I just happened to notice this on tv tonight. I didn't expect much,
because every other US cooking show I've seen has been 'oh gee, look
at me, now here's something I made earlier...' but I found it very
interesting and insightful, and I'm thinking about actually buying the
DVD set so I can see the rest of them at my own pace. It reminded me
of Delia Smith, in that she covers the basics thoroughly enough for
you to actually get them into your head and to learn something you
didn't know before...
Is anyone familiar with the series? What did you think?

Also, I missed the beginning of the episode - she was making apricot
and pistachio pilaf but I didn't see what spices (if any) she used. I
want to make it, so does anyone know how to season it? Hers was
vegetarian, but since we're carnivores I think it would be nice with
some roast chicken.

Karen AKA Kajikit wrote:
>
> Is anyone familiar with the series? What did you think?

Yeah, I can't stand her. There's just something about
her personality that I really don't like. It's like
she's projecting a false persona -- though I don't
think that's necessarily true. It just seems that way
to me.

Sort of like Fred Rogers. When I was a kid, I could
not watch that program. As it turns out, Fred Rogers
really was the way he seemed on TV. And as an adult,
I sometimes flip past his show, and he produced some
really great segments. I especially liked the ones
where he'd visit some processed food factory, so you
could see how cookies or chips or something was made
on an industrial scale. If somebody would compile
all of those onto a CD, I'd buy that.

She appears to know food just fine (she used to work
for Alice Waters). I can't point to anything specific
except her personality I don't like. Her program
hasn't adopted the trendy videographic technique of
fast moving extreme closeups, as though you're flying
over the food at low altitude in a very fast aircraft
piloted by a lunatic. Though that might happen.
I don't believe Everyday Food (the program that
sustained the Martha Stewart francise while she
was on "vacation") originally used that technique,
but they are using it now. Probably infected by
that program hosted by Ruth Reichl.