An Ode to "Good Eats"

I remember the first time I ever watched Good Eats. It was during the writer’s strike a few years back, and there was nothing on TV I hadn’t seen a hundred times already. I stumbled upon an episode focused on vanilla, and learned about its origins and uses, while being thoroughly entertained. From that episode, I learned how to split a vanilla bean without slicing my finger. Learning how to cut anything without slicing a finger is time well spent for me.

Since that fateful night, I’ve watched many episodes of Good Eats, and I learn something new every time. I can’t say I always put those learnings to use, but learn I do. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Good Eats, and in honor of that, I’ve assembled a list of ten things that I have learned from the brilliant Alton Brown (AB to his friends). Truth be told, I have learned way more than ten things, but as is typical of me, I forget most of what I learn. So, this isn’t a list of the top ten things I’ve learned, it’s just a list that includes ten things.

#1 You don’t have to wait for pumpkin season to roast pumpkin seeds. The seeds from any winter squash – many of which are available all year round – can be roasted with similar results. I haven’t done it yet, but there is an acorn squash on my counter that is dying for this experiment.

#2 Everything in your kitchen should be a multi-tasker. The only uni-tasker should be your fire extinguisher. Sadly, I have many uni-taskers (tomato knife, anyone?) and no fire extinguisher in my kitchen. Clearly I need to go back to school on this one.

#3 You can make popcorn in your microwave with a paper bag. Don’t ask me how, I just know that you can. (I checked the website, the recipe isn’t there. Sorry.)

#4 How to make a great BBQ dry rub. AB used it on ribs that he promised would cook in the oven as if they were grilled. My attempt didn’t quite work out, but I’ve used the rub on chicken, pork and steak to much success. (I had every intention of sharing this recipe with you, but I cannot find it. I’m beyond upset about this, since it’s no longer online and I really do like this recipe.)

#5 Amerigo Vespucci, the man for whom our country is named, began his career as a pickle merchant. Not relevant to anything I need to know, but I technically did learn this by watching Good Eats. (And while I forget all the important things I learn, I have an uncanny knack for holding on to useless information.)

#6 Pizza dough is better when you let it rise in the fridge for 18-24 hours vs. letting it rise in a warm environment for several hours. It’s a pain in the butt, and requires pre-planning, but I can say from experience that the dough I have let rise in the refrigerator comes out a lot better than the dough I let rise on a sunny windowsill. Also, a pizza stone is an absolute must. I resisted for a long time, and once I finally gave in, homemade pizza became a regular event at my house.

#7 When you deep fry food, and you do so properly, it really doesn’t absorb a lot of the oil so it’s not as bad for you or fattening as you may think. I swear Alton proved this on one episode by measuring the oil before and after frying French fries. Truthfully, I don’t believe it, but I use it as a convenient excuse when necessary. (Like when I must have French fries, which is quite often.)

#8 A cast iron skillet is a cook’s very good friend. I have two – the standard kind that Lori gave me for Christmas last year, and a grill pan which is the best damn grill pan I’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned quite a few. I can finally cook steak. These skillets are awesome.

#9 Had I followed through on my best intentions to surprise my mother with homemade scones and clotted cream one Mother’s Day, I would have learned how to make scones and clotted cream. (There’s always next year.)

#10 I learned not to be overly intimidated by coq au vin. It’s delicious, and not nearly as hard as I had thought it would be. Once you accept the fact that you probably won’t find an old hen and will have to settle on a grocery store chicken, it’s a great thing to try yourself. If you haven’t already…

Speaking of if you haven’t already… If you haven’t already, check out Good Eats on the Food Network. It’s on most weeknights at 8 p.m. Set your DVR, watch, learn and most importantly, enjoy.

Miscellaneous Notes of Thanks
Thanks to my Facebook fan/friend Kathie who suggested I check out The Pioneer Woman Cooks(www.thepioneerwoman.com/cooking). I found the most delicious chicken parmesan recipe, and the many photographs were a great help. Check it out, and definitely try the chicken parmesan. It was really easy, and really good! She posts frequently and her food looks both delicious and gorgeous – and her writing is very entertaining.

Thank you Hailey for upgrading my pizza cutter to a sturdy KitchenAid one that matches my kitchen! I can’t wait to make my next pizza, and I promise to have you over again for another pizza-salad-beer night. (We’ll pass on the high school grade stalking next time!)

Coming Attractions
This is the week where I am living off my freezer and pantry. Tune in next week to see how it went. The only items I was allowed to purchase at the grocery store yesterday were dairy (yogurt and half & half) and salad supplies (lettuce, tomatoes, onion and cucumber). And the two pieces of bread I stole from my parents so I could make a sandwich with the leftover chicken parmesan are totally legal.