topic Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns in Kitchen

Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

Desert Lily — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 16:02:18 GMT

A plethora of cooking programs came after Julia Child & Top Chef. There's even a network for cooking & food. I used to watch several of them, but now, not so much.

I enjoy watching an occasional program that demonstrates a complex meal or dessert. I can use the ideas for special days. But, my everyday cooking is simplified. Even when I was a young single working mom, I didn't have time for extremely elaborate meals. I made a protein, veggies, salad, & a grain, and sometimes dessert.

Programs like Create's America's Test Kitchen and Cooks Country demonstrate recipes with so many steps. Who has the time or inkling for that?! Not working moms & not me. They're not practical. I watched one show where it took them 2 whole days to make iced coffee.

And those tests. Maybe some people like a sweeter sauce or a lighter iron skillet. I once took the test advice & bought the winning bagged popcorn. What I got was a mouthful of hulls, not flavor. It's opinion and what individuals need or like. I now take those "tests" with a grain of salt.

I used to use my mom's Settlement cookbook. It gave me directions, substitutes, & was realistic.

And the spices. All these cooking programs use a variety of the same spices in each item. It seems to me that using all of those spices in all of the food makes all the food taste the same - like the spices. I want my squash to taste like squash, not like a spice mixture. I want my marinara sauce to have the appropriate spices, but I don't need them in every single thing I eat. IMO, the use of spices in programs is over the top & boring.

Many of the cooking programs don't even tell the viewer the amounts of the ingredients they're using. They tell the viewer to check a website for that.

I used to come home after school as a kid & watch Julia Child. She explained the process, the ingredients, & downfalls to watch for. I learned from her & was engaged in the program. I've learned from Martha Stewart, too.

On occasion, I still watch programs like Ciao Italia, A Chef's Life, & Lidia because I can actually learn something or use the info. I also sometimes watch Mr. Food bc he has recipes that can match real lifestyle.

I won't even go into some of the silly food game shows. And what about healthy eating??

I understand that programs & interests recycle. I've moved on from most of the cooking programs.

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

Harpa — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 16:04:01 GMT

@Desert Lily I like to watch for method, not necessarily for ingredients. Anymore, I like quick & simple, too.

As to spices (and herbs) - they are known as super foods, and so I tend to use the ones I like not to overpower the dish, but to enhance the flavors. I mean, what would cake be without vanilla?

I used to grow a lot of my own herbs. They also are a necessary complement to what I cook.

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

We rescue cats — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 17:24:12 GMT

My favorite cookbook is Julia Child's The Way to Cook, I learned so much from her. Another that really taught me well is Jeff Smith...scandals aside.

It seems that spices are now being touted at probiotics....

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

LavernLuvsShoes — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 19:03:57 GMT

My gripe is Basil, Lemon or Lime Zest and "a drizzle of Olive Oil" on top of everything!!!

I also cook with olive oil, but when I see the cooks and chefs "drizzle" a tablespoon of it on a completed dish, it almost makes me gag.

Can't stand the taste of Basil (but I love Cilantro), and I'm always thinking about pesticides, etc. on the outside of lemons and limes.

But that's just me.

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

RollTide2008 — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 19:04:34 GMT

I mean, it legit does takes 2 days to make iced coffee from cold brew. I don’t mind being referred to a web site to get a recipe for something I saw prepared on tv. To be honest, I’m an experienced home chef and I could probably figure it. If I’m following a recipe, I want the recipe in front of me so why wouldn’t I go to the website. There’s a tablet that lives in my kitchen for just this purpose.

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

sabatini — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 19:44:28 GMT

@Desert Lily said:

Programs like Create's America's Test Kitchen and Cooks Country demonstrate recipes with so many steps. Who has the time or inkling for that?! Not working moms & not me. They're not practical.

LOL, & ITA!

I used to think that ATK should be renamed 'P.I.T.A. Cooking'.

The steps they take are ridiculous!

And I slowly grew to hate Chris Kimball.

I quite watching all the food shows a long time ago.

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

kze — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 03:09:37 GMT

I don't follow recipes and only watch cooking shows or read cookbooks for ideas. I don't have the patience. For that reason, I don't bake.

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

AngelPuppy1 — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:49:54 GMT

I mostly watch cooking and baking competitions. I have learned a few cooking and baking tips and terms, but I mostly watch these shows because I find them entertaining.

My favorite right now, although it certainly isn't new is --- Symon's Dinners/Cooking Out. I just love Michael Symon and he has such a down to earth way about him. For those who haven't watched, he prepares everything outside in his lovely garden on a couple of charcoal grills. His wife, Lizzie, comes out and does some dishes and helps him, too. And they have a young friend, who films them and joins in the fund. Their dog, Norman, also makes impromptu visits! It's such a fun and warm show!

I also love The Kitchen. They all seem to really like each other and it's more like a gathering of friends in their kitchen sharing recipes and food and teasing each other.

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

AngelPuppy1 — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 09:54:53 GMT

@LavernLuvsShoes

While I get using olive oil to cook with, I also agree that I cann't understand the use of drizzling it on top of a finished dish!!!! What's with that? Personally I think it would make the dish so darn greasy and just ruin it!!!

Here's another one - so many of the cooking shows have a "dish" of salt that they use while cooking. I guess I'm behind the times but I never saw anybody in real life with a "dish" of salt that they use for cooking. Then when they are cooking, they just keep throwing tons of salt - and pepper in the dishes haphazardly. They salt at the beginning heavily and then again throughout. Seems to me like everything would be really salty and peppery, but what do I know??

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

Yahooey — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 11:53:11 GMT

while some things are fussy - it makes a difference

with flame off - a drizzle of olive oil, sesame oil, rice wine vingar is so good

cold brew takes 2 days bc steeped in cold water

my fav shows are cook's and they have lead me down the righ path for why some things are done - i may not do them but still - i'm interested in the reasoning behind it

ina - a sense of calm watching her

most of the time - i will use youtube for a recipe

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

Melzie — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:54:21 GMT

@Desert Lily wrote:
A plethora of cooking programs came after Julia Child & Top Chef. There's even a network for cooking & food. I used to watch several of them, but now, not so much.

I enjoy watching an occasional program that demonstrates a complex meal or dessert. I can use the ideas for special days. But, my everyday cooking is simplified. Even when I was a young single working mom, I didn't have time for extremely elaborate meals. I made a protein, veggies, salad, & a grain, and sometimes dessert.

Programs like Create's America's Test Kitchen and Cooks Country demonstrate recipes with so many steps. Who has the time or inkling for that?! Not working moms & not me. They're not practical. I watched one show where it took them 2 whole days to make iced coffee.
And those tests. Maybe some people like a sweeter sauce or a lighter iron skillet. I once took the test advice & bought the winning bagged popcorn. What I got was a mouthful of hulls, not flavor. It's opinion and what individuals need or like. I now take those "tests" with a grain of salt.

I used to use my mom's Settlement cookbook. It gave me directions, substitutes, & was realistic.

And the spices. All these cooking programs use a variety of the same spices in each item. It seems to me that using all of those spices in all of the food makes all the food taste the same - like the spices. I want my squash to taste like squash, not like a spice mixture. I want my marinara sauce to have the appropriate spices, but I don't need them in every single thing I eat. IMO, the use of spices in programs is over the top & boring.

Many of the cooking programs don't even tell the viewer the amounts of the ingredients they're using. They tell the viewer to check a website for that.

I used to come home after school as a kid & watch Julia Child. She explained the process, the ingredients, & downfalls to watch for. I learned from her & was engaged in the program. I've learned from Martha Stewart, too.

On occasion, I still watch programs like Ciao Italia, A Chef's Life, & Lidia because I can actually learn something or use the info. I also sometimes watch Mr. Food bc he has recipes that can match real lifestyle.

I won't even go into some of the silly food game shows. And what about healthy eating??

I understand that programs & interests recycle. I've moved on from most of the cooking programs.

I agree with a lot of what you say. I like to cook and used to enjoy the cooking shows that showed you step by step what to do and any pitfalls along the way. They have, for the most part, been replaced by contests and I hate those shows, especially the ones with outrageous ingredients some of which you've never even heard of. There are only a handful of the good shows left. It also bugs me that a lot of the shows now have a cast of characters such as friends or relatives who stop by to chat and/or eat what has been cooked and everyone is phoney laughing around the table.

I also found that a lot of the cooking shows have become 1/4 cooking and 3/4 travelogues. I really don't care to look at grape vines in Italy or California or watch someone pull a carrot out of the ground or watch someone reel in a fish. If it's a cooking show then I want to see cooking, techniques, helpful hints, different cooking styles, etc.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

Icegoddess — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 13:27:36 GMT

I do not like to cook. I used to enjoy cooking desserts, but I don't do much of that anymore either. The worst part for me is gathering all the ingredients and the prep work. I also used to live kinda vicariously through the cooking shows, and if I could just cook it the way they did on the cooking shows with all the stuff there and you just add the ingredients to the dish, I'd be all in. I'm also a very messy cook and I hve very little counter space, so I'm often washing dishes as I cook to get them out of the way.

Over the years, the shows changed from how-to to competitions and I did watch some of those with the thought of getting ideas, but nothing ever stuck, so I quit watching them. Now, I rarely even check to see what's on The Food Network.

Re: Cooking Programs, Spices, & Yawns

LavernLuvsShoes — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 18:55:49 GMT

Call me old-fashioned, but I long for the days when Julia, Graham Kerr, and Emeril actually demonstrated quick and easy ways to cook delicious "edible" meals.

Stopped watching the Food Network when all of the "Competition" programming started.

Oh, and while most of their dishes were not really "simple," per se, I was hooked on Iron Chef for a long time.

Hubby would let out a loud GROAN every time he saw me watching it (LOL)