Which is your favourite cooking show?

Dinner Impossible, I know I knocked that show before, but it has gotten better.

I only have some the PBS programs to choose from and the two I like best right now are Martin Yan's China and Made in Spain with Jose Andres.

Phil

Yep, I TiVo these two.

I like Molto Mario as I have a new found respect for it after reading "Heat".

and what can I say...I love me some Top Chef.....

top chef
Hells Kitchen (its fun)
Good Eats
No Resverations

Then what ever else.

With those you don't need the food network! Those are the best shows and I miss the old days with the PBS shows Like Pierre Franey, Julia, Jacque Pepin, Jacques Torres, etc.
Martin Yan I believe has a cousin that used to have a cooking show on PBS also. Great Chef, even funnier that Martin.
As far as the food channel goes, I preferred Iron Chef Japanese, and I do like Diners, Drive ins and Dives, and it has nothing to do with the host. I like the places he goes to.

There are a lot that I always love to watch, but since I have a radio foodie show...and I can relate a lot to Paula Deen, I do watch hers. Chef at home is another very practical show that I enjoy. Mario and Good Eats are always very educational. I love Ming Tsai too.:lips:

Ooooh!
I grew up watching Cooking with Julia <3
and I still don't have cable, but when I'm at someone else's house I have to watch-
Good Eats
Everyday Italian
Paula's Home Cooking
Iron Chef America
and those Food Network Challenges

I like Jamie Oliver, Ellie Krieger, Robin Miller, Alton Brown on FN. There are some shows on PBS that I like, but I don't get a PBS station at my place, so it's catch as catch can. Throwdown with Bobby Flay can often hold my interest. And I like Sarah Moulton also. Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives is OK - I like to see the places Fieri visits, but the show is essentially repetitious and boring

I could pretty much do without the Challenges, especially the cake challenges. Sometimes Iron Chef will hold my interest, especially when Cat Cora's on the show.

scb

Is Rachel Ray's show considered a cooking show?;)

And Kitchen Nightmares is a good one.

Jamie Oliver's "Jamie at Home" is by far his best show ever. I loved the Naked Chef, didn't care much for Oliver's Twist, but Jamie at home is the perfect format for him. I get inspired even watching reruns.

It's not a cooking show but the original Kitchen Nightmares on the BBC is a staple in my tv diet. The F-Word is great too. I really wish Gordon Ramsay would do a COOKING show for once. The man can really cook.

Top Chef
****'s Kitchen
Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares (BBC haven't seen US version yet)
Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations (of course you have to say No Reservations like they do on the commercials :) )
Good Eats

I also watch Ina Garten quite often and Paula Deen. Paula is like a taste of home.......grew up about 2 hours from Savannah. A lot of her cooking is just like what my mom, grandmothers and others cooked when I was a child. I don't really need most of the recipes since they're already part of my heritage. lol


When I can, I catch Michael Chiarelli and Robin Miller.

Alton Brown
Top Chef
Iron Chef
****'s Kitchen

Gotta admit that Paula Dean is pretty good, but her son could cook in my kitchen any time :blush:

The original Japanese Iron Chef

-Top Chef
-Hel1's Kitchen (I just warmed up to this show)
-Everyday Italian
-Molto Mario (While it was on)
-Good Eats (Thank you Alton, you have taught me so many things, even if you suck at pronouncing Asian words)
-Michael Chiarello (love his style)
-Guy's Big Bite (picture a popular drink--and turn it into a recipe)
-Yan Can Cook (Thanks for teaching me pinch grip)
-Lyon in the Kitchen (occasionally)
-Tyler's Ultimate (his recipes always taste good) but not How to Boil h20.

I used to like Bobby Flay. I also used to like jell-o, as served in my elementary school cafeteria, with fruit and whipped cream. After the first 3,000,000,000,000,000 times, it got so old I banned it for life; sorry Bobby.:blush:

I like Anthony Bourdain on Discovery. I cand stand alot of these cooking shows I need to see a real chef cooking not a personality. I need to see real skills like Mario and Yan. Some of these food network shows I cant stand to watch.

I can't stand Rachel Ray. Sorry. She just rubs me the wroooooooong way

I love:

Good Eats
Paula Dean
Everyday Italian
Nigella Lawson (can't remember the show name) could come and cook dog turds in my kitchen and I would eat them - if only I could get her and Giadda to come see me :smiles::smiles::smiles::smiles::smiles:

I also like America's Test Kitchen on PBS when I'm around to see it.

I like Dinner: Impossible b/c Robert Irvine is just plain awesome even if my fiancee does drool over him. Good Eats is probably my favorite cooking show just because of how he explains everything. Guy's shows are nice too, tho I really prefer D, D, and D. Throwdown is okay but I most of the time I get annoyed; whether by Bobby, his opponents, or his two squawking helpers. No Reservations (don't think this is a cooking show, nor is D,D, and D) is great, I'd love to travel like he does and just eat everything. Iron Chef America is okay but it's like looking wanting coke and getting diet pepsi, I'm so glad the old Iron Chef is back. But does anyone else watch Paula Deen and think that she really isn't as nice and down-south cuddly as she puts on?

Paula Dean reminds me of an old joke about Southern charm:


Two nicely dressed ladies happen to start up a conversation during an endless wait in the LAX airport.

The first lady was an arrogant California woman married to a wealthy man. The second was a well mannered elderly woman from the South.

When the conversation centered on whether they had any children the California woman started by saying, "When my first child was born, my husband built a beautiful mansion for me."

The lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

The first woman continued, "When my second child was born, my husband bought me a beautiful Mercedes-Benz."

Again, the lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

The first woman continued boasting, "Then, when my third Child was born; my husband bought me this exquisite diamond bracelet."

Yet again, the Southern lady commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

The first woman then asked her companion, "What did your husband buy for you when you had your first child?"

"My husband sent me to charm school," declared the Southern lady.

"Charm school!" the first woman cried, "Oh my God! What on earth for?"

The Southern lady responded, "Well for example, instead of saying "Who gives a ****?" I learned to say, "Well, isn't that precious?"

tried yet again to watch HeIIs Kitchen.......

I "want" to like it......

I'm really....actually...."supposed" to like it....


but for the love of all things holy, I just can't watch it....

Paula Dean reminds me of old joke about "Southern Charm"



Two nicely dressed ladies happen to start up a conversation during an endless wait in the LAX airport.

The first lady was an arrogant California woman married to a wealthy man. The second was a well mannered elderly woman from the South.

When the conversation centered on whether they had any children the California woman started by saying, "When my first child was born, my husband built a beautiful mansion for me."

The lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

The first woman continued, "When my second child was born, my husband bought me a beautiful Mercedes-Benz."

Again, the lady from the South commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

The first woman continued boasting, "Then, when my third Child was born; my husband bought me this exquisite diamond bracelet."

Yet again, the Southern lady commented, "Well, isn't that precious?"

The first woman then asked her companion, "What did your husband buy for you when you had your first child?"

"My husband sent me to charm school," declared the Southern lady.

"Charm school!" the first woman cried, "Oh my God! What on earth for?"

The Southern lady responded, "Well for example, instead of saying "Who gives a s**t?" I learned to say, "Well, isn't that precious?"

This what I like about him too. His cookbooks also teach as well as give recipes. I highly recommend checking out one of his books from your local public library.

Iron Chef (the Japanese one, not the boring American ripoff).

****'s Kitchen (or as me and my roomate call it: the "I hate my life guy show...the one who cooks, not the one who's a hairdresser")

Top Chef (It's fun)

If you can find it Try IN SEARCH OF PERFECTION. Heston Blumenthal very good program along with GOOD EATS of Course

I think Good Eats is about the best, with good recipes and background and technique and a screwball lightheartedness.

Michael Chiarello is always excellent, with tips, techniques and teriffic recipes.

Rachel Ray is too godd*mn cutsey.

I can hardly stand Paula's syrupy southern accent, and her cooking is artery-killing. Raymond Sokolove reviewed her Savannah restaurant a year or so ago in the Wall Street Journal. She got two thumbs down. Would have been more, I think, but he ran out of thumbs. :rolleyes:

I like DD&D for the funky places Guy finds with what looks like really good (not necessarily healthy) food. :smoking:

Bobby Flay and Emeril are good but no longer surprising.

On the "Create" PBS channel I like Lydia, and have eaten in her "Lydia's Pittsburgh" restaurant, which is quite good. If you are in PBGH you should spend an afternoon on The Strip, with its really funky shops, restaurants, and other stores. That's where her restaurant is. She evidently has a string of restaurants in NYC, and also one in Kansas City.

id have to say in order:
Hells Kitchen
Kitchen nighmares (both US/UK)
Resturant makeover
Iron chef
30 Minute meals

Lets see:

He11's Kitchen
Iron Chef (US, Japanese, whatever)
No Reservations
The F-Word
Kitchen Nightmares
Top Chef (Although I haven't been watching this season)

Like:
No Reservations -- Bourdain. Food porn, but he's an interesting guy and he's honest at least about the food presented.
He!!'s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares -- Ramsay. About He!!'s Kitchen -- it's interesting to see the "chef's" who can't cook and with poor hygiene get weeded out. It's even more interesting to see them make the final three. About Nightmares: He seems to be mellowing. Can it be possible?
Iron Chef -- American and Japanese. Japanese without the dubbed translation is beyond surreal. Even funnier is that when they started translating the show, how similar the U.S. writer's mistranslations were to my fantasies.
Dotch! -- Japanese. Must be seen to be believed. A Japanese game/cooking show by Salvador Dali.
Bobby Flay cooking shows where he actually cooks: He's not the world's greatest cook, but he isn't the world's worst either.
Molto Mario -- Mario Batali. That little sucker can really cook. He's like a fracking ballerina on Iron Chef. He knows an immense amount about food, too.
Paula's Home Cooking -- The food's gonna kill you, but it's going to taste good.
Barefoot Contessa -- Ina Garten. The woman can cook. She can teach. She's not very interesting, but she can cook and teach. Perhaps the gayest show on TV.
Top Chef -- Various. The challenges can be very odd. They've been doing a lot of catering this year but almost none of the contestants are caterers, and none of the judges. Go figure.
Next Food Network Super Star -- Various. Strange challenges. Very strange. Nice to see someone else suffer.
Emeril's various shows: I'm not sure how much more Emeril has to teach me after all these years, or how many times I can laugh at the same jokes. But he's a good teacher, a good cook, and a good showman. I think he gets his audience drunk -- which makes him a good host. I love the way he thinks about food. I love the way he teaches home cooks to relax, enjoy and taste. He does everything right that Alton does wrong.


Dislike:
30 minute meals -- Rachel Ray is way too perky. She's also not that good a cook.
Everyday Italian -- My wife hates it, I just don't like it. We both have the feeling that Giada's not really a very good cook. Too many cuts, too many swap outs. Too much food porn. Too many nummie noises before actually getting the food in the mouth.
Semi-Homemade -- I mean, really.
Food Porn in general -- I don't have to watch TV to watch other people eat. Most of these shows, are colossal BS and just advertising for the featured restaurants.
Paula's Party -- Paula Deen. I like Paula Deen a lot. But is it me, or does she seem drunk? Whether she's drinking or taking medication for some purpose, without knowing more her affect makes me uncomoftable.

Not Sure:
Good Eats -- Alton Brown. I like a lot of what Alton does, too many things to bother starting, and recognize that he's a VERY STRONG teacher. But I don't like his reliance on gizmos and gimmicks, think he's way too tied to measuring, and he seems to think that his way, whatever it is, is the best way -- when it's usually just one among many.
Diners, etc. -- Guy Fieri. Food porn of the worst sort, frequently featuring obviously lousy food, but Guy Fieri makes it work -- sort of.
Tyler Florence various shows: Inconsistent. He has the rep of lots of his recipes not working, too.

I miss Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, The Galloping Gourmet, The Frugal Gourmet (even if he was an old perv), Yan Can Cook, East Meets West (Ming Tsai), and so many others.

There are more, but enough rambling. I'll let you guys up.

BDL

I find it interesting all the fans of the various Gordon Ramsay shows. Those shows are about Gordon behaving badly, not really about food or cooking.