Our Favourite Online Food Streams
By Distributel
Sometimes we just want to cook along with someone who knows exactly what they’re doing. Here are some of our favourite people teaching us how to cook the basics to delicious, tasty delights.
Ravneet Gill
Where to watch: Instagram.
Do you feel the urge to bake cookies, puddings, and cakes? Ravneet Gill does it all. Her videos are short and full of useful advice, and you can cook along to projects as simple as chocolate chip cookies (her recipe is one of the best) or as challenging as a mango soufflé. Honestly, if you’ve never done a soufflé and always wanted to try, Gill is a great teacher.
Hungry
Where to watch: Twitch.
Who thought that Twitch would be one of the places where you could reliably expect to see Julia Child? Hungry broadcasts her show and much more. They stream cooking shows 24/7, and you can see Child, along with food luminaries Martin Yan, Jacques Pépin, Walter Staib, Cecilia Chiang, and many more. If you miss the days when food channels showed you how to make recipes instead of running back-to-back competitions and reality shows, this is a channel for you.
Pasta Grannies
Where to watch: Instagram and YouTube.
If you want to dive into making homemade pasta, learning from a granny who’s been doing it for decades is a great way to go about it. Part of the joy of watching these videos is the excellence on display, but another part is all the little tips and tricks you can pick up from these masters of their craft.
Maangchi
Where to watch: YouTube.
Maangchi teaches Korean cookery, with an emphasis on explaining things to people who didn’t grow up eating it or may not have easy access to Korean ingredients. She presents things in such a clear and positive manner that she’s loved both by people cooking along with her and by those who just want to enjoy watching.
Ina Garten
Where to watch: Facebook.
Best known for her Barefoot Contessa line of books and show on Food Network, Ina Garten regularly streams on Facebook. Tried and tested recipes? Yes, please.
Fire Kitchen
Where to watch: Twitch.
Fire Kitchen follows a German guy named Fabian as he shows you how to cook outdoors. Grilling, baking, steaming, campfire cooking—he does it all. There’s an emphasis on food that he fishes, gathers, or hunts himself. It’s a bit slower paced than most cooking streams, but it fills a popular niche.
Michael Symon
Where to watch: Facebook.
This Iron Chef started posting cook-along videos almost daily back when stay-at-home orders were first being issued. His pace has tapered off a bit, but you can still watch him nearly once a week.
Massimo Bottura
Where to watch: Instagram.
Another chef who started posting a lot of cook-along content around the beginning of lockdown, Bottura has a restaurant with three Michelin stars that was twice picked by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. So, he’s a pretty big deal, but there isn’t a hint of condescension in his cooking videos, which prominently feature his family. Plus, why not learn from the best?
HappyChefTV
Where to watch: Twitch.
HappyChefTV is the streaming home of Sven Groenendijk, a guy who spent fifteen years cooking in high-end restaurants but decided to dial it back a bit when his daughter was born. Now you can watch him cook for and with his family. His multi-camera setup is particularly cool, as it allows you to really see what he’s doing and follow along.
David Frenkiel
Where to watch: Instagram.
Need some creative vegetarian recipes in your life? David Frenkiel has you covered. Everything from perfect hummus bowls to crepe cakes to battered cauliflower can be found on his page. We doubt anyone can make things look as pretty as he can, but if you follow his directions, you’re bound to make something as delicious.