Product Description

Eight years ago, Alton Brown set out to create a cooking show for a new generation. The result was Good Eats, one of Food Network’s most popular programs. Four years ago, Brown set out to write a cookbook for people who would rather understand their food than follow a recipe. A mix of cutting-edge graphics and a fresh take on preparing food, I’m Just Here For the Food became one of the bestselling cookbooks of the year—and received the James Beard Foundation/KitchenAid Book Award as best reference book.

This year, to commemorate and celebrate this success story (more than 300,000 copies in print), STC is pleased to announce I’m Just Here For the Food: Version 2.0.. This special edition features 15 brand-new recipes, 20 pages of additional material, and 4 removable refrigerator magnets—along with everything that made the original a classic instruction manual for the kitchen. Each of the book’s 15 sections is a module on a given cooking method—from pan searing to pressure cooking, stewing to steaming—with a “master” recipe and a varied selection of recipes that epitomize the technique. The text is accented throughout with food facts, history and lore, and science.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1215 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 324 pages

About the Author
ALTON BROWN is the writer, director, and host of the popular Food Network television show Good Eats, and is the resident food historian, scientist, color commentator, and host of the network’s Iron Chef America series. In 2004, Brown was selected the Bon Appétit American Food & Entertaining Awards Cooking Teacher of the Year. He is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit and Men’s Journal magazines. He lives in the southern United States with his wife and daughter.

Customer Reviews

Great Book! Horrible Shipping!
I simply love Alton's book. It was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted much more than a simple cookbook of recipes. Alton goes the extra mile to explain things in simple terms. The book is not as great as his TV show but it is the next best thing. As you are reading it you can easily picture him saying the words to you in that quirky Alton style.

Now to the bad part. My only problem with the whole Amazon "experience" was that my book arrived in a damaged state. It was never properly secured to any cardboard backing and the box looks like someone punted it across the room. It wouldn't be worth the hassle of returning it. I just hope that the book doesn't fall apart in the near future due to the damaged spine and cover.

I highly recommend the book! But watch out, Amazon's shipping department seems to be having issues lately.

My mother didn't know how to cook, this book taught me how NOT to ruin dinner
AB helped me identify everything I was doing wrong. I used to guess which method (water/steam vs dry) and would apply them to foods that fared much better prepared another way. I now know why things didn't get done in the oven without overcooking (was using deep casserole as opposed to shallow). I was using the wrong oils for high temp pan frying (butter and olive oil burn at lower temps). Now I know to fry with canola and add a little butter to flavor it. I learned that pan frying is better for thinner steaks and to set meat out of the fridge ahead of time to reduce cooking time and improve end quality. I never used to let meat rest before slicing, because I thought it didn't matter.. it is so the juices can re-absorb instead of flowing too freely under pressure from the hotter meat. I was buying too lean meat for pot-roast and hamburgers.

I could go on and on. Suffice it to say that if you never had anyone you could watch cooking, or could ask how and why,,,this book will provide answers to the questions that you didn't even know enough to ask.
I highly suggest reading cover to cover. It is amazing what there is to learn BEFORE you start to cook.

Alton Brown kicks it!!!
Alton Brown is the man. He really is -- his common sense, no frills, easy to understand explanations about food and everything that can impact how you cook make his books and DVDs fun to read/watch. He has to have been a science teacher for elementary and/or middle school kids -- his innate ability to explain the most complex ideas in the most simplistic terms and ideas is uncanny. Love his books -- love the recipes in the books. Highly recommended for the cook in your life!