A SET of two Cape mother and daughter duos kicked off the season of a brand new cooking show that brings the heat by having moms relinquish their dominion over the kitchen to their ‘clueless’ children.
The first episode of KykNet’s newest cooking competition, My Ma Kook Beter As Joune, aired on January 7, saw contestants Tarryn-Lee Snyders and Nicole van der Rheede duke it out in the kitchen while their mothers looked on.
The show brings on contestants with a mother who can hold her own in a kitchen and one of her children who can't cook at all. The winning team takes home R10 000 and the bragging rights.
For contestants Sandra van der Rheede, 62, and her daughter Nicole, the competition was an experience that brought them closer, and led to their victory.
Sandra said she was anxious about the Asian meatballs and Jasmine rice that was on their menu as well as the time allocated.
“Good time management and teamwork is something that you need to be able to execute perfectly. Otherwise the heat and the time will get to you," she said.
Nicole shared her mother's sentiments, adding: "It was my first time on television and I did not know what to expect."
"Towards the end of the show, the time and my mother's shouting was a bit much but we did it."
The Bonteheuwel mother and daughter duo said they would wholeheartedly encourage people to enter the show to strengthen their relationships.
"It does not only strengthen your relationship but it carries the tradition of cooking and having time with your children in the kitchen onto the next generation. What a wholly great experience,“ said Sandra.
The show’s present rapper Earl Swartz, better known as Early B, said the experience was a fun way for mothers to interact with their children over loved family recipes.
He laughingly admitted that there were times he became naughty and attempted to distract either the mother or daughter by keeping them busy by asking questions.
"A few mothers realised what I was busy doing and put me in my place,“ he laughed.
As a first time presenter, Swartz said there were moments where he himself was as nervous as the contestants.
"There were times where I was very nervous but I needed to keep my (composure). My main goal was to put the contestants at ease and have fun while doing this. The only thing I know about pots and pans is stealing food from them. The experience was amazing,“ he said.
According to Swartz, some people completely forgot about the cameras when the heat became too much, which was when the screaming and the shouting picked up.
“The pressure gets real as one can expect when you're cooking against an opposing team and against time."
My Ma Kook Beter As Joune airs on Saturdays at 7:30pm on KykNet&kie (DStv channel 145).
Weekend Argus