Cadenza | TV
Cooking and chill: Netflix makes food the only romance you’ll ever need
Cooking shows are the height of reality television—sassy American chefs yelling about how everyone they’re cooking with has no talent and shouldn’t be there in the first place, 10-year-olds crying because their Bearnaise sauce is burning and people who genuinely don’t know how to properly cook a chicken without giving their family food poisoning is drama that the Kardashians could never match. The anxiety of watching the time run out and not knowing whether the chef will get everything plated in time is a rush that “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” could never provide during their weekly catfights. Watching people saute their way into a cash prize is the not-so-guilty guilty pleasure we all need, so here is a list of the shows you can Netflix and chill to while you chow down on some snacks with that special someone.
“The Great British Baking Show”
In honor of season five finally being on Netflix, I felt that this had to be the first show on the list. I personally love watching nice British people bake cakes in a tent and congratulate each other on jobs well done. It’s such a nice break from American cooking shows, where they all hate each other and would secretly over-salt someone’s fish if they had the opportunity.
“Cooking on High”
Weed. Marijuana. Cannabis. Mary Jane. That’s the whole premise. This show is basically two people eating fancy edibles made by weed chefs—think gnocchi with cannabis pesto. It’s the “first ever competitive cannabis cooking show.” The episodes are only 13 minutes long, so you can sit down and watch chefs make marijuana milkshakes to win the Golden Pot without feeling guilty.
“Nailed It”
Have you ever wanted to try making those cute cupcakes on Pinterest that look like little woodland creatures? Well, now you don’t have to, because on “Nailed It” they’ve done it for you—very poorly, actually. There is no way to actually be successful on this show—you really only win if you fail the least. So if you’re the kind of person that enjoys watching people make sad unicorn cakes that would scar a child if they were at their birthday party (I am), then I say you need to watch this show right now.
“Chef’s Table”
Different chefs are spotlighted because they do cool things with food. It’s like a documentary, but it’s fun and not boring. I love watching chefs talk about how amazing their colleagues are, like Christina Tosi, the owner of Milk Bar. She makes cornflake cookies; I don’t know about you, but I want to try a cornflake cookie. That sounds amazing.
“Zumbo’s Just Desserts”
This show was canceled after one season, which is understandable because the host, Zumbo, has no personality whatsoever. He’s literally the human embodiment of a wet cracker that’s been dried in the sun. But despite that shortcoming, they make some crazy desserts on that show and it’s a wild time. 10 out of 10, would recommend.
“Sugar Rush”
Cupcakes, confections and cakes, oh my! You get more time the faster you finish, which means my heart races every single second I watch teams take an extra 30 minutes to fix their mango buttercream. It’s honestly a wild ride from start to finish, and I may or may not yell at my laptop every time I watch because I know they won’t have enough time to finish their cake. Do they know it? Possibly. Am I watching them crash and burn while crying but secretly enjoying it because I didn’t really like them anyway? Maybe. Honestly, this show plays with your emotions and if you like that kind of experience, I say go for it.
“The Big Family Cooking Showdown”
This is honestly one of the most wholesome shows you’ll see. Two British families (why is it that all the wholesome cooking shows involve British people?) go head-to-head making family recipes—it’s so sweet and there’s so much love involved, and it just warms my heart. It’s like watching friendly, competitive Thanksgiving prep.