Well Fred and watered
RIGHT now, the very idea of REMARKABLE PLACESTO EAT, returning tonight to BBC2 might be considered a little bit insensitive. This is the show, you may recall – although it’s no big deal if you don’t, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it – where a carefree Fred Sirieix is able to fly off and eat fancy food in a series of colourful locations, each in a long forgotten land known as “abroad”.
For this he’s joined on each occasion by a different foodie pal to whom that place means something special.
This foodie pal then takes Fred to the restaurants they like the best, sits down with him for a lovely meal and asks him how in God’s name he managed to land the cushiest, most indulgent gig on British telly and could they have the number of his agent if it’s not too much trouble?
Yes, all right, that last bit may be something of a lie. Sorry. For this first show of series two, Fred is in Marrakech, western Morocco, with restaurateur and TV chef Andi Oliver.
It turns out Andi has been to Marrakesh loads of times. She loves the stuff they cook there.
“It’s full of flavour,” she declares.
“It’s got depth, it’s got heart and you can taste the tradition.You can tell people have been making food that way for centuries…”
Yes,Andi, it does sound rather lovely.
“It’s the kind of food I love,” she continues. “It’s ‘dig in’, it’s sharing...”
Hang on, did she say “sharing”?
As in letting someone else eat some of the food you’ve ordered yourself? Nope, sorry, not on my watch.
The way I see it, you order your food, your food turns up and if you then decide mine looks nicer then you kick yourself for having made such a stupid decision and be sure to go via the chippy on the way home.
Anyway, the first restaurant to which Andi takes Fred is one that brings back very powerful memories for her.
“Honestly, Fred, the first time I went there I cried,” she tells him.This actually sounds rather a worry, until she adds: “It made me so happy and I was so moved by it.”
Fred looks relieved by the clarification. “I already like it,” he assures her, “just the way you talk about it, I know I’m going to find something very special there.”
Well, indeed.Although if I were him I’d make a mental note to order the blandest dish on the menu, just to make sure my dining companion doesn’t suddenly burst into tears over her tagine.
Elsewhere, TUTANKHAMUN IN COLOUR (BBC4, 9pm) uses digital jiggery-pokery to spruce up footage from a century ago, when Howard Carter discovered the boy king’s tomb.