Cooking & Cooking Shows

I love to cook. I don't do it often enough though. Why?

Mainly because I really hate my kitchen. It's small, it's not laid out very well, counter space is limited, and it's ugly.

This makes cooking a chore and not a pleasure, and as a result I don't cook nearly as much as I would like to.

Oh, and I have a job, 2 kids, and a wife who all want a piece of my day. I would much rather eat out or do delivery.

I do like watching cooking shows however. My hands down favorite is Good Eats by Alton Brown. I own all of the series DVDs and books. I even ordered some of the measuring cups and the salt cellar that Alton sells on his personal web site. As a male and an engineer there's simply no better cooking show on TV than this one. Would I like to sit down with Alton at a bar and have a few beers and chat about life, the universe, and everything? Not really, no. On the DVD's there's a section called "Ask Alton" where Alton answers questions, ostensibly from viewers, about the recipes he cooked on the previous episode. It's pretty obvious to me from these unscripted sessions that Alton really is one of those people in which everything in life is "serious business." I'm willing to admit I'm wrong, however. Alton lives in the next town over from me, and if he reads this and wants to go grab a beer and chat about "stuff" I'm willing.

Anyway...

Rachel Ray really used to bother me. I hated her accent and the funny, slanted way she smiles. Then at some point, after watching who-knows-how-many episodes of 30 Minute Meals I realized that she didn't bother me anymore. I don't know if I just got used to her or if I actually started to appreciate her talents and sense of humor. Maybe it's a bit of both. And to be honest, I really appreciate the whole "30 minute meal" concept. I don't have a lot of time to cook during the few times I actually get around to it, and most of the things she cooks look appetizing enough.

Ace of Cakes; seriously Duff and crew, put down the peace pipe. Enough is enough. It's affecting the quality of your show.

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; Guy Fieri is who I would be if I could get away with it. I'm not too wild about his cooking show, but this series is absolutely perfect for him. It matches his personality to a "T", and within this vessel he absolutely shines.

Dinner: Impossible; I like it. Too bad the original chef turned out to be a flake.

Everyday Italian; this is as close to food-porn as it gets. I don't care what Giada's cooking or what she's saying. Good heavens she's hot.

Throwdown with Bobby Flay; I love to see the arrogant Flay get beaten. It makes my day and is usually a good show as well.

So what are some of the shows and chefs I don't particularly care for?

Well, Emeril drives me nuts. His humor is terrible. And let's be honest; everyone loves to eat Emeril's food but who on earth wants to cook it? Certainly not me.

Anthony Bourdain; just what the world needs - a pompous, arrogant New Yorker with an opinion about anything and everything. Please, just go away.

UPDATE: I just may have a new favorite cooking show.