7 Iconic Star Chef Shows on Amazon Prime

As the pandemic rages on, we’ve settled into routines that involve a lot more home cooking, and reports suggest these habits will likely continue long after the pandemic. And, we have all the reasons to do so. Most of us are feeling unsafe going to restaurants while work-from-homers no longer stop for a quick break or a coffee on their commute, nor they visit the lunch places around their offices.

Almost 55% of shoppers say they’ve been dining at home since the pandemic began, as this report shows, while more than a third of those earlier surveyed said they plan to cook at home, even more, no matter the restriction orders.

The good news? It seems like the pandemic has taught us how to cook and thrive. Making bread at home became the new normal or, better said, a moment in time to bake, reflect, motivate, and recalibrate.

Inspiring cooking shows do seem to play a critical role in all this since we all need some on-screen downtime on more uplifting topics. Amazon Prime happens to provide some of the juiciest shows, but because of the geo-restrictions, you can relish such content only through VPN (Virtual Private Network) services. Thanks to them, you can now set up your own VPN firestick, bypass these restrictions, and stream “The Farm” from wherever you are.

If you’re into baking, barbequing, scrambling or whatever might stir up your interest this spring, here are seven iconic star chef shows you won’t regret binging on Amazon Prime.

1.     The Contender Film (2016)

Professional Master Chef Corey Siegel and Rich Rosendale earn the opportunity to represent the U.S in the canniest cooking competition known as the Bocuse d’Or.

With the U.S. determined to partake for the first time ever, Rich and Corey embark in a passionate one-year training program. Together with some of America’s enthusiastic chefs, they will compete for culinary gold.

2.     New Chefs on The Block (2018)

Two chefs in D.C.C struggle to open and uphold their first eateries. Defying the odds, one is forced to redefine success while the other grows into Bon Appetit Magazine’s Best New Restaurant in America. Starring Frank Linn of Frankly …Pizza and Aaron Silverman of Rose’s Luxury, this show proves that no matter the odds, anyone can take a completely hands-on approach to reach their goals.

Their budgets and their paths different, however, these two share a passion and resilience for the “cooking lifestyle” that’s both motivational and endearing. There is a redemptive bend, for sure, but seeing that many eateries fail before the opening stage and how many struggle early on opens a window into how much effort goes into ordering a meal.

3.     Chef Diary’s Scotland (2019)

World-famous Spanish chefs, the Roca brothers enrich their culinary know-how with a delicious travelogue about traditional Scottish kitchen.

From haggis at Dingwalls legendary Cockburn & Son to Shetland’s wood-smoked haddock and oyster fishing off the isle of Skye, these passionate Catalanes chefs are out to put together a menu inspired by their trip, loving people, and spirit of freedom.

4.     Just Eat It (2015) A food Waste Story

Moviemakers and food enthusiasts Grant and Jen delve into the issue of food waste from farm to stores, right to the back of their own fridge. In a mission to end food waste, Grant and Jen pledge to quit grocery shopping and survive and experiment with discarded food. It might leave you a bit frustrated, but the most useful thing about the documentary is that it can leave you hungry for something different.

Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story contributed and perhaps will keep contributing to the increase of public awareness and attention to how food is wasted. In fact, most of us never stop thinking about the real meaning of food waste.

5.     Eat the World with Emerils Lagasse (2016)

How do we divide the connection between food and place? Six episodes from “Eat the World With Emeril Lagasse” can answer that. Mr. Lagasse chews his ways around the world with guidance from some well-traveled food enthusiast. In Sweden, Marcus Samuelsson is the master, and the lesson is New Nordic cuisine. In China, Mr. Lagasse joins Mario Batali in a quest for the world’s best dumpling soup.

We get to know Jeong Kwan, a Zen Buddhist nun from South Korea known as Philosopher Chef, while Jose Andres joins Mr. Lagasse in Barcelona, where modernist genius like Ferran Adria dissects food down to a molecule. With such food porn and stimulating banter to keep us aroused, this show has anything your taste buds have never felt.

6.     The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

The Hundred-Foot Journey is a comedy-drama that revolves around the Kadam family who moves from India, Mumbai, to a scenic French village to open an Indian eatery.

However, Kadam’s decision is not really welcomed by the owner of a Michelin-star restaurant across the stress. They immediately begin a delicious cooking war you won’t regret witnessing. The movie features Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon, and Helen Mirren.

7.     Sergio Herman F’ing Perfect (2015)

Detailing the daily grind of planning, prepping, baking, plating, and serving an incredibly challenging array of dishes and exposing the heavy toll it takes on 3-star Chef Sergio Herman, director Willemiek Kluijfhout outlays an exciting expose that’s more passionate than educational but still incredibly tasty.

Herman’s endless culinary toll takes us through a nightly dinner rush, staff surveys, and meticulously sculpted unidentified dish objects into a small plate. Herman simply can’t stop. And that’s exactly what keeps us glued to our screens. Sergio Herman: F’ing Perfect reveals a man consumed by culinary perfection and eager to sacrifice much of his life to achieve it.

Amazon Prime has a huge library of inspiring shows about cooking, plating, and wasting. You may need a VPN to bypass those restrictions, though, but the amount of content fails to disappoint.

Amid a “new normalcy,” cooking shows have taught us how to bake our way through the pandemic, be more confident, and think of better food management practices -practices that would be worthwhile sticking with, even when the pandemic is over.