Fun Shows to Watch While Cooking

If you are lucky enough to have a television in view while you cook, hopefully, you enjoy watching something when you are at work like me. I have favorites and here are my top picks for fun shows to watch while cooking.

Gilmore Girls 

Lorelai and Rory not only have great mother-daughter banter, but they cannot cook which always makes me laugh.  If they are not getting take out, living off frozen french fries and cupcakes, then they can be found at Luke's diner.  The small town of Star's Hollow, especially the gazebo and The Dragonfly Inn, is always sure to melt away the stresses of my day. 

There are so many great foods and coffee quotes from this show, I can never repeat enough of them. My favorite still is “I can’t stop drinking the coffee, I stop drinking coffee, I stop doing the standing, and the walking, and the words-putting-into-sentences doing.”  There is even a new Gilmore Girls Cookbook that just came out in 2022.

The Bear

This show is still creating new episodes and is a current hit. The not so perfect staff at this Chicago Beef restaurant is portrayed by some amazing actors. This comedy-drama is a half-hour show with lots of heart, bad language, & amazing food.

Between the family dynamics, the push & pull of the staff as they bustle around a chaotic kitchen has so much energy. I love the fast pace & the catchy dialogue which keeps me going in the kitchen - yes chef!

The Goldbergs

This is a family-friendly show so if I am cooking and the kids are around, we enjoy this one together.  It's funny, poignant, nostalgic, & often sweet.

The “smother” of the show, Beverly, has some great cooking moments and it is set in "1980-something". It brings me back to memories of my years growing up as a teen. (yes this is often because Beverly Goldberg has a mouth on her and my own mother does as well).

The Goldbergs live outside of Philadelphia and some of the East Coast eats brings back some of my own Brooklyn family memories. Some of those foods mentioned in The Goldbergs that are familliar for me include “shrimp parm”, lasagna, latkes with mounds of sour cream, and of course, Philly cheesesteaks.

Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown (No Reservations etc) 

Anything with food and travel has always been something I could not get enough of. When I read Kitchen Confidential when it first came out and followed that with Cook’s Tour, I knew someone beat me to a dream job.  For many years I have "kitchen stool" traveled through Bourdain’s journeys. I

enjoyed so many aspects of his shows and not just his love for so many different ethnic foods. Equally, I enjoyed his desire to encourage discussion and acceptance amongst so many cultures. I miss him but love to watch the repeats for both culinary and humanitarian inspiration any day of the week. 

The Chef Show - Netflix

If you enjoy anything by Jon Favreau, you will love this show. He is not only behind the Mandolorian, and many Marvel movies, aka Happy. But also starred in classics like Swingers and Friends. In the Chef Show, he plays himself - the food-loving enjoys cooking, likable, and funny guy.

He travels to different locations to meet up with chefs. He cooks alongside them and learns a thing or two. Which I love because I am always excited about new foods and learning something new. The graphic design and flow of these shows are unique and pleasing to the eye. This isn't like other travel food shows, it is quite different and worth checking out.

Somebody Feed Phil

This travel documentary show is similar to Bourdain's adventures - only funnier. The creator of Everybody Loves Raymond is great in front of the camera this time around. He has this "average guy" persona that is charming, witty, & at times so real you feel you are with your best buddy.

His travels near and far to eat & learn about just about everything is what drew me in originally. Why I keep watching is the classic bits over zoom with his parents & the friendships he builds along the way. He not only describes what he eats very well but the faces he makes are my favorite part - authentic Phil is a star in this series.

Pioneer Woman 

Her life out on the frontier is so opposite to the hustle and bustle of California. Between the homeschooling, ranch chores and open spaces, this is another show I like to watch because it takes my mind off of my daily life. Her kids are almost all grown and not on the ranch. However, they are still integral to her show, and what makes it homey & comforting. 

Yet with all those differences, what keeps me watching season after season is enjoying seeing how the commonality of family, food, writing, and photography is what we have in common even though our surroundings are so different.  Oh yeah and we both sorta write on blogs. She is a tad bit more successful and famous than me but who is counting? 

House Hunters

I am always fascinated by the housing markets not just in the United States but all over the world. As a California native with 1500sq foot homes costing over $1.5 million. It always cracks me up when a couple in Georgia just cannot fathom why their agent is showing them a home $5,000 over budget. Oh, the humanity!    I

also like taking a peek into other floor plans, outdoor spaces and especially kitchens.  My favorite is seeing what kitchens look like in other countries. I often think I need to live abroad where appliances, countertops, and spaces are much smaller and just my size. It is a good way to play adult “make-believe” in my mind.

Bonus

Anything on Hallmark Channel is also a favorite of mine. This is especially true each December as I am baking. Something about watching couples finally find their holiday romance that seems to make the goodies a little sweeter.  

What shows do you like to watch while cooking?  What shows inspire you to get cooking?  Do you prefer music, audiobooks, silence or some other background enjoyment while in the kitchen?