The Frugal Gourmet Cooking Chinese Soup

People ask me all the time what cooking shows I watch and I usually answer them with one word: none. Those who know me personally know that I have a somewhat disdain for the current state of cooking shows and what they have done and continue to do to the culinary industry (please, don't get me started on the whole Hell's Kitchen thing...you can read my open letter to Gordan Ramsay by clicking here). Anyhow, I tend to lean towards the earlier TV celebrities, and coming of age in the 80's Jeff Smith (aka, The Frugal Gourmet) is one of them. Before his fall-from-grace he was a popular cooking show celebrity, and what I liked about him was his informative way...he talked not just about the recipes but also about the history and culture of the people behind the food. The following videos are good examples. They are both about 9 or 10 minutes long and informative as well as entertaining. To read Jeff Smith's bio (obit) in a Seattle paper (where he was from), click here; to read the New York Times version, click here.