So, I searched it on Youtube. The first full “Good Eats” episode I saw featured sushi. It was titled “Wake Up, Little Sushi” (a pun-y homage perhaps to the Beatles song). I got hooked. I wanted more, so I looked for more episodes on the Web. Ever since I realized that I became a “Good Eats” fan, I also became a foodie.
Most ordinary cooking shows usually showcase a cook (who is usually the host himself or is accompanied by a co-host). These characters are usually behind a counter-top with a stove and an assembly of ready ingredients while a kitchen (with an oven perhaps) or some other scenery provides a backdrop. What happens in those shows is that they start off with a little chit-chat, proceed to a recipe, introduce the ingredients, show the cooking process, and proceed to a commercial break when the first dish is done. Then, when the commercial break is over, they proceed again to another recipe, and when the cooking is done, they make a taste-test of the dish, say “Mmm… delicious” (or something similar), thank the audience, and all is over. From my observation, it seems like a classroom lecture; linear, tedious, and often alienating. I think it makes the audience distant from those involved in the cooking.
“Good Eats” is not a run-of-the-mill cooking show. Each episode is dedicated to the art, science and fun of food. It is not merely about how to cook a dish. It does not just tackle about making food, but it also tackles on the origins of a particular food from its history to its science. It gives tips on kitchen tools and techniques, and gives a side serving of tidbits from literature, pop culture, and what-not.
The show was hosted, written and produced by Alton Brown. He took inspiration for the show’s conception from late cooking celebrity Julia Child, science show extraordinaire Mr. Wizard and ingenious British surreal comedy troupe Monty Python. With his gastronomic know-how and charismatic wit, Alton Brown had the TV show last for 14 seasons. They even had a variety show special to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
This show stands out from other food shows due to some features unconventional to ordinary cooking shows. Some episodes have zany storylines which are often derived from famous movies or TV shows (like “Jaws”, “Sweeney Todd” and “Mission Impossible”). Some scenes make use of outrageous but outstanding props, including puppets (sockpuppet yeasts and Cookie Monster’s refined brother), models (giant tongues and pigs with detachable parts), eclectic costumes (Southern colonels and medical practitioners), and even cool kitchen toys (like his T-Rex spray bottle, which I dig a lot).
Mr. Brown also takes pride in his MacGyver-esque knack for rigs, both simple (a baking sheet lined with newspaper and a cooling rack) and elaborate (the turkey derrick which is nothing more but a ladder with a pulley on top and a turkey frier under). He adheres a lot to the principle of multitasking. I believe it was he who said, ” There is only one unitasker in the kitchen and that is the fire extinguisher.”
Even characters are essential to maintaining the sumptuously informative and humorous nature of the show. Thing, that ever helpful dismembered appendage, is an allusion to “The Addams Family”. Alton’s fictitious sister, Marsha, provides some appropriately adversarial annoyance. The Feds (a.k.a. “Food Police”) also usually make an appearance as men in black. My favorite character, however, is Kitchen gear specialist W, who happens to be a a caricature of James Bond’s weapons and gadgets specialist, Q. But not all characters are fictitious, as the presence of experts (like food scientist Shirley Corriher, nutritional anthropologist Deborah Duchon and dietitian Carolyn “The Lady of the Refrigerator” O’Neil) and family (Alton’s real mom, grandma, and daughter) shed some science and realism to the show.
And so, cameras have been shooting from the insides of ovens, fridges and pantries for 14 years. Butter has been melted, kosher salt has been pinched, and nutmeg has been grated for 14 years. Nearly a decade and a half has been devoted to the science, culture and fun of food and cooking from steak to dark chocolate, from apples to yogurt, from fish and chips to fillet mignon, from chili con carne to bouillabaise, from ice cream to baklava and even water and salt.
Alas, just as Ryori-no-Tetsujin, the original “Iron Chef”, came to an end back in 1999, so must another awesome culinary circus. At least, I was still fortunate enough to be able to tune in to “Good Eats” from Season 1 until Season 14, its final season.
Thank you, Alton Brown for the knowledge, the fun, and most of all, the food.
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