Georgia Dixon
TV

5 cooking shows to inspire the chef in you

Feeling sick of your regular weekly dinner routine? Shake things up with some fresh inspiration from the most celebrated chefs around. We round up five of the best cooking shows that can turn anyone – yes, anyone! – into a top cuisinier.

The Great British Bake Off

If you’re not already aware of this hit UK phenomenon, it’s not too late to catch up. As much as we love the Australian version with Maggie Beer, there’s just no beating the original. If you’ve never watched it before, think MasterChef, but just mouth-watering desserts. It’s the most quintessentially British TV show you could imagine.

The French Chef

Who remembers this iconic series hosted by legendary chef Julia Child? On air from 1963 to 1973, it’s the show that shot the American food guru to fame, featuring (almost) every classic French recipe you can think of, from beef bourguignon (the very first episode) and coq au vin to soufflé and croissants.

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Now, you might not have heard of this one, but the American chef’s CNN show (which you can catch on Netflix) is more than your average food series. Bourdain mixes his love of travel with all things culinary as he travels the world off the beaten track. The four-time Emmy-winning series also earned a coveted Peabody Award in 2013. Definitely worth a watch.

MasterChef Australia

We couldn’t leave Australia’s favourite cooking show off our list, could we? Showcasing the best home cooks around the country, MasterChef proves you don’t need formal training to become… well, a master chef. Each season leaves us glued to our screens for the simple reason that the contestants are just regular people like you and me. Very inspiring.

Heston’s Feasts

Heston Blumenthal’s wacky and experimental creations mightn’t be easily recreated in the kitchen at home, but they’re certainly inspirational. In each episode of Heston’s Feasts, the Michelin-star chef presents a different themed “feasts”, serving up food inspired by different eras of history (like the Romans and The Tuodors) as well as some fictional sources (like Willy Wonka and Alice in Wonderland).

What’s your favourite cooking show? Tell us why you love it in the comments below.

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Tags:
cooking, TV, Television, Julia Child, MasterChef