I’ve been having this idea pretty much ever since I started culinairy school but haven’t been able to flush out how I want to do this.
My idea is to start a cooking channel on YouTube (yeah I know there’s already thousands of those, it’d be for my own education and enjoyment mostly) but don’t do your basic recipe videos. I want to go into basics, explain cooking techniques and their origin. A bit of a mix between Binging With Babish and Tasting History but try to be more “like an actual culinairy school”, if you know what I mean by that. I’m already writing a few script ideas, about produce/equipment knowledge or one about techniques you’ll find in almost all recipes for example. still thought I’d come and ask the lovely folks here about what they’d want to see.
So, I’m wondering: Let’s say you have little to no cooking experience. Maybe frying an egg seems like a challenge to you already. What would you want to see on a youtube channel to help you start cooking. What knowledge do you feel you’re missing to start preparing meals and understand what you’re doing?
I’m not expecting a lot of responses, but if I can find out what people who pretty much never cook feel is holding them back, then that would be an amazing starting point for me.
Edit: i wouldn’t mind ideas for a channel name either. :)
I want to see realism. Like, the thing that takes me away from watching cooking channels and videos is that everything seems to be perfect. A little too perfect. Everyone has all of the ingredients at the ready, everyone has all of the right sizes of pans, pots .etc
Not to say I want to see people struggle while cooking, but I’d like to watch people go through the steps it takes to cook whatever it is and with helpful information along the way. Not just some person going “a tad of this” or “a sprinkle of that” “now throw it in the oven for 10 minutes and it’ll be perfect!” kind of ways.
Pretty much this. I tend to see a lot of those videos with studio kitchen setups that look extraordinarily decorated, unlike any normal kitchen, which opt to take cinematic shots of sauteing instead of actually presenting the cooking process as it would naturally occur. Maybe it’s fine for entertainment but it’s not what I would want to learn from either.
One of my favorite tutorials for any food I’ve made is one that I go to for falafels (Rafika’s Kitchen, I think the channel was called). I know the recipe by heart now, but I always remember how she spoke about how practical it was to make, offering viable substitutes, hacks, and advice that would suit the average viewer. Tips she gives like re-using oil for frying are rarely covered, but are the backbone of cooking practically at home.
Yes what I want I true step by step that any layman can follow and make great dishes.
Adam Ragusea on YouTube might be the vibe you’re looking for. His video style varies a bit, but he often tries to show the whole cooking process (speeding up boring stuff like dicing a bunch of onions, but not cutting it out) because he thinks it gives a better idea of how much work the average home cook will actually need to do. His philosophy is to make food that’s approachable for amateurs and also discuss why he’s making the choices he’s making, because what works for him might not work for you. As far as ingredients go, I often see him spooning flour directly out of the bag while he cooks, but the video quality is still pretty good so it’s pleasant to watch.
Alternatively, if you like comedy in your cooking shows, check out You Suck At Cooking. Also very unpretentious, but maybe not a great how-to channel.