Recipe to Riches reviewed: Episode 1, Luscious Lemon Pudding Cakes
Last night was the premiere of Recipe to Riches, the much-hyped new Food Network Canada show where each week, a trio of home cooks compete in one of eight different categories to determine whose recipe would make the best President’s Choice product. (No, really.) The show was one pinch of So You Think You Can Dance’s nationwide talent search, a dollop Top Chef’s cook offs and product placement and a heap of Dragon’s Den’s Marketing 101, all whirred in a blender. To be honest, it can sometimes make for a strange mix—the Top Chef–style solemnity that greets each elimination seems a little out place when the contestants change every episode. Each winning product will show up on Loblaws shelves the weekend after the episode airs, and at the end, viewers will vote to crown the winner of a $250,000 grand prize. Every week, we’ll be bringing an advance sample of the winning dish into our office to see whether it’s worth the trip to the grocery store. After the jump, our thoughts on the winner of the Sweet Puddings and Pies challenge.
Mini-Recap
The winner this week was Glo McNeill from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, a tough yet charming 81-year-old granny who arrived with her “luscious lemon pudding,” so-called because it symbolizes the return of “luscious lemons” after the deprivations she faced in World War II–era England. Next to that story, Mijune Pak, a high-heeled food blogger from Surrey, British Columbia, didn’t stand a chance with her “Canadian pie,” a multi-culti mishmash in a jar. Pak was eliminated in the “batch-up” challenge, in which the competitors are asked to make 200 portions of their home recipes with the help of a trio of “product development mentors.” Gatineau’s Brad Gash came closer with his down-home, maple cream–laden pouding chômeur (which he billed as the next poutine), but was edged out in the product development challenge, which involved coming up with a name and marketing plan and putting on a big public tasting event for hungry-looking Ryerson students (who, to be honest, looked like they’d devour whatever was put in front of them). Not-so-secret guest judge Galen Weston Jr. came on at the end of the episode to announce the winner. The requisite tears and embraces followed.
Tasting
In what we’re sure will be a running theme in the series, it was a little hard to square the four frozen miracles of modern food science we received with the six-ingredient homemade dessert on the show. Each 330-calorie pudding cake came individually wrapped in a little plastic tub, which can be baked in a microwave or an oven. The office consensus? A solid “meh.” One staffer called the dish “inoffensive,” while another quipped, “I kind of wanted it to have a filling.” There was broad agreement that it was very, very sweet, and that the tartness of the lemons was missing. Visually, the goopy sauce and spongy cake that emerged from the microwave left something to be desired (one smart aleck described it as “something HR Giger would have designed for Betty Crocker”). We must admit that when we brought one of the pudding cakes home to bake in the oven, the flavour and texture of the cake improved tremendously. And it was nice to see every ingredient on the packaging was more or less recognizably “real food.” The verdict: if you’re gonna buy it, bake it. Check out some photos of our tasting in the gallery.
Next week on Recipe to Riches: Fall River, Nova Scotia’s Jacqui Keseluk, Calgary’s Melissa Lam and Kentville, Nova Scotia’s Crystal Peach compete in the cake challenge.
(Images: Glo McNeill and Luscious Lemon Pudding, Food Network Canada; tasting photos, Andrew D’Cruz)
Well, when they put Top Chef Canada on the air I thought to myself “this has to be the worst piece of crap on TV”. I guess they have proven me wrong.
I loved the show. Should be more shows like this one.
I purchased this product today and although it wasnt’ too bad the cake has a terrible texture kind of sandy. Used to be able to buy a product called puddy cake in a box and all you did was add hot water and bake. It was much better than this product. Don’t think I will buy it again. I think the pudding chomeur would’ve been a better choice. My mom used to whip one up for dessert all the time and we ate it warm. Was very yummy.
So…..perhaps Food Network should change it’s name to the “housewife” channel.
Anyone who cooks this product in the microwave & then comments on it should be ashamed of themselves – microwaves are for convenience, NOT quality. Glo’s original was baked in the oven, and this should be too (if you’re going to make a comparison).
While I think the marketing on this show was sloppy at best (why wasn’t Galen Weston Jr. in Lunenburg yesterday with Glo to launch the recipe??), the premise of the show is awesome.
I LOVE desserts – I am not a fan of lemons – but Glo’s Luscious Lemon Pudding is nothing short of AMAZING!!
I agree its lunacy to attempt to properly review any cake dessert that has been made in the microwave. We tried Glo’s pudding cakes today (still licking the lemony yummy pudding from my lips!) and it was fantastic! Good job Glo! I was rooting for you. I thought the cake had an amazing texture when baked in the oven, browned and slightly crispy on the top and then pillowy soft and light as air underneath, but still lovely and moist and not overly sweet. The pudding part was a wonderful lemon curd with just the right amount of tart and none of that day-glo fake yellow colour that most lemon desserts seem to have…tasted homemade. I would serve it to guests in a heartbeat!
p.s. Hubby liked it too, and he is no fan of lemon desserts.
i think the show is awsomw as i watch as i type, i really thin G lo has wut it takes,,,,and deserves it,,,, to win .
My husband and I love the food network. We watch this show saw the product in the store and had to try it tonight. Definatly a tasty treat. Loved the textures. Great combination. Like a lemon meringue pie but with the convenience. I would have loved to have been able to try the maple chomeur though.
I watched my first and only episode of this show. 1) There is no ethnicity in this show. Everyone is white. This is why a lot of Canadian Shows don’t work. The shows are not urban enough. They don’t cater to non whites. 2) Jesse probably did better has a football player than a host. Why is he always talking with his head bent downwards? He also has no spunk. They need to get rid of him. 3) The music played within the show made the show kind’ve dull. 4) Galen Westen needs a haircut and dresses better in his commercials. 5) If I see this dessert in the store I will definitly buy it to try it, but I guess it’s the only one I will ever try since I don’t plan on watching the show again :(
Watched the show, bought the cakes because I thought it was great that someone over the age of 45 was actually allowed to compete in a contest like this. A fellow customer was buying them for the same reason which makes me wonder how many people did the same thing: bought it because of Glo. For an 82 year old, she’s got a lot of life in her!
As for the product, I too found them a bit sweet but found myself craving one the next morning.
One other thing, i preferred the design of the box featured on the show over the box that the product came in which I thought was kind of ugly.
I watched the last half of the TV show and really enjoyed it. Normally when we watch these food shows we can never try the food that they are making. I loved the fact that I could go to the store the next day and buy the product that won. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed the lemon pudding cake and went back to the store to purchase a few more while they were still available. I am looking forward to watching again this week.
Well, I watched the show last night and then went out today and bought the pudding cake so we could do a taste test. (I have a fantastic pudding cake recipe from my mom.) We baked the four portions and then gobbled them up. My family’s verdict? Pretty good….
Lily: “I want this as my wedding cake. No wait – I also want it every year as my birthday cake.”(doesn’t say much for my baking skills). And this gem: “you know what they could do? They could add a second layer to make a two layered pudding cake.”
Gus: “AWESOME! but the portions are way too small”.
So I guess it was a hit. Congratulations Glo!
Tried the dessert. It’s okay for a freezer product. The box is hideous. Btw, it’s not “made in a microwave” as one person above mentioned. It’s all baked, you can eat it frozen if you like. How you heat it is up to you. The cake is odd, but has good flavour. This is lemon curd with genoise on top, it’s super easy to make from scratch. And four little portions for 7 bucks, it’s kind of a rip off. There’s better, less expensive desserts out there, but I guess it’s fun participating in this grand marketing scheme.
I watched the show – didn’t buy the cake (I don’t think it was in Montreal or Quebec stores) but knowing a bit about marketing – the clincher to the deal was probably both were equally good but a marketer looks at the face of Glo and says it’s her on the box! Glo luckily has the face that would sell anything. So seeing the 3 I knew before the end it was Glo.
Why are television contests so predictable in their editing?
My mother used to make this lemon cake recipe. It is good, but not exceptional. You made a really huge mistake ! I was looking foreward to buying Maple Pudding Chomeur because I had no doubt that it would be the winner. It uses a truly canadian product and is most delicious. What a shame that it is not available at your stores !
i’m really glad you guys are reviewing this show. i think this show is a stroke of genius! essentially a full 1 hr ad of the product PC is launching the next day. amazing. i was s sucker for G-Lo and bought the cakes too to bake. i thought they were pretty good for a frozen cake! 8/10
I found the lemon pudding wasnt tart enough, and the cake was bland and dry. I would not buy again. I can make it better myself.
I do like the concept of the show, but can’t believe the chose such a poor product. I am excited to try the peach cake that won.
It’s delicious- ate 2 of them in a span of 1 hour… probably not the healthiest thing. gunna have another one now ^^
tastes like one of my mom’s homemade desserts
There are only two “bought” desserts on the shelves of grocery stores that I would purchase again – and Glo’s Pudding Cake is one of them! Bought it today and served it for dessert tonight. There are only two of us. Four cakes in the box. It’s empty now. You do the math! Go Glo — you rock, girl!
I purchased this dessert at Loblaws the other day…I’m not a lemon dessert fan but this was really good. Tasted very fresh and delicious. Good job Glo!
Enjoyed both shows
Ibought Luscious Lemon to-day and ate one of the four this evening WOW!!!! Hope this is the grand winner but even if it not this product should stay forever on the shelves!!!
Way to go Glo
Just tried Glos pudding and frankly I’m disappointed after all the hype.
Although the pudding itself was great, I found the cake to be dry and too much of it.
I would not buy this again.
Delicious! I would buy regularly, given the chance. Under $2/serving is great value, given the time saving. Regarding the photos in this article – I can’t believe you didn’t figure out that you are supposed to turn the pudding upside down after you take it out of the oven. The lemon curd covers it beautifully, and well portioned. Looks much better when done properly.
We tried the lemon pudding cake. They were okay but not great.
I purchased this product and must say it was very yummy and will be stocking my freezer with them for unexpected company but I am afraid they may not last. Both my hubby and \i loved it. Way to go Glo
We just tried the cakes and loved them. Very good for a frozen desert (pretty healthy one too) from the store.
People are knocking them. But except for ice cream, there are no supermarket frozen deserts that are any good.
I’ll buy them again!
Tasty for sure but nothing unique. Did enjoy trying this but not enough to for a second purchase…sorry.
Excellent in taste, portion size and enjoyed every mouthful from beginning to the last bite. I certainly would purchase and have purchased many times. This has to remain on the shelves. Great job Glo.
We just tried these lemon pudding cakes tonight and they were nothing short of awesome! I baked them at 374 for 14 min – exactly as directed and they came out perfect. Golden brown cakes with perfect lemon sauce. A little pricey for 4 small portions… I would definitely buy them again for a special treat. Very Good!!!