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Post by pasnowbunny2 on Sept 14, 2018 0:54:04 GMT
I'm watching the first episode of the new season on Netflix. It's a meh from me. Just not the same without Mel, Sue & my Mary Berry.
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Post by AZChristian on Sept 14, 2018 3:14:23 GMT
I'm watching the first episode of the new season on Netflix. It's a meh from me. Just not the same without Mel, Sue & my Mary Berry. I wasn't sold by the end of the first episode, but I've finished the season on Netflix, and I'm okay with the change. The important thing is that they didn't change what the show is about!!
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Post by MFWalkoff on Sept 14, 2018 4:08:39 GMT
I started watching the new Netflix season the other night as well. I don't really like the new hosts -- they try too hard, and they perform more forced, cutesy humor where Mel & Sue were just plain witty. BUT, the new cast of bakers are interesting and entertaining, and one good thing is that the new hosts aren't getting in the way of the competition itself, which is the best part of the show. So by the end of the first hour, it was still the same show for me. I just might FF past the intro now.
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Post by justCoz on Sept 14, 2018 5:47:29 GMT
My daughter and I watched the whole new season one Netflix. We don't like the scripted parts they give the new hosts because they cannot deliver them well. However, we did like their interactions with the contestants. When they could be themselves they were funny. Prue is no Mary Berry. I missed Mary's innate kindness.
Why out of all of the four did it have to be Paul that stayed. He annoys me. He's just so smug.
The contestants are great as usual.
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ccl
FORT Regular
Posts: 437
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Post by ccl on Sept 15, 2018 1:24:46 GMT
This week is bread week, and once again, Paul Hollywood created a minor controversy when he criticized an (older, of course) contestant on their continued use of Bakewell in her Chelsea Buns. Apparently, his comments did not go over well with the British public. For the first bake, they made different types of Chelsea buns and some of them looked delicious. Paul even gave out a handshake to one lucky contestant. For the Technical, they had to make naan and the results were...unpredictable in a lot of cases. The Showstopper was korovai, a traditional bread in Eastern Europe that’s mainly associated with weddings which is notoriously difficult to make. I was very happy for who got Star Baker (two in a row!) and equally sad to see a certain contestant leave. This season has the usual sweet mix of people who are very supportive of each other. Two sweet bread challenges this week. Meh. At least the naan looked yummy. I hadn’t even noticed she was doing Bakewell flavours before. I am pretty sure Anthony did orange and chocolate twice too. The one contestant has used Pandan twice (I forget her name). It is not like she is creating the same actual item every challenge. I can see suggesting she branch out but the way he phrased it was not so nice. I was glad Terry did better this week, at least in the first two challenges. I was ok with the ousted baker as I really didn’t want the other one in the bottom two going.
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Post by MFWalkoff on Sept 19, 2018 20:51:10 GMT
It was Dessert week on the new UK season. Is it me or are the challenges generally more difficult in the Paul-Prue era? I was surprised how many of them managed to make a working chocolate sphere for the showstopper, and it was funny watching them try to recreate what amounted to a cafeteria jello ring in the technical. Good episode with a good result. Hope the absent baker is okay.
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Post by Kao on Sept 19, 2018 22:07:22 GMT
It was Dessert week on the new UK season. Is it me or are the challenges generally more difficult in the Paul-Prue era? I was surprised how many of them managed to make a working chocolate sphere for the showstopper, and it was funny watching them try to recreate what amounted to a cafeteria jello ring in the technical. Good episode with a good result. Hope the absent baker is okay. It's not just you; the challenges are harder and at times not a thing the average baker would come across. Case in point: the Meringue Roulade (a kind of Swiss Roll cake with Meringue and fresh fruit) for the Signature Bake. One of the things they were looking for in this dessert was a mostly whole meringue, but the fragility of it means it can crack relatively easy. And they had to roll it after it came out of the oven. I think all the roulades had cracks in them, and very few had the swirl because meringue and fruit together aren't the easiest things to roll. The Raspberry Blancmange they had to make was a question of timing since you had to wait a decent amount of time for it to set. IMO that dessert needed more than 2 1/2 hours since so many of the contestants saw their Blancmange collapse, but there were some who managed it within the timeframe. I liked the Showstoppers the best; it was cool to watch them pour the topping over the chocolate globes, exposing the little cakes underneath. My favorite was Kim Joy's Universe globe with the little turtles inside.
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ccl
FORT Regular
Posts: 437
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Post by ccl on Sept 20, 2018 1:22:19 GMT
Haven’t seen this week’s episode yet so cannot comment on it. But Paul said the challenges this year were easier/more basic in pre-show interviews and specifically mentioned it was because they wanted to encourage home bakers. So let’s all get out there and make some chocolate spheres. Canadian version of Bakeoff started tonight on CBC. Two Bakeoffs running at once - so much cake joy.
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Post by ibot2much on Sept 20, 2018 15:14:13 GMT
There was a Q and A in the Boston paper with John Whaite and I don't think it was in any national paper as it usually is a local cook they interview. Anyway, he has his 5th cookbook coming out and has moved from just baking to cooking as well. He said that he did watch his season recently and it brought up the stress of the season again---very uncomfortably.
Surprisingly, he is returning to law...."starting my barrister training in September", but will continue doing food as he regards himself as "a food writer and food industry professional".
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Post by MFWalkoff on Sept 20, 2018 20:38:43 GMT
The Sun is stirring up some drama over Prue's harsh comments to one of the bakers this week, also about an editing glitch during the show which may have revealed the ending halfway through...
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Post by Kao on Sept 21, 2018 3:48:27 GMT
Nope, not clicking on that spoiler, LOL!
I don't remember Prue being particularly harsh to anyone this week. Granted, she's very no nonsense and to the point in her critiques, but I wouldn't call her harsh. The Sun is a messy paper that's known for [redacted] stirring, so it doesn't surprise me.
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Post by Kao on Sept 26, 2018 16:01:22 GMT
It's Spice week in the tent! It's an entirely new genre for the show, and the contestants are ready. The ill contestant from last week is back so there will be two eliminations.
Signature Bake: Ginger cake. The judges encouraged them to use different types of ginger as the fresh quickly loses its taste when baked. Most of these bakes were very successful, and Paul gave out a record three handshakes! In his defense those cakes looked (and appeared to taste) extremely good; the best of the best.
Technical: A Middle Eastern dessert none of the contestants were even remotely familiar with. These little cookies (or small cakes, wasn't sure which) were two different types with different spiced fillings. Some of the contestants were successful, while others...were not; it seemed like a kinda tricky thing to make.
Showstopper: A biscuit chandelier (was like a huge mobile with lots of biscuits dangling from strings). Results ranged from really intricate and tasty to kinda sloppy and not well done.
I was pleased at the two contenders for Star Baker and ultimately very happy for who won. Prue was not there for Showstopper day which meant Paul had the sole decision of who went home. Normally I would think some sort of bias was there (as it's Paul deciding) but the two he chose were clearly the weakest links in a very strong group. I still felt bad for them; seeing people cry on TV over something that meant something to them made me tear up.
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Post by MFWalkoff on Sept 28, 2018 20:35:51 GMT
I think Paul is playing fast and loose with his handshakes now -- they are starting to lose their impact.
Or are these bakers really that much better than previous ones?
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Post by Kao on Sept 28, 2018 21:31:16 GMT
In their defense, the three seemed to put out some exceptional ginger cakes, so those handshakes may have been well deserved.
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ccl
FORT Regular
Posts: 437
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Post by ccl on Sept 29, 2018 1:12:52 GMT
Honestly, the handshake thing is played out now. I’m over it. ETA this Buzzfeed article shows how inflated the handshake thing has gotten (don’t check it out if you haven’t seen the current season to date and wish to avoid spoilers) www.buzzfeed.com/scottybryan/paul-hollywood-handshakes-too-manyI liked the idea of spice week; they should continue with it next season. Not that fond of ginger but a few of those cakes looked so good, they had me changing my mind, particularly Rahul’s.
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Post by MFWalkoff on Sept 29, 2018 4:16:20 GMT
I liked the theme as well, although spice was an afterthought in the Showstopper challenge. The biscuit chandelier was a great, wacky challenge, but it had nothing to do with showcasing spice. They must have been finding it hard to fit the idea into a themed week, and finally said "Okay, add it to spice week and they have to put spices in it."
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ccl
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Post by ccl on Sept 29, 2018 4:46:30 GMT
I mean, all the biscuit chandeliers I have ever made in my life have been made with spice cookies.... Fair point.
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Post by provenceguy on Sept 29, 2018 15:10:25 GMT
Is the newest season on Netflix? I'm not finding it.
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Post by Kao on Sept 29, 2018 15:19:21 GMT
Is the newest season on Netflix? I'm not finding it. No, the one on Netflix is the one from last year (the first one on Channel 4 and without Mary, Sue, and Mel). We're watching this year's GBBO on Channel 4 and elsewhere.
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Post by provenceguy on Sept 29, 2018 15:23:36 GMT
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Post by MFWalkoff on Oct 5, 2018 10:15:30 GMT
Pastry Week! With a surprising mix of savory and sweet. And some surprising results -- I was sad about who got eliminated. All the samosas in the Signature Bake were making my mouth water, I love samosas. The best ones came from predictable sources. I never heard of Prue's Technical (6 Puits d'amour or wells of love) but that's no surprise since most of what I know about baking comes from watching this show, lol. It was nice to see a different winner. The Showstopper banquet pies weren't as impressive as I thought they might be, but then I didn't know what a banquet pie was, so what do I know. Again, nice to see a different winner, but unfortunately a really good/interesting baker (and potential finalist) had a really bad day all around to be sent home.
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ccl
FORT Regular
Posts: 437
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Post by ccl on Oct 5, 2018 12:49:36 GMT
It was surprising who went home. He had been doing quite well but he just had a disastrous week. Everything went wrong on every challenge. Shame. Contrast that to the star baker who has been having struggles since week two in various challenges but just smashed it this week. Everything changes. I do like the star baker so I am glad she got her mojo back. Even the French baker hadn’t heard of that French dish in the technical. I swear they must be pulling out very dusty old cookbooks to get some of these things. I agree that the showstopper was just ok. The Canadian Bakeoff had a really interesting showstopper this week - sandwiches that look like cakes - and I felt this one was lackluster in comparison. I did like the star baker’s one (though not the filling - grey meat does not look appetizing).
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Post by Kao on Oct 5, 2018 18:41:38 GMT
Just finished watching and this is the second time that a contestant left contact paper in their bake and cooked it (the first being last season) and was safe. Personally, I think doing that should be an automatic "going home" because there is no reason for that. I think in this case they overlooked it because the person they sent home had such an incredibly awful week. Not everyone is good at pastry, and as good a baker he was he couldn't overcome it. I wish him the best.
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Post by rembrant on Oct 9, 2018 19:23:15 GMT
Not gonna use contestant names so as to avoid spoiling it for those who can't watch it.
My friend and I were very okay with who went home in pastry week. He has seen every season except 1, 2 and 8, and I have seen all seasons, and it's very rare that we come to not like any contestant, but the contestant eliminated in pastry week just rubbed us the wrong way, he seemed a bit too competitive and it was kinda off-putting. We're pretty okay with everyone left, though we're a bit annoyed at how the judges, Paul especially, seem to be showing a bit of favoritism to a certain contestant, who is definitely talented, but even when he has a bit of a mess-up, they still heap praise on them.
Spice week has been one of my favorites so far and I hope they bring it back next year, hopefully add in a savory bake in it, plus my favorite contestant this season (as well as my best friend's favorite) won Star Baker, which made it even better. In general, I'm enjoying this season a lot more than the previous one, with the bakers being more engaging than last year's bunch and the new judge and hosts more comfortable in their roles.
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Post by Kao on Oct 11, 2018 15:12:34 GMT
There was a lot of discourse online before this week's episode aired, and personally I don't see what all of the fuss was about. I mean, millions of people are vegan, and I'm sure most of them like dessert too!
This week was vegan week, where the bakers got to make tasty things without using milk, butter, or eggs. For the Signature bake, they had to make two kinds of savory tartlets without using egg or butter in the crust. Some got around this by using coconut in the crust, while others used spices to get the desired result. Most of the tartlets looked delicious and one lucky baker got the Paul handshake.
The Technical was a Fruit Pavlova— without using egg white for the meringue. How to do such a thing? Well, apparently chickpea water when beaten has the same taste and consistency as regular merengue, it's just a little bit more delicate. Most of the bakers were successful with the merengue but didn't add enough fruit, while others had a cracked merengue. I was very happy for the person who ranked 1st.
Showstopper: Make a Celebration cake, 2 tier minimum. Most of the bakers made cakes for partners and parents, while others made cakes to honor dead relatives. For the most part the cakes were beautiful but there were some mishaps; I don't know if Vegan cakes tend to be heavier than average but a lot of the cakes were sagging. One unlucky baker's top tier completely slid off the bottom and onto the table, while another's cake did the same thing in the fridge and he had to present the cake in two pieces. A cake was presented that looked absolutely beautiful, but had the taste and consistency of cardboard, while other one was covered with whimsical foxes that had an unusual flavor combination that was delicious.
I was very happy about who won Star Baker as they got into the spirit of Vegan week and had some really cute bakes this week. Not surprisingly, the eliminated baker was the one who had an attitude about the whole theme. Honestly, I would be glad to learn another skillset and many people eat vegan food that aren't vegan, but some people are really...militant about their meat-eating, and it's a shame.
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Post by MFWalkoff on Oct 11, 2018 19:40:27 GMT
I agree there was too much pre-show fuss about the vegan theme. The one issue I could see eye-to-eye with was that going into the episode, it was almost guaranteed that this would be the kind of show where there would be a lot more fails, and the winners of challenges might be the ones who failed the least as opposed to the ones who made the most beautiful/delicious creations. It's the same issue I had with later seasons of Project Runway -- some of the challenges guaranteed a very mixed runway where the 'winner' simply made the least cockeyed garment. With creative competition shows, I like to see gorgeous end products more than watching people fail at challenges that are deliberately stacked against them.
I was also happy with the Star baker, and fine with the baker who left, for the same reasons that Kao said above.
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Post by Kao on Oct 11, 2018 20:14:13 GMT
Ironically, two of the "fails" (ie: the Showstoppers that slid apart) were also among the tastiest in the bunch, while the one that looked absolutely amazing had a horrible texture inside and tasted the worst. The person who won Star Baker not only had a adorable cake but it tasted amazing as well.
The bakers also get a heads up to what the theme is and what the bakes are going to be for the Signature and Showstopper bakes the week before, giving them a chance to prepare and practice before the actual bake in the tent. Granted, anything can go wrong in the tent (difference in temp of home stove vs tent stove, temp in tent affecting dessert, etc) but it's not that hard to find a good vegan recipe and make sure it was good prior to entering the tent. You could tell that the eliminated baker didn't bother to practice at all, and it showed.
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Post by MFWalkoff on Oct 11, 2018 20:30:11 GMT
Yup -- one thing I find entertaining is seeing how the weather affects the bakers' attitudes - especially when it gets really hot, or when it starts to rain outside, and the challenge involves chocolate, lol.
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Post by ibot2much on Oct 12, 2018 11:45:10 GMT
That waeather does vary from weekend to weekend in England....If it is summer, I have seen them come out in scarves and winter jackets.
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Post by MFWalkoff on Oct 19, 2018 15:20:58 GMT
This week's new UK episode was weird (in a good way) -- the first Danish Week, which included a showstopper about a party centerpiece of a person made of danish, and the fun party activity is everyone screams as the person's head is cut off. That bit of fun helped offset the strange results -- lots of bad/inconsistent baking all around, and a surprising elimination. I think the wrong person went home. They didn't get rid of the true worst baker of the day because they've been a solid frontrunner up till now. But they had a horrible day and pretty much burnt their danish in every challenge. Ah well...
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