all very well TV chefs showing you how easy a dish is to make but most of the time you're making more than one thing at a time; accompaniments, etc and
anything that helps you remain calm and enjoy your guests is extremely valuable. The tip of making a salad that's good to go 24 hours before serving was really useful I thought.
I love the homage to the God of Clingfilm. and the useful ideas. Covering a tray with foil to make a serving platter is the kind of thing I would do myself. I also love the way that both Delia and Mary describe themselves as home cooks which is something I feel I can probably manage although I could certainly never aspire to be a real chef.
Some great recipes tonight - made me hungry.
I completely agree. I entertain a lot and I prepare most of what I serve way ahead. I just find Mary's joyous shiny thrill at every mention of cling film rather amusing but come to think of it no one else on TV seems to mention cling film or these very basic types of tips. In fact in Mary's own home she has the best accessory of all: a walk-in fridge. I think most people's fridges are too small to deal with large scale entertaining. When I lived in the USA I had a huge American fridge/freezer in the kitchen and a second one in the garage which I kept empty and switched off but would switch on and use exclusively for food prepared for entertaining. You could get huge trays of party food in it. Unfortunately I have no garage in England and no room for a second fridge. But were I to give a tip to reduce major stress it would be to design your kitchen to have 2 ovens and a spare storage fridge for entertaining only.
She said a few episodes ago that she was one of the first people in the country to be invited to view and use this 'miracle product' from the USA, and I guess that excitement is still there for her.
We take so much for granted I suppose. When Mary was young, it was quite a toil to keep food fresh and appealing.
I'm definitely giving that a go, it looked fantastic.
I started watching Nigella Kitchen on one of the digital channels and I find her fascinating to watch, but a lot of it uses pre-prepared ingredients rather than cooking from scratch like Mary.
Delicious-looking ham - that glaze