In My House: Cooking Shows

One of my guilty pleasures is cooking shows.

Although cooking is not my favorite thing to do, it turns out I’m a little bit of a foodie. I love trying new cuisine, pairing interesting food and wine, and fantasizing about going to dinner at Ina Garten’s house (see below).

Here are three of my favorite cooking shows:

(I could definitely eat this entire dish.)

(Image from realgirlskitchen.com)

The Real Girl’s Kitchen (on the Cooking Channel): This show is hosted by Haylie Duff. You might know her as Summer from Napolean Dynamite (or at least that’s how I knew her). She is also sister of Hilary Duff, who, sorry to say, has always annoyed me, but luckily Haylie is pretty laid back and cool. Recently she made a baked brie with honey and thyme that had my mouth watering. She also made a version of s’mores in a waffle cone. You put marshmallow, chocolate, bananas, and other yummy treats in a waffle cone that you then wrap in foil and place on a campfire. What?! Genius.

(When I watch these shows, what I really want is for the hosts to just bring the food over to my house. Like this ham quiche prepared by Damaris Phillips.)

(Image from foodnetwork.com)

Southern at Heart (on Food Network): Host Damaris Phillips was a winner of Food Network Star and brings some new and interesting approaches to southern cooking. I never really fancied myself a southern food fan. Maybe because fried food sometimes turns my stomach and I am a wimp about spicy cuisine. Damaris is a likeable, friendly host.

(My girl Ina’s lemon chicken. I have actually cooked this many times but I’ll leave the food photography to the experts, at least for now.)

(Image from barefootcontessa.com)

The Barefoot Contessa (on Food Network): I have been watching this for years. I own four of her cookbooks and my girl Ina really inspires me to cook something decent now and then. I make her tarragon potato salad regularly and I often turn to her lemon chicken recipe. I fantasize about being invited over to Ina’s for a dinner party. I about died when I saw the scene from 30 Rock where Ina visits Liz Lemon in a dream and says: “Hello, neighbor! My husband Jeffrey is out of town and I have this platter of bruschetta and a bottle of wine I need to share.”