What is my Alton Brown Cooking Project? Read the posts from the cooking project.
Why am I doing this
Like many people, I have been stuck in a dinner rut. Since I usually cook for only myself, I have almost limitless choices of what I could cook for dinner. Paralyzed by having too many options, I usually defer to perennial favorites. While this ensures that I will likely enjoy my dinner, it doesn’t broaden my cooking repertoire at all.
These posts are for me as much as you. Writing about the experience will help me remember what I liked or disliked, and why or how I might do it differently the next time.
Where did I get this idea?
Inspired by an idea from the LiveJournal cooking community, which was inspired by the movie “Julie & Julia” (which we hadn’t seen yet when I started this project), I decided to give myself a cooking assignment: Cook every recipe from Alton Brown’s Good Eats: The Early Years
What are the rules?
I’ve decided to go in order from chapter one forward. I’ll have to skip, or at least alter a few recipes due to resources, availability of ingredients or just due to weather. I’ll cook at least one recipe per week – though I’ve found that quite often, two consecutive recipes make great meals. I’ll post photos of at least the completed dish, including in-progress shots if I can manage. Each post will document any highlight points of the cooking experience and a final rating of the dish.
Why don’t I post the recipes?
No, a specific recipe cannot be copyrighted, but the wording of the instructions can. Alton Brown’s instructions are generally pretty clear and concise and I don’t really want to bother re-writing something that is already written well enough. Googling any recipe title (ex: Alton Brown Pan Seared Rib Eye) will give you the Food Network’s posting of the recipe as the first result.
What about you?
Have you ever tried something like this before? I’d love to hear your experiences or suggestions.
