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1-13 of 13
- Anna and Kristina are going back in time metaphorically in testing "Gordon Ramsay's Family Fare", a cookbook whose primary goal is to get families, in whatever their form, back to eating meals together at least three times a week... and not by sitting in front of the television set while doing it. The cookbook includes some set menus, recreating, albeit in a slightly higher class form, what Gordon Ramsay himself grew up on eating for Sunday dinners. For three hours on cook day, they will be preparing the set menu entitled 'Mediterranean flavours', which includes five dishes: pan roasted scallops with cauliflower purée, herb crusted rack of lamb, pommes boulangère, zucchini Provençale, and baguette bread & butter pudding. Their guest taster is executive chef Rob Feenie, one of Canada's true celebrity chefs and who now is the food architect for the Cactus Club chain of restaurants. Chef Rob vows to be honest but fair in his judgment of the meal. In addition, Anna and Kristina go to a local sheep farm to learn about sheep and lambs and lamb cuts of meat. And as they are sitting down to a meal with Chef Rob, they travel to London, England to learn about dining etiquette from etiquette expert, Liz Brewer.
- Anna and Kristina aren't sure if Kristina's own ethnic Croatian background will help or hinder their efforts in testing "The Best of Croatian Cooking", one of the few Croatian cookbooks published in the English language. Kristina admits that she hasn't kept up with the cooking traditions of her family, but has had many an excellent Croatian food dinner cooked by her mother, to which Anna can also attest. They will be preparing six dishes in four hours: cheese burek, Dalmatian octopus salad, fried sardines, stuffed sauerkraut rolls, kashtradina, and chocolate chestnut mocha torte. Both Anna and but especially Kristina are facing who they believe will be their most critical guest tasters to date: Kristina's own mother Jasenka Matisic and her best friend Zdenka Zifkovic, who are renowned as the best Croatian chefs in their social circle. Jasenka has always told Kristina like it is when it comes to cooking, especially about Croatian food. Anna feels having Jasenka as a guest taster is sweet retribution as Anna's own mother was previously a guest taster on the show. Kristina admits that she is not looking forward to her mother being critical of her in her place of work. As Anna and Kristina prepare the meal, they have issue with the size of the octopus they bought, and with the stickiness of the non-stick pan they use for the torte. They also attempt the difficult task of making phyllo pastry from scratch. In addition, they test meat mallets, which they will need for the octopus. And they taste test different brands of instant coffee, which will be used in the torte.
- 2008–201222mTV EpisodeAnna and Kristina travel to the 'Ksan First Nation Village in northern British Columbia for inspiration in testing the cookbook "Where People Feast: An Indigenous People's Cookbook", one of the few cookbooks on the Canadian market focusing of the cuisine of Canadian aboriginal people. This cookbook specifically focuses on the indigenous cuisine of the Pacific northwest. They are preparing seven dishes: buffalo hominy corn chowder, "just like Grandma's" bannock, stir-fry herring spawn on kelp, Indian tacos, poached half-smoked wild salmon, Gitsegukla wedding cake, and pine needle tea. As the book suggests, they will go back to the land themselves to do much of the prep work, such as smoking their own salmon and collecting pine needles for the tea. Their guest taster is Ben Genaille, an aboriginal chef and cooking instructor who founded one of the few cooking programs in North America focusing on indigenous foods. As an instructor, Chef Ben will critique the meal as he would if prepared by his students. With help from the book, will Anna and Kristina be able to get over the hurdle of not knowing how to work with some of the unusual ingredients (in Kristina's mind, "spawn" is not a food but a horror movie)? In addition, they test different fillet knives to fillet whole fish.
- 2008–201222mTV EpisodeRegardless of the outcome of their food day, Anna and Kristina like the concept of the cookbook, "The Pleasures of Cooking for One", which tells that even in cooking solely for oneself, a person need not make it a slap-hazard meal. As cooking for oneself can invariably result in leftovers, some of the cookbook recipes also attempt to recreate those leftovers into something new. They are cooking six dishes in three hours: steamed lobster (the inclusion of which they are both excited about since it epitomizes the spirit of the book), cheese soufflé, boeuf bourguinon, veal kidneys in mustard sauce, beef and kidney pie (which will use leftover boeuf bourguinon and veal kidneys), and biscotti. Their guest taster is Quang Dang, the executive chef at the renowned Diva at the Met restaurant in Vancouver. Beyond his own preconceived notions of what he believes Anna and Kristina and will get right and wrong, Chef Quang admits that kidneys are not his favorite but will not judge them based on this dislike. At the end of the day, the most trouble Anna and Kristina may have is having one too many chef in the kitchen as cooking for one also usually means cooked by one. In addition, they test freezer safe storage containers for design, durability, stain resistance and quality of the air tight seal.
- Anna and Kristina come into testing "The River Cottage Meat Book" from two different perspectives, Anna's as a true carnivore and Kristina's as not a big meat eater. They prepare a total of six recipes in four hours: paprikash of hearts, livers, and tongues, carpaccio of beef with shaved beets, salad of seared pigeon breast, mincemeat-stuffed pork tenderloins, flying toad in the hole, and perfect mashed potatoes. Beyond preparing the dishes, both Anna and Kristina appreciate the message of the book: the importance of responsible animal husbandry in using the entire animal from head to toe, and getting to know one's butcher to know exactly from where one's meat comes and how the animal was treated in its life. Their guest taster has the same view. He is Robert Belcham, the owner of Vancouver's Refuel Restaurant and Campagnolo Restaurant, both which specialize in meat dishes and which provide charcuterie to other nearby restaurants. Chef Robert will be looking especially to the doneness of the meat. In addition, Anna and Kristina learn about different cuts of pork. And they test different styles of basters.
- 2008–201222mTV EpisodeAnna and Kristina are shopping for fresh chilies, limes, mangoes, corn and other boldly flavored ingredients in preparing southwestern American recipes from "Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook". They are preparing six recipes in four hours: pear cactus margaritas, mesa grill pretzels, sweet potato & roasted plantain soup with smoked chili crema and fried plantain, shrimp & roasted garlic corn tamales, chili rubbed short ribs with creamy polenta and cotija cheese, and warm chocolate cakes with dulce de leche. They know that they have a challenge on their hands as the recipes are complex and multi-layered. Despite some errors both on their parts and the book's part, they are hoping that the bold and fresh flavors will still come through. Their guest taster is Stuart Irving the executive chef at Vancouver's Cobre Restaurant. He is known as the bad boy of nuevo Latina cuisine. They know that his comments will be as bold as they hope the flavors of their dishes are. In addition, they taste test different styles of tequila at different price points. And they test different styles of corn cutters.
- 2008–201222mTV EpisodeThe cookbook, "Ratio", is unlike any other cookbook Anna and Kristina have ever tested, and is really more than a cookbook. Although recipes are included, what it does provide are basic ratios that one can use to develop one's own variations on recipes. For example, if one knows the ratio of fat to flour to sugar in a cookie recipe, that ratio knowledge can be the basis for so many other cookies. As such, in the three hours they have on cook day, they will be preparing three recipes directly from the book (chicken sausages with basil and roasted peppers, lemon tart, and sponge cake with basic ganache) and three additional recipes based on the ratios provided of the previous three dishes (duck sausages with apples and chestnuts, spinach, panchetta and garlic tart, and coffee & walnut sponge cake). Their guest taster is David Robertson an executive chef and cooking instructor, who knows his cooking ratios. Anna and Kristina know that Chef David will further critique them on presentation as he is also a food stylist, which may be a little intimidating as the book contains few photographs of the finished products as the ratios have no preconceived end product. Anna and Kristina will have to wade through what reads like a textbook to impress Chef David, who suggests treating additional ingredients as one often treats salt: to taste. Anna and Kristina also have issue with techniques and knowing appropriate flavor combinations. In addition, they taste test different types of fat to use in cookies, which they will translate into the making of their tart crusts. And they discuss measuring tools essential in the kitchen.
- 2008–201222mTV EpisodeAnna and Kristina are figuratively heading to both New York and France to test "Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook". The cookbook, written by the titled chef, includes recipes from the famed New York French bistro Les Halles, considered one of the best outside of France, where Bourdain once served as its executive chef. They are making five dishes in three hours: celery rémoulade, steak tartare, Les Halles fries, duck à l'orange, and crème brûlée. Their guest taster is Thierry Rautureau, the executive chef at two Seattle based French bistros, and who is probably most well known for his appearance on Top Chef Masters (2009). With the recipes and Chef Thierry being their guest, Anna and Kristina are feeling in a very French mood despite not actually being in France. That mood is tempered by Bourdain's straightforward writing style and anecdotes within the cookbook. In addition, they discuss different types of potatoes and what they should be used for, and they get a lesson on the importance of mise en place.
- Anna and Kristina realize that they have big shoes to fill in preparing recipes from "Food & Wine" as the book is associated with the famed A16 Restaurant in San Francisco, so named for a highway in Italy, the Campagna region the highway is in which is the inspiration for their rustic Italian dishes. They are preparing five dishes in four hours: bruschetta with braised artichoke, guanciale and chicken livers, roasted beet salad, pizza Romana, Monday meatballs, and grapefruit sorbetto. Their guest tasters are Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, executive chefs and co-owners of Frankies Spuntino, one of the most well known and renowned restaurants in Brooklyn specializing in rustic Italian cuisine. They are known as two chefs who will tell Anna and Kristina exactly what they think. Anna and Kristina are most concerned about making them good meatballs as the Chef Frankies are meatball champions of Brooklyn. Anna however is looking forward most to the pizza, her favorite food in the world, and which they hope to impress by making both the dough and sauce from scratch. In addition, they test different styles of meat grinders. And they get a lesson in how to fillet an anchovy.
- 2008–201222mTV EpisodeAnna and Kristina are feeling a little out of their element and comfort zone in preparing dishes from "Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook" as it is food they feel best left to the restaurateurs who know what they're doing and have the time to do it. However, as izakayas, the Japanese equivalent of a pub, are springing up across North America, they are willing to give the recipes in the cookbook a try, despite what they perceive as the finicky preparation, especially in the exacting presentation of the final product. They are preparing six dishes in three hours: spinach with black sesame sauce, fried tofu stuffed with raclette cheese, tuna with nuta miso mustard dressing, ume-shiso rolled chicken, foil-baked mushrooms, and steamed and grilled pork with salt. Their guest taster is Koji Zenimaru, the executive chef at Vancouver's Kingyo Izakaya. He intimidates them solely because of his larger than life attitude (he seeing himself an entertainer before a chef) and that his expectations are "higher than Mount Fuji". He does surprise the pair with his entrance into the house. In addition, Anna and Kristina get a lesson in izakaya etiquette.
- Anna and Kristina are figuratively going back to 1940's Hollywood to test the reissued cookbook "Spécialités de la Maison", which includes primarily French themed recipes from Hollywood celebrities from the 1940's. As such, the recipes are old fashioned and/or classics, gearing themselves to the palates of the era and of the wealthy. They are preparing six dishes in two hours: lobster à la Newburg (submitted by 'Helen Keller'), Neptune nonsense (submitted by Salvador Dalí), frankfurters with chili sauce (submitted by Valentina), chicken Burgundy (submitted by Katharine Hepburn), pineapple sherbet (submitted by Elizabeth Arden), and Cooper River punch (submitted by Mrs. Aikins Simons). Their guest taster should know all about old Hollywood. He is J.P. Amateau, executive chef/owner of the Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood, the oldest restaurant in the city. Chef J.P.'s family were all in the movie business, with his father being a stunt man. Chef J.P. as well as Anna and Kristina aren't sure if the recipes, which are short on preparation instructions, will stand the test of time. In addition, they taste test different brands of prepared horseradish. And they test different styles of ice cube trays.
- 2008–201222mTV EpisodeAnna and Kristina are going through many firsts. This week will be the first time that they will evaluate not a hard copy recipe source, but rather an online source, namely the app "20 minute meals" by Jamie Oliver. The app has recipes with associated shopping lists, and instructional videos of the recipe preparation. Oliver purports that each recipe can be completed within a 20 minute time frame. To test the credibility of that claim, their guest taster will come at the start of their meal preparation - another first - so that he can taste each dish immediately at its completion as it was meant to be tasted. He is Scott Jaeger, the executive chef and owner of the famed Pear Tree Restaurant in Burnaby. Jaeger once led Canada's team in the international culinary competition, the Bocuse d'Or. Beyond the taste of the final dishes, Jaeger will also judge the timing of the meal as, as a guest, he will not want to wait for his meal to be served. Anna and Kristina are preparing two dishes apiece: Anna making grilled halloumi with tabbouleh salad, and favorite fried chicken; and Kristina making mussels in white wine and cream, and cheesy zucchini and mint risotto. They will collaborate on the dessert, banoffee banana split. In addition, they test different makes of kitchen shears. And they discuss the uses of different types of dairy cream.
- In "My Father's Daughter" - the latest cookbook that Anna and Kristina are testing - the father and daughter in question are Bruce Paltrow and Gwyneth Paltrow. The cookbook reflects both Gwyneth's overall approach to food, which is in general a healthy and fresh approach (often using healthier substitutes for standard ingredients, those substitutes which include barley flour, vegenaise and brown rice syrup), and her fond remembrances of the social nature of cooking with her family while she was growing up, especially cooking with her late father, who taught her that such cooking is an expression of love. Beyond being envious of Gwyneth's overall life - which includes being an Oscar winning actress, being a singer, growing up in a Hollywood royalty family and being married to a rock star - Anna and Kristina admire the overall message of the book, but will they like the recipes? They are preparing six dishes in three hours: cold pea and basil soup, hot Nicoise salad, duck ragu, Vietnamese prawn sandwiches with homemade sriracha sauce, Lalo's famous cookies (Lalo being Gwyneth's mom, actress Blythe Danner), and homemade hot fudge. Their guest taster is Brian Malarkey, the executive chef at San Diego's Searsucker Restaurant. He is probably most famous as being a contestant on Top Chef (2006). Chef Brian, who specializes in American cuisine and seafood, will enjoy his time being the judge instead of being judged. In addition, Anna and Kristina taste test vegenaise against three more standard varieties of mayonnaise. And they test different styles of corkscrews.