Great read! I thought you might appreciate this - I had a framed photo of me with Rick Stein from an event where I cooked for him. It took pride of place in my kitchen for years in a houseshare and it was only when I moved out that I realised my housemate thought it was me and my dad 😆
What a really wonderful piece. So very touching and so spot on about Rick who I've known since the very beginning. I actually burst into tears at the end. Very best wishes to John and family. Lindsey Bareham
Wow, what an ending, that made me feel everything. I also feel very comforted by Rick Stein even though I too am a lefty-30 something (or indeed just turned 40-something). I often think about how he was part of a gentle sort of food broadcasting, along with the likes of Delia, two fat ladies. Slow TV - very different from what came after. Perhaps that's part of the comfort.
A wonderful piece of writing. I too have been baffled as to why I have happily clicked on a Rick Stein programme. Or indeed cooked from his ‘Asian’ cookbook which as you rightly note, is a mixture of puppyish enthusiasm, ripped off recipes, Orientalism and a romp through colonial tropes. But the Sri Lankan cashew curry recipe is the one I cook from (apologies Rambutan cookbook…!)
Lovely piece John. Articulates so much about Stein that I couldn’t put my finger on. I always dwell on his programmes when channel surfing despite all the cringe-inducing anachronisms. Always feel like I might learn something new about authentic global recipes (despite his critiques) or just cooking generally from him, unlike so many other cooking shows.
Absolutely wonderful stuff, John. Thanks for sharing that final bit, too. Didn't expect to be welling up when clicking into an essay about the big man (whose name I cannot read without hearing that "that's a mighty fine curry, Ricky" refrain from the credits to his India series). Top work.
What a beautiful and moving piece. Rick's anti-charm - as you perfectly put it - has always been bemusingly appealing to me too. There is something so sincere about his encounters with other cooks and a pureness to his passion that forgives a thousand blunders. Sincerity is underrated! Thank you for writing it!
Infuriating?! Rick?? I don't think so. I love his laid-back, anti-celeb style. After all it's a nonsense isn't it, the Celebrity Chef syndrome? They are just rude mechanicals, as Shakespeare would have phrased it. It'll be Celebrity Window Cleaners next. (Must drop Channel 5 an email with that idea...)
This is so well observed and so true. We often say ‘that’s a mighty, fine curry Ricky!’ The programmes are a fascinating travelogue, he’s a man of his time. His love of food and travel wins out in the end.
I’m sorry to hear about your father, visiting in those circumstances are hard. Condolences and hopefully you can ‘remember him back to you,’ in happier times.
Loved reading this esp as my sister and I have a lot of funny back and forths about Rick Stein (she an ardent fan and me, on that rickety fence). Very moving with a gut punch at the end I wasn’t expecting.. 💕
Great article. I never warmed to Rick myself, his anti-charisma (as you note) always left me cold. But reading this article I really start to see some parallels with the men in my life too. Thank you.
This me laugh at the beginning… and tear up at the end. Please write more like this. It was a perfect blend of food, understanding and comfort.
Great read! I thought you might appreciate this - I had a framed photo of me with Rick Stein from an event where I cooked for him. It took pride of place in my kitchen for years in a houseshare and it was only when I moved out that I realised my housemate thought it was me and my dad 😆
What a really wonderful piece. So very touching and so spot on about Rick who I've known since the very beginning. I actually burst into tears at the end. Very best wishes to John and family. Lindsey Bareham
Wow, what an ending, that made me feel everything. I also feel very comforted by Rick Stein even though I too am a lefty-30 something (or indeed just turned 40-something). I often think about how he was part of a gentle sort of food broadcasting, along with the likes of Delia, two fat ladies. Slow TV - very different from what came after. Perhaps that's part of the comfort.
A wonderful piece of writing. I too have been baffled as to why I have happily clicked on a Rick Stein programme. Or indeed cooked from his ‘Asian’ cookbook which as you rightly note, is a mixture of puppyish enthusiasm, ripped off recipes, Orientalism and a romp through colonial tropes. But the Sri Lankan cashew curry recipe is the one I cook from (apologies Rambutan cookbook…!)
Lovely piece John. Articulates so much about Stein that I couldn’t put my finger on. I always dwell on his programmes when channel surfing despite all the cringe-inducing anachronisms. Always feel like I might learn something new about authentic global recipes (despite his critiques) or just cooking generally from him, unlike so many other cooking shows.
Absolutely wonderful stuff, John. Thanks for sharing that final bit, too. Didn't expect to be welling up when clicking into an essay about the big man (whose name I cannot read without hearing that "that's a mighty fine curry, Ricky" refrain from the credits to his India series). Top work.
Thank you – and you have no idea how often i say that refrain to myself!
Wow, what a wonderful piece. You capture the essence of Rick very well!!
What a beautiful and moving piece. Rick's anti-charm - as you perfectly put it - has always been bemusingly appealing to me too. There is something so sincere about his encounters with other cooks and a pureness to his passion that forgives a thousand blunders. Sincerity is underrated! Thank you for writing it!
Loved this!
So noir. So Berlin.
Infuriating?! Rick?? I don't think so. I love his laid-back, anti-celeb style. After all it's a nonsense isn't it, the Celebrity Chef syndrome? They are just rude mechanicals, as Shakespeare would have phrased it. It'll be Celebrity Window Cleaners next. (Must drop Channel 5 an email with that idea...)
This is so well observed and so true. We often say ‘that’s a mighty, fine curry Ricky!’ The programmes are a fascinating travelogue, he’s a man of his time. His love of food and travel wins out in the end.
I’m sorry to hear about your father, visiting in those circumstances are hard. Condolences and hopefully you can ‘remember him back to you,’ in happier times.
This is a wonderful read. X
Loved reading this esp as my sister and I have a lot of funny back and forths about Rick Stein (she an ardent fan and me, on that rickety fence). Very moving with a gut punch at the end I wasn’t expecting.. 💕
Great article. I never warmed to Rick myself, his anti-charisma (as you note) always left me cold. But reading this article I really start to see some parallels with the men in my life too. Thank you.