I found myself cooking a soup at 8am this morning. It’s not a habit of mine, but Oliver and I were awake together. Up to no good. I wasn’t in the mood to watch TV or read books or sing songs. He wasn’t either. So we headed to the kitchen.

It was a good time. A confined space (essential with him). Lots of coffee. And music. What a way to start the morning. And we both needed the sounds of hip hop – starting with A Tribe Called Quest, moving onto Method Man, Jay Z, INI, Notorious B.I.G, De La Soul and People Under the Stairs. I recited lyrics to him. We both danced. We both stirred the soup.

Nancy's Sweet & Tangy Potato Salad

Quite possibly, the opposite of soup

Then I thought, how come there isn’t a hip hop inspired cooking show on The Food Network? It seems like a good idea to me. You have a host/chef, a DJ, special guests, lots of food and a hungry audience. It would be called Hip Hop Chop.

It’s a simple recipe. Take a talented, skilled chef/host – who also understands the history of hip hop. Add in a DJ. This needs to be someone that can match the right song or beat to the right recipe. Then, bring in a special guest – someone from the hip hop community. This VIP picks his/her favorite recipes for the chef to create. The show’s flavor becomes original interpretations of dishes, incredible beats and sincere banter. And everyone eats.

So that’s my pitch Food Network – I don’t have to be the chef/host – executive producer would suffice. Step outside of your traditional programming and bring us foodies and hip hop enthusiasts what we’ve all been craving.

Hip Hop Chop.