Cooking shows have dramatically increased in popularity over the past ten years. Some celebrity chefs have come and gone, but a number remain and continue to grow their cooking themed empires. These shows have spawned spin-offs, many cookbooks, kitchen tools, lines of specialty products and ingredients, and much more as the stars of cooking themed television appeal to such a wide audience. What were the ten most popular cooking shows of the last decade?
Ina Garten uses the many skills, resources and local vendor relationships upon which she built her successful catering and specialty food business of the same name in her popular cooking show. Barefoot Contessa has aired on Food Network since its debut in 2002. Ina Garten typically creates her shows around a theme or an event-whether she’s creating a housewarming party for friends or a special breakfast for her traveling husband. To be fair, the show tackles recipes from its base in the exclusive Hamptons-and the use of costlier ingredients is frequent. The demeanor of the show, though, is still encouraging to those seeking to encounter new tastes and experiences in the kitchen.
Good Eats
Good Eats, also on Food Network, uses host Alton Brown to provide not only recipes, but a series of history and science of food ingredients in virtually every episode. Brown takes the myth out of mysterious ingredients-and dons costumes and props to illustrate the basis of many concepts, kitchen tools and materials used for cooking. Good Eats began airing in 1999 and has built a steady following over the past decade.
Rachel Ray openly announces that she is “a cook” rather than a formally trained “chef”. She takes a variety of dishes even gourmet styled ones, and in less than 30 minutes is able to turn out full meals. Time is valuable in many households, and meals that are well balanced and quick are essentials to many. Ray creates flavorful themes and comfort foods that even beginners can duplicate. 30 Minute Meals, another Food Network show since 2001, is only one of many cooking themed shows hosted by Ray-but is a very popular one, spawning a series of cookbooks, a magazine, a talk show and a number of spinoffs.
Another Food Network show, Everyday Italian, began airing in 2003. Giada De Laurentis combines her Italian upbringing and traditional family style with her professional culinary training for viewers in her popular Everyday Italian. De Laurentis prepares an array of Italian inspired dishes, desserts and even beverages from fresh ingredients, herbs and traditional Italian ingredients and products. She serves up everything from autumn comfort foods, holiday desserts and offerings suitable for diners ranging from couples and small dinner parties to large events. De Laurentis also hosts a number of other successful shows and cooking specials.
This popular cooking show, also airing on Food Network since 2002, offers just what the name implies. Paula Deen, a Southern cook without formal chef training, uses her home cooking talents and outgoing personality to offer viewers a variety of dishes. Viewers can expect to see everything from southern fried foods, to traditional family recipes and Deen’s take on many popular dishes and party themes during each Paula’s Home Cooking episode. All of Deen’s recipes and episodes are dotted with her own personal flair-family stories, the occasional mishaps, and smiles are commonplace. Paula Deen also hosts many other cooking show spinoffs and specials throughout the year. She brings out the joy of cooking and the specialty of loving what she does and serves it to viewers in every episode.
Throwdown with Bobby Flay, also airing on Food Network, has the celebrity chef, surprising cooks and challenging them to a cooking contest of sorts. Chefs and small town cooks can be chosen to create their specialty as Flay cooks up his own version of the dishes. Then-the judging begins as his creation is pitted again the other and groups of diners/judges choose the best of the two. In true reality tv fashion, Flay wins some and loses some-showing the true quality of personal specialties! Bobby Flay can be seen on a number of other shows as well, including the popular Iron Chef America reality program.
This entry requires breaking away from Food Network for a moment to explore public television’s most popular cooking show, America’s Test Kitchen. Airing since 2001 on PBS, America’s Test Kitchen, takes a few recipes during each episode and explores the pitfalls to help ensure that the recipe can be prepared properly-the right way-with the best possible results. The show employs a cast of regular characters-though not present in each episode-combined with guests and special segments involving the science of the dish to keep the episode entertaining.
Ace of Cakes
This program breaks away from cuisine and comfort food and dives into one genre: amazing cake creations. Viewers follow Duff Goldman and the staff of Charm City Cakes as they design and bake some of the most unusual cakes imaginable. Viewers follow a few cake creations from the initial order and design formation through the actual creation and delivery. Problems and solutions are often key segments of each episode as the team seeks to deliver one of a kind show stoppers for a variety of parties and special events. Ace of Cakes also airs on Food Network.
Everyday Food
The popular PBS cooking show brings Martha Stewart’s test kitchen and the Everyday Food Magazine to television as a host of home cooking talents seek to offer tips and insights for those creating real food at home on a daily basis. Everyday Food prides itself on offering recipes which are quick and easy to prepare using common, easy to find ingredients.
Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
Celebrity chef Michael Chiarello takes his knack for planning and preparing special meals and his culinary talents to the stage as he creates a variety of recipes for themed gatherings and events. Chiarello is a master of planning ahead to allow the chef to break free from kitchen duties and enjoy the party! His dishes often include items that may be prepared ahead either completely or in part to relieve some of the preparation stress on the day of the party. Easy Entertaining can also be found on Food Network with other Chiarello hosted shows.
There are many up and coming cooking shows that moved onto the scene in recent years-perhaps they will make the list for our next decade. It does seem that the popularity of celebrity chefs and culinary artists is set to remain for some time.
