Entertainment Weekly recently praised the Two Fat Ladies as one of the coolest shows on television, and these videos will make a believer of anyone, hardcore food fanatic or not. The two English cooks, Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright, use their no-nonsense patter and decidedly un-glam personas in tackling a variety of foods and specialties-some arcane English recipes (fish pie, Yorkshire gingerbread sweetened with black treacle) and some universally enticing (baked monkfish with rosemary and anchovies, Danish apple and prune cake). Each of the two videos includes three separate episodes, during which the ladies demonstrate a variety of cooking techniques and then tool around the English countryside in their motorcycle and sidecar to feed assorted appreciative groups of guinea pigs. Along the way, their dry Brit observations (Paterson demonstrates making a herringbone pattern atop the fish pie-"like that good tweed") and love of their craft will captivate you, even if you never intend to lift a wooden spoon. And if you are a dedicated cook, their inventive use of fresh ingredients will inspire you. You won't leave without a smile on your face. -Anne Hurley.

Vegetarians and the faint of heart, beware! But for everyone else, the Two Fat Ladies are back, and they are simply spectacular. In volumes 3 and 4 of their British television series (each tape contains three episodes), Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright cook for a lunch, a cocktail party, an afternoon tea, a picnic, a breakfast, and a dinner. The two women travel (by motorcycle and sidecar) to a different location in each episode to cook a requested meal-usually laden with cream, butter, and meats (Jennifer notes of one tartine: "Delicious, despite its vegetarian overtones"). Yes, this is a cooking show, but with Jennifer and Clarissa's patter, it has the feel of a comedy. As they whip up Loin of Pork Stuffed with Mushrooms and a pot of Clam Chowder, the Two Fat Ladies sing the praises of bacon (Clarissa hints at a risqué past when she notes that bacon is a great hangover cure; not that she gets hangovers anymore. Other allusions to falling off barstools and beer for breakfast are dotted throughout). The meals look sumptuous-salmon soaked in wine and topped with orange rings, Brazilian bean fritters, fruit tartlets, vichyssoise, and so much more-and it's terrific fun following the women as they go sightseeing (a motorcycle rally, watching a male choir, on a quest for the perfect drink at the Brazilian embassy, at a brewery, picking strawberries). Jennifer is likely to break out in song or rhyme, and Clarissa tells interesting facts and gossip from her life. They chitchat about tips for picking up men, the fact that nutmeg is a hallucinogenic, the beauty of British military boys, how you can't get crackling in Scotland or France. So, be prepared to learn how to core a kidney (and who knew kidneys needed coring?), make cracker crumbs, and laugh along at the antics of these two rather large women. [+]

Prepare to enjoy eighteen of Julia Child's kitchen classics in a sumptuous second collection from her pioneering cooking show, The French Chef. The French Chef was a cooking series unlike anything yet seen on TV. Warm and exuberant, Julia was a natural television star, whether scooping up a spilled potato pancake or coaxing a reluctant soufflé, Julia was not afraid of making mistakes. Soon a nation fed on Shake n' Bake and Tang would be experimenting with quiche Lorraine and boeuf bourguignon and cooking would become a national pastime. This special collection presents 18 episodes from her groundbreaking series. In her signature style and with bloopers intact, Julia demonstrates such classic recipes as crêpes suzette, omelette gratinée, pâté de campagne, bûche de Noël and many more. Bon appetit! Disc 1 - Starters, Sauces and Sides Cooking Vegetables, Vegetable Adventures, Elegance with Eggs, More about Potatoes, Terrines and Patés, The Hollandaise Family Disc 2 - Main Courses French Crepes I, Cooking Your Goose, Roast Suckling Pig, Fish in Monk's Clothing, Cheese Souffle, Sole Bonne Femme Disc 3 - Breads and Desserts French Crepes II, Buche De Noel, Croissants, Gateau in a Cage, French Bread, VIP Cake: Le Prantome.