Listen to the Joystiq Podcast (because your ears can't read)
AOL Television

alton brown-related stories

The Next Iron Chef: Season Finale - open thread

Next Iron ChefSo last night was the big battle between Chef Garces and Chef Mehta, the two finalists on Food Network's Next Iron Chef with two very different cooking styles. I didn't watch much of this season, but judging from last night's episode I wish I had. Jeffrey Steingarten is one of my favorite judges, and it's interesting to see other iron chefs in the judging chairs.

Did the right chef win?

The Next Iron Chef: Umami (Deliciousness) - open thread

The Next Iron ChefThe only things I know about umami comes from those Kikkoman commecials, the ones that talk about umami being the fifth taste (after sweet, salty, sour, and bitter). Last night's Next Iron Chef was all about that, and they even had Iron Chef Morimoto as a judge.

What did you think? The show is down to its final three contestants. Can you picture one of them standing next to other Iron Chefs like Morimoto, Flay, Cora, Batali, and Symon in Kitchen Stadium?

First Lady will appear on a very special Iron Chef America

Iron Chef AmericaSome people say that President Obama has been on TV too much since he became President a year ago, but his wife is about to make a big splash on one of Food Network's most popular shows.

First Lady Michelle Obama will reveal the secret ingredient on the January 3 special episode of Iron Chef America (I don't think it's the season premiere because we're in the middle of new episodes right now). There's no specifics yet on what the secret ingredient will be, but it is something that grows in the White House garden and ties in with the First Lady's "Healthy Kids Initiative" to get kids eating better and exercising. Beyond all that, this sounds like its going to be a great episode of the show. It will pit White House chef Cristeta Comerford and Bobby Flay against Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse.

You know what I'd like to see as the secret ingredient on Iron Chef America? Ring Dings. Or how about Atomic Fireballs?

Alton Brown calls Top Chef a "sous chef kind of show"... then takes it back

Alton BrownGiven the popularity of the second-season opener of The Next Iron Chef, I figured it was a good time to pull out this interview I did with the show's host, Alton Brown, at the network's TCA party in July. It was definitely the tastiest party of the tour, as each Iron Chef contestant plied the critics with delectable morsels of their creativity at various stations.

In a bit of a surprise, one of the contestants, Amanda Freitag, was being assisted by her friend Ariane Duarte, one of the more popular contestants from rival program Top Chef's New York season (I was so flabbergasted by the turn of events, I snapped a pic of the two with my cell phone). When I pointed this tidbit out to Brown, his response was very interesting...

Continue reading Alton Brown calls Top Chef a "sous chef kind of show"... then takes it back

The Next Iron Chef is sizzling

the_next_iron_chef_season_two
Even though I watch a lot of programming on the Food Network, I have to admit I missed almost all of the The Next Iron Chef in season one. Last Sunday, the second season of The Next Iron Chef blasted off with the best ratings for a series opener in Food Network history. Over two million viewers, a 1.1 rating among adults 25-54.

Why the big jump? Well, I think a lot of other people are like me. On Sunday, before I switched over to watch pro football, I clicked on Food Network where they were showing a marathon rerun of the first season of The Next Iron Chef. It only took half an episode for me to kick myself for not having watched the whole first season when it aired. It was terrific.

Continue reading The Next Iron Chef is sizzling

The Next Iron Chef: Season Premiere

The Next Iron ChefI'm of two minds about The Next Iron Chef. I love a lot of food competition shows and this one is enjoyable, but at the same time I've always thought that being an Iron Chef was something important, something big, something you couldn't become just by competing in some reality show. But then I remembered that it was a reality show and that I'm overthinking it and I should just shut up.

Last night was the season premiere. Thoughts?

Food Network Star runner-up gets a show, too!

Jeffrey_saad_Food_NetworkRemember how in Miss America, the emcee would always say that in the event that Miss America cannot fulfill her duties, the first runner up would step in? Apparently that's how it works with The Next Food Network Star, too. Just three weeks after Melissa D'Arabian was declared the winner, her number one challenger -- the guy who placed second -- Jeffrey Saad has been given his own show. It's not on the network, but it's a show nonetheless.

According to Food Network honcho Bob Tuschman's blog, Jeffrey Saad will be doing a mini-series on the web site -- exclusively for now -- called The Spice Smuggler. The premise is based on the Alton Brown directed pilot that Jeffrey presented in the finale of The Next Food Network Star.

Continue reading Food Network Star runner-up gets a show, too!

Alton Brown jumps off the asphalt and into the water in new series

Alton Brown takes to the water in a new Food Network seriesOver the last two years Food Network's Alton Brown has taken to America's roads less traveled in the Feasting on Asphalt series in order to find the little known jewels that were left behind as the Interstates began to rule the country. Along the way, Alton and his crew dined on alligator, various pieces of pig that are not normally consumed by the general public, sweet bread sandwiches, and lots and lots of doughnuts. Now, filled with fried dough and cow brains, Alton has decided to get off of his motorcycle and see what other delicacies are out there in warm waters of the Caribbean.

Continue reading Alton Brown jumps off the asphalt and into the water in new series

Ted Allen to host new show for Food Network

Ted AllenIt sounds like the Food Network has finally come up with a show that will compliment Alton Brown's Peabody-award winner Good Eats. The foodiest member of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Ted Allen, has signed to host Food Detectives, a new Food Network series. Starting Tuesday, July 29th at 9 o'clock ET, the half-hour show will begin illuminating the world about the stuff we eat. They will be "pulling back the curtain and revealing the answers to some of the most puzzling food mysteries."

Actually, the concept is kind of like a Mythbusters for food. Ted will host the show and folks from Popular Science Magazine will provide the expertise. For instance, does an apple a day keep the doctor away? What about baked beans, do they really give you gas? If not, what's Beano going to do with all those commercials and product?

Continue reading Ted Allen to host new show for Food Network

Feasting On Asphalt: The River Run - DVD Review

Alton Brown is a unique commodity on Food Network. In an environment where most of the action is in front of the stove or above the cutting board, Brown's Good Eats takes us beyond that. Sometimes it's to the origins of the food or the recipe; other times it's into the science of how all of the ingredients of a particular combination of foods work together. He does this with a bit of nerdiness, a bit of hipness, and a good amount of humor.

When he took his love for food on the road in the first Feasting on Asphalt it produced a very successful mini-series that showed the non-corporate side of America's eateries. It also showed us some of the small cities and towns, and their personalities, that we don't normally see off of the interstate at our Applebee's booth.

Now, his second series of Asphalt is out on DVD. While not as fresh as the first series (and, what is the second time around?) it is still a fascinating look into the America that has been nearly forgotten as the corporations took over the country. You'll want to savor this journey because, frankly, that's about all there is in this 3-DVD set.

Continue reading Feasting On Asphalt: The River Run - DVD Review

Out of the Blogosphere

Dawn WellsWhat's happening on other blogs via the interweb.

Oui, Wii! Iron Chef: America becomes a video game

Iron Chef logoHere's a video game that promises to slice up the competition. A cut above. It will serve up a dish full of fun for gamers everywhere. It'll be... All right, you get it. Food cliches. Chop-chop. But, seriously, in a marriage between the Food Network and United Media, Iron Chef: America is coming to the home market. Destineer today announced plans to publish the video game Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine exclusively for the Wii system and Nintendo DS. It's based on the popular food network competition show, which in turn is based on the original Iron Chef in Japan, produced by Fuji Television.

Continue reading Oui, Wii! Iron Chef: America becomes a video game

Chef Irvine gets axed

Chef Robert IrvineRemember when you were young and your parents told you things like "cheaters never prosper"? Well, it's true. (All right, not all the time, but at least this time!) As TV Squad reported recently, Chef Robert Irvine, star of Food Network's Dinner: Impossible, has been hoist on his own petard. Now that the truth is out -- that he lied and padded his resume -- the network has dumped him. His fire has been extinguished. Dinner: Impossible will go on, but not with Chef Irvine as chief cook and chef extraordinaire.

Food Network president Brooke Johnson said in a statement, "We appreciate Robert's remorse about his actions, and we can revisit this decision at the end of the production cycle, but for now we will be looking for a replacement host."

Continue reading Chef Irvine gets axed

Food Network wants three more years of Alton Brown

Alton Brown with his knivesThe Food Network is making headlines lately! They have not renewed Emeril Lagasse's nightly Live show and recently declined carrying Mario Batali's new series. So, who does the Food Network want? Apparently, they want Alton Brown who they just signed to a three year deal. Brown will continue to host Iron Chef America, continue to produce and host his show Good Eats, and he's getting a new show called Feasting on Waves (a follow-up to Feasting on Asphalt).

Why so much Alton? The Food Network is aggressively pushing for a younger audience. Bob Tuschman, Senior VP, said that their campaign is working citing that the average age of the network's audience dropped from 50 in 2003 to 46 in 2007. Wow, what a big drop! (Note the sarcasm.)

Continue reading Food Network wants three more years of Alton Brown

TCM is letting celebrities pick the movies in November

Martha StewartWe first told you about this back in August, and now the complete list is out: Turner Classic Movies is letting celebrities program the network for the month of November. Each celeb is picking three or four films, and here are a few of the more interesting choices (it started Thursday with Alfred Molina's picks).

Whoopi Goldberg likes A Face in the Crowd and Funny Girl. Jerry Stiller likes A Night At The Opera. Kermit The Frog loves dancing to Singin' In The Rain and The Band Wagon. Martha Stewart would probably have some decorating ideas as Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.

Continue reading TCM is letting celebrities pick the movies in November

Next Page >

Featured Stories


meet the tv squad

Categories

RSS Feeds

Powered by Blogsmith

TV Squad on Twitter

Twitter @tvsquad

follow TV Squad on Twitter

AOL TV's Top 5


More Features


watch full episodes online

TV Squad Newsletter

Get TV Squad's daily posts emailed to you daily. Sign up now!

.

Sponsored Links

Most Commented On (7 days)

Blog Roll

Other Weblogs Inc. Network blogs you might be interested in: