WTTWC (cooking TV shows)

Like most, I've abandoned Food Network (or they abandoned me). Thankfully on my Comcast digital I get three PBS stations for some decent culinary programming. Just the other day I discovered WTTWC (create) on channel 242 (your programming may vary). Most of these quality shows are shown every day with a repeat.

Simply Ming (always worth a view)
New Scandinavian Cooking (the new hot hostess is a hoot)
Caprial and John's Kitchen (avoid like the plague)
Jacques Pepin: Fast Food (always a great show)
America's Test Kitchen (from the authors of Cook's Illustrated)
Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen (I always want to eat what she makes)
Daisy Cooks: With Daisy Martinez (the best latino food show I've seen in years and the hostess has spunk)

There maybe others but this is the meat of it. Aside from America's Test Kitchen, quantities are not always mentioned, and the recipes are usually not online -- but that's what libraries and book stores are for.

I don't know why WTTW is not promoting the station more. I've not seen it advertised on channel 11, and I don't see mention of it on their website.

Ps: When I'm feeling a little "high" I love to watch the Best of the Joy of Painting ("here goes a happy tree"). My kids like it to!

-ramon

I think WTTW doesn't promote it because you either need a specific comcast package or an ATSC tuner for your (presumably high-definition) tv. Most of their viewers probably don't have 'em, and wouldn't get them just for WTTWC, so I can't imagine it'd be very effective

Me, I love it. It's a great channel, and I watch it much more than WTTW or PBS-D.

Ramon wrote:Simply Ming (always worth a view)

Used to like him, 'til I saw Cooking under Fire, where he seemed rather arrogant and pretentious

Ramon wrote:New Scandinavian Cooking (the new hot hostess is a hoot)

Old guy was Norway; new host is Sweden ... what's not to like about a Swedish blonde?

Ramon wrote:Caprial and John's Kitchen (avoid like the plague)

I think their little digs at each other are fun ... my guess is their home life isn't perfection

Ramon wrote:Jacques Pepin: Fast Food (always a great show)

His stuff is always solid - you know he's grounded since he spent so much time at Howard Johnson's

Ramon wrote:America's Test Kitchen (from the authors of Cook's Illustrated)

surprisingly well-done

Ramon wrote:Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen (I always want to eat what she makes)

Okay, but not exciting for me

Ramon wrote:Daisy Cooks: With Daisy Martinez (the best latino food show I've seen in years and the hostess has spunk)

I found her irritating at first, but she's growing on me

Ramon wrote:I don't know why WTTW is not promoting the station more. I've not seen it advertised on channel 11, and I don't see mention of it on their website.

They do promote it on the station from time to time.

And, FYI, an e-mail I got from WYCC, which also has a nice variety of cooking shows:

Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter will be back in the coming months, as soon as they release the next season.

I have Comcast but I'm not familiar with WTTWC. What channel # is it on for you?
I was only aware of the regular WTTW 11 and WTTW-D (HD).

as per Caprial and John: "either their homelife isn't perfection"...OR...it's really, awesomely, creepily, dom/sub terrific.

I keep waiting for the show where she hauls off and smacks him for adding too much mache.

It's in the OP but channel 242 -- I think Comcast unified their channel numbers so it should be consistant.

I don't have an HD TV -- simply the digital package. I won't spend that kind of cash to watch the plethora of crap thats on.

-ramon

WTTW "Create" is on 11-3 ATSC digital.

The picture is quite horrible but they do rerun tons of cooking shows.

So far as I know, all of those shows run on regular WTTW, although perhaps not at the same time; I know America's Test Kitchen is only a few weeks into its 26-week season, though. Most of their cooking shows run on weekends (and are easier to find on a Tivo program guide).

I don't know of Caprial and John (or their possible proclivities for ball gags and/or collars), but has anyone seen the show where the two good ol boys cook Tuscan food? This show might be on WYCC, but they include it here on PBS as part of the Saturday cooking line-up (we get Ming, the most goyische Asian around, but worth it for the occasional, cool guest chef, Lidia, BBQ U, America's Test Kitchen (speaking of Goyische... "hey, I'm a young, relatively hip TV cook - think I'll dress like Lawrence Welk!" The women on the show are great, though - no-nonsense cooks, in the best sense of the word (and damned sexy, in that Alex Portnoy at Antioch way) and the effeminate product tester is cool too) In the Kitchen with Julia Child (always a treat, especially when she dabs and tests and tastes the immaculately, anal-retentively composed dish whatever guest is making.... gotta love Julia for infusing the sense of chaos and fun into the show... by the way, if anyone cares, I just acquired a DVD of the best of Uncle Floyd, and he does, without a doubt, the best Julia impression ever. Puts Dan Akyroyd's to shame). But the show with the two big ol boys (who look like they should be hosting a fishing show on ESPN 2) making guanciale and ragu bolognese... too absurd and bizarre for words.

"You know, them Tuscans loooove their boar!"
"Yep, yep, they shore do... we gonna start this with a battuto..."
"Didn't you play football with him? Frank Battuto? A Halfback?"
"Naw, he werent nothin but the waterboy, my man..."

Seriously... it's like a bad joke... like two Imams curing a ham....

Hungrygoldarnrabbi

Christopher Gordon wrote:as per Caprial and John: "either their homelife isn't perfection"...OR...it's really, awesomely, creepily, dom/sub terrific.

I keep waiting for the show where she hauls off and smacks him for adding too much mache.

I agree - I'm betting Caprial is the dom.

We just switched over to Comcast digital last weekend and I haven't had a chance to explore all the channals so much. I'm so glad to find out about this.

I must admit I'm not a Ming fan, I agree with whoever said cooking under fire sort of killed Ming for them. He seems sort of surly and jerky on that show.

I also bet Caprial has a cattle prod hidden under that counter for when John steps out of line.

Ramon wrote:It's in the OP but channel 242 --

oops!

Do they show Rick Bayless's "Mexico-one plate at a time"?

I'm pretty sure they do. Either WTTWC or WTTW-D does...

thaiobsessed wrote:Do they show Rick Bayless's "Mexico-one plate at a time"?

Of course, how could I forget? I know you're referring to Chicago PBS stations, Siamesefixated, but Rick's show is one of my weekly joys here in Vegas, as well. He's truly the William Shatner of TV food hosts, having mastered the art of pause-acting:

"Now, here in Jalisco, they love their grilled meats as much as the rest of Mexico, but do it with their own special............ (snooze button).....flair..."

"Back here in Chicago, I like to take the............ (wait for the Rapture)...........IDEA of those roadside stands and make my pollo al carbon a little........................................................(Today..day..day... I consider myself..self..self.. the luckiest man..man...man) differently..."

"Yes, we're human beings, Spock, yes.............we're savages...."

I'm still waiting for him to traipse around Acapulco or some other touristy spot and extol the virtues of El Rey de los Hamburguesas, even if he did give the money to Mexican orphaned nuns with one eye or whatever. I miss the shows he did with his daughter, too. Did she wind up in the mole when she stopped being so cute, or what?

Hungry............................................Rabbi

Gotta agree with everyone about Caprial and John. She annoys the cr@p out of me. She's never spoken in a less than condescending tone and she treats John like a 2 year old in the kitchen. Hey, John lets her treat him that way so there's no judging here, cattle prod or not!

Hungryrabbi.....I can never watch Bayless again! I love the show because he takes you to those places in Mexico and really beats home the meaning of the dish. But there's just something about him that bugs me. For the longest time I thought it was his "almost visible" goatee/soul patch whatever-is-growing-on-his face (blue cheese!?!?). You freakin' nailed it! The tequila episode really highlighted his latest Shattner lesson. I almost sprayed my computer with coffee after reading your post.

Oh, and daughter (Janie, IIRC) appears periodically. She's in college now and does her own version of cooking classes.....I'm surprised it's not named.....Dorm Rooms: One Hot Plate at a Time.

_____I can see how you might feel abandoned from constant Food Network watching, but thankfully Alton Brown and the Ham on the Street guy are consistently solid.
_____As far as PBS shows go, I agree that there's something slightly disturbing about the sly voice and consistent pausing Rick Bayless does (although the kid's food is solid!). America's Test Kitchen is just too...squeaky clean and bland that I'd expect Mary Poppins to stop by at any moment. As much as I dread the equally forced presentations of Steven Raichlen, the BBQ University shows produce some tasty lookin' results!

hungryrabbi wrote:I don't know of Caprial and John (or their possible proclivities for ball gags and/or collars), but has anyone seen the show where the two good ol boys cook Tuscan food?

If you can recollect the name of this show, please come back and post. I'd love to TiVO it - it sounds hilarious.

aschie30 wrote:

hungryrabbi wrote:I don't know of Caprial and John (or their possible proclivities for ball gags and/or collars), but has anyone seen the show where the two good ol boys cook Tuscan food?

If you can recollect the name of this show, please come back and post. I'd love to TiVO it - it sounds hilarious.

"Italian culinary heritage" + "Houston spirit" = Cucina Toscana

I was amused and confused the one time I accidentally came across this show.

z

Great! Thanks!

Zeeshan wrote:"Italian culinary heritage" + "Houston spirit" = Cucina Toscana

I was amused and confused the one time I accidentally came across this show.

z

I've seen a good number of their shows, and these guys are great - the Click and Clack of cooking shows. I used to watch it on WYCC, which to me has a stronger, albeit quirkier, lineup of PBS cooking shows.

Sadly, I'm not sure Cucna Toscana is still in production.

They might be fun to watch, but don't make me eat in their restaurants: Carraba's Italian Grill. To be fair, better than Olive Garden.

Zin wrote:_____As much as I dread the equally forced presentations of Steven Raichlen, the BBQ University shows produce some tasty lookin' results!

Maybe, but I'm afraid I'm going to start hearing Raichlen chanting, "keep it clean, keep it lubricated" in my sleep. I can't watch that show any more.

grace

swine dining wrote:
Maybe, but I'm afraid I'm going to start hearing Raichlen chanting, "keep it clean, keep it lubricated" in my sleep. I can't watch that show any more.

grace

When he cooks ribs on the grill, in about an hour, then calls it barbecue, makes me cringe.

Then he's got a Bandera vertical smoker like mine in the background, with white smoke billowing out of it for 30 minutes. Thats smoldering creosote, not the thin blue smoke of pure wood smoked flavor.

But I digress.

I just wanted to thank Ramon for pointing out WTTWC.

We went digital, they added, changed, shuffled all the channels. There are about 150 channels I get that I don't realize I have, because they keep changing.

I see Rick Steve's is on now (242 in Aurora too) and I like the way this guy tours Europe.

See some cooking on later.

Anyway, Thanks for the pointer!!

Zin wrote: America's Test Kitchen is just too...squeaky clean and bland that I'd expect Mary Poppins to stop by at any moment.

Dude, I just don't get that comment. There are so many sexual jokes between Christopher Kimball and Bridget and Julia, it's hilarious to see what they'll say next.

Just recently Julia was talking about the WonderCup measuring cup, and Chris Kimball said "My wife has some wondercups". Julia went on to talk about sliding out some peanut butter, and he mentioned, "my wife's cups lift and separate".

And then there are the licking comments.

It's awesome.

This is a brilliant thread and merits resurrection for the 2007 batch of cooking shows. Chris and Julie continue the banter; I want a crossover with Raichlen. Keep it lubricated, people.

If I could just mention a discovery I made just recently - the show I've been working on, Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie, aired on WTTWC last season. The new season premieres later this year/early next year, but the home page for the first episode is up - Baja: The New Provence http://www.diaryofafoodie.org/episodes/21/index.html

It should air on WTTWC and WYCC again this coming season.

Louisa Chu wrote:Baja: The New Provence

So true.

Can't wait.

Jusr had some of Lidia's cooking (sort of)

Visiting family in Pittsburgh and we all had Sunday brunch at Lidia's Pittsbhrgh, on The Strip downtown. It was excellent. It offers an antipasto and dessert bar, and the entree is a selection from about a dozen dishes. Also a couple Mimosas or Bloody Marys, all for $20 a head.

The decor is quite striking- they used a really hip restaurant designer.

For somebody's grandmother, she evidently has quite a restaurant empire: there is a Lidia's Kansas City, and I've seen a comment by somebody to the effect that he's "eaten in several of her New York restaurants." Don't know more than that, though.

MikeLM wrote: there is a Lidia's Kansas City,

Yeah. I've been there, and though it was fairly good. I wonder how the KC place compares to the PGH location which, according to GEO, opened around 18 mos. after the KC outpost.

On another note, DirecTV has been steadily adding a bunch of HD stations to its lineup. Most of them are just HD versions of the already existing cable networks, but just last night I noticed that they added Food Network HD, which has completely different (and so far more interesting) programming than the main Food Network feed.