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Reviews7
gbsparta48's rating
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.
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.
Fans of the last two Matrix movies and the last two POTC movies should organize a support group. Or you should get together and go to massive therapy sessions. The two film franchises are nearly identical:
1. Excellent first installments. 2. Sequels that were INCREDIBLY bad, yet super fan boys will not admit it for some reason because they loved the originals so much.
I wrote a similar comment/review on POTC 2. What is wrong with you people? This movie SUCKED. It was TERRIBLE. Why can't you just be honest with yourself? You think in 10 years you'll be watching this? Or recommending it to people? If you say yes you are a liar. You are lying to yourself.
What I don't get is that admitting this movie is bad does not in ANY way take away from the original POTC. It doesn't make it any less great of a movie (which it was - the first POTC was a very, very good movie).
Questions for some of you die-hards:
1. What was with the "sexual tension" between Knightley and Depp? The movie started to imply there was something there in numerous scenes, but never got any deeper into it or explained why there was tension at all in the first place. Perhaps just bad acting on Knightley's part? I checked into this and the script never intended there to be any.
2. What the hell was that flipping the boat over crap all about? (DON'T just recite the inane storyline to me, I understood it quite well at the time. It was just completely stupid.)
3. Could there have been possibly one more double-cross? Could the director have possibly squeezed in just ONE more? To make it, by my count, 18 double crosses?
4. The pirate meeting! THE PIRATE MEETING! Where they all get together and it looks like a Michael Jackson "We Are The World" pirate music video!
You guys need help. I love how over time the ranking for this movie has dropped, dropped dropped. Soon it will be below a "7" and you all will start to get it and admit to yourselves that these were mediocre-to-bad sequels.
UGH.
1. Excellent first installments. 2. Sequels that were INCREDIBLY bad, yet super fan boys will not admit it for some reason because they loved the originals so much.
I wrote a similar comment/review on POTC 2. What is wrong with you people? This movie SUCKED. It was TERRIBLE. Why can't you just be honest with yourself? You think in 10 years you'll be watching this? Or recommending it to people? If you say yes you are a liar. You are lying to yourself.
What I don't get is that admitting this movie is bad does not in ANY way take away from the original POTC. It doesn't make it any less great of a movie (which it was - the first POTC was a very, very good movie).
Questions for some of you die-hards:
1. What was with the "sexual tension" between Knightley and Depp? The movie started to imply there was something there in numerous scenes, but never got any deeper into it or explained why there was tension at all in the first place. Perhaps just bad acting on Knightley's part? I checked into this and the script never intended there to be any.
2. What the hell was that flipping the boat over crap all about? (DON'T just recite the inane storyline to me, I understood it quite well at the time. It was just completely stupid.)
3. Could there have been possibly one more double-cross? Could the director have possibly squeezed in just ONE more? To make it, by my count, 18 double crosses?
4. The pirate meeting! THE PIRATE MEETING! Where they all get together and it looks like a Michael Jackson "We Are The World" pirate music video!
You guys need help. I love how over time the ranking for this movie has dropped, dropped dropped. Soon it will be below a "7" and you all will start to get it and admit to yourselves that these were mediocre-to-bad sequels.
UGH.
