Ask Alton Brown How Food+Heat=Cooking

This week's Slashdot interview guest is Alton Brown, host of the popular cable TV show Good Eats. This is a "reader request" interview in the wake of the surprisingly popular Slashdot review of Alton's book, I'm Just Here for the Food. Please post your questions below. we'll send 10 of the highest-moderated to Alton, and post his answers when we get them back.

Comments

Alton

[PhysicsGenius]

I understand you are a geek. I have an outdoor grill that I tricked out with a few add-ons. For instance, I added a small form-factor mobo with a 100GB HD and about 512MB RAM, running Linux, natch. I ran the parallel cables to the gas valve and built a robotic spatula arm from Legos which I then attacked to my serial port. Now I can just put the patties on the grill and the whole thing is cooked by itself. Best of all, I mounted some speakers on the side and NFS-mounted my MP3 collection from the toaster in the house over my wireless network so I can have some tunes while I wait for the burgers.

My question is: I could dump a bunch of fruit in a cup but it isn't a smoothie unless I use the blender (which is a cutting, not a heating, device). I could put a slab of chicken breast, a chunk of cheese and a tortilla on a plate, but it isn't a quesadilla unless I shred the first two AND wrap them inside the third. Apple pie is the same way. So isn't it a little simplistic to say that cooking = food + heat?

Re:Vegetarians

[mwalker]

Hi there, someone I care about has a genetic disorder known as Hypertriglyceridemia . This disorder is somewhat complicated but basically involves highly elevated trigylceride levels that can become toxic. She is required to maintain her tri levels through medication and diet, and to get monthly blood tests. For six years, my friend was a vegetarian. She took fish oil pills as supplements (despite the fact that they are extracted from slaughtered fish) in order to regulate her triglyceride levels. She was failing; her blood tests were coming back "too high" - and she was on the way to early death. After six years, she gave up and started eating fish. One month later her triglyceride levels were tested as "average"... for a normal person. In short, there are oils in fish which, consumed in the appropriate quantities, will keep her alive.

You don't have to eat meat. But if you do, you stand to live a much longer, healthier life. Ask any high-output athelete how they would build muscle without animal protein and they will laugh you out of the room.

Personally I believe that all vegetarians should have the option of discussing choice with a hungry tiger, but that's just my opinion. I'm sharing my friends' story in the hopes that you will choose to lead a healthier life.

Re:Why are some people better Cooks?

[sllort]

What are the three rules of Slashdot?

1. Thou shalt post early
2. Thou shalt post often
3. Thou shalt not read the article

Alton are you queer?

[CreamOfWheat]

Do you enjoy slurping nut snot? D o you use this substance in any of your dishes?