MasterChef Australia judge Gary Mehigan and nutritionist Janella Purcell bring their own styles of cooking for a food showdown. Today Gary makes a ricotta pudding and Janella cooks a chunky peasant-style soup.
Look, I’m not really going to go through this in a great deal of detail. I’ve got the Food Channel on in the background to warm me through this bitterly cold day and have been enjoying wacky Ming and the Barefoot Contessa… and now this has come on. Usually I turn it off because it pisses me off no end, but today? I’m sharing with you.
Why does it piss me off so? I don’t like the morality attached to the good/bad dichotomy; that there is food that is inherently “good”, or “bad”. Nor do I like the peculiar smugness with which Janella presents her “superior” food, or the fact that Gary’s sugar-, cream- and fat-laden creations are set in contrast with her freekeh salads and farro soups without the benefit of any narrative of balance, moderation, or even a dash of STFU.
Today’s episode is focussed on the food of Italy, which means that the food of Italy will provide a minor distraction to Janella as she makes fun of Gary’s weight, which she can apparently do because she’s the “good” chef and a woman. He cops it because… he’s been told to? The producers think this nonsense is entertaining?
Janella’s recipe is the first one up today, and she starts with “lots” of extra virgin olive oil. Gary raises a quizzical eyebrow, given that whenever he adds oil to anything she responds with a variation on “piggy piggy pig pig”. She gets away with it, though, because it’s the good oil (and – did I mention? – she’s the good chef).
Gary is cooking octopus and discusses how it takes a long time to cook as it needs to be looked after to remain tender. Or something. I lost track when Janella interrupted this with “just like women!”. Perhaps I’m on edge after reading Bettina Arndt’s ridiculous SMH “opinion piece” on Julia Gillard being a bad role model for Australian women (and then Mia Freeman’s inevitable look-at-Mia response)1 but I am just exhausted by women who use their public profiles to display attitudes that would be decried as obsolete, patronising and offensive if they were held by men.
Okay, I’m turning off. That fake (at least I’m hoping it’s fake) “i’m so dumb!” squeal-giggle shtick that Janella has just demonstrated has done me in. Janella (having been asked to switch on a food processor): “Are you trying to trick me, Gary?” Simper. Gary: “Huh?” Janelle: “You’ve turned the food processor backwards”. Seriously.
Good Chef, Bad Chef is on Lifestyle Food, but I recommend finding something less maddening to do, such as cleaning the grouting.
1. No, I don’t follow Mia on Twitter, but – inexplicably – I follow someone who does and her response was retweeted by them. I feel dirty.
Somedays I wish that I had Foxtel so that I too could have the Food Channel on in the background whilst pottering away. Reading your synopsis above, today is not one of those days!
(but maybe I too am still chagrined by Bettina’s diatribe)
Today is the first day I’ve actually turned a show off, so I do recommend it as background, Jo. It’s far more relaxing than the gyrations of XTina, or the dreadful autotuned nightmares of T-Pain and Timbaland, over on the music channels.
Bah. Bettina – perhaps she really is the reason this was so much bile to me today. I have disliked Good Chef/Bad Chef to the point of mute before, so do proceed with caution… or tape all the 7Two cooking shows for day-off enjoyment!
Oh as a Gary fan I should check it out. But she sounds like one of those people on the moral high ground. I missed Mia’s response I will have to check it out, however I am hoping Helen Razer does one.
I think Helen must think I am cyber-stalking her at the moment, but here is another brilliant piece about women and body image. Oh and Mia gets a mention.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2941452.htm
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And I thought I was being mean thinking the exact same thing of Janella? She only makes negative comments on her co-hosts’ dishes, while they only ever make positive comments. Not very polite if you ask me!
I just sent this email to Janella:
I love your cooking Janella, BUT, please, please read Elaine Hollingsworth’s book, Take Control of Your Heatlh – you will never eat anything with soy in it again! In particular SOY MILK. The process soy beans go through to turn it into so-called milk is a crime against humanity! Seriously! This stuff is poison! If a person is trying to lose weight or has hormone problems, it should be avoided like the plague! Her book is controversial but her research is thorough and highly regarded. The drug and food companies are afraid of her because she tells the truth. As an advocate of healthy eating it should be your priority to investigate anything you endorse. Tofu, soy milk, soy cheese – anything with soy is dangerous to health! Read her book and be enlightened!