Must-not-see TV

Back in the olden days -- the mid-1990s -- while looking for ways to get out of doing my required reading for college (think development of political thought) I stumbled on something that I never expected I would enjoy -- a cooking show. It was on the Discovery Channel, and it featured chefs at famous restaurants preparing a signature dish. The chefs didn't always speak English (way cool!), and the show featured three of them in a half-hour show. I was smitten -- and doing poorly in a few of my classes.

Several years later, I was elated to learn that my cable system was including Food Network in its lineup. I quickly fell in love The network was full of cooking shows, from which I learned many new recipes and techniques. And I liked most of the chefs. My favorite was, yes, Martha Stewart. But I also liked Emeril Lagasse. And Sara Moulton. And Jacques Torres, Wolfgang Puck and Ming Tsai. And I love, love, loved "Iron Chef."

But it changed (I personally blame it on Emeril's sitcom). Whatever it was, many of my favorite chefs were gone. Their replacements mostly made me cringe. I'm not sure why, but I just didn't connect with many of the male hosts. Some (this means you, Tyler Florence) had to ride to the rescue of damsel in distress. And others were sort of know-it-alls that just annoyed me constantly.

As for the women, there was certainly a new type of chef: sex symbol. Some of the presenters (Giada de Laurentiis and Sandra Lee) seemed like perfectly fine chefs. Others (indeed, Rachael Ray) made me want to pull my hair out. I found their low-cut blouses completely unreasonable. I wanted to scream at them, "You're sauteeing! Button up!" In addition, they were too skinny -- it seemed to me the only thing they ate all day was the "mmm, this is delicious!" taste they took for the camera.

Then there was the most sacreligious program -- "Iron Chef America." That Bobby Flay was on it. Ick. And I'm not overly crazy about Mario Batali. Not even the addition of Masaharu Morimoto couldn't save it in my eyes. It was exactly the same. Just Americanized. Ugh. I was ready to write the whole network off.

Almost.

I discovered two chefs whose programs I really liked. To this day, Jamie Oliver and Ina Garten keep me coming back. "Jamie at Home" (and all his other programs) and "Barefoot Contessa" are just what I originally loved about the network. I love how both chefs make cooking look so easy. And I think it's wonderful how Jamie shows -- not just talks about -- why finding top-quality products from local farmers, butchers, cheesemakers, etc., makes a world of difference in home cooking. I've used Ina's recipes and entertaining tips several times. I so adore their shows that I even put them on my DVR.

If anyone were to ask me where to turn for really great cooking programs, I would quickly tell them to head to PBS. It's the home of the America's Test Kitchens (my absolute, hands-down favorite). But Jacques Torres' program is excellent. And I think Lidia Bastianich and Joanne Weir have great shows, too. And once in a while, you might even catch Julia Child. For me, this is must-see TV.

This recipe is from Ina Garten's book "Barefoot Contessa at Home."

Stuffed Cabbage

For sauce:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions (about 2)
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes and their juices
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 large head Savoy or green cabbage, including outer leaves

For filling:
2 1/2 lb. ground chuck
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucer, add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, raisins, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove the entire core of the cabbage with a paring knife. Immerse the head of cabbage in the boiling water for a few minutes, peeling off each leaf with tongs as soon as it's flexible. Set the leaves aside. Depending on the size of each leaf, you will need at least 14 leaves.

For the filling, in a large bowl combine the ground chuck, eggs, onion, bread crumbs, rice, thyme, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of the sauce to the meat mixture and mix lightly with a fork.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To assemble, place 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Remove the hard triangular rib from the base of each cabbage leaf with a small paring knife. Place 1/3 to 1/2 cup of filling in an oval shape near the rib edge of each leaf and roll up toward the outer edge, tucking the sides in as you roll. Place half the cabbage rolls, seam side down, over the sauce. Add more sauce and cabbage rolls alternately until you've placed all the cabbage rolls in the pot. Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover the dish tightly with the lid and bake for 1 hour, or until the meat is cooked and the rice is tender. Serve hot.

Cook's notes: I usually cut the olive oil down to 1 tablespoon to save fat and calories. I've had no problems doing this. I also substitute ground turkey for the ground chuck, and I prefer that. I've found that I need far more than 14 leaves; I usually need more than 20. The recipe says this serves six, but the servings are huge! I cut it in half and have leftovers for days!