• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Buying / Growing Food
  • Storing Food
  • Preparing & Cooking Food
  • Fun Food Stuff
  • Restaurants
  • More
    • Electronics & Gadgets
    • Health & Beauty
    • Hobbies & Crafts
    • Home & Garden
    • Jobs & Money
    • Outdoor Fun
    • Travel

Food and Cooking Guide

Real People. Real Experiences. Real Helpful.

a Fun Times Guide site

Home » Home & Garden » Fun Food Stuff » People Really Don’t Cook Anymore, Despite All The Food Shows On TV

People Really Don’t Cook Anymore, Despite All The Food Shows On TV

Pin
Share
Tweet

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to yourself.


cooking-in-the-kitchen-by-AMagill.jpg What a difference a statistic makes.

I thought most folks who spend hours watching cooking shows like Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen, Iron Chef, The Next Food Network Star (okay, all the shows on the Food Network) are culinary energized by these shows and head to their kitchens the next weekend to try and make some of the food.

Or they take the tips and recipes in the plethora of food magazines and from the seemingly endless number of food and cooking websites and try to work their magic for the family dinner.

Then I read Michael Pollan’s article in the New York Times Magazine from a few weeks ago entitled, Out of the Kitchen, On to the Couch (I know, I’m behind in my reading).

In it, the author of the bestselling In Defense of Food, An Eater’s Manifesto uses the movie Julie & Julia as a peg to discuss the current state of food and cooking in America.

Before I even finish the first page, he turns my philosophy upside down by explaining how the all these food shows have actually helped turn cooking from a participation activity into a spectator sport!

And then he hits me with the statistic.

In paragraph 9:

Today the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation… less than half the time it takes to watch a single episode of “Top Chef” or “Chopped” or “The Next Food Network Star.  Source

 

What? That’s it? What happened?

Pollan’s article is a thoughtful piece tracking cooking TV and American culture from Julia Child’s The French Chef and its influence on cooking in the home kitchen to cultural shifts in America and the way we eat that moved us to celebrity chefs cooking in Kitchen Stadium while we eat prepared food and watch from the couch.

You should read the article.

 

So in the end, my theory that the current focus on food in media translated to the home kitchens of America is wrong. At least for the nation as a whole.

I still believe for a decent-sized niche it has had the opposite effect — introducing people who grew up in homes where cooking skills weren’t honed to food and cooking, and inspiring them to learn more and do more.

And for a larger population, it has at least educated them about food, even if doing nothing more than introducing them to flavor profiles, defining deglaze, and maybe letting them know their blender can be used for something other than margaritas.

 

 
Avatar
Al Dente

I’ve been in the food industry for years. Grilling and tailgating are my specialties. I’m also addicted to watching food shows on TV.

Pin
Share
Tweet

Filed Under: Fun Food Stuff, Home & Garden Tagged With: food celebrities, food on TV, Top Chef

Primary Sidebar

About Us

LynnetteI love my kitchen... and I like to cook. But my #1 requirement is that recipes have fewer than 7 ingredients (or arrive on my doorstep via a food delivery service). My absolute favorite thing about being in the kitchen is trying out new gadgets, cookware, and storage containers! I'm SUPER organized in the kitchen (and everywhere else) and I have every gadget I could possibly need neatly and compactly tucked away until I need it. I share only the simplest recipes (which is great for people who don't like to cook), along with time-saving food tips and cooking tricks (that will save you time and money). When I'm not cooking, cleaning, or organizing my kitchen... you can find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).

Lynnette: View My Blog Posts

CurtisOne of my all-time favorite "hobbies" is cooking at home! I especially enjoy experimenting with new ingredients ...and different types of cookware. My specialties are foods that are diabetic-friendly, keto-friendly, and low-carb. I share my favorite recipes and cooking tips here at The Fun Times Guide to Food.

Curtis: View My Blog Posts

Top Searches

alcohol and liquor bananas beef beverages breads breakfast foods chicken cookware crockpots dieting eating out eggs food celebrities food gardening food humor food safety food storage free stuff freezing foods fruits grilling grocery shopping healthy foods hot peppers How-Tos kitchen gadgets leftovers microwave cooking tips onions organic and natural pantry party ideas pasta popcorn potatoes recipes to try reviews saving money snacks and desserts soups and stews strawberries tomatoes travel foods turkey vegetables

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Fun Times Guide logo
Shop Our Favorite Items

Copyright © 2004-2021 The Fun Times Guide | Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy | About | Contact | Sitemap