TABLE TALK #101
Table Talk is back. Having hit our milestone one hundredth issue, we decided to mix things up, to keep you guessing and to begin alternating between the easily-digestible, eat-on-the-go Picky Bits and the longer form, knees-under stalwart that you all know and love.
Today, we’re talking cookery shows and yes, I know, you probably think you’ve seen every format imaginable, and yet, we keep coming back. And that, my friends, is worthy of further investigation…
🍝 MAIN COURSE 🍝
Photo Credit: Saturday Kitchen
Blurring that boundary between inner belief and fantasy is where shows like Master Chef, The Great British Bake Off and Great British Menu stand unparalleled. The skills on show are often masterful, amateurs and professionals alike competing against the clock, one another and themselves in a flurry of activity and emotion. We watch, hooked by the drama, engaged in constant comparison against our own abilities and decision-making. I wouldn’t have done that. Ooooooh, that’s interesting. Surely not?!
And all this comes before we traverse the TV landscape yet further to reach those who blend food and travel. Pioneered by Keith Floyd, taken mainstream by Rick Stein and given a global audience by Anthony Bourdain, these programmes tick more boxes than they showcase ingredients, opening our eyes to different cultures and customs that in turn drive our curiosity back home.
Whilst the advent of streaming and having a house jammed full of different devices may have made the battle for the remote somewhat redundant, cooking shows tend to cross barriers in ways that other genres don’t. They unite us, they inspire us, and most importantly, they entertain us, often when the person you’re sitting next to nonchalantly claims that they could “knock that up, no trouble…”
Lemon Roasted Potatoes with a Feta Dressing and Chicken Skewers by Poppy O'Toole
Photo Credit: Saturday Kitchen
🍮 SWEET ENDINGS 🍮
Picking your favourite from the above is a bit like being asked to pick your favourite child… Difficult, but not impossible. Sure, this next recommendation might be somewhat left field, but for me, the joy and bewilderment the Hairy Bikers showcase on their Asian Adventure remains unparalleled. Pure educational escapism at its best.
Photo Credit: The Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure
🍷 WHAT'S NEW
FROM
WEDNESDAY'S DOMAINE? 🍷
It’s safe to say our inboxes were a little busier than usual this Monday morning, having received not one, but two glowing pieces of press coverage in The Telegraph and The Daily Mail over the weekend.
We were absolutely buzzing with Georgina Fuller’s recommendation - “so many people have recommended these wines, which taste almost as good as the real thing” - which is sure to keep our fires burning bright in the coming weeks and months.
Until next Wednesday,
Luke x
