Favorite cooking shows (lately)

I think my favorite right now is New Scandinavian Cooking - although I must admit that it's not a cuisine that appeals to me much. Just love the host, the outdoor setting, how the show is shot, and yes, sometimes I do want to try my own hand at some of the dishes. I used to love Two Fat Ladies, but I don't get the Cooking Channel so I haven't seen it in a long time. What are your favorites?

p.s., I'm hoping this thread can be a bash-free zone, where we can talk about shows that we like, or certain things that we like about certain shows. Something positive and uplifting for these cold gray days of winter.

I have been enjoying The Chew on ABC. It's really light weight but it's a fun show, clear recipes and instructions plus the people on it make me laugh. Their is a companion web site that has the recipes as well as a video of it along with many other instructional videos.

Hi,

I like WGN's lunchbox segment that airs around 12:45 pm Mon-Fri. They get some top tier chefs, book authors and other locals. Miss it? There is streaming video along with the recipe on WGN's website.

Now that Allyson is gone, it is an easier segment to watch. She seemed to tower over most, wasn't very handy in the kitchen and she seemed to slow it down.

Regards,

I've never seen either. Thanks for the tips.

The Chew comes on at noon. Mario Batali and Michael Symon are the chefs along with Carla Hall, a former Top Chef contestant, Daphne Oz (Dr. Oz's daughter, and Clinton Kelly of What No to Wear is the host. They have really gelled well, it's a funny and lively program.

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew

We like The Big Cheese on the new cooking channel. Hosted by the proprietor of a cheese shop in New Haven, each episode has a theme (Beer and Cheese, Grilled Cheese, Mac-n-Cheese etc) and generally includes both recipes and a visit to a cheesemaker.

Pretty much anything on Create. I particularly adore:

-Lydia's Italy, Italian food never looked so damn delectable
-Primal Grill with Steven Raichlen. I told my husband that if Steven were to ever show up at our doorstep, I'd basically leave him for the man who knows how to grill the hell out of everything and I love that he always has interesting combinations of ingrediants.
-Simply Ming, love his personality and good nature
-America's Test Kitchen, like the discussions and comparisons they do

Katie wrote:I think my favorite right now is New Scandinavian Cooking - although I must admit that it's not a cuisine that appeals to me much. Just love the host, the outdoor setting, how the show is shot, and yes, sometimes I do want to try my own hand at some of the dishes.

I watched this show for several seasons in the middle part of the last decade. Like you, I'm not a fan of the cuisine, but I enjoyed the settings (think of the English productions by Keith Floyd) and the backstories. Rotating the hosts/chefs also appealed to me. I enjoyed the travelogue aspects.

I still miss Charlie Trotter's show. 37 prep steps, then "You see, it's so simple."

Hi,

Years ago, I fired cable from the house.

Digital television has expanded our television viewing options. WTTW's Create TV on 11.2 and 11.3 are frequently selected. Cooking, travel and reruns from the main station are pretty good programs.

I also watch Living Well on 7.2 for Rick Bayless' Mexico: One Plate at a Time, Chris Koetke's Let's Dish (disclaimer I know Chris) and Good Cookin' with Bruce Aidells. There is a new program I have not yet seen: My Family's Recipe Rocks.

I don't watch Food TV very much, though I almost always hit some cake decorating program when I do. I am pretty happy with the content rich programming on digital television.

Regards,

I am tired of most of the cooking shows now and I do not watch them as much as I used to. I do like the best thing I ever ate where the chefs talk about certain favorite dishes. I am a sucker for any food show combined with travel. I watch check please and enjoy it. I also watch Foodography on the food channel, I enjoy that. I also liked some of burt wolfes programs when they combined food with travel. sometimes I watch David Rocco as I like italian food and culture. I do not think he is that good of a cook but his settings are interesting. One person that bores me to death is Jamie Oliver. I start to snore when he comes on for some reason. maybe because he is not the naked chef anymore. that would perk me up if it were true.

Good reminders, toria. I'll add as favorites lately Mexico One Plate at a Time (I watch it whenever I find it on, even if it's one I've seen before), America's Test Kitchen, and - though at first I didn't think I would like it - Hubert Keller's Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. In general, I dedicate Saturday afternoons to watching cooking shows (while doing other things at the same time, of course), and flip around to pick which channel I want to watch.

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Years ago, I fired cable from the house.

Digital television has expanded our television viewing options. WTTW's Create TV on 11.2 and 11.3 are frequently selected. Cooking, travel and reruns from the main station are pretty good programs.

I also watch Living Well on 7.2 for Rick Bayless' Mexico: One Plate at a Time, Chris Koetke's Let's Dish (disclaimer I know Chris) and Good Cookin' with Bruce Aidells. There is a new program I have not yet seen: My Family's Recipe Rocks.

I don't watch Food TV very much, though I almost always hit some cake decorating program when I do. I am pretty happy with the content rich programming on digital television.

Regards,

Cathy, I haven't had cable tv since I was a teen and my husband has never had it so PBS has always been a staple in our home. We love watching Create. So many great shows and so many great cooks. Sometimes they give us inspiration and recipes for cooking something that turns out amazing.

I have a friend who has a cable and a few years back I would visit her frequently and she was always watching the reality shows on the Food network and none of them interested me one bit. i think the personalities on Create are easier to digest and just much more interesting in general.

I'm really enjoying The Mind of a Chef.
It's a series following David Chang through a bunch of different subjects, narrated by Anthony Bourdain.

Full episodes online here:
http://video.pbs.org/program/mind-chef/

Episode 2: Pig is very entertaining.

Folks, I'd never heard of "Create" until I read this thread tonight. A quick bit of googling and I discovered that our local cable in Plattsburgh carries "Create" !! Yee-hah! Tnx soooo much!

Geo

Hi- I love Create's cooking shows much more than the Food channel's. I especially enjoy America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country put together by Cook's Illustrated magszine.. I've noticed that Dish and Direct tv don't carry Prime and Create though, or am I wrong? Thanks, Nancy

Don't know what networks Dish and Direct carry, but America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country are on WTTW as well, which I would think all the providers carry.

I've really been liking this season of The Mind of a Chef: The first two seasons were sort of mumblecore -- as enthusiastic as he gets, David Chang never seemed to engage with the camera, and Sean Brock and April Bloomefield seem to be cut from the same cloth (although Brock's cooking was interesting enough that I got his cookbook).

Edward Lee, though, needs his own show. He loves, loves, loves what he's doing, he's got a great screen presence, and is absolutely engrossed with everything he finds. The first half of this season is the best stuff they've done yet. Magnus Nilsson doesn't have quite the same fascination, but is just so darn odd I can't stop watching (sometimes just for how he pronounces "butter").

JoelF wrote:Edward Lee, though, needs his own show. He loves, loves, loves what he's doing, he's got a great screen presence, and is absolutely engrossed with everything he finds. The first half of this season is the best stuff they've done yet. Magnus Nilsson doesn't have quite the same fascination, but is just so darn odd I can't stop watching (sometimes just for how he pronounces "butter").

I completely agree. The Edward Lee stuff really made we want to check out not just his cooking, but Louisville in general. As far as Magnus goes...let's just say that unlike Joel, I have somehow managed to stop watching (at least on a consistent basis).

Oh, and to further the discussion, I've really been enjoying Chef and the Farmer on PBS.

Once and a while I'll watch Extra Virgin or Chopped. It seems like the hay day of cooking shows is over. They used to be so good but now it seems to be mostly re runs. I am so sick of Guy Fieri.......

Another favorite of mine these days is "My Grandmother's Ravioli" with Mo Rocca.

My Grandmother's Ravioli is amazing! Also, loving The Mind of a Chef right now.

Yes I like that one too.

I'm still watching many of the WTTW and Create shows mentioned (my favorites are Mexico One Plate at a Time, NewScanCook, Lydia's Italy, Primal Grill, ATK/Cooks Country, and Hubert Keller). Still haven't ever made anything shown on New Scandinavian Cooking though I still love watching it. Still love Mo Rocca and My Grandmother's Ravioli.

I have started watching The Chew since I saw it mentioned in this thread and I do like it.

Two other shows I like that I don't think have been mentioned yet are Caio Italia and Nick Stellino.

I really used to enjoy Nick Stellino's early TV work shot at PBS in Seattle around 15 years ago. He was a comedic showman (perhaps unintentionally so) with really solid cooking skills and great instructional technique. He was the proto Batalli.

My wife bought one of his cookbooks which came complete with a CD of romantic Italian music to accompany the dinners you would cook using recipes from the book.

A show that I've started watching on WTTW is called BBQ With Franklin. Episode 2 aired today. So far, it's a great show for anyone who is interested in cooking Texas Hill Country style BBQ. It's hosted by self described "BBQ Nerd" (and James Beard Award winner) Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ in Austin.

I enjoy Nick Stellino's enthusiasm. I have not seen BBQ with Franklin; I'll keep an eye out for that.

You can watch all of the BBQ with Franklin episodes as they air nationally here: http://video.pbs.org/program/bbq-franklin/.

FYI,
Dave

stevez wrote:I really used to enjoy Nick Stellino's early TV work shot at PBS in Seattle around 15 years ago. He was a comedic showman (perhaps unintentionally so) with really solid cooking skills and great instructional technique. He was the proto Batalli.

My wife bought one of his cookbooks which came complete with a CD of romantic Italian music to accompany the dinners you would cook using recipes from the book.

A show that I've started watching on WTTW is called BBQ With Franklin. Episode 2 aired today. So far, it's a great show for anyone who is interested in cooking Texas Hill Country style BBQ. It's hosted by self described "BBQ Nerd" (and James Beard Award winner) Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ in Austin.

Concur regarding Stallino. Many years ago I saw him do a chicken picatta, and I thought, "I could do that," he made it look so easy. And the next day I did. And I've hardly looked back. All thanks to Nick Stallino.

I've really enjoyed the episodes I've seen so far of "I'll Have What Phil's Having." Not really a cooking show; it's a food-centered travel show.

Katie wrote:I've really enjoyed the episodes I've seen so far of "I'll Have What Phil's Having." Not really a cooking show; it's a food-centered travel show.

That's exactly right, Katie. Phil Rosenthal's premise is good, the camerawork is really, really nice, but boy, I sure would like to see more substance. His constant wide-eyed 'best-I-ever-ate' countenance is somewhat cloying and borderline distracting. And the problem is, that idiosyncrasy of his is getting more prominent. He kept it in check more or less in Tokyo for his debut episode, Florence was pretty much over the top, and last night's Paris was Phil simply being out-and-out weird. As I said, the production work absolutely saves the show for him.

At least Bourdain or Zimmern (especially now that he's gone off the bizarre bent) occasionally finds the obscure haunt that makes you think, hey, good idea, I'll visit there on my next trip. In Florence, Rosenthal visited no less than three places--the lampredotto stand near the Ponte Vecchio, Vivoli for gelato, and a pilgrimage to see Dario Cecchini the butcher in Panzano-in-Chianti--that have been showcased multiple times on food/travel shows before. I think the clip that Phil had with Dario reciting Italian poetry at the dinner table was almost verbatim from a Bourdain episode a few years back.

Still...I can't look away. The freaking camerawork is that good. Hong Kong is next.


P.S. From a cooking standpoint, I've learned quite a bit from David Rocco's shows. Simple, quick, and he stresses quality ingredients.