Food TV Guide

What ever you like to watch in the food TV world we've got your fix. Cooking shows, travel/cooking shows, reality TV food shows, food challenge shows, cook off shows. It's all here.

Food TV - Travel Channel

Man vs. Food

If you haven’t watched Man v. Food then you don’t know what you are missing. The show’s name is rather catchy. Each week in Man vs. Food, Adam Richman travels across the country to sample the best cuisine that "almost famous" restaurants, well they are famous in their home towns, are serving up. Richman is always in search of the best foods that each city has to offer. You might catch him in Boston, Massachusetts eating a lobster or in New Orleans, Louisiana chowing down on some old fashioned gumbo.

Man vs. Food can be found on the Travel Channel during the week. Man vs. Food airs at various times during the week. New episodes can always be seen on Wednesday nights. The best part about Man vs. Food is the eating challenge. In every episode, Adam will participate in an eating challenge at a local eatery. Watching him try to beat other contestants or the challnege is a treat in and of itself. Travel Channel

Babe vs. Food

Adam Richman has been an inspiration to foodies everywhere. He has even inspired a new series called Babe vs. Food. Babe vs. Food is an adaptation of Adam Richman’s Man vs. Food series. Three women in Miami decided to follow in the footsteps of Richman and try their hand at eating competitions. They competed in a variety of different eating competitions in a race against the clock. One of the contestants Nori accepts Adam Richman’s challenge and agrees to her own contest against food. In one of the first challenges Nori attempts to drink three milkshakes in under three minutes. She ends up losing the challenge but as with any eating competition, it makes for good watching.

Whereas Man vs. Food can be found on the Travel Channel, Babe vs. Food can be found by watching the Travel Channel’s videos page. If you are a fan of Man vs. Food then you should definitely check out Babe vs. Food.

Bizarre Foods

Bizarre Foods is another Travel Channel goodie and is truly original programming. Viewers tune in each week to show what oddity the show’s host will be trying that day. Andrew Zimmern is always traveling the world to find the most original unique foods that can be found anywhere. This food tv series focuses on locating dishes from around the world that most people would consider to be very bizarre. That’s a nice way of putting it. Many of the items that Zimmern eats would be called gross by lots of people.

Zimmern shows the cooking process from start to finish. He typically shows how the food is caught and how the chef prepares it. You get to actually watch Zimmern as he eats whatever bizarre item is being served up that week. Bizarre Foods has attracted a rather loyal following because of the boldness of the show’s host. The show definitely live up to its motto, “If it looks good, eat it”. But you may not want to watch this food show if you are actually eating at the time.

No Reservations

No Reservations is a food and travel show on the Travel Channel. Anthony Bourdain travels all over the world in search of the absolute best cuisines. Bourdain does not just sample the local eats. He drinks in the culture and activities of every destination that he travels to. When you watch No Reservations, you are whisked away to far away cultures and able to get a taste of the local life and citizens. It's just like taking a vaction except you are sitting on your couch watching this awesome piece of food TV. Okay not really, but it is still fun.

Bourdain is no stranger to international foods having eating the finest foods while traveling internationally over the past decade. He gives his food TV show’s viewers an insider’s view of what it is like to dine in many exquisite remote locations. Bourdain worked as an executive chef for many years himself and has his own restaurant so he knows fine dining when he sees it. You will find No Reservations a delight to watch for its food offerings as well as following the trekkings of Bourdain.

Food Wars

Food Wars is the perfect name for this show that pits two restaurants against one another. Both restaurants will make the exact same dish and compete to see who can make it the best. In Food Wars, Camille Ford travels to a different town each week to determine which restaurant makes the best appetizer or entrée. Ford will ask the restaurant’s patrons, owners, and staff their opinion of a particular dish. She tastes the food item herself and then proceeds to get the opinion of the judges. The judges taste the dish and select which restaurant in the city really is the best.

Food Wars is a weekly show and appears on the Travel Channel. It is very interesting to watch restaurants in Kansas City compete over who makes the best barbeque and restaurants in Buffalo fight over who makes the best Buffalo Wings. The good natured rivalry between local eateries comes across very well in each episode and helps to make Food Wars a hit food TV show.

Food TV - Food Network

Ace of Cakes

Ace of Cakes is one of the longest running series on television. The reality show has been on Food Network for 10 seasons. Ace of Cakes is about just what the show’s title says. Duff Goldman is known as the Ace of Cakes. Goldman owns and operates Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ace of Cakes is one of the few original outside of the kitchen programs.

Goldman’s cake designs are absolutely legendary. His cakes are so good that customers have been known to spend thousands of dollars for one. I for one, would never spend that kind of monay on a cake but I digress. On Ace of Cakes, you get to watch Goldman go through the entire cake making process. He truly is a master at his craft. The entire process involves meeting with clients to determine their wants and finishing with the actual baking and decoration of the cake. Many celebrities have ordered cakes from Goldman for weddings, birthday parties, and special events. He takes his show’s viewers along for the wild cake creating ride.

Diners, Drive In and Dives

Diners, Drive In and Dives is a totally unique concept in food TV shows. Most cooking programs focus on expensive top notch cuisine. That can not be said of Diner’s Drive In, and Dives. The show’s host focuses on finding spots that make regular everyday American food. He then asks the restaurant’s customers and staff their opinion of the food offerings before giving his own opinion. This is useful because it’s always good to get the opinions of the locals that frequent a place.

The show comes on each week on Food Network. Show host Guy Fieri hits the open road to find the best eateries for sampling a little taste of American cuisine. Fieri spends most of his time at diners and drive-ins that serve American favorites like hamburgers, barbeque, and breakfast foods. In each episode the staff shows him how they prepare one of their signature dishes so that you can do the same at home.

Chopped

Chopped is a Food Network TV program in which four chefs compete against each other to see who can prepare the best dishes in the time allotted. The chefs are given a few ingredients by the show’s panel and must prepare dishes that contain some of these ingredients. The catch is that the ingredients are not typically ingredients that would go into any one food dish. This can be quite challenging for the master chefs. The competition is then broken down into three rounds which include making appetizers, entrees, and desserts.

Each round has time limits which forces the chefs to work under tight time constraints. The appetizer round is 20 minutes long and the other two rounds are a total of 30 minutes. This means that the chefs have less than an hour to prepare three great dishes. The dishes are then tasted and judged by the show’s panel. Two chefs are eliminated (Chopped) after the first round. A winner is then selected based on the score of the judge’s panel.

Iron Chef America

Iron Chef America is the epitome of a food television cooking show. Iron Chef America is based on the original Iron Chef program from Japan. The Iron Chef is a one hour chef’s competition featuring the best of the best in cooking. Chefs compete against other mano a mano for the chance to see who will be the Iron Chef. The cooking competition centers around one ingredient. Each chef has to prepare a series of dishes based on the show’s theme ingredient.

The chefs dishes are judged by other master chefs and food critics to see who has prepared the best dishes. Dishes are judged based on taste, texture, and presentation. The show airs on Food Network and has featured master chefs like Wolfgang Puck. Iron Chef America is one of the best cooking shows on television because of its great format and interesting style. Any food competition lover will enjoy watching this show.

Good Eats

Alton Brown loves to define himself as unconventional and that is what Good Eats is all about. In each episode of Good Eats, Alton Brown prepares meals and entertains guests with delightful dishes and banter. Brown spends time examining the science and technique behind cooking. He often speaks with scientists to get an outsiders view on cooking and to learn about the best kinds of cooking equipment to use. Good Eats focuses on making simple foods that just about anyone can make from their home. Thank goodness for this kind of food TV. I like easy.

The goal of Good Eats is to provide its viewers with simple, inexpensive meal options that can be made right in your own kitchen. Brown likes to base each show on a specific theme or ingredient. This makes it easy for viewers to follow along at home. Good Eats has carved out a niche for itself. The show has been on Food Network for over 12 years and is one of the stable fixtures in its TV cooking show lineup.

Paula Deen

Everyone knows the name of Paula Deen. From her iconic cookware to her down home dishes, millions of people nationwide try to imitate the cooking style of Paula Deen. If you are looking for low fat, healthy living recipes then keep looking. Paula Deen is all about authentic cooking. Her Southern recipes are full of butter, salt, and other fattening ingredients but the food is absolutely delicious.

Viewers love her for her folksy old school attitude. Paula Deen has multiple popular food network shows that air throughout the day. Her original show Paula Deen’s Home Cooking is now 10 years old. She teaches viewers how to make omelets, okra, friend chicken, and meatloaf in a snap. She is also a master at making great desserts. Her line of cakes and pies are now sold at Walmart. If you watch an episode of Paula Deen, you will get hooked and be a loyal viewer of her food tv show in no time.

Dinner Impossible

Dinner Impossible is like Mission Impossible except for cooking. The show’s host Robert Irvine is given an impossible task to complete each week and he has to tackle it with limited resources and little time. His past tasks have consisted of preparing multi course meals for a large dinner party with almost no money. Robert thrives on the challenges that would make just about any other chef quit. He always manages to find a way to complete his task just in time. I'm sure a little editing helps too.

You definitely need to watch this food show to see what challenge Robert will tackle next. He truly is the Ethan Hunt of Dinner Impossible. There is no task nor to great for Robert to accomplish as he makes the impossible possible every week. Dinner Impossible has been airing on Wednesday nights on Food Network for eight seasons. Make time to fit this into your food tv schedule.

Throwdown with Bobby Flay

Throwdown with Bobby Flay is like a rumble in the kitchen. Bobby Flay is an incredibly famous master of cooking all things Americana. He makes great hamburgers, barbeques, chicken, and ribs. On Throwdown with Bobby Flay, Flay challenges restaurant chefs to a cooking competition. The great part of the show is that Flay pops in unexpectedly. The chefs have no advance warning and have to respond on the spot to Flay’s challenge. The chef’s are expecting to be featured on Food Network, not a throw down against Bobby Flay.

Flay is not afraid to take on the best of the best. His past challenges have been against bakers, pizza makers and award winning cooks. It doesn’t matter who it is, Flay is up to the competition. Bobby goes into the lion’s den each week and competes against great chef’s in their home kitchen. Tune into Food Network every Wednesday to see who is going to win.

Bare Foot Contessa

Ina Garten comes on Food Network everyday under the name of Bare Foot Contessa. The show’s name comes from Garten’s cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. Garten does a great job of making complex dishes look easy to prepare. (The problem with most food TV shows) Her specialty is French dishes which she prepares like a master chef. The entire show has an authentic feel since it takes place in her kitchen. She often gets her ingredients from her very own garden in her backyard.

She teaches her viewers how to quickly prepare dishes so that you can spend more time hosting parties and less time in the kitchen cooking during them. She makes food during the show for family members, friends, and the show’s staff. She can make just about anything from crepes to sizzling steaks. Barefoot Contessa comes on multiple times during the day on Food Network which means you have multiple opportunities during the day to watch Garten prepare her signature French dishes.

Next Food Network Star

The Next Food Network Star is one of Food Network’s more recent TV food shows. This is the sixth season of the Next Food Network Star. Many of the past winners have gone onto fame and fortune. The food show’s premise is for a group of contestants to compete against each other for the show’s big prize. The grand prize is a food network series starring the show’s winner.

Here's how it works. Twelve contestants compete against each other in a series of cooking competitions to see who will advance to the next round. At the end of each show, someone is eliminated until you are just left with the finalists. The finalists compete by creating a variety of different dishes until there is only one person left standing. The contestants make everything from mainstream dishes to exotic concoctions. There are three judges that will determine the winner. The three judges are Bobby Flay, Bob Tuschman, and Susie Fogel.

What Would Brian Boitano Make?

You may have thought that Brian Boitano was just a gold medal figure skater. Well, not anymore! In What Would Brian Boitano Make, Boitano shares his homemade meals with the viewing public. Boitano is a self taught chef who has been cooking for over 20 years. He has always been passionate about cooking and enjoys making new entrees. He creates his own recipes and has a flair for making specialty dishes. Brian’s past creations have included such delights as Chicken Paella Burgers, Pear and Almond Crostata, and Bourbon Bacon Apple Tarts.

This food TV show has gained a devoted following and Boitano appears ready for cooking stardom. Viewers enjoy the lighthearted nature of the show. Boitano warmly invites the show’s audience into his home. This is now the second season of What Would Brian Boitano Make. The half hour long food show airs on Food Network The entire series is shot from his home in San Francisco.

Tyler’s Ultimate

If you know anything at all about cooking, then you have heard the name of Tyler Florence. Tyler Florence is the star of Tylers Ultimate. Tyler Florence became famous to the viewing public through his show Food 911, where he helps restaurants find solutions to their food emergencies. His latest creation is a Food Network traveling show known as Tyler’s Ultimate. Tyler's Ultimate is interesting because you will find him traveling the world to sample a dish and preparing the same dish himself.

Most cooking shows do not have the host doing both activities. The reason for the traveling is to learn something new about preparing a dish that Florence did not know. His travels allow him to get a different perspective on cooking a particular food item and add it to his repertoire. At the end of the show Tyler combines everything that he has learned from his travels and creates the Ultimate Dish.

Food TV - TLC

Cake Boss

Cake Boss is a TLC program that takes place at Carlos’ Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. The show revolves around Buddy Valastro and is named after him. Valastro has earned the nickname “Cake Boss” due to his artistry in the creation of cakes. He is the owner of Carlos’ Bakery and is one of the most famous cake artists in the United States. His entire staff is family members including his siblings, mother, and in-laws. Valastro is following in his father’s shoes of baking and hopes to make his bakery a huge success. Which if you have ever watched the show and seen the lines of people waiting to by his goods you know he is making a killing.

Cake Boss gives you a glimpse at the working relationships of the entire Valastro family. Tension and drama are common themes throughout many of the episodes. On TLC's Cake Boss, you get to watch the Valastro family chase their dream of making Carlos’ Bakery world famous and their family name a household name. You get the best of both worlds watching this TV baking show. You get drama and cooking all in one. It is a fun treat.

Food Buddha

Food Buddha may just be the most original name that I have ever seen for a cooking program. Food Buddha follows Chef Rodelio Aglibot around as he samples cuisine from around the country. Aglibot visits different restaurants and tries all of the items on the menu. That’s right! He orders one of every single item on the menu. He tries the different items looking for inspiration. More often then not this procedure works for him and he creates a brand new food dish that never existed before. This food show can be found on TLC

Aglibot has a great talent at being able to create original dishes by sampling other restaurants cuisine. He will incorporate different herbs and spices into his recipe that he may have tried at another restaurant. Most chefs are not willing to admit that they learned something from another chef. That cannot be said of Aglibot. After watching a few minutes of the show, you will quickly learn why Chef Rodelio Aglibot is referred to as the Food Buddha. 

Food TV - Miscelaneous

Rachael Ray

Rachael Ray is the host of the hugely popular Rachael Ray show which comes on NBC every weekday morning. Rachael’s bright and infectious personality has made the show a hit with viewers and guests alike. This food TV show is watched by millions of people every weekday and has been a huge hit for ABC in its daytime slot.

The show has been on for over five seasons and deals with a combination of topics. Rachael can always be found interviewing guests, giving advice, and whipping up a great meal in the kitchen. She always showcases her culinary skills in each and every episode. Rachael is known for her ability to prepare delicious meals that can be put together in 5 minutes or less. These are great for busy professionals and working mothers that don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. The Rachael Ray show offers something for everyone.

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart has long been known as the queen of daytime television for over 20 years. She is the star of the Martha Stewart Show. The Martha Stewart Show is all about domestic life. You name it and Martha does it. She sews, knits, and cooks all during her hour long program. You would be amazed at how she can create clothing items from a few threads and can make gourmet meals in a snap.

The Martha Stewart Show can be found on the Hallmark Channel on weekdays. Stewart teaches her show’s viewers the ins and outs of working in the kitchen. She is a master chef and can make anything from a simple pasta dish to Cornish game hens. Martha focuses her efforts on teaching the basics of cooking for her audience. They learn how to bake, stirfry, and sauté dishes right in their own kitchens. It is must watch food TV. Hallmark Channel

Americas Test Kitchen

Americas Test Kitchen comes to you each week from Cook's Country farmhouse. This food tv show prides itself on providing the best recipes and food tastings in its region. America’s Test Kitchen is about testing different food items and judging the response of the tasters. This show is great for those seeking to learn about the latest dishes, food equipment, and recipes. American’s Test Kitchen is broken up into easy to follow segments for ease of viewing.

The show is broadcast on PBS each week and has the following format. The show has a tasting lab segment.  This is where a new recipe is tested out on an audience of food tasters to see if it is up to snuff. The show has an equipment corner segment where the staff offers reviews of lots of kitchen products and appliances. There is also a quick tips segment in which viewers can learn some useful tips that will help them in their daily cooking lives.

Top Chef

Top Chef is one of the most popular food TV shows on Bravo television. Top Chef is a cooking competition program. Each week chefs are asked to cook specific dishes with certain requirements and restrictions. The chefs have to follow the instructions perfectly or they will be eliminated. They are only given one hour to prepare all of the dishes according to specifications. Judges are brought in to assess the taste of each food item. The chefs are then judged based on the taste and look of each dish in the Quickfire competition.

Any chef that is fortunate enough to survive that round then moves on to the Elimination round. The chefs are given anywhere from a few hours to a few days to complete a cooking challenge in this round. They have to prepare gourmet meals that will be judged by a top notch panel that includes one celebrity judge. The last chef standing who survives all of these challenges is then deemed worthy to wear the moniker of Top Chef. Bravo.

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares is a weekly Fox program featuring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.  Ramsay visits a “nightmare” of a restaurant with the goal of helping to increase the efficiency of the restaurant. Viewers are given a front row seat into what happens behind the closed doors at many restaurants. Ramsey shows you exactly how to take a failing business and make it a success.

The show is worth watching for Ramsay’s emotional performances alone. Ramsey yells, screams, and does whatever it takes to whip a restaurant into shape. The restaurant could be failing for a variety of reasons including poor cuisine, bad management, or terrible customer service. Ramsay stays at each restaurant long enough to turn it into a success. His tirades are legendary as he fusses at owners, chefs and the staff. Ramsey demands absolute perfection. He then checks back on the business a year later to make sure it is still thriving. Which more often than not the owners have slipped into their old ways. How dumb do you have to be to not follow the advice of one of the most successful and wealthiest restaurant owners in the world? But this is a great food TV show on Fox that can really be a great business lesson as well. 

Food Tech

Food Tech host Bobby Bognar travels the nation to figure out exactly what is in the food that we eat. Food Tech is a series about deconstructing your favorite meals. Bognar looks at every aspect of the process that is involved in getting your food to you. The series traces everything from the making of foods and the farming of foods to the actual processing. Bognar looks at all of the ingredients that go into making different meals and how they are cooked.

You get a bird’s eye view of the mysterious ingredients that go into so many foods that we eat. Past episodes have looked at the infamous hot dog, cracker jacks, and beer. You would be quite surprised to know the ingredients that make up many of these staples of the American diet. In fact you may not want to know at all. You will get quite an education watching Food Tech. You can catch Food Tech on the History Channel each week. If this information is important to you or you just find it fascinating work this one into your food tv scehdule.

Future Food

The Discovery Channel’s Planet Green has a brand new food TV series that you should watch called Future Food. Future Food is unique in that the show not only is about cooking but finding eco friendly ways to cook. The food show’s creators are very passionate about cooking using environmentally friendly methods. You won’t find them using tubs of Crisco oil or containers of butter to make their food dishes. They truly believe that green cooking is the future.

The show’s hosts and creators are Homaro Cantu and Ben Roche. They both consider themselves post modern chefs. They create original dishes combining their culinary skills with scientific methods. Cantu is the specialist at creating green entrees that customers love to eat and Roche has a passion for creating green desserts. They often come up with weird ways that you can utilize food items to help save the environment. The goal of Future Food is to redefine the way that you think about food.