5 Top Food TV Shows
These 5 TV shows will make you fall in love with cooking. I promise.
Food TV has been an essential ingredient in making me a better cook.
Make a batch of popcorn because here are five of the best food TV shows (plus two bonus ones).
They will teach you how to cook and deepen your passion for food.
1) Escape to River Cottage
Hugh leaves the big city to live a bucolic life.
Escape to River Cottage will teach you that nothing comes from nothing. Every little thing we eat takes hard work and patience to produce.
My favorite episode is when Hugh’s hens lay their first. The joy he gets from making a simple omelette is inspiring.
2) Midnight Diner
Food isn’t just about the food. It’s about the stories surrounding each dish.
I love Midnight Diner’s structure. Diners come in and request a dish. If the chef has the ingredients, he’ll make it. While you’ll learn how to make the dish, each diner has a story that makes that dish so exciting.(I don’t know why this show hasn’t been recreated for an English speaking audience. Hello Hollywood, I’m waiting 😉)
3) The Great British Baking Show
No TV show is more heart-warming than The Great British Baking Show (or ‘Bake Off’). The camaraderie between contestants, the piercing stares from Paul Hollywood and the extravagant baked creations all make this show a great way to unwind with. Oh and if you’re a so-so baker like me, you’ll actually learn how to bake.
4) Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations + Parts Unknown
Travel broadens the mind and opens your palette to new flavors. Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations (and Parts Unknown) taught me how to travel. What locals eat will teach you everything you need to know about a place. While many of the spots Bourdain (RIP) are long gone, this show will make you more confident trying new things wherever the wind may take you.
5) Kitchen Nightmares
Gordon Ramsey is a bulldog in the kitchen. And for good reason. You don’t get Michelin stars for being “cool” about cleanliness, organization and flavor. In Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon teaches you how NOT to run a kitchen.
I love when Gordon finally breaks the owner or chef to accept that nothing changes if nothing changes. This show is also a reminder to never own a restaurant.
BONUS #1: Marco Pierre White’s Knorr Cooking Series
Marco Pierre White was Gordon’s mentor. Marco is a legendary cook and his cooking series for bouillon brand Knorr is the best cooking “show” out there. Each video is jam packed with simple dishes and techniques that will elevate make you a pro home cook in no time.
Bonus #2: Monster Foodies
Sesame Street is the GOAT of kids TV. The Monster Foodies segment is my favorite. The formula works every time: a kid requests a dish from Cookie Monster and Chef Gonger, Cookie Monster eats a key ingredient, Gonger gets upset, they go off find the ingredient at a farm or factory, they make the food and send it back to the kid. I learn something new in every episode. Yesterday I learned how cinnamon was made.
Conclusion
TV doesn’t have to rot your brain. If you watch some of these top five food shows, you’ll see that TV can be educational and entertaining.
What’s your favorite food TV show? Reply in the comments below.
Thanks for the list! I've only watched bake-off, so I have some streaming to do! ;)
It's been a little while since I watched it, but I remember Cooked on Netflix (Michael Pollan) being really good, too! Not really a cooking show, but an appreciation of general methods we use to prepare food.
I've tried to watch Bourdain's shows but I can't get into them like I used to. It's just too sad for me to watch.