**For Simply Baking recipes, click here**
Recipes from today’s program (Friday 18 June) will be posted tomorrow.
As TV shows end, there are new ones to attract my devotion. Knowing that Bret Michaels had found love with one of the gawjus laydeez in Rock of Love II might be good news for the Poison singer, but bad news for this fan of his poignant search for a meaningful relationship1. Fortunately I mentioned the approaching end of the show to a friend at lunch and she reminded me to check out Simply Baking on 7Two on Friday afternoons.
Simply Baking is hosted by Andrew Nutter, a celebrity chef from Lancashire who isn’t shy about capitalising on his surname (one of his books is called Utter Nutter). I’m so lucky that my first viewing of Simply Baking featured puff pastry, because I can’t get enough of hearing a northern accent say “puff pastry”. And three minutes in, he’d said “puff pastry” more times than I can count. I’d been warned that he’s also fond of the word “actually” – he did say it a lot, but it definitely came second to “puff pastry” in this ep2.
It’s possible (probable) that the show has the backing of a proper production company, but the look and feel is of a public television spot shot in Nutter’s bedsit. Cooking shows these days are all about the slick appliances; Simply Baking features real whitegoods! There’s not an inch of stainless steel in sight. I did spy a KitchenAid on the bench, but it was in muted green (or navy?) and was hidden away. More eyecatching was what looked like a prop from the TV version of Hitchhikers Guide. It turned out to be a ridiculously small fridge.
Everything about the show is daggy and old-school. Nutter demonstrates the recipes, then reads through them again while the ingredients and amounts are displayed on the screen – I’m pretty sure that, before this section, he even reminded viewers to grab a pen and piece of paper. Bless! Wardrobe consisted of the largest, orangest shirt I’ve ever seen and it coordinated nicely with the collection of orange tea-towels. It wasn’t until he popped over to the oven (gas mark 5!) that I could confirm that it was actually a shirt and not a dhoti of some description.
Simply Baking is a nice little cooking show. The host is chirpy (“personable” would be damning with faint praise, I guess) and the recipes – today at least – were simple and looked reasonably tasty. Plus, I’m now prouder of my knife skills than I was before viewing; Nutter’s crowing about being able to slice leeks finely whilst looking at the camera and talking (wow! Multi-tasking!) elicited a snort and “call that fine?!” from me (and a startled leap from the cat, who still isn’t used to the fact that I talk back to the TV)3.
If you are seeking recipes from the show, try the Simply Baking tag in the left side bar – I’ve been recapping episodes since this one and transcribed the baked delights, after a fashion…
Not long after the Nutter half hour is Tamasin’s Weekend. The eponymous Tamasin is the sister of Daniel Day Lewis and the show is a longer version of Posh Nosh, without any satire (and without Richard E. Grant, of course). In today’s episode, Tamasin’s uni student daughter was “cooking” for some friends, which offered her mother both the opportunity to say “darling” more than Nutter said both “puff pastry” and “actually” combined and the chance to make all sorts of dated judgements about students and their pot noodle dependencies. Tamasin also indulged in some self-congratulatory “I’ve taught her all about cooking” stuff, and then did all the cooking while her daughter got dressed and made up. The “cooking” involved slicing raw vegies, making a bagna cauda, and cooking some pasta to be served with what turned out to be some stringy-looking chicken. They also said “hoomus” a lot, which might be the correct pronuciation for all I know. I’m glad I’ve seen Tamasin and, while I’d like to say I won’t watch it again, it has just enough fingernails-on-the-chalkboard appeal to make it a keeper.
The last new show that hasn’t made it onto the recording schedule, but is still ridiculously addictive (and is probably the one that is the true successor to RoL) is RuPaul’s Drag Race. Basically, it’s America’s Next Top Model with a more appealing host and, in some cases – Ongina! – more attractive contestants. The contestants are vying for the honour of winning the race, I guess. To be honest, I haven’t paid much attention to the endgame, since the challenges are the major entertainment focus. Once contestants have passed the challenge, the bottom two “lip-synch for their lives” and the loser is eliminated. It’s a fun show and I’m enjoying seeing Project Runway‘s Santino on the judging panel.
= = = = = = = = = =
1. The fact that I know there’s another RoL series is some comfort to me here.
2. One of the recipes also featured mushrooms. Mushrooms! And “bootton mooshrooms” at that.
3. I see that quite a few new visitors have come here looking for Nutter recipes. Sorry! No recipes here, but there are some here, here and here. Enjoy!
Related posts:
- Simply Baking – simply vanished!
- If it’s Friday, it must be Simply Baking
- Simply Baking – delayed gratification
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My husband and I got on to ‘Simply Baking’ as it was a suggested TIVO recording and we watched the puff pastry episode and were in such hysterics about how many times he used ‘actually’ we had to rewind and count them from start to finish. And the total was 95. 95!!! Brilliant
And there I was thinking that his actuallys were under control. 95 – that’s amazing! I’ll be unable to watch next week without counting, now. Do you have it on season link, or was it a one-off viewing for you?
Well the first couple were on TIVO’s suggested recording list and we found the first one in the ‘so bad it’s good’ category so we watched the second and now we have it set up as a season pass to record every week. Every episode he does something to make us laugh but I think we were sold the episode he spoke of ‘old grandma Nutter’s recipes’. He’s a wonderful chef and a very sweet guy but smooth?…..he is not. Oh and yes we also loved his ‘look at me cutting leeks WHILE looking at the camera!’ comment, gold
I am going to have to check out this Simply Baking. I never thought of the Lancashire accent was sexy, but hell I will watch and see.
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Oh, dear. I hope I didn’t give the impression that the accent was sexy, RR. It most definitely is not. It’s comical. And fun to imitate. But not sexy.
Well I am a little bit reassured by that. But will still check the show out.
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so glad ur having such a laugh watching my series. i must tell you all this series was shot 15years ago and as you can tell was on a very very low budget . keep watching im sure there are some more golden moments to follow . have a shot of vodka everytime i say actually and youll be pissed in a minute !
I’ve just finished watching the episode recorded from Friday and I think I’ll have to shift watching back to a Saturday afternoon, cos I love the idea of an “actually” drinking game (particularly since I missed out on the James Bond drinking phenomenon, while trying to live my life without ever seeing a Bond flick – damn you, Daniel Craig!).
Thanks for pointing out the production date. I always assume things have just been made. Of course, that makes the futuristic fridge even more startling.
If this weekend wasn’t so warm, I’d be having a crack at the quick pastry from the lemon tart, as I’m dying to try out my new marble rolling pin. Bring on winter… or – at least – autumn.
I would love the recipe to the french apple tart with almond pastry that he has just demostrated on australian TV…it involves and apple liquer I think Calvados?? to cook the apples in…does anyone have the recipe please?
Dawn, I haven’t watched today’s episode yet, but will do so with pen in hand and will post the recipe up! Sounds delicious…
Someone else enjoys a laugh with Simply Baking – I like all the ‘yers’ at the end of sentences – and I also watch Tamasin because she’s so bad and I think her kitchen is the ugliest and most inconvenient I have ever seen. I find the shows irresistible.
I was amazed to find out that Andrew Nutter is considered a ‘Celebrity Chef’!
Ooooooooooh hope you get to see it but where in the world are you?? I am in Australia and I think it is a very old recording from reading what the chef himself said above…..?
I’m in Australia, too. Am just about to post the recipe… Check on the main page (www.blahblogblah.com) in about 20 minutes. Hope it works out for you – if you try it, please come back and report on how it went!
I’m glad so many people are enjoying the Nutter! I have it on the weekly recording schedule and it does provide some laughs (and some good tips – cooking, rather than fashion, although it is an old production…). As for Tamasin, I haven’t been keeping up with her show but I might go back for another look. Particularly to check out the poor kitchen layout!
I do admit to ‘aga-envy’ as far as Tamasin goes, I would love one. I don’t think they are available here, my mother cooked on a range (fuel stove) and produced wonderful food – the kitchen did get a little warm in summer though
Ah, Aga envy! I love it. Actually (can you tell I’ve been watching the Nutter?) a friend of mine recently came across an off-brand Aga – her neighbour was doing a kitchen reno and put one in. Can’t remember the name, but can try to find out more…
The Apple Tart recipe is now up here.
Saw your recipes today,was so impressed with your apple pie{friday30th april,} could I have the recipe please ,was out the room whist ingredient’s e.t.c. were on,
Many Thank’s, Mr’s C Billett.
Hi Chris – this isn’t Andrew Nutter’s official site, but I’ve posted the recipe up here. As I said to Dawn, please come back to the site and report on how the recipe worked out! It looks like it would be delicious.
Recipe please for Andrew Nutters Puff Pastry Dessert with cocoa and almond meal filling, Thank you
Hi Maureen – is the Chocolate Pithivier the recipe you were looking for?
Oh yes indeedy I am still reading and sooooo glad that you have todays recipes Injera because as fast as my fingers would go they were still not fast enough to get all the ingredients down!!! God dont you love him…I just l;ove the way he throws in a little home economics with the recipe tips and I just LOVEE his sayings…yes Injera, I shall be watching and reading whilst ever there is breath in me…but enough of that ….I am off to devour the loaf, cant talk anymore I am dribbling all over the computer just thinking of the darn delicious thing!!!!