Momsters

“Momsters” is an amusing and fascinating cooking contest in which five brides and their mothers-in-law team up each day to prepare a tasty menu at home in a weekly battle against the other couples. With the mother in charge and choosing the menu, the daughter shops, cooks and serves the meal to the other mothers.

The couple’s relationship fuels the show’s entertainment, with the mother-in-law criticizing the bride as she cooks but defending her against the other mothers’ criticism. But first the mother must set the menu, which must have four courses including soup, salad, hot savory appetizers, a main course and dessert.

The bride has only half-an-hour shopping time and must shop to a strict budget, knowing she will be judged on the value-for-money of her menu. She then has three hours to prepare the food, with the mother only intervening verbally as she cooks, sets the table and serves the food.

Each day, the four guest mothers give marks out of ten for presentation, taste, menu and budget. Then at the end of Friday’s show, they all meet up and the winning bride is revealed. But the real highlight is the highly-charged relationship between mother-in-law and bride which evolves as they learn to work together.