Good Eats Coconut Cake

So, with all his time on the road between FoodNetwork events, presentations, and filming Feasting on Asphalt II has Alton had to cut down on production time? More specifically has his availability for filming episodes been cut short? What lodged this thought in my mind was Alton's noticable lack of composure in the Coconut Cake episode tonight. I believe it was the espresso show where this behavior first popped up. I don't mind it at all, seems a bit more natural for him to show a fun-loving side, but it does contrast to what we have been used to for several years.

Of course I could be way off track. The less serious Alton may be part of a conscious effort or a change in film style; that is his background after all. Enough analyzing the host on with the show! I enjoyed this one. It was creative and the entire show was devoted not only to a single ingredient but more pointedly to the cake recipe itself. And although we had a cake historian instead of a food anthropologist, it is clear that certain recipes and foods run deep in the veins of our culture; especially local variations and traditions. While living in Charleston I never had a chance to sample a homemade coconut cake but I did become addicted to she-crab soup and sweet tea and eventually I even warmed up to boiled peanuts. Back here in Michigan I miss the grand scheme of a single unifying culture but can enjoy several different ethnic cuisines within a few miles of home.

The coconut cake. Now I can't see myself going through the effort of making my own coconut milk and cream, but I'm sure it would taste darn good! I leave the baking side of the kitchen to my wife and mabe I can convince her of the need for a coconut sometime soon! Fo myself, pickling and grilling take up enough of my freetime. Speaking of pickling, I can't wait for that episode to roll around!

P.S. Looked like a new Viking stand mixer; needs some flames!