In celebration of AB

I have been a devout watcher of the Food Network for almost 8 years now. I've had my share of favorite personalities over the years. Ming Tsai is sorely missed. He was eloquent, creative and extremely watchable. Like everyone else, I went through my Emeril phase before his schtick got a little old.

In 2000, I discovered my culinary hero, Alton Brown. He's my absolute favorite for so many reasons. First and foremost, he's not here to show the world how fancy he can cook or to push his restaurant. He's here to educate and enlighten. For him, success lies in preparing simple, Good Eats.

He also concentrates on technique and science rather than recipes. As an engineer I can really appreciate this approach. Knowing what goes on in a pan or on the stove has made cooking so much more fun for me. Instead of blindly searching for good food, I can now predict, create and innovate in my own home. Knowledge of cooking technique and science has given me the ability to be a chef, and not just a cook.

Finally, he's fun and entertaining to watch. He's not just a pretty face behind a countertop. His show is dynamic and wacky, but always with a serious eye for food. Segments on nutrition and food anthropology, featuring excellent guest commentators, elevate foods to more than just "stuff we eat". Frankly, I never get more excited about cooking anything than I do after seeing one of his shows.

Jenny and I had the great fortune of attending a book signing for his 2nd cookbook, I'm Just Here for More Food. I was a little nervous about meeting him. After all, what do you say to a celebrity who's met a billion raving fans? My butterflies were calmed as his handlers led me up to his table. He eagerly extended his hand and said,"Hi, my name's Alton. What's yours?" He was funny, eager to talk and meet with his fans and share in the joy of food. Great guy. It should be noted that he talked to EVERY fan who came, much to the chagrin of the bookstore staff. My few minutes talking to him were worth the hours in line.

If you've never seen his show or read his books, I'd highly recommend them. Many people ask me how they can learn to cook and I always tell them to check out his first book I'm Just Here for the Food. It's pretty much the textbook for Cooking 101. If you've got cable, his show is even better. It's like having a cooking instructor come into your home daily.

I'm sure we'll revisit him and his show in future installments of NTSC.

P.S. - Here's a great review of AB and Good Eats