Good Eats: The Early Years by Alton Brown
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Book Reviews of Good Eats: The Early Years
Book Review: Great book with tons of information
Summary: 5 Stars
I've always been a Good Eats fan and this book delivers really the "goods"... Each episode that the book covers is combed for the most important facts, recipes, and procedures and puts them into a nice package. It's like watching the episodes, but faster and with even more trivia and facts (yet obviously more reading).
The positives have already been covered by many reviewers and I have a feeling I won't be running out of reading material anytime soon. The recipes are nicely laid out and clear to read. I particularly like how Alton bolds the hardware (pans, spatulas, etc.) because he realizes how important proper hardware is as the software (recipe ingredients).
One negative is I that I agree there needs to be a better way of listing and organizing the individual recipes (or applications as the book refers to them). A book is only as good as its reference, which while is pretty complete in itself, sometimes you just want to look through a list of recipes and recipes only when trying to plan meals. Still, it's a relatively small issue.
I highly recommend this impressive tome to any Good Eats fan or fellow cook interested in the "why's" of cooking, in addition to some seriously tasty food.
Book Review: The Cult Manual
Summary: 5 Stars
Good Eats is hands down, my favorite cooking show of all time. It's just as knowledge-packed as America's Test Kitchen, but waaaaaaaay more entertaining. Alton Brown's cookbooks, with the exception of Gear (my favorite), come really close to feeling like the show, but don't quite get you there. Enter Good Eats The Early Years.
Grab a copy; you're holding the essence of Good Eats in your hands. I say hands because this book has heft, at almost 400 pages, it is comprehensive to say the least. It takes you through seasons 1-6. None of the pages are wasted.
This neither a book for the novice nor the home expert. (Try his other books for that.) It is first and foremost a book for the Good Eats cult. Brown has "bested" the recipes from the shows as well as added new ones. You get the science and a healthy dose of the behind-the-scenes stuff that make the show work (think Behind the Eats.) Never fear, the detailed info on how to build his hardware-store influenced kitchen gadgets is included. I suggest cover-to-cover reading so that you don't miss anything.
I love this book!!!
Book Review: My cooking Bible
Summary: 5 Stars
I have loved Alton Brown for ages and when this book came out I was beyond excited. It has everything I'd expect and is very detailed as far as technique and applications. Some things to know, however, is that you cannot make his recipes without having the proper equipment. You must have a kitchen scale or none of the recipes will work. A probe thermometer and instant read thermometer are also good things to have. Also, sometimes his technique is more important than the recipe itself. I'll be honest, I don't love his chocolate chip cookie recipe. But it's the technique, such as creaming the sugar and butter, that make ANY cookie recipe better. Also, don't forget to read the random notes and the introduction. Alton is hilarious. The cookbook is almost worth it just to get his "AB interviews AB." I highly recommend this cookbook for both the beginner and advanced cook. Don't forget about his other books, either, Good Eats 2: The Middle Years having just come out and the last book due out next year.Book Review: Alton does it again!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a big Alton Brown fan and this book exceeded my expectations. I am a cook for whom information is a catalyst to go cook something. Alton's approach arms me with the information I need to be successful in the kitchen. Yahoo!
That said, what I love about this book is all the great information presented in an excellent format. There are 'knowledge concentrates' which give you the fabulous (and very 'Alton') core data about a particular item. There are additional blurbs (in green boxes) which give you explanations for things like clarified butter and flan vs. creme, etc. which don't turn up in the recipe searches online. There are tips called out and background stories about episode ideas, etc. All this is presented episode by episode. When I have something to prepare, I turn first to Alton. This is a great resource!!
The book is a substantial tome (almost 400 pages) and I think well worth the money. The poster is just a bonus (ok, not something I'd ever hang!). A must have for my fellow foodies-in-the-making. I can't wait for the next installment.
Book Review: Great Episode Companion
Summary: 5 Stars
I sat down with this, not expecting it to *read* like a book, but I found myself actually reading through the pages, knowing enough about each individual episode to get the notes/tips/tidbits
If you're an avid Good Eats fan and watch the show on TV, i would recommend cracking the book open as you watch...it's cool to have the recipe in front of you...also, there no worrying about missing a tip or trivia tidbit because the book includes some and much more...for example, for the episode "salad daze" one of the tidbits notes that AB was wearing his hat because he had to hide some stitches he got because of an injury while at a factory, while the info is not necessary for casual fans, it adds some depth for those of us who have seen the episode two or three times
If you're not a fan, you may not enjoy the book because there are some jokes and references that would be over your head, but for anybody who has seen the show, it's a worthwhile companion