Rick Stein's French Odyssey

[Pranian man]

In the first episode he spoke of seeking honest, traditional French food - not the sort that comes from Michelin starred restaurants (as if there were something wrong with them). Could there be any jealousy here? I have never been to his restaurant, so can anyone tell me whether he has deliberately eschewed making compromises that could have won him a star or has he just not been up to par?

He also ate at Tupina in Bordeaux and showed its delightfully antiquated kitchen with more or less everything cooked in an enormous fireplace. He thoroughly approved because it "wasn't following any food trends....thank God". Fair enough, I am all for authentic, rustic regional cuisine, but not to the exclusion of the nouveau. And by a food trend, does he mean "creative"? French cuisine would have stopped evolving once Larousse was published according to this logic. Fair enough to have a go at the foam bandwagon jumpers without a single new idea between them, but I once saw a piece in OFM where he made his views of Heston and the like quite clear....and they weren't positive.

Also, in this series he makes it clear how much he owes to Brittany in particular and France in general for the menus at his own restaurant.......but if he really seeks to emulate them, why doesn't he let children in, even at lunchtimes? Surely in Europe they wouldn't hear of such a thing.

And while we're on the subject, did anyone think it was slightly ironic when, in his last Food Heroes series, he made such a point of lionising these producers of high quality produce who "will never get rich doing it" but are just 100% committed to the enduring value of their traditional methods. He could at least have mentioned that he has done very nicely off the back of them through his series fee and the two associated books. At least he could have given something back to them from the profits of the Guide to the food heroes of Britain book? Especially as he probably never lifted a finger in writing it in any case.

Still very watchable, mind

[Basildog]

Don't you think the producers featured in the series might have had a smidgen of good publicity from getting Rick's endorsment? Something like the Delia effect.

edit ....and what makes you think he didn't write the book??

Edited August 27, 2005 by Basildog (log)

[John Whiting]

In conjunction with this series, Stein has been quoted as saying some rather stupid things about French wine; but my reaction to the first program was that it was good enough in its own right to be judged--and responded to--on its own merits, rather than digging into the motives and the politics of how and why it was made. It's like a recipe--if it works, I'm not interested in whether the chef also makes something else that's terrible, or happens to be screwing somebody else's wife.

[erica graham]

Don't you think the producers featured in the series might have had a smidgen of good publicity from getting Rick's endorsment? Something like the Delia effect.

edit ....and what makes you think he didn't write the book??

←

Well, I was working at a vineyard featured in one of his books, and all we got was a questionaire sent through to us from his publishers, followed by an order form for us to order copies, so that we could sell them!! ( I think we did get a few free copies) I can't say we noticed any delia effect!

That said, I do use my (free) copy to look up small producers to visit when we are out and about.

So I can quite safely say that his production company and research team did most of it, but for a project of that size, it is only to be expected.

[PS]

In the first episode he spoke of seeking honest, traditional French food - not the sort that comes from Michelin starred restaurants (as if there were something wrong with them). Could there be any jealousy here?

←

I think Stein's always pushed the simple/rustic rather than the elaborate. Le Tupina seems perfectly in line with this as well.

His series tend to have a slightly home-made feel about them (check out those title sequences), and the food is usually attractively home-makeable as well, rather than the aspirational food porn that other TV chef shows can veer towards.

I'm enjoying the show so far. Nice part of the world too.

[fisherman]

He could at least have mentioned that he has done very nicely off the back of them through his series fee and the two associated books.

Still very watchable, mind

←

and there's me thinking he does it all for free, you mean he gets paid for his work? shocking news, i'm appalled.

i'n really enjoying the series, one of the better food programs around

[PoppySeedBagel]

BTW - he does let children into his Seafood restaurant for lunch - and for dinner when they are >5. They do a children's menu with things like home-made fish fingers with excellent chips, and wonderful strawberry tart on - and mini-poppyseedbagel & I enjoyed sharing a plateau de fruits de mer before his fish fingers & tart about a month ago. However, the prices...

I am enjoying the programme - I always do enjoy his programmes: he's so enthusiastic

[Adam Balic]

I enjoy ~80% of any given Stein program. He does a lot to be commended for, but some times he does come across as ignorant (or maybe just uninformed) and I find him a little self absorbed, especially when he says "But it's not about me, it's about the food".

But personality aside, I enjoy the travelog.

[Andy Lynes]

I think the series so far doesn't quite bear comparison with Floyd Around France which has been showing on cable recently, but I'm prepared to give it a few more episodes before I make up my mind. I haven't felt fully engaged by it as yet although I'm not sure why; maybe the barge is more of a distraction than a properly unifying theme, perhaps Stein just isn't convincing unless he's talking about seafood.

[Adam Balic]

Andy - I also was thinking about Floyd v Stein when I made my post. So far the latter doesn't compare well with the formers show which were made ~20 years ago(?).

Floyd made me interested in food and the cultures associated with it, Stein makes me think "Surely, chardonnay, rhiesling and semillion don't taste like shit after 2 years of age?".

Edited August 30, 2005 by Adam Balic (log)

[Carlovski]

I've got a lot of time for Rick Stein. His shows are what you expect BBC2 cookery shows to be, not dumbed down or overly showy. He even quotes poetry occasionally!

I don't think anyone will beat Keith Floyd. Remember the episode where he made Piperade in front of a rather stern looking lady who then had to show him how to make it properly? Although Stein did once do the comedy 'cut yourself on a mandoline' scene.

[Adam Balic]

Be careful what you wish for:

Oh, I wish I were an Oscar-Mayer wiener;

that is what I'd truly like to be.

Cause if I were an Oscar-Mayer wiener,

Everyone would be in love with me.

Food and poetry is all very good, but if given the choice I would prefer maybe more facts and less opinions. However, I still like the shows well enough and I am willing to forgive Rick almost anything for his recipe for prawns stuffed in papadums, as a beer snack.

Edited August 30, 2005 by Adam Balic (log)

[Mark Donnelly]

I'm sorry but I can't stand Rick Stein. He has none of Keith Floyd's insouciance nor demonstrates any technical cooking skills. But what really gets me is asking obvious questsions ("why can't we get fish like this in the UK?") but not bothering to even attepmt to answer them (as these can be th only point of his shows, since he can't cook and has no personality). I know the shows are unscripted, but he just doesn't have the intellectual rigor to answer his own questions.

[PoppySeedBagel]

I have to say I'm with you on that Mark, having watched all his previous series. I turned off the TV when he gestured to the busy road next too him as he swanned by on his boat, wondering why we 'were all in too much of a hurry'. Having just been in Padstow, full as it was of Stein emporia, I thought he could probably answer that himself. He's a charming, well- educated man, but I do wish he's leave off the cod-philosophising. Also, did he really not know that meat from bulls is different from beef from cows???

Possibly he's a fish out of water...

[transfattyacid]

In the first episode he spoke of seeking honest, traditional French food - not the sort that comes from Michelin starred restaurants (as if there were something wrong with them).

We could make a list here on the subject of how bad the michelin guide is, but maybe thats another thread.

i think he`s trying to get to the roots of french food and make it accessible to the English audience ( the average man/woman on the street not you lot ) ,who (maybe ) are still hung up about french food being complicated.

Could there be any jealousy here? I have never been to his restaurant, so can anyone tell me whether he has deliberately eschewed making compromises that could have won him a star or has he just not been up to par?

i think that a michelin endorsement of his restaurant would not be that significant, its a very good restaurant, with cultural significance,if it doesn`t meet the autocratic french tyre manifacturer`s approval then thats their issue.

any way does any one still take the red guide seriously ?

He also ate at Tupina in Bordeaux and showed its delightfully antiquated kitchen with more or less everything cooked in an enormous fireplace. He thoroughly approved because it "wasn't following any food trends....thank God". Fair enough, I am all for authentic, rustic regional cuisine, but not to the exclusion of the nouveau. And by a food trend, does he mean "creative"? French cuisine would have stopped evolving once Larousse was published according to this logic. Fair enough to have a go at the foam bandwagon jumpers without a single new idea between them, but I once saw a piece in OFM where he made his views of Heston and the like quite clear....and they weren't positive.

the kitchen at la tupina is a sight to behold, and it shows integrity and inspires comments from most who witness it, along the lines of what Mr Stein said in his show.

long live substance over style !.

i just stole the first three episodes off the web , and good viewing it is too .

shame chalky had to stay at home tho`