"cooking show" news and stories

Over the last several years, the term "flash mob" has sprung up to describe a large group of people who come together to perform public pranks -- mostly harmless, quick stunts that are then forwarded around the Internet for all to ogle at the following day.

Enter Irish chef Niall Harbison, who recently launched Food Mob, an online show that takes that concept and applies it to cooking. But instead of being a confusing mess for those engaged with the "mob," Harbison, who is also a social media expert, seeks to enlighten those who might be afraid of getting in the kitchen.

To do this, he uses simplistic terms, recipes with few ingredients and a whole lot of tech interaction -- all in under 20 minutes per episode. "The experience we want to create is doing something that's user generated," Harbison tells Slashfood. "Over the years, we've had people preach at us about how things can be done. There's very little two way communication."

After the jump, an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Food Mob shot just for Slashfood.

When a colleague mentioned she bought this doll for her niece (who loved it, for the record), we were mesmerized with horror and glee. Barbie has come a long way from the basic townhouse days when we knew her -- now she can be anything from a fashionista to a race car "cutie."

Barbie has apparently become a foodie as well. Her kitchen is fully stocked, and she has all the camera gear needed for a full-on cooking show. To be honest, we think her skirt is questionably short for actual cooking, but that aside she could conceivably pass as a Sandra Lee-Giada hybrid. And yes, we kind of want one for the office . . .

Brian Boitano is renowned for his 1988 Olympic gold medal in figure skating and infamous for a song from 1999's "South Park" movie. But now the professional skater is working a different arena -- the cooking show.

On Sunday, Boitano makes his Food Network debut with "What Would Brian Boitano Make?" Quite possibly one of the campiest cooking shows to hit TV, it follows the Olympian as he makes meals for the likes of a bachelor friend, a handyman, a new mom and roller derby girls, all from the comforts of his real-life kitchen.

Boitano spoke with Slashfood about his cooking-show debut, being a "clean eater," his "South Park" song and the one kitchen gadget he can't live without (Slap Chop anyone?).

Have you always been a cook?
Well, not always. After the Olympics I really started to discover food. I always wanted to eat food, but I never ate food before the Olympics because I was always on a diet, and what I ate wasn't that interesting. Then after I started discovering food and wanting to prepare it, and then discovering different recipes and ways to prepare it -- just by trial and error. So it's like all self-taught, and just having friends over and finding out what they like, and what I like to serve.

So I've always, always loved food. In fact, for my 'up close and personal' in the '88 Olympics, I did a thing where I went to a restaurant and said I wanted to open a restaurant. So I've always wanted to have a restaurant and that kind of thing since I've been 20.

This is one of the craziest TV pilots I've ever seen, but I gotta tell ya, I'd rather watch this than half of the shows on the Food Network (especially if they star Rachael Ray or Emeril). Alas, only one episode was made.

It's a wacky cooking show titled Cooking's A Drag, featuring a drag queen named Betty Dee Lishous. It's not all about cooking, of course. She does a little rapport with the audience, there's some music from a studio band, and for some reason, William Shatner shows up to help Betty cook Kentucky Stew! Video after the jump!

Popular British chef Jamie Oliver is starting a new series, but he won’t be seen on your TV. Jamie will be doing podcasts that deal with advice and cooking how-tos. Every topic tackled during the podcast will be in response to a query from a real cook who needs help in their kitchen. To get your question to Jamie, all you have to do is dial the dedicated phone line that takes podcast messages: 44 (0)207 043 8223. There is a 30 second time limit for messages and, as it is a standard London number, standard rates apply from wherever in the world you are calling. The best and funniest questions will make it on the air when the podcast launches later this year.

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