5 cooking shows to inspire you this festive season

Need some kitchen inspiration heading into the festive season?

Well, switch on the telly, or your tablet if you’re streaming.

Cooking shows help with planning small get-togethers, intimate parties or simple family meals. With an opportunity to unwind and entertain next month, check out The Citizen’s top five shows.

Siba’s Bites

Siba Mtongana. Picture: Supplied

Truly the doyenne of South African TV cooks, Siba Mtongana and Food Network go together like amagwinya and cheese.

Her easy recipes and sparkling personality have made her popular for many reasons – but in her latest series, Siba’s Bites, Mtongana goes back to her roots with easy-to-cook African inspired dishes.

The show is loaded with tips and kitchen advice; each episode’s menu is based on a theme and four different recipes (which may come in handy next month). It’s pure cooking joy you can relish, too.

• Saturdays at 9.50am on Food Network (DStv 175)

Kaap, Kerrie en Koeksisters

Picture: DStv

Twin sisters Fatima and Gadija Sydow are two popular faces on lifestyle channel Via.

In the latest season of Kaap, Kerrie en Koeksisters, they continue bringing the best of Cape Malay cooking. What sets it apart is the fact that their food is easy to make, superbly aromatic and perfectly South African, thanks to the smelting-pot dishes prepared onscreen.

Each episode also features a hero from their community who gets to eat the meal.

• Thursdays at 5.30pm on Via (DStv 147)

Love at First Bite

Picture: Facebook

Join Durban’s power couple Koobeshen and Kumseela Naidoo, as well as their celebrity guests in the kitchen.

Koobeshen, with his natural flair for comedy, is the reluctant helper and Kumseela shows viewers how busy working couples can rustle up good home-cooked, nutritious gourmet meals that will tantalise even the fussiest of palates.

• Saturdays at 8.30am on Glow (DStv 167, OVHD 108 and StarSat 570)

Edik van Nantes

Picture: kykNET

For three seasons, Nataniel and his brother Edik travel to Nantes to cook everything French.

From simple food to just enjoy to luxurious ideas sure to impress your guests, the show is filled with scrumptious treats and gorgeous cinematography to celebrate the best of France. You’ll even get a peek into Nataniel’s life.

• The show is currently available on Showmax

Pioneer Woman

Picture: Food Network

A brand-new season of this show, crammed full of ideas, started on Thursday.

Cooking for cowboys and hungry kids, Ree Drummond makes it look easy to cook like a gourmet with her homemade recipes.

From throw-together suppers to elegant celebrations, Drummond has it covered with practical recipes that friends and family will love. And you might find a lot of recipes call for something from a can. How easy can it get?

• Thursdays at 7pm on Food Network (DStv 175)

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