I love watching cooking shows. I remember watching Julia Child (my second husband did a drop-dead take-off on her in one of his comedy revues) and even before that people like Antoinette Pope. We're talking black and white TV with a round screen with Antoinette Pope--at least I watched Julia on a black and white rectangle.

A lot of the shows I enjoy now are, as another writer expressed, more about eating than cooking. They're using ingredients, techniques and equipment that are unrealistic for home cooks like me, especially in a two-person household. Still, I watch them, both for the vicarious pleasure and the "take aways" (the TV jargon for tips). What the heck, you never know when I might run across a watermelon radish and need to know how to use it.

However, I discovered one of my favorite food shows on a non-food network. I really enjoy Emeril Green on Planet Green . Maybe it's because he's cooking with real people in home-cooking situations, but I find the show very approachable and very doable. Plus, he's more focused on natural foods and healthier cooking methods than most foodie shows. The take aways are very good, too; I was watching for just a few minutes this afternoon and picked up a couple of good tips on wok cooking.

Now to rummage in the freezer and see what fish might be for dinner.

Tags: cooking shows, Emeril, Planet Green, television