Delicious TV

Getting home a little early the night before Thanksgiving allowed me to watch more TV. And I caught the best food show I've seen yet: Jamie Oliver's Great (Italy) Escape on the Food Network. Yes, I know the Naked Chef has been around for awhile, but I loved this show because it was less about the how-tos of cooking and more about travel. Oliver travels the different regions of Italy in his VW bus and cooks (often tries to cook) like the locals, using local ingredients and of course, no recipes. I tuned in late to the show in which he has to slaughter a lamb, and then goes on a wild boar hunt. (Know what you're thinking, but the chef expresses the common sentiment that if you're going to eat and cook meat, you should know what it feels like to kill the animal.)
In another episode, he made this interesting baked lemon-mozzerella antipasto, but burned it in a wood-fired oven. We actually got to see this chef screw up and get frustrated as he had to throw the food away. Great stuff. (For schedule of upcoming shows: foodnetwork.com.)
This makes Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations Required" on the Travel Network my second favorite food show, I guess. But maybe that's not fair: "No Reservations" is more of a travel show. I just love Tony's attitude.