I finally got a little quality time with the Cooking Channel so I am attempting to review several of the shows I have not seen. This time around Spice Goddess.
The first thing that jumps out at me watching Bal Arneson is just how hard to understand I find her. It’s her accent I believe. She routinely puts the emphasis on the wrong syllable and it is distracting. I’ve not had problems with Indian accents on other cooking shows so I am guessing that it is something unique to her or the village she grew up in. She does has a very warm smile that makes you receptive to her entering your home. As a writer, Arneson is the author of the nationally bestselling cookbook, Everyday Indian (available at amazon.com) as well as being the National Post-The Appetizer’s West Coast culinary correspondent.
The production quality on Spice Goddess is hit or miss. The cinematography is nice but a little poorly lit at times. The editing on the other hand leaves something to be desired. Some transitions are too abrupt giving the show a slightly amateurish feel. The style is consistent with what I have seen from a lot of BBC cooking shows which tend to have great images of ladies suckling strawberries and vegetables sizzling in a pan but also have very choppy editing.
My main issue with Spice Goddess is the title which implies a show where the host introduces the viewer to spices from all over the world and from varying cuisines. Surely Indian cuisine is famous for it’s use of spices but there are lots of other cultures just as renowned for their use. The show’s name is inconsistent with its culinary point of view; it’s misleading. This is a show strictly about Indian cuisine and I do enjoy how Arneson applies Indian flavors to non-Indian ingredients like salmon and sweet potatoes. I am anxious to see how it stacks up against the Cooking Channel’s other Indian themed show, Indian Food Made Easy with Anjum Anand. Spice Goddess is definitely worth a watch.
I do wonder, with two Indian cuisine shows on the Cooking Channel and possibly another resulting from NFNS 6 on the Food Network, is Bob Tuschman going overboard with a cuisine that most Americans still find unappealing? Only time will tell.
Tags: Anjum Anand, Arneson, bal, Bal Arneson, Bob Tuschman, cooking channel reviews, Everyday Indian, food network, Indian Food Made Easy, National Post, nfns 6, review, Spice Goddess, the cooking channel
August 5th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
I definitely understand that her accent is thick. It does not mean she stresses on the "wrong syllable" it merely shows she's got an "accent." If you were right , Americans and Europeans would have a never ending fight on whose accent was "correct" because both stress on different syllables with different words. If you want people to believe your critique you must remain professional in how you word your sentences. I agree with your statement regarding the title' Spice Goddess'. However I think she is much better at presentation and the instructions to make a dish where Anjum Anand seems not to mention measurements many a times that you wonder, is the viewer suppose to guess them while they watch the show. And Anjum can be arrogant at times which is a turnoff. Bal Arneson in contrast is very pleasant and inviting making you want to try out her dishes. Who cares about perfect video editing except in movies. Its a cooking show…get your instructions and plate presentation right.
August 5th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
The reality is that if VP of Programming and Production Bob Tuschman thought much of either of the Indian themed shows on the Cooking Channel they wouldn't be on the Cooking Channel. They'd be on Food Network. He has long wanted to have an Indian show on the big network and it is likely that he will get that from the Next Food Network Star as Aariti Sequeira is the front runner.
On the issue of whether or not Bal Arneson puts her accents on the wrong syllables is not a question of different dialects of the same language. If it were simply a case of linguistics you would be correct about the interpretation of where the accent belongs. However, "Spice Goddess" is a product they are trying to sell to an American audience so the only dialect of English that counts is the American dialect.
"England and America are two countries separated by a common language."
George Bernard Shaw
August 22nd, 2010 at 7:34 pm
I can fully understand Bal Arneson and her accent and think she and her show are fabulous. I would never have noticed about the editing or the other technical aspects of making a cooking show–who cares?!* As a devotee of Indian cuisine, Bal makes it seem extremely easy to make. I have made one recipe and it was excellent and will make many more. Anjum's show is totally different which less emphasis on the recipes but more on the experience of working with people and making the food. Aarti was my choice to win the NFNS. She is an excellent addition to their lineup of shows and I can't wait for more episodes.