I finally got a little quality time with the Cooking Channel so I am attempting to review several of the shows I have not seen.  This time around I’ll take a look at Everyday Exotic.

I really like the premise of this show, “Chef and musician Roger Mooking gets bored easily. Bored of the same old everyday meals we all end up making time and time again. His mission? To give everyday weekday meals a fantastic exotic twist with one new ingredient.”  Mooking calls the key element his “obedient ingredient.”

Everyday Exotic is another Food Network: Canada import just like David Rocco’s Dolce Vita.  It is exactly the kind of show that Food Network (the original) has forgotten how to do – the kind that teaches and inspires.  And Mooking is exactly the kind of host I enjoy watching.

Roger Mooking seems like the kind of guy I would like to hang out with, fun loving and energetic.  He is also quite knowledgeable and that I can respect.  Perhaps it is because we have a lot in common.  He’s a musician (check), a chef (check), professes to having a very loud laugh (check) and creating things for people to enjoy (check).  He is a true Renaissance man.  Mooking lives life rather than enduring it.

Musically he is quite gifted having won a Juno Award (the Canadian equivalent of a Grammy) and three Much Music Video Awards.  He also performs the theme song to the show, a nice little touch.  It’s the best cooking show theme since the hot guitar riff on Boy Meets Grill.  I can dig that he is always singing while he cooks.  I also love his spice rack – each container holds about a pound (not ounces) of dry spices.  I asked Roger where he got it and he replied, “It was custom built Stuart. One day its gonna be available. Everyone wants to cheap it out. I cant have that.”

The show as a package is a home run.  It teaches without coming across as a lecture, credit that to Mooking’s easy going style.  The cinematography is aces making for great food porn.  In fact, the production value is top notch in every regard.  It’s a shame that Scripps has relegated one of it’s best shows to it’s triple A networks.  Of course if the quality of the Cooking Channel’s programming maintains it may soon take over as the flagship property of the Scripps TV empire.  It is easily the best “stand and stir” food show on television right now.

Now dig the hip theme song.  It has replaced Katy Perry’s “Psycho Love” as the song I can’t get out of my head: