What's your favorite Cooking Show?

DoctorShavegood · Sep 2, 2014

TV has a lot of cooking shows and I've pretty much seen them all. I avoid any shows that are "reality" based like Chopped. Hell's Kitchen is another one that I can't stand to watch because of all the senseless cussing and beeping. A lot of the cooking shows have chef's(or so called) who have become celebrities and now just have too much face time on the tube. Fresh new faces are what I look for. In my opinion PBS is the leader in good educational programs that instruct on how to cook without all the mindless fodder. My favorites are Cook Country's American Test Kitchen and Simply Ming. Even though Martha Stewart is a big celebrity she still produces a very good show and is a fine teacher.

What is or was your favorite cooking show? Why?

BSAGuy · Sep 2, 2014

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I love to see interesting food combinations.

BubblesTGB · Sep 2, 2014

I like the shows where they still actually provide instruction in how to cook. Therefore, I agree that PBS wins that category. America's Test Kitchen is my favorite. That being said, I do like Ina Garten. Her voice relaxes me.

But I do love a cooking show and will watch pretty much anything except the over the top reality stuff where it ceases to become about the food.

DoctorShavegood · Sep 2, 2014

Jacque Pepin had a great show on PBS. I also liked his show with the queen of TV cooking shows, Julia Child.

MrSpeedy · Sep 2, 2014

Another vote for America's Test Kitchen on PBS. They are tops.

langod · Sep 2, 2014

+1 for ATK and Cooks Country. I wish they'd make more of them each year.

Of course Good Eats, too. I wish Alton hadn't ended the show and jumped on the reality show bandwagon.

I just discovered "French Food at Home" with Laura Calder. It's in repeats now and new ones haven't been made in a couple of years, I guess. Good recipes, and instruction, plus Laura is pretty easy on the eyes.

I liked Aarti Party on FN, it was primarily Indian dishes, but it's been cancelled.

I like Diner, Drive-ins and Dives, I think it illustrates the "real" American small,independent restaurant.

Food Network overall is a disappointment, they've gotten away from food and recipes, and turned into a personality channel. Sister channel Cooking, is a bit better, but many of their shows (when they're not showing FN repeats) are so trendy, that they run for a season and are all used up.

gwsmallwood · Sep 2, 2014

langod said:
...Of course Good Eats, too. I wish Alton hadn't ended the show and jumped on the reality show bandwagon...

That was my favorite. I'm a nerdy engineer, so i loved the science and chemistry explanations, plus he would usually show you two or three different ways to prepare stuff depending on what you had available.

DoctorShavegood · Sep 2, 2014

langod said:
+1 for ATK and Cooks Country. I wish they'd make more of them each year.

Of course Good Eats, too. I wish Alton hadn't ended the show and jumped on the reality show bandwagon.

I just discovered "French Food at Home" with Laura Calder. It's in repeats now and new ones haven't been made in a couple of years, I guess. Good recipes, and instruction, plus Laura is pretty easy on the eyes.

I liked Aarti Party on FN, it was primarily Indian dishes, but it's been cancelled.

I like Diner, Drive-ins and Dives, I think it illustrates the "real" American small,independent restaurant.

Food Network overall is a disappointment, they've gotten away from food and recipes, and turned into a personality channel. Sister channel Cooking, is a bit better, but many of their shows (when they're not showing FN repeats) are so trendy, that they run for a season and are all used up.

+1 on this. FN is about where MTV was in the late 80's early 90's. If they keep it up they won't even show any food. :tongue_sm

As for triple D, that is one of my favorites and love to see different parts of the country and how the food differs from my area.

igasho · Sep 2, 2014

+over9000 Good Eats

Fgl28 · Sep 2, 2014

I like to watch in no particular order:
Good Eats
America's Test Kitchen
French Food at Home
anything by Giada de Laurentiis for both cleavage and recipes :thumbup1:

All have recipes that are duds but all in all their technique is usually superior.

August West · Sep 2, 2014

froogle_jimmy · Sep 2, 2014

August West said:
View attachment 491108

Anything with Mr.Bourdain is outstanding!!!

Also anything with Giada or Nigella Lawson is great....heck even if the volume is on mute its STILL worth watching!!

I am actually a fan of Top Chef and Top Chef Masters.

YetiDave · Sep 2, 2014

The Mind of a Chef is interesting, and Luke Nguyen's Vietnam always inspires me

DoctorShavegood · Sep 2, 2014

I use to watch a show back in the 80's named Yan Can Cook. The chef is Martin Yan. His show disappeared in the 90's. Looks like he is starting a new run of shows on PBS starting in the fall.

Luc · Sep 2, 2014

I really enjoy Rick Bayless - Mexico one plate at the time on PBS. Other than that, Jacques Pépin is a regular (It's a culture thing but the quantity of butter that goes in the dish is always impressive). Steven Raichlen (Primal Grill and BBQ University) are also shows that I watch often.

I used to watch Iron Chef a lot too when I could catch it. I can't seem to see it anymore... The Japanese version, of course.

jjking54 · Sep 2, 2014

Luc said:
I really enjoy Rick Bayless - Mexico one plate at the time on PBS.

Was going to say this too ... Bayless really piqued my interest in cooking Mexican food ... which led me to cooking virtually everything else.

I do like watching Chopped, but mainly because I like to think about what I would do if I was given those four ingredients, and then to see what the others come up with.

BubblesTGB · Sep 2, 2014

froogle_jimmy said:
Also anything with Giada or Nigella Lawson is great....heck even if the volume is on mute its STILL worth watching!!

Absolutely! There are 4 great reasons to watch Giada and Nigella.

Of course I mean
1) variety of dishes
2) exposure to different cuisines
3) cooking skills
4) tips and tricks

:001_cool:

August West · Sep 2, 2014

BubblesTGB said:
Absolutely! There are 4 great reasons to watch Giada and Nigella.

Of course I mean
1) variety of dishes
2) exposure to different cuisines
3) cooking skills
4) tips and tricks

Osborn Cox · Sep 2, 2014

+1 anything with Anthony Bourdain, granted his shows aren't technically cooking shows but they are entertaining. I also really liked the one that used to be on PBS with the Cajun guy, I think his name was Justin Wilson. He was entertaining and the southern/Cajun recipes that he made were not fancy but always looked awesome. And everything had wine it, along with a glass for the cook.

DoctorShavegood · Sep 2, 2014

jjking54 said:
Was going to say this too ... Bayless really piqued my interest in cooking Mexican food ... which led me to cooking virtually everything else.

I do like watching Chopped, but mainly because I like to think about what I would do if I was given those four ingredients, and then to see what the others come up with.

+2 Rick Bayless has a great show. His mannerisms and they way he talks sort of creeps me out though.

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What's your favorite Cooking Show?

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"

BSAGuy

BubblesTGB

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"

MrSpeedy

langod

gwsmallwood

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"

igasho

Fgl28

August West

froogle_jimmy

YetiDave

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"

Luc

"To Wiki or Not To Wiki, That's The Question".

jjking54

BubblesTGB

August West

Osborn Cox

DoctorShavegood

"A Boy Named Sue"

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