Borra Garson

Why am I Having to Hunt in the TV Schedule for Inspiring Food?

I don’t know about you, but when I tune in to a cookery show I am hoping to be inspired by the food I am supposedly learning about. It struck me recently that this is simply not happening enough, and that it’s the chefs who are on the pedestal and no longer the food. Now don’t get me wrong – I make a living from creating culinary gods, but nowadays our airwaves are crowded with cooks who are no longer cooking, and I am feeling ripped off. Or if they are cooking, it’s still foods that are very safe and familiar to us all. Why? How very dull! I had a fascinating meeting this morning with two ladies who want to bring East African food to the fore with their cookery book idea. I was amazed at how little I knew about the cuisine, history and cultures behind their foods and lamented that every time I walk into a Tesco or even to my local farmer’s market, I am railroaded into cooking the same old things with the only variety achieved in spices and textures. I have never worked with the ingredients that make their staples, and until we start to search further than European cuisines and produce for our daily meal, we’ll be stuck with the same old same old. I am definitely guilty of the uninspired spaghetti bolognaise (though I do want to try it with Quorn the next time I make it). Here’s an example: James Martin’s next series for UKTV is on Mediterranean Food. I can see it now – sexy shorts, tan, sail boat, freshly caught fish, olives, parsley, tomatoes, flames and sunsets. Nice TV but am I gleaning new ideas? Am I inspired? On a happier note we have Yotam Ottolenghi hitting our screens later this year in a one hour special on the food of Jerusalem. As he’s a master of unusual ingredients and one of the most creative cooks around, I have no doubt that his moment on screen will be wall to wall inspiration and education. Now that’s the kind of food TV I look forward to.