In case you missed it: Foodie shows you may not have considered
Anyone with a television and internet connection knows the library of culinary programming keeps growing and growing. And that means more foodie content for you.
A great example of that is Magnolia Network’s “Recipe Lost and Found,” which began streaming recently on discovery+. Here, classically trained chef and food anthropologist Casey Corn delves into the stories and cultures of different families and recreates their lost recipes, thus revealing how food connects us to our past, why we cook the way we do and why we eat the things we eat.
Also a recent addition to the Food Network lineup is “It’s CompliPlated,” airing Thursdays (and streaming on discovery+). Hosted by vegan foodie and bestselling author Tabitha Brown, the hourlong competition series challenges chefs to create dishes to satisfy a panel of uber-picky judges. The series is aimed at home cooks who want to create delicious meals while also accommodating the various diets, food allergies and personal tastes in their group.
On a much less serious note is “Hotties,” premiering Tuesday, Aug. 16, on Hulu. Hosted by comedian Jade Catta-Preta, this 30-minute competition series is set in food trucks in the desert and challenges two pairs of blind dates to create date-night-worthy meals while also being tasked with downing extremely spicy foods. The goal? To advance the dating process and win a cash prize.
Speaking of money, that is a prime factor in the competition on “Big Bad Budget Battle” Tuesdays on Food Network. In each episode of the hourlong series, host Ree Drummond (“The Pioneer Woman”) challenges chefs to shop on a limited budget for ingredients from which they will create delicious yet inexpensive dishes, which will be evaluated by a rotating panel of judges that include Damaris Phillips, Darnell Ferguson, Eddie Jackson, Beau MacMillan, Catherine McCord and Justin Warner.
Over on Fox on Monday, Aug. 15, is the first season finale of the food and travel series “World of Flavor With Big Moe Cason,” which finds the champion pitmaster traveling the globe, seeking new cultures and creating meals that make the locals proud. This episode places him in the Bahamas, where he dives for conch, chases after crabs on land, sources local cedar wood and creates a barbecue feast using Bahamian techniques and recipes.
For dessert, there is “Great Chocolate Showdown,” now in its third season Thursdays on The CW. While no episodic information was yet available on this week’s show, we’re confident that whatever the chefs make will be delicious. We’ll just have to be satisfied to live vicariously through judges Anna Olson, Steven Hodge and Cynthia Stroud as they evaluate the creations.