People are hungry for food and entertainment and a TV cooking show aims at satisfying both. Just as the title promises, this book investigates the evolution of cooking shows along side the changes in American main stream mentality. A great deal of research is called upon in the investigation of over 80 years of cooking shows starting from the radio to the cooking TV niche of today. The cooking TV show industry was not always and industry and the entertainment aspect was not a sine qua non since the very beginning: ``As the role of food changed from mere necessity to a means of self-expression, the nature of cooking shows has shifted from didactic to entertaining``.
One important shift in the evolution of TV cooking shows has been the apparition of personalities which lead to these shows developing social and esthetic values. Aunt Sammy, a fictional character played in different stated by different personalities, can be traced as the beginning of cooking shows personas back in the days when radio was the ultimate communication technology in mass media. She delivered recipes and nutritional information to housewives and still managed to squeeze in some jokes or to talk about how she put aside a Peach Dainty recipe for the visit of Queen Mary of Romania. Besides informational content regarding ingredients or recipes these shows were meant to publicized and sell certain brands. From those corny beginnings to Martha Stewart is a long way.
From the performing food perspective James Beard, host of a TV show in the 40`s, is one of the most important characters in the TV cooking show industry. Firstly due to the fact that people who knew him personally remembered that as an actor – wanted a lot to play classic opera - he was a bit stiff and awkward on camera while off camera he had a great personality. So he was aware he was acting / entertaining. Secondly because, just as pointed out also by the author of the book ``For Beard serving food was always more than just a matter of sustenance or proper nutrition: it was as performance. «Put on a show! » he wrote. ``. For an aspiring actor to be a host on a cooking show was a great situation: ``At least a chance to cook and act at the same time`` Beard said. I find remarkable the intentionality of the acting for teaching other people how to cook. Unlike for instance Julia Child who was greatly entertaining but not intended to create a persona for herself on the show.
Some of these great TV food stars were lacking main stream features when they came about and would probably not catch the interest of producers and audience connoisseurs and marketers. Some did not manage to do this back in their days or were not convinced themselves and despite this lack of trust made TV and culture history. Besides how they did it is also important what they did with they cooking show: demystified French cuisine, introduces oriental food, reintroduces unhealthy but tasty foods, talked about cooking as entertaining instead of having fun, repositioned the profession of cooking chefs etc.
All in all a great book. A great deal of research goes in this investigation of almost a century of mass media cooking shows starting from the radio to the TV shows of today. So all the shifts and turns of the particular TV industry reflecting changes in the mentality are well backed up and substantiated. The book itself makes for an amusing and fascinating read. The author is a mature woman endowed with a great sense of humor, vital to almost all personalities who made a great contribution to cuisine and, what’s more important for the performing good cause, with knowledge of the performing arts.
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