Take Home Chef

Cafe Society
#1

If you watch TLC like I do, you’ve probably seen this show on recently (they air two episodes during the week starting at 5). Apparently its also on in primetime on Fridays now.

I’m a little embarrassed, but its become a guilty pleasure for me. At the start of each show, the host (Curtis the Austrailian chef) surprises a woman at the supermarket and then invites himself home to cook a meal for her and her family/friends. The host is really charming and I love watching him cook for these desperate housewives. My favorite part is that he constantly has these funny faces and expressions as he cooks.

Has anyone else watched it?

#2

I’ve seen three episodes of this so far. The one thing that bugs me almost to the point of not being able to enjoy the show is that every time he gets into the woman’s car, he fastens his seatbelt and then puts the shoulder belt *under[/ii] his arm. Doesn’t he know that could kill him in an accident (which one woman seemed bound and determined to have). He should get Alton Brown to explain physics to him.

Aside from that, I still haven’t made up my mind about the cooking part of the show.

#3

That’s an interesting observation. Maybe he needs to go to traffic school again.

I like that they show Curtis cooking, but put more of an emphasis on making the show entertaining. For the recipes, I went to TLC’s website (I made the turkey meatballs last week).

#4

Internet legend, did you happen to see the one last Friday where the woman selected is a pastry chef. I thought that was a nice twist on the show (don’t know if it was planned or not), but I think Curtis felt especially comfortable around that woman.

The chocolate box looked amazing. I’d do the Alaskan cod too, but I hate mushrooms.

#5

I didn’t see last Friday’s show (I was out of town at a music festival - completely off the subject, but I don’t get out much, so I like to brag). I hope I catch that one in reruns, since I’ve wondered before what the show would be like with someone who isn’t completely clueless about cooking.

#6

I was just reading the recipe page, and I have a question: Since I didn’t see the show, I’m wondering about the construction of the chocolate boxes. He says to cut 12 squares of chocolate, use four squares for the walls, and you end up with four boxes. That only gives you three boxes with no bottom! For those of you that saw the show, is the an explanation?

#7

Checking the recipe page, I think it should say to cut twenty squares. The pan is 14x11, and the squares are 2-1/2 inches, which yields a 5x4 grid of cut squares (with some leftover).

#8

Ah, thanks. I didn’t go far enough with my math, I guess.

#9

I was talking to my wife about this, and we were wondering what the hell demographic are they aiming for with this show?

I’ve seen two episodes and each time the chef picks the pretiest girl in the store. When they get home, the girls dress-up like a bar-star then try and flirt with the chef while cooking a meal for their (obviously) not so SO.

The women are dumb bimbo’s, so I can’t see adult women being huge fans. I enjoy cooking shows and I’m a 31 year old male and I hate watching it as well.

Oh well that’s my rant…

MtM