Recipe to Riches - 3rd Generation Cooking Show

Hi Y'all

I am planning a series of blogs on cooking shows.  They have been such a force on television in the past twenty years that I think it's about time we explored more fully what they are telling us about our everyday life.  Hands up those of you who have bought a product you will probably never use because it looked good on a cooking show.  All I can say is truffle oil -- I have a small bottle in my pantry and one day I will open it. 

For those addicted to cooking shows, there's a new style of show on telly in Australia: Recipe to Riches.

While it's new to Australia it is not a new format - the show had its Canadian premier a couple of years ago.  Unfortunately, I have been unable to track down any videos of full episodes only glimpses.  And it looks pretty much the same.  What I have been able to see is the USA equivalent Supermarket Superstar. 

But first back to the format that is Recipe to Riches - it is not quite a cooking show and not quite a reality get rich quick show. It is, in essence, a third generation cooking show.  Now for a little (apologies - I will be writing a longer piece in the near future) cooking show history. 

Generation 1

Believe it or not they had cooking shows on radio in the 1940s and 1950s - this seems tres weird to me.  Obviously I am of a totally visual generation so I cannot imagine how it was done but then I discovered there are STILL radio cooking shows...well see my souffle fall!  What a whole network devoted to cooking radio segments -- yep go here and here and here. Read this interesting New York Times article. Hey Wikipedia - update your entry, "cooking shows" are not JUST a television genre. 

In the 1950s of course we have the blossoming of radio television shows and naturally cooking was part of their programming--why you ask?  To assist the telly-addicted housewife, manufacturers even put televisions in stoves!

As you can imagine, these shows were screened largely during the daytime and tended to favour the didactic.  And one of the stars Dione Lucas even came out to Australia - heard a  great paper on her by Jill Adams. 

By the mid-1950s television shows were making fun of cooking shows and they became a staple of the comedy show (The Honeyooners and "The Happy Household" in The Flinstones. ).  So this introduces the second generation of cooking shows.  The competitions cooking show.

You know the type - where brand X sponsors a bakeoff using their product and the best recipe wins.  Well I haven't actually seen one but The Flintstones has a great episode.

In summary, the first generation offered daytime shows in which women cooked in kitchens and occasionally there were competitions.  

Generation 2

In the 1993 the USA introduced the Food Network and "celebrity" chefs were apparently naked (Jamie Oliver) and rude (Gordon Ramsay) and Japanese (Iron Chef).  The Iron Chef has a lot to answer for
because it really turned cooking into a competition - but while it was the quirkiest - British Masterchef had been going since 1990.  So the second generation cooking shows melded instruction with competition, and provided sexy (ish) guys for women to look at in prime time.  The kitchen was no longer the domain of women it was a STADIUM for battle.

The reward for these competitive shows - and  there are so many I  think it's a waste of time to list them in case I forget your favourite - varies.  Some offer money, some a book deal (Master Chef), some simply for honour (Iron Chef)--the prizes can combine and change from season to season..  We have seen professional chefs, celebrity chefs, couples, amateurs, and children strap on aprons and cut themselves in the quest for cooking perfection. 

Generation 3

I contend that Recipes to Riches takes the cooking show one step further.  Now we have a show that combines people cooking their favourite recipes in the hope they will see them on the supermarket shelf. So while cooking is part of the deal, the ultimate prize doesn't go to the best product but the most saleable product. 

The Show Deconstructed
Recipe to Riches opens with an ariel view of a typical Aussie suburb, above the houses are thought bubbles (without the bubbles) that tell us what the occupant is cooking.  Cut to a shot of a street scene with  similar texts.  These two shots meld the home/kitchen to the person in the street and thus retains a sense of community at large. The subtext is that viewers can not only can  make a product like this but also they are part of the food chain ie at the buying end.

The Pitch.  Viewers then witness several hopefuls present their products to the panel of judges -- clearly they are in some type of convention/exhibition hall - the crowd cheers as the 'winner'  is given a Willy Wonka type golden ticket.  Again the sense that these people are part of a cooking community and it's a pretty darned friendly one. The judges often hug and complement the contestants.   It's all rather jolly and encouraging -- it's the sort of audition anyone would go to because it seems not un-intimidating.  (In this way this version is very similar to its Canadian forebears).

Cooking.  The three hopefuls then have to produce commercial - well large - quantities of their products in a commercial kitchen.  They are aided by a team of kitchen hands (I presume because they cut/peel/mash and stir and that's about it) but pretty much the contestants on their own recipewise.  Unless they get into trouble then the judge/chef steps in and helps them with their maths or the cooking equipment or whatever is needed.  At the end of this - after some suitable tv drama - only two are selected to go to the next phase.  This section demonstrates the step from kitchen to professional.  Presumably it isn't REALLY necessary as there are professionals who could do this - so I presume that ti's done for drama -- ie will the product cook in time - and to remind us that this is a part cooking show. 

Branding.  Two remain--they meet with the advertising/branding/packaging crew and produce something that both sells their products and presents them in an appealing way. They might even be required to do a mini street survey asking people about the title or logo or something about their product so they can fine tune it. While this again is usually handled by professionals and probably creators have some (but limited) input, this section highlights something cooking show viewers have largely not known - the branding and marketing concepts of cooking.  So you've got a great recipe, big deal...how do you SELL that product to a public who probably doesn't care.  It exposes the backside of the industry in much the same way Idol exposes the creation of a recording (notice I didn't type singing) artist.

Taste Test.  Off to the streets to take the products to the general public.  Various events give the contestants a venue to present their product to the public to taste.  Comment forms are handed out.  But wait - there's more - profession taste testers or a survey group are also involved to get some anonymous feedback. 

Decision Time.  Finally the two contestants meet with the panel of judges - to which a new element is added - the buyer from the supermarket chain.  The judges sit and discuss the product, the feedback, and the contestants and make a decision.  With much fanfare the winner is announced.

Epilogue.  The product is then made a available the following day on the supermarket shelves throughout Australia.   Shots of people buying the product are then played at the beginning of the next episode.  So it really is telly on the go.

In essence, the Australian show is warm and friendly.  The people seem real, they are all ages and all types - they have tattoos and genuinely seem to care about their competitors.   The judges are warm and approachable and often hug the contestants--they too wear comfortable and colourful clothing-  I don't think I've seen anyone in a tie or in a corporate suit.  They sit around a table seem to be in a coffee shop rather than in a boardroom. 

Personal disclosure: I have bough each of the products so far and intend to keep doing as as I'm a great believer in supporting Australian made.  I have found them tucked away and not as prominent as I thought they might be!

The American Version

Supermarket Superstar is a radically different television show.While following the same basic format - it's the tenor and the setting of the show that demonstrates you are definitely in Kansas Dorothy.  To see the television shows advertisement see this promo  - USA 

First the similarities:

• there is a panel of judges,
• there are three contestants,
• there are three parts to the decision process and
• the winner's products will win an amount of money and 
• will be on supermarket shelves.  
• they have the same "food" episodes but with slightly different titles

Now the differences

• the whole show seems to be set in one building
• the contestants 'confessionals' tend to be rude
• the taste test  is done by a small group of people
• the final decision is done in a boardroom 
• they "sell" the product to the panel in over-glowing terms (twice both tot he judges and then again to the supermarket head honcho) in the first segment (The Pitch)
• the supermarket honcho- stands above them in a class boardroom and seems to watch them from above -- he has this rather godlike quality and is not a cheery chappy -- tbh he reminds me of a rather pompous minister (religious or otherwise)
• more drama in the kitchen (see the opening segment where the chef - throws a peach against the wall - link above)
• in the kitchen they have to consider price, nutrition and other factors - this is the part I like and miss from the Aussie show - purpose - it's quite high tech and that kinda goes against the Aussie understated version of the show
• they don't do a product launch or test on the general public -- do they think they can market and brand anything or that the population is so large that their product will find a niche? 
• they don't offer the product for sale -  this is where I think the Aussie show is GENIUS. While it's blatantly cross promotional, it does promote local people and local products.

How they are different

Australia	USA
title – money	title - fame
casual	corporate
colourful	dull
community	isolation
product	person
individual	corporation

Basically, the American show is much more dramatic - it is very closeted, all of the action appears to happen in one day in one building.  The contestants sneer at each other and think their product and they are better than the others.  They are not backward in praising themselves or their product.  The competition is everything and overall the show seems 'fake' to me. 


Recipe to Riches demonstrates how a simple television show exposes the differences in cultures...as the franchise extends it will be interesting to see other versions.


In summary Recipes to Riches offers an extended version of the cooking show - one that reflects contemporary society - no longer are cooking shows teaching people how or what to cook, they are teaching how to profit from cooking.  

I predict the next version will be shows that reflect the economic down turn and will offer advice how to save money when cooking - as an antidote to the expensive products that have been lavishly used - ie Iron Chef.

So until next time...

Toni.

PS I need to include some references and some sources...but I rushed this a little for my radio show today...