Food Shows: Addiction, Treat and Entertainment!

It wasn’t till I got married and was bound to cook that I experienced the benefits and joy of these all glammed- up cookery shows. Now, they mean more than just a source of knowledge and information about food to me. I am kind of addicted to them. Even while I am watching one, I just can’t wait to go straight to my kitchen and experiment the dish (provided the required ingredients are available and handy). Not only that, my best relaxing moments are when I’m watching my favourite cooking show, lounging nice and cosy on the sofa with a lovely, hot cup of tea-just heaven!

Today’s media has taken these food shows to a different level. They are more entertaining than teaching. They tour you around the globe to introduce the cultures through their food and how you can alter those recipes to suit your taste. Being a chef is a fashionable thing now .Famous chefs enjoy the repute of a Hollywood star these days! Soon after getting that fame, these chefs become celebrities, host and judge the popular cooking shows and contests and before you know, have got few books published as well. Seeing my passion for these shows and the resultant cooking ventures, my husband has often advised me to take proper training in cookery and the related skills. Who knows, I might be the next fame and millionaire of the food fashion world!!

When I was in Qatar, nearly three years ago, I used to watch the food channel called Feta feat. It was actually a showcase of various cuisines from around the world. I instantly fell in love with it. It was another form of voyage of discovery for me. We had never thought beyond our biryani, nihari and staple daal roti when it came to food. Still, I can’t believe when many of our people seem adamant to stick to the traditional taste of food. I just marvelled at how wide, diverse and festive that food fiesta was! Mediterranean, Caribbean, Chinese, Continental, Mexican and above all the mix and match adventure of these cuisines for a novel dining experience was available out there.

My current favourite food channel is ‘Good Food’. It’s basically an English channel but they do fun mix of other cuisines too. I simply love to watch the way they juggle with ingredients and create a range of delectable dishes. There are many competent chefs on this channel but I am very fond of the way Jamie Oliver treats and play with food. His simple, brisk and practical approach to cookery is a delight and commendable. His’ 30 minutes Meal’ programme is an amazing show. In half an hour, you see how you can make a full, proper, three course meal with interesting, handy ingredients in a perfectly scrumptious and presentable manner! Wizard, indeed!

Well, these food-focused shows may have their commercial agenda on top but their informative, captivating and luscious presentations are worth watching. Cooking is undoubtedly an act of pure, fine art, I believe. It’s engaging, creative, relaxing as well as rewarding. The colours and displays of food make an absolute feast for your eyes! The aroma of herbs and spices make the whole experience of cooking and then eating, surreal! I owe a lot to these shows. I can plan, budget and experiment with my cooking tasks with much lesser stress now. Serving family or guests for any occasion and on short calls has also been made easier. A good pastime and a valuable learning!