Anyone watch "America's Test Kitchen" on your local PBS station?

I am a HUGE foodie! I have Food Network on all the time, I am about to gain the balls to get some recipes together, tape it and send it in as an audition for "The Next Food Network Star" as I do think I have the chops to be the next Sunny or Rachael; I am always experimenting with recipes, deviating a bit from what was actually called for in a recipe then adding my own twist. In regard to baking you really can't do that as baking is...science. I mean, you can't remove baking soda and use baking powder because it just won't work. Now adding a bit of vanilla extract to something like that is different. I've experimented with box cake mix and added an extra egg especially in yellow cake mix and the cake comes out thicker, like a pound cake. I've also added lemon extract to said yellow cake mix and you'll get a remarkable lemon pound cake that you don't even have to frost!

So aside from Rachael's "30 Min. Meals" and Sunny's "Cooking for Real" I am a huge fan of PBS's "America's Test Kitchen."

I love how the host Chris Kimball from ATK literally tests everything in the kitchen, from methods and techniques of cooking to actual products; food or otherwise. Machines, pans and grinders have been tested, potato chips and olive oil, ways to remove rust from an iron skillet and the "actual" method to wash dishes was demonstrated. One of my favorite episodes was when coffee was tested and to be honest I was a former Dunkin Donuts junkie, but after ATK tested big name grocery store coffees(IE, Starbucks, Peets, Caribou, etc..) with one of the least favorites being Dunkin Donuts due to it having a sour taste to it, I am a changed woman. After that episode I noticed the foul and sour taste of the coffee and haven't had any since. The reasoning behind that is quakers were in the coffee beans.

Quakers, aside from being a religious order are actually underdeveloped beans that make their way into coffee while it's being roasted, manufactured, etc.... They're small and shrivled up dark bean and are usually picked out, thus explaining the high prices for Starbucks, Caribou, etc... which have very minimal amounts of quakers. Dunkin Donuts had a really high amount of residual quakers that weren't picked out, resulting in a sour tasting coffee.

Ever since that I have had issues with DD and haven't even had an iced coffee since recognizing this.

Great show, great tips, the website is great although a bit tricky and busy. I even enjoy the magazine which is a bit pricey but if you really want a great resource to your kitchen, cooking or otherwise, to me, it's a wise investment.

Check your local PBS listings for schedules.

So what are YOUR favorite cooking shows?