Alton Brown explains it all!
April 22, 2015 11:20 PM Subscribe
I'm not sure if the best part is that not-allowing-javascript to buzzfeed only shows me the questions not the answers (WHY??!?), or that I have a pretty good feel for what $THE_ALTON 's answers would be anyway.
posted by dorian at 12:38 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by dorian at 12:38 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Good Eats episode about mayonnaise is the reason I started eating mayonnaise.
posted by cthuljew at 1:46 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by cthuljew at 1:46 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
There are very VERY few celebrities who entertain me as effectively in as many different mediums as Alton Brown. Between short form cooking to long form documentary to music video to live action to twitter and instagram and long form writing..... Alton Brown for president!
posted by chasles at 3:56 AM on April 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by chasles at 3:56 AM on April 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
"Wonvolting" I like it. I shall try to use it should the opportunity present itself.
posted by NoMich at 4:01 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by NoMich at 4:01 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ah, a fan of a proper martini. Good man.
...Alton Brown for president!
Um...You might want to check his politics first. From what I can tell, he leans in the direction of, say, Rand Paul. If that's cool with you, though, carry on.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:17 AM on April 23, 2015 [12 favorites]
...Alton Brown for president!
Um...You might want to check his politics first. From what I can tell, he leans in the direction of, say, Rand Paul. If that's cool with you, though, carry on.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:17 AM on April 23, 2015 [12 favorites]
What’s the first dish a cooking beginner should try and master?
answer: A SIMPLE HERB OMELET
That's actually a good answer. Not too hard, but does mean you're getting experience with how eggs work, you're paying attention, you're "really cooking". It'll probably be tasty, and you can probably immediately think of easy variations for your next step.
posted by gimonca at 5:39 AM on April 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
answer: A SIMPLE HERB OMELET
That's actually a good answer. Not too hard, but does mean you're getting experience with how eggs work, you're paying attention, you're "really cooking". It'll probably be tasty, and you can probably immediately think of easy variations for your next step.
posted by gimonca at 5:39 AM on April 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
I think it's a little weird to take one of the most articulate food writers of the current crop and have him give essentially one word answers. Not really playing to his strengths. I think this is really abundantly clear in his "boring" answers. I know he feels this way about vegetarian cooking (although gluten-free seemed just mean), but when he's talking, he usually hedges it around with some qualifiers.
For the record, I think he's wrong on both accounts -- some of the most exciting food planning I have done was trying to get a simple recipe for gingerbread to work for a couple of friends with dietary restrictions (including vegan and gluten-free), and it was challenging and interesting to see if I could make it work. (Mostly, I did; never got the gluten-free version quite perfect, and the vegan one was tasty but really different from the starting dish in texture).
Anyway, I think making Alton Brown not talk is usually a mistake.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:30 AM on April 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
For the record, I think he's wrong on both accounts -- some of the most exciting food planning I have done was trying to get a simple recipe for gingerbread to work for a couple of friends with dietary restrictions (including vegan and gluten-free), and it was challenging and interesting to see if I could make it work. (Mostly, I did; never got the gluten-free version quite perfect, and the vegan one was tasty but really different from the starting dish in texture).
Anyway, I think making Alton Brown not talk is usually a mistake.
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:30 AM on April 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
His politics and outlook on people he considers fat are terrible, but the worst thing I think is that he's gone from someone who educates us about food and how it works to a crotchety old man stereotype game show host who makes talented chefs "cook" with dollhouse utensils and roadkill.
posted by xingcat at 6:47 AM on April 23, 2015 [20 favorites]
posted by xingcat at 6:47 AM on April 23, 2015 [20 favorites]
The doodles on paper thing is a call out to his Twitter schtick where he tweets by posting a photo of a post-it note with a doodle or a short message (sometimes pasted to the monitor under a tweet he's replying to).
It's not the best use of that medium either, but there you are.
He's got some reason for not using Twitter like a normal person, but I've never bothered to look that up.
posted by device55 at 6:48 AM on April 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
It's not the best use of that medium either, but there you are.
He's got some reason for not using Twitter like a normal person, but I've never bothered to look that up.
posted by device55 at 6:48 AM on April 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
Basically, because it amuses him:
“I’ll tell you this: in any given system, any system, if I have to be in the system, I’m going to try to find a way to have fun in the system. And I didn’t find Twitter fun. And I made this bet with my agent. He said, you’ve either got to be on Facebook or you’ve got to be on Twitter. And I am on Facebook, but I don’t actually run it. I have an employee that runs it. But I do Twitter, and so I said, well, I’ll choose Twitter, but I’m like, but I’ve gotta have fun.posted by bonehead at 6:58 AM on April 23, 2015 [5 favorites]
And I did it for like a month, and was like, god, this is not really fun for me at all. And so I started doing the paper thing, and then all of a sudden, I was like, oh this is cool. I can do this, this is fun! I can draw things, and I can stick things on things! But I’ve gotta tell you right now, my computer screen is completely trashed. Because once all that glue is on there, you can’t get it off. So I keep hoping Apple will send me a computer. They don’t.”
the worst thing I think is that he's gone from someone who educates us about food and how it works to a crotchety old man stereotype game show host who makes talented chefs "cook" with dollhouse utensils and roadkill
I disagree in that I think Cutthroat Kitchen is amazing and I love it and I also think it would not work without Alton Brown and his immense knowledgeability and whimsy. It's ridiculous but it's a lot of fun to watch and it makes people conceptualize food and cooking in different ways and rewards deep understanding of different cuisines and ingredients and how they work together and how to develop flavors and textures and different methods of cooking (such as, for example, an Olympic torch). Yeah, it's bonkers, but everyone knows it's bonkers and a profound understanding of how food works really does help.
Also I LOVE the judges! I want to hang out with all of them! I also love their relationship with Alton Brown who is totally charming both on Cutthroat Kitchen and Alton's Aftershow which is posted online.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:59 AM on April 23, 2015 [5 favorites]
I disagree in that I think Cutthroat Kitchen is amazing and I love it and I also think it would not work without Alton Brown and his immense knowledgeability and whimsy. It's ridiculous but it's a lot of fun to watch and it makes people conceptualize food and cooking in different ways and rewards deep understanding of different cuisines and ingredients and how they work together and how to develop flavors and textures and different methods of cooking (such as, for example, an Olympic torch). Yeah, it's bonkers, but everyone knows it's bonkers and a profound understanding of how food works really does help.
Also I LOVE the judges! I want to hang out with all of them! I also love their relationship with Alton Brown who is totally charming both on Cutthroat Kitchen and Alton's Aftershow which is posted online.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 6:59 AM on April 23, 2015 [5 favorites]
They should have asked about Losing My Religion.
posted by Chrysostom at 7:04 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Chrysostom at 7:04 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
Basically, because it amuses him
well that is a pretty good reason.
He's stated (probably on a Post-it) that the Alton Brown on Cut Throat Kitchen is a character - sort of an Evil-Wil-Wheaton kind of thing.
posted by device55 at 7:04 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
well that is a pretty good reason.
He's stated (probably on a Post-it) that the Alton Brown on Cut Throat Kitchen is a character - sort of an Evil-Wil-Wheaton kind of thing.
posted by device55 at 7:04 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
Metafilter: sort of an Evil-Wil-Wheaton kind of thing.
posted by Cosine at 7:19 AM on April 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Cosine at 7:19 AM on April 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
Mod note: A few comments deleted. I enjoy a good grammar pet peeve as much as the next guy, but better not to get derailed by it.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:01 AM on April 23, 2015
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:01 AM on April 23, 2015
Um...You might want to check his politics first. From what I can tell, he leans in the direction of, say, Rand Paul. If that's cool with you, though, carry on.
Men. I have voted for politicians based on politics my whole life and they were without exception all 100% tur'bull. At least AB puts an emphasis on education and learning, sprinkled with some sarcasm, a knod to history, and sarcasm. Lots of sarcasm.
posted by chasles at 8:12 AM on April 23, 2015
Men. I have voted for politicians based on politics my whole life and they were without exception all 100% tur'bull. At least AB puts an emphasis on education and learning, sprinkled with some sarcasm, a knod to history, and sarcasm. Lots of sarcasm.
posted by chasles at 8:12 AM on April 23, 2015
Alton Brown is a jerk. Or at least, very terrible at unscripted public events in early primary states.
posted by FJT at 8:41 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by FJT at 8:41 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
FKT, that link describes me to a T. I loved the man. Wanted to meet him. Thought he was a down-to-earth normal regular guy who was passionate about teaching the science behind cooking.
And then good eats ended and he hosted The Next Iron Chef. He was a downright jerk. And then I followed him on twitter and he was rude jackass there too. That's when I figured out that he'd been acting on Good Eats. And that likely he was acting on the next iron chef. I think maybe the only time we seen the real alton was in short glimpses on The Next Food Network Star.
So I've changed how I think of him. I don't love AB anymore. I love good eats.
posted by royalsong at 9:01 AM on April 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
And then good eats ended and he hosted The Next Iron Chef. He was a downright jerk. And then I followed him on twitter and he was rude jackass there too. That's when I figured out that he'd been acting on Good Eats. And that likely he was acting on the next iron chef. I think maybe the only time we seen the real alton was in short glimpses on The Next Food Network Star.
So I've changed how I think of him. I don't love AB anymore. I love good eats.
posted by royalsong at 9:01 AM on April 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
FWIW, I believe he's mentioned (possibly on Twitter) that the host of Cutthroat Kitchen is a character that he's playing, not himself. A la the Chairman.
posted by jbickers at 9:07 AM on April 23, 2015
posted by jbickers at 9:07 AM on April 23, 2015
I'm not a fan of Alton Brown the person or any of his post-Good Eats television output, but if you're a fan of John Hodgman, I recommend this episode of The Alton Brown Podcast, in which they talk about a road trip they took together through parts of the South and the barbecue joints they frequented along the way, back when Hodgman was a magazine journalist researching a feature about Brown.
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:16 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Atom Eyes at 9:16 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
I don't know exactly which characters he is playing on which shows (I like him sometimes yet he does seem... odd, unsettling even) and to what extent BUT:
The couple of other people's podcasts I have heard him on have revealed a deeply unhappy and unsatisfied person (he admits as much) who is struggling with what to do with his life, how to work less, how to be happy. Those bits seemed like the real AB.
posted by Cosine at 9:21 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
The couple of other people's podcasts I have heard him on have revealed a deeply unhappy and unsatisfied person (he admits as much) who is struggling with what to do with his life, how to work less, how to be happy. Those bits seemed like the real AB.
posted by Cosine at 9:21 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
I met him nearly ... I don't even remember, now, 15 years ago? and he was really charming. I loved Good Eats.
But it does seem like the past several years (and success?) haven't been kind to him. I do blame Food Network's tendency to want to create "brands" out of all of their on-screen talent. I don't think it's a role he wanted but got trapped in (although at this point, that seems like his choice).
(I was pretty put off when he became a spokesman for Welch's Grape Juice. It just didn't really feel like it fit with his image.)
posted by darksong at 9:31 AM on April 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
But it does seem like the past several years (and success?) haven't been kind to him. I do blame Food Network's tendency to want to create "brands" out of all of their on-screen talent. I don't think it's a role he wanted but got trapped in (although at this point, that seems like his choice).
(I was pretty put off when he became a spokesman for Welch's Grape Juice. It just didn't really feel like it fit with his image.)
posted by darksong at 9:31 AM on April 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
I've also heard second hand that he's a bit of a dick but his touring live show is a blast. He tells some stories, plays some songs on the guitar, breaks out his "commercial grade EZ bake oven", and answers questions from the audience. It's a lot like the 10th anniversary Good Eats special.
posted by cmfletcher at 10:14 AM on April 23, 2015
posted by cmfletcher at 10:14 AM on April 23, 2015
But it does seem like the past several years (and success?) haven't been kind to him.
Having an obvious eating disorder has been unkinder. I can't watch him without wincing anymore.
I saw him on the street here a few years ago and he looked completely, well, normal; not somebody who'd be called "overweight" in the least, and now he's this talking skeleton. It's creepy and unseemly that he's one of FN's ever shrinking stock of celebrities allowed to be on camera.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 10:15 AM on April 23, 2015
Having an obvious eating disorder has been unkinder. I can't watch him without wincing anymore.
I saw him on the street here a few years ago and he looked completely, well, normal; not somebody who'd be called "overweight" in the least, and now he's this talking skeleton. It's creepy and unseemly that he's one of FN's ever shrinking stock of celebrities allowed to be on camera.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 10:15 AM on April 23, 2015
Having an obvious eating disorder has been unkinder.
Not to be tedious, but there are many reasons why a person might lose a noticeable amount of weight (health, aging, change of diet) that don't involve an eating disorder, so unless you have insider information, it's not a great idea to go heedlessly tossing that term around.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:24 AM on April 23, 2015 [7 favorites]
Not to be tedious, but there are many reasons why a person might lose a noticeable amount of weight (health, aging, change of diet) that don't involve an eating disorder, so unless you have insider information, it's not a great idea to go heedlessly tossing that term around.
posted by Atom Eyes at 10:24 AM on April 23, 2015 [7 favorites]
his touring live show is a blast.
It is. We saw it a couple of weeks ago. It was exactly like watching Good Eats live, "lawyers", farting puppets and all, with a few added comedy songs. Full-on usual TV public persona.
He looked fairly healthy weight wise, not scary emaciated as he was in 2010 or so.
posted by bonehead at 10:54 AM on April 23, 2015
It is. We saw it a couple of weeks ago. It was exactly like watching Good Eats live, "lawyers", farting puppets and all, with a few added comedy songs. Full-on usual TV public persona.
He looked fairly healthy weight wise, not scary emaciated as he was in 2010 or so.
posted by bonehead at 10:54 AM on April 23, 2015
> I think it's a little weird to take one of the most articulate food writers of the current crop and have him give essentially one word answers.
I don't know if I'd call him a food writer-- when he does talk about food, he's very informative, and I like that he's been forthright about the changes in thinking about the right way to do things over the span of his career. But, well, unless his twitter feed has changed in the months since I've last looked at twitter, this sketched-response thing is pretty consistent with that medium. And Buzzfeed, well, isn't the place you go looking for in-depth contact with a celeb or expert.
This might've been a wasted opportunity for some depth, though, I agree. Not sure how long it takes him to sketch things, but this few dozen pics is probably the result of 30-60 minutes of interaction. They could've done, well, anything else. But Alton Brown, Food Writer? I don't agree.
Buuuuut, I'd be grateful if you proved me wrong.
posted by Sunburnt at 10:57 AM on April 23, 2015
I don't know if I'd call him a food writer-- when he does talk about food, he's very informative, and I like that he's been forthright about the changes in thinking about the right way to do things over the span of his career. But, well, unless his twitter feed has changed in the months since I've last looked at twitter, this sketched-response thing is pretty consistent with that medium. And Buzzfeed, well, isn't the place you go looking for in-depth contact with a celeb or expert.
This might've been a wasted opportunity for some depth, though, I agree. Not sure how long it takes him to sketch things, but this few dozen pics is probably the result of 30-60 minutes of interaction. They could've done, well, anything else. But Alton Brown, Food Writer? I don't agree.
Buuuuut, I'd be grateful if you proved me wrong.
posted by Sunburnt at 10:57 AM on April 23, 2015
his touring live show is a blast.
My sister-in-law bought my wife and I tickets to his touring show. I hated every second of it.
It was the Backyardigans for fat, white, middle-aged people.
(Note: I am fat, white, and middle aged)
posted by lattiboy at 11:27 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
My sister-in-law bought my wife and I tickets to his touring show. I hated every second of it.
It was the Backyardigans for fat, white, middle-aged people.
(Note: I am fat, white, and middle aged)
posted by lattiboy at 11:27 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
He opened the show with an impossibly long "rap". It was filled to the brim with "sick burns" on Food TV hosts. It was so much worse than you could imagine.
posted by lattiboy at 11:30 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by lattiboy at 11:30 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
I disagree in that I think Cutthroat Kitchen is amazing...
Ugh. Cutthroat Kitchen is to being a chef as Pimp My Ride is to being an auto designer.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:45 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Ugh. Cutthroat Kitchen is to being a chef as Pimp My Ride is to being an auto designer.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:45 AM on April 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
or American Idol is to being a musician or The Bachelor is to being a desirable partner.
it's a silly game show. The offensive part is how little they give away to the winner. You could make more money on Wheel of Fortune and not have to use a chef's knife while standing in a pot of dish water.
posted by cmfletcher at 11:53 AM on April 23, 2015
it's a silly game show. The offensive part is how little they give away to the winner. You could make more money on Wheel of Fortune and not have to use a chef's knife while standing in a pot of dish water.
posted by cmfletcher at 11:53 AM on April 23, 2015
He opened the show with an impossibly long "rap". It was filled to the brim with "sick burns" on Food TV hosts. It was so much worse than you could imagine.
Jeez. Hard to believe this is the same guy who did art direction on REM videos, back when REM was actually cool.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:55 AM on April 23, 2015
Jeez. Hard to believe this is the same guy who did art direction on REM videos, back when REM was actually cool.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:55 AM on April 23, 2015
Everyone knows Chopped is where it's at, right?
(Although it does seem to be slowly sliding down the hole into silly themed episodes and "OK contestant, tell your heartbreaking story of addiction/illness/loss now" reality-TV tropes.)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:47 PM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
(Although it does seem to be slowly sliding down the hole into silly themed episodes and "OK contestant, tell your heartbreaking story of addiction/illness/loss now" reality-TV tropes.)
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:47 PM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
Everyone knows Chopped is where it's at, right?
It was that until the BBC/PBS Great British Bake-Off/Baking Show took me into it's warm pastry embrace.
posted by FJT at 1:16 PM on April 23, 2015 [12 favorites]
It was that until the BBC/PBS Great British Bake-Off/Baking Show took me into it's warm pastry embrace.
posted by FJT at 1:16 PM on April 23, 2015 [12 favorites]
I don't know if I'd call him a food writer-- when he does talk about food, he's very informative, and I like that he's been forthright about the changes in thinking about the right way to do things over the span of his career. But, well, unless his twitter feed has changed in the months since I've last looked at twitter, this sketched-response thing is pretty consistent with that medium. And Buzzfeed, well, isn't the place you go looking for in-depth contact with a celeb or expert.
Well, I paused a bit over calling him a "food writer," but I am not sure what else to call him -- his early work on Good Eats is pretty one-of-a-kind -- yes, it's a show about how to cook dishes in the grand tradition of Julia Child, but with a lot more. Even if you strip out the cornball humor, you have a lot of history and science that's really out of place in the cooking show genre and is more in the area of food writers like M.K.F Fisher, Calvin Trillin, or maybe Jeffrey Steingarten than traditional "TV cooks." I'd point to his books, which are as much about philosophy of cooking as recipes and directions, but those clearly ride on the success of Good Eats.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:27 PM on April 23, 2015
Well, I paused a bit over calling him a "food writer," but I am not sure what else to call him -- his early work on Good Eats is pretty one-of-a-kind -- yes, it's a show about how to cook dishes in the grand tradition of Julia Child, but with a lot more. Even if you strip out the cornball humor, you have a lot of history and science that's really out of place in the cooking show genre and is more in the area of food writers like M.K.F Fisher, Calvin Trillin, or maybe Jeffrey Steingarten than traditional "TV cooks." I'd point to his books, which are as much about philosophy of cooking as recipes and directions, but those clearly ride on the success of Good Eats.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:27 PM on April 23, 2015
"Good Eats" is a cooking show for nerds. (That's why so many of us love it.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:37 PM on April 23, 2015
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:37 PM on April 23, 2015
It was that until the BBC/PBS Great British Bake-Off/Baking Show took me into it's warm pastry embrace.
This. It's amazing how fun and watchable a cooking contest can be without being soaked in belligerent competitiveness and general assholishness.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:46 PM on April 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
This. It's amazing how fun and watchable a cooking contest can be without being soaked in belligerent competitiveness and general assholishness.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:46 PM on April 23, 2015 [4 favorites]
« Older “Universal love,” said the cactus person. | Robocop 3: Robotweet Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
2015, y'all.
posted by ominous_paws at 12:18 AM on April 23, 2015 [2 favorites]