# Alton Brown- Cornier than Corn Bread?



## rambo

I have just gotten into the forum thing - it's a new toy for me. Cooking has been my life for about 4 years, I've been in the industry for five. I didn't go to culinary school, but I have immersed myself in books, research and television shows that have taught me a great deal outside the kitchen. I love "Good Eats". It delves into the molecular detail that I never got in school that my fellow cooks don't have the patience or time to explain to me. My question is, who is this show geared to? It is a combination of Bill Nye and Pee Wee Herman for cooks. Who other than a serious cook would care what glycocene can do to a piece of fruit not available in most grocery stores? And what serious cook wants to see a grown man dressed like a cartoon octopus in the middle of an informative program? Should I just stick to my books?

Rambo


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## teamfat

For the most part I like the Good Eats shows. They are entertaining, informative but certainly not aimed towards professionals Sure, there are some bad puns, Alton's sense of humor seems to be a lot like mine. And I don't always agree with some things he says, like 'Never anchovies in a ceasar salad'

While I do enjoy watching, I wonder what, if any, real benefit has been applied to my cooking?

mjb.


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## smokeychef

Alton Brown Puts on a good show. He not only has good recipes, but he shows you WHY the recipes work. That is a very important thing to understand. Without knowing why the recipe works, it makes it hard to create new recipes or to adjust a old recipe. Its like making a flourless chocolate cake. "how does it rise without flour?" or a levening product like baking powder or soda, without understanding what ingredients do or are capable of doing its impossible to make one. So yes Alton Brown is cornier than corn bread, but he knows what he is talking about, and anyone aspireing to become a chef or the above average foodie should pay attention to his metheds, because no one else out there is doing it. Plus its alot cheaper listening to him than going to culinary school.


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## docsmith

Alton's show is not aimed for professional chefs, but armatures wanting to expand a bit. His bits are a way of having some fun with it, and not turning it into a science lecture only.

**** even when I used to give science lectures to scientists I'd try to throw a few funny bits in there, it could get dull after a while.

Personally I really like the good eats show, and while I'd like a more 'professional' show at times when I'm in a seriously learning mode, that sort of show wouldn't have nearly the ratings.


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## rpmcmurphy

we can pick apart where alton was "wrong" all day, but the above quote is what sets him apart from ANY other show/chef and why I like watching him. I'll take a little misinformation for the sake of getting MORE information than ingredients and cleavage boobies....ok maybe not cleavage boobies.


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## ed buchanan

He is a great showman, and good cooking teacher. My only objection is don't make a dish that has been made for the last 100 years, change it and call it a classic, or say this is the only way when in fact it is his way.I believe BDL AND MYSELF FEEL THE SAME ABOUT THIS


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## rzn

Alton's show is geared for everyone.

Perhaps those of you who are professional don't need it, but the science information is incredibly helpful.

Personally I don't mind the fact that periodically there are yeast sock puppets or he shows up in a lobster suit or something else. It puts a picture in my mind that helps me remember some very dry facts. The humor involved has captured my children & gotten them *involved & interested* in cooking beyond anything else. They want to try & see what happens to other foods. This is something that will serve them well later whether or not they end up in the food industry or just have enough interest & knowledge to be decent cooks at home. That is the real genius of the man's show. He makes something very dry, humorus & interesting & that benefits everyone, including your industry.


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## amazingrace

A picture is worth a thousand words. I tend to remember more of Alton Brown's demonstrations because of the entertaining and interesting ways they are presented. Sure, some of it is corny, but none of it is dull.


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## joy of desserts

He has a great sense of humor and puts on an entertaining show, yet his science is spot on too. It's a TV show -- it's geared to the non-professional, but anyone can learn from it.

Joy


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## mezzaluna

Judging from how my electrical/software engineer-husband responds to it, I'd say it's _the_ cooking show for computer geeks! There is a "cooking for engineers" website, I believe, but Alton is the only show my DH will sit still for at all.

Nicko has met him; I'm sure he'd agree.


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## joy of desserts

Mezzaluna, I just Googled "cooking for engineers." That sounds really interesting. Not that I'm an engineer, but I'm the kind of person who always wants to know why and how things work, even in cooking. That's one of the attractions with Good Eats and Alton Brown's books. Thanks for the tip.

Joy


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## madbakerwoman

My dad and brother love watching this show with me. Neither of them are serious cooks, though my dad does like to fool around with bbq techniques from time to time. My nephew even likes it, and he's 8hahaha 

me 
Alton Brown is my hero. he is hilarious, though really cheesy, but also has a lot to offer informational-wise.


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## ed buchanan

Some of us here , ARE SERIOUS COOKS we depend on it for a living. It is great to be informative as he is, however do not tell people it is the only way to do it. Who is he to change classical cuisine and bring it down a level? when IN FACT It has been done and enjoyed the way it has been for over a century or two.


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## rpmcmurphy

I'm curious of some examples where he has done this and not stated "traditionally its done this way" or what-have-you. Remember, his whole gig is the "science" of it all...sometimes he does things different than classical, but usually always says the reason for doing it....and it's usually justifiable either from a "get same results easier method" standpoint.

I've never seen him say "THIS is the only way to do it", in most cases, it's actually the contrary....and his whole gig is figuring out, science wise, why things are done the way they are in cooking.

I see that as no different for any chef who cooks things different, its what works for them, and Mr. Brown at least explains his reasoning for pretty much doing everything he does, rather than just saying "i did it this way, because that's the way I was taught and that's the way it is"....the WHY question, or rather answers, is what sells him.


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## rpmcmurphy

respectfully, and curiously, I'd like to see where he has done that.


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## kyheirloomer

RP, have we been watching the same guy?

Virtually everything he does screams "my way or the highway." 

One of the many things I dislike about him and his show.


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## rpmcmurphy

I've seen him back up his methods, for EVERYTHING he has done, and I've seen him make statements like "the best way to do this is" and back it up with an explanation over a "classic" way.... 

its different than "my way or the highway" ....my way or the highway sounds like my grandfather may he RIP who would do things simply because thats how he was taught, when asked why, the answer was "because thats the way it is". That can teach someone to be a robot and replicate....but doesn't help someone learn. 

I've never, ever, seen Alton brown state that its his way or the highway WITHOUT giving an explanation on why "his way" is better over, say....traditional methods. 

plus, again, you're taking his personality a little TOO literally...his exaggerations, are only get you to understand his "get" which is.....the answers to the question "why" 


Again, I'm curious to see where he butchered a classic recipe, said its "traditional", said it was the only way to do it....without saying why he does it one way and traditionally its done another and a thorough explaination. 

is he perfect? no.....but look on here, we have "serious" chefs arguing over "classic" dishes.....haha


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## amazingrace

During the late 1970's, my husband and I had our own German restaurant for 3 years, and I was the cook. Sauerbraten was featured on Wednesday and Saturday, prepared the 'traditional way'. DH and my brother absolutly love sauerbraten done right.

Here is an example of Alton Brown's departure from 'traditional':

One day about a year ago, Alton addressed the issue of searing meat, and whether or not searing does in fact lock in juices, and if it does, then is the converse also true? does searing meat prior to marinating prohibit the marinade from penetrating? One of his 'test cases' was sauerbraten. You can bet I was all eyes and ears as he prepared the sauerbraten marinade, which by the way was also done in a 'non-traditional' way (more on that in a little while)*, then seared the meat before adding it to the marinade. If I remember correctly, the meat was left to soak up the marinade for 3 days (typical), turning once or twice a day. Then he cooked the roast, I believe he did an oven braise (don't quite remember the detail there). When he cut into the perfectly done sauerbraten, it was clear that the marinade had indeed penetrated just as if the meat had marinated first, then seared.

His non-traditional method of preparing the marinade and the roast is simply a time/work-saver. Instead of boiling the marinde ingredients in all the liquid required, then waiting for it to cool, he used only half the water called for. Once the marinade had boiled for the necessary time, he added ice to quick cool it, and bring the liquid up to the proper amount.

Why does it matter that he quick-cooled the liquid, or that the meat was seared first? Anyone who has made sauerbraten is aware of the steps involved.

*Traditional method:* Once the marinade is boiled, it has to be cooled down to room temp before the meat is added. So, boil, then set aside and go do something else for an hour or so. Then put the roast into the marinade and refrigerate, and turn once or twice a day for 3 (or even 4) days. Then, remove the roast from the marinade and make sure it is _thoroughly dry_. If it isnt dry, much unpleasant splattering is produced when the marinade moisture meets the oil in the hot browning vessel. In addition, the moisture inhibits the _maillard reaction and formation of fond_ (did I get that right, oh worthy terminology police? ). 
Braise until done on stovetop or in oven, turning once.

*Alton Brown's way:* (which incidentally, he did not say _it must_ be done like this):

While the marinade is boiling, sear the meat to very brown on all sides. Quick cool the marinade, add the seared meat, marinate the roast for 3 to 4 days, turning once or twice a day. Remove seared meat from the marinade, put it into the cooking vessel, strain marinade and add it to the pot, to half-way up the roast. Oven or stove-top braise until done, turning once about half-way through the cooking time.

Thinking to myself: I've watched the show, but I really will not believe it's that easy until I try it myself, I set about trying it. Now, for the the big test...will this pass muster with my family? They loved it, and could not tell that it wasn't done the 'traditional way'. I knew, but I couldn't tell the difference either.

There is no right or wrong with this one, only different and easy. I will probably never again prepare sauerbraten the old way again. Had I known about this when I was slaving over four roasts twice a week, it would have saved me hours of valuable time in the kitchen.


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## ed buchanan

You have your opinions, and have mine. This is what makes us individual. You may hear it one way and me another. I never said he was not a good teacher because he is. He injects humor which students need. Dont say this is the way to make an omelette, when what should be said is "This is my way to make an omelette" This I have seen an heard


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## dillbert

interesting thread.

I find AB to be informative - and no question about it, from time to time he goes over (the/my) edge. the coconut hut & shells episodes exceeded my corn tolerance and I didn't watch any of them.....

curiously in contrast to KY's impression, I've not gotten the impression he was presenting "my way or the highway" - but then again, never saw a lot of value in American Idol, so I reckon everyone percieves things differently.

with regard to "tradition" I also have no doubt that history, history lost, reasons lost, situation changes - all play a big part.

the old tradtion: make the marinate and let it cool
well, consider: traditionally nobody had a dial it up stove. so "make the marinade" was a hang the cast iron pot, put in the water, fetch some wood, get it hot . . . . . 
modern life is a bit faster and more convenient than starting with: "find fire" of yore.

which brings up the "let it cool" - traditionally that may well have read:
let it cool while you butcher the cow.
oops, cow comes in plastic thingies nowadays..... time frame adjustment required......

bits get lost as ages produce "tradition"
the Sauerbraten recipe I use, from a 1437 cookbook, marinates for a week!
progress is good, we're down to 3-4 days!


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## rpmcmurphy

again, respectfully, It's VERY hard to read this transcript, and get that tone....for me.

Egg Files VI: French Flop

and I don't think he ever says, nor conveys that his way is the only way to make an omelet. As a matter of fact there are a number of times throughout the show where he says "some people do it like this"

Let's take the transcript....the first scene I found humorous as he's basically mocking exactly what you are saying HE does.

I'm just really not sure where some people (and there are many, don't get me wrong, that agree with you) get that he come across like that. The reason I'm pretty responsive on this discussion, is the fact that whenever I'm making something basic....a "foundation" dish....simple things like omelets, eggs, pancakes, etc. I ALWAYS checkout what alton brown says about it first....before looking at ANY other recipes, as while looking at the other recipes, after alton explains each step and why (including going into what is classic and what can be done another way) I'll be able to assess any other recipe better. Do i use him as the bible? na....he's too goofy to be my saviour, however, in most cases, even though he might not make the dish in the end the classical way....after watching the show, you'll know whats involved in making the dish the classical way, and perhaps methods of making it another way with the same outcome, in a say...easier or dare I say....more up to date, way


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## dillbert

RP -

so go over to the how to cook an omelet thread and explain french vs american style. I'm tired of getting my head beat in.


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## amazingrace

Some 'traditions' can certainly be hung out to dry simply because we do have the modern technology to override the need to do it the 'hard way'. If that weren't true, chef's wouldn't be embracing such tools as gas ranges, emersion blenders, convections ovens, ice cream machines...I could go on and on... but I'm sure you get it. How far back do we trace the resistence change? Perhaps to the first cave man that introduced the concept of cooking meat over fire, being told "this is heresy...we've always eaten our dinasaur raw" ... :look:


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## ed buchanan

AB: Hello?
FRENCH CHEF: Idiot! You must use a cured steel omelet pan! You must never cook anything else in it! You must never ever wash it!
AB: [in a French accent] Who is thez? [catching himself] I mean, this?
FC: Who do you think it is, you fuzzy-headed ninnyhammer?
I don't care what the voices tell you. You do not need a special omelet pan. But when purchasing the nonstick pan that every kitchen needs, you should keep an omelet's needs in mind. Now, fast heat absorption is key, so consider an aluminum pan rather than a steel or clad pan. Like a crepe, an omelet needs to slide, so look for the kind of smooth, non-stick surface usually found on less-expensive pans. You also want to steer clear of pans that have a distinct line between the bottom and the sides. You want to look for something that's got a very gentle slope, almost like a bowl.

He is right with shape of pan and what he says about teflon is fine. However at one time we did not have teflon and there were pans that were only used for eggs and they did not stick., and when the breakfast cook went home he locked up the pans.. They were never touched by water. The procedure was to either start with a new pan or one that was scrubbed with brillo( now illegal)
fill the pan with non iodized salt and proceed to burn the pan on the open fire till salt turned grey. Then you rubbed pan with oil and hid it. The eggs would never stick plus it was safer then teflon as from a health perspective. You guys have to remember I am old 66 we did not have teflon, or convection, or half the things kitchens have today microwave was a radar range and amana developed it when they were looking to make weapons using magnatrons.???


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## rzn

proabably get hammered for this, I'm not a professional chef, but was following this thread because I really do like AB, & so do my kids. Like most, not all of his recipes & really learn alot from his shows reagarding the science of the cooking which helps me when I want to fiddle.

So let me ask you professionals this--

why all the fuss with tradition? I realize it's nice & all, love the hand made Christmas stocking from my greatgrandmother & everything, but when I'm eating all I really care about is the taste of the food. Personally I don't really care if you, the chef, spent 4 weeks picking the knuckle hairs off a rhino to make it or it came freeze dried out of a package if it actually tastes the same. I do actually appreciate the work & effort when it produces something different, but when I can't taste a difference, I don't much care about a technique difference, so why all the fuss?

(please realize the is an honest question from an outsider...)


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## amazingrace

does a rhino have knuckles? if so, do the knuckles have hairs? aren't rhinos endangered/protected? 

Just joking with you, rzn. Mostly what we have here is a difference of a pinion (oops...that's another joke)...a difference of opinion. Hard as it is for some to admit...opinions are like bellybuttons. Everybody has one, no two are alike, and there is no right or wrong.

However, all that having been said. If I were a professional chef, and if I had to present a respectable resume, I'd probably fare better if I could say I had been trained in traditional methods, than if I said 'I do everything my way, regardless of tradition'... (and that, too, is just an opinion)

This all makes me want to sing from Fiddler on the Roof :lol::lol:


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## rzn

I understand that for job seeking, & for having traing in the basic underpinning in order to understand what you are doing, but when I eavesdrop it just seems like I hear a lot of fuss & bother about the right way to do something, when from strictly consumer view, if it ends up on the plate tasting the same, I'm just as happy. May no make you guys so happy to hear... but my tongue & stomach don't have to stand over that stove, so what do they care?


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## amazingrace

*Right-ee-oo !! :lol:*


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## kyheirloomer

>...nonstick pan that _every kitchen needs_,... <

Well, I reckon my kitchen doens't fit into the rubric, "every," because it doesn't have a nonstick pan, doesn't want one, and would rebel if I even thought about bringing one in.

And that, in fact, is just a minor sample of his dogmatism.

Personally, I don't care whether its a classic dish, using classic techniques, or not. I don't like the man's approach. I don't find him the least bit amusing. And his dogmatism would be a little easier to take if he didn't constantly contradict himself.

The fact is, to achieve _any _culinary task there are numerous approaches. And every single one of them is right!

On the subject of cooking eggs in a non-non-stick pan, I would suggest that everybody who thinks this can't be done go visit a Waffle House. You'll see a long row of carbon-steel pans, each of which is used to cook eggs. Name yer poison: sunny side up or over easy; scrambled; omelet. And---be still my heart---nary a one of them sticks.


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## shel

Non-stick pans are a detriment to cooking great eggs ...


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## willie24

Shel - Just curious, why do you think a non stick pan is detrimental to cooking great eggs? I actually have both types of pans , use them both for eggs, and I'm not sure I can tell any difference.


Willie


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## shel

The comment was partly tongue-in-cheek, but after using a carbon steel pan I won't go back. A well seasoned carbon steel pan - at least the one I use compared to my non-stick - seems more slippery. Some non-stick pans aren't very non-stick, or so I've read. 

A personal belief is that over time the surface of the non-stick pans develop microscopic or very fine wear, not always visible to the naked eye, and the wear contributes to sticking. It could just be nonesense, but for now, I believe it. And we all know that at some point the surface is going to be totally unusable, and the pan becomes trash. I just hate to discard things, and the carbon steel pan should last the rest of my days. I like having things for a long time.

Finally, the idea of using an old fashioned pan to make eggs is very satisfying. It gives me pleasure. Using a pan with a high-tech coating just bothers me some. Why was non-stick first used in cookware? To cut down the need to use fats, and to provide healthier results. I like to use a lot of good, fresh butter when making eggs. Don't need a non-stick pan.


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## harpua

I always enjoy Alton Brown. I wish he was my uncle.


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## oregonyeti

When a non-stick pan is treated well, it lasts a while. When it's worn out it's garbage. I prefer a 6" non-stick pan to make my over-easy eggs.


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## dillbert

Shel -

.... non-stick pans develop microscopic or very fine wear

that has been my experience as well. I've had expensive ones and cheap ones and seems there's little difference in "life"

somewhere I read dishwasher detergents are harsh enough to make that happen - well, other than my knives, cast iron and my grandmothers very delicate crystal there isn't much that is spared the dishwasher treatment in our house.... a definite "maybe"...

mine seem to last 16 - 18 months; then I go to the bargain store and pick out a new one based on shape (for flipping ease) and balance. I don't think I could maintain the seasoning on a carbon steel pan (it's the dishwasher issue)


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## shel

I agree, and have even said so. However, a while ain't a lifetime. I'm miffed that some of my pots have only lasted thirty years!


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## oregonyeti

In a restaurant where I cooked breakfasts, we had 6" non-stick pans that were for eggs only (although not for scrambled eggs). Utensils weren't used in the pans, and for cleaning they were wiped out with a paper towel. They lasted months, at least . . . I don't remember us disposing of any, but that was 20 years ago so I'm not sure. The pans served this purpose well.


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## heidih

There are several on Tv that I am NOT a fan of, but I do like Alton.

I think his approach is original and he come's across as genuine.

He's not pretentious.

And most of all I like the geeky science trivia!

However that being said I have never felt moved to try one of his recipes.


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## chefallen

Not real sure what a "DH" is. There are so many things running in my head when you say "DH" and you are refering to your husband. I think of all the "DH" names my wife calls me and most of the are not for polite company. Could you please tell me what a "DH" is? Thank-You.


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## bubba

I rather like Alton. Being relatively new to cooking (as opposed to burning the meat and boiling potatos) I learn quite a bit from Good Eats about the how and why of it all. I can understand why the pros might not care for him having learned all this stuff in school or under fire in a commercial kitchen but for us home cooks, especially those of us without much experience, Good Eats is a real learning experience. This pretty much applies to all of the Food Network cooking shows. It gives us hope that we can do better than just heating up the contents of a can or box.


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## kyheirloomer

>This pretty much applies to all of the [/B]:void(0)]Food Network cooking shows. It gives us hope that we can do better than just heating up the contents of a can or box. <

Bubba, I'd say that was once true. But not anymore. Not when the FN airwaves are dominated by Sandra Lee, Rachael Ray, and their clones.

FN has decided that cooking isn't important to its audience. So they've been concentrating on the entertainment value. And on the sex appeal of its stars. I'm really surprised, in fact, that they haven't canned Paula Dean and Ima Garten yet: after all, neither of them stands around in their size 3 dresses with their half-naked boobs in the soup---which seems to be FN's sole criterium for hiring female stars nowadays.

Frankly, for a true learning to cook experience, you'd be much better off with some of the cooking shows on public television than with the crap you're currently getting on FN.

BTW, it isn't a matter of pros vs other people. FN has always appealed more to the home cook than to professionals, for the very reason you gave. But home cooks have deserted it en masse precisely because they can no longer find the instructional and educational stuff they're looking for.


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## boar_d_laze

AB has a few different things going for him, his writing and production, pedagogy and cooking.

The production and writing is cute, sometimes overly so. His cooking, perhaps his greatest weakness, is mediocre at best. 

A lot of people seem to benefit from his teaching, so what can you say? I find it highly variable. It can be quite good sometimes, but two things are especially and constantly infuriating. First, the implication that his way is the best, "real," proven, or only way to make something. He often veers pretty far from standard techniques and should at least nod in their direction as acceptable alternatives. Secondly he relies too heavily on measurement and not enough on sensorial feedback.

BDL


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## bubba

Paula and Ina are two of my favorites as are Tyler Florence and Bobby Flay. I do watch other stuff on public TV as well when time permits. I do agree though that some aren't that great. I wouldn't call them entertainment, I'd call them lessons in taking quality ingredients and turning them into fast food.


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## bbally

I am not Shel, but totally agree with the statement.

While I use teflon on the omelete line a lot.

To many times teflon creates a problem where people learn to cook eggs at the wrong temperature.


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## bbally

I have cooked professionally for over 30 years now.

I don't find your question a problem. In fact I sit on our Culinary Schools Curriculum board and I have cut out a bunch of the the useless stuff that was being taught because it was "traditional."

Judging the student competitions I got in a knock down drag out with two of the instructors over knocking a group of students down for putting Tourne root vegetables on their menu and then they prepared the same for the cooking competition.

The competition has as a main focus a large component on "profitability and real world application". The tourne cut will run a resto into bankruptcy when using it fully backward integrated. So I knocked them down, beautiful yes, practical, useable in the real world... not on your life!

So I have fought the same battle your question relates too for years and years. I agree a good understanding is required, but a lot of what is taught is just a waste of time. And detrimental to successfully running a culinary business.

Also had to kill a bunch of the practice meals.... students cooking with truffles? Students cooking with buffalo loin? Students cooking with Peking ducks? Tradition calls for it, real world is.... anyone can make a great dish with the most expensive ingredients,..... show me what you can do to salt pork that allows me to sell it for $45.00 per plate... that impresses me.

Still on the board, as most of my students now get picked up at the resorts, because resorts need to make money in the F&B department and they know my guys understand what that means!


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## bbally

This is the deal with AB. He is not a chef.. but he is a good cooking teacher and gets people trying to cook. So do a lot of the FoodTv hosts.

If you want cooking education you need to go to PBS or your local community college. That shipped sailed from FoodTv when they started getting rid of Jaque Pepin, Wolfgang Puck, etc., etc.

They changed the FoodTv business plan to include the branding sales. Most the chefs left.... and FoodTv kitchenwares started appearing!

FoodTv has its place and function. And they still have a few chefs worth watching. At least to my mind they do.

But I agree they have gone JiggleFest and Gigglefest in the last three years. Camera shots and angles make it obvious that FoodTv is heading toward Victory Secrets Cooking Show.


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## boar_d_laze

You've used your palate to define away the distinction between different techniques. I'm going to pretend you didn't. You pegged it. Cooking is results oriented and can pretty much be pared down to what's on the plate -- what it tastes, smells, feels and looks like. 

If a discerning diner can't tell the difference -- then extra effort and expense, whether traditional or not, is wasted. But if the diner can ... 

For the few years when I was a professional and for the succeeding several decades when I have been a "mere" home cook I have always tried to put the best food on the plate reasonably possible under the circumstances. "Reasonable under the circumstances" is highly elastic. 
The thing of it is, I can usually tell the difference between fresh and freeze dried rhino hairs. So, when possible I pluck my own (TMI?).

I'm with Ed on the premise that AB doesn't give enough credit to the methods he chooses not to use. If Brown mentions them, it's usually with scorn. That said, he's a good cooking teacher. But as a cooking teacher Alton's biggest problem is neither his unconventional methods, nor his humor, but that he doesn't leave enough to the cook. He's overly dependent on formulas and is way too equipment oriented. It's funny really, because when he does shows about the food itself as on his road trip series, the food he seems to really appreciate are prepared in very much the opposite way.

BDL


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## ed buchanan

You are 100 correct in the fact about his road series. The other thing that makes me crazy is his measurement. A teaspoon of this, a 1/4 cup of that. Hogwash!!! thats not what cooking is, to learn you must experiment .You learn from your triumps and failures. Cooking is 3/4 imagination and he helps take that away. So you put to mush salt, does he tell you how to get it out? or to much pepper does he tell you that. You dont have a chinoise what else can you use? you would go broke buying all the gadgets he tells you to buy and you would not have room in your kitchen for them. Baking, yes measurement is important it is based on chemical balance. Cooking however is you. Your love, your ideas, your presentation And yes Virginia there are many ways to do many things. Not just his way.


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## bbally

Well said Ed!


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## oahuamateurchef

One technique I picked up from food network is that it is never necessary to taste food as you cook it. At the end of the show, just before the last commercial, you taste it once, and it is always delicious! 
I still haven't broken the habit.


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## ed buchanan

If you tast it today after it is completed and then tast it tommorrow, it will differ, because over night the flavors will marry. This is true in stews, and sauces ,and soups. Go lighter wrather then heavier on seasoning .Thats why there is salt and pepper shakers on tables.:bounce:


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## docsmith

Ed did AB piss in your cornflakes?

Its a show meant for BEGINNERS. I'm a scientist by training, not a chef. His approach is what got me to try cooking beyond eggs and bacon. You don't tell a beginner to put love and imagination as a measurement, you tell him 1/4th a cup. I've made a handful of his recipes and I've modified most of them after to my tastes, but you need to start somewhere as a baseline. 

Today I made the best steak steak sandwich I've eaten in my life, using some of the techniques I learned watching AB's show, and some of my experimentation. The other day I made arctic char using again, some from his show and my own imagination/experimentation. Still I needed a base to start from, and his show does that very well. He can't really cover all aspects in a single show, and I'm pleased what what I've learned and what its inspired me to learn.


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## fishstickhunter

I agree that AB is for beginners but when I am cooking something that I have never cooked before, his shows and recipes are usally what I look to for the first run. Things such as his omilete technique I disagree with but his way is still a good starting point for beginners.

For me, messurements are the key to starting out. I have had to teach myself how to cook many dishes and some items (like a dark rue) that are tough to just go through the steps on your own. Once I have made the recipe a couple of times I know the color and consistancy an item should have so that is the point that I can really make the dish my own. Things such as seasoning I only use a recipe as a guide but any new style of cusine I like to have a step by step guide.

I have a couple of AB's books and do really like the book he put out on what items to buy for your kitchen. He is also very anti-unitaskers so buying items that work well for several different things is very helpful to both get the most bang for your buck and keep from having a cluttered kitchen.


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## jim berman

...as well as learn from the experience of others. "Definition of learn (verb)
to get knowledge about..."

I think he does that well. Learning, intuitively, is not asking "what" but asking "why?" _What_ is watching a cooking show or merely replicating a recipe. _Why_ is witnessing the dynamic of an event(s) as it/they unfold and question the ends and means; synthesis.


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## rpmcmurphy

Ed, I appreciate all your input on this board and I'm sure your culinary knowledge is beyond what mine will ever be, however, I don't think we're talking about the same Alton Brown!!!! or you're certainly not watching the same person/show that we are. You mentioned all the gadgets?? Thats' the COMPLETE opposite of Alton Brown....Complete...couldn't get more opposite than what he preaches. 

There is something to be said about following his recipes to the letter, ...yes those little "1/4 tsp of this and that" when needed, and they are rarely a failure and more often than not, SPOT on.....at least for this home cook.


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## chrislehrer

It's funny, I don't like AB all that much, mostly because I find his manner tedious, sort of pseudo-edgy Mouseketeers play scientist. On gadgetry and whatnot, I do find that he's into it more than I'd like, but compared to most TV cooks he's dead on: he insists that you ought not to buy anything that has only a single use. And there go 99% of the useless gadgets in the drawer.

As to his right-way/wrong-way thing, again I think this is largely a matter of perception, and in particular historical reference. If you have a strong sense of the historical range of a dish or technique, you're bound to find AB telling you that the "best" or "right" way is such-and-such irritating. On the other hand, if you are trying to learn how to get this result at all in the first place, it's probably best to have him give you a relatively simple, straightforward method, founded largely on calculation and formulas rather than practice, skill, or talent.

I do get very irritated sometimes when he makes sweeping statements about the history of this or that... and gets it dead wrong. He had a show about gumbo, and basically trashed Cajun cuisine, and specifically Paul Prudhomme, without apparently realizing he was doing it. He claimed that all that very spicy stuff was a bunch of marketing nonsense. Really? Have you ever eaten Prudhomme's cooking -- or just decent Opelousas cooking in general? 

In the same show, he made what I think of as a classic America's Test Kitchen false test. He compared bad technique to his idiosyncratic method. Which worked? His, but what do we learn? The question was how to make a dark roux. His method does work, but actually is a bit finicky and time-consuming. Then there's doing it the old-fashioned way, which is a bit finicky and time-consuming. Then there's doing it the standard post-Prudhomme professional way, which is a bit finicky and extremely quick. What he compared was his method against the old-fashioned way done wrong. What's the point of that?

Unfortunately, you can't really have this discussion on the basis of transcripts alone. He does sometimes say things like, "now you can do it X way, but I prefer Y." Sounds very even-handed. But in the background when he says this, there's somebody on fire, or somebody dressed as an ancient French chef committing suicide, or whatever. The point being clear to the viewer: you can pick A or B, but one way has a lot of heavy tradition going for it... and the other way works better and is easier. That's not exactly even-handed.

As a final note, I'd like to point something out. There is a nice division that appears in this discussion, which you might think about comparing to other discussions on this forum (and elsewhere). That's between "tradition" (often negative) and "authentic" (almost always positive). If you happen to like something that isn't the old, classic way, you're Mr/Ms Hip and down on heavy old stodgy tradition. If you happen to like something (often something associated with "ethnic" cuisines) that isn't what one usually gets in mainstream restaurants, you're all on fire to stick to "authentic" foods.

Next time you find yourself reading or writing either of those two words, stop: are you just picking the one you like to fit the moment? You're in very good company if you do this, but it's kind of silly and incoherent if you step back and think about it.


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## mont86

To the original poster I love the Alton and the good eats program. Love the instructional
part of the show.


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