Baking Made Easy

Happy New Year everyone! Hopefully you enjoyed fun & food filled festivities (but are not being too hard on yourself calorie counting now!).

Lorraine Pascale's new cookery show, 'Baking Made Easy' won't be any help to you if you are. The six part series kicked off tonight at 8.30pm on BBC2. It was fantastically filled with lots of deliciously tempting goodies including a savoury fig, mint and pistachio tart, soda bread, parmesan lollipops, blueberry mille feuille and an amazing 'I can't believe you made that cake'. Now, I can save you the calories if you like and tell you that having eaten everything, everything is definitely worth eating!!

I skipped off to London in early last summer for a few weeks to work on the show and ended up staying for five. And boy, was it a long hot summer. We had four ovens on the go with 30 degrees of heat blazing from the sun and of course couldn't open any doors or windows because of noise. Mega Melt. Mega melting chocolate. Mega melting pastry. Mega melting everyone and everything. Thankfully, that didn't show in Lorraine's cool performance!

Here are some behind the scenes snaps...

my very glamorous head quarters in the studio. I could come back from the kitchen to find my desk anywhere, including the garden at one point. on the only rainy day!

some continuity snaps of Lorraine's soda bread bites and the mille feuille pastries.

I can't believe you made that cake!

The Food of The Tudors

I see The Tudors is back on our screens. Here are some snaps from my food file archives from working on Series 1.

Also, here's a blog post from Delicious magazine about food in film. Two well known and respected film food stylists in the UK, Debbie Brodie and Katherine Tidy are quoted in it. I had great pleasure in assisting them when I was 'growing up'. I worked with them on movies like Cleopatra, Tenth Kingdom, The Golden Bowl, Man & Boy, Family Tree, The Visitors and The Golden Bowl. Sadly all in the day when I wasn't a nutty 'photographing everything that moves' blogger and tweeter so I have no photographic evidence. They would have been so amazing too with stunning sets, costumes and of course food.

I have my memories though, with the most memorible food for film moment being at Shepperton Studios in London at 6.30am in the morning, with a stinking cold and having been up since about 4am to get there on time. Then, wait for it, being handed a box with a wild boars head in it, which had just been freshly 'done' (yes, as in, beheaded) the day before, so yes, warts, fur and all. I had to rinse every last drop of blood 'through it' (from cut throat & through nostrils) to get it ready to present on a platter. Nice. See? It's not all glamour glamour around these parts!

Anyhow, speaking of glamour, Katherine didn't take me with her to the set of 'Sex & The City' in Morocco I see! Lucky Lady eh?! Must try and get some behind the scenes gossip from her...

Anyhow, in the meantime, enjoy Season 4 of The Tudors!

UPDATE: Yes, hot and flushed tweeters I can confirm that JRM is a total dish....got up close but sadly not personal. I did chat to him briefly, but I imagine the smell of Tudor food from me most likely put him off!

safe food turkey

Well, it's that turkey time of year again and where better to turn to for advice on preventing killing off a family member with some dodgy cooking than safe food. Once again, chef Neven Maguire gives top advice on all things turkey. Here are some snaps taken while filming some commercials for the safe food website a while back (of which I can't now seem to find, so perhaps they ended up on the cutting room floor?).

Neven's kitchen being transformed into a winter wonderland in warm weather

Neven learning his lines. Is that Dustin the turkey watching on from the roasting tin?!

Kirstie's Homemade Christmas series

Ok, ok, just one more post....Hope you liked the series and feel all christmassy now and fully inspired to get creative! Fear not, Kirstie will be back with a fab new 'homemade home' series next year where she will visit people's homes this time, as well as lots more craftiness. You can keep up to date, make suggestions of crafts you'd like to see and even apply to be on the programme on the show's facebook. Finally, here are a few final pics from behind the scenes of the christmas special...

Presenter Amy has her make-up retouched while being watched on by the biggest turkey in the world, lol!

You thought you only saw one turkey on the programme but that was actually three! it's a long story in the world of TV...this is where the story began...Amy & I glamourously shoving our arms under turkey skin (in our homemade home...'the van')!

Karen & I ditching the 'hero' turkey at the end of filming...unfortunately it couldn't have been eaten as it was sat around & in and out of ovens for hours on end!

Don't worry, not all the food went to waste....crew to the rescue!

Kirstie's Homemade Christmas

If you watched the Channel 4 series, 'Kirstie's Homemade Home' earlier in the year you may be as excited as I was to hear that there is a three part Christmas special coming up soon (dates TBA soon). Although I am even more excited again as I actually got to work on it!! That was my secret trip....I have just spent the last week in Meadowgate, presenter Kirstie Allsopp's holiday let home which I watched unfold on the series, from a dilapidated house into the gorgeous home it now is...so you can excuse me for busting at the seams to be actually working there!! And my, it is just breath-takingly gorgeous...

Kirstie got some Christmas cooking tips from the lovely Amy Willcock

gorgeous stylist chehvani dresses the table

ok, so it wasn't all glitz & glam....My home for the week was really a mobile kitchen.....but in fareness this has to be the best view from one EVER!

camerman Cliff films some food porn!

food porn....but more about that in future posts

Thank you so much to Karen Convery for all her hard work, perfectionism, organisation and calmness in helping me (once again)! Thanks also to amazing director Amanda Fidler for getting me on board in the first place! It was lovely also to work with all the glasgow gang of IWC Media who produce the show. Group hug!

P.S. Click here to check out Kirstie's tweet pics during filming!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho..

...it's off to work I go....this time I'm off on a job I have been trying to contain my excitement over for the last couple of months....finally it is here and I'm all packed up with everything including the kitchen sink as usual. Now filled with nervous anticipation I'm on my way. I'll be back in a week or so to fill you in on what it's all about and whether or not I managed to not burst a blood vessel with excitement!!

Neven's Homechef filming - week 2

Well, I'm still alive against all the odds of filling up on way too much food, so I'm here to tell another tale. I can't say the same for the rest of the crew, but they're hanging on in there! Week 2 in Neven's kitchen & there has been lots of laughs (mostly at bad jokes like 'ceps on the beach' & 'time is of the vanilla essence'!), lots of cooking of course & lots & lots & lots more eating!

Micky the monkey, freaking us out during filming!

cameraman Billy chancing his arm at some spun sugar curls....darn, they're perfect!

Karen in the back kitchen isn't perfect after all then! Well, she is really!

oops...I'm spilling things too!

& the best bit.....everyone tucking into creme brulees, yum!

Neven's new TV series

Well, we've just finished filming our first week on Neven Maguire's new series...we've had a lot of giggles and eaten a LOT of food! Which reminds me, I did consider weighing myself before we started to see exactly how much I pile on...but to be honest the jeans will reveal all...and in fact, they already have! But I don't care..it's all totally worth it as you'll see when you watch the series in the new year. It's got a great catchy title to match Neven's new book (which is at the printers now, wooppee!)...HOMECHEF...which you may remember me testing here. Anyhow, here are some snaps from our first week...

Neven ready to get baking

The Irelands got talent panel of judges say yum!

the crew making their own samosas for lunch

Podge & Rodge overseeing some baking in the oven...don't ask!

Neven realises this camera operating lark could be for him!

Rachel's Market Kitchen

I'm just back from Cork having worked with Rachel Allen and the Optomen / UKTV, Market Kitchen gang. Rachel is one of the presenters on the show, so she heads to London every so often to film that part but then Market Kitchen come to her at home in Cork to film her actually cooking too. So lots of cooking and lots more calories! Here is one of the recipes we filmed which is from Rachel's book 'Bake'. Market Kitchen is on UKTV food every week day at 7pm (& repeated throughout the next day).

BAKED AUBERGINES WITH TOMATOES, BASIL & PINE NUTS
Serves 4
2 large aubergines
4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
1 onion, peeled & finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled & crushed
650g (1lb 6oz) good red ripe tomatoes, peeled & chopped
pinch of chilli flakes
1 tsp caster sugar
4 tbsp chopped or torn basil leaves
1 ball of mozzarella, torn into pieces, or 25g (1 oz) grated parmesan (optional)
4 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas Mark 4.

2. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways and, using a teaspoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving a 5mm (1/4 in) border around the edge intact. Chop the flesh, then place in a sieve sitting over a bowl adding a good pinch of salt to draw out any bitter juices. Place the aubergine halves on an oiled baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and cook for 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic, cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the onion is soft. Add the drained aubergine flesh, the tomatoes, chilli flakes and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over a low heat for about 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is reduced. Add the chopped basil and season to taste.

4. Spoon the tomato sauce into the par-cooked aubergines, then add the torn mozzarella or grated parmesan (if using). Bake int he oven for about 30 minutes or until the aubergine is cooked at the sides and the mixture is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and serve.

am-a-zing sting

I'm just in the door from a quick trip to Dungarvan where I was working on some stings for Neven Maguire's upcoming cookery programme (more about that later). 'Inproduction' produced so the old team was back together (from working on Neven's programme). Here's producer / director David (middle), soundman Ray (left, as usual telling everyone to shush), and camera man Billy (right).

We filmed at Paul Flynn's new cookery school at the Tannery - AM-A-ZING! What a totally fabulous space - ever as stylish and state of the art as you would expect from the Flynns. They have seven new bedrooms also (additional to their townhouse rooms) so no excuse for not treating yourself to a glamorous getaway! Obviously, from the photos we trashed the school a little with all of our gear (but of course put it back together perfectly, promise!)

Watch out for 'Neven's Food From the Sun' series (transmitting for 13 weeks from Wed 18th Feb on RTE1) to see what the stings were for...and watch out for my hands!

TV commercial

Here are some more behind the scenes photos, this time a recent commercial...

another day, another glamorous location...a hallway!

bit of a production line going on

deep in surgery

a fun monitor shot (thanks aoife!)

School DVD

This week, one of the projects I worked on was the filming of a DVD for secondary schools in association with Agriaware & Bord Bia. Neven Maguire was the cookery presenter and Paula Mee the nutritionist.

It was a nice reunion for the crew from Neven's recently filmed series as we hadn't seen each other for a while - although I was glad it was just for one day and not the start of a long two weeks, as before!

Anyhow, you can check out the finished product and recipes on the agriaware and bord bia websites once complete.

Rosemary's School for Cooks

Well, I'm just back from a 'slightly busy' week working on the final of 'Rosemary's School for Cooks' at Swinton Park in Yorkshire. The schedule was hectic to say the least but in a warped kind of way I had a really fun time - the crew are like an extended family, every single person was lovely and hilarious in their own special way, so they made it all worthwhile.

The series was produced by RDF Media, Bristol and is ftransmitted every week day at 4pm on ITV from the 27th of October for eight weeks. Rosemary Shrager is the star of the show of course and with her enthusiasm and talent for cooking she encourages the students to excel. Each of the first seven weeks starts off with a new batch of eight students. Students are eliminated throughout the week to give a finalist at the end of it. The seven finalists plus one lucky wild card student then head off for work experience with either Adam Bennet of Simpsons in Birmingham or Willie Pike from Loch Green House Hotel in Scotland. The eight finalists then return on week eight to win an amazing placement with michelin star chef Nigel Hanorth of Northcote Manor in Lancashire.

My role as Home Economist was to edit (and test on location) the recipes, highlighting the parts that the students might struggle with so the crew don't miss any juicy bits! I also source the ingredients for the students, presenting them in our back kitchen (farmers market style!) for them to come and collect. The day before the students cook each menu I am bustling away in the back kitchen preparing everything for pack shots the next morning. The plates of food from these hero shots are then revealed to the students so they can see what lies ahead for them that day, yikes! And then off i go again on the next days food as well as helping the students with what they are up to that day. It's funny that as the week goes on it starts to dawn on them what i am up to so they keep their eyes peeled for any hints of whats coming up the next day!

I don't know how much I can say about the final, which we have just finished filming, so i better not say much, other than the format is very different to last years. It was definitely a challenge to work on, but i buzzed on the pressure and somehow we all managed to pull it off! I am a bit relieved, as in pre-production I worked out schedules of how the students should tackle things to ensure they got through everything - on location i began to have my doubts, as it was a tall order but thankfully it worked, phew! Smiles and crazed wrap parties all round!


some links:
www.swintonpark.com
www.rosemaryshrager.com
www.rdfmedia.com
www.itv.com