It is nearly November in the U.S. but in the Bake Off world it apparently is eternally chilly April as the bakers are still wearing jackets, albeit lighter.
The calendar is going to be important this week, and likely next, my friends. Because in non-Bake Off world, it is midterm election season. Which demands my attention like a family of 204 children - roughly the number of races we are watching at PBS NewsHour. (If you think the Bake Off spreadsheet is something, you should see my midterm spreadsheet.) This is all to say, this week I'm giving myself 15 minutes to write a decent episode summary. It may be a bit like haiku. Here goes. CUSTARD WEEK I'll just say it like this: Custard. /kes-sterd/ n.: a cooked mixture made of eggs and milk or cream and usually having a thick, creamy consistency Bake. /bayk/ v.: : to cook by dry heat especially in an oven Other initial thoughts: at least Janusz cannot use his drip frosting technique with custard. Let's race through what happened. Signature Illes Flottanes or floating islands. Meringue on a pond of custard. Several bakers understandably describe it as some form of gross - including baby food. Or on the positive end, nothing. Syabira is creating a new movement, to counter current political problems, which will be a nation founded on Mojito. And I think we should join. Janusz has had too much coffee which I think will be an issue for two days here. EVERY baker gets laugh points in the signature. It may be chilly, but they are jolly! The most important takeaway of the episode: Janusz and Sandro. Could they be more wonderful in their baking bro friendship. In the signature, Sandro looks over at Janusz' incredible floating vanilla latte meringue on top of coffee custard and rightly says, with loving disgust, "look at that magic over there". The two hiss at each other in playful hate. I find myself imagining congressional candidates competing in this way and it makes me happy. Judging: Wow. Nearly every baker gets flavor points! Except not Kevin or Sandro, though judges' liked his floating foam, it was too alcoholic. He just wants this SO MUCH. Technical Ice cream? Made from Custard, ok. Huh. Clearly they have run out of fancy, fascinating baking ideas because Mary Berry's cookbook is apparently not accessible. But I love a staggered start and here we are. For those wondering, you need 3 hours to make ice cream and a waffle cone. (Waffle cone press needed.) TONS of LAUGH points this segment. Syabira and Janusz both made one massive mistake that meant a melted mess! They end up in last and second to last. Haha to Dan in our league who has them both (and is crushing everyone). Could one of them be out? Sandro wins the technical and he smiles, trying not to lick his lips at the certainty that star baker will be his! Showstopper Custard gateau/cake/pastry Blog writing time is down to minutes here. I feel like Matt just SHOUTED "Lisa, you have 5 minutes! 5 minutes to finish writing!" The allegro is playing and I'm up for the challenge. Syabira is doing pina coloda again, Abdul is using Paul's pastry recipe (and smartly makes sure he knows), Sandro is using the microwave (and suddenly Paul is ok with it - I'm mad on Nancy's behalf from Season 5, though I get that custard is different than bread), Janusz practiced in high heels (and maybe should have done the bake in them b/c it does not work out w/out them), Abdul gets a rare and impressive +2 for successful do over points, Maxy's burner doesn't work and Paul deserves help point for setting her straight (I think) and Matt actually frosts Sandro's cake. Wow. AND WHAT. For real, Janusz IS using drip frosting again??? The judges remark on this gratuitous, unnecessary display as if maybe they like it?? This is now an 8 point symbolic deduction for Janusz. SMH. Phew. 1 minute left. I felt sure Sandro would be star baker. After all Syabira - despite her amazing shostopper - was LAST in the technical. I think Janusz is in trouble b/c he was second-to-last in the technical and his custard was beyond terrible "wallpaper paste!!". And YET, the two biases in this show slam down like a mallet crushing almonds. The showstopper bias appears and yet another star bakership eludes Sandro. Syabira wins again! She is a delight and Sandro claps, though inside he may have been crying. And going home is NOT Janusz - because of the golden boy/girl bias. It's Kevin. To me, clearly he edged out Janusz this episode BUT I agree that Janusz has routinely crushed it. So that's it. Scores are up and I will put in a summary box here later tonight. TIME'S UP. KEYBOARD DOWN.
5 Comments
Mary Sassin
11/1/2022 07:12:16 am
Hi Lisa! Just wanted to say thanks for this great idea/website. I'm using it to play with 5 friends. I assigned us each 2 bakers at random, and unfortunately, I'm crushing my opponents! (I have Syabira and Janusz.) It reminds me of one afternoon when I played Candyland with my toddler and simply couldn't lose. (It figures!) This time, it's harder for me to trick the competition into thinking they won, but I'll renounce my Crown of Butter if do win.
Reply
Brad
11/1/2022 09:42:20 am
Big fan of what you are doing! Thank you for sharing this with everyone, our group is having a lot of fun with it.
Reply
Edward A Siteman
11/27/2022 05:21:43 pm
I'm confused how Maisam getsc17 points in the final show when he had been eliminated earlier. We were having so much fun with this fantasy league, sorry to see it end in a sputter.
Reply
Dorothy
12/7/2022 04:17:42 pm
Hello - I think the week 10 numbers are incorrect. We are loving this game, so much fun. Hopefully the final week can be updated?
Reply
Leave a Reply. |