Chef Rodney Bowers and Meredith Shaw Set Up the Self-Shot DOUBLE YOUR DISH: ‘We’re Really Making It In This Time, For This Time’

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede DOUBLE YOUR DISH is deliciously suited for current times, in terms of both how it’s made, and what it’s making! Debuting Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET on CTV Life Channel, the Bell Media Studios Original Series DOUBLE YOUR DISH is a new cooking show from real-life couple Chef Rodney Bowers and Bell Media radio and TV personality Meredith Shaw. The series is “self-shot” in their kitchen, adhering to coronavirus self-isolation, and the concept – creating two completely different dishes from the same base ingredients – also speaks to the coronavirus era, with people limiting their grocery-store trips and buying in bulk. So how and when did this idea come about? How much cooking expertise is Meredith bringing to the table? Which one of them is fast becoming the next Steven Spielberg? Here are the answers to those questions, and more! Q: What was the “a-ha” moment in terms of the creation of this show? CHEF RODNEY BOWERS: “I’m going to really say it was all Meredith, because … ” Q: Because she’s sitting right beside you? MEREDITH SHAW: “Yes, exactly!” CHEF RODNEY BOWERS: “I’m trying to be on my best behaviour! But I’ve been cooking for so many years, I’ve done THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW, I’ve done CBC, I’ve had a cooking show on the Food Network, I’ve done radio and whatnot. And I just found that the chemistry with Meredith in the kitchen was so fun, and teaching her to cook was awesome. It was light and lovely and it just made sense, and people got it. And she was so relatable because she was such a terrible cook, and there are so many people out there who just want to learn.” Q: Meredith, do you have a rebuttal? MEREDITH SHAW: “Oh, always! But as Rod said, it was other people. We were doing something on Instagram, and immediately people started referring to it as a show, which I thought was ridiculous. But a couple weeks later, we got a call with an offer. It was only about a month ago! We’re really making it in this time, for this time. And I think I’m confident in my expertise in other areas of life, so I can be self-deprecating in the kitchen, and very honest. But I’ve learned a lot from him – mainly that I want him to keep doing it, and me to keep eating it.” Q: The way you’ve set this up, there’s something for both experts and neophytes. MEREDITH SHAW: “That’s maybe the secret sauce, I think you hit on it there. It allows people to not be so intimidated by the kitchen, but at the same time, Rod is an incredible chef, one of Canada’s best. So even if you are an amazing foodie, you’re still going to get something from it.” CHEF RODNEY BOWERS: “But Meredith makes it so relatable. I find I can be a little bit serious when I’m doing it by myself, but she really brings so much personality to it.” Q: Chemistry is one thing, but you still needed a concept. Some families with really picky eaters make different versions of meals every night, so was that a consideration? MEREDITH SHAW: “I think the concept came a little bit from what you’re saying, but also just recognizing the times we’re in right now, and really being mindful of people’s budgets. People are in the kitchen more than they ever have been before, and they’re going to the grocery store maybe once a month, instead of just picking up things here and there. So we wanted to be able to show people that you can buy in bulk, make one really interesting dish, and then use that exact same set of ingredients to make another dish that perhaps is more to someone else’s taste. It’s about keeping people excited about the food they’re preparing themselves.” Q: Finally, in actuality, what does “self-shot” mean? CHEF RODNEY BOWERS: “It means Meredith Shaw is going around our living room-slash-kitchen with tape, marking every single spot on the floor, where this camera goes, and that light goes. She has really gone from a top-notch social media photographer to a top-tier director of photography who could shoot any Hollywood blockbuster. We both want it to look as good as possible, but really we’re doing it on a couple of iPhones in our kitchen.” MEREDITH SHAW: “But we couldn’t do it without the team in our ears. There’s a huge team behind the show. It’s a full operation. The two people kind of handling things on the set side are us, but one morning I opened my door and I had a whole equipment delivery on the front porch. Suddenly I was running cables and setting up a stove-cam. It’s wild. I never thought I’d be co-hosting a cooking show in the first place, and I certainly never thought I’d be doing it this way! But we’re grateful, it couldn’t be any more real, and we hope people love it. And stay tuned to see if we stay together by episode eight!” billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv