Good Eats Reloaded - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Discuss your host here!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Articles, interviews, and other media go here!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

How Alton and Elizabeth met

Alton and Elizabeth got married this weekend!

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

According to Alton's IG, the show will premiere on October 15!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Alton Brown adjacent: his rescue dog Abigail has her own Instagram account

[fairffaxx]

Maybe the new marriage will improve his mood.

[fairffaxx]

On ‎10‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 2:08 PM, icemiser69 said:

In the early seasons of  Good Eats, Alton came off as an incredibly nice guy.   Somewhere down the line he came off as cranky if not a little bit pissy, and perhaps snotty.   I will watch this series as long as he comes off as nice Alton, but if he comes back with a piss poor attitude, I am out.

I will always love him for naming his pizza peel Emma, which overcomes a multitude of sins (at least for me).

[Ubiquitous]

I take it this will be eps from the show with altered or added bits? I'm kinda tired of reboots and remakes, so I'm a bit skeptical about it.

[luvapickle]

15 minutes ago, Ubiquitous said:

I take it this will be eps from the show with altered or added bits? I'm kinda tired of reboots and remakes, so I'm a bit skeptical about it.

It's supposed to be a mix of old with improved. Alton has said there were some instances that he didn't like, or where something better has come along. And it is with Alton himself, not someone else-so that's a plus.

[lefawn]

Even during the course of the original run, Alton changed his edict about how much water one needs to use in order to properly boil pasta.  "Stuffing is evil" turned in to "don't stuff a turkey, but there are other foods you can stuff!"  He only had one episode that used a crock pot and maybe only two with pressure cookers.  Cooking and food are constantly evolving.  I can see how he could use old episodes as jumping off points for either mostly new episodes, or just a segment or two updated, or both.  

[Skyfall]

On 10/12/2018 at 4:02 PM, lefawn said:

Even during the course of the original run, Alton changed his edict about how much water one needs to use in order to properly boil pasta.  "Stuffing is evil" turned in to "don't stuff a turkey, but there are other foods you can stuff!"  He only had one episode that used a crock pot and maybe only two with pressure cookers.  Cooking and food are constantly evolving.  I can see how he could use old episodes as jumping off points for either mostly new episodes, or just a segment or two updated, or both.  

We have a winner!

[b2H]

My husband is a chef by trade who typically has no time for cooking shows (why would he?  He's been doing it for a living for 30+ years).  I turned him on to AB and GE when we got married four years ago and he's hooked.  For him, since he never saw the originals in the first run, they're all new to him and he gets a kick out of the 'science' aspect of the presentation.  

He's looking forward to the reboot, but it's interfering with the baseball playoffs, so he'll catch it later.

[MorganSte]

I enjoyed the first episode reloaded.  It sort of reminded me of VH1's pop-up videos.  My husband really wants to try cooking a steak that way.

[Earmuffs Mom]

23 hours ago, MorganSte said:

It sort of reminded me of VH1's pop-up videos. 

I said the exact same thing to my husband about it reminding me of Pop-Up Video with his commentary and insight.  It's my understanding there are 12 reloaded episodes and then all new episodes coming next year.

[Yeah No]

I'm enjoying this.  It's just Alton being Alton, and I remember all these episodes from their first run almost 20 years ago.  I liked the new wisdom about cooking pasta, although to tell the truth I've never had much luck using less water.  I'll have to try it again using his method and see what happens.  I also loved the cacio e pepe recipe!

Speaking of stuffing, I never understood all the fear about stuffing a bird.  If anyone is worried about whether it's cooked, after the bird comes out of the oven remove the stuffing to a baking dish and put it in the oven until it reaches a safe temperature.  Problem solved.

[b2H]

We missed the first episode and it doesn't appear to be on Cooking Channel's On Demand, but we've got this one.  Chef B2H is doing a church dinner this weekend for 300 with an Italian cuisine theme.  He's using one of AB's recipes for the eggplant offering for the vegetarian/gluten free option.

[chessiegal]

On a completely shallow note, the actress who played his sister on the original hasn't aged well.

[Mollysmom]

5 hours ago, chessiegal said:

On a completely shallow note, the actress who played his sister on the original hasn't aged well.

HA! I noticed that too.

[Skyfall]

On 10/23/2018 at 9:53 AM, b2H said:

We missed the first episode and it doesn't appear to be on Cooking Channel's On Demand, but we've got this one.  Chef B2H is doing a church dinner this weekend for 300 with an Italian cuisine theme.  He's using one of AB's recipes for the eggplant offering for the vegetarian/gluten free option.

It’s on the app.

[Yeah No]

On 10/24/2018 at 5:27 PM, chessiegal said:

On a completely shallow note, the actress who played his sister on the original hasn't aged well.

I know, especially since the actress, Merrilyn Crouch, is 56.  I thought she was older than me and I'm 60!  I cringe for her, because I would be embarrassed to look like that on TV.

[b2H]

On 10/23/2018 at 8:53 AM, b2H said:

We missed the first episode and it doesn't appear to be on Cooking Channel's On Demand, but we've got this one.  Chef B2H is doing a church dinner this weekend for 300 with an Italian cuisine theme.  He's using one of AB's recipes for the eggplant offering for the vegetarian/gluten free option.

OT, but the church dinner in question above was a great success.  Chef B2H made 117 portions of the eggplant and it completely sold out!!  Chef B2H gave credit to AB to all who asked.

[italianguy626]

On 10/22/2018 at 10:22 PM, Yeah No said:

Speaking of stuffing, I never understood all the fear about stuffing a bird.  If anyone is worried about whether it's cooked, after the bird comes out of the oven remove the stuffing to a baking dish and put it in the oven until it reaches a safe temperature.  Problem solved.

I have a remote digital thermometer with two probes. When I do a stuffed turkey, one probe goes into the thigh and the other goes into the stuffing. I can set the temp target for each probe independently. Once I hit around 180 on the thigh and 165 on the stuffing, I can take the bird out. With carryover, temps will go up another five to ten degrees. Haven't had an issue doing this way.

[snarktini]

Now I really want to make biscuits. Need to pick up some buttermilk! (And leaf lard, apparently.)

[snarktini]

32 minutes ago, icemiser69 said:

Deep frying them seems like more than a bit over the top, even for Alton.

LOL, right? Thought it looked more or less like an "old-fashioned", which IS my fav donut. 

After watching the first two episodes I was wondering if the "reloads" were going to be too much. I am simply never going to bake potatoes a day in advance to fry them! (Well, I don't deep fry anything so all the fry recipes are entertaining but not useful.) Nor am I likely to spend an hour cooking a steak, even though the reverse sear sounds very smart. I'm an accomplished home cook, willing to do a lot of work but those particular items aren't worth the time to me. 

So I was glad the basic biscuit and cacio e pepe were easy recipes I can (and will) do.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

17 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

I am kind of a germaphobe.  Everyone dipping into the same bubbling cauldron of cheese would gross me out.

No double dipping allowed!!

[italianguy626]

22 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

I also hate it when Alton measures by weight instead of by volume.  In theory, measuring by weight is more accurate.  That is only true if the scale is properly calibrated.  I prefer to measure by volume. 

My grandfather was a trained pastry chef. All his original recipes are measured by weight in metric, especially for dry ingredients. Far better in replicating results and maintaining consistency from batch to batch.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

My only issue with metric is that if the recipe doesn't give the measurements in metric units, it's hard to do yourself because 1/4 cup of flour doesn't weigh the same as 1/4 of brown sugar.

[Perfect Xero]

On 11/30/2018 at 9:13 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

My only issue with metric is that if the recipe doesn't give the measurements in metric units, it's hard to do yourself because 1/4 cup of flour doesn't weigh the same as 1/4 of brown sugar.

Stella Parks (aka BraveTart) is one of my favorite pastry/desert chefs because she actually goes through the trouble of having ounces, volume, and metric on her recipes for each ingredient and will usually include alternate methods in case you don't have, say, a giant stand mixer or some other rather expensive piece of equipment.

I will say that the King Arthur weight chart is a great resource for when you have to convert something yourself.

[Uncle Benzene]

My friends and I have been watching the reload with their kids, and their daughter's mind is absolutely blown every time she sees Young Alton and Current Alton on screen together. It's hilarious, and she's still not used to it. It gets her every time.

[LisainCali]

On 12/2/2018 at 6:52 AM, Uncle Benzene said:

My friends and I have been watching the reload with their kids, and their daughter's mind is absolutely blown every time she sees Young Alton and Current Alton on screen together. It's hilarious, and she's still not used to it. It gets her every time.

I’m not used to it either!  😱

[lambertman]

I refer to it as "Alton barging in to yell at his son." :)

[Wicked Wonder]

I was 19 when Good Eats premiered and I remember Alton looking like a "real adult" to my younger self. Now he looks so young to me! I love Reloaded but I definitely gives me "old" feels.

[fairffaxx]

Although Marcia hasn't aged well, I'm glad to see her again -- she did (& still does) ''annoying'' so well. 

I do miss W though.  I haven't seen every episode & I hope she'll appear somewhere.  The Nurse Ratched of my neighborhood kitchen appliance store (whom I've grateful never to have encountered in real life)!

[Yeah No]

On 12/26/2018 at 1:17 AM, Wicked Wonder said:

I was 19 when Good Eats premiered and I remember Alton looking like a "real adult" to my younger self. Now he looks so young to me! I love Reloaded but I definitely gives me "old" feels.

The first kitchen on his show reminds me so much of the kitchen I had at the time the show first aired.  I had all those same GE appliances in white, similar white cabinets and hardwood floor too.  When I look at them I get wistful and nostalgic.

On 12/31/2018 at 8:52 PM, fairffaxx said:

I do miss W though.  I haven't seen every episode & I hope she'll appear somewhere.  The Nurse Ratched of my neighborhood kitchen appliance store (whom I've grateful never to have encountered in real life)!

I agree, I would love to see W again and Marcia too.  Maybe he'll have them on the new "Good Eats"?

Edited January 8, 2019 by Yeah No

[Perfect Xero]

On 12/31/2018 at 8:52 PM, fairffaxx said:

Although Marcia hasn't aged well, I'm glad to see her again -- she did (& still does) ''annoying'' so well. 

I do miss W though.  I haven't seen every episode & I hope she'll appear somewhere.  The Nurse Ratched of my neighborhood kitchen appliance store (whom I've grateful never to have encountered in real life)!

I looked up W to see if there was anything about her appearing on the show, found out that she had a role in the recent Venom movie.

[Mollysmom]

19 hours ago, icemiser69 said:

If I ever attempt to measure by weight instead of by volume I am bound to screw it up.

It's actually quite easy. I weigh food in grams to get an accurate calorie count as I'm trying to lose weight. It's just another (more accurate) way to measure. 

[LisainCali]

I bought an electronic kitchen scale a number of years ago and am still surprised how often I pull it out.  It has quite a few uses, not the least of which is measuring mail and packages so I don’t have to stand in line at the Post Office!  

I don’t seriously bake very often anymore but it sure came in handy when I did.  

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I bought an electronic scale ages ago and I LOVE it. The only thing it's not great for is really small amounts.

I really want to make that chocolate syrup from the Art of Darkness episode!

[Yeah No]

I was sort of disappointed by the pressure cooker episode too.  I thought some of the cookers he featured in the old episode looked newer than the one he used in the revamp.  Plus he stood in front of a bunch of Instant Pot looking things but never mentioned them beyond that.  Also, even though he showed a segment featuring W from the old series, he didn't have her on the new series like he did with Marcia.  Maybe she couldn't do it for some reason?  I would still like to see her.

[Skyfall]

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/96815-good-eats-the-return/

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E1: The Egg Files

Quote

Alton Brown reaches way back to reload episode three of "Good Eats"; there are brand new recipes for fried, scrambled and boiled eggs, as well as a look at an old pan from a new angle.

Original air date: 4/13/20

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I LOVE eggs so I was excited to see this episode. I love them scrambled, fried, over easy, boiled, poached, you name it.

I've tried Alton's steaming method and his baking method and the texture is nice but I've had a hard time peeling them every time. I've gone back to his boiling method (put the eggs in water, when it begins to boil, move the pot off the heat and cover it for 7 minutes, then remove the eggs and put them in an ice bath).

I'm interested in trying the over easy eggs with the pre-heated pan!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S02.E02: True Brew

Quote

A lot has happened in the world of coffee since this episode first aired in 2000; since then, Alton Brown has brewed -- and consumed -- a lot of coffee; here's his new look at roasting, grinding, brewing and the gear needed to do it.

Original air date: 4/20/20

[arachne]

I was a mite disappointed in the coffee episode last night. Content-wise, it was practically a whole new show. (Couldn't Alton have kept "Chuck" or brought him back?) And I doubt that I'd shell out the $$ for some of that hardware he now uses. (IMO, you'd have to be either a barista, or have a much more serious coffee obsession than most.)

On the plus side, I got a kick out of seeing the "time bomb" prop again, and the "inside my brain" set was cute enough. Also, I appreciated Alton's quip about decaf -- something like, "But that's another show -- which I will never do!" 😄

[Yeah No]

23 hours ago, arachne said:

I was a mite disappointed in the coffee episode last night. Content-wise, it was practically a whole new show. (Couldn't Alton have kept "Chuck" or brought him back?) And I doubt that I'd shell out the $$ for some of that hardware he now uses. (IMO, you'd have to be either a barista, or have a much more serious coffee obsession than most.)

Not to mention a lot of storage space!  I loved the Burr grinder, but wow how big that was.  I found a smaller, less expensive one on Amazon.com, but it's still big and awkwardly shaped for storage and the reviews aren't that great.  I'll bet it is worth having a good one, although I'm not going to buy one any time soon.

I agree with you about the content.  He could have done a whole new show about coffee.  But I did appreciate the content nonetheless.  I never knew about Burr grinders.  I can still learn something new from Alton even now.

[b2H]

Dear hubby LOVES this show (as a non-active chef) and has actually used a couple of the recipes, but the over-the-top equipment and some of the idea send hubby laughing off the ideas.  Just a little too crazy at times.  Though the episode we watched last night on sausage has got him thinking about pulling down his grinder and making some up.  I get to enjoy the results of the inspiration!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E3: Raising the Steaks

Quote

Alton Brown reloads this show on budget steaks with new ways of cooking his favorite: top sirloin steak. Then there's a close look at why we flip meat and a new angle on the broiler.

Original air date: 4/27/20

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I'll always watch a show about steaks. I know in theory, cooking a steak is easy but I'm always hoping that people like Alton have little tips or helpful tidbits. This episode just made me hungry for a steak.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

S2.E4: A Cake on Every Plate

Quote

Alton Brown reloads this episode from 2003 and reinvents the cake that so many folks complained about way back when. This time, the cake isn't just good: it's golden.

Original air date: 5/4/20