Do you miss the old format cookery shows?

GastroBoy

You know the ones, when it's just a chef in front of the screen and showing you how to make a dish.

In the last few years, most cookery programmes have turned into "mission" shows with the odd recipe thrown in for it to pass as a food show.

While it is a good thing of course to raise awareness about certain topics, it's a shame that in order to enjoy watching and learning a new recipe or technique, you have to be guilt-tripped and made to feel bad beacause youre not buying organic wooden spoons or some such:D

The last series I really enjoyed was Raymond Blanc's "Kitchen Secrets", simple format and very enjoyable.

What do you think?

Seaneh

Well there are still plenty of good shows of that format in fairness, Food Network is decent, I find Good Food Channel better myself.

GastroBoy

Seaneh wrote: »

Well there are still plenty of good shows of that format in fairness, Food Network is decent, I find Good Food Channel better myself.

Oh really, which ones?

Dont have Good Food channel myself, though I hear it's good. Food Network is truly awful I find, seems to be all American junk food

The Hill Billy

I have to say that I quite like Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). You'd be as big as a feckin' house if you ate her food the whole time, but she does good rich dishes in a simple fashion.

The show has an american focus obviously, but the recipes can largely be easily adapted for an Irish audience.

Toto Wolfcastle

I like the fact that she seems to be feeding a football team with the amount of food she cooks. I dislike that she always breaks into her friends' houses.

The winners of the Next Food Network Star (Guy and Aarti, possibly others) do shows where they are just showing people how to make a dish.

leahyl

There are still loads of shows like that though I do agree with you that there seems to be a lot of those other shows too where they just seem to travel around to different places and try different food and then at the end they throw in one recipe for you!

But cooks like Rachel Allen, Neven Maguire and Donal Skehan still stick to the old format mostly, and Ina Garten as a previous poster mentioned

GastroBoy

leahyl wrote: »

There are still loads of shows like that though I do agree with you that there seems to be a lot of those other shows too where they just seem to travel around to different places and try different food and then at the end they throw in one recipe for you!

But cooks like Rachel Allen, Neven Maguire and Donal Skehan still stick to the old format mostly, and Ina Garten as a previous poster mentioned

Fair point.

What I'm talking about however is the amount of campaign cookery shows, like Hugh F's chicken, Jamie school dinners, and the most pathetic of all was the Gordon behind bars show, seriously milking the fact that cookery programs have become more popular in recent years

The Hill Billy

Saturday Kitchen on BBC1 also gives decent walkthroughs of making dishes.

Sea Filly

GastroBoy wrote: »

You know the ones, when it's just a chef in front of the screen and showing you how to make a dish.

In the last few years, most cookery programmes have turned into "mission" shows with the odd recipe thrown in for it to pass as a food show.

While it is a good thing of course to raise awareness about certain topics, it's a shame that in order to enjoy watching and learning a new recipe or technique, you have to be guilt-tripped and made to feel bad beacause youre not buying organic wooden spoons or some such:D

The last series I really enjoyed was Raymond Blanc's "Kitchen Secrets", simple format and very enjoyable.

What do you think?

Yes, oh God, yes!!!!

callaway92

The last cook show I enjoyed was Jamie At Home.

Curry Addict

diners drive ins and dives, the best show on TV

EZ24GET

I like to watch Cook's Country and Cook Illustrated on PBs. Very straight forward updates of old recipes or best way to do a recipe.

hussey

Check out Australia Masterchef Masterclass - yeah a bit of talking at the start, but after 10-15mins it is just about high standard recipes.

Dermighty

leahyl wrote: »

There are still loads of shows like that though I do agree with you that there seems to be a lot of those other shows too where they just seem to travel around to different places and try different food and then at the end they throw in one recipe for you!

But cooks like Rachel Allen, Neven Maguire and Donal Skehan still stick to the old format mostly, and Ina Garten as a previous poster mentioned

I find it hard to watch Nevan Maguires programme as every time I see him ti reminds me to not eat the food he cooks :P The guy is less than 40 I'm sure the only recipe he seems to have down to a T is obesity and heart disease based on how he looks :P

Jamie Oliver usually sticks to the old format, his 30 minute meals programme is good, as is the book.

mickgotsick

My favourite is Rick Stein. I think he has a good balance of standing in his kitchen cooking, standing in someone else's kitchen looking at them cooking, and stories behind the food, or general stories about where he is.

leahyl

Dermighty wrote: »

I find it hard to watch Nevan Maguires programme as every time I see him ti reminds me to not eat the food he cooks :P The guy is less than 40 I'm sure the only recipe he seems to have down to a T is obesity and heart disease based on how he looks :P

Jamie Oliver usually sticks to the old format, his 30 minute meals programme is good, as is the book.

Ah jeez Nevin is hardly obese now!! I have one of his books but have yet to try one of his recipes from it but some tasty looking ones in there I must say.

I made an apple and almond tart by him before and it was nom nom!

Jamie has let himself go a little too you know!:P

emeraldstar

leahyl wrote: »

Ah jeez Nevin is hardly obese now!!

Yeah, I had to Google some pictures to make sure I was thinking of the right person (I was). He's no bigger than a lot of chefs And, yes, Jamie is rather pudgy.

Weird.

loveisdivine

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I have to say that I quite like Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). You'd be as big as a feckin' house if you ate her food the whole time, but she does good rich dishes in a simple fashion.

The show has an american focus obviously, but the recipes can largely be easily adapted for an Irish audience.

Ah sure and Geoffreys always up to no good! Buying her presents and what not.

leahyl

loveisdivine wrote: »

Ah sure and Geoffreys always up to no good! Buying her presents and what not.

"A pound of butter, how bad can THAAAAAT be?!"

Toto Wolfcastle

leahyl wrote: »

"A pound of butter, how bad can THAAAAAT be?!"

loveisdivine

^^ Love that!

I plan on making Ina's Company pot roast on Sunday, I'm a little dismayed though as the recipe only calls for 1 tablespoon of butter?! Surely thats a misprint?

leahyl

loveisdivine wrote: »

^^ Love that!

I plan on making Ina's Company pot roast on Sunday, I'm a little dismayed though as the recipe only calls for 1 tablespoon of butter?! Surely thats a misprint?

Surely that should be 10 sticks of butter?!:D

GastroBoy

I love Gordon Ramsay's new show, really strips away all the rubbish attached to a lot of cookery shows. I wonder if he spotted this thread
Its on this week and next at 5pm channel 4.