I have a confession to make. I'm addicted to food shows. Right now, you might be saying, "Join the club," because I know there are a lot of foodie fans out there; I'm definitely not the first and won't be the last.

TV guides are chock-a-block with programs catering to the gastronomically minded. And as television execs know, if it ain't broke, produce more and more of it (see also: dance competition shows). But lately my weekend pleasure has morphed into a full-blown, all-hours obsession.

The odd thing is: I don't cook. Of course, I've dappled with baking cupcakes, cookies, you know, the easy, goof-proof stuff. But there aren't any five-course meals on my table (unless I order takeout). As Carrie Bradshaw once said: "I use my oven for storage." I mean, who has time to cook when there's so much TV to watch?

I don't need to cook. Ina, Giada and Rachael come into my home everyday and do it for me. My plate is full with servings of The Travel Channel's Man v. Food and Steak Paradise (I don't even eat red meat!), Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and The Next Food Network Star on the Food Network, PBS' Spain...On the Road Again with Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow, Top Chef Masters on Bravo (I'm rooting for Rick Bayless) and my ultimate culinary girl crush, Nigella Lawson. Plus, I'm not a picky viewer. Even Ron Popeil infomercials make the cut. Or how about that red-haired lady with the sandwich press gizmo? I like to think of them as fast food for the TV-watcher's soul.

To me, the shows are like therapy. Some folks like to paint, I like to watch other people slice onions. There's something comforting and nourishing about it (even though I will never actually get to eat the food). But there is one problem—I'm never quite full.

What's on your viewing menu? Feed me your top foodie show picks.

—Michele Laufik

photo: getty images