Appetite for Consumption: Cooking Shows

Mario Batali throws his famous chef’s hat (and orange Crocs) into the online video ring today with the debut of his new web series, Mario Batali Unclogged, on the Serious Eats food blog. This bodes well for the online video industry as yet another high-profile name makes the jump to the web and further legitimizes it as an entertainment medium.

It also bodes well for hungry people everywhere who like to eat.

The first episode features Chef Batali talking about the use of sauce on pasta. Although it doesn’t feature the chef actually cooking, it’s shot in a straightforward web style and is very helpful for anyone serving up spaghetti. (It’ll be interesting to see how Batali is featured in future episodes.) Since all you need is a little know-how and a kitchen, however, Unclogged is not the only web series devoted to foodies. But which ones have the chops?

Jackson’s covered a couple of cooking vlogs, highlighting everything from the Jewish fare found in Feed Me Bubbe to the healthy stylings of Freshtopia. Here are a few more that will whet your appetite.

Whole Foods (WFMI) has a cooking show called The Secret Ingredient. Sure, we all know it’s there to pimp the stores, but it offers recipes from its kitchen center that are varied and interesting (and you know where you can buy all the ingredients), and host Scott Simons adds personality without going overboard. Points off for not having an embeddable player, though.

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Indian company iFood.tv is like the YouTube of online cooking shows. Professionals and amateurs alike can upload video cooking classes that cover all four corners of the globe. As with any UGC site, some content is definitely better than others, but the user element also makes the recipes more approachable because the ingredients are easy to find — and the cooks don’t have super high-end kitchens.

From Canada, LeGourmet.tv is part of the Broadband Gourmet Network. It covers a range of topics including recipes, how-tos, and food and drink pairings. The videos are well-produced, but the personalities are on the boring side. You’re eating and drinking, have some fun with it.And finally, if you’re looking for a little more comedy in your cookin’, check out Revision 3’s Ctrl+Alt+Chicken (disclosure: Revision 3 also produces the GigaOM show). Hosts Alex Albrecht (no relation) and Heather Stewart don’t know how to cook but are fun to watch, even though they get a little too Mystery Science Theater-schticky sometimes.

And of course, the perfect pairing to any cooking show is a little Wine Library TV to wash it all down.

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