The Gun Counter

the original is re-running on the Cooking Channel again; this four episode miniseries is my favorite Alton Brown show; as great as Good Eats is, this one just had something magic about it that made me want to do the road trip like he did. Pack up my wife and the dog in a motor home or camper (no bikes for me...) and just drive places, see things, and eat great road food.

It was an awesome show. I didn't care for the second or third series as much but the first... magic.

I liked it too. One quibble--while on top of Pikes Peak, he disingenuously says there's no coffee available atop the peak, so he brews some. There is coffee and donuts availabe at the visitors center atop the peak.

I love alton brown, and have cooked many of his recipes. They actually work the way he says they should.

I love Alton Brown as well. Anyone who refuses to get a $500 pot for just one dish is on my team (looking right at Emeril). Plus he made a smoker out of a pot and heating coil.

SA

scipioafricanus wrote:Anyone who refuses to get a $500 pot for just one dish is on my team

Funnily enough, that's why I used to love watching Julia - she would not tell you to go out and get one, she'd go on and assume you have it already. My favorite scene for this involved poached salmon..
Julia: "Now get out your poaching pan.."
14 year old HTRN: "Mom, what's a poaching pan?"
HTRN's mom: "I have no idea".

Plus he made a smoker out of a pot and heating coil.

Bah! When I was a teen, I made them out of apples, tinfoil, soda cans..... oh, you meant for smoking food.

I built one of those flower pot smokers last year. Works great. Added a PID temp controller and I can walk away for 12-14 hours with no thought of the temp.

Heard an interview from Julia yesterday when I was out driving around. One topic of discussion was her "buffalo iron". She had it fabricated from some scrap iron. She'd drop it nearly red hot into a pot of green vegatables as soon as she'd added the veggies to bring it back to a boil immediately. Apparently keeping it at a boil sets the green colors. "Greenest beans you'll ever see."

I just got my 13.5" Lodge skillet. Reseasoning it this week, and this weekend or next we're going to do the Alton Brown cast iron ribeye steak recipe. I did that one before with the small chicken frier pan, but now I can do it right (and both steaks at the same time). Can't wait!

FYI the pan came with one small seasoning problem at the edge but otherwise had a pretty decent surface; not really smooth but better than the 12s I saw in the store. I wonder if the uncommon sizes get a little more care or different production method that results in the smoother surface?

The only reason they preseason cast iron pans at all is for rust prevention.

HTRN wrote:The only reason they preseason cast iron pans at all is for rust prevention.

I thought that the old method (the pre-pre seasoning method ) was to apply a sort of wax that prevented rust, which then had to be removed before applying the seasoning which was an oil suitable for food.