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[bryanthelion]

We watched this in cooking class today..

I want him to be my father.

[BourbonBeast]

I have no idea how often people swing back into this forum, but WTH...

I AM a professional chef and I love Alton Brown.  If ya wanna learn how to cook, you need space in your brain for techniques, not space on your shelves for recipes.  Alton, (Who, btw, will be the first person to describe himself as a cook, not a chef) and the other real chefs- Mario, Flay (when he's not mugging for the camera), Emeril (Essence of, NOT Live), and to a slightly lesser extent, recipe slaves like Dean and the Barefoot Contessa- were really trying to invigorate the passion for cooking, not the fad of following recipes.

Most of the programming on the network is not about cooking so much as personalities.

I wanna be Alton Brown when I grow up

[anydelirium]

Alton Brown is just pretty dang cool. My dad's a bigger fan than I am- for Christmas, he got a salt cellar, an AB cookbook, and an apron that read "Death to the Uni-taskers!" 

[skijunkie1124]

Alton Brown is my favorite Food Network chef. I've learned how to make countless dishes by watching the episode, sans recipe, just because the way he talks about it makes so much sense. I owe my cooking expertise to him.

[elysium]

I actually did make the Thanksgiving turkey, and it was totally worth the effort!
Also, the city ham is delightful. As is the duck.

[LadyFirelyght]

Go to the Food Network website and look for Alton's recipe for french toast. Honestly, he made me like french toast. It is holy yum.

[valley_parade]

You mean you didn't like french toast before?


Heathen!

[LadyFirelyght]

No, no I did not. I thought it tasted like egg-soaked bread. Custard-soaked bread is more my thing

[skijunkie1124]

I actually did make the Thanksgiving turkey, and it was totally worth the effort!
Also, the city ham is delightful. As is the duck.

Oh, yesh. Me and my brother made that turkey for.... Christmas. And yes, totally worth the effort. Good enough to make up for me stepping in a big puddle of the brine on the kitchen floor.. and then falling.. and then having to clean it up. Oh, but the turkey.. mmm.

[pig nash]

He gave my family the best recipe for standing rib roast ever.  It's a Christmas Eve staple at our house now.

[no one special]

Alton Brown is just pretty dang cool.

Eddie Izzard paraphrase FTW!   


Like almost everyone else in this thread, I love watching Alton Brown's shows.  He's brilliantly entertaining and educational... love it!  They used to show repeats every weeknight at 11pm - I wish they still did...

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Feasting On Asphalt - that show is just all kinds of amazing!  Even aside from all the amazing travels and diners they visit, watching Alton and his crew interact with each other is just awesome.

I just REALLY, REALLY wish he hadn't gotten involved with Iron Chef America.  There is absolutely nothing good about that show - not one damn thing.  There is almost nothing in the entire world that could make me watch an entire episode of Iron Chef America.  I mean, the guy playing the Chairman is the bad guy from Cradle 2 The Grave, for Pete's sake!  Ugh.

My hatred for Iron Chef America basically comes from the fact my whorish love of the original Iron Chef.  I love that show SO much - it just has a style and grace that Iron Chef America will never have.  The look, the style, the interaction of the commentators, Kaga's rambling introductions... everything was interesting and imminently watchable about that show.  Even the competition itself was just more engaging.  Often times American television will co-opt something interesting from abroad, bastardize it, and air it - this is just another example. 

Also, Bobby Flay.  Any show that features Bobby Flay need to be drenched in kerosene and burned.  Then, burned again, then smashed, then destroyed. 

[valley_parade]

Today's secret ingredient is ....

SOYLENT GREEEEENUUUU!!!!

[Ozymandias]

I like Iron Chef America. In the beginning, it was really dumb, but it's grown into its own thing like the American Office vs the British Office.

[thehollow]

I mean, the guy playing the Chairman is the bad guy from Cradle 2 The Grave, for Pete's sake!  Ugh.

yeah, but he also played the good guy in Brotherhood of the Wolf. And that movie is great. Honestly, I really enjoy Iron Chef America. The chairman's over-the-top attitude is funny, and the commentary is great. I can't imagine anyone else doing the commentary with the same effectiveness as AB. The floor reporter dude whose name I can't remember, however, never seemed to serve a distinct purpose besides giving Alton less work, as he's not all that entertaining.

[karl gambolputty...]

I think the quality of any Iron Chef America episode depends greatly on the particular iron chef.  Not even Alton Brown can make me watch something with Bobby Flay in it for more than 30 seconds, but Morimoto is as good as he was on the original, and Batali is always entertaining.  Aside from being kinda hot, Cat Cora doesn't really hold my attention.

[bicostp]

Good Eats is a fun show; I like that format better than 'typical' cooking shows like "Rachel Ray Babbles for a Solid Half Hour".

Alton Brown is to cooking what Bill Nye is to science.
(Or however similes are supposed to be written.)

[Muskrat121]

Alton Brown teaches you how to cook.

Rachel Ray teaches you how to warm up precooked meals.

Alton Brown is awesome.

Rachel Ray should be dragged out back and shot.

[Ballard]

Can we please stop talking about the devil's firstborn?

[no one special]

Can we please stop talking about the devil's firstborn?

I agree.  Let's stop mentioning Bobby Flay. 

The only good thing about him is that his last name is exactly what I wish someone would do to him.

[Ballard]

I'm not quite sure what there is to hate about Bobby Flay.

Rachel Ray, on the other hand, is one of the most annoying human beings I've ever had the displeasure of listening to for half an hour.

[valley_parade]

I wish she'd stop doing Dunks commercials. She's ruining a New England fast-food landmark!

[Katherine]

Bobby Flay is a pretentious cocksucker.  I seriously want to punch him in the face.

[bicostp]

I wish she'd stop doing Dunks commercials. She's ruining a New England fast-food landmark!

It could be worse... Papa Gino's could hire her and she'd ruin two New England fast food landmarks!

[valley_parade]

Ehh. They could say they used toxins and I'd still eat their cheese breadsticks.

[Narr]

As another poor person, I've learned that watching Good Eats (or almost any cooking show) can be less torture than one thinks, because it inspires me to do more than just throw stuff on a soft tortilla shell,  sprinkle cheese over it, nuke, and then eat.

I was going to respond in this thread and then I realized costacide said what I was thinking for me.

[Alex C]

I've never really seen Bobby Flay as pretentious. He mostly just hits me as some vaguely annoying guy who barbecues a lot. Some good sauce suggestions here and there though.

[Muskrat121]

The thing about Bobby Flay is, as pretentious or annoying as you may find him, he at least is an actual chef and knows what the hell he's doing.  He could very easily go into a restaurant and run a kitchen.  Same goes for Emeril and Mario.  Though I like them.

But these other "celeberty chefs" like Rachel Ray...fuck them.  Though I have to give Ray the benifit of the doubt that she is the first to admit that she is not a professional chef.  Still...fuck her.

[Narr]

A friend of mine has an image of Rachel Ray being fired into the sun, Dr. Strangelove style, except she's forcably strapped onto the rocket.

It's pretty glorious.

[thehollow]

http://blog.ruhlman.com/ruhlmancom/2007/02/guest_blogging_.html

the part on Sandra Lee is the best. Pure evil.

[no one special]

Still...fuck [Rachael Ray].

Hmmmm... given the chance?  There was a time when I definitely would...but now I don't know. 

I might still hit that.

[beat mouse]

I also work in the restaurant industry (casual middle class dining wooooo...) so I can get behind the Food Network like nothing else. I actually only watch Lost on thursdays otherwise my tv is set to the food channel. Iron Chef america is watchable just because I love to see what they come up with, but Battali annoys me "Alright judges this is a roasted porrtabellloooo with somea parrrmisianooo rrrregianooo! I hope you enjoy it very much" I mean, I get it, you're Italian, but it's annoying. Flay is a putz, Cat Cora shouldn't even be there. They're all capable chefs, who create wonderful food, but like most chefs, have abrasive personalities. Alton Brown also annoys the living fuck out of me on that show, where as otherwise he seems to know whats goin on when it comes to makin food.

[Purl]

I'm definetely an Anthony Bourdain gal, but I do love Good Eats. My mom was never really into cooking, and as a result I never really learned how to cook. He covers all of the stupid little stuff, which is really useful. I tried the french toast recipe also, and I can attest to it's glory.
Has anyone ever seen "Barefoot Contessa"? I always get this vibe that Ina Garten has no friends, it always makes me feel bad for her/obligated to watch the show. I think it has something to do with the horribly stilted conversations she has with her "friends" on the show.

[Patrick]

The guy has a stand mixer with flames airbrushed onto the sides.

I kindof want to have sex with him.

[Jposh]

I actually like Rachael Ray. She's never mean, and doesn't ever say anything really negative about a restaurants food, just critiques it a little. She never calls herself a chef, just a person who grew up in the kitchen of a big family. Sure she's a bit corny, but she's just trying to make people laugh. In real life, shes probably a real swell person.

On the other hand, I hate  Sandra Lee. The heinous alcoholic bitch buys pre-made food, mixes it, and claims she made it. She makes cocktails as soon as possible, and is snokered by the end of the show.

Bobby Flay, is a narcissistic arrogant asshole, and probably beats off to furry porn.

Paula Dean, is also a big headed fuck. When her and Rachael Ray did a show together, she was a total bitch, and made fun of her the whole time, while Rachael was nothing but nice to her.

And I love Alton Brown for all reasons mentioned.

[Patrick]

Bobby Flay, is a narcissistic arrogant asshole, and probably beats off to furry porn.

I saw him battle one of the Japanese-series Iron Chefs once. Flay won, but instead of going over to shake his hand and be a gentleman and a sportsman about the whole deal, he just jumps up on the fucking counter in Kitchen Stadium and starts whooping and hollering like an asshole, and all the while the other guy (I think it was Sakai) was just like, "...all I wanted to do was shake his hand and congratulate him, and he shows not only disrespect for me, but for Kitchen Stadium."

tl;dr yeah Bobby Flay is a douchebag. If I'm ever rich and famous, I will ask to meet him just so I can deflate his ego.

[Jposh]

Bobby Flay, is a narcissistic arrogant asshole, and probably beats off to furry porn.

I saw him battle one of the Japanese-series Iron Chefs once. Flay won, but instead of going over to shake his hand and be a gentleman and a sportsman about the whole deal, he just jumps up on the fucking counter in Kitchen Stadium and starts whooping and hollering like an asshole, and all the while the other guy (I think it was Sakai) was just like, "...all I wanted to do was shake his hand and congratulate him, and he shows not only disrespect for me, but for Kitchen Stadium."

tl;dr yeah Bobby Flay is a douchebag. If I'm ever rich and famous, I will ask to meet him just so I can deflate his ego stab him.

I agree.

[Aristaia]

Much love for Alton Brown.  I really enjoy the cheesiness of his shows - I think it's what keeps it from a "know it all" voice.  I've learned tons and even like the antics.  Yeast sock puppets ftw.  He really seems to love Iron Chef, too.  I missed tonight's ICA episode and I'm sad.  I really wanted to see Pim, since she was judging.  (She has an awesome blog at http://chezpim.typepad.com/ ) 

Yeah, Bobby Flay's stunts were pretty disrespectful (the jumping up on the cutting board) and were all over the news in Japan.  It was a match against Morimoto I think.  He's married to an actor from Law and Order.  I guess being a celebrity chef is hot?!?  I just have no patience for him.  I'd rather watch Rachel Ray than Bobby Flay.   

The Golden Clogs were pretty funny, re: Anthony Bourdain and the "Alton" award.  http://sf.eater.com/archives/2008/02/22/sobewire_liveblogging_the_2008.php

[StarMinion1]

I really like how Alton Brown teaches some of the basics and how he improves on other methods. I have learned to cut up a chicken and create stock out of the leftovers, make ice cream and some dessert. The only other chef on the Food Network I like is Jamie Oliver, although he is a bit strange. I would like to see more shows like his.

Some hosts I have only come to respect after I have seen their biographies. Even though I still would not want to watch her show, I respect Sandra Lee. Both she and Rachel Ray really know how to capitalize on their success.

I do disdain Bobby Flay, especially after I saw his special. His battle against Morimoto was supposedly so intense that at the end, he was lifted onto his cutting board. This was seen as disrespectful, since some things are considered sacred in Japanese culture. I also dislike Guy Fieri and hate Emeril and the Feasty Boys (from the Travel Channel) with a passion.

Although I like Mario Batali, he wears Crocs. CROCS.

[Trillian]

I have no idea how often people swing back into this forum, but WTH...

I AM a professional chef and I love Alton Brown.  If ya wanna learn how to cook, you need space in your brain for techniques, not space on your shelves for recipes.  Alton, (Who, btw, will be the first person to describe himself as a cook, not a chef) and the other real chefs- Mario, Flay (when he's not mugging for the camera), Emeril (Essence of, NOT Live), and to a slightly lesser extent, recipe slaves like Dean and the Barefoot Contessa- were really trying to invigorate the passion for cooking, not the fad of following recipes.

Most of the programming on the network is not about cooking so much as personalities.

I wanna be Alton Brown when I grow up

I pretty much agree with everything you said.  Agreeing so completely with someone rarely happens for me.  I...I kind of feel like I should marry you now or something.   

P.S. 
I wish I could like Flay more.  But he is kind of makes an arse out of himself. 

I wish she'd stop doing Dunks commercials. She's ruining a New England fast-food landmark!

Srsly.  I hate going to Stop and Shop and seeing big ass Dunkies posters with her plastered on it.  It was bad enough on the telly, but now I have to be reminded of her existence every time I need to run to the market.