Hobbes (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} kitling) wrote,@ 2009-05-30 13:49:00 |
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Reality TV Musing and Recipes
So me and Bear have been watching Master Chef, the reality tv show on channel 10. Neither of us are particularly reality tv fans, although I have been known to watch the odd season of Survivor, finding it much like the process of watching a particularly nasty accident about to happen.
What I like about MasterChef
- the food bits
- the cooking
- the fact that most of the contestants are actually pretty well educated and from professional backgrounds and so are reasonably intelligent, not your usual reality tv parade of barista, student, artist etc.
- The food challenges
- The Masterclass - ie the bit were the judges have a class for the contestants and show them the best way to do all the things they fucked up that week and provide really useful cooking tips.
What I don't like about Master Chef
- The attempt by the networks to create suspense by drawing things out, explaining shit that has already been explained 47 times, and recapping what happens before and after every commercial break, as if they assume the audience has the attention span of a gold fish.
- The fact that its on a commercial network and so has advurt breaks ever 15seconds.
We record the tv shows we regularly watch on the Mythbox, which is essentially a TiVo. That way I can fast forward through all the advurt breaks and creating suspense bits.
I must admit I do like my Food Porn.
The shows we regularly record
- Iron Chef
- Mythbusters
- Food Safari
- Time Team
- Hairy Bikers Cookbook
- Scrapheap Challenge
- Master Chef
So yeah - its pretty easy to spot a theme.
But watching cooking shows, even if they are reality TV has its advantages
Last week we made candied oranges - which we intend to remake with Lemons, Ginger, Oranges and then coat the candied object in chocolate :) We also made a selection of home made pastry items like sausage rolls and apple strudel/pastry thingys
Today for lunch we made Chocolate Pikelets, topped with caramelised apples and a scoop of caramel icecream.
Sweets are one of those items I don't tend to make, along with my pretty non existent baking skills. I'm much more your savory dinner kind of making person.
But its nice to be inspired and learn some more recipes, even if the influence is a reality TV show.
Although I have to admit thatumbra_mentis is also something of an influence, the good or bad yet to be confirmed :)
Adam - you have to come over so I can make you the caramelised apples.
And yes, there is a reason we are fat :)
In other news, we are thinking of signing up to do an Akido class, we went and watched a session last night and it does look like fun. I'm worried about a few aspects, one - how hard it will be on my joints. The guy in charge of the class said if it hurts you are doing it wrong, so that will help you learn to do it right. They also want a serious long term commitment if you sign up with them, in the form of money up front. None of this 12 class trial thingy. So what happens if I don't like it after a month?
I've never done a martial art before. Bear did some judo in high school - but that's about it.
So me and Bear have been watching Master Chef, the reality tv show on channel 10. Neither of us are particularly reality tv fans, although I have been known to watch the odd season of Survivor, finding it much like the process of watching a particularly nasty accident about to happen.
What I like about MasterChef
- the food bits
- the cooking
- the fact that most of the contestants are actually pretty well educated and from professional backgrounds and so are reasonably intelligent, not your usual reality tv parade of barista, student, artist etc.
- The food challenges
- The Masterclass - ie the bit were the judges have a class for the contestants and show them the best way to do all the things they fucked up that week and provide really useful cooking tips.
What I don't like about Master Chef
- The attempt by the networks to create suspense by drawing things out, explaining shit that has already been explained 47 times, and recapping what happens before and after every commercial break, as if they assume the audience has the attention span of a gold fish.
- The fact that its on a commercial network and so has advurt breaks ever 15seconds.
We record the tv shows we regularly watch on the Mythbox, which is essentially a TiVo. That way I can fast forward through all the advurt breaks and creating suspense bits.
I must admit I do like my Food Porn.
The shows we regularly record
- Iron Chef
- Mythbusters
- Food Safari
- Time Team
- Hairy Bikers Cookbook
- Scrapheap Challenge
- Master Chef
So yeah - its pretty easy to spot a theme.
But watching cooking shows, even if they are reality TV has its advantages
Last week we made candied oranges - which we intend to remake with Lemons, Ginger, Oranges and then coat the candied object in chocolate :) We also made a selection of home made pastry items like sausage rolls and apple strudel/pastry thingys
Today for lunch we made Chocolate Pikelets, topped with caramelised apples and a scoop of caramel icecream.
Sweets are one of those items I don't tend to make, along with my pretty non existent baking skills. I'm much more your savory dinner kind of making person.
But its nice to be inspired and learn some more recipes, even if the influence is a reality TV show.
Although I have to admit that
umbra_mentis is also something of an influence, the good or bad yet to be confirmed :)Adam - you have to come over so I can make you the caramelised apples.
And yes, there is a reason we are fat :)
In other news, we are thinking of signing up to do an Akido class, we went and watched a session last night and it does look like fun. I'm worried about a few aspects, one - how hard it will be on my joints. The guy in charge of the class said if it hurts you are doing it wrong, so that will help you learn to do it right. They also want a serious long term commitment if you sign up with them, in the form of money up front. None of this 12 class trial thingy. So what happens if I don't like it after a month?
I've never done a martial art before. Bear did some judo in high school - but that's about it.
