Gamertell has posted a feature article about the popularity of videogames that involve food.
From the article:
"Once upon a time videogames were all about blasting space aliens, breaking bricks, kicking ass as a ninja and/or saving a princess. Now, it seems like every activity imaginable has a videogame, from cheer leading to dog grooming to gardening. This is best exemplified by the insane popularity of cooking/food-based games, a genre that was practically single-handedly invented by a little DS game three years ago called Cooking Mama."
It then goes on to pose four theories as to why this subgenre of games does so well.
