With Thanksgiving right around the corner, some of us need that push to get in the kitchen and whip up a meal for family and loved ones. As Black folks, our cuisine is both unique and delicious, and sometimes it’s hard to find culinary experts that look (and cook) like us on television. With platforms such Netflix and CLEOtv highlighting chefs of color, the holidays are sure to be filled with great content and tasty dish ideas.
Food Network has long been a staple in cooking culture. For Turkey Day 2022, you can see African American chefs such as Eddie Jackson and Kardea Brown as they showcase some of the best in the field of food, and deliver great recipes to a worldwide audience. Programs like High on the Hog and Street Food provide insight to the labor of how our favorite meals are made, as well as the beautiful stories behind them.
Whether you’re still looking for Thanksgiving recipes, or you just want to get in the spirit of the holiday, check out these Black cooking shows below.
01
‘Delicious Miss Brown’
Premiering in 2019, Delicious Miss Brown is an American cooking television series that airs on Food Network. The series is presented by chef Kardea Brown; and it features Brown showcasing how to cook her Southern-inspired recipes from her home in Charleston, South Carolina.
02
‘New Soul Kitchen’
New Soul Kitchen is an unscripted cooking series on CLEOtv with Chef Jernard Wells. Each week, Chef Jernard welcomes culinary guests including Chef Essie Bartels, Chef Resha, Chef Bren Herrera and Chef Ahki. Each chef – specializing in Vegan, Soul, Ghanaian and Latin fare – will introduce viewers to their unique cuisine.
03
‘Street Food’
Street Food is an American documentary that premiered on Netflix on April 26, 2019, exploring street food around the world. Its third season travels to the United States, and features Black cooks such as Cary & Duane Earle, Tami Treadwell, Linda Green, Kiauna “Kee” Nelson, and more.
04
‘High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America’
Food writer Stephen Satterfield traces the origins of African-American cuisine, tracing its through lines from Africa to Texas. This beautifully crafted series goes far beyond the conventions of food TV, and highlights African cuisine’s history and impact on modern American food.
05
‘Snack On This!’
Host Kalen Allen gets an inside look at the production of America’s most-iconic food brands to get the stories behind everyone’s favorite treats. You can catch this amazing show on the Cooking Channel and AppleTV+.
06
‘Outchef’d’
Hosted by Eddie Jackson, this show gives everyday home cooks the shock of their lives when he reveals that they’ve actually shown up not to audition, but to face off in a one-on-one cooking challenge against culinary greats like Alex Guarnaschelli, Geoffrey Zakarian and Anne Burrell. You can watch this cooking series on Food Network and discovery +
07
‘Great Soul Food Cook-Off’
The Oprah Winfrey Network and discovery+ are celebrating Black chefs with Great Soul Food Cook-Off, a cooking competition show which sees eight chefs put their own personal spin on Black cuisine for a chance to win $50,000. Food Network’s Kardea Brown hosts, and judges include Eric Adjepong and Melba Wilson.
