Tasha Oren on the Evolution of Food TV

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the evolution of food television, from the early days of simple, instructional shows to today's diverse and dynamic culinary landscape. We'll explore how icons like Betty Crocker shaped early cooking programs, empowering women in the kitchen, and how trailblazers like Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, and Guy Fieri pushed boundaries—changing not just how we cook, but how we see race and gender in food media.

We’ll also journey into the origins of Iron Chef, its impact on Asian identity, and how it became a global cultural phenomenon. Plus, we’ll reflect on the genre's transition to streaming, where shows like Chef’s Table have brought a more artistic, inclusive approach to the culinary world. And as food competition shows shift from cutthroat to kind, what does the future hold for food media?

Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper:

Books by Tasha Oren: Food TV ; Global Asian American Popular Cultures

Joyce Chen

Eddie Wang

David Chang 

The Evolution of Television Formats

MasterChef Junior: Watch on Hulu

Project Runway: Watch on Netflix, IMDb

Survivor: Watch on CBS

Julia Child
Julia Child’s The French Chef by Dana Polan
The French Chef with Julia Child
Smithsonian Air and Space Museum ; Julia Child clip

Emeril Lagasse ; Emeril Live clip

Iron Chef ; Netflix Trailer

Wall Street (1987 film)

Hillary Clinton and the Return of the (Unbaked) Cookies - New York Times
Hillary Clinton explains "Bake cookies" remark April 1992 - Dailymotion

Betty Crocker - history; Betty Crocker on the radio

Guy Fieri 

Food Network 

Curtis Aiken 

Mind of a Chef: Watch on Youtube, IMDb

Chef’s Table trailer; Watch on Netflix,