The American Baking Competition and The Talk #TweetTheTalk

We are so ready for The American Baking Competition to air tomorrow on CBS!!!

Jeff Foxworthy will host the new summer reality series THE AMERICAN BAKING COMPETITION. The competition series is based on the format of the hit UK show “The Great British Bake Off” premieres Wednesday, May 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.  Paul Hollywood, the star UK baker and current judge of the British series, and accomplished chef Marcela Valladolid will serve as the series’ judges.THE AMERICAN BAKING COMPETITION will feature skilled amateurs competing in baking challenges with one ultimately being crowned the winner.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2013 I and other bloggers were invited to The Talk, I wished Ari could have attended, but we had not started our food blog so this post will be coming from my experience. We had lunch and a roundtable discussion with Jeff Foxworthy and Marcela Valladolid about their upcoming show The American Baking Competition.

During our round table discussion I was so moved by the warmth Jeff Foxworthy expressed about the show.  He spoke with so much passion.  Although he is known for being one of this country's most successful comedians, he did have a few jokes, but on this day, I saw a different side than the one I have seen on television.  He has not been a cook himself, but after hosting The American Baking Competition the show has allowed him to be creative with cooking and baking.  He appreciates the art form of it.  In true Foxworthy form, like I said he made us laugh.  I will never forget this one story he shared and will never look at Karo Syrup without thinking of him.  He told us how he loved his grandmother's pecan pie.  She would never share the recipe and when she passed away, he thought no one had the recipe.  After she passed away he had eaten pecan pie, but none that tasted like his grandmother's, but one day he went somewhere and was served pecan pie and he just knew it tasted like his grandmother's pie.  He told the person that made it and asked for the recipe and the person looked at him and said, the recipe is on the Karo Syrup bottle.  Now I will always be reminded of this story.

I was pleased to meet Marcella Valldolid as well.  Before she and Jeff came to the room we were looking for her Strawberry Meringue Cake.  Ok...we did not get to try it, but I am able to share the recipe.

If you are like us and love to try new recipes, The American Baking Competition will share the recipes after every episode. 

While listening to Foxworthy and Valladolid speak of the cooks with such passion, I had a great since of what to expect from the show.  They expressed that the cooks willingly helped one another.  Everyone was very positive and they accepted constructive criticism.  Valladolid said, she made she sure she found something in everyone's recipe even if it was not the best.

When asked how did she keep her weight off while filming she said, that she did not eat a lot of the food, because they were only given small portions and to be fair to your palate you cannot eat a lot so you can be able to really see how the food tastes.

Both Foxworthy and Valladolid were able to speak about each cook without hesitation.  They really knew these people and their style of cooking.  Jeff Foxworthy spoke of each person with much enthusiasm.  I could tell this was something exciting for him.  Since our lunch I have been telling people about the show.

 Marcilla Valladolid is an accomplished chef who specializes in the artistry of traditional Mexican Cuisine.  Valladolid's passion for the culinary world began at her aunt's cooking school in, Baja Mexico. After attending the Los Angeles Culinary Institute, she then studied at the Ritz Escoffier Cooking School in Paris to become a trained as a classical French pastry chef.  She successfully translated her culinary knowledge and passion to the small screen as the host Discovery en  Espanol's Relatos con Sabor." before hosting own Food Network series, "Mexican Made Easy," which premiered in 2012. 

Many people know Jeff Foxworthy as a best selling author of more than 26 humorous books that range from children's works to how-to guides.  He is an accomplished host/actor/producer whose unique comedic talents have grace a diverse array of TV projects, including "Foxworthy's Big Night Out,"  Blue Collar TV, "Are You Smarter Than a 5Th Grader and "The American Bible Challenge"  He also has an upcoming animated show "Bounty Hunters."

After visiting The Talk and listening to Jeff Foxworthy and Marcella Vallodolid speak of this new hit show, I was inspired to bake this weekend.  Well actually I was inspired, but decided to ask Ari to bake on her own and she did an amazing job!  My son said, "It smells like Christmas!"  That was a great compliment, but sad that he associates baking with the holidays.  That is a sign that we need to bake more.