Are you looking to improve your cooking skills? Or do you love the art of food and enjoy all things culinary?
Finding the right show that hits all the right spots can be difficult, but don’t worry; we have you covered!
We have compiled a list of hot PBS cooking shows you are guaranteed to love:
1. The Great American Recipe
Cast: Alejandra Ramos (host), Tiffany Derry, Leah Cohen, Graham Elliot
This all-new eight-part cooking competition is hosted by a trained chef and food writer, Alejandra Ramos. It showcases the multicultural factors that make American food so iconic and distinctive.
Additionally, the series gives talented and passionate amateur cooks from all over America the chance to showcase their unique dishes. The winner earns the title of The Great American Recipe.
Professional chefs and judges Leah Cohen, Graham Elliot, and Tiffany Derry provide useful insights from a professional and experienced standpoint. They give the contestants extra support during their race to the title.
2. La Frontera with Pati Jinich
Cast: Pati Jinich
Join James Beard Award-winning host Pati Jinich as she travels to El Paso, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, and a list of other regions along the U.S-Mexico border, sharing meals with the local people as she reflects on the blending of their different cultures.
Pati is known for her achievement as the host of the four-time Emmy-nominated and three-time James Beard Award-winning food series Pati’s Mexican Table.
She switched careers from being a political analyst and a resident chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington D.C.
Pati Jinich is now living her dream of conducting in-depth interviews with locals while immersing herself in the various cultures.
She is also the author of three cookbooks, so if there is anyone who knows her stuff when it comes to food, it’s Pati.
3. Dishing with Julia Child
Cast: José Andres, Eric Ripert, Vivian Howard, Marcus Samuelsson, Carla Hall, Sara Moulton, Rick Bayless, Jacques Pépin, Martha Stewart
Julia Child, the Emmy and Peabody Awards winner, paved the way for culinary experts to showcase their skills on television.
Starting in 1963 with The French Chef, Julia has taught generations how to cook and dine well. She pairs it with her charming and quirky personality.
Over fifty years after the debut of The French Chef, some of the most popular chefs and celebrities today have come together to savor some of the most beloved episodes from the series. This is in appreciation of this pioneering woman in the world of culinary arts.
Furthermore, in one of the episodes, we see José Andres and Eric Ripert amazed by Julia Child’s hands-on treatment of a whole fish. Finally, José jokes about his debt to Julia for making fish a popular dish in America.
Other celebrities and professional chefs featured in the series include Vivian Howard, Martha Stewart, Rick Bayless, Carla Hall, and Marcus Samuelsson.
This series is a blend of older cooking shows on public TV and newer cooking shows on PBS. It offers an insightful, entertaining, and deeply personal appreciation of the world of food.
4. No Passport Required
Cast: Marcus Samuelsson
Hosted by acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson, No Passport Required is a six-part series featuring poets, chefs, musicians, leaders, and amateur home cooks who have enhanced America’s culture through food.
Every week, Marcus takes us on an inspiring journey across the U.S. He explores and appreciates the diversity of immigrant cuisine that has been merged with American food, enhancing the already vibrant culture.
No Passport Required truly demonstrates how food brings Americans, old and new, from all walks of life together at one table.
5. Somewhere South
Cast: Vivian Howard
Host of the famous cooking show, A Chef’s Life, best-selling author and professional chef Vivian Howard takes a deep dive into the roots of Southern food, Southern Living, and Southern dining.
The series looks at the cohesiveness between the various ways different cultures interpret the same dish, all while exploring the complex identities and historical backgrounds that make up the American South.
From exploring the uses of pickles to learning about the relationship between pies, labor, and migration in early America, Vivian Howard takes us long on this extraordinary journey through the South.
6. Lidia Celebrates America: Overcoming The Odds
Cast: Lidia Bastianich
Join Lidia Bastianich, professional chef, bestselling cookbook author, and award-winning television show host, in this new special.
She travels all over America, from the huge bustling cities to the remote corners of rural America. Throughout the show, she converses with a group of Americans who overcame the odds, turning their losses into wins by serving their communities.
Unlike most food shows on PBS, Lidia doesn’t just focus on the culinary aspects when she travels. Instead, she is more focused on sparking conversations.
A wrongly convicted man who became a lawyer and advocate for the underserved. A paralyzed NYC restaurant owner who opened a barrier-free restaurant and launched a nonprofit to support and empower people with disabilities. A group of veterans who help people affected by natural disasters.
These are just a few intriguing conversations you can expect to see in this series.
7. A Chef’s Life
Cast: Vivian Howard, Ben Knight
This exciting series comes from the host of Somewhere South with her husband Ben Knight, which gives us an inside look at their lives after they left NYC to open a fine dining restaurant on the East side of North Carolina.
The thirteen-week series follows Vivian Howard into cornfields, gardens, and hog farms as she searches for the freshest ingredients that inspire her recipes.
The show is a true celebration of farm-to-table dining.
8. Martha Bakes
Cast: Martha Stewart
Join Martha Stewart as she shares the best baking techniques and tips. By watching her, you’ll gain the confidence to learn to create the finest pastries and desserts from the comfort of your home.
She shares updated versions of familiar favorites in this series, adding new angles with new ingredients and flavors.
Martha takes us back to her old PBS cooking shows, from almond-shortbread sandwich cookies to sweet grape tarts and chocolate charlottes.
9. Pati’s Mexican Table
Cast: Pati Jinich
The host of La Frontera with Pati Jinich brings us this all-new creation, birthed from the nostalgia of the foods that shaped her childhood in Mexico.
Pati takes us along as she explores Mexico. She then welcomes us into her kitchen, showing us how to make traditional Mexican dishes with a little twist.
In each season, Pati explores a different region of Mexico to have us experience how diverse and deeply rooted the Mexican culture is.
Further, she gives us an exclusive peek into the fascinating history of Mexico by introducing us to chefs, families, and artisans behind some of these recipes.
Pati’s Mexican Table is undoubtedly one of the best cooking shows on PBS.
10. America’s Test Kitchen
Cast: Bridget Lancaster, Julia Collin Davison, Keith Dresser, Becky Hays, Lan Lam, Erin McMurrer, Elle Simone Scott, Dan Souza
America’s Test Kitchen is one of the most-viewed cooking shows on public TV. It boasts over 2 million viewers tuning in during the average minute.
Bridget Lancaster and Julia Collin Davison host it. The show has gained recognition for sharing cooking skills and deep knowledge of food with viewers. You’ll learn hundreds of recipes the hosts have prepared on air as test cooks.
They change the game in the show’s latest season by bringing you equipment reviews. You’ll also enjoy watching taste tests and recipes you can easily make at home.