Commentary: Food Shows are the Comfort Food during this Crisis

For the last month, since the COVID-19 crisis has hit our country pretty hard; I knew that I had to change some things in my daily route that was for the best and not. Yes, stay home and stay quarantine is the best way to keep the situation contained. But I'm talking about how I have added less of news coverage and added more food shows that have really put a comfort.

You could ask my family members, friends, that I don't start off my day or morning till I watch my Today Show to get my news, weather, and pop culture news; but during this COVID-19 crisis going the news coverage has been one giant of a news cycle. So I've at least taken their own advice by staying positive and finding distractions and that's where I come to food shows.

Whether it's the Food Network, Cooking Channel or old show that you could purchase on Google Play; it is the utmost positive thing that I could have ever add in my daily route. While my weekend mornings are all Food Network shows from The Kitchen, Valerie's Home Cooking, The Pioneer Woman, and more. And I've added the fun and thrilling competition shows like Chopped, Guy's Grocery's Games and Beat Bobby Flay.

I've learned a lot from these shows and even cooked dishes as well. I've been pretty much the cook in my family since being my grandmother's home care aide.

While The Kitchen helps you show the fun, healthy, and excitement in cooking in your kitchen. The co-hosts of Jeff Maruo, Katie Lee, Sunny Anderson, and Geoffery Zakarian (aka G-Z) all bring their own method, techniques, and recipes that I've enjoyed so much.

 The Pioneer Woman, Giada Entertains and Giada in Italy, Valerie's Home Cooking, and Girl Meets Farm cook fun and simple dishes that you could do. Also, their family stories are so good. I've really connected with them.

I do get my education with the classics like Good Eats and Good Eats Reloaded (both you can watch on Food Network and Cooking Channel). Good Eats stats Alton Brown who happens to be Mr. Wizard of food and helps dissect and educate the process of how to cook something like a steak, eggs, or even making shakshuka (for which I have made and blew my family's mind).

But maybe fun and excitement need to turn it up another level for you. That's where Guy's Grocery's Games come to play when Guy Fieri brings in chefs from around the country to compete on three tasks to make outrageous dishes under the minutes while Guy pulls off his tricks of the trade to make things really spicy and good.

While hearing the stories of the chefs that come to play are heartwarming; you just want to root them on. I do get a kick when Guy brings his friends to play and sometimes plays with their minds during April Fools episodes. It might keep your toes at times but you'll get a belly full of laughs.

And if you want some good old thrills and OMG moments, that's' where Chopped comes into play. At first, I wasn't into Chopped too much but since checking it out it's pretty good and wild on how some of these chefs get a task with what's in the basket. Right now there are two shows; the original Chopped is bring back former winners and going up against one of the judges. Last week's episode was so good; as four chefs had to beat each other to go against Scott Conant.

And there are Chopped Sweets hosted by Scott Conant as chefs come in to make desserts out of the mysterious box. It's enough to get me to eat chocolate and cupcakes after 9 pm. But why to stop there, there's  Supermarket Stakeout hosted by Alex Guarnachelli; as four chefs get $1000 and try to make a dish by taking shoppers groceries at the local grocery stores. And there's Beat Bobby Flay. Now, who doesn't want to see Bobby Flay get beat by other chefs?

But during this COVID-19 crisis taking away our March Madness; Food Network and Guy Fieri brings in the Tournament of Champions in the style of March Madness. 16 best chefs in the culinary and food network world going against each other to win it all. I disappointed not to get college basketball march madness. But the Tournament of Champions was the perfect replacement; as it had twisted and turns and moments that I thought one chef would win but didn't. I got my march madness thrills!

I've probably gone a little bit long here, but I'm just telling you what has helped me through this COVID-19 crisis. I've cut half of my news time for something that I could find that is helpful: cooking. I'm not looking to make a seven-course dinner. I'm just looking for something that could take my mind off of this chaos crisis not only by watching television shows; but cooking shows can make you laugh, cry, and even have some fun. Because isn't that what we need right now?