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Great British Menu 2012


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I know the brief this year lends itself to it, but I already have a pain in my posterior with constant references to "olympic" and "gold medal". You could have a very serious drinking game based on that.

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Yes I agree there is a lot of monotonous drivel, but for me at least, this week holds lots more promise on the food front.

9 out of 10 for Daniel Clifford's dish? Wow that must have tasted good. It certainly looked the part on the plate.

Best have a closer look at Midsummer House's menus :wink:

"So many places, so little time"

http://londoncalling...blogspot.co.uk/

@d_goodfellow1

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Why Glynn said that only few chefs know about activa? I am a demi chef and I know it... Yes I am a geek but... few chefs? Come on!

I expect you'll still find a lot of chef's who won't touch a water bath. I'm not sure that many chef's will see a need for transglutaminase yet

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I though it was interesting Alan Murchison letting the cat out of the bag to a certain extent re water baths, which we are led to belive are the best thing ever to happen to the diner, especially on GBM commentary, but actually their real use is consistency and ease for the restaurant, not taste for the diner.

Can't think of any one else publically outing this on TV /elsewhere.

And I'd rather not have my dinner glued (transglutaminase-d) together, thanks!

enjoyed it so far, Paul Foster has some interesting ideas and Daniel Clifford showing why he's a 2* chef.

you don't win friends with salad

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I'm enjoying the cooking very much this year, but I'm really struggling with the monotony of the format. Do we really need that "deliberation in front of the window" bit EVERY EPISODE?

I'll definitely give it a miss for Corrigan week. That's just a bridge too far.

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I'm enjoying the cooking very much this year, but I'm really struggling with the monotony of the format. Do we really need that "deliberation in front of the window" bit EVERY EPISODE?

I'll definitely give it a miss for Corrigan week. That's just a bridge too far.

Agree wholeheartedly about the food, especially this week, and there are some more really great chefs left to feature.

Personally I think if this program was new to our screens we would perhaps be a lot more enthusiastic about it. Shame about the repetition but I for one will miss it next year if this is the last one.

Btw Simon, I met Richard Corrigan at Dabbous. He was at the next table with three of his top guys. His television persona is different to the real him. He came across as a really nice guy, fairly quiet and low key but certainly fun to be with.

"So many places, so little time"

http://londoncalling...blogspot.co.uk/

@d_goodfellow1

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Btw Simon, I met Richard Corrigan at Dabbous. He was at the next table with three of his top guys. His television persona is different to the real him. He came across as a really nice guy, fairly quiet and low key but certainly fun to be with.

I've every reason to believe this to be true, and that's exactly why I can't stand watching him on TV. The television persona is just so forced.

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I'm glad that it's on. Where else are you going to see such standards of cooking on your tellybox? It's the perfect antidote for the usual "Easy Shit Made Easy" cooking shows fronted by wannabe celebs. Yes the whole GBM format is familiar now, maybe too familiar, but it's still very watchable. The voiceover is terrible, but without it you'd have no reason to shout at the telly! Another annoying bit is the footballer style interview after the tasting, walking-in shot shaky camera - hilariously contrived.

Over the past couple of seasons Daniel Clifford has come across as bit of a tool but that chicken dish is truly olympian, he's trying a lot harder than the other two and deserves that 10 for sure. I think the brief this year favours chefs like him who push the boundaries; note Murchison's success last week, poor Aktar looks lost. Also where did Clifford get his asparagus from in the middle of winter, or is this just the magic of telly, don't ask questions?

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Also where did Clifford get his asparagus from in the middle of winter,

Peru. Like everyone else.

Last year, my local Sainsbury even had Peruvian asparagus at the height of our growing season.

John Hartley

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Daniels food is looking very good. It is somewhere I will give some serious thought to going later in the year. Both Daniel and Alan seem to have toned down the alpha male routine they had in other series and come across much better for it.

Martin

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Daniels food is looking very good. It is somewhere I will give some serious thought to going later in the year. Both Daniel and Alan seem to have toned down the alpha male routine they had in other series and come across much better for it.

There is a certain humility in this weeks kitchen and its better for it. In previous years Aktar has been accused of being a bit of a cock. Nothing could be further from the truth on this showing. He comes across as being a top notch guy.

Daniel is so rounded, he's almost unrecognisable.

Paul seems just an all round nice guy.

Not so sure I could bear much of the ultra competetive Alan Murchison, he's so full on he could implode.

For me the kitchen comaraderie works so much better than the dog eat dog winning mentality.

And yes, Daniel's food looks amazing, including tonight's photogenic dessert, eye candy of the highest order, which I hope to be eating very soon.

"So many places, so little time"

http://londoncalling...blogspot.co.uk/

@d_goodfellow1

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Don't forget the tone of the show is set by the producers, they have deliberately tried to build confrontation in the past, very possible this year it is all more touchy feely team spirit olympic ethos.

The chefs know it is 'viagra for the reservation book' and that is why they put up with it and appear, in private you'll find a completely different story.

you don't win friends with salad

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It's an odd collection of chefs when the area is not exactly short of talent.

Whether its chefs declining or not hamming it up sufficiently for the cameras in the screen tests, I know not, but it would take me a long time on a desert island to come up with the present list.

Not say i didn't enjoy it, Charlie (?) came across well and interesting comments about Colin McGurran's food lacking seasoning, seemed a pointed comment.

you don't win friends with salad

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The 4 points for Colin seemed very interesting alright, especially since he himself had called it "perfectly seasoned" in the aforementioned footballer-style interview. I also wonder if the brief of pushing the boat out is at odds with some of the veterans' tastes and sensibilities.

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You mean that cooking a Lancashire hot pot and sticking a couple of lamb chops into it isn't cutting edge? :laugh:

I fear you are correct though, Fort seems to get modern cuisine but I think the others would cross the road to avoid it, if at all possible.

you don't win friends with salad

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Nigel H just could not contain himself last night at the sheer absurdity of wearing googles and that nasal constrictor. She should have took it further, and got them wearing boxing gloves, earplugs and some masking tape on the tongue, so no senses were present. The concept being that if you take away all senses the food will taste of nothing, now that is pushingnthe boundaries.

Surely david you must have had a sneaky thought that wearing swimming googles when eating is the next new thing? Have you booked a table yet?

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Regardless of the merits of cooking sous vide, I was really surprised that a top chef (Charlie Larkin) had never ever used it!

I wonder if this is at all representative of chefs in the UK?

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