Ranked: The tastiest summer cooking TV shows, from 'Top Chef' to 'MasterChef'

Oh the hot, sweaty, delicious days of summer.

Whether you're living through the recent scorching heat wave in the Northeast or Pacific Northwest, summer is often a time of gathering, vacationing, grilling and eating. And you can celebrate the flavors of summertime without ever picking up a wooden spoon by turning to the wild world of summer cooking shows. 

Sure, there are food series on TV all year round, but there's a certain amount of carefree zaniness that comes with summer programming, from a Fox series that asks bakers to be detectives to a Netflix travelogue that makes fried chicken look sexy. We rounded up five summer cooking shows that are fun, funny and even a bit informative. And if you are so motivated, they might give you some ideas for your next dinner. 

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