"Good Eats" (2011)

What it's about: Chef Alton Brown isn't satisfied just making food in front of a camera. He creatively explores how and why the things we do in the kitchen work, and — with goofy flair — walks you through the science and history of everything from proper cutting technique to preparing classic dishes.

Why you should see it: "It's tempting to write off Brown as a hokey jokester, but give him a chance: 'Good Eats' is easily the most empowering cooking show ever made. There's nothing quite like understanding the reason you're doing something in the kitchen — and the genius hacks you can use to save time, skip steps, substitute ingredients, and so on. I also love Brown's show because there's a sharp focus on basics. We're all so eager to rush into whipping up eggs Hollandaise, but so often it's poor technique that leads to terrible misadventures in cooking." —Dave Mosher, science and tech correspondent.  [Click to watch]