Blumenthal: In Search of Perfection

[apshelbourne]

Please, chaps & chapesses, don't continue this argument any further. The debate on this forum is usually so pleasant that we've perhaps forgotten how bad things can get on t'Interweb.

Mr or Mrs Zoticus is either:

a. a troll, or

b. so stupid he or she needs reminding to breath

So, don't feed the flames, eh?

- Tony -

Edited November 7, 2006 by apshelbourne (log)

[RDB]

Bye Bye Blumenthal. turn right and exit left.

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Well that's him told.

Noticed a letter in -- of all places -- the mailbag bit of Winner's Dinners in the Sunday Times (link). Says the Fat Duck hasn't changed its menu in three years, and is at risk of becoming "no more than a theme park". Interesting observation, I thought.

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.....and to take the analogy further, the degustation menu is the main ride in the theme park exciting with unexpected twists and turns, once experienced however, it loses its magic thereafter. When I dined there this year I loved it but could not help but think you could actually set one of these restaurants up in every major city. A Fat Duck chain. I suppose there is a limit to how long a menu can stay the same, ok it is a winning formula, but it does not intice me to return again. I like restaurants and chefs to evolve, albeit sausage and mash is evolution, only in a retrospective manner.

Closer to home I have had the tasting menu in Juniper on about five different occassions, once even in the space of two weeks. I have never received the same dish twice, and Paul Kitching is whipping up 15-20 dishes. Now that is one hell of a theme park, ok some rides are not as good as they may sound or as good at the last one, but it keeps the adrenaline and surprise factor alive time after time.

[Basildog]

Just watched HB spend a whole show making a Black forrest Gateaux, and then doesn't cut a slice to show the layers!FFS man!

[Bapi]

oh bollocks - missed the programme again

[RDB]

Just watched HB spend a whole show making a Black forrest Gateaux, and then doesn't cut a slice to show the layers!FFS man!

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My thoughts entirely!! After all that. I found it funny when he was doing the aerated chocolate in the aeration chamber (or whatever it is called) he stated, 'obviously people are not going to have this at home so we have to think of a way round that.....'. Now I thought he was going to say 'nip out to your local 24 hour garage and pick up an aero'. Oh no, he pulls out a dyson, space bag and hollowed out plastic container a la Blue Peter. Absolutely classic !!!

[kutsu]

It shows the layers in the book; and to be fair, it looks freaking fantastic. Lots of stuff I wouldn't want to do at home, but a very entertaining show, and a fantastic end product. Good TV.

[Duncan]

Just watched HB spend a whole show making a Black forrest Gateaux, and then doesn't cut a slice to show the layers!FFS man!

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He is completely bonkers, but right now I'd kill for a bit of that gateau.

[Basildog]

It shows the layers in the book; and to be fair, it looks freaking fantastic. Lots of stuff I wouldn't want to do at home, but a very entertaining show, and a fantastic end product. Good TV.

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I don't have the book, and one would think that the whole point of the exercise was the layering of textures and flavours.A money shot of a slice was needed.Badly.

[naebody]

It shows the layers in the book; and to be fair, it looks freaking fantastic. Lots of stuff I wouldn't want to do at home, but a very entertaining show, and a fantastic end product. Good TV.

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Watched it for the first time last night, and yes, very enjoyable stuff. But it wasn't just the cake "money shot" that left me disappointed. On the whole, it seemed a bit light on the science.

I was hoping for some explanations of how things work in the kitchen and why, along the lines of Kitchen Chemistry, his book with Ted Lister. Instead, we were told in far too little detail how to make a cake that no home cook in their right mind could attempt. Entertaining to watch, but not exactly educational or informative; I'm not sure exactly what we learned by hearing repeatedly that good kirsch is better than bad kirsch because kirsch smells wonderfully of kirsch.

The BBC clearly want him to be a boffin, but seem scared of the actual science stuff. So they're making him into a kind of Heath Robinson enthusiast, mixed with two parts Delia and a pinch of Harry Hill.

I'll still be watching, needless to say, but as soon as any of the following happens there will be a letter of complaint to Michael Grade: (1) Heston appears in a bath filled with any kind of foodstuff; (2) Heston presents any information standing in front of a blackboard, with a wooden pointer, and a bunsen burner in shot (3) Heston 'accidentally' makes a comedy explosion and gets a face full of flour and/or soot.

I suspect it is only a matter of time.

Edited November 8, 2006 by naebody (log)

[grahamR]

I thought the BFG episode was a gem. The full detail on those recipes can't really be done on TV, so for once it's a book spin-off that's worth it... And apart from the thing with the hoover, I'd try that at home.

(Anyone want to set up a business supplying pre-aerated slabs of quality chocolate? )

[Zoticus]

Mr or Mrs Zoticus is either:

a. a troll, or

b. so stupid he or she needs reminding to breath

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Or perhaps c. someone who resents the knockers.

Despite the facts, Sir Heston has placed British food at the top of world gastronomy. So why is it that so many people want to knock him? I notice that none of his critics here have their own pime time tv shows. More than just coincidence? I don't think so

So, don't feed the flames, eh?

Don't worry, I won't respond to your insults. Have you seen the program btw?

[fisherman]

HE IS NOT A FUCKING SIR!

[jackal10]

Saint perhaps?

[grahamR]

Saint perhaps?

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Only Delia has that honour.

(Please don't resent her knockers too.)

[Jon Tseng]

Folks, we've all seen trolls before. Don't rise to the bait. We've all got better things to do

Zoticus: I like some of the stuff you say. You're a smart chap and clearly think in a systematic way about your food. So please stop being a prat - you're better than that.

Now back to our original programming?

hugs

J

[ameiden]

Here is an idea how to freshen up the Fat duck theme show in Bray with the ever-lasting menu - why does Heston not propose an alternative three or four course menu, composed out of the dishes of his new TV series?

By watching the programme even ambitious home cooks will have realised that the show has written "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME" all over it. But I am sure they would come to Bray to eat perfect bangers and mash or the best black forest gateau in the world.

[ravelda]

Nice idea ameiden, but I wonder if the idea would not be better postitioned at his alternate restaurant the Hinds Head. I must say that with all the ideas he must have I am suprised at the lack of movement in his menu - I almost wonder if perhaps he has not changed it for fear of loosing the coveted 3 stars - as per one of my earlier posts about one star restaurants tending to be more innovative and challenging than three star places who focus on consistancy and excellence.

[naebody]

Can't really anticipate a tasting menu of pizza, fish and chips, sausages and mash, spaghetti bolognese, roast chicken, steak and salad, black forest cake and treacle tart and ice cream. They'd have to provide a defibrillator with the petit four.

Nevertheless, I'll be unsurprised if some version of these crop up soon in a London hotel dining room or a Heston-branded Waitrose ready meal pack before too long. Unsurprised, but disappointed.

Edited November 8, 2006 by naebody (log)

[Duncan]

(Anyone want to set up a business supplying pre-aerated slabs of quality chocolate? )

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That would be Nestlé. Or did you mean to imply the word 'high' in front of 'quality'?

[Magnus Lindgren]

Here is an idea how to freshen up the Fat duck theme show in Bray with the ever-lasting menu - why does Heston not propose an alternative three or four course menu, composed out of the dishes of his new TV series?

I'm lucky enough to be one of few that tasted the gateux and it was mark my words perfect. the layers worked very well and im not even a kirch fan.

and as for the tasting meny at the duck. Good things comes to the one who waits

look at el bulli last season to much new stuff that even Adria himself felt they lost their roots. My bet is that they go for a "best of" season this year and then shut down after that

[apshelbourne]

Today's Private Eye has an amusing skit on the prog. Entitled "Heston Blumenthals' Cooking Made Easy Recipe Book", it begins:

No. 94 The Boiled Egg

1. Build nuclear reactor and pre-heat to 4000C.

[Pweaver1984]

Missed last nights show too

Although I bought the book today whilst in Canterbury for £9.99 at British Bookshops Sussex Stationers (Anyone else have a branch of these near them? Always have new books in at very good prices).

Haven't had a real read yet but the book does only have the 8 recipes I think, but again its the detail/length HB goes into that is fascinating. A lot of information and knowledge which will no doubt educate me..

[confiseur]

..am I the only one who thought last nights effort was a classic case of 'the emperors new clothes'....some of the techniques he presented as his own ideas have been around for donkeys years....and when he put the chocolate mixed with..what was it? groundnut or sunflower oil? through the paint gun I allmost wet myself....better than Borat!...the ONLY fat you add to chocolate to thin it down so it can be sprayed is cocoa-butter..with NO exceptions.

[Duncan]

..am I the only one who thought last nights effort was a classic case of 'the emperors new clothes'....some of the techniques he presented as his own ideas have been around for donkeys years....and when he put the chocolate mixed with..what was it? groundnut or sunflower oil? through the paint gun I allmost wet myself....better than Borat!...the ONLY fat you add to chocolate to thin it down so it can be sprayed is cocoa-butter..with NO exceptions.

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Not even double cream?

[muichoi]

Nice idea ameiden, but I wonder if the idea would not be better postitioned at his alternate restaurant the Hinds Head.  I must say that with all the ideas he must have I am suprised at the lack of movement in his menu - I almost wonder if perhaps he has not changed it for fear of loosing the coveted 3 stars - as per one of my earlier posts about one star restaurants tending to be more innovative and challenging than three star places who focus on consistancy and excellence.

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I think the lack of movement shows great seriousness of intent. Proper food cultures recognise that the pursuit of perfection is infinitely more interesting than being 'innovative or challenging'.