"When I say these words ......." (Ready Steady Cook)

Member Name: idodoyou

Product:	Ready Steady Cook
Date:	02/12/01 (800 review reads)
Rating:

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Daytime TV doesn't get much better than this. It doesn't. Really. The majority of optical offerings on during the daylight hours deliver tales on how to transform your homes and gardens or talk shows hosted by the older woman for the older woman. I am not an older woman, and past performances prove that I should hire decorators instead of attempting D.I.Y myself. I admit there used to be a cacophony of food feasting to be had in the earlier hours of the day, but alas, well, alas for cookery prog lovers anyway, they seem to have dried up.
But still going strong. Still pulling in a presentable 4 or 5 million viewers, each day at 4.30pm on BBC 2 you'll find Ready Steady Cook (RSC)

Throughout the years, as with almost everything else, changes have taken place.
Starting off many moons ago (about 8 ~ 9 years) with Fern Britton (daughter of Tony 'Robins Nest' ~ 'Never the Twain' Britton, and now found on ITV's 'This Morning') and just a 30 minute time slot for all the savoury and sweet shenanigans. The concept was easy. A £5 bag of gastronomic goodies, a store cupboard of herbs and stuff, and just 20 minutes for some celebrity Chef to create culinary miracles. Easy but entertaining.
Today, the concept is very much the same. However, we have had a few tweaks here and there to liven it up a bit. To jazz it up a touch.

Instead of the bubbly Miss Britton meeting and greeting the contestants, the audience and the viewers, we now have the vivacious ex RSC Chef Ainsley 'whas' he like hey?' Harriott. A change that I have taken a while to get used to. After turning off in disgust after Fernie defected over to ITV (and being pregnant and pretty much exhausted after an abundance of TV work) I gave RSC a wide berth for several months. It's not that I didn't like old Ains, it’s just that he wasn't Fern! No inept cookery questions. No endearing little snippets of family goss. No Fernie! It just wasn't the same. Oh, Ains tried his best, bless
, and yes, after months of going RSC cold turkey, for some reason I found it on my goggle box once again. And you know what? I liked it. I liked ole' Ains. Even with his over the top happiness. His touchy touchy feely way he has with all the guests (you watch, always cuddling especially the ladies!) And his lack of 'Ferness'. I liked him. He ain't Fernie, but I like him.
Before Fernie (an Ainsley term of endearment ~ I'm afraid it has stuck!) left the red tomatoed, and green peppered walls, 3 new ways of pepping up the basic concept were added.
Instead of the usual ‘classic’ £5 bag, the value was increased on certain days, or if you were really unlucky, you could find yourself with half the original fiver. Mean. Yep, be expecting a goodie bag ranging from the 'student bag' £2.50 to the 'gourmet bag' £10.

Change number 2 is the 'forfeit' game. Starting usually with the basic £5 bag, the Chefs (or contestants) have to pick a card that contains one of 5 forfeits.

No Wine ~ No Spices ~ No Fresh Herbs ~ No Citrus

To be honest, it's no hardship to any of the Chefs whatever card they pick. Oh, they make a hoohar but they all know what they are doing! Show business me thinks!

The 3rd change is the 'alternative' game. This can be any value of ingredients but is usually the original £5 bag, however if the Chefs don't like the look of one of the ingredients in the bag, they have the chance to swap something. But to make it a touch exiting (as if they dare!) the Chefs can't see what they are swapping until maybe it's too late. Again, they make a hoohar about the replacement ingredients, but it doesn't really make that much of a difference. These guys are professionals. They know what they are doing. They get the job done!

Of course, one, if not the main part, the principal attraction of the show are the Chefs. And these guys, and gal come in the guise of a weird (not literally) and wonderful array of menu
maestro's. They all either own their own restaurants or run their own kitchens. But take time out to impress us (and advertise their culinary wares no doubt) with various food fashions, and marvellous menus all in the space of 20 minutes. Each and everyone is known for something definitive. They all have their own trademarks. Anthony Worral Thompson (short, tubby and blonde) usually creates flames. James Martin (tall, 'bandannaed', and rather quite dishy ~ is there a pun there?) is known for his spun sugar work. I would hate to clean up the kitchen after him!! Brian Turner (tall, tubby, and Northern) is known for his abundance of dairy and fattening ingredients whilst cooking. Patrick Anthony (suave and highly annoying) can usually be found with his gadget in his hand (oo er missus). Tony Tobin (quite similar to Phil Vickery look wise I think!) is a sauce man! Oh, how he used to use and love Balsamic Vinegar in several of his recipes. Ross Burden (tall, dark and a self taught Chef formerly a marine Biologist from New Zealand) is a big head!! He knows what he's talking about, and tells us. All the time. All the bloody time! Nick Nairn is rather a calamity in the kitchen. It seems if anything is going to go wrong, it usually happens to him, and he hates doing puddings. Phil Vickery (for me, the dishiest dish of them all ;) new hubby to Fernie (Aug 2001) and resident Chef for ITV's 'This Morning') likes doing puddings. And then, the only lady of the bunch, Lesley Waters, a female Ainsley I reckon. Always kicking her legs about, laughing and giggling. Oh, and not forgetting Richard Crawley, and Kevin Woodford.

So, you've got the bags of ingredients, or rather the Chefs have. They then have 20 minutes to create some tantalising taste bud tingling dishes. The only other ingredients that they are allowed o use are the pretty basic stuff that they have, and reckon we (the viewers) should have also. Herbs, spices, milk, eggs, bread, and various other everyda
y pantry ingredients. Occasionally they can swap or borrow ingredients with each other. You know, you gimme a chunk of your cheese and you can have one of my broad beans!! That kinda thing.
After the 20 minutes cooking time is over, the audience then has to decide which side, which Chef, either red tomatoes or green peppers, has created the best dishes with the ingredients given. The voting system is easy. Basically all the audience does is to hold up a reversible card with their favoured vegetable (although a Tom is actually a fruit!) showing and the winner is the one with the most showing. Easy but effective.
The prizes aren't anything special, but since when did daytime TV offer prizes worth anything elaborate? Err .... Almost never! The prize for the winner is a £100 to be spent on food. While the runner up gets a hamper of food.. A woohoo .... !!
For the last 6 or 7 months instead of the 30 minutes that we have grown used to, the program duration has grown to 45 minutes. After the customary 30 mins, instead of saying goodbye, there is a further 10-minute cooking time. For this there is just one bag of ingredients, the two Chefs have to decide what they will be cooking up, and the audience then uses their cards again to select which Chef will be getting to cook again. Usually this last segment of the show turns into a 3-man cook off! Ains helps the 'winning' Chef, while the other Chef sometimes gets left with whisking cream etc. Then they all pile in with spoons at the end! Nice job hey?

If, if the 5 times a week on BBC2 at 4.30pm is not enough for you to take your fill of RSC, head to BBC1 on a Friday evening at 7.00pm for 30 minute celebrity edition. A celebrity contestant with a £10 bag, and the main prize £1000 to donate to charity while the runner up gets a much sought after RSC clock.
Ok, so we aren't talking celebs on the scale of Mel Gibson or George Clooney (ooh, Mel in a pinny ;)) Usually British TV regulars. Newscasters an
d Weathergirls. Sports stars. Actors and Actresses. Anybody that can normally be found on BBC's 1 & 2, ITV or Channels 4 & 5.

I can't really pinpoint just what I like about this program? It's a mixture of the concept, the banter, the friendly rivalry, the cooking (I love cookery progs) and the usual feelings of amazement after watching a delicious meal appear before my eyes in just 20 minutes with limited ingredients. Of course, I have my favourites amongst the Chefs ~ Phil Vickery (phwoaar!) my not so favourites (Patrick Anthony ~ Well, I grew up with him on my local TV on a Friday evening ~ Patricks Pantry ~ he was a plonker then, and now he sulks when he doesn't win!) C’mon, own up, you have your favourites?

The fact that they have another edition on prime time TV just proves how good this program is. Catch either show. If you like food orientated shows you can't fail to like this program. You can actually learn stuff as well. Although, they don't always turn out the same as they do on TV. Do they ever though?

There is one thing I'd like to know though? Why is Anthony Worral Thompson is always a red tomato (the right hand side kitchen)? Have you ever noticed that? He’s never on the green pepper side. Perhaps he’s allergic to peppers? Or maybe the green of the pepper clashes with his hair?? Who knows? If ya do ...... answers please on the back of a postcard sent to the usual address. Standard rules apply :)

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