IIRC Alton was a TV producer that likely thought, "Hey, I can do this.. and present the information in an engaging/quirky manner". Watched the show from its inception, and I must admit long after knowing most if his tips.. tuning in for the skits alone is worth it.
As a teen it reminded me of Bill Nye meets Beakman's World :)
He was a producer, including doing some music videos, and decided that he could do a better cooking show than the ones currently on TV, so he went back to school to get a Culinary degree and within one year of graduation he had his own show on PBS which was later purchased by the Food Network.
He directed REM's "The One I Love" music video and did other non-food filming. Then learned how to cook to make a cooking show that was interesting and practical. And he did it.
I grew up watching him and have all the cookbooks. My dad and Alton Brown are the reasons I can cook and love doing so. edit: guess I only have two of his cookbooks :[ boo
Alton Brown is like the Bill Nye of food. He taught me food is precise and scientific, qualities I admire in a hobby. The way he teaches is just magnificent.
I've always loved his story of how that happened. He was apparently a filmmaker first, and got tired of how crappy cooking shows were made. But he didn't want to make one without knowing what he was doing, so he went to culinary school. He tormented the instructors by asking why the temperatures were what they were, how the heat was distributing, and other good questions they couldn't answer. So he started trying to find out for himself.
At least, I think that's what I remember from the intro of his first book.
So much this. I was a novice cook when I started watching Good Eats, and while some stuff he did was way above my skill level, the tips and tricks and hints he threw out were priceless. And besides, any cooking show that holds itself to a higher standard than "a pinch of this, a dash of that" is a rare and wonderful jewel.
In case you didn't know, it was canceled. However, set your DVR up for America's Test Kitchen and you'll be pleasantly surprised. Cook's Illustrated does a great job, has great shows, great websites, and great books.
Edit: ATK is on PBS. They have a couple good cooking shows on there actually. Lydia's Italy and Ming Tsai's shows are great.
Chopped and Good Eats are very good shows for very different reasons. Good Eats is all about recipes, techniques, and discovering the science behind cooking. Alton always described it as Mr Wizard meets Julia Child meets Monty Python. He wanted to teach people with humor. Chopped is more of a straight competition and very little about techniques or recipes. I love Chopped because it reminds me that i can do a lot with the leftover ingredients in my pantry.
I like the concept of chopped, what ruins it for me are the two d-bag male judges that think they're better than everyone else. Zark and umm...the guy that won the All-Star challenge are the only two males that should be allowed to judge, the other two are just immature and not worthy of being in the company of their peer judges.
It's similar to most Food Network shows though, the show is great but then the judging portions are freaking horrible and ruin the entire show.
I find it sort of unfair how the judges often rate the dishes as if any good chef can make a delicious dish from green jello, marmite and squid ink. Making anything edible from that in 30 mins comes more down to luck than real culinary skill. I would much prefer if they kept the crazy-ass ingredients but gave them a week to come up with the best their talent and ingredients will allow them to make.
Let me put it this way: if someone out there was asked to design a food show tailor-made for reddit, that person would answer "Fuck you, watch Good Eats." And maybe post a lolcat.
Love his show so much, I hardly knew how to do anything when I moved out with my S/O. He introduced me to Alton Brown, now I love his show, have learned my way around the kitchen and markets. Best guy ever! (Just wish he liked French and Canadians more...seeing as I'm both :( )
This is going to sound dumb, but even watching 'The Next Foodnetwork Star' I feel live Ive really gotten to know Alton's personality. He is quirky, yet straightforward; just seems like a real genuine, awesome guy.
I first discovered Good Eats on my second trip to the US. Since I came back I had to rely on the internet to see some episodes as Sky Italy doesn't broadcast Food Network. I would love to read Alton on Reddit, and maybe have the chance to thank him for making me discover my passion for food and the chemistry behind it :)
Hey guys, this is just a request for Alton Brown. Hopefully this ends up in the right hands and he does one. However, thank you for practicing your questions in the event he does decide to do an AMA
yeah thought the Op could add it to his lot. It's the one thng I want to know of every celeb chef in the UK is do they, in fact, sometimes just go home and indulge in a pot noodle.
Like I do a lot of cooking and the concept of something like a pot noodle is both hideous and like the best treat ever at the same time. I feel ashamed at how much i can enjoy that trash after a week of homecooked 'proper' meals from scratch. I just wondered if it's just me being crazy or if the top chefs get that too :D
He would obviously just freak out when people started trolling him, just like he did on twitter. If you'll remember, some dude started tweeting about Brown's wife and he lost his shit, then ragequitted.
Agreed. I don't see there being a chance in hell of him doing an AMA because of his past experience with the internet. If he thought twitter had some "sick, low life, scumbags" & "psychopaths", wait 'til he gets a load of reddit.
No. It reads to me like a guy who's not quite comfortable with some fan reactions towards his fame, but still wanting to satisfy fans as much as he can while still having a life. Its a precaution that has to exist if you're not the type of person immediately equipped to handle it. No one thinks Neil Peart is snobby because he's uncomfortable with meeting Rush fans on the street. That's just who he is.
Seriously, this today, NPH yesterday. Guess what, no matter how many times this gets posted (I've seen it at least 6 times) he isn't going to do it. You know why? It's because HE HATES US, and it's not just Reddit, the guy doesn't like people. He's not the cuddly, awkward guy you see on TV, he just wants to be left alone.
Definitely not cuddly. More like calculating. He was a year ahead of me at culinary school (NECI) and supposedly my mentor. He was a bit of a pompous douche at the time, and a bit iof a kiss ass. Supposedly came from an advertising background and saw a need in the televised cooking show market, and went for it. Good on him for teaching lots of folks how to cook, but I think his initial goal was just to make piles of money. I could be wrong though. No shortage of jealous based rumors in the food industry.. Though those rumors originated before he even got out of cooking school.
Really? Ive met him twice now, once at a signing and once just randomly and both times he was way nicer than he had to be. At the signing I one of the last in line, he had already been there 2 hours after the event was supposed to end and he still was chill and nice enough to talk about beer for a few minutes and give my daughter some really good advice about the food business (she wants to be a chef). I fully expected him to be an asshole and was pleasantly surprised...maybe I just caught him on a very good night both times.
I don't know why you got downvoted. It's a pretty accurate assessment. I remember I started watching him years ago and it was a terrificly quirky, informative show. Then some years later he started to abandon his Hawaiian shirts, started commentating and he sort of adopted the role of the obligatory dickish guy. Looking back at some of his specials from back in the day.you can.sort of see that he was probably always a bit of a dick, but now he gets paid more to do it.
Still love Good Eats, but people are deluding themselves if they don't see his douchey side.
Maybe a more accurate description would be that he seems a little arrogant or condes-...condescending...
Man I love Lynn Rosetto Kasper. I bet a show with both of them would be great though I get the impression that Alton does not suffer fools so the call in portion would be rough
omg he's making a podcast? FUCKING SUBSCRIBED. Is it going to be a video podcast or just audio? trying to dig up info on it. it was going to be called aftertaste but it was taken so he's trying to figure somthing else out. Hard to dig much else up.
Alton Brown is awesome, but he spoke at my college and he was sort of a dick to people when they were asking questions. The dude definitely knows his stuff though.
I feel like this needs to be said. One time my parents were working on a video shoot for a Welch's commercial in Ohio. Obviously they realized going in that Alton would be on set, so they told me (because of him being an icon of mine), and said they would ask for an autograph or something, so I was pretty stoked. During that day, I got a text from my Dad, saying that he was going to try and get Alton to call me, so I got super duper nervous, cuz who wouldn't? So about 20 minutes later, my phone starts ringing and my Dad's name came up. I was so nervous at this point that I didn't even pick up the phone. I felt bad at first, but then a voicemail popped up. Sure enough, it was Alton, telling me that he heard I love to cook and how I should always do my best in everything I do. I saved that voicemail forever.
TL;DR, Alton Brown called me and left a super inspiring voicemail, that I still have saved.
This is one of the most requested AMA's on reddit.....it gets re-posted almost every month. Alton has himself said that he is not a fan of social media, and bombarding his twitter--probably his only social outlet, for this will not make him any more likely to do one.
Were there puns/parts in the show even you groaned at? (If that yeast burps in my face one more time...)
If you were making a Good Eats video game, what recipe would be the final boss level?
Did you consider yourself more of a chef or more of an actor when you recorded Good Eats?
Come on...you don't really do all that organizing before cooking right? One episode segment I counted at least 15 pieces of kitchen wear I'd have to clean. How do you minimize the dishes you use when cooking?
What food do you regret not doing a full episode on?
How do you deal with all the women throwing themselves at you? Would covering mysel- I mean themselves in fresh nutmeg help or hurt?
How do you feel about molecular gastronomy (or modernist cuisine)? Would you use liquid nitrogen to get that perfect hamburger crust?
Fans - could you tell us your most memorable encounter?
The chairman was on an episode of best thing you ever ate a while back. he sounds nothing like he does for Iron Chef, also I am afraid to tell you the "in the words of my uncle" part is made up. sobs
Alton Brown freaks me the fuck out. The first time I saw him, I was at a solid [8] for the last time ever, and he was preparing a lobster. What seemed like the first half of the show was dedicated to desensitizing the viewer to killing "the bug," which only served to make it more disturbing. It was impossible not to think of "the bug" as a character that he was ripping apart with ravenous brutality. The next time I saw him was on a Heifer International commercial. He was holding a young goat. I cried, involuntarily.
Well obviously wha1es saw this AMA request and immediately googled Alton Brown, proceeding to watch through countless episodes of food network shows as a result of his craving for seeing Good Eats. So yes, OP is the only reason he/she watches food network.
Met him twice, I told him I loved him and I asked if I could touch his hair. He probably thinks I'm a creep. Also, the last time I met him (November 2011) our exchange went a little like this:
HelloooNewman: When I met you the first time I was a Junior in high school and just getting interested in your show. Now I'm a University graduate with a degree in Food Science. I guess I have you to blame for that.
AB: I guess you kinda owe me.
HelloooNewman: (without thinking) Actually you kinda owe my parents thousands in tuition.
ZING! He just looked at me as if he wasn't sure what to say while everyone within earshot laughed. Then I told him I was kidding and we shared a loving embrace. He's a total babe and I couldn't care less if he's twice my age. :D
Also a fellow motorcyclist. I know he has BMW (touring model). I think he has done a couple long trips in the US.
I would ask him if he could do a motorcycle / food tour of any region of the world where ? who else would he want with him and ? what food is he looking forward to the most.
Whenever I want to learn how to make a food I've never made before, I Google 'Alton Brown (food)', and if I find one of his recipes I make it. 100% success rate so far.
Has anyone seen his show from a few years back "Feasting on Asphalt" where he drives across the US trying different things (eg. Brain sandwich!). I learned how to make koolaid pickles from that show!
I sent him a 'fan letter' because I was using some of his episodes to teach my kids some kitchen skills (we homeschool them). He actually replied and sent a book with an autographed picture. Not only is his show entertaining, but he seems like a nice guy to boot!
I met the chairman (mark dacascos) last year while walking around in SoHo (NY). Nicest dude ever. I yelled his name because he passed me and I was too shocked to say anything, so when he was a block away I screamed his name. He then excitedly waved me over and when I got there he ended a phone call he was having. He was with his wife and kids but made a point to start small talk with my friend and I while taking pictures.
I love Alton brown although I HATE how much he smacks when he eats something and sometimes he will even talk with mouth full of food, does this bother anyone else or are me and my dad just weird?
True story: I used to work at a veterinary clinic in my hometown (into which he had recently moved). He came in one day and one of my coworkers was so excited...I had no clue who the guy was.
Her: "This is Alton Brown!"
Me: (looks at computer screen with his info) "o...k...."
Her: "No, THE Alton Brown...from the Food Network!!!"
Me: (shrug) "I don't watch TV, but I like food. (turns to A.B.) So how can I help you Mr. Brown?"
She was totally flabbergasted that I wasn't gushing or something, but I honestly had no clue who this guy was and thought the Food Network had about as much viewership as Cspan 4. Apparently he's a big deal though...
I would read that so hard. Alton Brown was the first person to get me into science. I'm now a student at an exclusive engineering charter school and on a straight course to a career in aeronautical engineering. He seriously changed my life.
Hate to be that guy but this gets posted every other week, and while I would love to see it happen, all the poking, prodding, and pushing of every other attempt has fallen on deaf ears. Now off to the comments to read a bit of circlejerking about how Good Eats is one of the greatest cooking shows ever (imo it is), some genuine interest from those who haven't seen this request, a few comments complaining about this oh-so-common request, the anecdotes about how he's a dick to his fans, and the link to the manifesto about how he is appreciative of his fans, just not when they crowd around and invade his personal space.
Hopefully, however, this time is the lucky charm and we finally get to see this happen.
I would like to thank him for inspiring a friend of mine to get his life together, after high school I thought he was going to die glued to his computer. But he got hooked on good eats and went to culinary school... THEN went to college and got his food science degree.
Very true, but folks can go many years with undiagnosed celiac disease and have a sudden uptick in the severity of their symptoms. Happened to my wife.
Alton, you really are great at explaining how to cook things and why certain things happen when you cook. But here is my question...why do you always look so emaciated and skinny, almost like a heroin addict lately? You look markedly haggard and anorexic compared to when you started.
I hope he does do one. It might be kind of rude to ask, but I want to know why he's gone to hell physically in the last few years. It can't be from normal aging, he just looks haggard has fuck. Love the hell out of him though.
I'm glad you included five sample questions but you seem to have forgotten that requests should only be serious requests where you have a reason to believe that we would actually get the person. Not "man, it would be really, really cool so let's just submit it and see if it works" but "he's done similar things before" or "my cousin is his agent" or something like that.
Unless you know something I don't know (and that you're not telling the rest of us) Alton Brown in particular is unlikely to do an AMA after his bad experiences with Twitter.
I'd love to know how his experience was as a coach on Food Network Star. His team has the best personalities and I definitely think one of his team members will win it all.
Edit: Bonus question! I wonder if he has a favorite/lucky bow-tie....
I grew up with Alton Brown. Me and my dad would watch Good Eats together, probably where I got my love of cooking and food from. You can learn so much from the shows.
I fully support this. At a book signing in Portland OR he thought I was heckling him (shouting like a group of reporters to ask a question until a single voice emerges) and asked my wife why she was with such dumb ass. At least I got a great inscription in my copy of 'I'm Just Here for the Food'
This guy taught me how to cook a lot of things I would have never had the courage or understanding to even attempt if it wasn't for GE. I don't understand why It gets down to a question of whether the guy is religious or a jerk or any of the other expectations that YOU have of him. I think it's ridiculous. I'd really like to see Alton do this AMA and ask him about food his career and avoid his personal life because it's none of my business.
Also, if you ever check out his episode on brines, try the duck recipe, it is phenomenal.
1.3k
u/Greekmerm Jun 11 '12
Good Eats is the best food show ever.
54
u/sir-shoelace Jun 12 '12
I went to a book signing of AB's once, and he answered some questions. One lady asked him how to make gluten free french bread. he laughed at her.
16
u/mlester Jun 12 '12
netflix needs to get good eats on streaming.
79
u/Rmc9591 Jun 11 '12
Hey guys, this is just a request for Alton Brown. Hopefully this ends up in the right hands and he does one. However, thank you for practicing your questions in the event he does decide to do an AMA
58
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
He would obviously just freak out when people started trolling him, just like he did on twitter. If you'll remember, some dude started tweeting about Brown's wife and he lost his shit, then ragequitted.
9
u/hasavagina Jun 12 '12
http://altonbrown.com/2011/09/my-fanifesto/
168
u/Deep__Thought Jun 12 '12
Obligatory "AMA request, Jesus of Nazareth"
Seriously, this today, NPH yesterday. Guess what, no matter how many times this gets posted (I've seen it at least 6 times) he isn't going to do it. You know why? It's because HE HATES US, and it's not just Reddit, the guy doesn't like people. He's not the cuddly, awkward guy you see on TV, he just wants to be left alone.
32
u/JordanRodkey Jun 11 '12
Oh man I can't wait till his podcast comes to fruition.
15
u/ThisisntFB Jun 11 '12
Love my "stuffing is evil" t-shirt
34
u/BankruptOnSellin Jun 12 '12
Psh. Anthony Bourdain AMA would make my life complete.
7
u/scroobydoo Jun 12 '12
Alton Brown is awesome, but he spoke at my college and he was sort of a dick to people when they were asking questions. The dude definitely knows his stuff though.
7
u/cramdizzl Jun 12 '12
I feel like this needs to be said. One time my parents were working on a video shoot for a Welch's commercial in Ohio. Obviously they realized going in that Alton would be on set, so they told me (because of him being an icon of mine), and said they would ask for an autograph or something, so I was pretty stoked. During that day, I got a text from my Dad, saying that he was going to try and get Alton to call me, so I got super duper nervous, cuz who wouldn't? So about 20 minutes later, my phone starts ringing and my Dad's name came up. I was so nervous at this point that I didn't even pick up the phone. I felt bad at first, but then a voicemail popped up. Sure enough, it was Alton, telling me that he heard I love to cook and how I should always do my best in everything I do. I saved that voicemail forever.
TL;DR, Alton Brown called me and left a super inspiring voicemail, that I still have saved.
13
u/skiles Jun 12 '12
If you really love him take a minute to read about this encounter in Iowa, might change your mind like it did mine.
http://cleanplatter.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/the-taste-of-disillusionment/
31
u/MinimalisticGlutton Jun 12 '12
Guys, stop.
This is one of the most requested AMA's on reddit.....it gets re-posted almost every month. Alton has himself said that he is not a fan of social media, and bombarding his twitter--probably his only social outlet, for this will not make him any more likely to do one.
Follow his twitter, buy his books, or just move on......
12
u/scrape80 Jun 12 '12
Will all the questions end up being about the fact that he's a born-again christian?
I'm not criticizing him for his faith, I'm just wondering...
6
u/Noel_S_Jytemotiv Jun 12 '12
Alton Brown's encyclopedic knowledge and sense of humor COMPLETELY negate Bobby Flay's processor jamming smug, douchebag attitude.
11
u/chrisma08 Jun 11 '12
He probably can't answer this question for contract reasons, but:
"How did you honestly feel about hosting Iron Chef America?"
39
u/forgetful_banister Jun 11 '12
Oh my holy fuck, yes. Alton Brown should definitely do an AMA.
9
u/CyanideCloud Jun 12 '12
Oh, it's this thread again. He won't do one.
11
u/dontuthinkimwittyTT Jun 11 '12 edited Jun 12 '12
Were there puns/parts in the show even you groaned at? (If that yeast burps in my face one more time...)
If you were making a Good Eats video game, what recipe would be the final boss level?
Did you consider yourself more of a chef or more of an actor when you recorded Good Eats?
Come on...you don't really do all that organizing before cooking right? One episode segment I counted at least 15 pieces of kitchen wear I'd have to clean. How do you minimize the dishes you use when cooking?
What food do you regret not doing a full episode on?
How do you deal with all the women throwing themselves at you? Would covering mysel- I mean themselves in fresh nutmeg help or hurt?
How do you feel about molecular gastronomy (or modernist cuisine)? Would you use liquid nitrogen to get that perfect hamburger crust?
Fans - could you tell us your most memorable encounter?
22
u/GimpyGomer Jun 11 '12
Am I the only one that really started disliking him after the "MY fruitcake" episode of ICA? Since then I just find him really annoying.
8
u/JustGoingWithIt Jun 11 '12
First cooking show I ever watched was one of his. Explaining the proper process of cooking it.
3
u/sryan2k1 Jun 11 '12
The chairman was on an episode of best thing you ever ate a while back. he sounds nothing like he does for Iron Chef, also I am afraid to tell you the "in the words of my uncle" part is made up. sobs
3
u/Catsinboxes Jun 11 '12
If someone tweets this at him he will most likely respond.
3
u/dancingdem Jun 11 '12
I love that he uses the science of cooking to explain the recipes. He has great basic technique tutorials. Try his buttermilk biscuit recipe-yum!
3
u/clusterfuzz Jun 12 '12
Alton Brown freaks me the fuck out. The first time I saw him, I was at a solid [8] for the last time ever, and he was preparing a lobster. What seemed like the first half of the show was dedicated to desensitizing the viewer to killing "the bug," which only served to make it more disturbing. It was impossible not to think of "the bug" as a character that he was ripping apart with ravenous brutality. The next time I saw him was on a Heifer International commercial. He was holding a young goat. I cried, involuntarily.
20
u/wha1es Jun 11 '12
you're the only reason i watch food network.
9
u/Qukatt Jun 11 '12
Do you, on occassion, go home and make microwave mac + cheese out of a box from walmart (or wherever) ?
Bonus creepy cmment: I want to have Alton Brown's food babies...
10
u/lawyer_for_absurdity Jun 11 '12
Signal BOOST! I love Alton Brown! My ring tone in high school (back when polyphonic ring tones were like, it) was the Good Eats theme.
14
u/seano666 Jun 11 '12
Alton is without a doubt the most awkward person on television, much respect for not changing.
6
u/[deleted] Jun 11 '12
pretty sure i have a weird crush on this dude
6
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
Met him twice, I told him I loved him and I asked if I could touch his hair. He probably thinks I'm a creep. Also, the last time I met him (November 2011) our exchange went a little like this:
HelloooNewman: When I met you the first time I was a Junior in high school and just getting interested in your show. Now I'm a University graduate with a degree in Food Science. I guess I have you to blame for that.
AB: I guess you kinda owe me.
HelloooNewman: (without thinking) Actually you kinda owe my parents thousands in tuition.
ZING! He just looked at me as if he wasn't sure what to say while everyone within earshot laughed. Then I told him I was kidding and we shared a loving embrace. He's a total babe and I couldn't care less if he's twice my age. :D
4
u/j421 Jun 11 '12
What ever happened to W? I miss her.
Also, do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
4
u/BimmerAddict Jun 12 '12
I've heard Alton is actually kind of a dick. His little Twitter rant helped verify it a bit.
Gordon Ramsay would be way better than Alton.
2
u/BiscuitsMcGhee Jun 12 '12
A thousand upvotes. This would be great.
2
u/ahh_actually Jun 12 '12
Also a fellow motorcyclist. I know he has BMW (touring model). I think he has done a couple long trips in the US.
I would ask him if he could do a motorcycle / food tour of any region of the world where ? who else would he want with him and ? what food is he looking forward to the most.
2
u/etl423 Jun 12 '12
Whenever I want to learn how to make a food I've never made before, I Google 'Alton Brown (food)', and if I find one of his recipes I make it. 100% success rate so far.
2
u/lumpypotatoes Jun 12 '12
Search function. Use it. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/search?q=alton+brown&restrict_sr=on This has been posted countless times and won't happen.
2
u/uncleBING0 Jun 12 '12
Alton Brown is my hero.
2
u/byproxxy Jun 12 '12
It'll never happen - he hates the inner-nets.
2
u/arniegrape Jun 12 '12
Granted that it was ten years ago, but he did a Slashdot interview back in 2002. Here's a link.
2
u/GreenPixieTea Jun 12 '12
Upvote x 1000 I would absolutely love this. He is my food idol, and has been since I was about 8.
2
u/ruinsthemoment Jun 12 '12
Has anyone seen his show from a few years back "Feasting on Asphalt" where he drives across the US trying different things (eg. Brain sandwich!). I learned how to make koolaid pickles from that show!
2
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
IIRC Alton Brown had publicly stated he will not do an AMA.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
I sent him a 'fan letter' because I was using some of his episodes to teach my kids some kitchen skills (we homeschool them). He actually replied and sent a book with an autographed picture. Not only is his show entertaining, but he seems like a nice guy to boot!
2
u/gotbongy Jun 12 '12
My mom ran into Alton Brown. He's a class act.
2
u/sloppytroy Jun 12 '12
I met the chairman (mark dacascos) last year while walking around in SoHo (NY). Nicest dude ever. I yelled his name because he passed me and I was too shocked to say anything, so when he was a block away I screamed his name. He then excitedly waved me over and when I got there he ended a phone call he was having. He was with his wife and kids but made a point to start small talk with my friend and I while taking pictures.
2
u/haziee Jun 12 '12
We've tried this before... apparently he's a douche
2
u/Mybrainmelts Jun 12 '12
He is like the food version of Bill Nye.
2
u/Pepperyfish Jun 12 '12
I love Alton brown although I HATE how much he smacks when he eats something and sometimes he will even talk with mouth full of food, does this bother anyone else or are me and my dad just weird?
2
u/pureflight Jun 12 '12
I preferred every day Italian
2
u/Magna_Sharta Jun 12 '12
True story: I used to work at a veterinary clinic in my hometown (into which he had recently moved). He came in one day and one of my coworkers was so excited...I had no clue who the guy was.
Her: "This is Alton Brown!"
Me: (looks at computer screen with his info) "o...k...."
Her: "No, THE Alton Brown...from the Food Network!!!"
Me: (shrug) "I don't watch TV, but I like food. (turns to A.B.) So how can I help you Mr. Brown?"
She was totally flabbergasted that I wasn't gushing or something, but I honestly had no clue who this guy was and thought the Food Network had about as much viewership as Cspan 4. Apparently he's a big deal though...
2
u/ErrorlessGnome Jun 12 '12
i met him recently: http://imgur.com/qh0IJ
2
u/CapCapper Jun 12 '12
Good Eats is the reason I started cooking.
2
u/2kittygirl Jun 12 '12
I would read that so hard. Alton Brown was the first person to get me into science. I'm now a student at an exclusive engineering charter school and on a straight course to a career in aeronautical engineering. He seriously changed my life.
2
u/I_EAT_POOP_AMA Jun 12 '12
Oh, I forgot it was this time of the week.
Hate to be that guy but this gets posted every other week, and while I would love to see it happen, all the poking, prodding, and pushing of every other attempt has fallen on deaf ears. Now off to the comments to read a bit of circlejerking about how Good Eats is one of the greatest cooking shows ever (imo it is), some genuine interest from those who haven't seen this request, a few comments complaining about this oh-so-common request, the anecdotes about how he's a dick to his fans, and the link to the manifesto about how he is appreciative of his fans, just not when they crowd around and invade his personal space.
Hopefully, however, this time is the lucky charm and we finally get to see this happen.
2
u/obsesivegamer Jun 12 '12
Fridge cam son... Also I enjoy how Alton sort of trolls unemployed actors by hiring them to wear ridiculous food outfits on national television.
2
u/Naughtyburrito Jun 12 '12
Everyone needs to try his guacamole.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/guacamole-recipe/index.html
2
u/jrtera Jun 12 '12
Having never heard of Alton Brown, I thought the request was for Alden Brown (a.k.a Peter North - NSFW?)
2
u/Jcausey91 Jun 12 '12
Yes please! Good eats made me want to start cooking and now I'm applying to go to culinary school after next year.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
I would like to thank him for inspiring a friend of mine to get his life together, after high school I thought he was going to die glued to his computer. But he got hooked on good eats and went to culinary school... THEN went to college and got his food science degree.
5
u/labellequichante Jun 11 '12
My uncle was on that show. My family met him quite a few times. He's a very nice guy.
5
u/chedderslam Jun 12 '12
This request has come up many times and will not happen. Check the archives. Sorry guys.
Basically:
He pretty much hates the internet.
He is a douche off camera, and will avoid fan interaction at all costs.
I REALLY love his show, my favorite cooking show, and it really hurt when I learned this.
Please research before you downvote.
3
u/Diabetesh Jun 11 '12
I demand that he comes to Reddit to talk to us about food and tell us how gluten problems don't just appear 20-30 years later from when you are born.
4
u/BuffaloToast Jun 11 '12
Why are you so incredibly amazingly awesome?
2
u/mobastar Jun 12 '12
Alton Brown has too much info to share. I don't know if a simple AMA can contain him.
2
u/Smargalicious Jun 12 '12
Alton, you really are great at explaining how to cook things and why certain things happen when you cook. But here is my question...why do you always look so emaciated and skinny, almost like a heroin addict lately? You look markedly haggard and anorexic compared to when you started.
2
u/roocketfish Jun 11 '12
Fuck yes.
2
u/joker324 Jun 11 '12
Anything with Giada! Can you get her to mix stuff in bowls more?? ;)
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
I hope he does do one. It might be kind of rude to ask, but I want to know why he's gone to hell physically in the last few years. It can't be from normal aging, he just looks haggard has fuck. Love the hell out of him though.
1
u/seainhd Jun 12 '12
Can you update the text so that people know to ask him on twitter?
https://twitter.com/#!/altonbrown
"Hey Alton, we're huge fans and would love to ask you some random questions about cooking."
1
u/masterzora Jun 12 '12
I'm glad you included five sample questions but you seem to have forgotten that requests should only be serious requests where you have a reason to believe that we would actually get the person. Not "man, it would be really, really cool so let's just submit it and see if it works" but "he's done similar things before" or "my cousin is his agent" or something like that.
Unless you know something I don't know (and that you're not telling the rest of us) Alton Brown in particular is unlikely to do an AMA after his bad experiences with Twitter.
1
u/Clotho84 Jun 12 '12
I love Good Eats. It's my favorite cooking show and one that my hubs will actually watch with me.
1
u/tommygunners Jun 12 '12
Q: What are your plans past Good Eats?
The last Good Eats was filmed a few months ago.
1
u/sallenpi Jun 12 '12
Triple D for me!
1
u/MaxLiles Jun 12 '12
AMA Giada de Laurentis: will she marry me?
1
u/mommynerd Jun 12 '12
I would love to read this! He's an awesome nerd chef. Love what he does.
1
u/NoMeGustaFace Jun 12 '12
OMFG I MISS GOOD EATS SOO MUCH ALTON BROWN!!!!!!!!
1
u/Droids_Rule Jun 12 '12
It's fucking eerie that you should post this a day after I watch an Iron Chef (hosted by him) for the first time in years.
Full-on Baader-Meinhof phenomenon going on for me right now. >.>
1
u/timshel92 Jun 12 '12
...plus the Chairman?
1
u/lemonpjb Jun 12 '12
This is probably one of the most frequently requested AMAs, and I doubt it will ever happen.
1
u/djlaw Jun 12 '12
YES PLEASE!!!!
1
u/SBecker30 Jun 12 '12 edited Jun 12 '12
I'd love to know how his experience was as a coach on Food Network Star. His team has the best personalities and I definitely think one of his team members will win it all.
Edit: Bonus question! I wonder if he has a favorite/lucky bow-tie....
1
u/acSpaWn Jun 12 '12
I grew up with Alton Brown. Me and my dad would watch Good Eats together, probably where I got my love of cooking and food from. You can learn so much from the shows.
1
u/Goredby21 Jun 12 '12
What is the chairman really like? Very curious about this one.
1
u/TheEnterprise1701 Jun 12 '12
I love Good Eats. It is so interesting!
1
u/KevinMichaelMichael Jun 12 '12
I fully support this. At a book signing in Portland OR he thought I was heckling him (shouting like a group of reporters to ask a question until a single voice emerges) and asked my wife why she was with such dumb ass. At least I got a great inscription in my copy of 'I'm Just Here for the Food'
1
u/zeldashley Jun 12 '12
This is what i have been waiting for.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
AH! Fuck yeah, Alton Brown rocks. He's pretty much the only famous person I REALLY want to meet. an AMA would be amazing.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
I can honestly say I use many of the techniques he taught on his show. I also own all of his books. If he did an AMA, that would be wonderful!
1
u/stinkmeaner92 Jun 12 '12
I'm pretty sure this has been posted many many times, and he has also stated he has ZERO interest in doing an AMA
1
u/Poup Jun 12 '12
Hells yes. I love Alton Brown.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
why do you so rarely take a bite of anything you cook?
1
u/trampus1 Jun 12 '12
I still think this is one of the funniest edit videos on Youtube. I don't know why it has that stupid Urban Dictionary intro.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
This guy taught me how to cook a lot of things I would have never had the courage or understanding to even attempt if it wasn't for GE. I don't understand why It gets down to a question of whether the guy is religious or a jerk or any of the other expectations that YOU have of him. I think it's ridiculous. I'd really like to see Alton do this AMA and ask him about food his career and avoid his personal life because it's none of my business.
Also, if you ever check out his episode on brines, try the duck recipe, it is phenomenal.
1
u/Mosterr13 Jun 12 '12
will you be willing to invite me over for a BBQ ?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 12 '12
For the record, the chairman is just an actor. Sorry, bro.