Alton Brown's Twas the Night Before Good Eats

I wish Alton had done more dedicated Christmas specials along the way with Good Eats since there are so many recipes and culture to cover. Twas the Night Before Good Eats showcases Alton's talent for mixing cooking and entertainment, and also some features of the show's regular character actors. Bart Hansard was my favorite and I love him as Santa. Always entertaining!

Enjoy

Good Eats Reruns Back on FoodNetwork

Good Eats reruns will resume Monday in a new timeslot: 11:00AM.  That's right, Good Eats in the morning.  I can't remember ever seeing Alton Brown before dinnertime.  Of course, this goes along with FoodNetwork's trend in recent years of killing any and all actual cooking shows during prime time to make way for more reality shows.  I'm surprised they moved GE to a weekday schedule instead of during the weekend cooking show mix where Alton's quirkiness seems more at home.

In other news, Alton posted on Twitter today that the new, yet temporary, revamp of his AltonBrown.com will be up on July 1st.  I'm hoping he plans on bring back the Alton Shop, yet with a better selection of Alton Gear this time around.  I'm also hoping for some more info on the upcoming Good Eats BBQ special soon.

Good Eats 3: The Later Years available for pre-order

Good Eats 3: The Later Years available for pre-order on Amazon for $24.25!

I'm looking forward to this final volume in the Good Eats compendium, though it makes me a bit sad to see the series fade out.  Typical Alton Brown humor int he cover art through, especially with the yeast puppet eyeballing the broccoli.  I can head their little burps in the background.

Alton Brown's Spiced Bread Pudding

This week I made Alton Brown's spiced bread pudding from Good Eats: The Proof is in the Bread Pudding.  My first challenge was finding an appropriate loaf of bread for the project.  In keeping with Alton's method, I wanted to bake the mixture in a large boule.  Surprisingly, the bakery in my local market didn't have anything to fit the bill and the dough for the mini boules I make at home does not have enough structure to form a large enough loaf.  In the end, I took a drive to the closest bakery and found what I needed.  Well, at least it was close.  It is an Italian bakery, same as my local market, and despite outside appearance, the boule was nothing more than standard Italian bread inside.

Once I had the bread it was time to get to work.  I assembled all the ingredients with only one change, I substituted the rum with butterscotch schnapps; my wife's secret weapon for chocolate chip cookies.  As I pulled out the hardware I realized my second challenge; there's a reason Alton mentions using an 8 cup blender.  My classic Oster Beehive looks great in all it's candy apple red glory, but it has a mere 5 cup capacity and only one speed: high.  No where near the size of AB's commercial grade behemoth, I had the fun task of trying to create an emulsion while working in batches.  There was also a good deal of foam towards the end from the high speed mixing, though it settled by the time the bread was ready for soaking.

Alton's cross cut method of disemboweling the bread worked like a charm.  I set the bread sections in the oven to dry while I assembled the software.  The bread was fresh and had a good deal of moisture to release, so I left it in the oven for two hours.  Rotating the pieces every 15 minutes helped to speed the process.  Finally, I added the liquid to the bread for a good soak.  I used a large Pyrex baking dish instead of a roasting pan and it was sufficient to hold everything.  I was surprised that the bread soaked up nearly all of the liquid and it was well worth the long 2 hours.  Meanwhile, I toasted the shell in the last half hour.

The bread/custard mix fit perfectly back into the boule shell and I set it into the oven perched in a cast iron skillet as recommended.  I poked a roasting thermometer into the loaf and set the alarm for 165F instead of going by time.  I would estimate that it took around two hours to bake.  It took some serious willpower to let the bread pudding rest for half an hour since my whole house smelled delicious at that point!

So, the big question, how was it?  Definitely well worth the time and trouble.  The Italian bread boule I used lacked structure but still held up with the density of the custard.  The shell was also too tough and needed to be picked up by hand after the interior was scarfed down eaten.  Next time I'll likely just bake the bread pudding in a casserole dish and definitely use a more substantial bread; such as the challah used in the chocolate version.  The cherries and raisins were a good pair, though you could let your imagination run wild with different combination since the custard itself is rather neutral in flavor.  An extra dash of cinnamon and nutmeg, vanilla extract, or even hazelnut syrup would make a good addition.

The verdict: definitely Good Eats.

Everything but the Boule

I was glued to the TV watching Alton's latest installment of Good Eats since, like AB, I absolutely love bread pudding.  It's also something I've never attempted to make at home since my wife, generally, is the baker/dessert queen.

I picked up everything missing from my cupboards for this application except for one: the boule.  I shop at a local Italian market with a wonderful bakery, though the only bread they make is the standard Italian loaf and some rolls.  They did have three large boules from an outside bakery, but for some odd reason they were all sliced.  The rest of the specialty bread was whole grain, rye, etc.  So, no bread pudding today :-(  I'll have to venture out to another Italian bakery down the road to try my luck or, if that fails, take a a bit of a drive over to Panera Bread or any other bakery I can find within reasonable distance. Another option for future testing is to use the small boules I make every week.  They're only about 6 inches, but could make a perfect dessert for holidays.  But that's another post :-)

p.s.  It was sad when Alton and Thing pulled out the giant binder of categories for 'another show.'  You never now though, AB might run another series some day; even if only from behind the camera.

Alton Brown Signs a New Three Year Deal with Food Network

Alton Brown has signed on for another three years with Food Network.  The contract includes continuing on as host of Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef as well as guest appearances on other FN shows.  As for Good Eats, my suspicions have been confirmed as there is only a Thanksgiving Special on the slate for now.  I can't say I'm too surprised as GE has been running for over 10 years and FN has been moving further and further away from quality production cooking shows.  Enjoy the last few Good Eats episodes while you can!  The good news I see in this is an open door for Alton to pursue some new outlet for his talent.  We've seen what he can do with specials like Feasting on Asphalt.  Let's hope for more!

p.s.  I noticed in the lasagna episode he points to his wrist when talking about 'time' and for once in his life he doesn't have a watch on!

New Good Eats: Chicken Pot Pie

Alton Brown will tackle three variations of chicken pot pie in A Bird in the Pie is Worth Two in the Bush Monday night at 11:30pm on Food Network.

Here are the three recipes from this episode:

Medieval Game Hen Pot Pie

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Chicken Biscuit Pot Pie


This episode is available on iTunes.

New Good Eats Monday: Devil's Food Cake and Red Velvet

Alton Brown reverts from healthy to dessert this week with a show on Devil's food cake and red velvet cake.  Yum!  After a mostly straightforward show last week, I'm hoping for some more entertainment to go with my Good Eats this time.  I expect a certain Good Eats devil to at least make an appearance.  Once again, the new episode does not air until 11:30pm.  I'm starting to wonder what, if any, plans Food Network has for Good Eats in the future.

New Good Eats Monday Night: Chickpeas

Finally, a new Good Eats airs Monday night, but not until 11:00pm.  Chickpeas is the topic and I'm looking forward to this one.  We eat a good bit of hummus and falafel at my house; both of which are covered in this episode.  As always, it will be interesting to see Alton's take on these recipes.

Scant Pinch of Good Eats

Hi, yes, I'm still here.  Good Eats has been pretty scarce around the Food Network circuit lately so there hasn't been much to post.  There are new episodes coming up and I'll see if I can dig up some info as to when they will start airing again.  I also have a couple of Alton Brown appearance I'll get sorted out and posted very soon.

On the cooking front I haven't really tested anything new in the past few weeks; mostly just winter classics to keep warm.  I've been recording Aarti Party on the weekends and hope to make an attempt at Indian food soon.

New Good Eats; Meringue

New Good Eats episode coming up Thursday night at 7:30pm Eastern on Food Network.  Egg Files VII: Meringue.  Food Network actually has the recipes up early for once.


Baked Alaska
Oeufs a la Neige
Pavlova

Probably the most interesting list I've seen in a while.  Looking over the applications, there is a lot of ground to cover in only a half hour show.  I don't expect too much in the way of elaborate entertainment themes unless Alton plans to cut some corners.

Not Much Good Eats this Week

Good Eats has taken a backseat this holiday.  With only one airing of last year's GE Christmas episode and a couple episodes coming up Monday night, it looks like Food Network is trying to mix things up a bit.  One listing of note is the Good Eats: Down and Out in Paradise special will air late December 27th.

Maybe Alton is finally getting that time off he's been wishing for so much in all his interviews this year?

New Good Eats Episodes in Production

On Alton Brown's website is a list of upcoming Good Eats episodes in production!  Looks like a nice mix of comfort classics and healthy dishes.

Pantry Raid - Chickpeas
Chicken Pot Pie
Fish Stew
Lasagna
Devil's Food/Red Velvet Cake
Cauliflower
Bread Pudding
Dinner Rolls
Pantry Raid - Asian Noodles

Alton Brown's Oatmeal Cookies

I've made two batches of Alton Brown's Oatiest Oatmeal Cookies so far and have been really pleased with them.  Oatmeal cookies have admittedly never been my favorite, but Alton's recipe has moved them up quite a few notches in my cookie rankings.  The gimmick with the Good Eats version is using flour made from rolled oats instead of AP flour and this definitely sets them apart in terms of taste.  I found the cookies to have a great toasted/nutty flavor and, as a bonus, they are gluten free.  They're delicious, versatile, and I have to say very good eats.  There will be plenty of these going around at Christmas this year.

This is a pretty straightforward recipe since it doesn't call for any exotic ingredients, though you do need a good food processor to make the flour.  Make sure to thoroughly pulverize the rolled oats into a powder or you may end up with dough that does not come together or gets to dry during baking.  The only change I recommend to the stock version is dropping the granulated sugar a bit since it overpowers the other flavors and is noticeable in the texture.  In my second batch I dropped the sugar from 3.5 ounces to 3.0.

What I love about this recipe, besides making me like oatmeal cookies, is the myriad of flavors you can bring in without fussing with the recipe.  In my first batch I added a mix of 2oz. raisins (not soaked) and 2ox. dried cranberries.  I'm not a big fan of raisins, but the texture works well with the cookie and the cranberries added a little kick.  For the second batch I used 2oz. dried cherries and 2oz. raisins and was even more impressed. Cooking time ranged around 13-14 minutes per six cookie batch.  I didn't bother rotating the pans since my oven has a record of heating evenly.  After cooling, the cookies were crunchy on the outside and still a bit moist in the middle.  I found that it was better to go with a bit larger bit of dough, a rounded scoop in my disher, or the cookies tended to flatten to the point of being too delicate and breaking in the middle.  The larger scoop also helped retain some moisture in the middle.

Good Eats -- Oat Cuisine II is available on iTunes

For my next trick, I will try to replicate one of my favorite treats, the oatmeal/cherry/chocolate Boomchunkas from Cherry Republic in Traverse City, Michigan.  I'm also thinking a crushed candy cane version for Christmas and a mixed dried berry variety with cherries/blueberries/etc.  Any other ideas?

Alton Brown, Pumpkin Pie, and South Park

I don't know if I enjoyed this week's episode of South Park or Good Eats better.  I haven't watched South Park in years, actually didn't know it was still running, but they did an awesome job this week in taking on several Food Network hosts.  Much to my delight, Alton Brown was first and foremost on their minds, with everyone from Bobby Flay to Paula Deen in the mix.  Alton actually appeared in both his Good Eats and Iron Chef personas, which really makes me think they spent some time watching FN or are already fans for GE.  You can find the South Park episode here, it is definitely an adult theme, but done tastefully enough for SP.  Warning, food shows will never be the same after you watch this one :-)

On to the pumpkin show!  The entertainment was kind of lame, with cast members playing Ben Franklin et al. at less than the usual standard, but the knowledge and cooking segments were spot on.  As I had mentioned previously, October would have been better timing for pumpkin season, but at least here in the Midwest you can easily find some decent varieties around.  I'm hoping to test one either the soup or pie recipe next week.

Things have been a little hectic lately with the surprising loss of my favorite pet and other family events. so bear with me.  I did make a batch of Alton's oatmeal cookies last week, which was a success.  The one thing I'd change right off is to drop the granulated sugar by at lest an ounce since it overpowers the other flavors.  I'll get some pics and a full review up soon.  Really :-)

New Good Eats Thursday: Pumpkin Pie

Reminder! The Good  Eats pumpkin pie episode will air Thursday night!  Alton's going all out and making the pumpkin puree from scratch.  Should be interesting to see if it's worth the trouble instead of getting it from a can.  The soup is going to be interesting and definitely something you will only see on Good Eats.  My only beef with Alton on this episode is that it's a month late for most of us to pick up a fresh local pumpkin; something he feels strongly about.  My guess is that FN thought this episode would tie in nicely with all the Thanksgiving shows this week and next.

Food Network actually has the recipes posted already:
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin puree
Whole pumpkin pie soup

Alton Brown Updates

I know, I've been neglecting my blog lately; especially with all the new Good Eats episodes out.  Fear not, I am getting ready to test out some of the new recipes applications this week.  First up are the oatmeal cookies and squash frittata, then I might backtrack to the old butternut squash soup recipe.  I'm thinking about finding a good nutrition calculator out there on the Net and plugging in Alton's recipes to get a rough idea where things fall in line.  My curiosity was piqued by his version of oatmeal cookies with the homemade oat flour; how will that one compare to other recipes.  I have also noticed that a lot of traffic still comes in regarding the Live and Let Diet episode, so there are definitely some people who might be interested in knowing the nutrition info for Good Eats recipes.

In other kitchen news...I had to replace my toaster.  I was dumbfounded by how difficult it is to find a good toaster that is not stainless steel and doesn't cost $300.  I ended up with a hot rod red Bodum Bistro toaster. It's easy to clean, unlike all the stainless in my kitchen, and most importantly it makes great toast.  It's the perfect breakfast companion for my Tassimo coffee maker, though sadly that wasn't available in red :-(


What's Alton Up to this month?  Lots!  Yet another new Good Eats episode is coming up next Thursday (Nov. 18th.) covering one of my favorite desserts, pumpkin pie!  There's at least one more episode due out for season 14: Egg Files VII: Meringue.  Food Network has been shifting the Good Eats schedule around lately, so make sure to check your local times.  I'm getting new GE eps on Thursday @ 7:30pm now!  What?

Alton is appearing at the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland this weekend.  And for the kid in all of us, Alton Brown will be on Sesame Street Nov. 26th and riding along on the Tom Turkey float in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

I'll get some GE recipe reviews up as soon as I do a trial run and maybe talk about some other good things I've been cooking up over the past couple of weeks!

Good Eats: Tempura

I finally was home long enough to sit down and watch last week's Good Eats episode on Tempura!

The best part of the show, at least for me, was the giant Tempura Monster!  Definitely one of the best props I've seen in a while on Good Eats.  Alton's reactions were priceless too.  I say this was the best part for me because, well, I hate deep frying.  I LOVE to order tempura veggies at one of the local sushi joints to kick off my meal, but not enough for me to deal with the whole process and mess.

With that out of the way, I did enjoy this episode for all the information and the amount of focus on the process.  I was a little taken aback by Alton's nastiness towards the electric deep fryers after watching him make corn dogs in one on the first Man Food episode the other day.  Tune in this Friday night @7pm to catch it if you have an electric range like myself and are interested in electric fryers. And while I'm sure it works well, using two different flours and 100 proof vodka for what is supposed to be a basic recipe seems downright complicated for most people, though Alton is known for making things overly complicated from time to time.  It would be interesting to know if actual Japanese chefs are using flour mixes or straight AP flour int he restaurants.

Another new Good Eats episode is coming up this Thursday night: Oat Cuisine II.  Food Network doesn't ave any recipes listed yet, so I'm interested to see what concoctions AB comes up with for adding oats to the daily menu.  I picked up a bag of rolled oats while at the store today just in case!

Alton Brown's Pork Wellington Revisited

A little over a year ago I tested Alton Brown's pork Wellington as featured in Good Eats; Tender is the Pork.  It was good, relatively easy to prepare, and looked wonderful as a centerpiece to a meal.  I thought it could use more flavor, or at least a different set of flavors. Click here for the old review

I made the following modifications to Alton's Pork Wellington application:

• substituted the prosciutto with rosemary & sun-dried tomato deli ham

• omitted the mustard, left it as a condiment
• omitted the apple rings
• stuffed the tenderloin with goat cheese and raw baby spinach
• substituted the thyme with fresh sage from my garden

With the adjustments I made it turned out wonderful.  The goat cheese added a nice kick and dressed it up even more for presentation.  This is truly a versatile dish with endless possibilities since pork works well with so many flavors.  I'm already pondering new versions such as sauerkraut or roasted veggies.


A few preparation tips:

• Make sure you allow enough time for the puff pastry to thaw before starting your prep work
• Balance the moisture content of the filling with new variations, the loin is juicy already
• Make sure to use parchment paper when baking
• After moving the Wellington to a cooling rack, cut a few small slits in the bottom to let excess moisture drain or it may come flooding out when you slice it for serving

Feel free to leave comments about any ideas you have for new variations!

p.s. Sorry, didn't have a chance to take any pictures this time!

New Good Eats Airing Soon

A couple of new Good Eats episodes will be airing on Food Network very soon!  Alton will be tackling tempura, oats, and Halloween candy.

October 7th:
Fry Hard III: Fry, Tempura, Fry!

October 14th:
Oat Cuisine II

October 28th:
All Hallows Eats

Recipes are not listed on FN's site yet, but sometimes they do get them up before the shows air.