DS Forums

 
 

Anyone else cringe at the way TV chefs "big up" everything so much?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 19-10-2011, 17:56
DaleRDS
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 330

From the most basic ingredient to the end result, everything is beautiful, gorgeous, lovely, fantastic.

"Add in 50ml of beautiful tap water..."

That sort of thing.

They're just BOG STANDARD ingredients why do they big them up so much?
DaleRDS is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 19-10-2011, 18:01
degsyhufc
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
I posted a thread before about chef terminology inspired by the short comedy Posh Nosh.



JC Novelli is a classic at it. I realise it's not his natural language but apparently he's been over here for over 30 years.

I'm going to introduce the tomatoes to the garlic



It reminded me of the BBC shorts "Posh Nosh" with Richard E. Grant and Arrabella Wier. Their food terminology was quite outstanding
I was reminded by this thread and Posh Nosh last night while watching Jamie Oliver's new series.

He was making a dip and said to use Sour Cream with a Gesture of Lemon



Earlier in the show he described some tinned Herrings as not overly aggressive (can you get aggressive Herrings?), but the Gesture of Lemon takes the biscuit
Here are some clips
http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/poshnosh/clips/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzjR0yL4f0Y
degsyhufc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2011, 10:35
Strok
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Land of Nessie
Posts: 1,074
I got mugged on my way to work by an aggressive herring. And those sardines? Mindless thugs. And mentioning nothing of the sild...
Strok is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2011, 11:51
boozer3
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,360
I think it was Nigella who once uttered the words " a suspicion of nutmeg " or some other ingredient.

Something else that annoys me is when TV cooks tell us where to buy our food. That market kitchen show did it all the time. Buy your cod from your local fishmonger, get your asparagus from your greengrocer and you'll need olive oil from you store cupboard. Arghhhhhh!
boozer3 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2011, 13:59
Mwarpie
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 6,069
I think it was Nigella who once uttered the words " a suspicion of nutmeg " or some other ingredient.

Something else that annoys me is when TV cooks tell us where to buy our food. That market kitchen show did it all the time. Buy your cod from your local fishmonger, get your asparagus from your greengrocer and you'll need olive oil from you store cupboard. Arghhhhhh!
Yes, very annoying
Mwarpie is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2011, 14:01
Justabloke
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: up the stairs!
Posts: 11,649
I got mugged on my way to work by an aggressive herring. And those sardines? Mindless thugs. And mentioning nothing of the sild...
did they have frikin' lasers on their heads?
Justabloke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2011, 14:26
serendipitea
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,365
My absolute unfavourite is:

"I'm <insert name of chef> and I'm PASSIONATE about <insert word such as Mexican or Indian> food.

Or sometimes they're just PASSIONATE about food in general.
serendipitea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2011, 16:00
DemdikeStare
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 330
My absolute unfavourite is:

"I'm <insert name of chef> and I'm PASSIONATE about <insert word such as Mexican or Indian> food.

Or sometimes they're just PASSIONATE about food in general.
Yeah because being passionate about things is bad?
DemdikeStare is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2011, 16:10
degsyhufc
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
To be fair it has become the common phrase to open a show with mind numming music in the background.
degsyhufc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2011, 17:29
serendipitea
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,365
Yeah because being passionate about things is bad?
You make a profound point about passion, but I didn't make myself clear. If their passion were translated on TV by a less formulaic mode, as say Anthony Bourdain or Jamie or Man V Food's Adam might be permitted to express themselves, I'd have no complaint.

This particular intro is an over-used food TV cliche and the presenters/chefs are being told by a producer to say it because it is a formula.

The straw that broke this camel's back is from a genuinely individual TV chef I like watching, Reza Mahammad, whom I saw this week say: "My name is Reza Mahammad and I'm PASSIONATE about Indian Food. Yummy!"

At least he was allowed to add the Yummy.

It's like watching art programmes and the various presenters constantly saying "I'm XXX and I'm PASSIONATE about Russian Futurists."

But as you say, hey why not.

serendipitea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20-10-2011, 22:29
Sinbazro_05
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 917
I'm sick of hearing about food being "honest".
Sinbazro_05 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-10-2011, 09:51
grimtales1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: St. Albans, UK, Team Wagner
Posts: 42,878
Yeah because being passionate about things is bad?
I would be surprised if a chef wasn't passionate about food

"I'm (insert name) and.. well, to me food is just a job, I don't really care"
grimtales1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-10-2011, 10:06
petit-pois
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: South-East England
Posts: 645
Some of Nigella's quotes make me cringe. Watched one the other day where she talked about penetrating something deeply

Did anyone watch Sophie Dahl's programme? She waffled on about some right old nonsense.
petit-pois is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-10-2011, 12:54
breppo
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Cathedral of Motorcycle Racing
Posts: 2,410
It's not only the chefs, judges of cookery competitions are equally guilty. Especially those two you know whoos.

I love the honesty of the tomatoes. The refreshing acidity cleans your palate. And just when you think it can't get any better, in comes the creamy saltiness of the cheese. Big flavours there. Big flavours there. (sliced tomatoes with some feta)

Sometimes chefs and judges can be understated. Lacks seasoning usually means: Roll out the barrels, roll out the barrels of salt. Roll out...
breppo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-10-2011, 13:02
LaChatteGitane
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: stirring the cauldron
Posts: 3,957
It's not only the chefs, judges of cookery competitions are equally guilty. Especially those two you know whoos.

I love the honesty of the tomatoes. The refreshing acidity cleans your palate. And just when you think it can't get any better, in comes the creamy saltiness of the cheese. Big flavours there. Big flavours there. (sliced tomatoes with some feta)

Sometimes chefs and judges can be understated. Lacks seasoning usually means: Roll out the barrels, roll out the barrels of salt. Roll out...
I really had to chuckle here.
LaChatteGitane is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 21-10-2011, 14:37
serendipitea
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,365
It's not only the chefs, judges of cookery competitions are equally guilty. Especially those two you know whoos.

I love the honesty of the tomatoes. The refreshing acidity cleans your palate. And just when you think it can't get any better, in comes the creamy saltiness of the cheese. Big flavours there. Big flavours there. (sliced tomatoes with some feta)

Sometimes chefs and judges can be understated. Lacks seasoning usually means: Roll out the barrels, roll out the barrels of salt. Roll out...
I'm with LaChatteGitane smiling at this.

It puts me in mind of something Anthony Bourdain (I think it was him?!) said when asked why restaurant food is often tastier than home cooked food. He replied something along the lines of, just add more butter and more salt than you would ever think is humanly possible.
serendipitea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21-10-2011, 14:59
degsyhufc
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
I'm with LaChatteGitane smiling at this.

It puts me in mind of something Anthony Bourdain (I think it was him?!) said when asked why restaurant food is often tastier than home cooked food. He replied something along the lines of, just add more butter and more salt than you would ever think is humanly possible.
That's why I like Bourdain
degsyhufc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-10-2011, 00:13
serendipitea
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,365
That's why I like Bourdain
Good taste!
serendipitea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-10-2011, 08:50
LaChatteGitane
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: stirring the cauldron
Posts: 3,957
Nigel Slater. He's like a poet, when he's cooking.

Mind you, it seems to come naturally to him to 'big up' and not forced at all like with so many other chefs (and judges )
LaChatteGitane is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 22-10-2011, 10:36
breppo
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Cathedral of Motorcycle Racing
Posts: 2,410
I'm with LaChatteGitane smiling at this.

It puts me in mind of something Anthony Bourdain (I think it was him?!) said when asked why restaurant food is often tastier than home cooked food. He replied something along the lines of, just add more butter and more salt than you would ever think is humanly possible.
I'm always a bit puzzled by that. Those top chefs work with the finest ingredients that do not need the mass-food industry's answer to lesser quality: enormous amounts of salt and fat.
"Let the ingredients speak for themselves" is the mantra of many a chef. I just wish they would actually stick to that.
As it is I can hear the poor mackerels bubble: Leave out the barrels, leave out the barrels of salt. Leave out...In come the cows, pigs and deer in counterpoint.
breppo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-10-2011, 11:10
Abriel
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,170
I got mugged on my way to work by an aggressive herring. And those sardines? Mindless thugs. And mentioning nothing of the sild...
Aah sild -hours of fun in the supermarket
Abriel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 22-10-2011, 16:18
degsyhufc
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
Some of Nigella's
I quite like Nigella Lawson, but my god, she is twee.

Here are the cringe-making phrases she used in tonights' programme.

"Tumble the potatoes into the tin"

"Luxuriantly scattered seafood"

"A glossy dribble of olive oil"

"I love the way the bubbles twinkle up"

"A hint of inner thigh wibble"

"A glistening sprinkle of salt"



Everyone else probably thinks these phrases are adorable and sweet.

I DO NOT.
degsyhufc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2011, 09:22
Andy Birkenhead
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Birkenhead, Merseyside.
Posts: 9,712
I Nigel Slater getting on anyone else's nerves, with his "let the ingredients get to know each other" crap ?
Andy Birkenhead is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2011, 09:44
LaChatteGitane
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: stirring the cauldron
Posts: 3,957
I Nigel Slater getting on anyone else's nerves, with his "let the ingredients get to know each other" crap ?
I like Nigel and he's, for me, the only one who can get away with 'flowery' language, because he just excudes gentleness.
LaChatteGitane is offline Follow this poster on Twitter   Reply With Quote
Old 23-10-2011, 10:29
BrunoStreete
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 7,071
I'm always a bit puzzled by that. Those top chefs work with the finest ingredients that do not need the mass-food industry's answer to lesser quality: enormous amounts of salt and fat.
"Let the ingredients speak for themselves" is the mantra of many a chef. I just wish they would actually stick to that.
As it is I can hear the poor mackerels bubble: Leave out the barrels, leave out the barrels of salt. Leave out...In come the cows, pigs and deer in counterpoint.
Salt makes virtually everything taste better. I can't really see how you can comment unless you've tasted the food they're cooking.
BrunoStreete is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 17:57.