Baking sourdough during quarantine has become a total cliché. But for those of us who’d rather watch other people toil in the kitchen, there’s always the vast array of cooking and baking shows to stream. Here are some of our favorites.
The late Anthony Bourdain remains one of the most beloved culinary adventurers. If you’ve never caught an episode of his nine-season series No Reservations, then you need to get started! He travels the world, sometimes eating foods that are totally foreign to the Western palate. But more important than the food is the people.
Obviously this is going to make the list. We haven’t been shy about our love of Bake Off, as it is known in the UK. The most relaxing, gentle competition ever filmed is full of cheeky puns, low-stakes drama, and beautiful bakes. It’s the perfect show to have on in the background as you do chores.
Guy Fieri spent the first fifteen years of his career as a pop-culture punching bag. Despite being a successful TV host with a restaurant in Times Square, Fieri got no respect from the bougie foodie crowd. His frosted tips, penchant for greasy American food, and repeated trips to Flavortown made him an internet laughingstock. Except, now, people are starting to realize that maybe the earnest dude who loves what he does–and who has raised tens of millions for restaurant workers during the pandemic–isn’t so bad after all.
Padma Lakshmi’s new show combines travel with food. It just happened to premiere at a time when we’re craving both. Lakshmi is interested in redefining “American food” from the perspective of the immigrant families who brought such wonderful flavors to the country. The ten episodes of the first season are available on Hulu now.
Jon Favreau and chef Roy Choi lead a host of celebrity guests on The Chef Show on Netflix. Favreau became interested in cooking after making the film Chef, and now he has returned to his passion–with lots of his Marvel buddies.
With the huge caveat that Bon Appétit’s brand is a mess right now, thanks to behind-the-scenes racism and the ouster of their Editor-in-Chief, the magazine’s channel still has tons of wonderful content. And we hope that, someday soon, the chefs from the test kitchen can return to doing what they do best. This time, with fair and equal pay for all.
