For those that love cooking shows/cooking stars, who do YOU enjoy most.... Star or show or both?

I've watch food shows now and then for years. Some of the shows and stars that I like have already been mentioned like Triple D, Nigella (smoking hot, my ideal body type and love her English accent), Alton Brown's Good Eats, and the original Iron Chef from Japan - Iron Chef America sucks! One person that hasn't been mentioned is Andrew Zimmern. Liked watching his Bizarre Foods, Bizzare Foods America, and Delicious Destinations.

Also I hated Bobby Flay. Watch his Iron Chef battles with Morimoto on the original Iron Chef. He was a total prick. He still has an attitude but he seems to have mellowed a bit.

 

For me, it's primarily the show. As @VegasLover8 said, The Original Iron Chef from Japan. The star only if he/she contributes something to the show, like Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives", or the judging panel of Chopped. The ONE thing that stands out in my mind is the utter disgust that Alex Guarnaschelli displayed at a chef that didn't devein her shrimp. That sticks in my head whenever I'm preparing shrimp.

 

As noted by some above, my viewing dropped precipitously when the Food Network morphed into the Game Show Channel.

"Next week on Food Network: Celebrity Food Fight!"

 

I've never actually liked watching them cook, although if forced to, then Alton Brown. Once in a while, I would watch the Barefoot Contessa.

What I used to enjoy, back when I had cable, and before reality TV took over, were shows that combined food and travel. Rachel Ray's $40 a Day, where in a particular city, she would have only $40 a day to spend on food. I also enjoyed where they showed how food was manufactured - Unwrapped. Another one about summer festivals, Strawberry Fest, Garlic Festival etc. We also did really like Man vs. Food.

So basically, I just like shows that show people eating .

 

I love Trisha Yearwood. I love her music, and I think she's a great cook. Just good, simple, down-home cooking, without any complicated, costly or "weird" ingredients. All of the recipes of hers that I have tried are really good, too.

I'm a big fan of the Pioneer Woman, too.

 

I really like America's Test Kitchen, Lidia, Chef Morimoto, and Alton Brown. I occasionally watch Trisha Yearwood and the Barefoot Contessa as well. I like to learn about the ingredients and methods, and hopefully some back story on the recipes. Andrew Zimmern is a local, and I also enjoy the travel element of his shows.

I'm not really a fan of all of the game show type shows on Food Network these days.

 

I was going to say the same thing... I really like watching Alton do anything (I even went to one of his live performances a few years ago). But in terms of a show, I really like Chopped. Unfortunately, just about every show is a rip-off of Chopped (including, unfortunately, Alton's Cutthroat Kitchen) and I feel that all the rip-offs are diluting the original.

Does anyone watch Alton and his wife Elizabeth with Quarantine Quitchen on their YouTube channel every Tuesday evening?




I also liked Hell's Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay originally, but ultimately every season was the same... 15 props and 5 talented chefs put up with Ramsay's manufactured bullshit. It got tiring.

However, I once fell into Gordon Ramsay's The F Word on the BBC. The show is very different than anything in the States, and shows a patient and encouraging Ramsay. Unfortunately, it too, can only be found on YouTube right now.

 

I love watching Chopped (I love Ted ) and Iron Chef America (the original is good too) for the creativity. I love seeing people think on their feet and the interesting recipes that can result.

Worst Cooks in America cracked me up, and I really love Anne Burrell as a person. Teaching people how to cook, while also looking at the sheer ignorance of some people and blatant unwillingness to learn and grow was intriguing to me. Seeing people learn new skills, develop a passion and hone the craft is fun to watch.

I tried to get my boyfriend to watch The Final Table with me, I think it's on Amazon? Fun cooking competition but they have some great guest star chefs.

Gordon Ramsay is great. And I miss Anthony Bourdain. So so much.

I love the holiday themed shows, especially around Halloween time or Thanksgiving. I used to like watching "Unwrapped" on Food Network, now they have a remake on the cooking channel.

Alton Brown's Good Eats is a long-time fav of mine from an information standpoint; and I love him as a host on Iron Chef.

Emeril was great when I was growing up. I've been watching a lot of Jacques Pepin & Julia Child lately. Watching them cook together and joke together is a joy.

 

I used to love cooking shows. We had two here in Ontario that were just amazing back in the 80s.

Wok with Yan was an Asian inspired chef.
Pasquales Kitchen Express was Italian inspired.

If you get a chance to tube it....you won’t regret it!!! Both chefs were characters....

 

Never liked Bobby Flay either. He is just jerk material. He has mellowed and maybe it is from age but I like to think that someone gave him a well deserved smack in his mouth to wake him up.

Edited to add: I loved all the early cooking shows of the 80's and 90's. Except Bobby Flay.

 

Guys. We all have people we don't like. The topic was who do you like and enjoy seeing? Can we just be nice?

 

I don't watch a ton of cooking shows (I prefer to be in the kitchen myself ;-) but have watched some over the years. Really like Bourdain & Zimmern's approach to culture more than just food (they're not "cooking" shows so not sure if they fit OP's parameters)

I've found I prefer PBS shows to Food Network, when it comes to actually cooking. Some Food Network can be entertaining - but I'm not learning about cooking much. One show that is on my PBS now (only 6 episodes?) is Dishing with Julia - where current celeb chefs watch old Julia Child episodes and comment. Really funny - AND enlightening!

Another we like is called Taste of History because that chef travels, talks about the history of food wherever he is, then cooks over an open hearth (and we're trying to improve our fire cooking!) I usually go through my monthly Passport guide (it's a PBS TV Guide ;-) and highlight shows that look interesting to me and then I'll record them - usually has more to do with what food is being prepared than anything else.

Oh - for entertainment, we also love watching Martha & Snoops PotLuck

 

I'm a BIG Guy Fieri fan! I love his energy and enthusiasm. Also enjoy Alton Brown and how well he's able to explain things with the corny props, etc.
Lastly, I'll watch Giada anytime she's on... and drool, not over the food either!

 

I forgot about Wok with Yan!

And of course the Galloping Gourmet!

 

Wow, the Galloping Gourmet!! There's a memory!

 

I enjoy all the Great British Baking Shows, all in reruns now on PBSs. I do enjoy watching Paul and Mary doing the Masterclasses, although I am not a fan of Mary's very fussy cakes. I think the British word is "fiddly".

 

My favorite is the Barefoot Contessa, she has such a great smile and exudes confidence. Her husband shows up at the end of the program with this Mona Lisa smile that sort of says "yup, I'm the luckiest guy on the planet and I get this 7 days a week."

I recently found this channel on youtube, Italian Grandma, and Grandma makes me smile.

 

Graham Kerr. I used to watch him when I knew next to nothing about cooking. Funny guy.
Locally, we had a guy named Jeff Smith who's show was the Frugal Gourmet on local PBS. Got me into cooking. Still use his omlet technique. He started as a minister. If he was a priest he would have been in charge of the altar boys. That was his demise.

 

My memory of GG was when he made a passionate plea to his audience to dispatch live lobster with an ice pick between the eyes before placing them into the steamer.

 

When we moved to Portland in the early '70s the Crazy Kraut Horst Mager was a celebrity chef in town and he had his own TV show. Memories ...