For the DPBlogs September Photo Challenge, Favorite Things…

Once upon a time, my idea of cooking was Top Ramen and Hamburger Helper. My specialty, though, was the Tortilla Dog ™. What could be better than a hot dog wrapped in a cheese slice wrapped in a tortilla? But when Amy and I got married, I decided to actually learn how to cook. Since I work from home, I knew I’d have the flexibility to spend a couple of hours each evening learning how to make a new recipe or work on a new technique. I still have my stack of Epicurious printouts from those days, some covered in the blood of a man who didn’t know how to use a chef’s knife. (Click “continue reading” to read the rest of this post)

I’d say I did pretty well then, making stuff like pasta and sauces from scratch, but I honestly needed some better, visual instruction if I was going to figure out what I was doing. We don’t have cable television in our house (we still like to think of it as a treat for vacations) and so when it comes to cooking shows, we rely on PBS. Each week I wait, longingly, for the Tivo to bring to me my next episode of “The most watched cooking show on public television” – America’s Test Kitchen. Created by the people who write Cook’s Illustrated (simply the finest cooking magazine available), each episode packs more cooking education into it than the entire Food Network combined. From techniques to reviews to great, easy recipes, ATK (as I like to call it) has become my culinary educator, guiding and enlightening me through “contributions from viewers like you.” And Thermador.
The net result of my education? I cook and eat healthier. Grocery shopping is more expensive, but our meals taste better. Our daughter is being exposed to foods I never knew about growing up, and I feel like I’m doing something good for our family. Not bad. The only rough part comes when I’ve never cooked a particular dish and, in my compulsive way, I take 3 hours to make it (it’s got to be perfect!) using every dish in the house, just in case.

So what’s your favorite cooking show or recipe site?