Good Eats

I've been watching "Good Eats" since it came on about 5 years ago. Alton Brown and his cast of zany characters makes learning about food and cooking fun. From a food's origins to putting the finished dish on the table, AB strives to make learning about food and its preparation educational, with recipes that are both easy and challenge the way we think about eating. We have tried and enjoyed many of his recipes.

The shows are presented with humour, and many of them are sure to become classics. ("Romancing the Bird" being one)

I've been watching Good Eats for several years now, and I believe it to be the most informative and easy to watch of all those available. (I find myself without any patience for Emeril Legasse's childish, self-serving antics, and if I never hear "Bam" again, it'll be too soon.)

Alton Brown manages to impart more information in half an hour than most other shows can get to in an hour. The secret to this show is the focus on individual aspects of cooking and the science behind them. While some of the episodes use contrived devices (such as location shots with goofy characters), Brown uses humor to explain the physics behind cooking's rules, as well as to dispel many of the myths perpetrated by the culinary snobs in the chef/restaurant world. For instance, Brown demystifies the simple souffle in one episode while setting up the base information needed to move on to more complex souffles.

I have been quite accomplished in the kitchen for many years, and have not been intimidated by any dish for quite some time. Many years ago I came across a copy of the textbook for the Culinary Institute of America and read it cover to cover. While highly informative, the book doesn't bother to explain in anywhere near Brown's detail as to why certain things are necessary, unnecessary, optional, or just plain silly. As much as I thought I knew already, Brown never fails to add to my repertoire and my understanding with his simple explanations of the physics behind cooking, and the processes that are behind the techniques.

I can tell that I like this cooking show simply by the camera angles: Instead of panning behind counters, the camera goes all over the place. Alton Brown has a terrific sense of humor and always shows you exactly how to make a recipe. He seems like a normal everyday guy, and that's why I like him. The recipes are also always nice and seemingly good. In many cooking shows you just get some lame recipes for "slow roasted beef in wine sauce", but here you get French toast/vinaigrette/etc. Alton also shows you what tools to buy and for what reasons. Some people say the show is irritating; I don't find it irritating at all. What about you? This show is always original. Long live Good Eats!

If you have come across my reviews before you would know I love watching shows where the host loves what they do. There is no exception here on "Good Eats". Alton Brown makes me interested in cooking. He doesn't just cook; he teaches. He is very interesting and keeps the show entertaining. Many cooking shows do the same old apron in the kitchen and lets cook a roast, but Alton brings history and interesting facts to the table. He has such a vast knowledge of cooking and knows how to address it to the audience in a non-traditional way.

Check this show out on the food network. Forget about watching a show about cooking; this show just simply rocks.

Mixing humor, common sense, science and food is a winning recipe for Alton Brown's "Good Eats" series. I'm always amused by his quirky way of approaching food topics, and I walk away from every episode a little bit smarter - never a bad thing! The shows are set up more like a cross between a sitcom and an episode of Sesame Street, if you can imagine that, which is appealing to anyone who thinks the average cooking show is a little bit "stale". A great show for beginner cooks, since everything is explained thoroughly and logically, so you don't just learn what ingredients go into a dish; you also learn why the ingredients work together and what they contribute to the recipe. This show is definitely one of my favorites; I highly recommend it to everyone.