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(bright music)
- Hello, welcome to Fridge Cam.
Now today we are stepping into the world of extravagance
by sharing some potentially pretentious ingredients
with our chef, Ben, and our very normal Barry.
- Yeah!
(bright percussion)
Ebbers, spin it around.
- Ta-da!
- Ooh, okay. (loudly gasps)
Just from the side, I think I know what this is.
- This instantly looks like a more accessible version
of the gianduja cake.
- I'm glad you recognise this
'cause we have tested another product
from this company previously.
Some may be familiar with the delights of chocolate spread,
I think that's all of us,
and the endless possibilities it has for toppings
and fillings for desserts,
or even just on toast in the morning.
But with the help of Italian brand La Molina,
that recipe is suddenly all the more enriched
when this Ottavia is involved.
Eight layers of milk, dark, and white gianduja chocolate
are sandwiched inside the jar.
(bright music)
- Look at those layers!
- I'm salivating so much from just one teaspoon.
I can barely get the words out.
Very rich, sticks to the roof of your mouth,
but in an amazing way.
It was a lot looser than I was expecting.
- Off the bat, I'm just very excited by it.
(softly giggling)
- (softly chuckles) Oh.
- I'm a very happy man.
What are you going to serve it on for me?
- We, James, has prepared brioche.
(Barry loudly gasps)
And then we also have a standard chocolate spread, Gu,
and we thought it would be a perfect comparison
with our pretentious-or-not La Molina.
Oh no,
there you go, and you paused just long enough to make it
into a meme on Instagram.
- Sublime, it's so good.
- I'll tell you the layers are a little bit pointless
'cause once they get onto the toast, I mean,
it doesn't really matter as a spread.
Normal chocolate spread is also spectacular.
- How much do you think the La Molina
eight-layer chocolate spread is gonna cost you?
- It's probably about 15, 15 pounds worth.
- That's probably 25 quid.
- Slightly more than that, Ben, it's 26 pounds,
99 pence. - Well, it's pretty close.
- So that works out at five pound 39 per hundred grammes.
- Is it pretentious?
- I haven't asked you yet.
- I'm so used to being on that side.
- [Jamie] I know, yeah.
- It's over branded, it's over the top.
It loses its point as a spread.
But in that form, pretentious.
It doesn't have to be high end to be delicious.
- It's premium, but perhaps the eight-layered bit is the bit
that makes it a little bit pretentious.
- I feel like we usually do yes or no's.
- Then yeah, it's a little bit pretentious.
- There we go, let's move on to product two.
(bright music)
Ebbers, let's go! - Yeah!
Ooh! - I've got this at home.
- Oh, for (Barry loudly laughing)
This is always the challenge with putting Barry
in a pretentious ingredients video
because the chances are he already has the ingredients.
- Cavolo nero, black kale pesto.
- This is the Seggiano black kale pesto.
It's a simple blend of extra virgin olive oil,
black kale and cashews.
It's dark, leafy and hearty.
Use it to create wintery roasted vegetables and stews
or summery pastas and risottos packed with fresh greens.
Alternatively mix with mayonnaise for a sumptuous dip.
Kale yeah, this uses cavolo nero,
or Tuscan cabbage, or dinosaur kale,
which is probably the hottest brassica
on the planet right now, so trendy.
- For me, it's missing a little bit
of garlic and some Parmesan.
'Cause they're two ingredients I would associate
with pesto and neither are in this.
Also, I would make pesto
with pine nuts and this uses cashew.
We've made poor man's pesto before
with like walnuts and watercress
because they're more common in the UK
and they're a lot cheaper.
So I don't have a problem with that.
(descending bass music)
(softly gasps)
It's just for me, that's a very high-quality pesto.
Maybe because I'm over thinking it 'cause what I've read,
but it doesn't feel as creamy as a pesto,
and that is probably the lack of the Parmesan.
- We've asked James to toss it through some pasta
and then also give you some pasta
with a standard pesto as well.
- [Barry] Normal pesto first, is that right?
- So this is a Belazu Genovese pesto.
So, good quality, but a standard pesto.
- So this is our black kale pesto.
- Seggiano is the name of the small hilltop village
on Monte Amiata in Southern Tuscany
where Peri Eagleton and David Harrison
have farmed organic olives since 1985.
20 years ago, they started selling
their local Olivastra Seggianese extra virgin olive oil
and a small selection of wonderful artisan foods
from small family food producers.
- As I'd expect,
completely different in flavour
because one's basil and one's kale.
That's much more floral and fragrant.
- I think I prefer a traditional pesto.
I say I think I prefer, 'cause if I'm honest,
I can't tell much difference.
- Do you want to try and take a stab
at how much our dinosaur black kale pesto costs?
- They're going with the trendy black kale,
they're appealing to a vegan market.
They'll probably put premium on the price,
probably twice as much, five pounds.
- So I don't think it could be that much more expensive.
If it is, me and Hayley are having words.
(loudly laughing)
Four pound 50.
- Well, we paid seven pound 95,
so it's close to three times as much.
- Whatever happened,
I'm sure Hayley got a fantastic bargain.
- It's clambering up to three times as much.
- It is not three times better,
- But is it pretentious?
- It's almost the language they use
in the way they market it
and the niche they're marketing at
that makes it pretentious
'cause there's nothing pretentious about pesto,
but that is a pretentious pesto.
- It's not pretentious 'cause it, it's just expensive.
- Bring on product three!
(whimsical music)
All right then, mate, spin around.
Let's see where we're taking you now.
- Ooh!
Ah, okay.
- It's a natural vanilla paste.
- So this is the Littlepod vanilla paste.
It's a natural flavouring
made from Madagascan bourbon vanilla pods.
Each tube is bursting with extracts
from at least 20 pods, making a super ingredient
for sponges, custards, and ice creams.
So they say that one teaspoon equals
approximately one vanilla pod.
- I'm already scared about this
'cause I know it's gonna be expensive
because of how expensive vanilla is.
- Have a try.
(whimsical music)
- It's not as bitter.
- I don't know what you want me to say, really.
Tastes really, really vanilla-y.
- Good.
- Definitely got a lot of seeds
and it is dark in colour, smells incredible.
I've already got the scent of vanilla,
even as you just squeeze it out the tube.
- So what if we were to put that in the dish for you
and give you a comparison?
What we have prepared is some custard which it's gone in,
and obviously you don't generally have custard on his own.
So James has gone to the extent of making you sticky
toffee pudding.
- Now we're talking.
- So for comparison, we've also made a custard
using a Dr. Oetker vanilla seed paste.
That's the kind of thing that you'd easily pick up
in most supermarkets.
- [Ben] And is also Madagascan.
- They look exactly the same.
I'm living the dream!
- Don't mind me.
- Straight away, cheap one, very strong flavour
when it comes to vanilla, that is very vanilla-y.
- It feels like your mood has soured.
- 'Cause I can't tell any difference.
Flavour wise, it must be really, really subtle.
- That's yummy.
- I can tell you that the Littlepod paste
is all responsibly sourced.
10% of all online orders go towards community projects
in the vanilla-growing region of Madagascar.
- So for me, it's all down to the responsibly sourced
and what they give back, 'cause that is a nice thing.
- How much do you think the Littlepod paste cost us?
- Go by the rule of doubling it
and you usually get pretty close.
So let's just say eight pounds.
- You'd pay a couple of quid per pod.
If you were to buy them in bulk,
which they obviously do,
you can get down to a pound a pod, maybe.
And so my head was saying,
that's gonna be 20 quid's worth, possibly more.
22 'cause it's a better number, right?
- That is 21 pound 99.
- Weirdly, that one makes sense on price.
That one doesn't, how is that so cheap?
- So, is that pretentious?
- No, this is just vanilla paste.
- I would expect to pay that, not pretentious.
- Shall we move on to the next ingredient?
- Yup, I'm gonna finish this first, and that one.
- We're gonna move on to the next ingredient.
Spin around. - Yay!
Oh, that's first in a while that hasn't fit, ooh!
- Eau de toilette?
- Looks more like a toiletry.
- Condimento balsamico bianco.
- I think it's an Italian.
- White balsamic spritz.
- I think you've added the word spritz, but yes.
- No, no, no, look see, spritz.
- So Ben, this is Gocce's white balsamic condiment.
It's a classic condiment made by true masters
of their art and it's crafted
using white concentrated grape and white wine vinegar,
which are aged in oak barrels.
Golden and fruity, used as a replacement
for white wine vinegar or lemon juice,
it will take your dressings, sauces,
and marinades to new heights without altering the colour.
- That was quite pleasant.
(softly coughs)
(loudly laughing) (Jamie softly coughing)
(crosstalk drowns out Barry) - It gets you, doesn't it?
But it's actually really nice.
- It's really nice.
- Could you do a spray, delay,
slay-- - And slay, on what?
- [Jamie] A cheese board.
- [Ben] Can I sit in this chair more often?
- [Jamie] (softly chuckles) It's good, isn't it?
- [Ben] It's good in this chair.
- Oh, a double spritz.
- [Ben] So, a little bit of cheese and cracker.
(light upbeat music)
- What's it adding to the cheese experience?
- In my head, everything 'cause it makes sense.
In practise, it's not 'cause the spray's so fine.
It's almost lost.
- Walk through.
(both loudly laughing)
No doubt, it's a delicious zing.
- Say that you had a guest or two or three over for dinner--
- Yeah, it's called a dinner party, Jamie.
- You pop down the cheese board,
and you put a little spritz next to it.
What's the reaction gonna be?
I like that it's immersive and it's an experience
'cause people will do it.
- It looks pretentious.
As soon as you actually kind of realise what it is,
it's not at all.
- Well, that as a spritz I actually like.
I'm not sure about application on a cheeseboard,
but I imagine spritzed onto
fish once you've grilled it instead of a squeeze lemon
or onto a plate of nice ripe tomatoes,
I can see that being really nice.
- So how much do you think that does cost?
- So in my head I could do that at home
at a reasonable quality for about nine quid.
But I reckon, given the video we're in,
it's probably twice that at 18.
- I wouldn't be surprised if this creeped
into like the late twenties, 28 pounds.
- I have to say, mate,
you won't far off at all with your first guess.
It's eight pound 95.
- In that case, that is clever,
good application, super tasty vinegar.
- I could see the game they could be trying to play,
but thank goodness they haven't.
No, it's actually quite innovative.
- Not pretentious at all.
- I'm just rewinding,
so you said it didn't really add much.
- For cheese boards, I like the idea of the vinegar.
I'm not sure the spray works, but if I had it on a board,
it would be a talking point.
- Not pretentious? - Not pretentious.
- I think we have one final product for you.
(upbeat jazz music)
♪ All right, Barry, turn around, turn around ♪
- Flaked Black truffle sea salt--
- Is the most pretentious of ingredients
because is it necessary?
- [Jamie] Ebbers, You don't have to be a top chef to know
that the earthy truffle is a prized culinary delicacy
and the fresh, fine flavours
that Truffle Hunter gathers are
for any gourmet foodie to enjoy.
Sourced from all over Europe and produced
in handmade batches at the brand's Cotswolds base,
this chunky sea salt is infused with summer black truffles.
And I'll give you a--
- Aw, flippin' heck!
- Ooh! (Jamie loudly chuckling)
- There's a point when truffle is that strong,
it's almost unpleasant.
- I mean it's salty, obviously,
but there is a real fragrance
and I'm getting it all up in my olfactory.
- Expect a mineral-rich salty hit followed
by an earthy black truffle flavour.
- I think they've nailed that.
- So this fun is getting you to taste it by itself.
Would you, okay. - Yes, please.
'Cause whatever you're gonna make with that,
I'm already excited.
- James has lovingly made-- - What's it gonna be?
- Mac and cheese with truffle salt
added throughout the cooking process and sprinkled on top.
- It's definitely got truffle in it.
- It's delicious and it's umami, and it makes me go,
"That tastes excellent."
Because it made me go, "That's truffle."
- So can you think of other places
this might work really well?
- Your best steak, or a pizza.
- Some like triple-cooked chips that you do that,
as a finishing salt, maybe more so.
- Do you like it, is it adding to the dish?
- I really like it, it is adding something,
but I don't think in flavour it's adding truffle.
But you wouldn't wanna add more of that
'cause it's already salty enough.
- And oil, sometimes you don't wanna add
any more fat to what you're eating.
So sea salt is quite a useful thing just to sprinkle atop.
I'm guessing a little goes a long way,
and it better 'cause I'm guessing that's very expensive.
- Well, how much do you think it is?
- 14 pounds.
- It's only 1%, 1.4 grammes of truffle.
So, (loudly gags) 12 pounds.
- 12 pound 95.
- Pound off.
- You would only use it
if you want a bit of truffle flavour,
never use it if you just want a bit of seasoning.
So it kind of like, it will go a very long way.
- Having now bought it, collectively,
and if it was on the side, I'd probably use it quite a lot.
But I'm not sure I would buy it.
- So is it pretentious?
- I don't think it's pretentious, it's not cheap.
- Just because it's truffle, I wanna say pretentious.
But it does what it says on the tin,
and it's a good product, not pretentious.
- That's Barry, "I would pay 13 pounds for a jar of salt--
- Didn't say I would pay for it, just saying!
- Five products, some pretentious, some not.
Which one was your favourite?
- I think I actually like the vinegar,
but I'd also like to experiment more
with the chocolate hazelnut paste.
All good though, good batch.
- My favourite has to be that spray.
- So comment down below, let us know which, if any,
of those ingredients you think are pretentious.
And if you find some pretentious ingredients
for us to try, comment them too.
There's gotta be more out there.
- [Narrator] We've also built the Sorted Club
where you can get tonnes of foodie inspo
using the Packs midweek meal app,
discover and share restaurant recommendations
using the Eat app, listen and contribute
to our Feast Your Ears podcast,
and send us ideas for new cookbooks
you'll receive throughout the year.
Check it all out by heading to sorted.club.
(upbeat music)
And now a blooper.
- But you've bought this brand before, didn't you?
- [Hayley] Yeah, I've bought that brand loads.
- "Loads," how much did you pay for it?
- [Hayley] I don't know, I think it was like seven pounds.
- Oh (loudly bleeps) yeah.
- [Hayley] Why?
- 'Cause it's in a Pretentious episode
and like compared to a normal jar of pesto,
it's like four times the price.
And I just sat there on the camera and said, no, it's not,
it's nowhere near as nice as the cheap stuff.
- [Hayley] Really?
- Yeah, we're not good for each other. (loudly laughs)