Home video seems to have put cooking tapes on the back burner. Trying to rustle up something at the video store, one discovers that the cupboard is pretty bare. Julia Child and Martha Stewart, for example, have been scratched from the menu, their previously released videos now out of print.
But aspiring chefs really hot to (Charlie) Trotter still can find expert instruction on video. Chicago-based MPI Home Video (800-777-2223) distributes episodes from the long-running PBS series “The Frugal Gourmet (above).” Titles include “American Breakfast,” “Appetizers,” “Bread,” “Chinese Kitchen” and “Chocolate.” Each retails for $12.98.
Chefs from San Francisco’s California Academy share their secrets in “Cooking at the Academy.” More than 40 titles, including “Tea in the Afternoon,” “Entertaining on a Budget” and, more to my taste, “Frying,” “Grilling” and “Candy and Chocolate,” are available from IVN Entertainment (800-669-4486) for $14.99 each.
For youngsters who have outgrown their Easybake Ovens, the award-winning “Kids Get Cooking” introduces food from a variety of cultures. It retails for $19.95 and is available from Kidvidz (800-840-8004).
What’s for dessert? “Be a Little Chef,” for ages 3-6, teaches how to prepare cream pies, chocolate-covered fruit and ice cream sandwiches. It retails for $9.98 and is available from MVP Home Entertainment (800-637-3555).
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