The best food television shows of 2017

For cookbook lovers, nothing beats cracking open a favorite book and settling in to browse and dream of new tastes and techniques. Sometimes you have to put down the book, however. Thank goodness for a plethora of television shows to fill the time in between book reading sessions!

This fall, everyone’s favorite baking show, The Great British Bake Off, debuts on its new home. The contestants have been announced, and everyone is eagerly anticipating what changes are in store for the program and its freshened cast. Meanwhile, former GBBO host Mary Berry is gearing up for her new show, but unfortunately we will have to wait until next year to see it. 

Another GBBO alumnus, Nadiya Hussain, recently debuted Nadiya’s British Food Adventure on BBC 2. Viewers have been singing her praises; she is an effortless host and her bubbly personality shines through. We are busy indexing the cookbook that accompanies the show, also titled Nadiya’s British Food Adventure.

We recently discussed Jamie Oliver’s new program, Jamie Oliver’s Quick and Easy. On this side of the pond, fellow Brit Gordon Ramsay’s new program on Fox (US), The F-Word, began airing early this summer. Based on his popular UK show, each hour-long episode features groups of friends and families battling in an intense, high-stakes cook-off. The first season is nearing its end; you can stream full episodes on the Fox website. 

Ina Garten also had a new program debut earlier this year. In Cook Like a Pro, the veteran host “teaches the essential recipes and techniques every cook must know to achieve success in the kitchen,” according to Food Network. There is no word on when a cookbook from this show will be released, but rest assured it will happen. 

Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television airs on PBS starting next month. The billing for this new show claims to “bring the best of home cooking to public television, adapting new techniques, flavors, and recipes to produce bolder, simpler, better food to home cooks everywhere.” It will be interesting to see how the program differs from America’s Test Kitchen, which soldiers on without its iconic host. 

What shows are you watching (or planning to watch)?