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Watching What We Eat The Evolution of Television Cooking Shows Kathleen Collins 9780826429308 Books

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Watching What We Eat The Evolution of Television Cooking Shows Kathleen Collins 9780826429308 Books

I thought the book was generally well written and organized by definable category. For me, the size of the hardcover was a bit small and I would have appreciated larger type and pictures (more of them) It was fun to see the old B/W photos of the culinary hosts. I appreciated that Sara Moulton's comments and observations were included , along with Chris Kimball of the PBS show America's Test Kitchen, among others. The continuing analysis of the varied styles, trends,etc. of the evolution of food shows kept interest. It was obviously well researched and I would recommend it, and would hope the many more recent shows might be mentioned in more details in a new edition, or supplement.


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Watching What We Eat The Evolution of Television Cooking Shows Kathleen Collins 9780826429308 Books Reviews

This is a surprising book. For one thing, I did not know prior to reading this book that TV cooking shows have been around since the very earliest days of TV. Turns out that there have been certifiable stars of TV cooking long before Julia Childs. Not only does this book introduce you to stars of TV cooking shows that you have never heard of, it also details
their back stories and even some gossip about these TV pioneers. This is a human interest book at its very best.

Kathleen Collins has written an excellent book that should be on the book shelf of everyone who is a regular watcher of TV cooking shows.
What has gone wrong? At one stage watching television was something that you prepared for, carefully perusing the schedules for something that would illuminate, inform or entertain. Now it seems that there is just a continuous flood of programmes, often of dubious quality and unlikely innovation, ready to consume the viewer through the hundreds or thousands of channels at their disposal.

The same seems to happen with cooking programmes. At times it feels that you only need to know how to boil and egg and have a nice smile and you have your own cooking show. If it is not just that, there seems to be too many dire "cooking competition" programmes too. Cheap telly? Maybe, but where did things start to go wrong? Maybe this book which looks at the evolution of television cooking shows can help?

Written in an academic style whilst remaining relatively accessible to the casual reader, the author takes a predominantly U.S.-biased look at the whole "cooks on TV" situation. Split into three periods (early - 1945-1962; middle 1963-1992 and modern 1992-present) the whole book provides a very engaging look at a fairly complex subject from its humble beginnings to its latter more celebrity-focussed, arguably style-over-substance grotesque parody of perhaps the original meaning of a television cooking show.

As a viewer, this reviewer finds it increasingly difficult to find a cooking show that really can stand out from the crowd. There are some interesting series that start well (such as "Cake Boss" in the United States) before the format starts to become over-milked and some cooking-documentary series such as "Exploring China" produced by the BBC which has managed to carve out a niche for itself. Are there, however, only so many cooking competition-type shows and so-called behind-the-scenes programmes fronted by the same egocentric chefs that the average viewer can reasonably tolerate? When the ingredients and actual cooking start to take second place to the tantrums and tears of the participants, perhaps the answer is yes!

Should this book's detailed, engaging information not be enough for you there is a mass of further reading suggestions and references at the end along with a very detailed index.

This was an interesting look at a subject that many people don't possibly think about, yet the genre itself has played an important role in society and perhaps still does so, even if we don't necessarily know and appreciate it. It would be interested to see a second volume of this book, perhaps looking even more at international markets and how some cookery programmes are crossing borders. Perhaps even look at the cultural benefits, sociological changes and educational values (or lack thereof) of these programmes as they have segued often from education to entertainment. Any willing author out there?
A really good book.
I enjoyed this book because it was pretty easy to read through. Collins has a nice accessible tone throughout the book. I only wish that she had said more about some of the more current shows like "Unwrapped," which was only briefly mentioned in the book twice.
This is a great history of the evolution of food shows on television. From the almost amateurish Julia Child shows in the 1960's(Julia and one cameraman on a simple set) to the enormous productions we see on Food Network with "superstars" like Emeril and all the rest.
good to read
This book by Ms. Collins is certainly worth the read, to say the very least.!!
For one who counts himself among the kitchen illiterate, though for many years wanted to be the "sous chef", I found this to be a tremendously educating and inspiring book.

I would be redundant using words that have been well placed such as;great research,
clarity, wit, historical, educational, inspirational,etc...but, I must say that one such as myself who knows little and does little in the kitchen, I find Ms.Collins' book a boost to my pursuits in that same venue. I can see,watching at times the food channel and listening to friends comments on food and cooking in general, how the author came up with the idea for this book as everyone, young and old with no gender barrier seems to be "into it".! It is the kind of book you can pick up and select a few pages at random and enjoy it all over again, which I've done more than once already.! Hopefully this will be the first of many books from this talented author.!

James Doolin, Portland, ME.

P.S. I would like to briefly comment on a review written by a Ms. Appelton of Arizona.....This book is entitled, "The Evolution of Television Cooking Shows", NOT,.How Not To Overeat..!! Obesity, Anorexia and Bulemia are topics unto themselves and this was not supposed to be a medical journal or encyclopedia of same.
References to Japan/A-Bomb, Germany/Holocaust and Sixties/Vietnam as to matters being left out..!!??..seems to contradict your applause for both author and book.?
There is a plethora of books on the aforementioned subjects which you can buy and note that NONE of them will reference cooking shows or similiar venues.!!
BON APPETIT..!!!
I thought the book was generally well written and organized by definable category. For me, the size of the hardcover was a bit small and I would have appreciated larger type and pictures (more of them) It was fun to see the old B/W photos of the culinary hosts. I appreciated that Sara Moulton's comments and observations were included , along with Chris Kimball of the PBS show America's Test Kitchen, among others. The continuing analysis of the varied styles, trends,etc. of the evolution of food shows kept interest. It was obviously well researched and I would recommend it, and would hope the many more recent shows might be mentioned in more details in a new edition, or supplement.