Jan. 20, 2026
Food series showcases healthy, affordable meals from chefs, nutritionists with host Craig O’Neill
CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas TV) — The all-new, Arkansas TV-produced healthy cooking show “Arkansas Taste Kitchen” will premiere on Arkansas TV Thursday, March 5. “Arkansas Taste Kitchen,” hosted by beloved Arkansas personality Craig O’Neill, brings cooking at home to life with a local master chef and professor from the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College (UA-PTC) and a nutrition expert with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), showcasing healthy, flavorful meals that can be affordable and joyful for all Arkansans.
“As promised, we’re more Arkansas than ever, informing and inspiring families all across the state,” Arkansas TV Executive Director and CEO Carlton Wing said. “’Arkansas Taste Kitchen,’ produced by our Emmy Award-winning team, demonstrates that a healthy, affordable meal can be both flavorful and satisfying. This program shows us how. Food brings us together, and this series invites viewers to pull up a chair, grab a fork and experience Arkansas – one dish at a time.”
“Arkansas Taste Kitchen,” created in partnership with the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College and UAMS, is a vibrant, educational cooking journey, filmed in the kitchens of UA-PTC. Local Master Chef and Instructor Dr. Robert Hall and UAMS Culinary Medicine nutrition expert Alyssa Frisby join O’Neill to share that meals can be affordable, easy, healthy and delicious no matter the budget or level of cooking experience. They will also share healthy tips such as nutritional value, portion sizes and how to read food labels.
Hall, the lead teaching professor of culinary at UA-PTC, started his journey in Arkansas in 1991 as a prep cook at A Place to Eat in Conway. He followed his passion for cooking across the county, eventually earning his status as master chef. Hall is a multi-award-winning culinary master, having won medals from the Southwest Regional ACE Challenge and served as executive chef at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Frisby is a registered and licensed dietician at UAMS, serving as an instructor and senior brand and project manager for the Culinary Medicine program. She earned her degree in mass media communications from the College of Charleston before completing a post-baccalaureate and master’s degree in nutrition at the University of Central Arkansas.
About the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 902 medical residents and fellows. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com.
About University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College
University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College provides access to high-quality education that promotes student learning and enables individuals to develop to their fullest potential. University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College aspires to be the flagship two-year institution in the region to develop life-long learners, prepare excellent employees for careers, foster innovation in advanced technologies, and contribute to the economic and civic development of communities.
About Arkansas TV
Arkansas TV, Arkansas’s only statewide public television network, informs and inspires learners of all ages through local storytelling, educational resources and meaningful community partnerships. Local programs can be livestreamed at myarpbs.org/live and accessed on-demand at youtube.com/@arkansastv, and the distinct channels Arkansas TV and AIRS on SAP. Arkansas TV depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering locally produced, Arkansas-focused programming. Additional information is available at myarpbs.org. Arkansas TV is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), KETZ (El Dorado), KETS (Lee Mountain), KETS (Forrest City), KETS (Yancy) and KETS (Gaither).
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