Hahahaha
Romeo is at his worst on the mornings he wakes up grumpy. He'll go off on a tangent....this morning it was about plastic containers. He didn't think you could put them in the dishwasher. I mentioned that I put them in the dishwasher all the time, but he still had that look on his face. You know the one? The one that says "I'm still bugged", "why didn't you tell me sooner", etc. I did what most wives do when the other half is dogged by a dark cloud ~ I went to my office (to blog about it! Hahaha). Poor man, he's overwhelmed and when that happens he just has to get it out of his system.
Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood
Now, The Great British Baking show has it's issues as apparently in the U.S. we are not watching them in order, and after a bit of a tuffle, it was picked up from PBS to a commercial channel and Mary Berry is no longer on the show. Which is a shame, because I dearly love her demeanor and skill. Paul Hollywood is a bit more harsh with his criticisms, but if you've ever watched "Chopped", he is much more kind with critique. Of course, the two shows are as different as black and white. Chopped contestants are presented with a basket of ingredients (with one really crazy one thrown in each one) and only have 30 minutes from start to finish. The Great British Baking Show's contestants are home bakers, not professionals. So, it can be encouraging (or discouraging depending on what they're baking) to home cooks everywhere that have an interest in home baking. One of my co-workers brought her cookbook ~ Mary Berry's Baking Bible ~ and I ordered it for myself. And made this yesterday:
My first French Tart
It took me 3 hours ~ but I've learned a few things from this one.
~Peel those apples. Underneath the thinly sliced apples on top is, well, basically applesauce of sorts. You cook the apples until soft and then strain them (undoubtedly the longest part of the whole deal). The book says you don't need to peel them, but if I had, it would have taken half the time to push the mushy apples through a sieve.
Once I baked it, I knew those peels, that give it a nice color admittedly, would pose a problem with cutting it. Which it did. No matter though, it's just the two of us eating it, so if it gets a bit messy, no problem.
The truth is though, although I could cut the time down to 2 hours, that's still a lot of time. I don't see myself baking it more than a few times a year. It is so delicious, that when apple season comes back I will likely make it again. If I were a stay at home wife, I would make it monthly. Yep. It's that good.
Love, 365
Oh my, a three hour commitment to making a dessert is quite something! It does look beautiful, though. I like Mary Berry, too, but I'm not really big on reality shows where there is a competition going on. -Jenn
ReplyDeleteRomeo and I have conversations comparing American shows and the GBBS and agree that the British show is much more civilized. For instance on Chopped, there's a bit of trash talk ~ "My skills are superior" etc. On the GBBS the cooks often assist each other, or at the very least offer encouragement. Honestly it seems as though the watching public prefers the trashy aspect of any competition.
DeleteTo be fair I didn't realize it would take that long ~ I had trouble with the apple puree. I bet that part alone took an hour or so. I enjoy baking, and spending 3 hours isn't that unusual. I just have to make sure my calendar is open!
I had to laugh at the grumpy man stuff. I live it and get it. I am certain that apple tart could help anyone's mode. I LOVE to bake and do so little of it these days because I can't eat any of it due to Celiac. I made something on Saturday and my husband was thrilled then said after eating so much of it that it's best I don't bake as much as I used to. :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, it's only fair as I get irritable and annoyed, haha. You could eat the tart without the crust ~ the fruit filling is the yummiest part anyway. I get it though ~ it is easier than it was 10 years ago and the flour alternatives are better than they used to be. Baking is time consuming, even just cookies.
DeleteI have the same dishwasher argument as you except I'm on your side. I follow my wife's instructions, I'm not stupid, but I still agree with you on this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joeh! Sometimes Romeo is stubborn and wants to do it his own way. I mostly just go with it......
DeleteIt does look quite good. Congrats on it turning out so well and delicious. My kiddos like to watch baking shows and the one they are into now is "Nailed It" on Netflix. My oldest really likes "Chopped" a lot but he only likes to watch the adult version and doesn't care for "Chopped Jr." I don't know why I thought I needed to share that but I did. Have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that your kids like watching cooking shows ~ maybe they'll be inspired to make something for Mom & Dad sometime (but I warn you the cleanup could be HUGE). The Great British Baking show is great! Maybe they have that on Netflix too......
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