10 Shows That Will Get You Cooking
The home-cooked meal has gained recent popularity, thanks both to the economy and the plethora of enjoyable and entertaining cooking programs on television. Americans are finally realizing that, with a little guidance and some fresh produce, they too can create healthy, gourmet meals for their families.
While it might seem there’s a cooking show on every channel at every hour, the following shows standout as the best and most entertaining for the budding chef and home cook alike.
10. 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray – Food Network
Marketed to the busy professionally who wants to “put great food on the table and still have time to…tackle that home improvement project…” Ray offers doable recipes for the everyday cook, and explains everything in understandable terms. However, I’ve tried several of her “30-minute” recipes and always find myself frantically plating the food and throwing it on the table just in time. Be wary of planning dinner if you don’t have the benefit of commercial breaks.
9. Down Home with the Neelys – Food Network
The Neelys are a wonderful couple, and their love for each other is evident. The spicy and Southern meals they share, straight from their famous Tennessee restaurants, are impressive, and they definitely seem to have a blast in the kitchen. One has to wonder about the Neelys, though. They seem a little too happy for a married couple that owns a business and works together - they must get on each other’s nerves eventually!
8. Chopped – Food Network
“Chopped” is a more intense, smaller-scale “Iron Chef”. Hosted by former “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” food and wine expert Ted Allen, four professional chefs are given three courses and a few required ingredients to impress a panel of judges. If they falter, they are “chopped” after each course and the last chef standing is awarded a $10,000 prize. Their inventive and risky creations are drool-worthy, but they definitely don’t make it look easy…this show stresses me out more than my 9-5!
7. Grill It! With Bobby Flay – Food Network
Bobby Flay is easily one of the most respected chefs in the industry. While this Renaissance man might seem unapproachable, he graciously invites unknown chefs onto “Grill It!” to highlight their specialties. Seen as a bit of a competition, Flay is challenged to create a similar dish, often an ethnic specialty, of which he’s not aware until meeting the guest. Flay’s Queens, New York setting gives viewers an amazing background view of NYC, and it’s nice to see such a culinary powerhouse spending time with his admirers.
6. Chef Academy - Bravo
Renown French Chef Novelli runs this culinary school experiment with the “3 Strikes and You’re Out” attitude, taking nine novices and attempting to turn them into professional chefs. In addition to the docu-series’ unending drama, “Chef Academy” is worth watching for the sole reason of seeing Chef Novelli at work creating fascinating dishes with the most amazing ingredients. His European sense of humor, such as faking vomit after tasting a student’s creation, brings comic relief to this reality series.
5. Worst Cooks in America – Food Network
When your pizza delivery man knows your address by heart, watching “Worst Cooks in America” will make you feel much better about your own skills in the kitchen. From an entire boiled chicken to a pan burnt beyond recognition, the blue team and red team, led by Chef Beau MacMillan and Chef Anne Burrell respectively, compete each week to prove that they are not in fact the worst cooks in America. With an opportunity to cook for a panel of esteemed culinary judges and a prize of $25,000, the “recruits” are thrown into often unrealistic boot camp situations, leaving you feeling terrible for them yet semi-inspired to test your own skills.
4. Good Eats – Food Network
Host Alton Brown is not only smart and witty, he is incredibly versed on many topics and realistic with his approach. With episodes like “Man Food” and “Honey I Shrunk the Cake,” Brown is good for both cooking techniques and general Pop Culture knowledge, appealing to a wide audience. It’s a cooking show for the geek in all of us!
3. Big Daddy’s House – Food Network
Aaron McCargo, Jr., or the namesake “Big Daddy,” is not only pleasing to the eyes; he’s a personable and laid-back family man. His recipes are easy to follow, and gives viewers alternates to his methods, like a low-impact/high-impact yoga class. Be careful though – Big Daddy brings the spice. As he invites family and friends into his kitchen, he makes you feel right at home.
2. Iron Chef America – Food Network
If you were a fan of the Japanese original, you will definitely love “Iron Chef America,” which uses Kitchen Stadium as the setting for a heart-pounding challenge between the reigning Iron Chefs and the contenders. Each must use the “secret ingredient” to create an impressive meal for the panel of judges, with only an hour and an assistant and wisecracking Alton Brown peering over their shoulders. However, “Iron Chef America” should be prefaced with “Do not try this at home!” – it is for the casual observer who prefers to sit back and watch the flame as opposed to spending actual time in the hot kitchen.
1. Sandra’s Money Saving Meals – Food Network
Sandra Lee is by far the most adorable and relatable personality on the Food Network. She is the guru of saving money in the kitchen, and turns her already low-priced meals into “Round 2 Recipes,” perfect for the average American family or college student. She combines prepared foods and fresh items to make some of the most inventive, accessible and delicious recipes on daytime television, yet one has to wonder where she buys her food. Her prices are skewed, and subject to a specific area – ground beef is definitely not $2.99/lb in New York City.
No comments:
Post a Comment