TV and Food: Did TV Make Us Better Cooks?

[Terrafamilia]

FYI - Martha Stewart's Cooking School has started a new season. She's concentrating on Arabian Gulf cuisine and dishes inspired by it. Underwritten in part by Al Jazeera and Qatar Airways it appears. Anyway, she's in fine form. "Some people are squeamish about presenting a whole fish but...get over it."

You go, Martha!

[larapu2000]

On 7/8/2017 at 2:10 PM, Terrafamilia said:

FYI - Martha Stewart's Cooking School has started a new season. She's concentrating on Arabian Gulf cuisine and dishes inspired by it. Underwritten in part by Al Jazeera and Qatar Airways it appears. Anyway, she's in fine form. "Some people are squeamish about presenting a whole fish but...get over it."

You go, Martha!

Really???  Awesome!!!  I adore her.

I was always terrified to cook a whole fish at home until we cooked some on vacation in Montenegro a few years ago.  A fresh fish guy drove around every day and we bought fish out of his trunk (not even kidding, but it was on ice, everything looked and smelled fresh, he was very sanitary), and he cleaned them for us.  I just followed the example of a million TV chefs, and stuffed it with lemon and fresh herbs.  More than one friend said it was the best fish they'd ever had.  Keeping it whole really does enhance the flavor and tenderness.  It also makes it harder to overcook, because we were cooking those bad boys on a cheap charcoal grill and got the most amazing results.

[ariel]

On ‎7‎/‎8‎/‎2017 at 2:10 PM, Terrafamilia said:

Anyway, she's in fine form. "Some people are squeamish about presenting a whole fish but...get over it."

You go, Martha!

Julia Child used to say something similar.  It usually involved butter or cream & she said something like "if you don't want to add that ingredient, too bad, make another recipe".

[Zola]

Here in the UK I used to watch the likes of Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Marco Pierre White, Nigel Slater and even Mr Angry himself, Gordon Ramsey. 

With the exception of Oliver most of these chefs cooked fairly elaborate foods, that would probably justify a large social gathering rather than just a couple of people. Jamie Oliver was fairly easy on the eye, although his preparation of food was a bit roughshod at times. But he impressed me a great deal to the point of buying a couple of his best-selling recipe books, and I learnt my trade from those. 

And now I absolutely love cooking; there is something hugely awesome about preparing and cooking a meal; coupled with that 5 minutes of anxiety when your guests sit down to sample your offerings! 

[ariel]

I like Jamie Oliver.  I have this cookbook "Jamie At Home".  They used to air this shows on the Food Network in the US.  Sadly they don't anymore.

[chessiegal]

Jamie's shows turn up on other networks now and again. I remember seeing him on Sunday mornings on CBS I think when I was at the gym. And then on other obscure channels.

[ariel]

I loved the Two Fat Ladies.  I own many of their cookbooks, but I have only made a few of their recipes.  I loved the show & watching them in their travels.

[Snarklepuss]

5 hours ago, ariel said:

I loved the Two Fat Ladies.  I own many of their cookbooks, but I have only made a few of their recipes.  I loved the show & watching them in their travels.

Awww, I loved the "Two Fat Ladies".  I learned a lot from them about British food that I never knew before.  I get choked up when I think about them because my late mother loved them.  She could have been a third "fat lady", only an American version.  She was a great cook and very much like the fat ladies.  RIP Jennifer and Clarissa.  Although my heart broke when I read that they didn't end off on the best of terms.

[Mellowyellow]

I love America's Test Kitchen! I've told MrMellow that if I die young and he needs to learn to cook just watch the 16 seasons I have saved. 

I've never followed their recipes accurately but I picked up so much useful information. My vanilla chiffon has never been lighter since I switched from milk to water. That show inspires me to think about my recipes.

Love Alton Brown and Good Eats although I don't enjoy his recipes. Was going to name the kidlet Alton but MrMellow refused!

[JTMacc99]

Signs you watch a lot of food TV: Washing off a carrot that is going to be part of the chicken stock you are making, "Eh, if there's a little dirt on it'll be okay. It will add umami."

[annzeepark914]

I've always tried cooking new (to me) foods (e.g., moussaka, souvlaki, kima, etc). But the Barefoot Contessa was the one cooking show that pulled me in as a fan. In addition to her recipes, I learned how to plate food, do one color flower arrangements, and not to iron a crease in the napkins but just softly fold over.

[mansonlamps]

Does anyone follow youtube cooking channels?  I really like https://www.youtube.com/user/flavcity and https://www.youtube.com/user/MindOverMunch for keto and meal prep ideas.

Edited January 25, 2019 by mansonlamps

[biakbiak]

It hasn’t made me a better cook because some of the dishes are absolutely ridiculous but I really enjoy Binging with Babish where he makes dishes featured in TV or movies. I did make the recipe from Chef for the pork roast and than leftovers for the Cubanos and it was delicious!

[chessiegal]

I taught myself how to cook as a new bride in 1971 by reading cookbooks. What I learn from cooking shows these days are techniques, especially Jacques Pepin.

[DeLurker]

14 hours ago, biakbiak said:

It hasn’t made me a better cook because some of the dishes are absolutely ridiculous but I really enjoy Binging with Babish where he makes dishes featured in TV or movies. I did make the recipe from Chef for the pork roast and than leftovers for the Cubanos and it was delicious!

That's site full of some fun recipes!  And I so want to try the Cubanos - yum!

[scriggle]

The youtube cooking channel I love is Jun's Kitchen. I'll never make any of the recipes but the videos are so peaceful. Plus the cats. The cats are awesome.

[mansonlamps]

In the  spirit of the thread title, YouTube made me a better cook.  Yep I said it and it's true.

[HunterHunted]

On 1/25/2019 at 5:42 PM, biakbiak said:

It hasn’t made me a better cook because some of the dishes are absolutely ridiculous but I really enjoy Binging with Babish where he makes dishes featured in TV or movies.

Sometimes, Andrew takes a completely terrible food idea from tv or movies and recreates it faithfully. He then tries a better approach to it. Crayon grilled cheese (The Simpson's), car panini (Family Guy), Rachel's English trifle (Friends) are some that I don't think he's ever created better versions of because the originals are so heinous. My favorites are the Bob's Burgers recipes and Archer's Eggs Woodhouse featuring Al(t)on Brown. I love them both because the original recipes are cartoonishly specific, which allows Andrew to give a really thorough and specific critique of the recipe.

https://youtu.be/wy1vLBf4CqI

[EtheltoTillie]

On 5/8/2017 at 9:01 AM, JTMacc99 said:

I think he ran out of ideas. At one point he had a show all about a tuna sandwich wrapped in tin foil.

Ha! SO low budget.  My favorite episodes were about wine, which he did in a knowledgeable yet non-snobby way.  He also gave me the recipe for Virgil's Cornbread, which rocks; the only cornbread I ever loved. Speaking of that, I can't believe that I was at Virgil's in NYC a month ago and forgot to order the cornbread. Damn kids make me lose my train of thought.

Hmm Virgil’s is only 7 blocks from my house. I never go there. I must check out this cornbread. 

[EtheltoTillie]

On 1/25/2019 at 8:20 PM, chessiegal said:

I taught myself how to cook as a new bride in 1971 by reading cookbooks. What I learn from cooking shows these days are techniques, especially Jacques Pepin.

I learned how to use a knife by watching Jacques Pepin. TV made me a better cook , but my real education came from 13 years of working at women’s magazines and helping to edit recipes and tasting things from the test kitchens. When you copy edit 30 recipes a month you absorb all the classic techniques. 

[ebk57]

7 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Hmm Virgil’s is only 7 blocks from my house. I never go there. I must check out this cornbread. 

I love Virgil's!  Although I don't remember the cornbread.  Maybe we'll go when we're there in April.

[EtheltoTillie]

On 8/20/2015 at 10:52 PM, KnoxForPres said:

Talked to my dear sis and to make a long story short we realized Food Network made us cooks. We grew up with awesome parents who cook. It simply took us beyond. Sara Moulton taught me to not only use fresh basil, but not bruise. I learned to smash garlic. I learned the right pans for the job. Just simple stuff that has made me a pretty darn fine cook.

I am 36 and sis is 40, that's how long it's been around so just curious if you did too?

We made their stuff too. My dear parents got me several Emeril books and they were so eye opening. I sucked at first and got better.

I know today there is lots of its "cream of chicken soup" show criticism and I really don't intend or want to put that down.

.

But at one time Sara, that Italian guy Michael, Emeril. And others. They changed my world!

Anyone else?

Oh yes Sara is excellent!  I’ve gotten some great recipes from her. Things that are on repeat rotation. From many years ago a peach galette great when there are fresh summer peaches. 

[isalicat]

I know he has been discredited for valid reasons, but my husband and I watched and learned immensely from Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet back in the day. He was on our local PBS station and really remarkable for that era in emphasizing cooking from scratch and using local ingredients.

[annzeepark914]

Did anyone else watch the CNN special on Martha Stewart last night?  The second part will be this coming Sunday.  For some reason, I've never used any of her recipes. But I loved her magazine and can still remember the cover of the first one I bought (pastel colored home-made popsicles).  The magazines were beautiful.  The paper was soft to the touch.  The photos looked like they belonged in an art gallery.  Ina's cookbooks are very similar (and I have used many of Ina's recipes!)

[EtheltoTillie]

On 1/29/2024 at 2:37 PM, annzeepark914 said:

Did anyone else watch the CNN special on Martha Stewart last night?  The second part will be this coming Sunday.  For some reason, I've never used any of her recipes. But I loved her magazine and can still remember the cover of the first one I bought (pastel colored home-made popsicles).  The magazines were beautiful.  The paper was soft to the touch.  The photos looked like they belonged in an art gallery.  Ina's cookbooks are very similar (and I have used many of Ina's recipes!)

Thanks for the reminder. I have to watch this. Martha is an incredible tastemaker nit was important to her that her magazines were beautifully designed 

[EtheltoTillie]

@annzeepark914 I watched the first Martha Stewart episode on demand, and Spectrum somehow cut off the end.  Can you tell me what happened?  The woman who provided the cranberry nut crust recipe was describing how she quit Martha’s company, and they cut it off in the middle of that story. 

[annzeepark914]

2 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

@annzeepark914 I watched the first Martha Stewart episode on demand, and Spectrum somehow cut off the end.  Can you tell me what happened?  The woman who provided the cranberry nut crust recipe was describing how she quit Martha’s company, and they cut it off in the middle of that story. 

I'm not sure. She accused Martha of not giving her credit for that cranberry recipe that was featured in the book. I can't remember what else was after that (it covered sooooo much!) So many quick interviews with different people. CNN showed the first two episodes again this past weekend. Did you watch the second two episodes? I wish I had Martha's energy & patience (patience to do all those tiny appetizers/hoover doovers 😁).

[EtheltoTillie]

5 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

I'm not sure. She accused Martha of not giving her credit for that cranberry recipe that was featured in the book. I can't remember what else was after that (it covered sooooo much!) So many quick interviews with different people. CNN showed the first two episodes again this past weekend. Did you watch the second two episodes? I wish I had Martha's energy & patience (patience to do all those tiny appetizers/hoover doovers 😁).

All four episodes are available on Spectrum On Demand.  They seem not to be available on regular airings again.  The on demand version ended where the lady was telling her story of how she quit.  She said she had never earned more than $8 or $10 per hour. She made an appointment with Martha and Andy was there too.  Then the episode just cut off in the middle of a sentence.  Does this refresh your recollection perhaps about what the lady said? 

This did not happen with the other episodes I watched.  I watched 2 and 3 also.  

It really is amazing the way they do those tiny hors d'oeuvres, and so on.  I'm sure Martha did not do all of those, at least not by the time they had the magazine.  They had food stylists.  But yes, such painstaking work. 

[annzeepark914]

@EtheltoTillie She went to Martha and Andy, told them she wanted to be a part of the company, wanted a title (considering all that she was doing for them) and Andy gave her the brush off with some vague remark of how they were growing the company (or something like that). 

[Bastet]

I haven't had a chance to watch yet, but FYI there's a forum for the documentary (it was created over a month ago, so by the time the doc started airing, people may have forgotten it exists [I would have had I not added it to my home page at the time]).

[GreekGeek]

On 1/25/2019 at 4:35 PM, mansonlamps said:

Does anyone follow youtube cooking channels?  I really like https://www.youtube.com/user/flavcity and https://www.youtube.com/user/MindOverMunch for keto and meal prep ideas.

I don't know about making me a better cook, but there are three YouTube channels that I really like:

The Anti-Chef. He started out cooking from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and has since branched out to other classic cookbooks. You really root for the guy to try again when he screws up.

B. Dylan Hollis specializes in cooking retro dishes, especially desserts, both good and bad. You need some tolerance for his cutesy vocabulary, like calling baking powder "floof powder" and eggs "eggies." 

Cooking the Books. Another channel specializing in dishes from vintage cookbooks. Anna, the cook, is much calmer than Hollis, and she doesn't treat food trends of the past condescendingly.

[EtheltoTillie]

On 3/3/2024 at 9:34 PM, GreekGeek said:

I don't know about making me a better cook, but there are three YouTube channels that I really like:

The Anti-Chef. He started out cooking from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and has since branched out to other classic cookbooks. You really root for the guy to try again when he screws up.

B. Dylan Hollis specializes in cooking retro dishes, especially desserts, both good and bad. You need some tolerance for his cutesy vocabulary, like calling baking powder "floof powder" and eggs "eggies." 

Cooking the Books. Another channel specializing in dishes from vintage cookbooks. Anna, the cook, is much calmer than Hollis, and she doesn't treat food trends of the past condescendingly.

OMG, I love Jamie/The Anti Chef.  He's so endearing and entertaining, yet also informative. 

[Anela]

I love watching people cook.  It gets me up to make my own food.