Believe me, a grain is a terrible thing to waste. Alton Brown More Quotes by Alton Brown More Quotes From Alton Brown The skin is forming because of proteins, just like if you cook milk or anything else that's got a coagulant protein in it. Alton Brown milk protein skins Well, you know, when you go into a restaurant, one of the scariest things is the wine list, so whenever I'm really feeling intimidated, I'll just pick a wine type, like a Chianti or Brunello or a Burgundy, and I'll pick a year that's missing and ask for that one. Alton Brown wine missing years If you're good with a knife, you don't need your eyes. Alton Brown knives eye needs Recipe writers hate to write about heat. They despise it. Because there aren't proper words for communicating what should be done with it. Alton Brown hate done writing I hate using the word coagulant. Alton Brown i-hate hate My college degree was in theater. But the real reason, if I have any success in that milieu, so to speak, is because I spent a lot of years directing, I spent a lot of years behind the camera Alton Brown real college years Seriously. I'm not very bright, and it takes a lot for me to get a concept - to really get a concept. To get it enough that it becomes part of me. But when it happens I get real excited about it Alton Brown excited real enough I love poking fun at myself. I have a rather mean sense of humor. Alton Brown poking-fun fun mean I am a filmmaker. That is all I've ever been. You know, Martin Scorsese makes films about the mob. And I make movies about food. Alton Brown filmmaker film knows The only unitasker allowed in my kitchen is a fire extinguisher. Alton Brown fire-extinguishers kitchen fire You know we fixate on the food so much itself: “Oh, the ultimate brownie or the ultimate this or that” -- well, let me tell you something: It’s all poop in about 12 hours, okay? The real power that food has is its ability to connect human beings to each other -- that’s the stuff right there and, to me, everything else is secondary to that. Alton Brown poop real stuff All that [replacing of fat] does is lead to dissatisfaction and I think that dissatisfaction results in overeating. Alton Brown results doe thinking You know, [skin] happens at the gravy boat stage - right? - or this happens when you're trying to keep it warm. So the way that I avoid this is I keep my gravy - the second it's done, I put it in a thermos, which will keep it hot and will prevent air from getting to the surface. And I keep it there till the last moment. The last thing that goes out to the table is the gravy, and I pour it out of the thermos and immediately move it in. Alton Brown skins air moving The problem is I am both a procrastinator and a power junkie, so I am very frustrating to work with. Alton Brown junkie frustrating problem Wine is like women. It tempts you; it comforts you; it confuses you and can even turn on you when you least expect it. It can be your friend one day and your enemy the next. Alton Brown one-day wine enemy I can’t talk about anything or write about anything if I don’t understand it. So a lot of the stuff that I go through and a lot of the time that I spend is understanding. Alton Brown understanding stuff writing I keep the "ThunderCats" thermos safely in the kitchen. Alton Brown thermos kitchen I know people that could serve me canned tuna and saltine crackers and have me feel more at home at their table than some people who can cook circles around me. The more you try to impress people, generally the less you do. Alton Brown circles home people I think a lot of food shows, especially when we started 'Good Eats' back in the late '90s, they were still really about food. 'Good Eats' isn't about food, it's about entertainment. If, however, we can virally infect you with knowledge or interest, then all the better. Alton Brown entertainment late thinking The worst food you'll ever eat will probably be prepared by a 'cook' who calls himself a 'chef.' Mark my words. Alton Brown mark worst chef