Who would have ever though a video game could teach us to cook? I certainly didn’t. Today, video game publishers are taking the industry beyond strategic game play and are using the video game to help us learn something new. What impresses me the most, though, are the new games designed to help you learn how to cook. I have tried quite a few of these “games” and I was, to say the least, amazed at how much a person can actually learn from them. Some, of course, are better than others, but read on to find out the cooking games available today, and how they can help you build or add to your kitchen skills.

1. Personal Trainer: Cooking (Nintendo DS)

This is by far my favorite cooking game on the market today. The Nintendo DS is the leader in self-help games today and their cooking games are no exception. Personal Trainer: Cooking is like walking into a virtual cookbook. There are over 200 recipes that can be viewed all at once or by country. Each recipe is listed showing ingredients, steps for prep, and how to cook. What is most impressive is that a voice reads everything out loud to you so you are not constantly having to stop what you are doing to read as you would from a cookbook. Of all the platforms, the DS is the best when it comes to cooking because this little handheld can sit right next to you on your kitchen counter.Buy from Amazon »

2. What’s Cooking? With Jamie Oliver (Nintendo DS)

This game is similar to Personal Trainer: Cooking, except that it also has some optional game play involved. Jamie Oliver is right there with you, narrating each recipe and that makes the whole process a little more fun. There are about 100 recipes in the game, as well as a shopping list which allows you to take your DS right into the grocery store with you. Don’t let Jamie Oliver’s name on this game make you think that’s the only thing going for it. The recipes are really fantastic and easy to prepare.Buy from Amazon »

3. Gourmet Chef: Cook Your Way to Fame (Nintendo DS)

This game does have a lot of game play involved, but as you play your way through you are actually learning realistic recipes that you can make at home. Each recipe is also saved in a recipe section that you can reference at any time. The premise is that you are a French chef cooking in a high-class French restaurant for food critics and customers. It is your gaming skills that will lead you to get good reviews and move on to more complex dishes. This is a game that can be played for no reason other than for fun, but can also be taken into the kitchen to bring your fantasy dishes to life.Buy from Amazon »

4. My Healthy Cooking Coach (Nintendo DS)

I have high hopes for this game that will be released in late June, 2009. The Nintendo DS has done amazing things with their “Coach” line so I am very excited about this game to help you cook healthy. For this game Nintendo has gotten some of the best recipes from a culinary school and worked with a nutritionist to devise a game that helps you learn not only to cook, but to eat, healthy. The game will include steps and prep and the graphics are extremely high quality, real life photos.Buy from Amazon »

5. MasterCook Deluxe 9.0 (Windows)

This pc game features an impressive 8000+ recipes. The software aids in meal-planning, features step-by-step instructions and includes shopping lists for each recipe. Recipes can be searched for according to fat, calories and other nutritional content. This is best if you’re looking to organize your recipes and meal plans into an easy to access format. Otherwise, this isn’t much different than looking for recipes online yourself which is just as fast and free. The video tutorials are nice though.More »

6. Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked (Nintendo Wii)

Although this game won't hit stores until after December 3009, just slapping the Food Network in the title has made this game a popular pre-order. Although initial descriptions make this game seem like just a game, the skills used to play the game are designed to be realistic enough that you would use them cooking in your own kitchen. One feature that attracts me most to this game is that not only are the “hows” of the techniques explained, but also the “whys.” I don’t think that is explored often enough, particularly to beginner cooks.Buy from Amazon »