G.E. fans, I've decided to cut the half hour series at 249 eps. There will be 3 new 1 hour eps this year and that's it. But mourn not. New things brew on the horizon..."good" things.
@altonbrown, twitter
And with that, one of my food heroes moved on to new things. Good Eats is no more. People ask "who are your influences?" Alton Brown is a big one. Good Eats taught me that food isn't just food. Food is an essential part of our human experience. Learn about food, and you learn about science, technology, history, and anthropology. Alton's half hour exploration of food got a pebble rolling in my head, which started the avalanche that eventually became this blog.
*I was lucky enough to meet Alton when he taught a cooking at the Western Reserve School of Cooking. I was the guy sitting in the front row, shooting my hand in the air until he had to say "Do you mind if someone else asks a question?" I worry that I'm the one who drove him to remake "Misery", about an obsessive fan. (Episode 74, "This Spud's for You"). But then I remember: I may be that obsessive, but I can't be that memorable.
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| Me and Alton, 2002. OK, I do look obsessed. |
I feel like I'm losing a friend. I've been watching Good Eats since I stumbled across Crustacean Nation (Episode 18) on the Food Network. To this day, Good Eats is - was - the only show on my Tivo that I watch religiously. Other shows I pick over, choosing the ones that look interesting. Not Good Eats. I watched every one of the 249 episodes. Most of them at least twice, to make sure I didn't miss anything.
*OK, except for episode 249. It sits on my TiVo, unwatched. I can't bring myself to start it...not yet.
Now, as Alton said in one of his follow up tweets: "Stop talking about me like I'm dying! It's not a tumor." I can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve.
Alton, thank you for everything you've taught me. Best of luck, and come back soon!
Rich says
I also adored Alton and his Good eats episodes just after the nightly news ,even though my wife (a former resteraunt cook)despised him and "didnt like his attitude"I still consult his teachings forever encapsulated in the everlasting BYTES of the internet!
Thank you Alton Brown!
Dave_in_TN says
from the Chicago Sun-Times:
The show will continue in reruns, likely for years. There's an element of timelessness to the episodes and his early appearances, even ones from the '90s, still hold up because of their focus on basics, technique and the "why" of cooking.
Thanks A.B. and thanks D-C-D for even more great cooking ideas.
MikeV @ DadCooksDinner says
@Kaylind:
Makes me want to break out one of his running gags:
...did I say Nutritional Anthropologist? I don't think I said Nutritional Anthropologist...
@Rich:
I agree. I often find myself going to The Good Eats Fan Page to look at the transcripts of the episodes, to get the details I might have missed.
Kailynd says
I'm so sad! He's one person who inspired my love of cooking. I'm going to culinary school in the fall and thinking of becoming a culinary anthropologist because of him. 🙁
Farewell "Good Eats" you will be missed!