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| Img Source: Netflix |
It is surely only a matter of legal issues that prevented a show like
Cooked With Cannabis (Netflix) being made before now. The culinary
competition, filmed in California – where recreational use of cannabis is legal
– switches up its themes, guest judges and contestants from episode to
episode, but there is one constant: every dish must be, well, cooked
with cannabis. Judging by the results of this slapdash and strangely
relaxing show, we have been missing out.
At this stage, let us pay tribute to Gone to Pot: American Road Trip,
the 2017 ITV documentary in which Christopher Biggins was fed so much
food that had been cooked with cannabis that he passed out on a bus and
then had to call for help because he couldn’t move. It missed out on a
Bafta, sure, but it will always remain one of the greats in my mind.
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| Img source: Netflix |
Here, the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychedelic
component of cannabis, are revealed at the beginning of each course,
perhaps to avoid a repeat of the Biggins incident, but, frankly, even
some of the contestants don’t seem too sure.
TV competitions are inherently stressful, especially ones that
involve cooking. There are time constraints, ingredient restrictions,
the prospect of putting your dishes in front of famous restaurant
critics or infamous chefs. On Cooked With Cannabis,
most of the people on screen are so laid-back that they seem close to
falling over. Even the hosts – Kelis, who is a classically trained chef,
and a man called Leather Storrs – are calm and happy.
At the very least, the contestants are aware of the idea that they
should be under pressure to perform and win the $10,000 (£8,000) prize,
but they don’t seem particularly fussed by it. When one contestant,
Amanda, is disappointed with how her lamb is turning out, she shrugs:
“Still, it’s a good showing, I’m not mad at it.” By the time dessert
rolls around, Cynthia, who gives her age as “ageless”, just cannot
remember what she is looking for.
The doors of the studio have to be opened to let some air in. It is
no big deal. We could all do with a little less stress at the moment,
and why not find it in a studio full of happily stoned people, gorging
themselves on food that will make them even more high? “I’m gonna
snuggle her,” says Kelis at one point, referring to Cynthia, which you
can’t imagine hearing from the MasterChef judges.
The guests, the “best buds”, are excellent value, too. In the opening
episode, Ricki Lake and the singer Elle King are joined by 24’s Mary Lynn Rajskub
and the comedian Jo Koy, although the recognisability factor drops off
as the series goes on. While I understand that the judges on regular
food shows have to eat small mouthfuls in order to leave room for
everything, there is something free and delicious in the fact that
everyone here eats everything put in front of them. Say what you will
about the munchies – and, based on my own student experience, “I can’t
believe you ate a whole loaf of bread” should be an option – but this is
no place for dainty mouthfuls. The enjoyment is palpable.
Given that the competitive element is not really at the fore, the
show finds its tension in different places. As the THC measurements
flash up – 2mg, 4mg or “I don’t know, three?” – you start to wonder just
how high everyone will get. Now that MasterChef is over for another
year, I started to daydream about a crossover episode. We can only
wonder what John Torode and Gregg Wallace would make of that.
There are attempts to make Cooked With Cannabis educational. I
learned about different strains and flavour profiles, that sativa gives a
head high, while indica gives a body high and should be served at the
end of a meal to bring everyone down. Some types of cannabis taste of
pineapple and bubblegum, others of fruit punch and citrus. I am sure
connoisseurs feel strongly about this, but, near where I live, we can
rarely tell the difference between the smell of fox urine or a strong
spliff, so I am not yet convinced of its tastiness.
Still, I watched Cooked With Cannabis with nothing but a coffee and
its easy charms made me laugh more than I had in days. I couldn’t really
remember the food, but then I am not so sure anyone in the studio did,
either.
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