Linkshoch Wonderful Movie

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

gbsparta48 If you are new to cooking, this is a great show to begin your journey. If you are a seasoned pro in the kitchen, this show is still necessary to keep your talons sharpened.Alton Brown has managed to make a highly entertaining, humorous, and original food show with great recipes while doing something that is lost on other food show hosts: Educating his viewer.There are many excellent qualities to AB's show, but his use of science is what sets his show apart from anything else food-related on television. Alton gets very, very scientific about why certain things must be done, why certain things do not need to be done, and why certain things may be done if desired. Other shows tell you to do specific things in recipes; Alton tells you why you must do this and how it affects the dish. While he educates the viewer, Alton takes his episode topic and turns it inside out. He teaches you how to use the ingredient, and how to cook in general (and bake, as well).Authenticity is another staple of the show. If you are looking for the most authentic version of, say, New Orleans' style "Red Beans and Rice," you need look no further than Good Eats. Alton also cooks the most authentic versions of more common recipes such as onion soup, spinach salad, or prime rib - he does so by exploring the origins of the dishes and determining how they were originally prepared. Alton also ALWAYS cooks and bakes from scratch. He does not cut corners. He is basically the opposite of Sandra Lee (Semi- Homemade). In fact, at times Alton even mocks himself and caves in and tells the viewer that they can cut a corner if he might be going a little too far (e.g. In an episode in which he teaches the viewer to make baklava, Alton makes homemade rosewater but jokingly tells the viewer there is no shame in buying the store-bought version).Alton always speaks with the viewer; never at the viewer. He frequently uses comedy sketches and comic bits to hammer home his point, and the actors he employs do a fine job (yes, actors are used). In summary, this is a great educational food show with terrific, authentic, made-from-scratch recipes. Being fun and amusing are added bonuses.Personal Note: Alton Brown's "Coconut Cake Revival" episode is jaw-dropping. This is a long, difficult dish to prepare, and what Alton goes through to make this cake from complete scratch is nothing short of remarkable. Halfway through the episode he makes homemade coconut milk, coconut cream, and coconut extract (to use in the dish), and when he finally finishes the cake Alton lets out a laugh at the end of the episode. Highly impressive, to say the least.

justicegirl I was never a coffee fan, and then I stumbled upon the coffee episode of "Good Eats," the first episode I'd ever watched. The fast-paced format drew me in, but I stayed for all the nifty scientific and culinary facts I was learning.After the episode "True Brew," I gave coffee another chance, and became a Good Eats fan for life. I love how, well, anal he is about good food and good cooking, and although I don't agree or follow everything he says, I did incorporate a lot of what he's said into my cooking. And I do have a stand mixer with flames painted on the side...After five years or so of being a fan, I've tried several of the recipes from the show, and all of them come out great. Though I get better results by watching the show *and* following the written recipe.Now that he's done an Okra episode, I've got to re-evaluate my fear of Okra, which goes way back to when they served fried, breaded okra in my North Texas cafeteria.Darn that Alton Brown and his ability to get me to try new things!

TVholic I avoid the Food Network like the plague. Whether it's the melodramatics of Iron Chef or especially the vastly overrated Emeril, I just can't get into the shows. I don't even like Rachael Ray and her obsession with "EVOO" (extra virgin olive oil). All of these shows have a fatal flaw to me. They're into hoity-toity foods with fancy ingredients that I'll never buy. I had to turn Emeril off after five minutes because he was so annoying. Don't get me started on Unwrapped. While that show can be informative at times, host Marc Summers probably doesn't know the first thing about his show's topics. His only connection to food is that he's a greasy ham. Good Eats, however, is a horse of a whole different color.I was hooked from the day I happened upon an episode of Good Eats. Until then, I hadn't really watched any cooking shows since The Galloping Gourmet and The French Chef back in the 1970s. Creator and host Alton Brown looks like he really enjoys cooking, like Graham Kerr and Julia Child did, rather than just showing off in the kitchen. He doesn't try to get you to buy overpriced cookware or utensils, simply whatever works best for whichever purpose, whether it's the cheapest kitchen shears or something that's not even normally found in any kitchen. For instance, he once described how to build a smoker from a cardboard box and some odds and ends. His recipes are often basic and rather than trying to combine ingredients in a way never before seen (the way other cooks do), he may, for instance, just spend a show telling you how to make perfect pan-fried chicken (my introduction to the show). He's more interested in how something will taste than in the aesthetics of the dish. He doesn't instruct you to do something simply because that's how he was taught to do it. AB tells you the actual science behind each decision, much like Harold McGee's book "On Food and Cooking," explaining it in layman's terms but never talking down to the audience. Better yet, when he's wrong, he'll admit it on a later show, mocking himself in the process. (Maybe I'll get on his case for saying 2% milk is whole milk that's had 98% of its fat removed.) AB often gives guidelines instead of immutable lists, as for the types of ingredients in a marinade, so you can choose your own ingredients instead of just following his recipe.Unlike other cooking shows, Good Eats actually has a varied cast of supporting characters. No, not like Emeril's live band. These people usually have pertinent information to impart. There is often a food anthropologist or a food science consultant. Cameo appearances by real life butchers, food vendors and sales associates at various stores and supermarkets. Occasionally actors playing food ingredients, government officials and agents, French chefs, even fake Brown family members, who are sometimes there to support the story. (Yes, unlike other cooking shows, each episode is usually couched in a story and is not just a visual recipe.) And, of course, the irascible "W," the kitchenware salesperson who verbally fences with AB while telling him the essentials of choosing the cookware or utensil he needs that day.The show is also not stuck in a studio kitchen with a live audience. That tends to become quite boring with the same, old camera angles and self-congratulatory applause and is the hallmark of a show that doesn't want to spend any money. Good Eats often ventures outside to various locales. Even when he's in his kitchen set, AB will use unusual methods to show the viewer information, from writing on pull-down screens, charts and windows to playing with toys to point of view shots from inside the oven.Alton himself - forever clad in loud, untucked shirts - brings an everyman's charm to the show. He's the kind of guy you might want over not only for a casual dinner party (cooking and eating it), but someone you wouldn't mind sitting around and shooting the non-cooking-related breeze with. He's willing to indulge in self-deprecating humor and look like a fool but still have fun in the process. I wouldn't be surprised if he was once a class clown. That's a big difference from the stone-faced stiff named Emeril, whose only gimmicky trademark is "Bam! Kick it up a notch!" No wonder Emeril's "sitcom," if you want to call it that, bombed quickly.If you love cooking, learning, eating or just being entertained, Good Eats is the show for you. With apologies to Alka Seltzer, "Try it, you'll like it!"

walterpeterson This show is awesome. I love the way Alton Brown gives the science behind why a dish is made. This show is always entertaining even if he's making some I would never eat. I really enjoy his desserts, plus you can get every recipe from the Food Network's web site.