I’ll be the first to admit it; I can’t cook to save my life. But boy, do I love those "Tasty" cooking videos on Facebook. I’m not sure when, or why, it became a thing to share videos of food being cooked online, but now that I’m hooked, there’s no going back.
What’s great about "Tasty" cooking videos is that they show how cool cooking can be. All you need is some fresh vegetables, good lighting, and elevator music playing in the background, and you’re set. It sounds ridiculous to admit, but there’s just something quite intriguing about cooking in a minimalist kitchen from a “God’s point of view” camera angle. Whenever I see a "Tasty" video, I always imagine myself as a hip 30-something chef preparing a casual meal for myself in my big city apartment. In reality, I am just a lonely college student sick of his meal plan.
If I’m being honest, "Tasty" videos are pretty deceitful. The videos make cooking seem so easy to a naïve spirit such as myself. What I hate is that all of the videos are fast-forwarded and a meal that takes two and a half hours to prep and execute looks like it can be accomplished in under a minute. I may or may not have a folder on my laptop dedicated to "Tasty" videos I promised to cook for myself one day, even though I know perfectly well that that’s never going to happen.
I am always pleasantly surprised by the type of person on my Facebook feed who shares "Tasty" videos. Never are they close friends or acquaintances of mine, but instead, people with names I don’t recognize and definitely someone I should have unfriended a long time ago. Thankfully, karma exists, and because I decided to spare them, I now have some bomb recipes to enjoy. I may not know which direction their lives are headed, but I am comforted in knowing that we are both united in our interest for Mini Chicken Pot Pies, and I think that’s beautiful.
"Tasty" videos aren’t just for dinners, but also drinks and incredible looking desserts. I’m no Cake Boss and the odds of me baking a cake that’s intended to look like spaghetti and meatballs are slim to none, but I admire the effort and those videos are my favorite. I’m not sure if I would spend all day making a desert (I would just buy a chocolate bar and call it a day), but I will say that the prospects of me making a frozen margarita at home are pretty promising.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t try to film my own Tasty-inspired video. Unfortunately, when I tried, my Snapchat story didn’t look quite as hip as one of the high definition videos on Facebook. My production budget was low and the aesthetic was all wrong. What I did do, though, was take step-by-step photos of how to make a mean Irish coffee for St. Patrick’s Day. I didn't record any of it, but I did pour the coffee in a clear mug and added the whipped cream on top, so, same thing, right?
