A gym rat and a dietitian’s worst nightmare is upon us–it’s almost time to celebrate Christmas and the incoming New Year. A staple in the year-end festivities; noche buena and media noche, the commemoration is not complete without discarding what little discipline you have left and stuffing yourself to the absolute limit with the tastiest dishes served on the table. At this point, however, maybe the typical fruit salad, macaroni salad, holiday ham, and the other usual suspects are no longer enough–they’re getting quite old. It’s the end of the year after all, so let’s splurge and revel in a tiny bit of excess. For the cooks out there looking for inspiration for their upcoming feast, here are 5 cooking YouTube channels to help plan your holiday dinner.
Babish Culinary Universe
Originally named ‘Binging with Babish’ Andrew Douglas Rea was originally known for bravely recreating some of the most famous dishes we’ve seen in pop culture–the Pasta Aglio e Olio from ‘Chef’, the Confit Byaldi from ‘Ratatouille’, or Jake’s Perfect Sandwich from ‘Adventure Time’, you name it, he will do it. Now having expanded throughout the years, Rea has now delved into the production of a number of concepts such as ‘Basics with Babish’, ‘What’s in the Fridge’, and ‘Anime with Alvin’ to name a few.
With a fairly easy-to-follow cooking process, there’s definitely a lot to learn, and a lot to choose from the variety of content on his channel. If you’re feeling a little creative, maybe you can serve the Turturkeykey from ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and the Triple Gooberberry Sunrise from ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’.
Check out his channel here!
Joshua Weissman
A maestro in the kitchen with a penchant for B-rolls and slapping his meat, Joshua Weissman was a Line Cook at the Odd Duck restaurant and a Cook at Uchiko prior to his YouTube career–you can be sure he knows what he’s talking about. He offers cost-efficient and quick and easy recipes that do not compromise flavor that you can follow in his ‘But Better’, ‘But Cheaper’, and ‘But Faster’ series. Drawing on his years of experience as a professional chef, he would also share a couple of tips and tricks that can surely elevate your cooking game.
Check out his channel here!
Ninong Ry
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I don’t think the ever-charismatic Ninong Ry needs any introductions. As a fan of endlessly scrolling down YouTube for cooking videos late at night, bringing myself to worsening hunger, I’ve noticed that although many of these dishes look amazingly exquisite, they can be quite difficult to replicate. After all, these use ingredients sourced internationally, cooked in wares you would only find in a professional kitchen, or in their case, a YouTuber’s set. With Ninong Ry however, equipped only with his identifiable mustache and long flowing hair, his wok, and his favorite chicken oil, he primarily makes Filipino-inspired dishes, using ingredients you can find at your nearest local grocery store.
Check out his channel here!
About to Eat
If you’ve watched BuzzFeed’s Tasty then I’m sure you’re well familiar with Andrew, Rie, Inga, and Alvin, some of the members consisting of ‘About to Eat’. Identifying themselves as professionally curious about food, rather than professionally trained chefs, they’re relatable to all of us home cooks who make a ton of mistakes and don’t get everything right on the first try. Remember the feeling of finding out your friend also failed the test you both took, this is it, a comforting learning experience.
Interestingly, one of their series involves making various dishes mainly surrounding a specific ingredient such as their ‘Making 6 Meals With Mayo’, ‘How I Cooked 20 Pounds of Eggplant’, and ‘How I Cooked 31 Eggs’ videos. As you prepare for your holiday dinner, ‘About to Eat’ can teach you versatility and resourcefulness, particularly when you’re a bit short on ingredients.
Check out their channel here!
Inga Lam
Last but not least, when she’s not making giant food on Tasty’s ‘Making it Big’ or challenging herself to make a 3-course meal surrounding a film’s color palette, Inga Lam is making food that she loves on her personal channel. While relatively experienced in making different kinds of dishes, her channel shows that she is an absolute sweet tooth, cooking various desserts such as; Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake Tart, Buttery Pineapple Cakes, Matcha & Yuzu Birthday Cake, Matcha & Dalgona Mochi Donuts, and Lemon Meringue Tart among others. Out of ideas for your holiday feast dessert? Look no further.
Check out her channel here!
Header image via Calum Lewis on Unsplash