I have a fascination with cooking videos and online recipe tutorials. I guess, a person can say that it’s easier to watch someone cook than doing the cooking myself.
Gourmet Makes has become a comfort show for me and I look forward to each episode that comes out.
Gourmet Makes is a series hosted by Claire Saffitz, where she tries to recreate all types of junk food classics, including Twinkies! Each episode is a new treat and is filled with the highs and lows of food creation.
Before COVID-19 shook the world and forced us to adapt to a new way of life, the episodes took place in the “BA Test Kitchen” in Manhattan, New York (this is where all the best movies take place).
These are some of my favourite episodes.
- “Pastry Attempting To Make A Gourmet Twinkie”
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I loved how fun this episode was. The Twinkie is a staple in so many people’s childhood in North America and for her to try to re-create this cheap classic into something more gourmet was very entertaining.
One of the most beloved aspects of the show is listening to Claire describe the ingredients in each item she holds. For me, it is a reminder of how processed and unhealthy some of our favourite snacks can be. For someone who works with food every day to struggle to say some of these ingredients, shows the types of food we should not be consuming.
In this episode, it’s also comical watching Claire run around the kitchen because she forgot to do things like preheating the oven.
Hearing her describe the steps and why she does it is interesting to me. Claire mentions that she doesn’t use any chemical risers like baking soda or baking powder but instead she uses eggs that made the Twinkies have air in them. This would then result in having her Twinkies be fluffy as well.
- “Pastry Chef Attempting To Make Gourmet Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups”
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Peanut butter cups have always been one of my favourite chocolate treats to consume. Claire herself regularly eats them as an adult and really enjoys them frozen. If ever at any time you were interested in watching somebody use a blow torch, this is the episode for you.
Claire takes the viewers on a journey with the ins and outs of what it takes to make a peanut butter cup. I really enjoy the chefs describing the flavours of what they’re eating, such as Claire talking about the sweetness of the chocolate.
Part of the episode also includes Claire, and other chefs, explaining the steps for certain recipes but also why they do it. When the concept of tempered chocolate was brought up (because she’s trying to figure out whether or not she needs to do it for this recipe) she also defines what it is.
The audience then learns that tempered chocolate is something that is heated and then cooled so that if you break the chocolate it still looks nice and shiny. It provides a better and overall cleaner look.
- “Pastry Chef Attempting to Make Gourmet Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream”
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This episode was probably one of the first ones that I ever watched by Bon Appétit and their chefs. I love and consume (probably too much) ice cream and brand-wise, Ben & Jerry’s is probably at the top of my list.
One of the most entertaining things about this Gourmet Makes series is Claire’s interaction with her other castmates. She invites many of them to try the original item that she plans on re-creating, help her throughout the process, and at times incorporate their personalities and preferences into her final creations.
In this episode, she asks some of the other chefs in the kitchen what their favourite flavours are and she made ice cream based on that. This also includes having creative packaging and names for each ice cream, like “Half Sour Saffitz”. This one was named after Clair herself and is a reference to another video she did with Brad Leone, who is another chef.
These were just some of my favourite episodes that I think you would really enjoy! I also encourage watching the other series that the channel offers, they’re great too!