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26 Episodes 2010 - 2011
Episode 1
22 mins
Anna and Kristina go into preparing recipes from the cookbook "Lucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen" with just a little skepticism, despite author Lucinda Scala Quinn's pedigree as head of Martha Stewart's test kitchen, if only because of her not being Jamaican. They are making six recipes in three and a half hours: rum punch, ackee salt fish with Johnny cakes, beef patties, paw paw pepper sauce, jerk pork, and pineapple upside down cake. Their guest chef taster is Prince Rowe, a born and bred Jamaican and executive chef at Kingston 11 Reggae Café in North Vancouver. Before trying the food, Chef Prince is even more skeptical about the cookbook's claim to authenticity, especially as the dessert itself is not typical Jamaican fare. Anna and Kristina think they themselves will like the food, but aren't sure if it will meet Chef Prince's knowledge of what is truly Jamaican. As they are going to cook the pork on an outdoor grill, they product test miniature outdoor grills. And they compare different ethnic varieties of hot sauces.
Episode 2
22 mins
Anna and Kristina go into testing recipes from the cookbook "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", based on the television show of the same name, with a sense of ease as they figure that diner food - standard American cuisine - can't be that difficult to cook. They also go into the process figuring that diner food is not something one would always want to eat because of the high calorie content. They will be preparing seven recipes in four hours: Captain Crunch french toast, Cheryl's coleslaw, pork & sweet potato empañadas, inside-out burgers, Mike's Chili Parlor chili, peanut pie, and the XXX root beer frost. Their guest chef taster is Olympic gold medal winning figure skater Brian Boitano, who now hosts his own cooking show. His passion for cooking came after his skating career ended as it allowed him to get away from the constant need to count calories. Although diner food may appear easy, he wants the food packed with flavor. Anna and Kristina admit they are in awe of their guest not so much for his cooking prowess but his athletic prowess. Anna and Kristina soon find out that although they think the recipes will be easy, that does not mean that disasters cannot occur. And a little improvisation may be the key to success. In addition, they test both metal and synthetic flippers, an essential tool for use on a diner grill, and they taste test different varieties of root beer that are easier to find in Canada than the one listed in the recipe.
Episode 3
22 mins
Anna and Kristina find that their next cooking challenge is a bit daunting because the cookbook they are testing, "How to Cook Everything", is a huge 2,000 recipe collection that spans a gamut of cuisines. However, the purpose of the book and its recipes seems to be to provide useful advice to the novice chef to be able to cook anything using generally available pantry ingredients, and thus the actual cooking should be simple. They are preparing six recipes in four hours: baba ganoush, gougères, cherry tomato salad with soy sauce, almond stuffed braised squid (which they hope to catch themselves off the coast of Washington State), butternut squash pansotti, and lemon meringue pie. They are even more daunted by their guest taster, Frank Pabst, the executive chef at Vancouver's famed Blue Water Café. They equate his name with perfection. Chef Frank does have high expectations for Anna and Kristina, and doesn't believe they can live up to his expectations. Because of Chef Frank's reputation, Anna in particular is fanatical about perfecting one of her Achilles heels, namely the pastry for the pie. But she is able to pass along a short cut tip to Kristina which makes Kristina's day regardless of how the food turns out. In addition, they test different types of graters needed to grate the lemon zest for the pie.
Episode 4
22 mins
As busy working women, Anna and Kristina like the concept of the latest cookbook they are testing, "The Skinnygirl Dish", as it purports to simplify cooking for the non-cook. In addition, the recipes are lower calorie versions of many standards. In reading through the cookbook however, they feel that author Bethenny Frankel, one of The Real Housewives of New York City (2008) takes the simplicity to too far an extreme where cooking is deemed to be a non-enjoyable experience, and food itself is solely sustenance. Their executive chef taster, Manouschka Guerrier, one of the Private Chefs of Beverly Hills (2009), concurs and believes that if Anna and Kristina follow the recipes to a T, the food will be awful. Regardless, Anna and Kristina attempt to make seven recipes in only three hours: mojitos, artichoke & spinach dip, sweet tomato soup, dungeness crab tian with avocado & mango, wasabi tuna sliders with pickled ginger & cucumber relish, lower fat pasta carbonara, and 1-2-3 cookies. Despite the ease of the recipes, Anna and Kristina are pressed for time to complete the meal preparation before Chef Manouschka's arrival. Will the food be as bad as all three are expecting, especially the carbonara made with soy milk? In addition, Anna and Kristina taste test different types of milk substitutes as the recipes in the book are milk free, and they test different types of muddlers needed to make the mojitos.
Episode 5
22 mins
Despite thinking the book title a little cheesy, Anna and Kristina are excited about testing recipes from the cookbook "Bon Appétit, Y'all", which has as its focus southern American foods cooked with a French flair. To truly capture the essence of the cookbook, the two decide to go on the road and cook their meal in Savannah, Georgia. There, their guest taster is Sallie Ann Robinson, a cookbook author and true southerner, whose other claim to fame is that she, as a child, was a student of future author Pat Conroy, who wrote of his experiences with Sallie Ann and her classmates on Daufuskie Island, Georgia in the book, "The Water is Wide". She credits Conroy in part for her love of cooking, especially gullah cooking, the true cooking of the south. Anna and Kristina will be preparing seven dishes in three hours: hushpuppies, green beans Provençal, funeral grits, coca-cola glazed baby back ribs, fried catfish fingers with country remoulade, Meme's fried chicken with gravy, and peach soufflés. The two are confident that they will like the food, but aren't sure if it will meet Chef Sallie Ann's expectations of true southern cooking. In addition, they test different type of gravy boats, and take a trip to a peach farm for advice on choosing the right peaches for their dessert.
Episode 6
22 mins
Anna and Kristina go back to an updated version of an old standard, "The New Moosewood Cookbook", as their next cookbook to test. It was one of the first and still is one of the most popular vegetarian cookbooks in North America. They go into it with different palates, Anna who is a confirmed carnivore, and Kristina who leans much closer to being vegetarian by not eating much red meat. They are preparing six dishes in four hours: vegetable walnut pate (which the author claims tastes like chicken liver pate), pita bread, Scheherazade casserole, Kristina's potato salad (named after an unnamed Kristina and not the Kristina that will actually be preparing it on the show), eggplant curry, and iced carob brownies. Their executive chef taster is Lisa Ahier, the owner of Tofino located Sobo (which stands for Sophisticated Bohemian), named one of the top ten restaurants in all of Canada. Chef Lisa believes that vegetarian cooking is much more difficult than cooking meat, but that the Moosewood Cookbook should provide a great basic grounding in doing so. All three also believe that fresh ingredients are key to good vegetarian cooking, and neither understands trying to make vegetarian dishes taste like meat. At the end of the day, Anna and Kristina have surprising reactions to their dishes and the cookbook as a whole. They also test different brands of mini-choppers, which will hopefully make their task of chopping all those vegetables easier. They test them both for use and durability.
Episode 7
22 mins
Anna and Kristina are starting at the end and finishing at the end by preparing recipes from "Le Grand Livre de Cuisine", a cookbook containing recipes solely of high end desserts. They have never been more intimidated by any cookbook as it is used by professional pastry chefs who require little instruction, which is what this cookbook seems to provide. However, the book's author does refer to home chefs using it, which provides a little comfort to the two. They are preparing four recipes in four hours: caramel variations (which in and of itself has five different components, which are then assembled together), pistachio nougats, crepe Suzette, and Louis XV bread (which is shaped to look like a fanned open book). Their executive chef guest taster is Thierry Busset, a Michelin star award winning pastry chef, who intimidates Anna and Kristina as much as the cookbook does. Chef Thierry doubts they will be able to master the recipes because of their difficulty and preciseness. As Anna and Kristina go through cook day, they nearly decide not to complete their meal preparation due to frustration. Meanwhile, they test different styles of flours to see what the results are going to be for a quick bread. And they test mixing bowls made of varying materials to see the appropriate use, if any, for each.
Episode 8
22 mins
On the surface, the new cookbook that Anna and Kristina are testing, "Three Sisters Around the Greek Table", one with home styled Greek recipes, is perfect. It looks great, Greek food with its bold flavors is popular, the recipes are not overly complicated or difficult, the directions seem straightforward, it has great features such as a listing of preparation time for each dish, and it is award winning. Will this on surface perfection translate into their meal? They are preparing six dishes in three hours: olive tapenade with goat's cheese on pita chips, stuffed grape leaves, bread salad with asparagus and tomatoes, moussaka, one thousand layers of vegetables (in reality, only five layers), and custard purses. Their guest taster is restaurateur and cookbook author Harry Kambolis. Although none of Chef Harry's award winning restaurants, such as Nu, C, and Raincity Grill, are Greek, he himself is ethnic Greek. He admits that his cultural background makes him opinionated, which he will be when evaluating Anna and Kristina's attempts to prepare the type of food he grew up on. In addition, Anna and Kristina test different types of cherry pitters to pit Kalamata olives, and they taste test different varieties of feta cheese.
Episode 9
22 mins
Anna and Kristina are hoping to have some fun while testing the cookbook "Bite Me", which takes a lighthearted approach to cooking food using everyday ingredients. They will be preparing seven dishes in three hours: chicken tostada cups, stacked sushi, mango and cranberry salad, meatloaf with mushroom gravy, sweet and sour halibut, pasta puttanesca, and fudgy double layer chocolate cake. Their guest taster is New York based executive chef Sam Talbot, who may be best known for his appearance as one of the more popular contestants on the cooking show Top Chef (2006). Instead of being judged as he was on that show, self-professed laid-back guy Chef Sam will be doing the judging on the one thing he takes very seriously in life, namely food preparation. In preparing the meal, Anna and Kristina notice two themes in all the dishes: the use of a lot of sugar, and extremely long ingredient lists, the latter which they find somewhat surprising for a cookbook purporting to have easy recipes. By the end of the meal, Chef Sam provides two extreme evaluations to Anna and Kristina. As the cookbook also provides comments on must have and "dust collector" kitchen gadgets, Anna and Kristina test different varieties of one of the gadgets in the latter group, namely avocado slicers. Will Anna and Kristina concur with the cookbook authors that avocado slicers in general are dust collectors? And they visit a local cranberry farm to learn about the fruit's harvesting.
Episode 10
22 mins
Anna and Kristina are holding "Williams-Sonoma 'Christmas Entertaining'" - the latest cookbook they are testing - to a slightly higher standard if only because meals for the holidays need to be just a little more special than usual. The cookbook provides several set menus for differing holiday entertaining situations. For three and a half hours on meal day, they are preparing the 'Christmas Eve in the City' menu, which consists of six recipes: Belgian endive with crème fraiche, capers and ahi tuna, shrimp bisque, crab salad with green apple and grapefruit coulis, beef tenderloin with shallot and Syrah reduction, twice baked potatoes, and almond apple tart. Because the cookbook provides not only recipes and menus but also tips and advice on all aspects of entertaining, they will be judged by not one but three guests, each with their own expertise: chef, cookbook author and cooking instructor Caren McSherry who will be judging the food, Vancouver sommelier of the year Kurtis Kolt who will be judging the wine pairings with four of the dishes (based on twelve wines he has previously provided to them, but not telling them which wine may go with which dish), and party planner Colin Upright who will be judging décor (Anna and Kristina will be using a set centerpiece outlined in the book). Despite the fire in the kitchen, will Anna and Kristina create that festive atmosphere and meal associated with Christmas?
Episode 11
22 mins
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.
Episode 12
22 mins
Anna 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.
Episode 13
22 mins
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.
Episode 14
22 mins
Anna and Kristina hop across the pond to jolly old England to test "Marguerite Patten's Best British Dishes", a cookbook unabashedly British and unabashedly old fashioned. They realize that some people would be put-off by the sheer idea of this cookbook as old fashioned British cuisine and good cuisine have historically not gone hand in hand. They are cooking six dishes in four hours: scotch eggs, faggots (which are meatballs made with pig's organs), Yorkshire pudding, pease pudding, rabbit stew with dumplings, and rice pudding. Their guest taster is renowned British chef Andrew Nutter, one of the new breed of British chefs taking his native cuisine into the modern age. He is even more intimidating to Anna and Kristina in that he is friends with the cookbook author Marguerite Patten, who was one of the first celebrity television chefs ever. The most controversial dish for the pair is the rabbit stew, Anna and Kristina who have two polar extreme views about hunting wild rabbits themselves (which includes gutting and skinning the animals), and even eating an animal known to have been previously alive in their sights. Ultimately, however, the rice pudding becomes the problematic dish. In addition, they test tea infusers with the Baron and Baroness of Masham.
Episode 15
22 mins
Regardless 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.
Episode 16
22 mins
Anna 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.
Episode 17
22 mins
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.
Episode 18
22 mins
The 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.
Episode 19
22 mins
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.
Episode 20
22 mins
Anna and Kristina are heading up to the slopes of Whistler Mountain to do some snowshoeing, some skiing, and some cooking, specifically from the cookbook "The Ski House Cookbook", which is unabashedly 1970's retro in its aprés-ski focused recipes. With the exception of the first dish which Anna will prepare in advance (as it is not an aprés-ski dish but rather an on the ski slope snack which they will eat while off skiing), Anna and Kristina are preparing six recipes in two hours: roast beef and blue cheese roll-ups, Swiss fondue, coq au vin, Brussels sprouts with bacon, sticky toffee pudding, and glögg. Their guest taster is James Walt, the executive chef at the famed Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, he who has served many an award winning aprés-ski meal. Anna and Kristina are afraid that their simple meal will not impress Chef James, who is used to serving haute cuisine. In addition, they taste test different brands of brandy, which they will use in the sauce for the sticky toffee pudding. And they test different styles of fondue pots.
Episode 21
22 mins
Anna 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.
Episode 22
22 mins
Anna 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.
Episode 23
22 mins
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.
Episode 24
22 mins
In testing the cookbook "Nourish" which takes its recipes from the Canyon Ranch Spa's restaurant, Anna and Kristina want to emphasize that the recipes are not vegetarian or "diet", but rather healthy in a fresh way that focuses on moderation and flavor indulgence rather than abstinence. To get in the mood, they travel to the Sparkling Hill Resort, where they first indulge in some of the resort's spa services, which includes Anna braving the -110ºC cold sauna. In the kitchen, they are preparing five dishes in three and a half hours: shrimp fritters with pineapple cucumber salad, tortilla soup, butternut squash tart with arugula salad, broiled salmon with cucumber lemongrass salsa, and baked vanilla pears in pastry. Their guest taster is Jesse Brune, a personal trainer and chef, probably most well known in the latter category as one of the Private Chefs of Beverly Hills (2009). They hope that Chef Jesse will be mellow after his spa treatments, despite his assertion that he will make the most of this one time when he has been asked to be "judgy". In addition, Anna and Kristina taste test what are considered healthier sweetening alternatives to refined sugar. They discuss what are considered "super foods". And Kristina has a close encounter with a ladybug.
Episode 25
22 mins
Anna 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.
Episode 26
22 mins
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.