Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen by Alton Brown
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Book Reviews of Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen
Book Review: A surprising introduction to Alton Brown and Good Eats
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me be clear, although I had heard mention of this guy from my friends for the last decade or so, I had never watched an episode before pickup up this book. I was in the market for getting some new pots and pans, because I had pans where the non-stick teflon was coming off in my food. My friend Mitt had this book in her living room, and I opened up the book, oddly enough, to the section on how to season a cast-iron pan. I had a skillet that I had tried this with before in the past, and it just ended up... well... messy. Alton's brief section actually did a good job of explaining how to do it. At that point, I was hooked. After borrowing the book (and realizing that I need to get rid of half of the useless single purpose crap in my kitchen), I finally bought my own copy. I've been watching some of the old show clips on You tube, and I definitely see some of the same humor that was in the book reflected in the show.
So label me a fan, but because of this book, not because of the show (which is good, too).
Book Review: Alton Hits It Again
Summary: 5 Stars
Whether or not you agree with Alton Brown on every point he makes, you have to admit that he is not shy about giving his opinion, often in the face of generations of contrary tradition. Alton believes in multi-tasking, and he has a point; in my kitchen, most likely in yours, 20 percent of the implements do 80 percent of the work. Even in the most capacious kitchens, space comes at a premium. Ever injure yourself clattering through a drawer-full of this and that? You get my point. Kitchen tools and implements need to earn their stripes in terms of both quality and utility. For this reason, Alton's great taxonomy in "Gear" lays out an extremely useful framework, if anything, to avoid buying something expensive and needless. The serious cook cannot help but disagree with something Alton propounds, and yet still benefit from the depth of his viewpoint. This is an important culinary work, and a good read as well.Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com
Book Review: This book has made me buy more cooking stuff!
Summary: 5 Stars
Jammed full of helpful advice and practical knowledge, this unique book on cooking (i.e., not a "cookbook", but rather a tome dedicated to understanding the accoutrements of food preparation) has encouraged me to buy more new kitchen equipment than any other epicurean guide. O prospective buyer of this book, be forewarned! Inspired by the excellent advice and counsel of Mr. Brown, I've spent over $300 on new and improved cooking equipment, and I must admit, all to excellent effect. Not only is the information in this book helpful to aspiring neophyte cooks, but the author's humorous yet informative style makes this book a pleasure to read. If you consider yourself a highly accomplished, expert chef, then much of the content of this guide may seem laughably obvious, but for those of us who only want to learn how to cook and eat better, this book is a godsend. Highly recommended to anyone who finds Williams & Sonoma a befuddling place, and who needs a helpful hand from a patient master of the kitchen.Book Review: Shogun Of The Kitchen, Thy Name Is Alton Brown!
Summary: 5 Stars
Streamline your kitchen and simply your life! The inimitable Alton Brown, reigning Food Network uber-genius and coolest of the cool, pares an efficient kitchen down to the true essentials. Armed with his pragmatic nihilism and bolstered by his golden rule about multi-tasking---the only uni-tasking tool in the kitchen should be the fire extinguisher!--- Brown, or "AB" as we in the know call him (yes, I'm laughing at myself here!) goes through the whys and wherefores of kitchen utensils, cookware, tools, gadgets of every creed and size and shows us why we really don't need as much in our kitchens as we've been spoon-fed to believe we do. This book could save a new cook or someone trying to stock a kitchen a lot of money, and can be a great way for the rest of us to free up serious space in our cabinets, shelves and cooktops. It's also a snidely funny book that's a delight to read, dead-on accurate, and trustworthy to the faintest detail. Every household with a serious cook in it should own this book!Book Review: Fabulous! Quality time spent with husband...
Summary: 5 Stars
If you like the show, you'll like the books. Both my spouse and I love to cook, but we're no Julia Childses. When I met my husband, he could cook standard meals, but never really took the plunge to try something new. Alton Brown's books are entertaining, colorful, and (ugg...) educational. After every episode, my husband has the courage to try something new, (lucky me!) and it has resulted in eating a more varied and exciting diet. We can't help but feel that we are reliving our childhoods, because AB reminds us a bit of Mr. Wizard, but way cooler and way better looking! After the wedding, we were left to our own devices to figure out what half the gadgets we rec'd did. We have an autographed copy of this book, and use it constantly to figure out what our next kitchen purchase should be, and how to use it properly. His books are all great supplements to his show. Cooking has become one of our favorite things to do together. However, we'd better learn a sport soon...