The quote, “I GRILL, THEREFORE I AM,” is attributed to Alton Brown. Alton Crawford Brown, Jr. is a Peabody Award-winning TV personality, Food Show Presenter, Cinematographer, Voice Actor, Author, Chef, and Food Scientist! He is best known for creating and then hosting the Food Network show, “GOOD EATS,” which ran for 14 plus seasons –with additional Spin-Offs and Re-Loaded Seasons afterwards relaunched on The Cooking Channel, amongst other media outlets! Alton Brown also hosted the mini-series, “Feasting on Asphalt,” and “Feasting on Waves.” He also served as the main EXPERT commentator on “Iron Chef America,” “Cutthroat Kitchen,” “The Next Food Network Star,” “Iron Chef Gauntlet,” “Worst Cooks in America,” and “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend.” He has also been featured on FOODIE shows such as, “CHOPPED!” and “Best Thing I Ever Ate!” Furthermore, Alton Brown has created high-energy LIVE stage performances, such as, “The Edible Inevitable Tour,” which has played to SOLD-OUT Audiences Nationwide! The stage show included: Stand-Up Comedy, Talk-Show Antics, A Multi-Media Lecture, Live Music, and “Extreme Food Experimentation!”
Alton Brown is the recipient of two James Beard Awards: He won The Best Book Award in 2003 for his first book, entitled; “I’m Just Here for the Food,” and the Broadcast Media Award in 2011 for TV Food Personality/Host. He has also been nominated an additional 4 times! He has worked alongside other famous Celebrity Chefs such as; Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentis, Anne Burrell, as well as Alex Guarnaschelli, Guy Fieri, and Kristen Kish just to name a few! He graduated from The New England Culinary Institute in 1997.
Of course, obviously, Alton Brown quoting, “I GRILL, THEREFORE I AM,” references 17th century “Father of Rationalism,” Rene Descartes. Descartes’ famous Latin dictum, “Cogito ergo sum = I think, therefore I am,” grounds existence in thought, seeking truth through structured inquiry. It is a statement of intellectual sovereignty: THAT TO THINK, IS TO PROVE ONE’S BEING.” “COGITO, ERGO SUM,” is The First Principle of Rene Descartes’ philosophy. In the humorous parody, Alton Brown “playfully” replaces Descartes ACT OF THINKING with THE ACT OF GRILLING! The humor comes from implying that “GRILLING IS SO ESSENTIAL THAT IT DEFINES A PERSON’S EXISTENCE,” similar to the philosophical importance that Descartes gave to thought.
“When applied to grilling- or cooking—perhaps humanity’s most primal and conscious act—these seemingly incompatible philosophies find unexpected harmony,” according to www.gustotv.com GUSTO continues, “Applied to cooking, this logic flourishes in MISE EN PLACE, in the weighing of ingredients, in the heat-to-protein calculations of a medium rare steak…Cooking, for Descartes, becomes an act of intentionality—each measurement and movement a reaffirmation of sentient agency. The recipe—like a syllogism, delivers order from chaos.” Both Rene Descartes and Alton Crawford Brown, JR are seeking the same thing: “PROOF OF BEING THROUGH CREATION. In Grilling – or cooking- to taste is to question; to season is to declare identity, whether carefully composed or joyfully improvised, COOKING IS A MOMENT WHERE MIND AND BODY CONVERGE WITH FIRE TO PRODUCE MEANING…IT IS AN EDIBLE AFFIRMATION OF LIFE.”
Below, please find a photo of Rene Descartes circa 17th Century, who first published the phrase, “I think, therefore I am,” AKA “Cogito, ergo sum,” in his works, “Discourse on the Method,” in 1637. The dictum is also sometimes referred to as “the cogito.”
Below, please find a PHENOMENAL FOODS collage of Alton Crawford Brown, JR’s “EDIBLE AFFIRMATION OF LIFE!”
Alton Brown’s “extreme” food experiences are a hallmark of his approach to cooking characterized by a blend of “scientific inquiry, humor, and a deep understanding of culinary principles, often involving unusual applications of common ingredients or methods.” While some of his Extreme Food Experiences are utilized for theatrical effect in his shows, like “Cutthroat Kitchen Sabotages,” or Live “Eat Your Science” Tour Demonstrations, many others are rooted in Alton’s scientific exploration of cooking, “aiming to demystify food processes for home cooks!” Here are some examples of his experimental approach:
–Beef Jerky Made With a Box Fan: Brown once demonstrated a method for making beef jerky using a box fan and air filters, highlighting the principles of dehydration and air circulation.
–Cheetos Dust Flavor Hacking: Alton Brown created his own version of Cheetos dust by experimenting with different ingredients to achieve his favorite flavor, demonstrating a dedication to flavor profiles. Even with his refined palate, Brown adamantly states that he considers “the leftover chip dust from the Cheetos bag to be THE BEST FLAVOR ON EARTH!”…and you can use your homemade Cheetos dust in a multitude of recipes, ESPECIALLY in many varieties of Mac-N-Cheese, breading for chicken tenders, and Elote Street Corn on the Cob!
–Pound Cake from a Chemistry Set: A notable extreme challenge involved attempting to bake a pound cake using only equipment from a chemistry set, including a Bunsen burner and a hot plate, emphasizing the chemical reactions involved in baking.
–Mayonnaise for Cooking Steak: He has explored using mayonnaise as a cooking medium for steak, suggesting that it helps spices adhere to the meat and creates a nice crust, showcasing how common ingredients can be used in unexpected ways.
–Understanding HEAT as an Ingredient: Brown’s book, “GOOD EATS,” was largely an exploration of heat as the fundamental ingredient in all cooking, highlighting how understanding heat transfer is crucial for successful cooking.
–Cooking Chicken Breasts Differentially to the Same Internal Temperature: In collaboration with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, a James Beard Award-Winning Chef, Food Writer, and the Managing Culinary Director of “Serious Eats,” Alton Brown conducted an experiment comparing the cooking methods of 2 chicken breasts that reached the same internal temperature–but started at different times and temperatures.
Aside from his own cookbooks, you are able to find a HUMONGOUS ONLINE LIBRARY of Alton Brown’s Recipes at:
- www.altonbrown.com Where Alton also shares his Blogs and Podcasts and Merch!
- www.foodnetwork.com
- www.allisoncooksgoodeats.com
- www.tastecooking.com
- www.delish.com
- www.chowhound.com
Just to pinpoint a few websites that feature his famous recipes!
Searching and Scrolling through Alton Brown’s Instagram @altonbrown is an absolutely MOUTHWATERING culinary adventure to pursue… In all SERIOUSNESS; DO NOT GO CHECK OUT HIS PAGE IF YOU ARE HUNGRY!!—FOR IF YOU DO, YOU SHALL BECOME EVEN MORE RAVENOUS INSTANTANEOUSLY!… The food photography is nothing short of STUNNING! He also has a ton of YouTube “How-To Recipe” Videos at “The-Ready” for your cooking queries, he shares his recipes and photos on Facebook, and has a BRAND-NEW COOKBOOK that just came out recently to add to his resume!! It’s called: “FOOD FOR THOUGHT.” Additionally, Alton has also joined the “CURRENT BACKYARD,” a Current Electric Grill Shop- with “Zero Emissions for a Cleaner, Greener, Grilling Experience!” www.currentbackyard.com states that “Renowned Chef and Culinary Innovator Alton Brown stands behind Current as the future of electric cooking. With his expertise in food science and flavor, Alton highlights our electric grills and pizza ovens’ ability to deliver unmatched precision, authentic taste, and effortless convenience—all powered by cutting-edge technology!” Alton is a Current Backyard Brand Ambassador for their grills!!! Here are just a few photos – a sampling, as it were–from some of his most recent posts in which he shares recipes for Grilling, Cocktails, Desserts, Appetizers, Salads, More Cocktails, Breakfast Dishes, as well as cooking and grilling tips and tricks!
“So perhaps the truer axiom is not I THINK, THEREFORE I AM….but something humbler, messier, and more human… I COOK, THEREFORE I BECOME…Because whether you are sauteing with structure or grilling with grit, EVERY DISH IS A DECLARATION.”
——Quote By, Writer- Chris Knight
Pictured below, please find the newest electric grill from Current Backyard. Receiving “Best Reviews,” for their Grills, Griddles, and Pizza Ovens, in “The Men’s Journal,” and excellent write-ups from “Wired,” “USA Today,” and “GEEKS,” you may wish to investigate all of the new Current options and products for YOUR Backyard on their website www.currentbackyard.com and as of now, they have a promotion for 30% off Griddles and Griddle Bundles! Enjoy even more “GRIDDLE SZN!”
And finally, here is a gratuitous BONUS photo of Alton’s Brown’s baked goods which have had me consistently drooling throughout the entire week whilst researching and then writing this article… I am CLAMORING FOR EACH SPECIFIC ITEM! Everything FRESHLY BAKED, and scrumptiously presented and DELICIOUSLY DETAILINGLY described: First off; “Southern Buttermilk Biscuits; Made the old-fashioned way with lard and buttermilk- light and flaky- just like my Grandma used to make!” Next; “The puffy pancake-popover hybrid known as A DUTCH BABY- EQUAL PARTS PANCAKE, POPOVER AND CREPE- served golden brown and piping hot straight from the oven!”—That one is HEAVEN ON EARTH!!! Thirdly; “Alton Brown’s New and Improved Popover Recipe!- 5 ingredients! That’s all that stands between you and FLUFFY GOODNESS!” And—Last But Not Least; Alton Brown’s Re-Do of his 2003 Yellow Cake Recipe; “After all these years I can finally say that we are GOLDEN…cake that is…all we needed was more moisture and less starch…proof positive that small balanced changes can radically improve a cake!” YUMMINESS.
If any www.ribbqnews.com Readers or Patrons find out precisely WHERE TO ENJOY “THE MOST FABULOUS AND TASTY DUTCH BABY” in Rhode Island this weekend, please share your finds and photos on any of our Social Media!!! @ribbqnews on Instagram and on Facebook, and @wiseguysbbq on Instagram and Facebook….or drop a line to Fredo at The Wise Guys BBQ Podcast…and let him know “you found the good stuff!”
