Quality of shows on the food channels today  

You know the food network has been moving in a different direction for awhile, more towards big personalities and entertainment shows and less towards education. (more about good tv and less about teaching someone how to cook). I am an old fashioned kind of chef who got into this industry because I love to cook, so I prefer to learn something and for that reason I like to watch the PBS shows which feature chefs or authors with alot of experience who can teach me something.

Good Eats

Many of the culinary shows have no connection to the real world of the professional kitchen. Most notably those that feature some ego driven individual berating and insulting anyone within reach.

There is, in my opinion, one show that is head and shoulders above the rest because of it's educational content, (I learn something every time), and the professional and mentoring philosophy exhibited by the host, Alton Brown.

If you're not familiar with it, here's a link to Good Eats.

Ed,  I agree completely with you.  I used to have the food network on all day long.  There are very few shows that hold my interest now.  I do watch "Chopped",  mainly because I and my foodie friends love to laugh at the stupid mistakes these (so-called) chefs make.   These people are competing for 10K,  their bosses and clientelle are watching,  and they make total fools of themselves with mistakes that even amateurs would not do.   Everyone,  please don't say "well, they are under a lot of pressure"---that's lame, because they have to work under extreme pressure every day, and as the old expression goes "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen" !  Anyway,  the only other program I watch on a regular basis is "Good Eats".  As Paulgreen3 said, "Learn something every time." 

I'm not sure who the audience is for most of the "game show" type programing. In fact, given the state of the economy and the amount of packaged and processed food people are eating, FoodTV could do a lot worse than getting back to actually teaching people how to cook.

And I'm not talking about showing someone toss a half dozen containers of magically pre-cut, pre-measured, pre-cleaned ingredients into a preheated pan, but actually showing how to select and purchase the ingredients, show how to do the actual knife work, select the cooking vessel (and explain why) and actually cook it. For someone who cooks very little or not at all, watching a TV personality toss magically prepped ingredients into the pan that's already preheating on the cook-top is as useful as learning to fly by watching jets take off at the airport.

FoodTV needs to get back to teaching people how to actually cook, from the ground up. And not just every now and then, but on a regular basis in prime-time. Alton Brown covers many of these things, but in reality, he's too far ahead for the people who *really* never learned how to cook.

I don't think America understands exactly how much better (and cheaper) they could be eating if they only took the time to learn. It just kills me to see someone checking out at the supermarket with bags full of "prepared food" and sweetened drinks, when the same money that buys junk for a week, could have provided absolutely amazing food for the month.

Terry

















Edited by web monkey - 3/2/10 at 9:10am

i agree alot of the shows i usedto enjoy are not onthe food network, not that i watch it much. i like mario betali and i havent seem many of his shows these days. i enjoy mission impossible but if i watch anything its chopped, even though most of the times its not worth watching,  but i like top chef especially the last season which had alot of talent. even KET has some great shows and i rather watch that really

For those of you who may not know - there is a great show on the History Channel called Food Tech.  History Channel has gotten more into food shows lately it seems and personally, I've been watching them more than Food Network, for the reasons mentioned above.  Food Tech has a facebook account, just google "food tech facebook".  The History Channel doesn't have the show listed yet on their site.

But Food Tech is in it's first season with 2 more episodes to go.  They aren't sure if it will go on for another season.  Bobby Bognar is the host and is such the American good guy without the pompous attitude of others.  It is educational and I would expect that being from The History Channel.  

I recently asked Bobby what to do about it, (he found my blog talking about his show), and he said to get as many people to watch the last two episodes (this Thursday - tonight at 9PM and next Thursday too).   He also said you can email the viewer relations department at:  thc.viewerrelations@aetv.com and let them know that you love the show.

Here is a direct link to learn more:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Food-Tech-television-show-starring-Bobby-Bognar/224691377068

So if you like the show and want it to stay on the air - maybe this will help. 

How funny, I should come across this thread - I originally came on this morning to find an idea for a quick lunch!  Perfect timing!

Liz

Hi, I'm brand new to ChefTalk and am working on a project focused on this very issue--the dominance of Food Network males wielding knives, yelling insults, etc on Food TV while women have taken more of a backseat professionally, visually. I'm curious, what values seem to be at work in this apparent trend? Why and how did this happen? If anyone in this forum is a professional chef or winemaker and could address some questions, I'd love to hear from you. I'm working on a sabbatical focused on women in the food industry--some trends and observations I've made as a faculty member of a CA program. Please reply if you would be willing to be interviewed via email.

Best regards,
Jen