Tasty TV

I could watch cooking shows all day. Seriously, I could and, actually, I probably have. Thankfully, there are two channels devoted exclusively to all things yummy - the Food Network, who shaped my interest in cooking from a young age, and their sister station The Cooking Channel, which features less-commercial programming, and more literal cooking shows than FN (it's the way FN used to be). But, building on the success of these two channels, many other networks have jumped on the food-show trend and I couldn't be happier!

There are all kinds of food programs to watch from the basic how-to's, the first of which that I remember watching was literally called How to Boil Water that introduced the world to Tyler Florence; competitions like Cupcake Wars or The Taste; did-you-know shows like Unwrapped, that explain where our favorite foods come from; foodie talk shows such as The Kitchen; and the ever-popular tour shows, like Diners, Drive-ins & Dives or Bizarre Foods, that show you where to find the best (or weirdest) grub (sometimes literally, in the case of Bizarre). And I love all of them! I love to learn new things about food - not just how to prepare it, but how it's made and where to find it, and I find great joy in watching people excel as chefs.

I want to share some of my favorite shows with you and encourage you to watch an episode or two.

We recently "cut the cord" and only subscribe to online streaming services for TV, so I've included a variety of shows that are available either online, on cable or both. Unfortunately, a lot of shows from The Cooking Channel and Food Network are slow to join the streaming world, but it's happening. The Netflix acquisition of Chopped and a few other FN titles has happened within the last two months. I've listed each show's viewing options and if they are currently showing new episodes, I've listed their airing day/time; most shows are also now available on YouTube for a fee.

Grab a snack and sit back from some tasty TV!



My Grandmother's Ravioli, Cooking Channel (a new season should be starting soon, I hope!)

Ravioli  is such a fun show. The premise is that Mo Rocca, comedian and pundit often on NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, used to love the ravioli his grandmother made. But he wasn't able to capture all her cooking lessons before she passed away. So now, as an adult, seeking to learn more about how to cook and the history of other families' favorite dishes, he visits other people's nanas, grandpoppas, mamaws and abuelos. He cooks a few dishes with the grandparent (or grandparents) and then their families and friends gather for a feast. The show never fails to bring laughter and some of the most poignant moments on TV - like the Italian man who was going to show Mo how to make mozzerella with his father who made it by hand for 50+ years, but the father died a few weeks before taping and they continued on, with a picture of Pops taped to the kitchen cabinet. If you're looking to learn something new, but truly appreciate the feelings that make a good dish, tune in to this show.

Master Chef Junior, Fox (Tuesday, 8 p.m.) and HuluPlus and MasterChef

Gordon Ramsey has to be one of the most feared chefs in the world, not just from his intimidating career, but from the absolute tyrant he is on shows like Hell's Kitchen, where he whips chefs into shape to compete for jobs at his restaurants. His language is beyond rude and he's absolutely hateful to the contestants. On MasterChef he's a little kinder; he's dealing with untrained home cooks who are looking for success and to win a cookbook deal and major money. But the newest of his competition shows, MasterChef Junior, takes the cake. He and his fellow chef judges, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich are downright adorable, nurturing, even, of their contestants ages 8 to 13. The gruff, tense Ramsey is softer, sweeter and quite dreamy as he cuddles the kids, jokes with them and leads them to grow. And as a former teacher, I truly enjoy seeing shows where kids shine. These children are remarkable - making creme anglaise and chiffon cakes before they even hit puberty! I didn't even know what those things were at that time; my all-star dish at 10 was cornflake-coated chicken breasts. These children are unbelievably talented, but also so adorable, quirky and fun!

The Mind of a Chef  PBS and streaming on PBS' website, now on Netflix streaming!

This show, produced by fierce foodie Anthony Bourdain, takes you literally into the minds of chefs around the world. The episodes go into the stories of chefs that weave colorful explainations of their culinary points of view and how they operate their kitchens. So it's part bio-pic, part learning channel (this is PBS, after all) and part travel show. I've learned a lot about chefs I'd never heard of, such as Southern food "activist" Sean Brock, and their unique perspectives on food. For example, in Brock's episodes he explains his mission to protect and reinvigorate Southern recipes by saving our agriculture. In his kitchens (Husk restaurants in Nashville, TN and in Charleston, SC) NO non-Southern ingredients are used - so no olive oil, no herbs de provence; and the ingredients that are used are sourced from farms as close to home as possible, or in the restaurant itself - they make their own lard and cured meats. These episodes taught me more about where my traditions (and ingredients) come from and what they mean to me beyond flavor and better informed me on restaurant menu choices. It's a very thought-provoking show.

The Chew - ABC (weekdays at 1:00 p.m.) and on HuluPlus

This is daytime TV at its finest. They aren't talking about who cheated on who in Hollywood or pleading "help! My son is a _______" but rather talking about the food issues we all deal with; like what to bring to a potluck, what's a good hostess gift, how can I decorate the Thanksgiving table for under $20 and how do I convince my kids to eat their veggies. The hosts include Iron Chefs Mario Batali and Michael Symon; health-food diva (and daughter of Dr.Oz) Daphne Oz; Top Chef contestant Carla Hall and What Not to Wear star Clinton Kelly. Each of these hosts offers a unique perspective into eating well - Symon's all about the pork, Batali loves all things Italian, Daphne has the best healthy tips, Carla is the baked goods queen and Clinton pulls everything together into a tasteful, entertaining package. Out of all the talk-show format food shows, this one is my favorite with the best hosts and guests, most relevant themes and easiest and most delicious recipes.

Top Chef - Bravo and on HuluPlus

Top Chef began when there were few, if any, food competition shows on the air. Its pits well-established professional chefs against each other to win a huge check and the title of Top Chef. This competition has had the power to accelerate careers on a drastic scale. What I loved most about Top Chef in the beginning (they've got 12+ seasons now) was how elegant everything was. When they started, there wasn't a lot of fine dining represented on tv shows, it was still more about how-to spots than showcasing some truly talented people. One of my favorite episodes (see below) was promoting the film Snow White and the Huntsman and each contestant had to make a wicked dish for Charlize Theron who played the evil queen. The creativity on this show is limitless, they combine amazing techniques with unmatched imagination. Plus the judges are terrific - other shows have lost me because of their permanent cast, but Padma Lakshimi, Tom Colicchio and Gale Simmons are perfectly matched with sass, calm and brilliant critiques.

Weekly Food Network competitions - including Chopped, Cutthroat Kitchen and Iron Chef America  - Food Network and some compilations are now available on Netflix

I don't know how you can't enjoy sabotage cooking - where chefs, who are daily dealt a new hand at their restaurants, are practically tortured with obscure ingredients, impossible deadlines and bizarre punishments. That may sound dramatic, but imagine trying to cook a meal only using the bottom side of pots and pans or where you have to make 100 year-old eggs appealing. Good luck! My imagination is tested with these challenges and it's even inspired our own Chopped cook-offs. I find these absurd competitions entertaining but also inspiring; if they can do impossible-seeming task x, I can certainly do y.

Season-long Food Network competitions - including Next Food Network Star, Worst Cooks in America (Sunday 9:00 p.m), and The Great Food Truck Race

Now, as much as I enjoy the hour-long Food Network games I listed above, I also love the season-long games where contestants are whittled down slowly to one supreme winner. Next Food Network Star determines who will be the next person to develop their own FN show; Guy Fiere was their first winner. Worst Cooks in America rehabilitates those people we all know.. the dreadful cooks. We all have one in our family; that person whose food is never touched at a potluck and whose dinner invitations are always refused... those people compete to improve with the tutelage of two FN superstars. And one of our favorites, The Great Food Truck Race, sends teams with dreams of owning a food truck clear across the country, competing in challenges and learning about the business. The winning team gets to keep their tricked out truck to go home and start their businesses; we take notes during this show!

Real Girl's Kitchen Cooking Channel, Saturday 1:30 p.m.

This show resonates with me for so many reasons: the host Haylie Duff, is the older sister to my teen idol Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff; we're relatively the same age with the same priorities of being able to cook like an adult without being too formal or frumpy, and we have a similar culinary perspective. The recipes are simple and informative and she tries to add a trendy element to it too, like going to a hip burger joint or infusing fun flavors like bourbon into her dishes. If you're looking for a relaxing cooking show that won't make you feel overwhelmed, this one is for you.

Good Eats Cooking Channel and Netflix

Good Eats is the go-to show if you want to learn anything about cooking. One of the earliest successes of Food Network, Eats is approachable and beyond informative. Host Alton Brown discusses how to make good food better and the science behind why you need to store, cook and eat it a certain way. He breaks down the chemistry of ingredients, the physics of heat and more, in a way that is easy to understand and perhaps more importantly, replicate. I remember watching this show a lot as a child to learn the basics of cooking. His tips, if followed, can set you up to be a stellar cook without having formal training, frou frou ingredients or a panic attack. Whether you're just learning to cook or wanting to understand the craft better, Good Eats is an invaluable resource.

The only caveat of having an appetite for cooking shows, is the literal hunger they cause! I can't sit down to watch an episode of a tasty show without an equally delicious snack. So be sure your binge watching doesn't turn into binge eating! So grab something yummy (and reasonably sized) and relax for some delicious television!

Tasty Tomes: Favorite "Food Books"

We are a reading family. J and I are both voracious readers independently, but enjoy books so much, and with such varied tastes, that we share them with each other by reading our personal favorites out loud to the other.

There's just something about summer that intensifies my desire to read. It may be that it's too hot to exert yourself more than turning a page, that it's easier to escape to other worlds in the whimsy of "summer vacation" despite being tied down with full-time jobs, or that one of our culture's last vestiges of enjoying reading is the "Beach Reads" checklist at bookshops. Regardless, I've had an insatiable appetite for books as the weather has warmed up.

J enjoys science fiction and fantasy books - from The Gunslinger to the Wheel of Time Series to Michael Chrichton's books - he enjoys the fantastical, magical worlds. And I have enjoyed him opening my eyes to these books that I would have hardly noticed on my own, but have come to enjoy.

I have a much less exciting, and almost haphazard, taste in books. As an English major, I'm willing to (attempt to) appreciate any effort at writing an entire book, regardless of the subject. I'll pick up just about anything at a used bookstore that sounds halfway decent or has really nice cover art; but mostly I like stories about the everyday. I know that's vague, but what I mean is stories like The Great Gatsby, that aren't about magic of technology or space or other dimensions, so much as the pieces of regular peoples' lives falling into place. The books that are good stories above all, but that could happen to anyone, that describe the most common of occurrences but in such a way that you can relate and empathize.

And in this somewhat reckless collection of books that I've read, I've come across some great works about food. A few are non-fiction, and biographies, even; but most are works of fiction where food is a main character in the drama. A lot of the books are able to portray, far better than I could ever imagine doing, how important a meal can be between friends, how special memories are of late-night snacks, how your emotions are portrayed through the foods you serve, and more.

If you're a reader, hungering for something to sink your intellectual teeth into, consider giving these books a shot. I've enjoyed each of them and hope you will, too.

Each title includes a link to the Goodreads.com book review page which includes a brief synopsis, reader reviews and more. If you read a lot, I highly recommend setting up a Goodreads account; it keeps me straight on what I've read (and if I liked it) and what I want to read next. I'd be lost in a bookstore without it.

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child  - This bio of the late, great, Julia Child offers so many insights about her personal life that I'd never known. For example, in her 80s she loved picking up young men in bars; her and her husband had the most wonderful romance; and despite being the pre-Martha Stewart of perfection, she had an incredibly dysfunctional family.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - An Eric Carle classic that taught us all the basics of counting, colors and binge eating. I have snack cravings just like this little guy all the time.

Like Water for Chocolate - I just finished this book (in a day!) and loved it. It has an incredibly unique format of monthly installments including recipes for traditional Mexican dishes. As they describe how to make the meals, they describe why, when and by whom they're cooked. This book describes my exact feelings about food - that it can bring memories to the forefront, embody all the chef's emotions, and be the most powerful connection to our loved ones. (It's also been made into a movie, if you want to cheat and watch it instead. It's available on Netflix streaming).

Chocolat - Another romantic, chocolate-filled book. The story wraps more around the politics of a French village and its strange characters, but the descriptions of the sweets are exciting and completely cravable. (And the movie version casts a very lovely Johnny Depp).

Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job, and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living - I will say the movie for this book is just as delightful as the book, and so, I will endorse you skipping the book for Amy Adams and Meryl Streep. This covers a young woman stuck in a crappy job, in a teeny apartment who works out all of her disappointments by cooking every dish in Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. It features vignettes about Child's real adventure writing Cooking and Julie's attempt. If you've ever felt daunted by cooking, this book (or movie) will put you at ease and encourage you to give it a shot.

Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter - I mentioned this on my "Recipe Resources" post and it's a little-known winner. I found this book at a library overstock sale for 50 cents.It covers the adventures of working in Thomas Keller's uber-fancy Per Se restaurant. I learned a lot about working in kitchens, and how I should act as a diner. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in food and especially those who want to live their Michelin star dreams vicariously through an insider.

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins - Technically, food is a minor character in this book, but if you have young children, this book is a must-have. It is about the infamous lunch counter sit-ins started by NC A&T students, from a local girl's perspective. All she wants is to eat milkshakes with her family at the shiny Woolworth counter and doesn't understand the implications of the changing world around her.

Eat, Pray, Love - I feel like this has become a cliche title for any woman undergoing a melodramatic crisis, but it really is an influential book. I read this book right after graduating college and being unable to find a job, moving back in with my parents and seemingly taking five steps backward. To me, it was exciting to see a woman dropping everything and figuring her life out one plate at a time.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Another children's classic. I always loved this series recounting the snowballing effects of snacking with animals, and Mouse was the original installment. I'll defend it as a necessary text because it teaching kids about making solid decisions and dealing with consequences...or something.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe - I grew up watching this movie and can actually quote it almost line-by-line, and I'll admit Mary Stuart Masterson's portrayal can't be put back on paper. If you haven't seen this movie about the importance of chosen family, read the book first! Fannie Flagg does a great job, but you can't top the screen version. And I know it's English Major sin to offer that suggestion. Lord, help me.

Must-Have Kitchen Tools

Food Network Magazine did an interesting feature this month where big-name chefs did shout outs about some of their favorite ingredients. Normally on cooking shows, labels are distorted or fake labels are affixed to cans so as to not show preference (read: lose advertisers). But in this article, they were able to dish on their favorite name brands of everything from salt to olive oil to cookies.

I wanted to take a page out of their magazine (pun totally intended) and give you some of my favorite, name brand kitchen tools. I have a long list of things that every cook needs in their kitchen, but here are a few products whose brand-specific details and quality I endorse and would encourage you to bring into your homes.


Ninja Master Prep food processor - I got this as a fluke from my grandmother who buys practically everything QVC's "In the Kitchen With David" has to offer. It's a set of 4 blender "cups" or "pitchers" with multiple blades. You can set up each cup/pitcher with the associated blade(s) and plunk the motor on and off with ease. This thing does everything! The only food processor task I wouldn't trust to it would be making dough for pastas or pie - I think the cups are too narrow and it would glob up easier. I use this frequently to make sure my purees and soups are silky smooth.



Kitchen Aid Artisan Series stand mixer - The green apple stand mixer was our one big ticket item on our wedding registry and we were beyond thrilled when we found out it had been purchased. I was so excited to get it home and add this wonderful pop of color and practicality to our countertop. It came with three mixing attachments - a whisk, a paddle and a dough hook, stainless steel bowl and splatter guard. We've used it to make whipped creams, cookies, cakes and bread dough. It is so useful and so beautiful. I'm really excited to buy more attachments too - I'd love to try out the pasta maker and I've used my parents' meat grinder attachment to make my own, healthier ground chicken. My only complaint is that it can sometimes be too big to make servings for two - I can't make half a cup of whipped cream because the bowl is too big and the whisk doesn't reach the cream! However, if you want to make sure you can avoid that, you could get the Professional 600 grade which has a moveable bowl that can lift up higher to do small jobs.



Rachael Ray hard anodized cookware - There are some pieces of cookware that no matter how careful you are, how mindful you are of seasoning and greasing your pots and pans you will continue to burn food and have stuck-on messes to clean up. However, sometimes you find a cookware line that no matter what you do to it, cooking and cleaning are a breeze! They come in great sizes that fit perfectly on the burners and have easy-to-hold handles which are oven safe up to 400 degrees. We received these at a wedding shower, just in time because our best nonstick pans were totally worn out. We've used this set for over six months and they don't show any age on them at all. I will say that we've been trying to take very good care of them when cleaning - hand washing only - but when cooking, we've been pretty rough on them, as rough as two foodies would be; but they still look brand new!



Keurig K45 Elite brewing system - J, a coffee freak, would probably say that this was the best gift we've received. Despite my love of coffee ice cream, I cannot stand the taste of hot coffee, but even I have found our Keurig handy. They are so convenient - water stays hot and you can have any drink within 30 seconds, and the K cups come in almost any flavor and variety - from a million coffees to cocoa to cider, tea and more. It's also helpful for me in recipes that require small amounts of hot water - like instant potatoes or some homemade icings.

Pyrex or Temp-tations containers - I refuse to buy unitasking kitchen items - like avocado slicers - why take up cabinet space with something that only does one stupid thing?! Pyrex and Temp-tations containers are so incredibly useful because they're microwave, oven and freezer safe. I love making freezer-friendly meals   and these dishes make that so much easier. I can pre- or par-cook my meals in the oven and then immediately pop them into the freezer. They're easy to stack and store and keep our foods safe and freezer-burn free. I love that the Pyrex dishes are see-thru so I can easily tell what's in there (I label everything with masking tape, too). But one of the biggest selling points of Temp-tations is that they are adorably decorated with hand painted designs, so you can go from oven to freezer to oven to table and they look beautiful and most sets come with trivets and carrying baskets, too!

Now, I have to know - what kitchen tools and you not live without?