‘Wilber, set the table. There’s going to be good eats tonight.’
February 21, 2007
The Food Network has churned out several chef celebrities from Emeril to Bobby Flay to Rachel Ray. The public gets so much exposure to these cookstars that their presence becomes tiresome and monotonous; their personalities hit (or will hit) supernova before fizzing out into a lowly white dwarf. Fortunately, the Food Network has a variety of shows and personalities to choose from, so having a unique list of favorites isn’t hard. For example, there’s ‘food scientist’ Alton Brown. Alton Brown is no chef super star — he’s a simple man with a simple mission: bringing good eats to the table.
It doesn’t take a scientist to know there’s chemistry in cooking. It’s a science in itself. Enterprising Alton had an idea for a show that simplified cooking as much as possible, even down to the molecules that comprise food. When that idea came to fruition, Good Eats was born, and God said ‘Let there be (doable) soufflé’. Each episode, Alton explores a different food or food group. The show’s pattern isn’t hard to follow. It usually begins with back-story, which leads to modern application (where to buy the food, how it’s made, different varieties), and concludes in the kitchen. Mix in quirky theatrics and unusual camera angles and you’ve got a light-hearted, but informative, step-by-step walkthrough on how to prepare a plethora of dishes.
Surprisingly, it’s that scientific aspect of the show that makes it so enjoyable. Alton Brown may spit out a data overload of polymers and molecular bonds, but his follow-up cooking tutorials tie in the scientific breakdown as he carefully guides you through each step of the meal. His methods are sometimes unusual, but he illustrates how and why they should be preferred. By the end of the show, Alton is displaying a scrumptious bed of gyro meat or the ‘perfect’ apple pie and you’re confident enough to try what you’ve seen.
I can enjoy science, but I’m particular about my food. I ‘live to eat’ — good food is important to me. When I first saw Good Eats, I was skeptical. I thought “I can see why he’d do this, but is it going to be that interesting?” Well, by the end of the show, I was impressed. Alton tied everything together and made it interesting.
Here I wanted to emphasize the science of the show, but illustrate that it didn’t cripple the premise. How can Good Eats pull of science, food, and comedy, without going overboard on either of them?
Alton’s theatrics and goofy asides make it funny, and, best of all, you actually learn how to prepare these meals. He always keeps the viewer in mind — making sure you know what’s going on. The in-depth sciences may be superfluous at times, but they never detract from the show. Good Eats is an example of a creative -and- rational mind at work.
Short and sweet. I like it. I probably would have either spent less time setting up the genre at the beginning or integrated a discussion of the show at hand sooner, but this is solid work.
Be sure to use double-quotes, not single-quotes.
I like the review, ,but I will agree that the setup seems to be as long as the meat of the review. Though all can be forgiven because we are all flawed in comparison to Alton.
Yes, the set-up is too long – and a little nonsequiter. I’m all for nonsequiters, but it seems you’re a little too far out for a Food Network review.
I’ve never actually watched Good Eats, but you’ve made me want to watch the show. Any one who does science with food is worth watching.
I love Good Eats — it taught me how to make my foolproof brine turkey. I’m surprised that you had such a general introduction and that you didn’t get to the point until you were 1/3 of the way through your word count. Actually, your Author’s Note (which is too long — remember my instructions that it be just a sentence or two for each point, or else it becomes another review?) makes a much better intro to your piece than what you’ve got. You don’t usually have that problem, so it’s surprising to me. Would it be worth doing a tiny bit of research to find out where Alton came from before his Food Network career? Your mention of FN “churning out chef celebrities” seems a bit backward, since mostly they try to get celebrities under contract rather than creating them out of whole cloth, but it does make me curious about where this guy you’re so fond of came from.
Also you should enjoy, if you haven’t already, Tony Bourdain’s comments on Food Network personalities.
I like your review. especially the conclusion which is right on the mark. It was good eats that made us do French toast at our house that one time so i have to agree that your comments on Alton’s style are dead on.
Good review – short, but says a lot. Good overlook over the content and personal feedback.
All I need to survive in this world are Alton Brown and Bill Nye! I really couldn’t stand this show at first, but now I get positively excited when it comes on…you think i’m kidding? psh. Although you seem to stall a bit in your intro, your review picks up momentum and finishes up with a darn good conclusion.
Whoo, Alton! I love this show, and I am glad that you mention all the cool reasons that it rocks. It feels like you just got into your stride about halfway through; the first paragraph was a little loose. Overall, fun review.