Rick Stein

The cooking show is as old as television itself. But why do we like watching the making of a meal that most of us will never cook, let alone eat? Dirty Furniture’s jam-packed video essay is a rollercoaster ride through the history of the genre, at once a staple of television viewing and a hotpot of shifting perspectives and sociocultural values.

Shanghai is one of the biggest cities in the world and is rapidly expanding, but has it hung on to its culinary roots? Rick Stein wants to find out.

Rick Stein sets out on his German voyage with his usual appetite to unearth some of the country's hidden culinary gems. As always, Rick seeks out enticing fishing opportunities and is on the hunt for the most tantalising seafood - but this journey is different to most because it is one that is very close to Rick's heart. Although Rick has always known he was of German descent, he knows very little of his German family - but the one thing he is sure of is that he wouldn't have the business he has today without them. In the early 70s, he inherited £10,000 from a great uncle that he never knew, money that provided him with a great investment in his restaurant.

Ever since the early 1960s, Rick Stein has been in love with the blues and years later he is fascinated by the dishes ingrained in its lyrics - fried chicken and turnip greens, catfish and black-eyed peas, and the rest. In this film, Rick pays homage to the musicians who created this music and to the great dishes of the Mississippi Delta that go hand in hand with the blues.

The people of Cornwall are proud of the fact that they do things differently, and the Christmas celebrations in this beautiful part of England have their own unique flavours and sounds. Home for a while from his worldwide travel adventures, Rick Stein has a chance to enjoy Christmas in his beloved adopted county.

Chef Rick Stein takes a light-hearted look at the role that food played in the creation of Italian opera and shows how music and food are intrinsically linked in Italy. He draws parallels between cooking and composing, noting how both involve the skilful combination of ingredients and how they share the common purpose of bringing pleasure to many. Rick also explains why he thinks the music of Verdi, Rossini and Puccini are linked to the food of the regions where they lived and worked.

Challenged by the UK's Japanese Ambassador to cook a Japanese banquet for his distinguished guests, Rick spends one week visiting Japan's vibrant fish markets and island restaurants, aiming to master the art of cooking fish - Japanese-style. Japan is arguably the ultimate destination for serious lovers of fish. Will Rick be able to learn enough to impress all at the banquet?