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September 24, 2020 3:00 PM Subscribe
I thought she was joining the NYT cooking universe, but I guess not? Or both? Either way, this is (actually) fine. And I guess she was on Food52 a few months back and another Babish joint, so I really don’t know. Anyway, content!
posted by Going To Maine at 3:11 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Going To Maine at 3:11 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Those were all one-offs whereas this is a 10 episode series as I understand it.
posted by juv3nal at 3:22 PM on September 24, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by juv3nal at 3:22 PM on September 24, 2020 [3 favorites]
OK I just watched this and when she busted out the board to make spaetzle I was like "wait, what??" So then I did a bit of Googling and I have to say, if you've ever tried to make spaetzle and had a bad time, like using a colander or whatever the hell, take a look at German cooking Youtube. Like, it looks so easy it blows my mind. Definitely check it out.
Anyway, as to the substance of this video: looks good. I would definitely eat that. However I think there is about twice as much cheese béchamel as you need for that amount of noodles. Which, hey, more noodles!
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 3:27 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Anyway, as to the substance of this video: looks good. I would definitely eat that. However I think there is about twice as much cheese béchamel as you need for that amount of noodles. Which, hey, more noodles!
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 3:27 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
We’re longterm Binging with Babish and Basics With fans here, and when this popped up, we went straight to it.
My dear wife also noted that it would be amusing to see the gentleman from Townsends and Sons comment on it, because he did a version from an 18th century cookbook on his channel.
Andrew “Babish” Rea is really putting out good stuff, and showcasing Sohla like this is all to the best, in my opinion.
posted by mephron at 4:14 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
My dear wife also noted that it would be amusing to see the gentleman from Townsends and Sons comment on it, because he did a version from an 18th century cookbook on his channel.
Andrew “Babish” Rea is really putting out good stuff, and showcasing Sohla like this is all to the best, in my opinion.
posted by mephron at 4:14 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
She did a lovely job, but there certainly was macaroni and cheese in the 18th century.
posted by Miss Cellania at 4:21 PM on September 24, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Miss Cellania at 4:21 PM on September 24, 2020 [3 favorites]
Receipts!
posted by Going To Maine at 4:34 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Going To Maine at 4:34 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
As someone who has devoted too much time to both BA and Townsend and Sons Youtube this feels like I'm having a fever dream.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 4:40 PM on September 24, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 4:40 PM on September 24, 2020 [4 favorites]
That was definitely a lot of cheese. I'm here for it.
As someone who has devoted too much time to both BA and Townsend and Sons Youtube this feels like I'm having a fever dream.
Next stop: Mrs. Crocombe.
posted by thomas j wise at 5:46 PM on September 24, 2020 [8 favorites]
As someone who has devoted too much time to both BA and Townsend and Sons Youtube this feels like I'm having a fever dream.
Next stop: Mrs. Crocombe.
posted by thomas j wise at 5:46 PM on September 24, 2020 [8 favorites]
"I paused it and wrote it down so you don't have to." (tm)
The categories are: 18th Century, Ice Cream, Beat Babish, Astronaut Food, Serve on Fire, Make it Scary!, One-Handed, Make it Sad, Convenience Store, and Food Illusions.
posted by Horkus at 5:57 PM on September 24, 2020 [5 favorites]
The categories are: 18th Century, Ice Cream, Beat Babish, Astronaut Food, Serve on Fire, Make it Scary!, One-Handed, Make it Sad, Convenience Store, and Food Illusions.
posted by Horkus at 5:57 PM on September 24, 2020 [5 favorites]
She did a lovely job, but there certainly was macaroni and cheese in the 18th century.
I was going to say, have you not heard the lyrics to Yankee Doodle? They had macaroni.
posted by malphigian at 6:13 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
I was going to say, have you not heard the lyrics to Yankee Doodle? They had macaroni.
posted by malphigian at 6:13 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
In the song, "macaroni" meant "fancy" or "dandy". (Yankee doodle is a dumb hick who sticks a feather in his hat and thinks he's fancy)
posted by Humanzee at 6:33 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Humanzee at 6:33 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yeah but the term "macaroni" meaning "fancy" is alluding to the noodle.
posted by tzikeh at 6:41 PM on September 24, 2020 [8 favorites]
posted by tzikeh at 6:41 PM on September 24, 2020 [8 favorites]
I’m sorry, did someone mention Mrs. Crocombe? Maybe a link to her making Macaroni Cheese will help.
posted by mephron at 6:49 PM on September 24, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by mephron at 6:49 PM on September 24, 2020 [2 favorites]
She did a lovely job, but there certainly was macaroni and cheese in the 18th century.
YES THIS FOR GOD'S SAKE THOMAS JEFFERSON SERVED IT IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
I really wanted to like this, and I like the concept, but I was so let down when Sohla just brainstormed "18th Century....oh, over an open fire, I guess" instead of taking about three seconds to Google the darn thing. My roommate suggested that maybe it's because in the old BA kitchen people were encouraged to figure things out themselves, but at least Googling things is allowed, no?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:14 PM on September 24, 2020 [8 favorites]
YES THIS FOR GOD'S SAKE THOMAS JEFFERSON SERVED IT IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
I really wanted to like this, and I like the concept, but I was so let down when Sohla just brainstormed "18th Century....oh, over an open fire, I guess" instead of taking about three seconds to Google the darn thing. My roommate suggested that maybe it's because in the old BA kitchen people were encouraged to figure things out themselves, but at least Googling things is allowed, no?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:14 PM on September 24, 2020 [8 favorites]
I kept wanting them to tap in Max Miller from Tasting History.
posted by Lexica at 7:27 PM on September 24, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by Lexica at 7:27 PM on September 24, 2020 [6 favorites]
To be fair, she made a dish in 5 hours that was made with 18th century methods and ingredients, and was close enough to what any reasonable person would recognize as mac and cheese. If you want deep research and figuring out how authentic 18th century macaroni was made, how available it was worldwide, etc., that would make a good show, but that is obviously not THIS show with its goofy wheel and such.
I found it fun to watch and the food looked yummy. The exploding firepit was scary, tho.
posted by rikschell at 8:15 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
I found it fun to watch and the food looked yummy. The exploding firepit was scary, tho.
posted by rikschell at 8:15 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
I find this particularly interesting because it strikes me as trying to recapture some of the alchemy of Gourmet Makes, but playing to Sohla's strengths with culinary invention. The "thing you know + professional chef out of their comfort zone" format is very reminiscent of Gourmet Makes, and I think the wheel is an attempt to capture some of the arbitrary spitefulness at the heart of the Gourmet Makes format, without anyone involved being actively responsible for making the host do something stupid and impossible that they hate doing and thus making it #relateable.
(Boy I bet Claire is secretly happy Gourmet Makes is over, even though it was very good for her career; she clearly loathed doing it, and that energy was part of why the show worked. Maybe it's for the best that it's dead.)
Anyway, looking forward to future episodes where we get to see Sohla stretch a little more.
posted by Merus at 9:07 PM on September 24, 2020
(Boy I bet Claire is secretly happy Gourmet Makes is over, even though it was very good for her career; she clearly loathed doing it, and that energy was part of why the show worked. Maybe it's for the best that it's dead.)
Anyway, looking forward to future episodes where we get to see Sohla stretch a little more.
posted by Merus at 9:07 PM on September 24, 2020
Came here to snark about Thomas Jefferson, glad I was beaten to the punch.
The premise of this show feels very BA-esque, with emphasis on personality rather than actual culinary instruction. But that's ok and it will be interesting to see what tricks Sohla pulls out of her hat.
This dish looks like it would just sink like a rock in the stomach. Spätzle can be crisped up in a skillet, I think that would help with texture. And yeah, go a little easy on the sauce.
posted by St. Oops at 9:14 PM on September 24, 2020
The premise of this show feels very BA-esque, with emphasis on personality rather than actual culinary instruction. But that's ok and it will be interesting to see what tricks Sohla pulls out of her hat.
This dish looks like it would just sink like a rock in the stomach. Spätzle can be crisped up in a skillet, I think that would help with texture. And yeah, go a little easy on the sauce.
posted by St. Oops at 9:14 PM on September 24, 2020
“People just ate all the cheese they wanted to eat and then they died.”
posted by Mister Moofoo at 9:29 PM on September 24, 2020 [10 favorites]
posted by Mister Moofoo at 9:29 PM on September 24, 2020 [10 favorites]
I would argue that this (a recipe for "loseyns", from The Forme of Cury) is macaroni cheese, or at least its ancestor. And that's from the 14th century.
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:18 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Joe in Australia at 11:18 PM on September 24, 2020 [1 favorite]
I mean, as heavy as my snark was earlier I am still going to give this a shot. This particular first episode just happened to cross two of my pet interests in one go - cooking and history - and that kind of triggered a bit of a berserk button. (If they'd had something like "cook mac and cheese one-handed" this time I would likely have had a very different reaction.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:49 AM on September 25, 2020
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:49 AM on September 25, 2020
I am amazed she was able to make Spaetzle without any previous experience. Her comment about developing the gluten was really helpful, because I've made Spaetzle without doing that it becomes an unpalatable gloopy mess. Now I can do it better!
posted by sixohsix at 4:23 AM on September 25, 2020
posted by sixohsix at 4:23 AM on September 25, 2020
Spätzle can be crisped up in a skillet, I think that would help with texture. And yeah, go a little easy on the sauce.
Kasespaetzle is a pretty frequent thing in my house. Fry onions until well caramelized. And I do mean well caramelized. Add spaetzle to pan and get a little texture on it. Add emmental and mix that through until melted. Throw the whole thing in the oven until the cheese browns a bit. It also sits like a rock in the stomach. A tasty tasty rock.
Anyway, I like the show. Light hearted and funny. For true historical/whatever contexts there are a lot of other people out there, and that wasn’t at all the point of the video anyway, but this was fun to watch.
posted by mikesch at 4:27 AM on September 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
Kasespaetzle is a pretty frequent thing in my house. Fry onions until well caramelized. And I do mean well caramelized. Add spaetzle to pan and get a little texture on it. Add emmental and mix that through until melted. Throw the whole thing in the oven until the cheese browns a bit. It also sits like a rock in the stomach. A tasty tasty rock.
Anyway, I like the show. Light hearted and funny. For true historical/whatever contexts there are a lot of other people out there, and that wasn’t at all the point of the video anyway, but this was fun to watch.
posted by mikesch at 4:27 AM on September 25, 2020 [2 favorites]
Personally, I am just pleased that now there is a "Babish Cinematic Universe".
posted by briank at 5:51 AM on September 25, 2020
posted by briank at 5:51 AM on September 25, 2020
I am just pleased that now there is a "Babish Cinematic Universe".
Agreed, not just because it's fun and Marvel-adjacent, but "binging" is a word with very triggering connotations for a lot of people.
I wish the culture had stayed with "marathon" to mean watching a bunch of episodes of the same tv show all day instead of "binging" Killing Eve or whatever. It was fun to think that we'd moved the word "marathon" into that very very small subsection of English words that can mean both one thing and the exact opposite of that thing. (I know that wouldn't apply to "Binging with Babish," but still.)
(Also "binging" looks wrong for the pronunciation it has. That looks like "Bing-ing" as if Bing had succeeded as a search engine and "to Bing" was the same as "to Google." "Bingeing" would be the more appropriate spelling.)
posted by tzikeh at 6:57 AM on September 25, 2020
Agreed, not just because it's fun and Marvel-adjacent, but "binging" is a word with very triggering connotations for a lot of people.
I wish the culture had stayed with "marathon" to mean watching a bunch of episodes of the same tv show all day instead of "binging" Killing Eve or whatever. It was fun to think that we'd moved the word "marathon" into that very very small subsection of English words that can mean both one thing and the exact opposite of that thing. (I know that wouldn't apply to "Binging with Babish," but still.)
(Also "binging" looks wrong for the pronunciation it has. That looks like "Bing-ing" as if Bing had succeeded as a search engine and "to Bing" was the same as "to Google." "Bingeing" would be the more appropriate spelling.)
posted by tzikeh at 6:57 AM on September 25, 2020
I have an old recipe for M&C, but it claims it's from 1870.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 9:46 AM on September 25, 2020
posted by ArgentCorvid at 9:46 AM on September 25, 2020
I love Sohla but I cannot stand the Babish brand of humour. I'm torn.
posted by Stoof at 11:29 AM on September 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Stoof at 11:29 AM on September 25, 2020 [4 favorites]
I think it is a “Culinary Universe.”
posted by snofoam at 12:05 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by snofoam at 12:05 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
I made homemade spatzle exactly once with a grater or sieve and since then I've just used my hand or a spoon to free-drop little blorps of dough into the pot. I suppose this might be against the strict rules but it's still yummy so I recommend if you have been annoyed by the sieve.
posted by nakedmolerats at 12:16 PM on September 25, 2020
posted by nakedmolerats at 12:16 PM on September 25, 2020
Bouboulage? Boo-boo lodge? What is that word? Something about the sauce coming together?
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:34 PM on September 25, 2020
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:34 PM on September 25, 2020
I think it is a “Culinary Universe.”
Just let me have this one last dream, will you?
posted by briank at 12:39 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Just let me have this one last dream, will you?
posted by briank at 12:39 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Bouboulage? Boo-boo lodge? What is that word? Something about the sauce coming together?
I think she was making a joke, and it's a pseudo-French pronunciation of "bubblage", meaning in the bubbles in the pot.
posted by Lexica at 12:58 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
I think she was making a joke, and it's a pseudo-French pronunciation of "bubblage", meaning in the bubbles in the pot.
posted by Lexica at 12:58 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
I think Sohla is great but this didn't play to her strengths, imho.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 1:56 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Big Al 8000 at 1:56 PM on September 25, 2020 [1 favorite]
Wow, the second episode is so much better than the first.
posted by simmering octagon at 11:51 AM on September 26, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by simmering octagon at 11:51 AM on September 26, 2020 [5 favorites]
The word bubblage, pronounced in that silly way, was definitely a BA Test Kitchen thing. I really miss those goofballs, so it's super nice to see Sohla back on YT!
posted by merriment at 12:55 PM on September 26, 2020
posted by merriment at 12:55 PM on September 26, 2020
Oh yeah, I liked the second episode way better. To the point that I wanna make those cheez-it things.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:01 PM on September 26, 2020
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:01 PM on September 26, 2020
Yeah, the second episode was really good. Giving her free reign over a host of wacky ingredients to reimagine as she wished was fun to watch. Sohla has a real mastery of ingredients and an almost mad-scientist-level of creativity that is totally belied by her quiet, almost unassuming personality. The first episode was less about the ingredients and cooking and too much “isn’t it wacky that Sohla has to set up a tripod in order to cook”?
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:56 AM on October 2, 2020
posted by Big Al 8000 at 6:56 AM on October 2, 2020
> I think she was making a joke, and it's a pseudo-French pronunciation of "bubblage", meaning in the bubbles in the pot.
That's absolutely something I would do, and I am ashamed that I didn't recognize it.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:29 PM on October 13, 2020
That's absolutely something I would do, and I am ashamed that I didn't recognize it.
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:29 PM on October 13, 2020
Article from Vulture: Going Sohla: After leaving Bon Appétit, the chef now has her own show — where she’s paid fairly for her fantastic creations.
posted by Lexica at 10:27 AM on October 14, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Lexica at 10:27 AM on October 14, 2020 [2 favorites]
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Lovely episode! These normally air on Saturdays according to the Deadline article, but I wasn't expecting the next episode to be THIS Saturday.
posted by chrominance at 3:07 PM on September 24, 2020