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I finally watched Amy Schumer Learns to Cook. It took me a while to find it on a streaming service. This two season, eight episode series features stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer and director, Amy Schumer learning to cook from her chef husband, Chris Fischer. They filmed it while quarantining in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understandably, it has a scrappy approach to production. This raw, behind-the-scenes vibe makes it relatable and realistic.
The chaos of the BBQ episode (S2E4) I found especially relatable. Every element of that episode validates not only how I feel about trying to cook outside but also sometimes life in general. I saw much of myself in both of them in that episode. I’m more like Chris when it comes to grilling and sometimes cooking in general. And when it comes to DIY house projects, I’m more like Amy!
While watching Amy Schumer learning to cook, I learned a few things, too. Throughout the series, a few recurring elements stood out to me.
5 Things I Learned from Amy Schumer Learns to Cook
Tomatoes Like Salt
After a lifetime of aversion, I’m starting to appreciate the humble, raw tomato. Oh sure, I’ve always enjoyed tomato sauces and ketchup but raw, unprocessed tomatoes? Not so much. So this is a new lesson for me and I’m happy to have it in my tool belt now.
Get a Bench Scraper
Right before watching this show, I was considering adding a bench scraper to my kitchen tools. Chris sold me! I immediately added this bench scraper to my kitchen. I wish I had one sooner!
Let Food “Get to Know Itself”
This was Chris’s mantra for letting ingredients marinate and waiting for flavors meld. This personification of food delights me. Keeping this idea in mind has also helped me be more patient when bringing some dishes together. Don’t rush it, let it “get to know itself.”
Try Celery Root
Chris really, really likes to use celery root. And of course fennel, to Amy’s dismay. I’ve used fennel on occasion (like in Chicken with Fennel-Orange Salad) but was completely unfamiliar with celery root. I think I crossed paths with it in a crop share program recently but I was overwhelmed and intimidated by it. While I have yet to cook with it, I think I might be willing to now after watching this show.
It’s Okay to Be Lax . . .
. . . but not too lax. While the takeaways above are new things I learned, this one is more of a reminder. Mixed with a couple observations.
Throughout this series, I noticed that sometimes a solid measuring cup would be used to measure a liquid. Seeing a professional chef cut this little corner at home reminded me it’s okay when I do, too. However, I also noticed the approach to handling raw meat appeared a bit lax. More attention to this may have happened off-camera. I’m thinking not. And it’s also not the first time I’ve seen this on a cooking show. The legendary Julia Child also appears to handle raw meat and then, touch tools and surfaces on The French Chef. In her defense, this type of food safety awareness didn’t start entering homes until the 1980s.
This is all to say, when it comes to home cooking, I realized that I fully support the convenience of grabbing whatever measuring cup is within reach for a solid or liquid, especially if that means more attention can be paid to more important things like handling raw meats safely.
Now, I’m going to go find a reason to make the watermelon vodka bowl. Which is, coincidentally, also from the BBQ episode.
What’s a lesson you’ve learned from a cooking show that stuck with you? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured Image background photo by Amy Vann on Unsplash
