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Entertainment December 15, 2017

French pastry week with the Canadian Baking Show

Bonjour — that’s about all host Dan Levy could say in French, but that didn’t stop French pastry week on the Great Canadian Baking Show. (Don’t worry Dan. It’s better not to speak the language if you truly can’t.)

This week marked the semi-finals of the competition, which put a lot of extra stress on the four remaining bakers.

The first challenge was a dozen Mille-Feuilles, or a Napoleon as North American’s may know them. These treats are made of layers of light, flaky puff pastry with a flavoured filling (typically a kind of custard), and decadent toppings. The key for this challenge, as is the key with most French pastry, was elegance.

Unfortunately, none of the bakers nailed the pastry itself. Most were undercooked, while one was overcooked. Most of them had wonderful presentation, but I found the layers weren’t tight enough. When I bite into a Napoleon, I like to be able to get all the layers at once. The bakers had thick, dollops of icing, which looked beautiful, but if a regular person were eating that Mille-Feuille they may have a challenge getting a taste of every layer. The judges, in their typical style, peeled apart each layer with a fork. That may be how the French eat a Mille-Feuille, but it’s not how we Canadians eat a Napoleon.

The technical challenge was an Opera cake, made with layers of almond sponge cake soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache and coffee buttercream and covered in a chocolate glaze. On the top is the word Opera written in thin, cursive, chocolate writing. Most of the cakes were not soaked in enough coffee for the judges’ taste.

Sabrina did very well with her cake and the writing on top, but unfortunately chocolate glaze is unforgiving. There was a giant fingerprint in the centre of the cake! Sadly, there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Both Linda and Vandana had issues with their cursive writing, with the chocolate icing too thick to create an elegant look. James succeeded in creating a nearly perfect Opera cake.

The show stopper challenge was a tower of cream puffs, or a croquembouche — round pieces of choux pastry filled with cream, stuck together with sugar or caramel. This task was all about time management. Each baker needed at least 100 cream puffs in order to make a structure that was tall enough. James, unfortunately, was unable to plan well enough to make the number of cream puffs needed for a tower. He also ran out of sugar to bind the puffs together; Vandana was kind enough to allow him to use some of her leftover caramel so that he could at least put together something for the judges.

Both Sabrina and Vandana produced beautiful looking croquembouche. Sabrina’s tower was gorgeous and consisted of a number of attachable elements, including sugar strings. However, it wasn’t baked enough. Vandana’s creamy filling was delicious, but the judges said she also could a bit better with her pastry.

This was the semi-finals, so the final three contestants will compete next week for the title of Great Canadian Baker! James, unfortunately, will not be competing next week. Despite the fact that every dessert tasted delicious according to the judges, his presentation hurt him. The judges (and myself) have such a soft spot for James, who can make something delicious even if it looks really ugly. But, unfortunately, as the competition winds down, presentation must be judged in equal measure to taste. Linda was named star baker after producing a gorgeous white chocolate holiday themed cream puff tower.

Who do you think will win next week? Let us know in the comments below!

Entertainment December 7, 2017

Holiday week on the Great Canadian Baking Show

There was garland, there was eggnog, and there was yuletide cheer. You guessed it: it was Holiday Week on the Great Canadian Baking Show.

This week’s episode had possibly the best host introduction yet — Daniel Levy and Julia Chan start the show by walking away from the bakers tent to go on vacation, after mistakingly assuming that “holiday week” was a break from the show. Cheesy? Yes. Did it make me laugh? Also, yes.

Both hosts were particularly delightful this week. The puns were less forced and Levy again proved he had the best job in the world as the baker’s taster.

The first challenge was to create a yule log, or a Buche De Noel, a traditional French dessert that involves rolling sponge cake with layers of cream, with a chocolate coating. The desert should have an equal spiral of cream and sponge, which is difficult to achieve because it requires the baker to tightly roll the cake without breaking it.

Vandana’s classic chocolate yule log with chocolate cream and raspberry flavours was a crowd pleaser. Linda’s pumpkin rendition with caramel cream cheese icing and chocolate bark looked absolutely gorgeous. James tried something different and instead of covering his log in chocolate, he created a bark patterned log — twice as he forgot butter in the first batch. The outside was impressive; however the inside looked a bit squashed, as per typical James style.

The technical challenge was Rugelach, a Jewish cookie that looks a bit like a croissant and has an apricot and chocolate filling. I had a few issues with this technical challenge, but my primary concern was that everyone’s dough was undercooked. I guess even the Great Baking Shows are not exempt from the typical “reality television” mantra that something has to be more challenging so as to create unnecessary drama. For example, not including how much time a treat takes to cook will ensure that absolutely no one gets the task right. Sure, leave them to guess ingredient measurements or how to assemble a dessert, but the time it takes for something to cook is a fact any baker would need to know. It sets the tone for everything else they do. I felt so bad for all the bakers who did the best they could with the information they were given.

The final show stopper challenge was a gingerbread structure. Notice the word “structure” and not house. Bakers were given free reign of what they wanted to create, and it resulted in some truly unique gingerbreads. Vandana’s treehouse for her so was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. She had so many small details and the fact that the house sat on a gingerbread tree stump really set her apart. Linda also created a truly stunning barn with stained glass windows and an iced roof.

Terri’s animal sanctuary was a brilliant idea. Unfortunately, her windows melted and she overdid it with decorations. Sabrina also didn’t have a great week – her Rockefeller Center was a bit simplistic, despite it being one of the tallest structures.

At the end of the day Terri, who wowed us with her family-themed desserts on a weekly basis, was sent home this week. Vandana was named star baker for the second week in a row!

Next week will be the semi finals. I am beyond sad this show will be ending soon. I’ve grown to love each one of these bakers. Everyone should be incredibly proud of their accomplishments. I’ve loved Terri since day one – she loves to add little fun details to her bakes that make her treats stand out.

But, someone has to go home each week, right?! Next week should be a crazy whirlwind.

Entertainment November 30, 2017

Best of Britain on the Great Canadian Baking Show

It was the “Best of Britain” on the Great Canadian Baking Show, an homage to the Great British Bake Off no doubt. There was lots of tea…and lots of booze in this week’s show — and that made for an excellent combination.

The first challenge was a “majestic trifle”, something I have never made but now really want to. A trifle is an English dessert with layers of alcohol-soaked sponge, fruit, jelly, and custard. It is often served in a glass bowl so that the layers are visible to guests. This also means it is very easy to see all of your baking flaws. As judge Bruno Feldeisen said, “Trifles are like window shopping.” You know exactly what you are going to get.

The bakers rose to the challenge though, each one creating a nearly perfect looking trifle. I have to say the women really showcased their talents. Sabrina’s swirling sponge on the bottom of her trifle wowed the judges, and Vandana’s mango and tapioca pearls was truly creative.

One of my favourite moments was when Linda made her custard in the microwave. The judges were skeptical, assuming that without the constant whisking on low heat the item would curdle. Linda confidently said this was how she baked bustard at home and went about her business. When it came time to test her trifle, the judges were surprised at how nice the custard tasted. This wasn’t just a win for Linda, but a win for many of us who use things like microwaves, toaster ovens, and substitutions in our baking.

The baker’s technical challenge was to make 20 brandy snaps in one and a half hours. At first I thought a brandy snap was a cookie, but it’s actually a tubular brittle wafer filled with brandy-flavoured whipped cream. The hard part? You can only make three brandy snaps at a time. The batter expands and creates very thin doily-like wafer that you have to roll into a tube as soon as it comes out of the oven. Even James, who is from the U.K., said he would never make these at home. Almost no one got these perfect.

The final show-stopping challenge was, of course, to bake treats for a British high tea. The bakers were asked to create three treats, with at least one savoury. The key was to create small, elegant items that were tied together with a theme. Vandana surprised the judges yet again with an Indian-inspired collection of treats, beautifully decorated with flowers and gold accents. Sabrina’s peach-themed tea was also incredibly elegant.

The women were incredibly impressive this week, which meant the two boys were in danger of going home. At the end of the day, James was saved thanks to his “ugly but delicious” baking. Julian D’Entremont from halifax was sent home after a few missteps with his desserts.

Vandana, obviously, was named star baker this week!

It’s getting harder and harder to predict who is going home each week. Every single baker is ridiculously talented. I fell in love with Julian’s rustic-inspired bakes and his East Coast flare, but with only five bakers left, the competition is bound to get a bit more intense!

What did you think of this week’s episode?

Entertainment November 2, 2017

Baking Minute: cake week with the Canadian Baking Show

SPOILERS!

Last night was the premiere of the Canadian Baking Show! It was an amazing 45-minutes full of flour, sugar, chocolate, and lots of cake — and the best part is they kept the format pretty close to the original British series.

The hosts were a delight. Daniel Levy is a Canadian actor and television personality and Julia Chan is a British actress. They may not have a lot of baking experience themselves, which is one of the biggest criticism of their performance on the show, but what they lack in technique they make up for in optimism, kindness, and a love for tasting icing.

The 10 bakers were put through three different challenges that were meant to show off their personality, technical skills, and creativity. The first challenge was all about cupcakes. They were tasked to make two different kinds of cupcakes, each showing off their distinctive personality. Some bakers put a little bit of a French or Italian twist on their cupcakes, while other’s used elements of their job or family life as inspiration. My personal favourite was the beer-battered cakes with bits of bacon on top, and of course, nanaimo bar cupcakes! So Canadian!

The second challenge was the technical round. Bakers were given a recipe they had never seen before and asked to follow it and fill in the blanks. The cake the judges chose was called a Battenberg cake, which I had never heard of. It’s a checkerboard sponge cake with cherry and pistachio flavours, filed with jam and covered in marzipan. Only a few of the bakers were able to get the look quite right.

The last challenge was the show-stopping chocolate cake. Bakers were told to use two different kinds of chocolate and to be as creative as possible. I was a bit disappointed at how these cakes turned out. Many of them were messy, crooked, and just plain unappealing. Others were very creative. My personal favourite was that of Julian D’Entremont, from Halifax N.S., who created a cake inspired by his profession, contracting. It looked like a cement block, with five layers of cake paired with edible tools!

One of the bakers, James Hoyland of Richmond B.C., actually used a recipe I bake all the time. We call it wacky cake. You essentially mix everything in the pan (although we do use a separate bowl) and use white vinegar, oil, and vanilla as the liquids. It creates a fluffy sponge cake, and is great for cupcakes. However, he mixed it with his hands straight in the pan and used super thick fondant to cover it. From experience, I know the cake can be a bit dense and is better served with a buttercream icing.

At the end of the day, the winner was Terri Thomspon from Sherward Park, Alta. who won over the judges with her garden-inspired chocolate cake. Poor Pierre Morin from Cantley, Que. was the first baker to leave after his ganache separated on his cupcakes and his chocolate mouse collapsed on his cake. Nevertheless, there were smiles and big hugs for everyone!

Terri Thompson’s raspberry and chocolate winning cake. Photo courtesy of the CBC

The show in general was pretty good. There wasn’t as much of that dry British humour that I came to love in the original series, but you can’t win it all. I did feel like the judges could be more active in the show — they are the ones with the baking expertise and most of the time their comments were “it’s dry”, “it’s moist”, or “I can tell it is a cookies and cream cupcake” (probably because it had an actual cookie on top). The judges are renowned pastry chefs Bruno Feldeisen and Rochelle Adonis.

Hopefully, as the episodes continue, the bakers get used to being on camera and their final products become a little less sloppy. I also hope that, as bakers are weeded out of the competition, the judges will have more time to offer real opinions rather than judging the pastry by their appearance and texture alone.

What did you think of the premiere? Let us know in the comments below!

What's Hot March 11, 2016

Review: The People vs. OJ Simpson

I was only a few months old when the ‘Trial of the Century’ was taking place. Despite this fact, I grew up knowing the name OJ Simpson. I first heard it when my dad tried to hide the fact that he shrunk my mom’s wool sweater in the wash, who then playfully reminded him that he’s not OJ Simpson. He cannot get away with things. I didn’t know exactly what Simpson did or didn’t do at this point, but I did know that it was a name I should be aware of. I knew ‘The Juice’ for what everyone perceived him as; a joke.

However, with the airing of the new American Crime Story mini series, The People vs. OJ Simpson, it’s becoming more apparent that although the OJ Simpson trial was, in fact, a joke– it wasn’t a very funny one. The words that do come to mind are more along the lines of, ‘what the actual… you know’.

I’m currently watching the series from the perspective of a millennial. Lost, confused, and downright mad. The experience is a first for me, which makes me feel rather apologetic for the audience that has to live through the proceedings of this bizarre trial once again. Although most people know what happens next, for me to realize that spoilers are available on the internet involving the real people — YouTube videos included, is reassuring. (Because I can’t sleep for a week not knowing if the gloves fit or not!)

My friends, who were also too young to have followed the case back in 1994, look at me in disbelief when I summarize what’s currently happening on the show they have yet to tune into. (Come on, ladies!) I myself catch myself pausing during pivotal scenes during the hour to refer to Google in order to confirm whether or not there really was a car chase and why no one said anything when ‘the Dream Team’ redecorated Simpson’s home. WHY? And yes youngsters, those things really did happen.

What makes this series so appealing, besides the plot, is largely based on the actors and actresses that are depicting each of the persons involved in the trial. Although Cuba Gooding Jr doesn’t really fit the build of Simpson himself, his performance is doing justice to his lack of ‘juice.’ Also, can we talk about David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian? His portrayal of OJ’s bestie and the father of the four obnoxious children in America is rather likeable.

And yes, actual person Marcia Clark probably does not enjoy watching award-winning actress, Sarah Paulson, replay her worst ever hair day — but it’s insightful to see this series make a case for her as the real hero in this tragedy. The fact that they dedicated an entire episode of a 10-part series to the trials and tribulations of a female prosecutor and her personal life demonstrates the challenges that we as women have to face– even in the midst of a case involving two brutal homicides. Because priorities.

Race is also an important element of the show. With the #BlackLivesMatter movement gaining more recognition in lieu of recent police brutality cases, The People vs. OJ Simpson has only fueled the fire behind the controversy of the trial and the overall treatment of black people in society. The show is doing a phenomenal job in bringing forth the different perspectives of the people involved in the trial while still making Simpson look guilty. (Because he is.) Questions have also been raised as to why this series is tackling the trial after so long in the first place, but the discussions on race and gender equality along with the emergence of new evidence have made Simpson’s case more relevant than ever.

It doesn’t take effort to make the OJ Simpson more ‘TV friendly.’ With car chases, conspiracy theories, and plot twists, the trial not only divided the nation between #Guilty and #NotGuilty, it probably had producers and directors running for their phones to get started on their next crime story project. Despite the distractions that come with Paulson’s hair and John Travolta’s face (yikes!), American Crime Story: The People Vs. OJ Simpson is the only series involving a Kardashian that you’ll want to keep up with.

Are you watching The People Vs. OJ Simpson? Let us know what you think about it in the comments below!