… this blogger gave to thee…
… a day Binging with Babish.
It's Christmas!
Hands up if you hear this in the voice of Noddy Holder... no? Just me and my sisters? If you raised you hand, thank you, you are one of us and can join the club, but only if you follow the one rule, that it's not officially Christmas until you hear the man himself screaming those immortal words. And accidentally finding the music video one YouTube, as was decided many moons ago, does not count!
I will admit, I watch too much YouTube. Mostly makeup tutorials, but there are craft, comedy, lifestyle and foodie ones scattered amongst them too. In all honesty, I could sit and watch makeup tutorial after makeup tutorial all day, but that would be frowned upon unless I was productively working whilst doing so. Right now however, for once, it’s come in useful. This is because I’m sitting here a few weeks from Christmas trying to work out posts for the 12 days, not knowing what to gift you as the first day, and all the while watching a forty-five minute long interview with the creator of some of my favourite videos to watch.
This creator is Andrew Rea and his channel is called Binging with Babish.
There are a few reasons before I even mention his content as to why I love this guy. Firstly, he’s obsessed with Frasier, which my family is currently binge watching on DVD and which I’m simultaneously cringing at because of its very out dated attitude towards, well, everything, I'm also laughing heartily at it because it’s still genuinely funny after all these years. This is just coincidental, but I approve of his television choices.
Secondly, his channel is named after White House Council Oliver Babish, played by Oliver Platt in the West Wing, which you should be aware by now because of my annual fan girl binge watching of the series (I’ve just finished it for the first time in two years!) that I love anything Aaron Sorkin.* The fact that this was the inspiration for his name has always tickled me, even if initially his Reddit handle, Oliver Babish, from which his name evolved, was chosen purely because of his liking for the more obscure characters in his favourite shows. It was arbitrarily chosen, Rea admits, which he then transferred onto his YouTube series, a series he didn’t believe would take off, then did, and now he’s now stuck with the name. Again, I’m glad he is as knowing the etymology of the name only makes me like it more.
Thirdly, is his voice. He has a great voice, which sounds like a slightly softer H. Jon Benjamin, who voices Sterling Archer on Archer and Bob Belcher from Bobs Burgers. His voice, is in my opinion essential to his appeal. Rea, prides himself in his expedited delivery of recipes. There’s no dilly dallying, no ten minutes intro where we learn the ins and outs of his daily life vlog style, no squealing or shouting as you find with so many other creators these days, and he intentionally hides his face from the camera to avoid such distractions. There’s nothings unnecessary, there is nothing forced, and with a brief clip from the show which is that weeks inspiration, and a whiskey in hand, he begins...
But what is his channel about? Binging with Babish is a food show based around recreating the weird, fantastical and down right disturbing culinary creations that television has to offer, something Rea has admitted to always being fascinated by. He has recreated Ross Gellers “Thanks Giving Moist Maker” (Friends), Carl Casper’s “Cubanos” (Chef), Buddy the Elf’s “Dessert Breakfast Pasta” (Elf), Chris Traeger and Ron Swanson’s “Burger Cookoff” (Parks and Recreation), Rick Sanchez’s much coveted “Sichuan Sauce” (Rick and Morty) and many, many more. Firstly, he recreates them, sometimes being stunned that their successful, sometimes literally being sickened by them, but then, wonderfully, he takes the times to make his own palatable version.
This seems an appropriate offering on a day where many of us are sitting down to a big dinner/lunch and a day of over indulgence, so, while your family slip into a food coma, I’ve put together a playlist of my favourite episodes (which will most likely be nearly all of them) for you to hopefully enjoy as much as I do.
Oh, and if you try anything on the playlist, may I recommend the Matilda Chocolate Cake, while I don’t use Rea’s exact recipe, I use one almost identical bar the frosting and size from Add a Pinch, and it is amazing! This, I will add, is coming from someone who doesn’t really like chocolate cake, never have done, but has now made I think three of them this year for various birthdays, including one at the start of this month. Don’t eat a big piece, you’ll feel sick, but oh my god, it’s good!
Anyway, I hope you're having a good Christmas Day and even if you're not celebrating, I hope you enjoy these posts. I'll put in the proviso that they may not always arrive promptly, I have a genuine reason for being somewhat unprepared this year, which is I hurt my back. Sounds like a cop out, how can a sore back stop you typing at your laptop? The honest answer is, I'm really sore at times, can't get comfortable and finding a position to sit for long periods with my laptop has been difficult. Frankly it's made the whole being prepared for Christmas harder, but we're here and I swore if I didn't post during the year, I would make sure to post the 12 days. So I'm doing it!
Keep your fingers crossed and go sleep off lunch.
* If Funko Pop ever bring out a West Wing collection I would have to catch them all like Pokémon! Though despite their cuteness, that is a franchise which passed me by completely. If this happens, they will be mine, oh yes, they will be mine!
Merry Christmas! Part two tomorrow…
Link || Binging with Babish YouTube | Website | Twitter | Instagram
Link || Binging with Babish (Interview) on being a psycho hobbyist and nearly torching his apartment by Ash Tulett (YouTube)
Link || Best Chocolate Cake {Ever} from Add a Pinch
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Listening: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - She & Him
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