428095 Sun Aug 05 08:24:34 -0700 2007 56 33 Food Media and News 0 2815192 Watched this last night, and just loved it. We were huge fans of the first installment, and the second one (so far) didn't disappoint. Alton is such a joy to watch, as his interactions with others just tickle me. His quest for knowledge is, IMHO, unmatched with most others on the network. And his perfectionism shows with each episode. Highlights: Aligator farm; and Sausage costume. Great food entertainment. Sun Aug 05 08:24:34 -0700 2007 64168 kkak97 1 2815890 Yes, very good show, i have been on sections of the river road many times,but was in a semi, and couldn't explore,now I can see some of what Alton finds,now if we could just get them off of the BMW's,and on sportbikes,or motards! Sun Aug 05 15:12:44 -0700 2007 2815192 89203 jword2001 2 2816171 I think they may have found their rhythm after the first season. I liked the crawfish eating lessons and the guy just coming up and just starts telling them how to do it. I also liked the part where AB was giving the poor lady the third degree about her gumbo and okra and red beans and rice. The sausage suit was freaking hilarious. Sun Aug 05 17:27:45 -0700 2007 2815890 11826 Phaedrus 3 2817009 I too am glad it's back. I thought last season was cut short by Alton's unfortunate accident, which he eluded to in this season's premier. I was hoping for more and I think we're going to get it this season. I love the rules of the show and would give my eye teeth to do the same. We recently packed up and moved to the mid-South. I'm finding the local mom and pop joints have been shut down by the chains. I've always tried to support "the little guy" but they're being shut down so fast, it's sad. Mon Aug 06 06:24:35 -0700 2007 2816171 13683 Dee S 1 2816541 You forgot to mention A.B.'s mini rant about the ice tea. 'What, it's not sweetened?' Good to see that the other LA knows how to drink tea, like this ex-pat: http://www.gumbopages.com/food/beverages/iced-tea.html Want it sweet, add it yourself! Sun Aug 05 20:20:08 -0700 2007 2815192 23712 DiveFan 2 2817003 Actually, sweet tea IS a southern tradition. They don't usually use sugar, thats too expensive. They use Caro sysrup. Mon Aug 06 06:20:06 -0700 2007 2816541 11826 Phaedrus 3 2817526 Okay, speaking as a native southerner who likes a good sweet tea, I have NEVER heard of using Karo syrup (which...um...is far more expensive than sugar) in sweet tea. What you might be thinking of is that proper southern sweet tea is made with sugar syrup instead of granulated sugar: equal amounts of sugar and water cooked slowly until the sugar dissolves. Why sugar syrup? Because granulated sugar doesn't dissolve in the presence of ice! Mon Aug 06 08:50:55 -0700 2007 2817003 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 4 2817589 Wow interesting. Thanks Barmy for educating this born and raised Northern girl. Whenever I'm down South I like to enjoy some sweet tea but def.thought they had to use something other then regular sugar since whenever I add sugar to ice tea it usually just sinks to the bottom. :) Mon Aug 06 09:05:45 -0700 2007 2817526 76776 Elyssa 5 2834362 If you add the sugar while the tea is hot, it will dissolve readily. Then ice it. Fri Aug 10 15:32:20 -0700 2007 2817589 71196 dalaimama 4 2817609 Buddy of mine swears that is what he used when he worked in the kitchen at a BBQ joint in rural Georgia. He said his family did the same thing. Mon Aug 06 09:09:35 -0700 2007 2817526 11826 Phaedrus 5 2817621 Didn't Alton say that Georgia has the sweetest sweet tea in the South though. He made some comment along those lines. So maybe that's what they do in Georgia. Mon Aug 06 09:11:51 -0700 2007 2817609 76776 Elyssa 6 2941237 I would imagine that, had AB been raised in Mississippi, he'd say that Ms had the "Sweetest tea in all the south." I wouldn't read too much into that. DT Fri Sep 14 09:05:39 -0700 2007 2817621 11291 Davwud 6 2942959 I don't know where this one somewhat older woman was from, but while waiting for our respective takeout orders, she received her iced tea. She popped off the top and poured alot of sugar in the tea. "Hmmm, needs more sugar..." she said in a heavy Southern accent. Sip, add more sugar. Sip again, add more sugar again. This went on for at least five iterations. By the time she was done, the once full sugar dispenser was about half-full. The waitress and I were looking at each other, both of us with our jaws hanging down in disbelief... Maybe someone should have told after all of these years that sugar won't dissolve in iced tea... Fri Sep 14 16:51:12 -0700 2007 2817621 64003 bulavinaka 4 2834123 Yeah, I've never seen Karo syrup used in sweet tea, either. My (nuclear) family didn't make it sweet, but my paternal grandmother and my best friend's mom used sugar. They put it in the tea when it was hot and freshly brewed, first thing after washing breakfast dishes. (My grandmother actually used a combo of sweet'n'low and sugar, which I remember disliking. When she had me make it, I'd use all sugar. At the supper table I would hear "Amy makes good tea!" Maybe they knew...) My BF's mom was from northern Florida, and I remember her tea was sometimes a little more sugary at the bottom of the jug, probably because of undissolved sugar. Hers was so sweet it hurt my teeth. I didn't know anyone to make sugar syrup for iced tea, but maybe these women didn't think of that. I'm a little surprised b/c I know my BF's mom was a drinker and made simple syrup for her bridge parties. Fri Aug 10 14:27:57 -0700 2007 2817526 24126 amyzan 4 2924310 Alton explain this is his usual food science method on the Good Eats tea episode. A simple 1-to-1 syrup is traditionally used to sweeten iced-tea. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_16174,00.html I have to admit that I am a Yankee, and I like it unsweetened with a slice of lemon. I dont know how to ride a motorcycle, but I would learn overnight if I had a chance to ride with Alton. Sun Sep 09 10:04:14 -0700 2007 2817526 22220 Kelli2006 4 2942112 Sugar makes sense since sugar cane is a commodity crop down in the south = readily available and less expensive. Fri Sep 14 12:26:20 -0700 2007 2817526 56054 dave_c 5 2942357 Seems like the cost of Karo would rule it out. Even wealthy Southerners tend to be frugal (genteel synonym for cheap) and nobody would use Karo when plain sugar would do fine, thank you very much! Save the Karo for pecan pie! Fri Sep 14 13:33:41 -0700 2007 2942112 32444 MakingSense 3 2834027 I'm from North Carolina and, NO - have never heard of using Caro syrup in sweet tea. Fri Aug 10 14:00:37 -0700 2007 2817003 16001 Jeanne 4 2835775 Ditto, my people are Mississippi, Tn., NC, Fl. & Texas. Only thing we use Caro for is pecan pie. Sugar when hot, or simple syrup used for ice tea by the more savvy family cooks! But now I'm curious how that might taste... Sat Aug 11 08:18:08 -0700 2007 2834027 111267 meatn3 5 2844303 Alton has a recipe for sweet tea on the Food Network's website that uses a simple sugar syrup. I haven't made it yet so I don't know quite how sweet it is. Tue Aug 14 10:17:16 -0700 2007 2835775 13396 Velda Mae 6 2900681 It's not that complicated. Sugar plus tea equals sweet tea. Do you really need a recipe? I'm from AL and we always just added the sugar while the tea was hot. Fri Aug 31 11:14:50 -0700 2007 2844303 101815 eternalX 2 2924902 Southerners have long been proud of the fact that they seem to be the only ones who understand you can't stir granulated sugar into iced tea. When I moved from Atlanta out Los Angeles, I was shocked that grown ups in fancy dining establishments hadn't figured it out, and were pointlessly offering me sugar to put in my iced tea. Sun Sep 09 15:06:48 -0700 2007 2816541 11201 Diana 1 2835867 I agree. I enjoyed the episode very much. I love his enthusiasm for food, and his respect and interest in food traditions. Looking forward to the next installment. :) Sat Aug 11 09:08:18 -0700 2007 2815192 65780 jujuthomas 1 2842556 Another great show for Alton on the food network- I think this season looks even better than the first. I do wish he would do some other cities, seems like he is always in the south.. maybe next year he can tour the northeast. great show though. Mon Aug 13 18:41:22 -0700 2007 2815192 101707 yankeefan 2 2842600 Season 1 was kind of meandering and unstructured, but kind of along Route 66, except for the southern part. This season was supposed to be along the Mississippi river, but he spent a ton of time in Louisiana for good reasons I think. Maybe he can go along major. highways or geographic landmarks. Mon Aug 13 18:58:00 -0700 2007 2842556 11826 Phaedrus 1 2842684 We vacationed in New Orleans a few months back and went to that sausage place in La Place. We drove home with two coolers of head cheese, andouille, tasso, smoked sausage and a few other odds and ends. The folks in Acadiana are wonderful, full of cultural pride, and make some of the best chow in the world. I'm enjoying the new season and plan on taking a road trip that was again in the near future Mon Aug 13 19:30:49 -0700 2007 2815192 22801 bkhuna 1 2842712 I laughed at the scene where the gator was chopping down on the nutria and AB said it sounded similar to clavicle breaking. Mon Aug 13 19:41:15 -0700 2007 2815192 69496 septocaine_queen 1 2924328 Did anyone happen to catch the recipe for coolicles - the Kool-Aid flavored pickles? Is this really a Southern tradition or just that one woman's happy accident? Has anyone actually tasted these? Sun Sep 09 10:10:45 -0700 2007 2815192 124920 thegingerbreadgirl 2 2924702 It was on yesterday, I saw it, and no, I don't think I'd try it unless somebody pleadingly asked me to. I really do like AB, though- always have. Sun Sep 09 13:14:05 -0700 2007 2924328 105625 EWSflash 2 2924905 I had one ONCE, and that was enough for me. Sun Sep 09 15:07:35 -0700 2007 2924328 11201 Diana 2 2924965 A friend who grew up in rural Georgia says that they used to eat dill pickles with Kool-Aid powder when they were kids - more than 40 years ago. So it's nothing new and not specific to the Delta. They poked holes in the pickles with their fingers and sprinkled the powder down inside and then ate/sucked on them. Of course the Kool-Aid stained terribly just as it still does. Sun Sep 09 15:36:35 -0700 2007 2924328 32444 MakingSense 2 2946770 I'm wondering if they used sweetened Kool-aid, or just the powder from the little sleeves. Sun Sep 16 14:56:06 -0700 2007 2924328 84570 kindofabigdeal 2 2947180 Mrs. Sippi has never heard of this. DT Sun Sep 16 17:50:43 -0700 2007 2924328 11291 Davwud 1 2925202 I watched the last episode last night ,and I must say WELL DONE!, I hope he does a show like this every year,hey Alton, how about northern Maine to Key West,or PCH 101,heck you could do a whole series on the back road eats of Texas!. Sun Sep 09 17:36:23 -0700 2007 2815192 89203 jword2001 1 2926039 I really enjoy this series. I have read posts criticizing Alton's silly interactions with some of the people he met, but I really enjoyed that. I think it shows that he doesn't take himself too seriously - which is so refreshing for a tv personality. Personally I was howling over the whole "what's in the spaghetti" goof! :) I hope he continues to make this program - but he better keep up with those push ups and the treadmill - I hope they eat some healthy stuff between takes, haha! Mon Sep 10 05:50:46 -0700 2007 2815192 65780 jujuthomas 1 2926851 Very much enjoyed this "season" (6 shows), and would enjoy a publication with the spots he hits on all the episodes (even season 1). Next season: I vote Route 1 from FL to Maine. Mon Sep 10 10:02:01 -0700 2007 2815192 51422 Jeserf 2 2927600 Me, I vote he goes from Washington State to Baja Mexico on the 101 and the 1 Mon Sep 10 12:48:34 -0700 2007 2926851 11201 Diana 1 2931797 OK, I must preface this with the fact that I love this show, both Season 1 and 2. I'm an AB fan and I love that he is spotlighting small businesses and non-chain restaurants. But....Did anyone else noticed AB's rather large man breasts?? Tue Sep 11 14:14:13 -0700 2007 2815192 102511 jewel4352 2 2932655 its all the heavy food/little veggies I am sure.. but...since when did we love AB based on his looks, anyway? It's all part of the charm. Tue Sep 11 18:37:58 -0700 2007 2931797 82739 Jeters 2 2932977 What??? Tue Sep 11 20:38:44 -0700 2007 2931797 89203 jword2001 1 2935573 Loved this series - just wish it had had more episodes. IMHO Alton Brown is the best FN has to offer. Wed Sep 12 14:33:30 -0700 2007 2815192 16001 Jeanne 2 2936349 100% agreed. best two shows on the network by far! really do wish there were more episodes. next two seasons, my vote would be: 1. Boston to Philly, mass pike to turnpike 2. Phoenix to Seattle, via Vegas would love to see them incorporate local breweries into the show, but that may just be me. Wed Sep 12 18:56:58 -0700 2007 2935573 101707 yankeefan 3 2937044 The problem with much of the northeast is that it's too congested nearly everywhere to whack open the throttle and put on some miles. I think an important element of this show is the open road, fast disappearing. Alaska- now there would be a good trip and they could actually put those shiny new GS's to good use. Thu Sep 13 05:00:50 -0700 2007 2936349 38807 RC51Mike 3 3013763 Why Phoenix???? Let them start in Nogales, AZ and go through Tucson on the way to Phx. Is the Cow Palace still there in Amado? They could go there too. Mon Oct 08 05:46:46 -0700 2007 2936349 105625 EWSflash 4 3014021 I definitely agree that nogales (or heck, rocky point) could be the place to start, but once hitting the valley a drive through Guadalupe would definitely be necessary. And I can only imagine the fun AB would have with the Ranch Market. Mon Oct 08 07:49:28 -0700 2007 3013763 84570 kindofabigdeal 1 2937051 Since everyone is throwing their two cents in for desired routes. How about going from Seattle heading southe east, through Montanas and the Dakotas. I would love to hear Alton's take on Wall Drugs, buffloes, Mount Rushmre . Go through Wyoming and talk about Devils Tower and ranching, Nebraska, Iowa and finishing in Chicago. Thu Sep 13 05:07:05 -0700 2007 2815192 11826 Phaedrus 2 2946399 I'd love to see a trip up route 1/ 101 from the mexican border to canada. Lots of great road, and you go through SD, all the beach towns, san fransisco, etc.. Sun Sep 16 12:03:29 -0700 2007 2937051 82739 Jeters 3 2947178 Probably next year. DT Sun Sep 16 17:50:00 -0700 2007 2946399 11291 Davwud 1 2940224 This is not a complaint, just an observation. When I first heard about the proposed route for the 2nd season (Mississippi River), I immediately assumed they would travel north-to-south along the river. So I was kind of surprised when I heard they were going to do it south-to-north. I guess I was expecting north-to-south because I figured there would be a natural kind of story-telling as they moved southward from the northern-European-influenced foods of the Upper Midwest down into the spicier and more popular Southern cuisines and Cajun Country. Each episode, I thought, would bring them into the sphere of the "exotic" regional foods of the South, building up toward to a climax in the food-obsessed region around New Orleans. Perhaps I am exhibiting my (very possibly incorrect) stereotypes of food in the Wisconsin/Minnesota region as well as the Midwest--not to mention stereotypes of soul food, Cajun & Creole food, and Southern BBQ. But am I the only one who was expecting north-to-south? (Now that I think about it, I suppose the same logic could have led me to assume that Season 1 would move from West to the BBQ-rich Southeast, when--obviously--they went the opposite direction.) Thu Sep 13 21:15:08 -0700 2007 2815192 16340 alanstotle 2 2941181 I also initially assumed it would go north-to-south, and was happy to find out they were traveling northward instead. The journey itself is more important than the destination, and the history and nuance of New Orleans cuisine have already been thoroughly examined and praised. It's too obvious. It would be like ending the trip in Manhattan. Fri Sep 14 08:53:40 -0700 2007 2940224 66883 Hamhock 1 2942119 I believe Alton had some hog's head cheese, which I miss and haven't seen in the markets for awhile. He did mention that hog's heads are now banned for human comsumption in the US? Did I hear that right? When did that happen? Maybe that's why I haven't seen it in any stores. Fri Sep 14 12:28:08 -0700 2007 2815192 56054 dave_c 2 2942167 I think the only parts that are banned, if that is indeed the case, would be the parts of the central nervous system. The meat that comes off heads (jowls, cheeks, etc.) is perfectly fine and readily available. Fri Sep 14 12:39:29 -0700 2007 2942119 22801 bkhuna 3 2942532 Yep, it's from fear of cerebral and spinal fluid contamination for spongeform encephalitis (sp?) or "mad cow" -which is not restricted to cows. Fri Sep 14 14:20:26 -0700 2007 2942167 11201 Diana 4 2943895 Mad cow in hogs? Learn something new every day... Mad Cow and Silly Swine? During my early college years, I worked at a meat market with a large African-American clientele. During the major holidays, a few customers would order a whole hog's head. They made best hog's headcheese I've ever sampled. All slightly different, but a lot better than the commerical stuff. Wow! That was 25 years ago. I wonder if those recipes were ever handed down? DId the youngsters pick it up? Probably not. Kind of sad in a sense. Sorry for the digression. I'm starting to sound like an old fogey. :-) Sat Sep 15 07:24:35 -0700 2007 2942532 56054 dave_c 5 2944014 If 25 years ago makes you an old fogey, then I'm dust in the wind... :} Sat Sep 15 08:42:34 -0700 2007 2943895 64003 bulavinaka 5 2944065 Trust me, there are people out there getting hog's heads somehow and making headcheese, scrapple and more. Sat Sep 15 09:04:39 -0700 2007 2943895 11201 Diana 6 2946413 My grandmother raised her own hogs, used the heads for tamales, and head cheese....i hated them both, the smell of that head cooking was enough to put me off of food for a week! Sun Sep 16 12:07:46 -0700 2007 2944065 89203 jword2001