Your typical Jewish woman is busy most evenings chopping, sauteing, slicing, braising, and frying delectable dishes to feed her family. She manages to do this while also juggling and micromanaging a multitude of other tasks that demand her attention like a crying baby, screaming toddler, helping a child do his homework, phone ringing for a shidduch call. But usually a camera following her around is not one of those distractions. So, can you imagine if this scenario, which plays out in most Jewish kitchens, would be displayed online for thousands of viewers to witness and comment on each week?
That is exactly what Bassie Braun-Parnes of Brooklyn has been experiencing since she signed on to be a contestant on the popular Kosher.com show Food Fight, which airs every two weeks with new episodes uploaded on Motzei Shabbos.
Food Fight is a cooking competition show hosted by Shaindy Plotzker and judged by a panel of three esteemed food critics, which features four fearless women who are battling bite for bite for the grand prize and Food Fight Champion title. So far, four episodes have aired and the show is a huge hit attracting massive viewership each week.
Goldy Guttman, Kosher.com director, credits the popularity of the show to the fact that frum women really have no available outlets for kosher media entertainment that represents them in a genuine way. “Everyone wants entertainment that is in line with their own values, and while there are many excellent Jewish productions out there, as far as I know, no one else is providing this level of quality production featuring religious women and streaming it free online, accessible to anyone, anywhere,” she explains, adding that Food Fight is unique in that it is professionally produced by Orthodox Jewish women, for Orthodox Jewish women.
“Bassie was selected out of all the applicants after Kosher.com opened up casting to their entire audience allowing all culinary novices to send in an audition video. We got so many wonderful candidates and we were thrilled that we ended up with contestants who came from a diverse set of backgrounds and locations that so many people could relate to, from Brooklyn to the Midwest, from Chabad to Syrian. It really shows the diverse talent contained within the Orthodox Jewish community,” says Guttman.
The Jewish Press took time to meet with Bassie and learn more about how a simple mom of four from Midwood ended up on a hit cooking show.
Can you share with us a little about yourself?
I’m a married mom with two sets of twins (six years old and two years old). I’m in Real Estate – Project Management for Citibank Retail, and although I’m driven and enjoy being in the corporate world, my real passion has always been food. I remember growing up, my brother and I would do cooking shows in our kitchen (he was my sous chef obviously). I was always into food, but I think I really got into my groove after I got married and I was able to cook in my own kitchen. I was able to be more adventurous with my recipes and subject my husband to any and all experiments (which were almost never bad).
So, it sounds like you’ve always been a foodie.
Oh, yes! As far back as I remember I have always loved cooking and of course eating. Even as a child when it came to my birthday, I would most look forward to going out to a café for lunch. When other kids would bring simpler lunches to school, I would bring pasta dishes with various sauces that I took very seriously. I requested a deli slicer for my anniversary present, so yeah, you could label me a foodie for sure.
You mentioned cooking with your brother. Are all your other siblings also into cooking?
Yes. Growing up, we loved watching the Food Network and its various cooking shows. I have two sisters and two brothers and we are all food-centered. My youngest brother whips up delicious food now too! I’m so proud!
What’s been your mother’s reaction to you being on the show, since you credit her for inspiring your culinary talents?
My mother is absolutely kvelling! She is bursting with pride. My father is also very supportive and also helped facilitate this journey. My mother is a speech therapist, and my father also works in corporate; we are all professionally driven, but also very food-centric. I couldn’t do this without my mother’s support. She helps me by giving me her feedback on my dishes and she helps me with my kids so I can focus on food when I need to. I couldn’t do this without the extreme support of both my parents.
How did you hear about the competition and what made you enter?
I heard about it through Mishpacha Magazine. They were aware of my Instagram page @theblondesisterr and brought this to my attention asking me to attend an interview. I entered the competition because cooking is my passion. It’s my outlet, and a competition sounded fun! Personally, I would love to do something with food full-time, but for now, I’m still corporate.
Talk us through your thought process when taping an episode? How do you decide what will go into your dish?
I love to watch cooking shows, and I always said to myself thank G-d I’m not in the position where the judges only give me like five ingredients to work with. On Food Fight, the biggest challenge is time constraints, not limited ingredients. Baruch Hashem, I am very organized and comfortable in the kitchen so time limitations doesn’t really affect me. I am good at compartmentalizing and staying on track. Even though the taping was hard because each day was almost 10 hours of filming, the directors/producers were helpful guiding us and giving us direction though the whole process. It also helped that the tasks were very specific, like make a one-bite dish or make a dish with ramen noodles being the dominant staple.
Are you nervous in front of the camera?
In general, I’m not a shy person. I enjoy public speaking, so being in front of a camera doesn’t bother me. They tell us to just act natural, but I can’t help it. I am always engaging with the camera crew and joking around with them.
Do you have a relationship with other contestants outside of Kosher.com?
Yes. They are a wonderful group of girls. We have remained close and even have a group chat created so we can keep in touch. We are all very supportive and encouraging of each other.
Do you get recognized on the street since being on Food Fight?
Yes! It’s weird! I am approached quite frequently by strangers (this happens even when I’m in a cap or snood). People come up to me in various settings, even my daughters’ morahs said they saw her mommy on Kosher.com. I am so humbled by all the outpouring of support and positive comments I am getting both in person and online. The feedback has been all positive and it’s very impressive to see the outreach and massive audience that this platform has.
What’s the best cooking advice/tips you can share with our readers?
Every Sunday morning, I sit with my whiteboard and plan out the week’s dinners. Then I take my kids to the grocery store to shop for all the ingredients. This is paramount for all cooks. You need to know what you’re doing in advance and have all your supplies and ingredients ready in the house. In fact, I do all my prep work beforehand and then I tackle the assembly part.
What’s the most underrated ingredient, in your opinion?
I know this may sound very boring, but honestly, salt and pepper. I especially like these spices on a steak and chicken; it lets the meat flavor come through. Also, tofu, I use it in so many ways. Of course, having good-quality fresh herbs is also an important ingredient that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Where’s your favorite place to eat in Brooklyn?
I don’t go out to eat too often because I love the act of cooking; I really do miss Café K though. “My wife is the best chef, so why would we need to go out to eat?!” Bassie’s husband chimes in.
What’s your favorite dish to make?
I love making fresh pasta, filled or not. I love making ravioli, agnolotti, fettuccini, rigatoni, etc. I enjoy coming up with different filling recipes. Anyone who knows me knows I love to eat Vietnamese pho. I have it at least once a week. I’m a big fan of Korean and Japanese food, in fact, after we got married, our first trip was to Seoul in Korea. I just love the way they create their flavors and technique associated with the culture and cuisine.
What do you make when you’re just not in the mood to cook dinner?
I know you’d think that I enjoy cooking nightly, but I get burnout once in a while where I just don’t feel like making anything. On days like these, we will order in pizza with mushrooms and black olives, or pulled beef sandwiches. It is rare because I am health-conscious, or I’ll just whip up a quick rigatoni alla vodka.
What will you do after the competition is over?
I’m active on Instagram, so I would love to expand my outreach there. I love sharing recipes and hearing back from viewers. One of my goals is to branch out and produce my own line of dim sum. I would love to see them on shelves in stores and possibly do a pop-up.
What’s next for you?
I want to expand my online audience and connect more with my followers. I love it when people ask questions or post comments on my videos, and I especially love watching people enjoy my food. Maybe I can have my own segment somewhere or have a food column in a newspaper or magazine. I want to share my knowledge of food with others because at the end of the day, there’s nothing like sitting around a table with people you love and enjoying a delicious meal. And I’d love to have a hand in creating those moments.
Food Fight finale is set to air on Dec 6, and we will just have to wait with bated (and hungry) breath to see if our fellow Brooklynite, Bassie, will earn the title of champion.