Townsends Great Frontier Cook-Off!

Michael and Ryan have three special ingredients, three specific cooking techniques, and only three hours to impress Jon with the greatest 18th century meal they’ve ever cooked!
Michael’s Cookbook ➧ www.townsends.us/products/col... ➧➧
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0:00 - 0:45 Intro
0:45 - 1:29 Michael's Recipes and Concerns
1:29 - 2:41 Ryan's Recipes and Concerns
2:41 - 32:47 Cooking
32:47 - 39:02 Judging
39:02 - 43:05 Winner and Wrap Up

[@townsends]

Michael Dragoo’s Cookbook: www.townsends.us/products/colonial-comfort-foods-by-michael-dragoo?_pos=1&_sid=50cc0dbdb&_ss=r

[@FishmanDanCo]

John, why haven’t we seen an episode on Scrapple? I looked for one in your past videos, and was very surprised not to find one. I LOVE how you present 17th and 18th century American cuisine in an entertaining and informative way that is period correct as well as easy to understand. Bring on the Scrapple!

[@terrencepayne1371]

is the recipe for that bread in this book?

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Could you call this episode, Cast Iron Chef? Cheers!

[@Booger414]

I second that!

[@thetank2078]

That’s too clever to not be used!

[@jarrenm4760]

Yes but if the company that has a copyright on “Iron Chef” caught wind of it Townsends could be sent a cease and desist as the name could be justified in court as too similar to “Iron Chef”.

[@Pippi-Longstocking]

Underrated comment!

[@davidtucker5777]

Literally came to say exactly this. It's the best idea ever.

[@robzinawarriorprincess1318]

Michael is so fancy, but Ryan is scheming😂. I love your comradery, gentlemen.

[@mydogsareneat]

Hey now they BOTH used nutmeg :p Ryans just in your face about it :p

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Michael has some caustic banter, but his pride was his demise. Ryan had some mishaps but just powered through them.

[@charlesosborne8381]

The banter between them is done with such respect. I admire their genuine attitude.

[@ExpandDong420]

They talk each other up when their back is turned, if that isn't the definition of friendship, I don't know what is

[@RYN988]

This is how cooking competition shows ought to be. No shouting no insults just pure wholesome fun wrapped in civility.

[@ChibiPanda8888]

And even friendliness, because they actually complimented each other several times during the competition.

[@robustdelirium9277]

“Uh, young reckless Ryan has challenged me” *pulls out wafer press*

[@ericv00]

We need a wrestling match between "Ryan the Reckless" and Michael "Drag-YOU-out-kicking-and-screaming". ...And maybe Jon "Townsends-you-packing" Every so often I have to make a truly terrible comment. This is that one for the week.

[@toryumau6798]

@@ericv00. … To be fair, we’ve never had a founding father themed wrestler in America. I’d pay good money to see Townsends & Sons faction make a debut in WWE. Can you imagine all the possibilities of historically relevant signature moves? >)X^D

[@PatrickKniesler]

I belly laughed at this noted juxtaposition

[@laurendouglas6452]

The HUBRIS😂

[@user-ql2vu8vp5c]

This needs to be a regular show. I love cooking competition shows and this is a unique version that I think has a lot of potential.

[@thebrownthomascrown917]

Agreed....old school Iron Chef.

[@scottystcloud7086]

@@thebrownthomascrown917 agreed!

[@Matatabi6]

Cutting to Ryan grating nutmeg while he says I’m gonna give him all his favorite food 😂

[@michaelaroberts1811]

I love the fact that the “mistakes” were left in. It humanizes the educational experience and really allows both Ryan and Michael to show their skills and creative critical thinking. Making educational historical content more accessible and more human just convinces more people to learn about their own histories. Learning is an ever evolving journey! This was so wonderful to watch!! Thank you for posting.

[@andrewsusen3154]

Not even 5minutes in and i think this should be the next big network cooking competition show

[@kathileedean3851]

Makes you look again (and rather down your nose) at the Food Network cooking shows and how “easy” they’ve got it by comparison!!! Bunch of 21st century wimplings!!! 😂

[@ubertante]

Also the tenor of the competition. Friendly, knowledgeable, and engaging.

[@jacquelyn_hagen]

I’ve been watching this channel for years, and I can say without hesitation that this is now my favorite episode of all time. Well done, everyone!

[@jomormont]

This was well done! Please do another within the next couple months. Maybe a Christmas cookoff special?

[@townsends]

Thank you!

[@robertgt1858]

Thanksgiving@@jomormont

[@TheXxxcodexxx]

This would be an awsome series this could honestly be a food network show. There are plenty of people around the country that would love to compete in this.

[@Chew1964]

Seconded! Please do more shows like this. And to make it more challenging, do an episode where the contestants are not allowed to use nutmeg.

[@c0niferal]

Honestly shocked by how invested I was in this. Would love to see this as an occasionally returning series

[@dragonsapharra]

Love Michael just signing “I think not!” at the end! 🤣

[@langgreen9448]

Thank you for the translation!!!

[@LadyBeyondTheWall]

Thank you! I saw it and figured it was something like that, but still wanted to look for a translation in the comments. 😂

[@davidfreise7715]

You three should be judges for a show like this. Call it a Colonial Chef. I would love to be a contender on the show. Do it once a month or so. It would be fun.

[@konormccracken]

Love seeing Ryan front-and-center in this episode -- he's a great presenter!

[@ianmccown]

Michael being awesome! Ryan being awesome! John being awesome! Man! What a great episode!

[@davidblack7184]

Pioneer chef competitions needs to happen on this channel. Gather up the community and have a cook off .

[@SatansPooper]

The more I watch Ryan, the more I appreciate him. He has definitely grown into the role of youtube presenter. Thank You for giving him some limelight. This competition was friendly and enjoyable. (No one got shouted at or called a "Donkey". THANK YOU!)

[@MrRufusjax]

Ryan has really grown on me as I've watched Townsends.. He seems like a good guy!

[@smitty1647]

donkey?

[@evedael]

@@smitty1647 Im assuming he is referring to Gordon Ramsay, his cooking shows tend to be very bombastic and over the top, "donkey" being one of the most common insults he uses.

[@ninosbrothermichael1842]

@@smitty1647Gordon Ramsay

[@Heracleetus]

I've been watching since the beginning and used to get the catalog as a kid in the 90s. I love how you've maintained the integrity of the channel while introducing more "entertainment" based things like this and the time traveler series. Thank you for all the wonderful content and keep up the great work!

[@MattPSU02]

Seeing Michael choose the wafers was like when a chef tries risotto on one of those cooking shows. I was like "nooooo".

[@neolexington]

Ryan was tasting his food as he cooked, that's the mark of true chef. Well done all! You guys definitely need to do more of these!

[@erichjenson7278]

I think Michael was trying to be more period specific whereas Ryan was seasoning more specific to our taste buds by today’s standards. Neither right or wrong, but Michael can be heard making the comment “why don’t you just put some Louisiana seasoning in there too.” - or something like that.

[@DrPeculiar312]

they both did

[@jaji8549]

Having all cameras rolling most certainly added to the experience here. Seeing camera crews in various long & wide shots as they recorded running commentary was great also. I'll echo the comments of others praising the comradery, but the competitive nature of both Ryan and Michael was on full display. Great job, gentlemen!

[@barbequesque]

This is probably exactly what each and every person in your viewership wants deep down inside even when they cannot admit it to themselves.

[@tankbuggeru]

I love the contrast between how friendly Jon seems as a presenter and how harsh he is as a judge, especially before the summary :D

[@winnerscreed6767]

I'm all for Michael my favorite. But Ryan is as amazing as well, the only true winner is John because he gets to eat all that food. Many thanks and happy returns of the day to you all at Townsends for making this video.

[@jelenedressler]

RE-DO, RE-DO RE-DO!!!!!!! That was a blast to watch and made me soooooo hungry!! Gentlemen, you both did amazingly well!!! How about a Thanksgiving food re-do? (hint, hint!). Thanks for such wonderful programming guys!!!!

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

This video is one of those times that you try something completely new, and it works 100%. I'd love to see more of this occasionally; it's a good insight into some of the less obvious aspects of 18th century cooking that you wouldn't get from just the recipe. Plus the vibes are just perfect.

[@Pieces_Of_Eight]

Hats off to these two champions! Their challenge was thoroughly daunting-I cheered them both on with fervor. I hope they realize just how remarkable they are, and what a phenomenal job they did tackling so many obstacles with such impressive zeal. Their playful banter, pleasant resolve, and cheerful honesty made the episode shine all the brighter. A crown of laurels to each man!

[@fugithegreat]

Three hours doesn't seem like enough time for all that! It would be tricky to do it all with modern equipment, let alone trying to stoke fires and all that. I'm loving this and I hope you do another cookoff some time!

[@jaji8549]

Having been under such time pressure in modern kitchens with modern equipment, watching how they handled this under these conditions was pretty awesome

[@ericstearns170]

My son challenged several Boy Scout Troops to an outdoor cook-off several years ago (he's 35 now) and it was amazing to see those kids pull off dishes that were restaurant quality in Dutch ovens and fire pits. They had 2 hours but two cooks each.

[@KevlarIlluminati]

Yes! Much better cooking show then anything on TV. Edit: Congrats to the winner (no spoilers) Well-deserved!

[@MTDixonSr]

Right on Townsends and team. I discovered your channel a couple of years ago…This is definitely one of my favorite episodes. Super respect guys!!

[@chadmiller8452]

Loved this episode! I definitely want to see more. I think Ryan should now challenge Jon and have Michael judge. One of my favorites to watch.

[@williamaus3211]

This was a million times better than any episode of Iron Chef I have ever watched. Thank you all for such wonderful content.

[@Big_Glizzy.]

The food looks amazing!

[@NoBSFilms]

This is fantastic!! A full length episode on a Sunday is phenomenal!! Thanks guys :)

[@MC-810]

Yes! It’s a cold wet morning for me, so a good steaming hot cuppa ☕️ while I watch.

[@rdreher7380]

This was amazing! It very much felt like the culmination of all the years building up to now. I was captivated at every moment, and would love to see this concept used more.

[@j.j.savalle4714]

It looks like they were having as much fun as it was for us to watch. And to see all the various 18th century cooking methods going on at once was pretty nice! Congrats to Ryan!

[@JeanJean1]

This was really fun. Next time John needs to be the one competing 😂

[@bluejester2713]

Fantastic! I'd love to see more of these. Balancing the historical accuracy, modern flavour preferences, difficulty and obscurity is a fantastic concept. When you throw in the added challenge of defined types of dishes, the timer and having to have everything come together as a full meal at the end, Its a fantastic concept. You're on to a winning format in my eyes!

[@Kwarnivague]

This was so wholesome and wonderful, there's nothing quite like a fun competition between friends. Michael and Ryan were both absolute champs, what a fun video to watch, an absolute pleasure.

[@BillHinson]

This has to be one of my favorite episodes I would love to see this again in the near future

[@mystra13]

This was a lot of fun! Good job Michael & GO RYAN! I'd say this could be cool to do once or twice a year. Maybe do an inside one in the winter and an outside campfire one in summer.

[@jaji8549]

Once Ryan finds the lobster fricassee receipt again please share it!

[@MrRufusjax]

I think he may have made that all up to cook the dish he had planned. I bet there is no 18th century receipt and he was pulling Jon's leg. When you are up against Dragoo you have to cheat a bit to win.

[@ericdpeerik3928]

Legend has it he's still searching till today

[@MacaroniGluer]

Please do this again! I kept rewinding because I did not want to get to the end. Finally did. Congrats Ryan!

[@HLBear]

Cast Iron Chef Challenge 2023! This is exciting! Edit after watching: What a great time seeing these recipes come together! I've often wondered about how a big kitchen can get a family meal to the table all at once, hot and delicious. Loved this episode!!

[@tyanhikam3096]

With Ryan's recent appearance in recent videos made me realize he's also a great presenter, especially in the Standing Pie Crust video. Thank you for showing Ryan some highlight! This was a fun episode! I would like to see more of these Cook-off, and I would like to see John participates!

[@MapleRhubarb]

I love how Michael came with the smack talk! Bravo to both contestants!

[@LeeAnnahsCreations]

I think this should be done every year! ... So fun to watch. Love this channel so much. What about a Christmas Cook-off ... that would be fun too

[@victora.bartolome6018]

You folks never cease to amaze me with your channel's production level. I've been here for years and watching your channel grow has been a never ending treat. Thanks so much!

[@ninosbrothermichael1842]

You’re inventing a whole new genre of video with this one. I just love it!!!

[@hollyreilly2035]

Omg this is so cool! I love this!!! I love the idea of “if we had competitive cooking shows in the 18th century, how might it look?”

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I wonder if there were any similar cooking competitions back then. I can imagine it happening at a fair or something, probably with all the women of the town showing off their recipes.

[@terryt.1643]

Oh my word, each menu sounds amazing. Good luck to you both! Who’s going to be the winner? The fans of course! Thanks, Townsends Team! 👍👍

[@LovelyDarling1928]

You guys both knocked it out of the park! That was tremendously difficult cooking in that setting and coordinating dishes to be served hot. In my eyes, you guys are both winners . Such a fun episode to watch, thank you gentlemen!

[@HugsXO]

I really enjoyed seeing Michael and Ryan cook. Great episode and would love to see more like this in the future. Well done gentlemen.😊

[@jeffmesser1121]

I think the winner should take on John in the next one 😂. It was nice meeting you Ryan at Stones trace

[@stephpavone]

Bravo 👏 on the camera work and editing!! This came out beautiful Aaron and team!

[@the_b_coli]

One of my favorite episodes in a while. It was great to see everyone's personality shine through like this.

[@PepBo]

This could indeed become a series in itself! Love watching them cook off against each other and that banter!

[@MoneyChanger02]

Would love to see this with other food KZbinrs competing! Forcing chefs used to modern equipment to use period accurate methods to make an impressive dish would be interesting

[@Burning_Dwarf]

First guest has to be max miller

[@stephpavone]

John seems like such an amazing person! What an amazing community of friends, artists and shared culinary passion he has created and fostered! I was rooting for both teams idk how he will pick a winner!

[@HexerGraf]

I don't usually watch competition shows because the high pressure and cattiness between contestants just stresses me out and is thoroughly unenjoyable. This is the opposite of that. There is some gentle, good-natured ribbing between friends, mild teasing, and so much respect. I could watch this every day.

[@calvincoolidge4056]

This was extremely fun - with a clearer rubric, maybe guest judges, and limits on region and perhaps time period, this could be a really interesting series. Imagine a Revolutionary War cook-off where each side had to choose a faction and cook from their rations and point of view. Really fun!

[@tatsuhirosatou5513]

We need this to become a regular thing on the channel

[@hannahcollins1816]

This was so fun!! The banter back and forth, showing a whole meal come together - I would for sure watch many more of these! Does Jon go head-to-head with Ryan now and have Michael judge?

[@sfooter1692]

No one comes close to doing it like you guys. All the best

[@666mrdoctor]

Please keep doing this format! And by the way, Michael and Ryan were so amazing, fair play to them: it wasn't eeasy and they kept it competitive but as two real gentlemen!

[@lafranglaise3399]

Loved this episode. More Colony cook-offs please ! Ryan's whitepot looked delish & Michael's olive looked very tasty. Btw, Michael, how about replacing the wafers with pancakes ? Looking forward to more episodes like this in the future.

[@tedbosquez19]

Fantastic content ... the friendly but competitive banter between them was great!

[@gordonhopkins7519]

I loved watching them just trying to put their meals together and everything seemed complicated. Please do it again.

[@tnntaronewsnetwork4514]

Please do more of these, we need this. This is my favorite thing you've ever done.

[@kinjiru731]

Everyone did a great job and I loved this idea. Michael and Ryan did a great job cooking, Jon presented and judged well, the camera work and editing was top notch. Kudos, gang, you should be proud.

[@billyolden8859]

Combining my love of cooking shows and the history loved in this video series is a dream come true! Awesome video 👍

[@pretary1845]

You're *all* so articulate when explaining, and the camera work and editing is also really great. It's all so refreshing.

[@Lorriann63]

This was a wonderful show! Truly enjoyed it. Congratulations, Ryan, but really everybody is a winner here! Steep competition.

[@aliciaaustin8373]

OMG 18th century Iron Chef episode

[@joanhoffman3702]

What a fun episode! You definitely must do more like this. You should include Max Miller, too. And it’s a good thing there are no health inspectors around, or they would certainly comment about the presence of live chickens in the kitchen! 😂😂😂😂😂

[@cool2bwichu]

Man…I can’t believe I’ve just stumbled on this channel. So much quality in everything from the camerawork, to the ambience, the know-how, the setting, authenticity, energy, etc.. This entire ep and channel is pure unadulterated gold. Thank you for the Herculean effort. That goes to everyone involved!

[@beckyjohnson9917]

Thank you everyone! Yes cooking is work - so fun to watch you both compete. Really enjoyed this episode.

[@Booger414]

Catching up on videos after a mostly internet free vacation. Then I see this posted 2 minutes ago. I love the idea of Cast Iron Chef. We need more of these. I honestly didn't know who to root for, as I like them both. I found the channel because of a video with Michael but have grown to enjoy Ryans work in the scripted episodes and the tavern.

[@albionswede]

This needs to be an actual series, I'd 100% watch every episode!! So intense but also delicious, educational, with friendly competition!

[@TheGameGetterKuzuri]

Would love one of these every once in a while. If you do this again, have some other historical recreators or even people from the cooking and historical KZbin sphere to come on and try this competition. Absolutely fun!

[@desudesu5806]

I love the cooking episodes, but this one was super fun to watch. This should be required viewing in schools.

[@growingfromseed]

Yes please, we definitely need more episodes like this one, thank you 😊

[@ArchieKeen1]

You can tell they are all super stoked to do this!,

[@Duderclese]

Ryan has so much on-camera charisma.

[@jodyfleming3805]

Wow! That was fantastic! Thank you for sharing & all the hard work that went into it! I can’t wait for another one!

[@jaji8549]

Ryan, you were more than just a line cook in your restaurant experience, weren't you? 🙂

[@eekee6034]

Ryan was a line cook? Now I understand his behaviour under pressure: he's been in the trenches before!

[@jaji8549]

@@eekee6034 Pretty sure he mentioned having worked in restaurants at one point. I know a pro when I see one!

[@TheFatPrinny]

Why in the name of all that is holy, that I decided to watch this on midnight, while working overtime and having nothing to eat?? My god you cannot IMAGINE the torture I go through watching you guys cooking all those scrumptious food 🤤

[@SparraGryphon]

I'm only halfway through the video, but I love how it's a very wholesome channel trying to do a cooking competition, but you can tell both cooks aren't being super competitive about it. It's a fun idea for a video, but I'd love to see something more cooperative next time maybe, like "oh no, someone very important is visiting our homestead (either some local government officials or a group of friendly army officers/generals) so we need to make a nice dinner on short notice" or something akin to that. Cooking fancy is hard, especially if your toolset is limited, so I think videos along those lines would be fun to watch!

[@julesflynn6477]

What a hugely ambitious and excellently executed episode! Amazing work from the whole team!! 💕

[@superbodypop7289]

This was incredible!! Please make this a series!

[@BitcoinBuccaneerBridger]

This is great! Loved the whole episode! Definitely gotta do more content like this!

[@withonforafteratbyin]

Please do more of these! That was so much fun!

[@jenniel.morris66]

Fantastic episode!! A holiday cook off would be a lot of fun!

[@lovableladyfish]

This was wonderful! Very cool challenge, and Michael cracks me up when he gets sassy. Very fun!

[@artsymarxist]

This was absolutely incredible 😂 I hope yall do more of these! Love the long cooking videos

[@RyanControl]

Its been awhile for me to find the right time and mood to watch this, but it was worth it. Well done all around. Entertaining, educational, and very professional production quality.

[@baldmenwin9591]

It's a Sunday Braise-Off..!! 😊

[@maxlesser8349]

I feel like Michael Dragoo is the Morimoto of 18th-century cooking! Allez Cuisine!

[@MHJ_404]

Clearly not 😂😂😂

[@inisipisTV]

Shucks, Jon this is a scrumptious idea. Wish you invited Justine of Early American channel to join this cook off. Another delicious Historical recreation channel that I love.

[@oilpatch432]

Love this format. Thank you guys. was wonderful