Two Cooks and Two Babes Take Spain

Published on Thursday, September 25, 2008, by Kara Zuaro / Edit Post

Bon Appétit is talking food with Gwyneth Paltrow, who will costar in the new PBS series Spain…on the Road Again with Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, and Spanish actress Claudia Bassols.

As much as it sounds like a fantastic road trip for an interesting foursome, the feminists among us may feel a pang of injustice. I mean, I love Mario and Mark as much as the next gal, but two cooks and two actresses? Why is it that dumpy-lookin’ dudes get to partake in this televised culinary tour of Spain based on their knowledge and experience, while the ladies are chosen for their hot-chick factor? Well, before we jump to any conclusions, let’s consider that the willowy Paltrow might be more of a foodie than we thought. She tells Bon Appétit:

I love getting cookbooks—people will give them to me, and I read them like novels and file everything away. I really like cooking according to the season. I like to get creative with what’s fresh. On the Spain trip, we did a take on Iron Chef with local ingredients. It was fun to have the challenge of cooking with the seasons, because you’ll have the same ingredient over and over and you want to make it creative each time.

There you have it. Maybe we should have guessed she was a gourmand when she named her first-born Apple. (P.S. Look who’s responsible for Gwyneth’s head shot!)

Spain…on the Road Again airs on Saturdays on many PBS stations. Check your local listings for details.

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POST A COMMENT |6 Comments

COMMENT

  • I have always liked Mario Molto and felt Mario had such a great personalty and enjoyed showing us new ways to cook and make great dishes. So when I had the opportunity, I purchased the DVD of Spain on the Road Again. I was really looking forward to watching the complete series, but it only took the first part of the DVD to see this was not a food video and not the Mario, that I wanted to see It...+READ

    I have always liked Mario Molto and felt Mario had such a great personalty and enjoyed showing us new ways to cook and make great dishes. So when I had the opportunity, I purchased the DVD of Spain on the Road Again. I was really looking forward to watching the complete series, but it only took the first part of the DVD to see this was not a food video and not the Mario, that I wanted to see It was a DVD that showed mostly people talking and DRIVING but the camera was on the Actors more than the scenery and the Minimal food and cooking portions were not very well videod. Mario, take lessons from Jose Andres with Made in Spain. Now that is a true Foodie Road Trip experience.-COLLAPSE

  • Its great to hear Claudia speak Spanish. Its just beautiful.
    Sure they are actresses, but they definitely love the food. The show made me hungry when I was already full.

  • Saw the show for the first time over the weekend: what a boring, annoying and sorry spectacle. Two middle-aged lechers and two babes with zero culinary chops trying to be funny without a script. Watching the grass grow is more entertaining.

  • Two Cooks and Two "Babes"?

  • Claudia can be my Spanish tutor ANY time.

    What, there was food related content on this show?

  • I want them to take me along.