The cheerful chef

Bianca Janssen

Bianca Janssen presents "Verstip"; fresh ingredients, surprising preparations and some cooking secrets are the formula for this show. After the program, even the biggest bungler can plunge into the kitchen and start cooking. In only a couple of minutes Bianca shows you how to create a surprising fishmeal, carrot cake or an Asian salad with only a few ingredients.

Even though the program is really short (approximately two and a half minutes), she manages to leave her stamp on it. With her lilting accent and cheerful appearance she succeeds to makes a happy picture of the show. Although I find it all very enjoyable, I can imagine that some people are put off by her accent and the way she badly uses the emphasis on most of the words. Nonetheless, all in all I can say that the strength of this show lies in its simplicity and Bianca’s extremely joyful presentation. Thus, I guess who, after about one hundred re-runs, still doesn’t know how to make a carrot cake is doomed to ordering takeaway food... or simply watch the video again below and keep on trying!

Italian Authenticity

Giovanni Caminita

Giovanni Caminita, probably the most humorous chef on 24kitchen, is starring in this week’s blog. He can be seen in the program "Grenzeloos Koken", which takes you on a journey and shows you different culinary recipes from all over the world. In order to see Giovanni at work we will have to stop in Italy since this is his home country.



Despite of him speaking deficiently Dutch, he is the perfect host: with his humour, self-mockery but especially his passion for, and knowledge of Italian food he definitely keeps me glued to the tube. As goes for the cooking, Giovanni keeps it plain and simple which is right up my alley. Although his dishes are easy to make, with the use of basil, mozzarella and tomatoes they are a real slice of Italian authenticity. All in all I can say that thanks to his humour and authenticity, Giovanni Caminita has made it to my list of favourite chefs on 24kitchen. I would like to conclude this blog with Giovanni’s life motto: “Enjoy your day and your meal, even when your partner’s pasta is not al dente!”

High-level cooking

Angelique Schmeinck in CulinAir

Angelique Schmeinck is not only known for her high-level dishes on 24kitchen. She also literally creates star meals on high altitude, for she is the inventor of CulinAir where she cooks and serves top quality meals on a hot air balloon. However, on 24kitchen we can only watch Angelique in "The Taste of Cooking"; here she creates surprising dishes with some very exclusive ingredients. Although, you can see that she cooks and tells about it with passion, Angelique’s show is just not my cup of tea. 

First of all, I believe the program presents some very complicated recipes which are meant for already experienced chefs (something I am clearly not). Secondly, probably since I can’t relate to the unique ingredients, when I do watch the show I often get distracted by Angelique. I notice her nervously moving her fingers about, and excessively touching every ingredient. For these reasons I can relate more to Rudolph van Veen’s programs which are more accessible and focused on creating easy but tasty meals. I do believe that more experienced chefs can enjoy and get excited by the exclusive dishes Angelique Schmeinck creates. Nonetheless, the less experienced viewers will be forced to just watch and imagine how those high-class recipes would taste.



The contribution of a multi-talent

Rudolph's Bakery

This week’s blog will describe Rudolph van Veen’s input in my addiction to 24kitchen. Rudolph is 24kitchen’s figure head and is fairly flexible and that’s what I like about him. As he's taking the lead in multiple programs, he provides me with the most diverse recipes. In "The Taste of Life Basics", Rudolph shows us a whole new look at Holland’s home grown products. Whereas in "The Taste of Life Travel", he shows us that not only familiar products are tasty, but also that food from far away can be delicious. Besides cooking he has another talent which he shows us in "Rudolph’s Bakery". Here he displays his knowledge and passion for baking, as he creates the most delicious sweet and savoury dishes from the oven, which make my mouth water.

"De Makkelijke Maaltijd" is one of my favourite programs (being a kitchen-newbie), as Rudolph demonstrates how to cook a surprising and easy meal in just half an hour. A small downside for me is that he sets great store by making healthy food, which makes me feel he could use an extra pinch of salt now and then. Nevertheless, I believe the always cheerful Rudolph van Veen is a real asset to the channel as he makes it a ‘festive’ experience!