Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast (2012)

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General		Extras
Category	Cooking Show	Bonus Episode-Jerusalem on a Plate
Rating
Year Of Production	2012
Running Time	180:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Dual Disc Set	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	None Given
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	None Given
Case	Amaray-Transparent-Dual
RPI	$29.95	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.78:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English (Burned In) English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israel-born UK based chef who specializes in Middle Eastern food in his UK cafes and restaurants, with a focus on vegetables. He has written a number of very successful cookbooks and has recently branched out into television shows. He made a few guest appearances on UK TV before making an initial special for the BBC, Jerusalem on a Plate in 2011 (which is included as an extra on this DVD set). He followed this up with a more extensive series of four episodes in 2012, Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast, which is the main feature of this 2 disc set. This series has been shown locally on SBS and is now being released on DVD by Madman Entertainment.

     This series consists of four 45 minute episodes, each one focused on a different country in the Mediterranean area; Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia & Israel. In each country he visits markets, street food vendors, cafes, restaurants and houses to get insights into the local cuisine and experience their differing approaches to ingredients and cooking. One of the really refreshing things about his approach is that he is virtually without ego; he is also seeking to learn rather than show off, which makes him a great host. He shows the melting pot of influences that make up Middle Eastern cuisines, happily cooking and sharing food with the variety of cultures that live in the area, from Jews, to Palestinians, to Lebanese, to Berbers and more. The show is focused on food, however there are some elements of travelogue as he visits different parts of the cities and surrounding countryside.

     Highly recommended for foodies.

Video

     The video quality is very good.

    The series is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio, 16x9 enhanced which is the original aspect ratio.

     The picture was quite clear and sharp, very consistent with the digital television presentation. Shadow detail is very good.

     The colour was also very good with no issues to report.

     There was some mild digital noise and shimmer on occasion.

     There are subtitles in English for the hearing impaired which are clear and easy to read in SBS yellow. There are also burned in subtitles for foreign languages.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The audio quality is good.

     This DVD contains an English Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack encoded at 224 Kb/s.

     Dialogue was clear and easy to understand throughout.

     The music mostly consists of the theme tune which suits the show along with some local music.

     The surround speakers and subwoofer were not used .

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     The extras are 16x9 enhanced.

Menu

     The menu features music and scenes from the show.

    Disc 2

Jerusalem on a Plate (58:37)

     This is an excellent extra. It is Ottolenghi’s 2011 special for the BBC which focuses on the various cuisines which meld together in Jerusalem based upon the wide variety of peoples who live there, including Palestinians, Kurds, Sephardic Jews and Jews from Europe. The style of this special is very similar to the later episodes and is a great addition to the DVD set. He even finds time to join service in a Jerusalem restaurant cooking a dessert. Great watching for fans of the series.

    This is an All Region release. This same DVD set is slated for September release in the UK.

    The video quality is very good.

    The audio quality is good.

    The one extra is a one hour special made in 2011.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall