Food Inspirations from Fox Life

After a year of binge-watching food and cooking shows in the US, my only regret in returning to India was how much I would miss watching them. For someone who loves food, loves to cook, and loves to experiment with new cuisines, these shows provided great inspiration. It would not be wrong to say that my love for (fearless) baking started only thanks to them and so did my love for home-cooked Italian food. These shows enlightened me on cuisines that are presented in Indian restaurants in a hugely Indianised way, and most of the times, nothing like the original - be it Mexican, Italian or Chinese. I'm talking about nearly 10 years ago! 

Slowly and gradually Indian travel and lifestyle channels started airing these international food and travel shows, giving us Indian viewers a whole new experience. I find very little time to watch tv, but whatever little I do, is totally reserved for lifestyle channels and Fox Life is one of my favourited channels. I do have a special place in my favs list, as in its previous avatar as Fox Traveler, it was also my first television appearance , with Chef Vineet Bhatia in Twist of Taste, Bangalore edition. 

If you asked me what my favourite shows are, here's what they would be...

David Rocco's Dolce Vita 
A huge fan of this rustic Italian chef, David Rocco, who claims that he is not a chef, just an Italian :-D His easy to put together Italian dishes, made without the help of any fancy equipment, and sometimes, with a portable stove in a backyard or in the woods, are truly inspiring to me. I must say the music he puts together for his shows is phenomenal. I have even tried to look up what tracks they are and I'm not alone. Apparently the music from his shows are in great demand, and David actually has a compiled CD of these tracks for sale on his website! [Pssst: New shows of this series start on Fox Life India today]

David Rocco's Dolce India
A lot of chefs / tv show hosts come to India to add a touch of exotic to their existing shows. David Rocco's Dolce India keeps it earthy, keeps it real and brings out the cultural similarities between India and Italy. Learning an Indian version of a recipe and then doing his Italian take on it, charming the Indian public with his charisma and earthiness, and once again, great music scores from indie Indian artists is something that makes me stay hooked to this show, even if I am watching a repeat. Following David Rocco on Twitter and Instagram just completes the circle of fangirlism :) He's humane, interesting, fun and even teaches a bit of Italian all the time!

Jamie at Home
Is there any food-show lover who does not like Jamie Oliver? I am no different. His easy going attitude, no fuss cooking and the endearing accent which is referred to as 'Mockney' ie. mock Cockney :D Each episode sees him use an ingredient grown at his home in rural Essex. I've been watching this show since a few years, and this has been one of the inspirations for my kitchen garden. Growing, nurturing and cooking the produce from your own garden - one of life's simple but best joys! 

Grandma's Boy
I've been following multitalented Donal Skehan's blog Good Mood Food since 2007 and it is always amazing to watch a food blogger evolve to this big persona. Grandma's boy is about Donal's cooking adventures with the nonas (grandmoms) of Italy, each of them giving him their tips and tricks and secret recipes! 

While Fox Life does show reruns of old shows like Jamie at Home, their focus on bringing out fresh programming with an India-focus such as Twist of Taste and David Rocco's Dolce India surely makes it stand out among the other travel-lifestyle channels.

I do hope they continue with the focus on programming with India in mind, latest seasons of award winning food shows!

Here's wishing Fox Life a very happy 1st anniversary - and may you continue to entertain and inspire us food-travel show enthusiasts in the coming years!

This post is written in collaboration with Fox Life.

(c) Nandita Iyer 2006-2015

Posted in: Veg-Recipes