Could I suggest to those of you that have not read the write up about this new programme, you do.
Starting this month, it looks like a great concept and could be both entertaining and become a great opportunity to learn more about 21st.C. local cooking in the UK.

I look forward to the show, but after seeing Tonia Buxton making Baklava and professing it to be Greek, I am outraged. Baklava is NOT Greek. It originates from the Ottomans, because before the riches of the ottomans, Filo pastry was not invented. The Ottomans brought the most talented cooks to their palaces and the filo pastry was born, which was then turned into Baklava. Tonia Buxton is a typical Greek woman...she believes that the Greeks invented everything. The turks are the originators of these deserts and all over the Middle East where Baklava is common place, it is recognised as being Turkish. The Greeks are the only ones who don't accept this. If UKTV Food is going to allow recipes to be shown, they need to make sure that the info they give is accurate, as this is highly offensive to those who know better.

Calm down La Isla!! Technically, I don't know if you are really accurate in your description. Baklava has a long evolution covering thousands of years to the current pastry we love today.

The Assyrians are credited with first putting together a few layers of thin bread dough with chopped nuts in between layers soaking in some honey and baked it in their primitive wood burning ovens sometime around the 8th century BCE.

This earliest known version of baklava was baked only on special occasions. In fact, historically baklava was considered a food for the rich until mid-19th century. Even today in Turkey there is a common saying "I am not rich enough to eat baklava and boerek every day".

There were so many interctions that it would be hard to credit any one nationality to baklava, but if you are thinking of the modern version with filo, then it is most likely Greek as they developed "phyllo".

Obviously, Greek seamen and merchants traveling east to Mesopotamia soon discovered the delights of the original "Baklava" eaten by the Assyrians abd broguht it back to athens. But clearly the Greeks' major contribution to the development of this pastry is the creation of a dough technique that made it possible to roll it as thin as a leaf, compared to the rough, bread-like texture of the Assyrian dough. In fact, the name "Phyllo" was coined by Greeks, which means "leaf" in the Greek language.

In a relatively short time, in every kitchen of wealthy households in the region, trays of baklava were being baked for all kinds of special occasions from the 3rd Century B.C. onwards. The Armenians, as their Kingdom was located on ancient Spice and Silk Routes, integrated for the first time the cinnamon and cloves into the texture of baklava.

Then, the Arabs introduced the cardamon and rose water. The taste changed in subtle nuances as the recipe started crossing borders and evolving into a rich, complex dish.

To the north of its Assyrian birthplace, baklava was being baked and served in the palaces of the ancient Persian kingdom. To the west, it was baked in the kitchens of the wealthy Roman mansions, and then in the kitchens of the Byzantine Empire until the fall of the latter in 1453 A.D.

The Ottomans embraced the dish as it was certainly suited to the wealthy, requiring much labour and expesive ingredients.

After the invasion of Constantinople, for four hundred years from 16th Century on, until the decline of Ottoman Empire in 19th Century, the kitchens of Imperial Ottoman Palace in Constantinople became the ultimate culinary hub of the empire. Her is where baklava reached its zenith.

Towards the end of 19th Century, small pastry-shops started to appear in Constantinople and in major Provincial capitals of the empire to cater the middle class, but the Ottoman Palace have always remained the top culinary "academy" of the Empire, until its end in 1923

All that being said, though, considering the introduction of phyllo I think the conclusion should be the Assyrians created the concept, the Greeks gave us the dish we know today and the Turks elevated it to a high art by introducing culinary technique to its creation.

Gobsmacked!!! Thanks for the history of baklava; wherever it came from, I'm glad it got to us - having said that, I've only tasted it twice and it was gorgeous.
I just checked in to say I love New British Kitchen so far - there's a light touch to it and a good range of recipes.
Rock on, Hardeep and Torode.

I have only seen the first programme of this so far as it seems to have disappeared off my planner even though I had a series link on it. Very annoying. Put it back on today though. So if anyone out there thinks their planner is recording it... do check it.

Hardeep is a real joy, funny and natural. What a lovely personality. I cannot say the same for Torode as I have not taken to him and don't watch Master Chef because of it. I will stick with this because of Hardeep.

I'm watchng the current episode on Portuguese cuisine. I am Portuguese and honestly, am surprised that a programme such as this can't even get the basic spelling of food items right. The first pastry dish, Pastel de Nata (yes read it here that's how you spell it, not with two t's... talk about offending a very proud nation!), John Torode tries to educate Hardeep stating that the word Nata means milk. Geez. It actually means cream. Milk is leite. In baking, the word natas refers to the custard in pastries. And then Torode proceded to massacre the traditional recipe and make a balls up of it.

Good intentions I suppose, but would be nice if they actually researched properly and made sure they didn't make silly mistakes like that. This has the making of a good series but I'll not take it too seriously if today's episode is anything to go by.

They copy (or try to miserably) Food Safari presented by M O'Meara a series in Australia.

By comparison FS is far superior, straightforward, great foods, & O'Meara is a delightful presenter!

Why oh why do "UK celebs" always try to overtake a programme they're hired to present...always making it out it's about them & not the actual show!!!

Hardeep for a start has no business along w/ people like Paul Young presenting, tasting, cooking when he's nowhere near qualified FGS!!!

"Why oh why do "UK celebs" always try to overtake a programme they're hired to present...always making it out it's about them & not the actual show!!! "

Ah! Just like JB and GFL. At last someones sussed it about a show being about food not an OTT presenter.

"Why oh why do "UK celebs" always try to overtake a programme they're hired to present...always making it out it's about them & not the actual show!!! "

Ah! Just like JB and GFL. At last someones sussed it about a show being about food not an OTT presenter.

I take it you too agree then that Hardeep is an OTT presenter.

Just making a general point that it's nothing new that presenters begin to think the shows about them and not the subject matter of the programme.

Why a quick turnaround on Hardeep..from being an OTT presenter to being "probably instructed"....not even a subtle criticism, if anything you're hinting it's not Harderep's fault coming across as OTT but it's the director/producer maybe???

In fact why even bring up GFL into your own thread esp when you are one of those who keeps promoting to stop bringing up GFL on every sentence on this forum & guess what...you just did it on your own thread!

I think you might just regret mentioning those 3 letters on your otherwise interesting topic.

Thank you babsky. Thank you.

Oh dear. Watched this for the first time last night. Great concept, but the Indian guy is very annoying. dare I say even more so that Tana ramsay. I'll give it another go, but I'm not going to give it as long as Market Kitchen

I love this programme - both presenters are really fun and look as though they are genuinely enjoying themselves. I am looking forward to further episodes.
I still miss Good Food Live and just cant take Market Kitchen, apart from Matthew Fort - whom I think is great - (except for his recipes!) Sorry Matthew.