Sun, Jan 25, 2009
The five contestants for this week, all from Ipswich, are: former pub landlady Zoë Condon, who is straightforward about her opinions toward meals; insurance claims technician Barry Davis, who is overly opinionated about what he likes and doesn't like about people; butcher Gerard King, who likes the fun in theatrical people; waitress Lisa Quinton, who detests dirt, either in her surroundings (especially her home and that of others she visits) or people; and school matron Angie Robertson, who's a musical theater fanatic who will sing at any opportunity she can. Zoë Condon is the first to host the dinner party. Her menu consists of gratinéed potatoes with bacon and asparagus as the starter, a shellfish platter as the main course, and strawberries in Pimms jelly with Cointreau ice cream for dessert. Besides the food, the five seem to get along. Does the congenial atmosphere of the evening set the tone for things to come for the rest of the week?
Mon, Jan 26, 2009
Leading into the second dinner, four of the five participants discuss the one remaining person as the most immature of the group (despite they all being about the same age), the immaturity not all a bad thing. And another group of four discuss the excessive alcohol consumption of the fifth, especially in light of that person being "little". Barry Davis is the next to host the dinner party, he who is quietly confident despite nursing a hangover and admitting that his menu contains little effort in terms of cooking skill needed. His menu consists of white Russians for cocktails, Peggy's parsnip soup as the starter, beef goulash with paprika dumplings as the main course, and chocolate and orange risotto as the dessert. Barry is hoping that his entertainment makes up for some lapses in the kitchen. Although the evening still has a congenial tone similar to the evening before, a comment from the one considered the "loose cannon" may prove to be problematic.
Wed, Jan 28, 2009
The falling out between Angie and Zoë is the main topic of conversation following last night's dinner, especially by Angie and Zoë, the former who finally has come to realization that Zoë probably doesn't like her. As the next host, Lisa Quinton is hoping to be able to keep the peace at her party, but others don't believe Lisa will be able to pull at least that part of the evening off successfully. Her guests have no idea what to expect from the food, but they are certain Lisa will pay every attention to the cleanliness of the house, which she does... sort of. Lisa's menu consists of king scallops with pancetta chorizo salad as a starter, chicken mafiosa as the main course, and apple crumble with homemade cinnamon ice cream for dessert. As a pub waitress, Lisa seeks out the culinary advice from her pub chef, Ali... sort of. She enlists a magician as entertainment, the show which includes a planned surprise by Lisa herself, and has some more activities following dinner. Will all this activity be enough to lighten the tone between Angie and Zoë?
Thu, Jan 29, 2009
The on-going rift between Angie and Zoë is still playing on the minds of all the diners. The fact of Gerard King being the next and last to host may ease everyone's minds about the rift as Gerard seems to have a special place in everyone's heart. Most of his guests expect a meat-laden menu seeing as to his occupation. His menu consists of chicken liver, black pudding and streaky bacon on toast as a starter, pork chops roasted in cider as the main course, and strawberry and cream filo tart as the dessert. He confesses to the camera in private that he is nervous since he has never hosted a sit down dinner party on his own. By the end of the night, the food takes a back seat to the issue of guest relations. But he'll find out then if his food and guest relation services are enough as Gerard announces the winner of the £1,000.
Mon, Feb 2, 2009
The guests from last night's dinner discuss their chances of winning in light of the quality of the first party. Lisa Connell is the next to host the dinner party, she who is concerned about two of the guests who have stated that they are highly critical. She is also fastidious about the cleanliness of her work area and her house in general. Her menu consists of king prawn, crab & butternut squash risotto as the starter, roasted lamb shanks and pan-fried sea bass as the two main courses, and a milk chocolate fountain and a cheese plate as the desserts. She has a kitchen equipment malfunction which could spell disaster. A malfunction of a different kind happens during the post-main course drinks in the living room. A final change occurs with the menu as it's being served.
Tue, Feb 3, 2009
The guests are still discussing the wine spilling incident from last night, Judi, the supposed culprit, still not quite admitting to it being her fault. Peter Rixham is third on the list to host the dinner party. He is confident about his menu and hopes he can execute it well. He also hopes the evening will be light and fun for his guests. His menu consists of asparagus wrapped in Parma ham with hollandaise (served ham-less for vegetarian Moni) as a starter, boeuf bourguignon and ratatouille as the main courses, and chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis for dessert. As the evening rolls on, the five discuss the importance of winning versus the importance of having a good time at each party.
Wed, Feb 4, 2009
Moni Bharij is the hostess for the evening. Most of her guests expect that she will go to her Indian roots both for the menu and any additional table décor. They aren't wrong, but are surprised by the ingredients in the main. Her menu consists of king prawn curry as a starter, mixed thali of lamb, chicken, aubergine and lentil curry as the main course, and strawberry and champagne surprise for dessert. Lisa decides to bring Moni a gift reflecting Moni's gifts to everyone else thus far. Conversely, Lisa seems purely by chance to receive the short end of the stick on several occasions during the evening.
Thu, Feb 5, 2009
The five reflect on the four new friends they have out of this experience, many no longer caring if they win the top prize. Matthew Baker is the last of this fivesome to host. He believes he has a good shot at winning having grown up in what he has coined the Jamie Oliver generation. Because of Matthew's boasting during the previous parties, his guests have high expectations of him. His menu consists of basil wrapped tortelloni, mozzarella and tomato as a starter, grilled red mullet as the main course, and duo of tiramisu and experimental fruit soup as the desserts. He hopes his choice of wine impresses one of his guests. They all have a good laugh at Judi's expense about a past indiscretion before Matthew announces the winner of the £1,000.
Tue, Feb 10, 2009
Jane Bates is third on the list to host the dinner party. Being a celebrity idolizer, she is making it a Hollywood Oscar glam night, with a recommended dress code. The menu also has a Hollywood theme. It consists of Vinnie Jones Lock Stock and Smokin' Salmon as a starter, Johnny Depp Pirates' 'Planked' Steak as a main course, and Dean Martin Little Old Wine Jelly for dessert. The Oscar theme extends to the guests' arrival at Jane's house. Beyond the food, will Jane's guests be impressed by being treated like movie stars?
Wed, Feb 11, 2009
The five competitors discuss how well they have all gotten along so far, with the exception of one person who they feel is the outsider, who isn't aware of this perception. Shaida Shipping is the hostess for the evening. She has listed a surprise as an opening to the evening, that surprise which taps into one of her hobbies. The guests are nervous about what that surprise is. Shaida's menu consists of roly-poly meatloaf as a starter, lamb kichro as the main course, and pineapple cheesecake for dessert. Beyond the quality of the food itself, the guests are surprised that the menu doesn't seem to reflect what they would have expected from her. After the party, the guests remark most about the tone of the evening.
Thu, Feb 12, 2009
The four previous hosts reflect on their respective evenings. Shaida has come to the realization of her outsider status among the group. Chris Brady is the last of this fivesome to host. Much like Shaida, Chris has a surprise for his guests, but doesn't tell them that there even is a surprise until their arrival, which he keeps until the end as a cap to the evening. His menu starts with grilled haloumi with salsa. He has an Italian trio as the main course: lasagna, chicken and tomato tagliatelle, and tomato, basil and mozzarella towers. Summer fruit pudding ends the meal. Immediately following the surprise, Chris announces the winner of the £1,000.
Mon, Feb 16, 2009
The four guests from the previous evening assess their chances of winning based on first host Tony's performance. Bernice Saltzer is second on the list to host the dinner party. She is hoping to dazzle not only with her food but also her foot wear. Being a PR executive, she kiddingly threatens to mount smear campaigns against her guests if they mark her low. Her menu consists of pear and warm blue cheesecake as the starter, teriyaki salmon as the main course, and a duo of chocolate treats for dessert. During the meal, one diner is the target of the others, not for what is said but for what is not said. Beyond the food, Anthony and Roy dislike something else that Bernice hands over to them. At the end of the evening, Bernice is uncertain of how she will be scored.
Tue, Feb 17, 2009
Ashley Hughes is third on the list to host the dinner party. As she has been the most openly critical thus far, the others aren't sure how she herself will take criticism. Regardless, she hopes that she gets the excitement in preparing the night's meal as she does when the Sunderland football team scores a goal. The one thing she is not confident about is her choice of wines, as she is purely a beer drinker. Her menu consists of salmon and tarragon mousse as the starter, beef medallions with a Stilton crust (and sea bass for kosher Bernice) as the main course, and blackberry and lemon ice in brandy snap cups for dessert. In preparing her meal, she demonstrates by its overuse her favorite kitchen gadget, and on which items she spends little thought. Besides the food, she is overly meticulous about another aspect of the evening. By the end of the meal, the one thing her guests did notice was her constant need for approval.
Wed, Feb 18, 2009
Anthony Merton-Smith is the host for the evening. His guests are expecting great things from him as the "posh" one of the group, but as he has not divulged much information about himself during the week either, they also believe he could totally surprise them. He is confident about his chances of winning, especially after the first three meals. His menu consists of game terrine with chutney (fish terrine for kosher Bernice) as a starter, roast venison with black cherry sauce (seared tuna for Bernice) as the main course, and crêpes Suzette for dessert. His meal preparation does not start well and he hopes that mishap is not a sign of things to come. Three items hit the wow factor for the evening: a musical interlude by Anthony, a story by Ashley and dessert.