Cooking in Media: A New Trend with some Recommendations

Hey guys how’s it going? Today’s blog post is going to discuss cooking becoming more prominent in media. Or perhaps I’ve become more interested in it who knows. However today’s post is going to have recommendations from all across media: TV shows, Manga, Anime, Books, etc. This was a fun adventure to make and I hope you find some new and exciting cooking media.

The Inspiration

Where There’s a Whisk

The inspiration for this blog post is the latest book that I have found about cooking. This book seems similar to the recommendations that I am listing here today and it looks like a lot of fun! Here is the synopsis:

Peyton Sinclaire wants nothing more than to escape her life as a diner waitress in her small, North Florida town and attend culinary school. Top Teen Chef, Food TV’s new show that pairs reality TV drama with a fast-paced culinary competition, is her ticket out of her boring future. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make her dreams come true and Peyton is determined to prove to herself, and the world, that where you’re born does not determine where you can go. However, once on the show, Peyton quickly discovers that there is more to the competition than just a well-seasoned dish. 

As things start to heat up on and off the set, Peyton will have to prove to the judges that she deserves to win while trying to untangle what is real and what is scripted drama, and decide what she is willing to risk to win before her dreams end up on the chopping block.

This book comes out in October 2021 so check it out if you haven’t already. Onto the Media recommendations!

Books

A Taste for Love

This is a baking young adult novel that I have loved this past few months, it has a ton of baking aspects, Chinese culture, and a lovely Houston, TX setting. The romance is also on the backburner however, overall its a fantastic fluffy story.

Radha & Jai’s Recipe for Romance

Now this book isn’t out yet upon writing this blog post, however this has Indian recipes, dancing, and other forms of the culture that were fascinating to me. There is not a lot of actual cooking in this book, however, there are recipes that are interspersed throughout the novel if you want to try them out. This book also has a lot of romance involved in this as well so if you love food and romance check this book out in July 2021.

TV Show

The Final Table

This show was the first cooking show that I felt was one I watched that the chefs were on a global scale. I truly thought these kind of shows only exist animated or in fact only in fiction. I enjoyed all the different dishes that were presented and how they used the challenges by country as well as a specific meal and that all the judges gave constructive criticism. If this is something you are interested, check this out.

The Great British Baking Show

This show was one I watched because of my family was watching it. This was the first show we were able to watch week to week not on a streaming service. For sure, it is something you can watch with the entire family and learned a whole bunch about baking. Fun fact also, this show made the plot in A Taste for Love even better for me personally so I recommend them both simultaneously.

Manga

Mixed Vegetables

I actually discovered this manga series on someone’s book YouTube channel. This has a cooking academy aspect, a romance, and both baking and sushi making recipes interspersed throughout. This is an underrated series so I hope if you love food and romance, you check this out.

Today’s Meal for The Emiya Family

Now I know, this particular series will not be for everyone, but I think if you want to be introduced to the Fate/stay night anime/manga series characters, authentic Japanese cuisine in a slice of life setting, and legitimate recipes interspersed throughout that are easy to understand. Again, I understand it isn’t for everyone, but I highly recommend.

Anime

Yumeiro Pattisiere

This is the first anime I remember watching when I was younger that involved food and a boarding school element. This has a ton of baking techniques with a girl just striving to be the best pastry chef she can be with a little magical help. There’s also a little romance but it is more prominent later on in the series. If this interests you you should totally check it out, however keep in mind it is only English subbed only not dubbed.

Food Wars

This is a recent anime series I just finished as of writing this blog post, and I was truly surprised how much I love it so much. The humor, the variety of cuisine presented, again another boarding school aspect, however this anime is more for older audiences than the previous. There is also some unexpected plot that makes this show have more layers than expected. Because of that, I highly recommend.

Movie

Chef

I want to say with this particular movie, I first learned so much about how Food trucks worked. I am sure now there are a ton of movies and shows with this concept now, but I believe that this movie came out around the time they were becoming more prominent (Correct me if I am wrong). I also appreciated that the chef taught the audience how to transform gourmet food to something portable from a food truck. I would definitely recommend this movie for that aspect alone.

Julie& Julia

This was one of the first biopic movies I believe I ever watched and also introduced me to blogging too. This has a lot of French cooking involved as well. I love the parallels between both people and that both of them have flaws and are real. Its also pretty rewatchable as well. I also do have to say this source material (Julie’s book) is very pretentious probably because its one sided so I definitely recommend this movie for both flushed out perspectives.

Overall, there are so many exciting forms of media that have a lot of different aspects of cooking and baking. What about you guys? Do you have any recommendations that I am missing? Let’s talk about it!