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Food Party was a surreal cooking show that aired on IFC in 2009. Created by and starring artist and chef Thu Tran, each episode featured a whimsical and bizarre world filled with vibrant colors, puppetry, and surreal special effects. The show was a wacky blend of cooking instructional, performance art, and absurdist humor that catered to foodies and comedy fans alike.

At the start of each episode, Thu would present a theme for the show, ranging from "spooky snacks" to "feline cuisine." She would then proceed to cook up a variety of dishes that fit the theme, often using unconventional ingredients, tools, and methods. Her kitchen was a fanciful wonderland of puppet creatures, cardboard sets, and bizarre props, all brought to life with the help of her team of puppeteers, collaborators and guests. The results were as visually stunning as they were delicious.

The show relied heavily on surreal humor, often riffing on traditional cooking shows' conventions. For example, in one episode, Thu demonstrated how to make a salad by dressing up as a bird and foraging for the ingredients in a cardboard forest. The dish was served in a fake bird's nest, complete with eggshells and twigs. In another episode, she whipped up a "carrot juice vodka tonic" in a washing machine while wearing a foam hat shaped like a carrot.

Aside from her own unconventional recipes, Thu frequently featured guest chefs and performers who would share their own daring cuisine creations. These included a puppet chef who cooked exclusively with his feet, a woman who made cakes that looked like body parts, and a musician who played a saw and sang about food.

Despite its surreal and off-the-wall humor, the show managed to teach viewers real cooking skills, with each episode featuring a helpful mix of tips, tricks and essential techniques. Thu took time to explain the hows and whys of each dish, making the show both entertaining and educational.

Food Party's trippy aesthetic, colorful sets, and gag-heavy humor made it an instant cult classic, attracting a loyal fan base that propelled it to viral acclaim. In addition to its IFC run, the show was streamed online on the IFC website, Youtube, and became a web sensation. Its short run, however, left fans wanting more and calling for the show to be renewed or brought back.

In summary, Food Party was a unique cooking show that blended avant-garde performance art, comedy, and delicious cuisine. Its creator, Thu Tran, used her talents as a chef and artist to create a magical and surreal world in which anything was possible. The show was both entertaining and educational, with a mix of helpful tips and wacky humor. Its pioneering format and aesthetic broke new ground in cooking shows, paving the way for future culinary programs that dared to be different.

Food Party is a series that ran for 2 seasons (40 episodes) between June 9, 2009 and on IFC