Best of Alton Brown 2008 top 5

Ok if you read the first installment, you're probably anixiously awaiting the top 5 to my Alton Brown year-end countdown. In case you missed it, the run down is here. So here is the rest of my list!


#5--200 Good Eats episodes
The little cooking show that introduced AB to the world reached the milestone of 200 episodes in 2008. "Switched on Baklava" became the 200th episode on December 1. Up next in 2009 will be 10 years of Good Eats!


#4--Feasting on Waves
This show was absolutely great. I loved it because there was so much to learn about Caribbean cuisine. And Alton did what he does best, teaching viewers about food, its history and cultural importance.


#3--All About Alton
Ok shameless plug but I had to put it on the list. At the end of January I got the site started. It took several months to get rolling and my first blog changed over to this one, but in less than a year I got it together. Proves I have no life.


#2--Seeing AB in Marietta
One of the best things about Alton's book tour this year was his book signing and lecture. On top of that, the event was a fundraiser for the Cobb County Public Library. Ok I don't live in the county, but was for a good cause. Anyway, I got to visit AB's hometown and saw a few places where he's filmed Good Eats on top of meeting him. It was a great time. AB's lecture was both hysterical and thought provoking.
My first blog post was a recap of the event. Read about it here.






#1--Seeing AB in Nashville
For the second time I got to see Alton perform in Nashville at the Opryland Hotel. This year's demo might have been even better than the previous year. The show was so over the top with the gadgets. Alton was in fine form with his wit. This man needs to do a live cooking show! Read my report of the amusing and amazing demo here.
The great part of the Nashville event was the meet and greet. Seeing Alton in Marietta back in March was great and another wonderful experience, but the meet and greet in Nashville was even better. Maybe the best of the three times I've met him. First I actually was brave enough to ask him to make out the poster out to his #1 fan. And he was nice enough to give me special sorta #1 fan message. AB was so nice and sweet at the event, even after meeting with hundreds of other fans he still gave me a hand shake and a greeting and listened to everything I talked with him about. He' a super guy! Read about my meet and greet experience here.

Alton Brown's Mac & Cheese

See I told you, top 10 lists abound this time of year. FN has a top 10 mac & cheese list. Guess who is on top? Guess? Alton Brown! YAY!!! His baked mac and cheese recipe from "For Whom the Cheese Melts 2" topped the list.

I'm not a huge fan of mac and cheese, but I can personally vouch for this dish. I've made in many, many times and its a winner for sure. I think the best part is the panko bread crumb topping. The buttery crunchiness is wonderful and tasty.

AB's other mac & cheese recipe, the stove top version, also makes the list. This is also very good mac & cheese.

Saying I like both is high praise, in deed, because I rarely eat mac & cheese. Good going Alton for making a great pair of recipes!

Best of Alton Brown 2008 edition

Tis the season, seems everyone does some sort of year-end countdown. So here's one with nothing but the best Alton Brown moments of 2008, according to me of course. Here's the first installment of my top 10.


#10--ICA: Supreme Cuisine
There's nothing quite like having AB doing his commentary while your pretending to reign supreme in Kitchen Stadium. I love this game (a review will make it on the blog someday) but having AB do the voice for the commentator role was the main selling point for this game. Yay!



#9--FOA 2 The book
Of course I was buying it no matter what, its a book from Alton. But it was certainly more than what I was expecting. The FOA book includes 40 recipes AB found on his journey up the Mighty Mississippi but there's also much about the journey itself. The stories and events that made the experience for Alton are all inside this book. It is a wonderful read regardless if you want to make any of the recipes! The tamales are very good by the way.


#8--Animated Alton!
Back in June the furthest thing I was expecting to find on a Friday afternoon was Alton in an episode of Spongebob Squarepants... but he was! In the episode entitled "House Fancy" AB voiced a character named Nicholas Withers. It takes a few lines to recognize him, but that's AB! Watch it here on Turbo Nick



#7--AB promotions
Unlike many of his FN colleagues, Alton hasn't plastered is name and image on everything under the sun. Instead he carefully selects products. For 2008, AB joined forces with Diamond Crystal Salt, check out a few recipes on their site, and Welch's 100% grape juice, check out the great videos on their site!



#6--Alton's contact renewal
This probably should rank higher because without a renewal, then there wouldn't be anymore AB on Food Network. Well any where it falls, great news that the Food Network execs still have some braincells left. Alton signed on for three more years with the network of food.


Ok, there you have my first installment of the top ten AB moments of 2008. What will be on the list for 5 through 1. And what will be #1? Find out on New Year's Eve!

New Year's Day with Alton Brown

Heads up for some great Alton Brown viewing this week. On New Year's Day FN is running an ICA marathon starting at 2p.m. Like I have anything better to do on the first day of the new year but watch 8 episodes of ICA! My mom has always told me there's a superstition that says whatever you are doing on New Year's Day you will be doing that all year long. So I'll be watching 8 hours of Alton all year long???

The marathon has a theme--game. Ha ha ha, playing on New Year's Day being a big college football game day.

The day's festivities breaks down thusly:
2 pm - Battle: American Kobe Beef, Flay vs. MacMillan
3 pm - Battle: Pork, Cora vs. Fraser
4 pm - Battle: Rabbit, Symon vs. Rubino
5 pm - Battle: Buffalo, Flay vs. Bayless
6 pm - Battle: Venison, Cora vs. Campanaro
7 pm - Battle: Andouille, Batali vs. Besh
8 pm - Battle: Wild boar, Flay vs. Bull
9 pm - Battle: ?, Symon vs. Nate Appleman (according to tivo listing, not on FN site yet)

I'm ready for a food fight!

Alton Brown NECI video

This isn't a new video but I thought it was be good to link to here on my Alton Brown blog. It is AB talking about the New England Culinary School.

Check the video out here: AB and NECI video

New Probe Thermometer

I bought it because Alton Brown has one just like it, the Polder Original Cooking Timer and Thermometer. He mentioned it in the Gear book, its been on Good Eats numerous times. But what he failed to mention, and others too, it that the dang thing has no on/off switch!

My old probe thermometer, the one that up and died on Thanksgiving day, the one I got at Target, had an on/off switch. But this Polder for some odd reason doesn't. It has been hanging on the side of the fridge since Christmas Eve in the on position.

To preserve the batteries, I guess, they'll have to be removed. Bummer. What's so hard about making an on/off switch?

Kitchen makeover with Alton Brown

Just a reminder about Alton Brown being on All-star Kitchen makeover tonight at 10 p.m.

The winner was so lucky to get AB to redesign her kitchen. That would be a dream come true for me. Glad I didn't enter the contest, because I would have been sad for not winning.

Anyway, there's some cool segments, like Alton and the winner shopping to make dinner in the new kitchen. Heck, I'd be happy with him just coming to my house and cooking with me, no need to remodel my kitchen. The other awesome thing from the this show, this picture of Alton from back in his cameraman days. Kinda before they where star thing.

Alton Brown's city ham

Now I may lay claim to #1 Alton Brown fan status and cook many things from Good Eats, but I had never tried the "City Ham" recipe in all of these years. Typically I followed the method my mom always used, light brown sugar and pineapple rings. A couple of years ago I did start cooking the ham using AB's method of inverting it. Makes the pre-cut spiral hams turn out much better, btw.

Well this year I decided to give the holiday ham a different look. I hadn't given the ham much of a thought until a few days ago. I saw the "Ham I am" episode of Good Eats. My interest was piqued again with the city ham recipe. And it was so simple.

Yep, high time I tried this recipe.

The first step was easy. Scoring the ham with a highly precision culinary cutting tool (a razor blade cutting tool) began the procedure. Then baking, inverted, in a kitchen towel lined roasting pan until the internal temp of the deepest part of the ham reached 130 degrees.

Pulling the ham's rind and fat was easy with the pre-scored diamond pattern. Now came the fun part. I painted on, with my bouncy silicone basting brush, spicy brown mustard. Packed on dark brown sugar. The next step in AB's recipe is to spritz with bourbon, I didn't have any bourbon. But the sugar was moist enough for the final layer, crushed ginger snaps, to stick.

The finished ham looked strange but smelled spicy from the cookies. The ham returned to the oven until it reached an internal temperature of 140 degrees.

After a nice rest, I plated my handsome ham. The outer crust was glistening and still smelled spicy from the cookies.

The important information... how did it taste? Its a little sweet and the crust is gingery and spicy. When my mom tasted it she commented on the flavor of the crust. She knew I was trying a new method for the ham this year. She told me this was better than my other method. So it passed my mom's inspection. :)

I think this method will be the one I use from now on.
AB's City Ham recipe

Merry Christmas redux

Yep, on the computer on Christmas. But really, I was checking for Alton Brown's city ham recipe. Not so much the recipe, but the procedure. Aka the temp to cook the hunk o pig to.

While I was on the iMac, thought I'd upload my next Flickr pic for my AB a day project. I especially loved today's. It was one of my favorites from the Nashville show. :)

Merry Christmas Alton Brown

Yeah, like Alton Brown will ever find his way to my sad, pathetic little blog. He's an important, busy man who is spending this time of year with his family not looking at dumb blogs created by stupid fangirls.

But just in case, I'm sending a nice little season greeting to him. Oh, and to the three readers of this lame blog too. I can't say I ever got into the Christmas mood this year. I rarely ever do. The only thing good about it is the two weeks off from work I got this year.

Oh well, I'm off to cook a few items today and tomorrow. I'll resume posting (like anyone cares) once the dust settles.

AB's Christmas Memory

Listening to Alton Brown tell his Christmas memory from age 11 was the highlight of all those terrible Dear FN Holiday specials. His story was so darn funny and cute. Sounds like young AB was a bit of a daredevil.

If you didn't see it, check it out out here:

Alton Brown TV alert

This week a couple of good episodes with Alton Brown are on FN. I don't think it makes up for preempting Good Eats for yet another craptacular holiday special, but it helps.

Wednesday, "Behind the Eats" airs. The hour long special shows us all of the culinary fun and mayhem at Alton's studio. I'd love the opportunity to visit there someday. Until then, I settle for watching this one more time.

On Saturday, the All-star Kitchen Makeover show replays. Although the show is from 2005, any show with Alton is worth watching... again. Makes a nice after Christmas gift. ;) See AB redo a kitchen at 10 p.m.

Wish list

I found a cheesy FN Dish video about holiday wish list, several of the hosts including Alton Brown tell what's on their list.

AB says side bags for his new motorcycle. He's got another new motorcycle?

Any way, here's the link: Chefs' Wish List

Inspired by real events

Inspiring me to try new dishes is one thing I love about watching Alton Brown. I have tried my hand at so many different culinary items over the years of watching Good Eats.

I had seen several TV chefs make gumbo back when I watched a lot cooking shows, but I never even thought about making it. When Alton dedicated an episode to gumbo my interest was piqued again. And this time I decided to act on it.

But before I headed down to the bayou, I made a few modifications to the recipe. The big thing was changing out the shrimp for chicken. This was mainly because I was making it for my mom and she doesn't like shrimp. Earlier this year I read about a food blogger who caught some flack for modifying an America's Test Kitchen recipe, I hope Alton doesn't do the same thing to me.

Beginning with making the roux, I stayed with the original 4 ounces vegetable oil and 4 ounces all-purpose flour. Instead of making the roux in the oven, I opted for the stovetop. Even on my first attempt, making the brick roux in my cast iron dutch oven was easy. I whisked and eyed the roux as it changed through the stages. By making the roux on the stovetop, the time to make this dish is cut down greatly. I opted to do the stovetop method because I'm a pretty good roux maker and figured I had the patience todo that way.

Then in went the trinity: 1 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup diced celery and 1/2 cup diced green peppers. This was cooked until the veggies were soft.

I followed the rest of the recipe closely, adding the requisite amount of liquid--1 quart. In my version, that was chicken stock. Added the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves, then simmered it for 35 minutes. I added the browned andouille sausage and chicken cooked earlier (chicken was in the same amount as the shrimp) about 10 minutes from the end time. Lastly, the file powder and everything was ready!

I'm sure AB's original gumbo is mighty tasty but, this is some awesome gumbo. Maybe Alton could do "Bowl of Bayou II" and make chicken gumbo, *hint, hint.*

Whether you opt for the oven roux making or stovetop, this dish is worth making and worthy of the title Good Eats.

AB's Shrimp Gumbo

Plum pudding

Alton Brown explains plum pudding in one of those Good Eeats shorts that run from time to time on Food Network.

Enjoy :)

Major discovery!

Woohoo! Alton Brown's column in Atlanta magazine is online this month!

Check it out here: Ask Alton I swiped the picture from there, hope they don't sic the copyright police on me.

The email to ask him a question there too, maybe I should submit one. I will be dropping the magazine a note thanking them for putting the column online!

Putting into practice

My mom wishes to thank Alton Brown. Thank him for teaching me a few new culinary tricks and giving me the knowledge to fix culinary problems. This week was a perfect example of how watching AB has helped me. And my mom even said she wanted to thank him. Why?

This week I pulled out a long lost dish from my culinary coffer. Stuffed chicken breasts. The subject for this item came up several months ago, the last time I made Chicken Kiev. Mom asked what ever happened to those chicken roll up things I made (aka stuffed chicken breasts).

What happened to them was I screwed them up... royally screwed them up that is. While they were tasty, my technique was horrid. Let's say I'd have no points for presentation if you got one glance at them.

I say the best thing I get from watching Good Eats is picking up techniques to make my cooking better. And this is one of the best examples I can think of.

First, my meat mashing was bad... very bad. But from two Good Eats episodes I learned why. First in "Fit to be tied," I discovered my meat tenderizer was inferior. I used a traditional wooden mallet type and I pounded heck out of the chicken.

AB showed a better pounder and method. I bought a heavy, round metal meat pounder, first. Then I used Alton's method of placing the meat between two pieces of plastic wrap and adding water on the wrap to aid with deflecting the blow.

Wow! No more torn meat! I had perfectly pounded meat ready for the filling. Not stuffing because... stuffing is... evil! Sorry, couldn't resist.

The next tidbit to help my stuffed chicken breasts came from "Flat is Beautiful II." Besides also giving a great lesson on flatting meat again and selecting a meat mallet, the best thing from this episode was how to roll and prep chicken breasts for the Kievs. Those were another item that Alton help me with.

So to make my chicken dish, I used AB's method of compressing the chicken rolls in plastic wrap after putting the putting the filling on the flattened meat. I had four perfect little chicken rolls and one pieced together roll (that one ended up doing very well) filled with cornbread stuffing ready for the egg wash, panko coating, seasoning and baking.

This time they came out tasty and beautiful.

My mom was very happy. After I told her I wouldn't mind making this dish now and why, that's when she said she'd love to thank Alton.

So thanks AB, you helped me so much!

Number 1 fan

I've been proclaiming myself Alton Brown's #1 fan for a while now. And after being denied last week for the FN grilling show, I thought it was time to roll out more proof! Here's a pathetic video I made showing off all of my stuff! Totally cheesy and grainy from uploading it, but all the better.

Ok, like the three readers of this blog want to hear me plead my case yet again but its also to honor my 100th post!

Wow. I can't believe this blog has 100 postings. I actually started with a cooking blog last September but never did much with it. Then I switched to one All About Alton (shameless plug for the website) and I've zoomed to 100 posts quickly. Guess I like talking about AB a wee bit. ;)

Anyway back to the #1 fan thing. I don't know if I really can claim the title but hey having a fansite for all of his projects and a blog about the guy should rank me in the top 2 or 3... shouldn't it?

Cue drum roll...



I can hear you all laughing at me.

AB Ads everywhere

Last night I saw Alton Brown's Welch's ad while watching Good Eats of all shows... go figure ;) Today I'm looking for AB's gold cake recipe--a quick check to see if I have the requisite ingredients on hand and I see...


Looks like his other ad campaign is going well too :)

At least with Alton's face plastered everywhere it won't be as painful as trying to navigate the cracker aisle.

Eggs Bedeviled

Until a few weeks ago I hadn't eaten a deviled egg in who knows how long. Back when the pepper episode aired, I wanted to try Alton Brown's version of deviled eggs. But like so many things I see on Good Eats, I put on an ever growing list of dishes to try and eventually I get to them. Eventually.

Finally, I did get to this recipe. Part of my delay was finding peppercorns other than black. I live in the most culinary unfriendly location in America. A lot of times I cannot readily find items for some of AB's recipes. It takes some searching, thankfully I found the peppercorns on the Internet.

With my mail order peppercorns I set out to, finally, make the eggs. I doubled the recipe, FYI

I started by cooking 12 eggs in my electric tea kettle. Then moved to grinding the four different peppercorns: 1 teaspoon each pink, white, green and black.

After peeling the eggs and slicing them in half, I mixed the 12 yolks with the pepper, 1/2 cup of mayo, 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Here is where I diverted from Alton's recipe. I bumped up the mustard because I like more. In his recipe the amount is 1 teaspoon (2 teaspoons for my doubled recipe) but I doubled that and added 4 teaspoons of mustard.

Lastly, I split the batch and added the 1/2 teaspoon of caper liquid plus a 1/2 teaspoon of chopped capers to some and left the other half sans any caper liquid.

What can I say about these deviled eggs?

Prep: simple.
Taste: Awesome. The heat from the pepper isn't overpowering but enough to satisfy people like me with an unnaturally high tolerance for hot food. And I preferred the ones with the capers.

Get AB's original recipe here: 4 pepper deviled eggs

Holiday Extravaganza opening scene

I am not in the holiday mood at all, not even Alton Brown's opening to the FN Holiday Extravaganza last week could put me there.

However, I did enjoy the opening. Probably the best part of the whole show. Well, AB's soup looked good so did the mulled wine.

AB's Miami demo

If you're lucky enough to see Alton Brown's demo in Miami today, I hope it is awesome! AB always does a great live show. He really needs to have one on FN.

If you're like me, not lucky enough to go and staring at a couple of inches of snow on the ground, check out this article from the Miami paper. There's a Q & A with Alton. Though the answer to the hobbies question is a bit curious.

This is second article I've read (another was back in August when he was in Nashville) where he talks about eating in his hotel room. Kinda makes me sad for him. :(

Random act of fangirlness #453

Maybe they won't notice, the second thing that ran through my mind after seeing Alton Brown in another print ad for the Food Network Holiday Extravaganza. You know probably can guess what the first thought was.

I was innocently leafing through the special issue of People magazine on the circ desk Friday afternoon. Normally the cover would have repelled me, some such about sexy female celebrities. But the person I relieved on the desk left it. I'm a compulsive reader, so I started looking at it.

After the umpteenth glamorous photo of some female celeb, I quickly got bored and began quickly paging through the publication. Then I saw it.

The last ad. On the back page. The Food Network Holiday Extravaganza. And Alton grinning back at me. Yeah, I ripped one out of last week's People magazine... so?

Before a defaced another magazine, I paused. A slight dilemma was before me. This ad was on the back page. If I ripped it out the front page would probably fall off.

Maybe they won't notice.

One of my colleagues came by the desk, I asked her if she would notice if I ripped the page out. Her suggestion, cut him out. Oh, like that would be less noticeable, I thought. Then they would all know!

My solution? Tape. Just normal Scotch tape and not the universal fix-all duct tape. I taped the front cover back on and I got the ad.


Think they'll notice?

Alton Brown's mulled wine

Here's the mulled wine Alton Brown made on the Food Network Holiday Extravaganza.

Mulled wine

Fill a percolator basket with:
6 all spice berries
1 tablespoon of peppercorns
2 star anise pods
3 cinnamon sticks
1 inch worth of fresh ginger
About 3 big pieces of orange zest
About 3 big pieces of lemon zest

Pour 2 standard bottles of red wine into the percolator
Add 3/4 cup of honey to the wine

Mull the wine for a couple of hours

Watch AB make it :)

Alton Brown on Luxembourg Noodles

It's Thursday, that means another Alton Brown segment on Serious Eats! This week is Luxembourg Noodles. I guess since I lost the contest for the grilling show, asking AB for an interview for my blog is going to have to wait... :(

Anyway, enjoy Alton's thoughts on the noodles he discovered on FOA2!

The whine list

Day two of my gloom and doom over not being selected to visit with Alton Brown for the FN grilling special. Yeah, I'm still a little upset they didn't pick me. Guess I'll always be sad about it, especially when the show airs and I see the lucky person who was picked over me.

Oh well. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. I know I don't have that sort of luck. Now, bad luck that's another story, plenty of it always comes my way. But for a once of a lifetime dream like this, my chances were slim to none and slim left town months ago.

It just wasn't meant to be. Not destined for me to win. When I finally accept that, I'll feel better. Maybe.

I'm also telling myself that what I envisioned would happen was a pipe dream anyway. I kind of thought the day would be something like:

spend a few hours at the studio with AB,
chat about different things including telling him about my blog and website!,
cook with Alton,
have a personal tour of the studio,
and then maybe AB would let me interview him for the the site.

Reality...

I would sit around the set all day waiting for the filming,
Alton would show up for the segment (be extremely nice like he is) but that would be the whole time I get to spend with him,
then he'd go on about his busy day,
and I'd head back home.

He wouldn't have time to chat with a peon like me. He's a busy, important guy and I'm just a silly fangirl with a dumb blog and lame fansite (my fansite is lame, not the subject of the website!).

But, winning this contest wasn't about meeting Alton. I've done that. It wasn't about getting some of my stuff autographed. I've done that too. It was about getting the opportunity to cook with him. Since seeing the first FOA, I've wanted the chance to cook with Alton. I don't know why. I just do. The people he's cooked with on his shows seem to have so much fun. I do almost anything to get that chance.

Before you ask, yes, yes I would like some cheese to go with my whine.

So, I'll just have to summon the courage the next time I go to one of his events to tell him about being snubbed for the grilling special then maybe I'll tell him about the blog and website. Now, if he would just announce an event soon so I can plan to see him!

Alton Brown's White Trash

You may have seen Alton talking about "white trash" on an episode of Dear Food Network Holiday. If you're an uber Alton Brown fan like me, you may remember him sharing this recipe a few years back.

From AB's site cira 2004:

White Trash

Two 11 ounce bags of white chocolate chips (I like Ghiardelli but that’s just me. And yes I know that there’s not really any such thing as white chocolate…it’s “white confectioner’s coating” but come on…who doesn’t really just call it white chocolate?)
3.5 Cups Cheerios
3 Cups Rice Chex (small box)
3 Cups Corn Chex (ditto)
1 Pound plain M&Ms
2.5 Cups mixed nuts (salted, no peanuts)
2 Cups small pretzels (Eagle Snacks work well)

Get a really big metal bowl and place it over a large sauce pan/pot containing about an inch of water. Put this over medium heat.

Dump in the chips in the bowl and stir with a rubber spatula (every now and then) until they’ve melted smooth. You can walk away from time to time but be careful not to let the water get to hot or the cocoa butter will bog.

Dump everything else in the bowl and fold over and over until the hunks and chunks are well coated.

Spread the mess out on parchment paper or freezer paper and set in a cool place until it sets solid, then break it into pieces and seal in tins.

Here's a pdf copy, yeah I'm a dork I made a pdf of the recipe from Alton's old website.

Saddest Alton Brown fan in the world

A few weeks ago I found out about a special on grilling that would give big fans, like me, the chance to meet their favorite hosts. All you had to do was ask your favorite host a question and make a video. When I saw Alton Brown on the list, I knew if I applied it would be simple for the selection committee. Despite my enthusiastic attempt I've been denied the opportunity by the Food Network. The network powers that be don't think I'm a big enough fan or that I'm worthy of this opportunity.

I got an email Tuesday from the casting company telling me the Food Network didn't select the video I made. I tried so hard to make this perfect so I'd get the chance to visit AB! When I talked with the Dear Food Network producer, she told me I'd be perfect match for Alton since I have all of his cookbooks, all of his shows on DVD, have attended his demos and I had learned so much from his shows. I certainly qualified as a big fan.

When it came time to make the video, I even included grill cam and oven cam in one. I had all of my cookbooks, all of my DVDs and even wore my FOA shirt for props! Yep, I thought I had it all sewed up. But in the back of my mind I knew the odds of my actually winning were not in my favor.

First, I knew that this special was being cast. That was my first strike because I have a face for radio. But I so hoped the big fan thing, remember the winner is going to be a big fan, would balance out everything and I would win. After all, I am AB's self proclaimed #1 fan so who else should win? Right?

I knew they wanted "helpless cooks." That was my second strike. My question wasn't clueless enough, apparently. The producer helped me to create an open ended question so AB could answer it. Then I threw in my own question about grilled pizza. That's how I worked the oven and grill cams in. Oh, I thought it was brilliant and going to be selected for certain.

Don't know where the third strike came from. But I got it. Somewhere. Kinda hit out of the blue.

Now someone else will get to spend the day with Alton, cooking and grilling.
Not me.
Not this huge AB fan.
Not the author of this blog dedicated to AB.
Not the webmaster of a fansite about all of AB's projects.
Nope, not me.
I'm out in the cold because the Food Network doesn't think I'm worthy to be in their special.

I don't know if I want to cry or be relieved not to be on national TV. I did want to win despite having to be on TV. I wanted to spend a few hours with AB at his studio, tell him about my blog and website, talk some about TV production, that's all I really wanted. Guess it was too much to ask?

If you'll excuse me, I think I may start crying now.

PS: I'm wondering who did get selected to be with Alton.

Finally opening the cranberries

For uber geek Alton Brown fans, like myself, the newest Good Eats episode isn't new to us. How? This episode has a unique distinction, "Cran Opening" aired last spring on FN Canada before ever being shown in the US. Thanks to You Tube, I saw this months ago. But Monday tonight it finally made it to my TV. If it had gone any longer I was about to break into a chorus of Blame Canada.

As with so many Good Eats episodes, AB takes us on a field trip to learn more about the title food's history. This time he takes us to a cranberry farm in Massachusetts where we learn about the different harvesting methods and how the berries are processed. A classic Good Eats segment!

The mold for the cranberry sauces was a nice touch. Although the musical homage to the A-team was also used in the "Wing and I" episode, it was fun to hear again while Alton was constructing the can mold. I chuckled watching him construct the mold a la the A-team.

This episode had much of what makes Good Eats enjoyable for me, scientific explanations of what is happening as food cooks. I also enjoyed the nice little lesson on how cranberries assist with UTI. Only Alton would create a scene traveling in the urinary tract and encounter bacteria critters. Yeah and on a cooking show too!

Call me weird, but when AB started to make the frozen treat (I did this on the first time I saw it on You Tube) I knew he was going to make a granita.

Although this was an episode technically from last season, it was great. It gave a lot of what I so enjoy about Good Eats, some history, some fun, Alton explaining what's happening as food cooks and some nice recipes. A great show: 4 1/2 cranberries!

Cran Opening recipes:
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Granita
Fresh Cranberry Cosmo

Holiday Extravaganza

The opening to the Holiday Extravaganza was fantastic. Alton Brown giving the scientific break down of snow--so AB, so funny. Of course when the camera pulls out to show the fake snow being sprinkled on Alton and he shakes the artificial trees, a dagger through the magic of television's heart. Muhahahaha.

AB's mulled wine segment was good, a nice little recipe to throw in the special. I was glad he did have something else to contribute. So AB got another recipe, I'm happy that balanced out with the others who got more.

Alton's family "Christmas Soup" looked interesting. I thought it was sweet he shared this old family recipe. I'm curious though, how he ended up with Polish sausage soup. LOL. The segment was cute, I liked how AB almost dropped the pot and blamed watching Gina Neely's knife. The other good thing about this segment, I always on the look out for good soup recipes and this one might be on the list to try.

I never know whether I going to like the segment when Alton cooks with Giada. I readily admit she's not a favorite, but AB is usually funny enough to make the segment enjoyable. I thought it was funny how he kept saying "Yes ma'am" when she was ordering him around. When Giada whacked him with the towel, I was a little shocked. I hope they were playing because that wasn't a very nice thing to do.

Alton's squeal comment about Giada was funny. Glad I haven't squealed in front of him. LOL

Cute little Christmas ornaments on the FN tree this year! ;)Not too much fangirl squealing, I have a sore throat. Maybe some of AB's mulled wine would make it feel better.

As for the others. The Neely's Apple Crisp looked very yummy and so did Sunny's Money Salad. Even though I loved AB's main segment and when he helped Giada, I think the best pair was Sunny and Bobby. They play off each other well and worked together great.

But, for me, the opening was still the highlight of the show. Still not sure if it was an "extravaganza."

Holiday Special and Alton

Alton Brown will be joining a few FN colleagues for the Holiday Extravaganza Sunday night at 9p.m. I haven't figured out if this special is going to worth giving up ICA because even if AB doesn't get a lot of face time, least on ICA he talks and gives us useful info. Oh well, its a special with Alton so you know I'm there.

AB's contribution is Christmas Soup

I do question this brains behind this special. Who determined the recipe distribution here? I seriously question a special that gives Guy Fe-whatever three dishes and my food guru Alton only one recipe.

Unexpected culinary find

How did a harmless trip to a convention end up as fodder for my blog about Alton Brown? Strange though it may seem, this really happened. Yesterday I attended a conference for work at the Greenbrier Hotel. Yeah, the big swanky resort that I'd never be allowed into otherwise.

Anyway, my boss, knowing my love of cooking, told me there were shops at the hotel and she remembered a cooking store being there. After a two-plus hour drive and check in, we missed the 10 a.m. workshops. So we strolled about the shop level of the hotel. Then I spotted it. The Greenbrier Gourmet. From outside of the shop I saw Fiestaware pieces and told myself to maintain, breath deeply and don't over spend!

But I walked past the beautifully colored pieces. I was doing well until I saw it.

A tool crock display of silicone basting brushes. And not just any silicone basting brushes. The EXACT type Alton had just recommended on the latest episode of Good Eats, "Switched on Baklava."

There was the pretty green--I like green, my favorite color--brush just like AB's! I didn't have to go searching high and low to locate it. It fell into my lap. So a brand new Zyliss silicone basting... actual two came home. A green one and an orange one.

Alton Brown on eating with stangers

Another installment of the Alton Brown interviews on Serious Eats. AB still waiting to get my interview with you. :D

Here's the latest, Alton on eating with strangers

PS:
AB, I'd always welcome you to my table to share a meal. :)

Best ICA challenger intro ever!

I have never laughed so hard before when watching ICA. Last Sunday when Alton Brown unveiled the challenging chef for Holiday ICA Battle it had to be, by far, the best introduction ever.

The segment had AB's humor all over it. It was a classic Alton moment. Magnificent!

Do I need an intervention?

Tuesday afternoon was I was heading to the circulation desk for my fun-filled evening at work, two of my coworkers were perusing the latest copy of People magazine. Thumbing through it, D spotted an ad for the upcoming holiday special on FN. She stopped, I saw Alton Brown (albeit upside down). I heard a few comments about "him" being in the picture.

After everyone stopped teasing and left, I grabbed the magazine and ripped out the page. And yes, I just admitted to doing this deed. But I needed that ad! Later I found one of the Welch's grape juice ads in the very same issue. You know what happened.


This was the second time in two days my coworkers have acknowledged my AB... um...er.. fangirlness. I know that's not a real word but how else would you describe it?

Anyway, on Monday my boss came back to my cubicle and told me her son was watching the Spongebob Squarepants marathon over Thanksgiving break. And she walked in the room when "House Fancy" was on. She thought she had a scoop on me. Of course I fired back that I saw in June. Then my boss starts talking about Alton's "fruity little interior decorator" character. Not sure if that was her way of teasing me about it. But I laughed it off. Then J chimes in asking our boss what was Alton was doing in the show, then immediately she turns to me and says that I could give the synopsis of the episode.

I think they finally realize, after working there for three years, I like Alton! I wonder what tipped them off?

Switched on AB

In tonight's new episode Alton Brown had to overcome a major obstacle. What? I'm allergic to nuts. Walnuts and almonds are especially nasty to me. So tonight my enjoyment of the episode rested solely on AB's ability to make a great show regardless the food topic.

This has happened a couple of other times. "Some times you feel like a..." was another episode where the star ingredient was nuts. (That sentence somehow seems wrong.) But I did learn a few things about nuts and the little squirrel was hilarious. I got a stomachache just watching Alton make that tres leche cake in "Milk Made" (yeah, I'm lactose intolerant too) but he managed to entertain and inform me.

So that brings me to the latest Good Eats episode, "Switched on Baklava." It started off with a familiar trip to the Food Gallery. I've always enjoyed those culinary horrors we peruse in there and how AB shows us the best way to avoid having our food ending up in the gallery.

The segment on phyllo dough was informative. Now if I find some recipe with it handling the dough will not be a problem. I liked the blanching almond lesson also, though something I may never do. It was a good teaching segment. As was the cinnamon versus cassia discussion. Although AB covered this in "The House of the Rising Bun" it was important to review since the baklava needed real cinnamon rather than the more readily available cassia. Moreover, the clarifying butter was a repeat lesson and one revisited a few other times; yet a vital step in making beautiful baklava, so it bears repeating.

Distilling rose water. What? Leave it to Alton to concoct a method to make this at home. It looks fairly simple, especially if you have a rosebush in the backyard.

I found the best segment was about basting brushes. AB covered the different types: the mop, the paintbrush and the round styles and their best uses. I liked that he talked about the silicone ones. I've also found the silicone style do not hold oil or butter well as he mentioned. Now I need to find the type he recommended. ***Update*** I found it! Zyliss silicone baster Read my post about it here.

I caught another reference to an earlier episode in this show! Alton mentioned to use "Citizen Cane" in the syrup, which is the title of the Good Eats episode on sugar! :)

The burning question from this episode, however, is: has the Good Eats set expanded? The area by the fireplace is on longer a backdrop. It is a real set now. I picked up on this in another recent episode. I thought he was shooting about at the original house the set is based on. But from watching the behind the scenes video, I'm pretty sure this was shot at the studio. Hmmm.

In the end, the episode was very entertaining. A lot of what I enjoy about Good Eats was present too, Alton explained and illustrated how to construct the dish with enough goofy humor and history thrown it to make it entertaining. One of the few complains about the episode, I would have liked to know more about the recipe for the chickpea alternative mentioned in the commercial bump. That would have allowed me to make a recipe from the episode. Oh, well.

Overall... four flying carpets! Thanks AB for making the 200th episode a great one.

AB's Baklava recipe