I know that the Frugal Gourmet (Jeff Smith) went down in flames a few years back (in issues unrelated to cooking), but he always gave good clear instructions and used available ingredients. I still make several dishes that I learned from his programs. Graham Kerr (the Galloping Gourmet) was pretty good, also, especially his one-pot dishes. Some of his substitutions for calorie-counters were a little odd, but it was always interesting. Martin Yan (Yan Can Cook) provided good information about selecting ingredients I found particularly helpful. (He taught me how to choose a good canteloupe every time--and it works!)

SRS