Thursday, January 18, 2007

Good Eats: Pantry Raid 6: Lentils

How much more can Alton Brown cram into a single episode? I had to look at the clock to make sure it was only an half-hour episode. We were entertained and informed by Deb Duchon the friendly local food anthropologist, a group of snooty Frenchmen with an appreciation for the Chairman and Iron Chefs, some Star Trek mischief with good ol' neighbor Chuck, and a View Master show on Grains of Paradise (and a chat with Emeril on the phone)! And yet, he still manages to explain and prepare three recipes! This Alton just keeps getting better and better with each episode!

There were also some elements only Alton Brown fans would appreciate, such as his dog Matilda's bowl and, unless I haven't noticed before, some new specs and possibly a new watch. Keen Good Eats fans will also notice that Alton gets just a little bit more comfortable with each new episode and everything seems to fit together that much better; one might say flawlessly nowadays. Of course with his background in the film industry the camera angles and effects bring even more interest to the show. Recurring characters like Chuck, and real people, like Deb Duchon, have also become a staple of Good Eats. Alton and Deb even joke about their typical pattern of banter in this episode, referring to the direction that the conversation should take before continuing on. I like to see that Alton recognizes his fan base and brings that added element of immersion to the show for us; you almost feel like you know the guy sometimes!

Look for more new Good Eats episodes in the weeks to follow! Not it's time to get to the store for a bag a lentils!

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