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| Education: | |
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| Broadcast: | PBS 1999-2000 |
The whole was truly greater than the sum of the parts when these two titans shared the camera. This undeniably entertaining and informative show was in a league of its own, as were hosts Julia Child and Jacques Pépin.
These two great chefs were so fun to watch because they were so sure of thesmelves and seemed so comfortabe in the kitchen whipping up gourmet meals.
Julia Child, of course, is the most famous American chef of all time, having introduced French cooking in the 1960s to mainstream America via her wildly-successful cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and her long-running TV show "The French Chef."
Popular portrayals and caricatures of Julia abounded over the last forty years, leaving the public's impression of Julia as a jumble of truth and exaggerated reality.
But see her original shows for the most accurate representation — she could captivate with her mastery of French cooking techniques, while at the same time entertaining and putting the viewer-student at ease.
Jacques Pépin may not be as familiar to the casual, modern-day cooking show viewer. But Jacques is on of the most renowned chefs in the world, having written the "bible of French Cooking" — "La Technique."
Jacques turned his success as an author, coupled with his winning on-screen demeanor, into several successful TV shows. "The Complete Pépin" was his first, while "Fast Food My Way" and "More Fast Food My Way" are still seen occasionally around the dial.
We'll leave you with just one more look at this perfect cooking show below.
Did we forget a show? Let us know if you think we might have dissed your favorite program.
Of course, the top 100 is a pretty exclusive list. There are tons of cooking shows on the air that didn't make our cut. Some of them are even pretty good. In particular, it's worth mentioning that we couldn't find any clips of some of the earliest TV chefs (e.g. Moira Meighn, Marcel Boulestin and The Bontempis). What a shame to think that these potential treasures might be lost forever. If you've got a lead on those shows, please do let us know.
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May 19th, 2010 at 6:38 am
[...] it to re-visit some of your old favorites, or study it carefully to discover some new gems.Source:http://www.thecooksden.com/top-100-cooking-shows/ Posted by Mike Devlino at 06:38 Labels: gems, old favorites, video [...]
May 19th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I only get 8 channels, so where can I find these shows?
May 20th, 2010 at 3:27 am
[...] The Cook’s Den has a lot of time on its hands, ranking the top 100 cooking shows of all time. You get an “A” for effort, but you’re going to need to stay after class for [...]
May 20th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Another one that’s very good that’s not on the list is “After Hour with Daniel”, Daniel Boulud is cooking for his chef friends, and the foods are amazing.
May 22nd, 2010 at 7:34 am
Obviously the Creator of this list is semi-retarded. Emeril Live is ranked #100?
May 22nd, 2010 at 4:22 pm
I was pleased to see you had a good selection of shows from around the English-speaking world, including some Canadian gems. But unless I missed it, you didn’t include my very favourite Canadian cooking show, Pasquale’s Kitchen Express.
A good man and a fine cook (and a decent singer as well), Pasquale entertained the largely Italian immigrant population in Toronto and its surroundings for many years.
May 24th, 2010 at 10:35 am
What? No Biker Billy Cooks With Fire? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlU-E1tSyEM
May 24th, 2010 at 10:58 am
[...] http://www.thecooksden.com/top-100-cooking-shows/6/ [...]
May 24th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Although it was rather short-lived, I loved “Adventures with Ruth” (Reichl). A perfect blend of exotic travelogue and unique but totally palatable food. She even had celebrities!
Also, there was a wonderful show on the Food Network around 2003-2004 called “Melting Pot”, which featured a different ethnic cuisine for each day of the week. It was a kind of starting ground for stars like Michael Symon and Aaron Sanchez.
And even though I usually hate the contestants, I never miss “Chopped” because I love to imagine what I would cook with the mystery basket ingredients. It’s given me lots of great ideas!
Although I’m not HUGE fans of the following, I find them a great deal better than many others that made your list, so I’d like to give a shout out to Ming Tsai, Sara Moulton, Michael Chiarello, Ina Garten, and… I can’t believe I’m saying this, Tyler Florence (I thought “Food 911″ was a great concept and usually pretty educational).
May 25th, 2010 at 10:20 am
Cooking Live With Sara Moulton should have been in your top 10! It was one of the best and most educational food shows ever!
May 26th, 2010 at 3:42 am
[...] See the List Related Reading: Good Things Utah Cookbook: featured Recipes from 2003 Language Exploration and Awareness: A Resource Book for Teachers Human Resources In Healthcare: Managing for Success, Third Edition [...]
May 28th, 2010 at 9:28 am
[...] top 100 cooking shows of [...]
May 30th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
In the same vein as Alton Brown was David Rosengarten’s Taste, one of my personal all time favorites. How many times does Emeril get mentioned? I loved his show when he didn’t have the live audience and band and didn’t continually say “KICK IT UP!”. As much as I loved watching the Frugal Gourmet, his gentile and proper tv demeanor belied his true wicked self. I can no longer even think of him much less watch his show without having a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
June 4th, 2010 at 11:00 am
No Ming Tsai makes me sad.
January 11th, 2011 at 10:02 am
[...] barbecued shark before bedtime. Want to read about a more uplifting set of shows? Check out the 100 Best Cooking Shows of All Time here. Enjoy the list. And, by all means, avoid the shows. Click Here to See the List Posted in [...]
January 11th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Melissa d’Arabian is just annoying. I can handle her maybe 5 minutes. And how did Hell’s Kitchen get in the Best of List while Top Chef made it to the Worst list.
January 17th, 2011 at 7:34 am
David Rocco is an Italian-Canadian…so I think that nasaly voice you’re referring to is actually his accent.
January 21st, 2011 at 3:15 pm
I think that you are mistaken about Dione Lucas being the first woman with a cooking show. Lena Richard had a cooking show in New Orleans beginning in 1947. Although Lucas might have had a national show, as opposed to the local show that Richard had. She was on WDSU.
April 9th, 2011 at 5:53 am
how the hell did urban peasant get into the list of best cooking shows, the recipes were unispired and confusing at times(wait make that all the time)..and don’t get me started with the host.
and how come did top chef and barefoot contesa end up in the worst list…i absolutely adore those 2 shows!
April 10th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
[...] http://www.thecooksden.com/top-100-cooking-shows/2 Posted on April 10, 2011 by admin. This entry was posted in Food. Bookmark the permalink. « 7 Unglamorous Steps to Better Writing [...]
June 20th, 2011 at 10:07 am
I kinda miss my favorite show featuring Heston Blumenthal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jod7PY8pj40