America's Test Kitchen

America's Test Kitchen is one of my favorite cooking shows, and is better than probably 90% of the stuff on the Food Network. It reminds me of one of my all-time favorites, David Rosengarten's "Taste," which hasn't been on for a few years now. (That is the fate, I've found, of most of the good shows on the Food Network--good shows being replaced by such colossal wastes of time as The Secret Life Of and Party Starters.) In the beginning, just as Rosengarten did, they show poor examples of whatever dish they are making and explain why they are poor. Plus, as they go through the recipes, they give you a good deal of information about ingredients, variations, and methods of cooking. You really learn a lot about whatever they are making.

The host, while reminding one of Beaker from the Muppets, is great--smart and witty. The two women who do most of the cooking are a bit dull, but are just fine.