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Cook Shows

pink_warm_mama_1

15 years ago

IMHO Nigella Bites and Alex's Day Off are two of the best cook shows, however, I'm rarely able to see them as they are on (in this area) on Sunday morning when a lot of people are in church. Anyone agree as to the value of these two shows?

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Comments (11)

happyintexas
15 years ago
I'm not a fan of Nigella, but that just goes to show how taste varies from person to person.

I record cooking shows I want to enjoy...after a while my son starts griping that the DVR is full of 'America's Test Kitchen, '10 Dollar Dinners', Bobby Flay, and 'Iron Chef America.' It is fun to have an hour or two to savor them--usually with some sort of food treat in hand.
BeverlyAL
15 years ago
Neither am I a fan of Nigella Lawson. I don't mind that some of the people on the cooking shows are not chefs, however she is not a chef and I don't care much for her cooking and even less her sidelong glances and licking spoons, etc.

I do usually watch Alex's Day Off though. Is there any way you can record any of them? I never watch anything in real time anymore. I record and then when I watch I can fast forward through the commercials.
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If Indiana is right in the heart of the Midwest, then I must be living on the west coast. Better start learning the language. "Gag me with a spoon"? And why go crazy because someone uses more salt that you want? Don't you think you could, let's see. hmmm, maybe use less?? Recipes are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Recipes will often vary, even when followed to the letter depending on a number of variables. I seldom follow a recipe to the letter since I might not happen to have the free range grapes, cage free milk or organic Vanilla Wafers that Marco Pierre White's recipe might call for. I often will add spice I like and tone down or eliminate what I don't like. Amish/Mennonite, etc cooking has a lot of crossover with what some people term "Midwest" cooking. If you consider Indiana "midwest" then I exempt this from consideration. However the midwest of the United States are generally or at least were, big farming areas and Amish/Mennonite, etc were also big farmers. Meat, potatoes, bread, coffee, milk, dessert was your typical farm fare. The midwest didn't use much in the way of rice however certain areas, including the upper midwest would have wild rice available and that could be included in the later menus. Native Americans of course used wild rice much more heavily than many others until others found out how great it is. Actually you'll find a lot of crossover in German, even Russian and certain other ethnic types of foods when they're living in a colder climate and doing a lot of hard work, but then again considering the number of Scandinavians. Germans, etc who populated the area, it shouldn't be a surprise. But the food changed to adapt to what's around. You won't go to Norway, Sweden, Germany, Russia, etc and find the same things. Just as "cajun" or "creole" won't be found in France, and probably not much in the French areas of Canada. As Annie said, hearty meals were needed for the heavy workload on a typical farm. You'd rise early and work late and burn a lot of calories. Actually what many people term "comfort foods" is quite common among both the A/M/etc and midwest farmers. You won't find finger sandwiches, consumme or sushi on these menus. You will find hearty soup, stew, roast, meatloaf, pasta and much much more. You'll also find a lot of pies, cakes, cookies and rolls. You'll find great breads, rolls, etc. Around here, mac & cheese is essentially baby food. A blue box and a package of Corn King hotdogs fed many a toddler by a new mother. Never could stomach mac & cheese. No meat, why bother. Watching Cookin' Cheap is different. Two gay guys doing their "cooking" and then dressing in drag to show a gadget of some sort. A pickle slicer, nut cracker or whatever. The "Cook Sisters". Initially it was to show people you could cook cheap. They'd figure out the cost of something and figure per portion. Although if they had a leftover from something before, they didn't include it in the price and would come out with 58¢ per person "meals". One thought he knew how to cook and the other admitted he knew nothing but would try anything. They both fancied themselves far better standup comedians that I would. Watch it sometime, it's, well, different. I wouldn't say it's funny very often, but entertaining usually. Actually hotdish for the food, (and go ahead and debate "food" if you're a Miracle Whip snob) and "hot dish" describes the ladies cooking or the temperature of the plate. Scalloped potatoes and ham is a type of hotdish. Marilyn's Party Potatoes, sometimes called "funeral potatoes" is a hotdish, etc. People stick out their tongues and stick their noses in the air over foods. Yes, some will be a can of cream soup with a can of something and a package of onion soup mix. But then again, people buy "blue box", TV dinners and produce from Walmart for cryin out loud! LOL Contrary to what a couple of you believe, not one of the terms hotdishes, A/M/etc or midwest cooking mean all from a can or a pouch. It can and often is made from scratch. The shortcuts are more publicized since it's a timesaver and many people who hit the net want to save time. I would defy most anyone to have tasted and claim they didn't like the scalloped potatoes and ham that was served at my aunt's funeral, or for that matter the roast beef and mashed potatoes served at my cousin's funeral or any of my mother's holiday meals, all made from scratch. I'll take that any day over foo-foo food! Or for that matter the Tex-Mex you get at Taco Bell, or the seafood from Long John Silver, or should I continue... Back to topic, a couple other shows I enjoyed watching included the Galloping drunk, er, Gourmet though never really learned much from his shows. When Andrew Zimmern was a local cook he was interesting to see on the local channels before he decided to concentrate on bugs and exotic roadkill.
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I do not want to pay for TV, so only get over-air. In the cooler months, I watch a lot of PBS. I alepways have a lot of opinions and have thought of starting a thread "cooking shows cross contamination and other bad habits". TheJazzy veg cook bugs me for some reason. Not sure why. Maybe too cheesecake smarmy? That's too harsh. But I surely do welcome anyone extolling healthful cooking. Forgot-her-name-female vegan cook, red hair, often wears black. She survived cancer, is likely a fine person. Something about her bugs me. Maybe too casually know it all? Cooks Illustrated, Cook Country and TestKitchen. I see a lot of them and reruns. I think Chris K is fine. I like watching most of the shows. Some of the gadget reviews, not so much, although I like Lisa McM. I used o get the magazine. If they still have the offer for free year subscription if they publish your tip, I'll jump on it. They use a LOT of fat NS salt. They need a crawler to remind people to wash hands, swap utensils, cutting boards and so on. I know they want to condense video and save time, but they need to use a crawler. I see a lot of cross contamination opportunities. I am familiar with radiation lab work (you cannot see the radioactivity (like bacteria), but must always be aware that you will contaminate if not meticulous). Handle raw chicken, reach for the salt bowl or shaker? You've just cross contaminated! Simply Ming -- I like when he cooks with his family. And, yes, those moo shoo wrappers are easy and fun to make. Jacques Pepin! He is fantastic. I'll follow him anywhere and drink his Koolaid. Hubert Keller -- a good teacher and fun, creative chef. I want to ride with him on his motorcycle, touring Europe, dining, sipping wines. Those Nordic cooking folks. Fun to watch, but I am not eating uncooked critter and can only cope with just so much dill and cabbage. Woman who cooks quick food in small places. A newer chef. Petite, articulate, genuine, petite fun. Advertises the Hess avocado. She's fun. Pati's Mexican Table-- took me a while to get used to her "feeeesh" = fish. She's fun. Her children are fun, especially ? Jojo? I want to travel /dine the Yucatan with her. Nice house too, Ms. Pati. Mexico, one plate at a time. Ah, Rick. So delicious. Meat BBQ SMOKE UNIVERSITY CHEFS --- you're gonna bring on a cardiac arrest or asthma attack. Darn! I wish I could eat the stuff you BBQ and smoke. Vivian Howard -- I have mixed feelings. So much work to try to cook natural and in-season LOCAL fare. I am tired. Someone walk me over to the Boiler Room (their oyster bar close by). I don't think I can consume too many of those, however healthful, collard greens, turnips and pig gizzards. I like a lot about her, but is that hard laugh forced? Genuine? I'm a northerner and so a lot of the accent and speech from some of the southern states seems so strained. So unneccesarily difficult. Alabamans and Georgian (for example) seem to use up extra rocket fuel to say the simplest words. Mainers may have three syllables for "there" (they a yah), but use much less energy and facial effort. The New Zealand woman with blond hair. Spunky! A good cook. But what the heck is she saying? Take Aussie accent and put it through a food mill on loud. Huh? Remind me of the USA south. Kevin Dunlin (sp) Irish chef -- I want his house! I want to live there. Too hot inland New England. Get me to the UK immediately! Kev, baby, I'll bring the lobster, you put the kettle on
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John Liu
15 years ago
I regularly watch, for cooking information - Good Eats (Alton Brown), Secrets of a Restaurant Chef (Anne Burrell), Chuck's Day Off (Chuck Hughes), America's Test Kitchen. Occasionally Jamie At Home (Jamie Oliver), Molto Mario (Mario Batali) or Julia Child.

For entertainment, I watch Iron Chef, Iron Chef America, The Galloping Gourmet (Graham Kerr), French Food At Home (Laura Calder).

I'd like to watch some of the more regional/ethnic cooking shows, especially the ones on PBS. However, I can only take so much TV. Anyone recommend a good Chinese or, especially, Japanese cooking show?

Nigella Bites is okay but she does a lot of dessert and sweets, and I donÃ¢ÂÂt eat desserts (maybe 1X month) so I'm not that interested. I like some of the food on Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) but the pace of the show is too slow. I've never seen the other show you mentioned.

We use a TiVo, stuffed w/ a 1TB drive. I never see commercials. Love it. Well worth the $10/month.
annie1992
15 years ago
I like Nigella a lot, but I never watch "10 dollar dinners", I don't care for Melissa D'Arabian at all. It's all a matter of taste. Rachel Ray makes me grind my teeth, but my girls love her show.

I watch Alton Brown whenever I get a chance. I didn't like Anne Burrell at first, but now I've learned to really like her show and her cooking. "Alex's Day Off" is OK, but I don't like "Chuck's Day Off".

Because many of these shows are on during the day while I'm at work, I don't see many of them. I also don't have a DVR, so I can't tape them. Just as well, I don't really have time to watch them anyway.

Annie
BeverlyAL
15 years ago
I agree about Chuck's Day Off Annie, also agree about Ten Dollar Dinners. Sometimes I will watch Nigella, but I never watch either of the other two. I don't care for that French Cooking girl either. I love French food though.

Has anyone seen "*itchin Kitchen?" Now that's a joke, a bad joke at that.

Okay, I got an illegal notice so I'm having the change the name of the program above. Hope you recognize it.
caliloo
15 years ago
I LOVE Ina Garten and watch her shows whenever I can. I also enjoy Nigella and Alex's Day Off.

I don;t like Ann Burrell, The Neelys or Chuck's Day Off, I cannot STAND Jamie Oliver and his spitting all over everything. I also don't like Melissa, or that French girl and refuse to watch *itchin Kitchen or that Latina woman who swings her hair and shakes the girls in the camera.

ATK and Alton are fine if I am in geek mode.

Alexa
cookie8
15 years ago
My shows are Ina Garten, Chuck's Day Off, Ricardo and Friends. I love, love, love Come Dine With Me (mostly the UK one (because of David Lamb) but I am warming up, kind of, to the Canadian one) and any cooking competition shows.
donna_loomis
15 years ago
Beverly, I was surfing the other day when I came upon "*itchin Kithen". I HAD to stop and watch for a while to see what was going on. At first I thought we might be cooking with a vampire, then thought that maybe she was a biker chick. Never did figure it out. I guess they were trying to draw in a different crowd. Not for me, though.
cookebook
15 years ago
I actually like *itchin Kitchen. It's listed as "comedy, cooking" on my TV so I didn't expect there to be much real cooking, but there is. I respect anyone who can carve out a nitch for themselves. She's OK in my book.

I'm glad to have the new Cooking Channel since The Food Network has pretty much turned into "cooking contest central". It's nice to have another choice when one of them is offering nothing but silly and tiresome contests.
lorijean44
15 years ago
I'm liking the new Cooking Channel, too. I love Laura Calder's show. And I really love Nigella Bites (I've made more recipes out of that cookbook than any other single cookbook I own - and I own hundreds). I'm not as crazy about Nigella's other shows, but they're okay.

There are only a few cooking shows I just can't watch (about anything with Sandra Lee in it turns me off). Most times when the tv is on, it's tuned into the Cooking Channel or Food Network.

Lori
Jasdip
15 years ago
Our cooking channel is filled with more competition shows than anything else. I don't like any of them.

Ina is my favourite chef and show, but she's not on regularly anymore. I also like Tyler's Ultimate, but don't know when he's on anymore.

Last year Big Daddy's House was carried by our Canadian network, but I don't think it's on anymore. I liked him a lot!

Guy Fiera I like, but I don't make any of his food. His "twin sister" Ann Burrell is hard to watch IMO. I don't like her dramatics.

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