Blais Off
Science and creativity combine in fun reality recipe.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this reality-based cooking series encourages curiosity about science. Science concepts related to the recipes are illustrated with clear graphics and there are plenty of cool visuals featuring host Richard Blais utilizing various contraptions to chemically transform the flavors and structures of foods. However, this is fundamentally still a cooking show, so the attention spans of young kids may be pushed to the limit.
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What's the Story?
Former Top Chef contestant Richard Blais has earned a reputation as a maverick in the kitchen, pushing the boundaries of food preparation by incorporating science and unconventional methods to create bold new flavors. Each episode of BLAIS OFF features the host taking a classic American comfort food and reinventing it in his kitchen. The new food must then face off against a classic version in a taste test.
Is It Any Good?
Most cooking shows focus on providing viewers with easily duplicated recipies that can be produced in the average home kitchen. Not Blais Off. In fact, unless you are preparing your meals in an industrial science lab, you will be hard pressed to recreate any of the meals prepared by Blais on the show. That doesn't mean it isn't fun to watch him create his outlandish dishes, however. Focusing on a classic American comfort food in each episode, Blais deconstructs our favorite meals and the science behind why they're so delicious, even as he tackles his own distinct versions. Usually there are chemicals and goggles involved.
The content on Blais Off is fun and interesting, but the presentation could be better. A stronger dose of personality and humor on the part of the host would make the show more watchable. But for anyone interested in watching a skilled chef push the boundaries of food in the kitchen, Blais Off is more than fully baked.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how media presents food. Does Blais Off provide a positive view of healthy eating? Did watching it make you want to eat the foods on the show? Why or why not?
Did you think the new versions of foods created by Richard Blais looked more delicious than the traditional versions of those foods? How so?
TV Details
- Premiere date: December 17, 2010
- Cast: Richard Blais
- Network: SCIENCE
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-G
- Last updated: February 25, 2022
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