By Keeva Stratton
With cooking now granted the zest of popularity, led by the abundant cooking show resurgence, it would seem that (much like handbags) there is now a cooking show for every personality type imaginable. If you aren’t totally familiar with what’s on offer on TV, Rescu. has hand-picked and grouped the best programmes into five genres designed to create a simple viewing menu to guide you to a delectable display of cooking show splendour.
The London Ladsand One Special Lass
With names like Jamie Oliver, GordonRamsay and Rick Stein (Ten, LifeStyleFood, ABC1) now familiar in every food-loving household, these London lads have truly beenthe leaders in showing that men certainly do belong in the kitchen. These boys are all about simple, no-fuss fare that tastes great (though it may not always be great for the diet).
Not to be forgotten with her sexy sauces and tantalising tarts, the female answer to these culinary cads is Gen X’s lady of la cucina, Nigella Lawson (Nigella Bites, Nigella Express, ABC1 and LifeStyle Food). Her sultry ability to soufflé around the kitchen has redefined guilt-free indulgence for good (and not-so good) girls everywhere.
Cultural Cuisine
Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam, Kylie Kwong’s My China, Poh’s Kitchen, Food Safari—it would seem our favourite culture fix stations, in SBS1 and ABC1, have realised that food is a great ingredient for multicultural entertainment. And it’s not just spices they’re blending—by capturing the stories of first, second and third generation Australians, and by tracing the evolution of food, these programs are testament to the many great ways our multicultural nation has evolved for the better through immigration.
Agricultural Appetites
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall captured the ‘peace, love and vegetables’ generation once again, when he packed his bags and headed to start a new, self-sufficient and eco-friendly life during his Escape to River Cottage (Lifestyle Food). Now it would seem he isn’t alone in his quest for sustainable and self-prepared gourmet food, with former Sydney food critic Matthew Evans trying his hand at being a Gourmet Farmer (SBS1). These shows are the perfect appetiser for the food-lover with a green heart and thumb.
The Great Cook-off
With Iron Chef (SBS1) MasterChef (Channel 10, LifeStyle Food) Top Chef (Arena) and Come Dine with Me (LifeStyleFood), those who like their cooking to have a competitive edge are well served. Cooking shows (and their contestants) have become so popular of late that,even beyond the MasterChef juggernaut, international franchises of these TV showshave been delivered worldwide, each with their own distinctive flavor.
Delectable Desserts
From Cake Boss, to Glamour Puds, to Sugar, to Ace of Cakes, it would seem that LifeStyle Food has taken a recent shift towards catering for the sweet tooth. Free-to-air viewers won’t miss out either thanks to SBS1 and a new Adriano Zumbo (the patissier of pain from MasterChef Australia and Balmain foodie fame) TV show filmed and ready-to-air in February. This is decadent voyeurism at its zenith, and best of all, you can’t get a single calorie from watching.
More Rescu. food articles:
1. Five Tips To Fast Yet Fulfilling Eating
2. A Celebration Of Food With Tony Bilson
3. The Best Food Review Websites
4. Bring Home The Art Of Takeaway Food