Alton Brown on Food Network for Three More Years

Alton Brown
Alton Brown, host of “Good Eats” and “Iron Chef America”, has signed on to Food Network for three more years. He’ll be hosting more episodes of both shows.

I’m glad that’s happening. He’s one of the man reasons I’m cooking a lot more than I used to.

I met Alton at a book signing a couple of years ago, and he couldn’t have been nicer. When we were standing in line waiting for our books to be signed, the wife of one of the guys in front of us asked, “Are you engineers?” We told her we all were engineers. She asked, “What is it about Alton Brown and engineers? All these guys are engineers, and they love Alton!”

Probably just in the way he explains stuff, and keeps it all fun.

(Via Slashfood).

The Next Iron Chef Finale

Michael Symon
The winner of “The Next Iron Chef” is Michael Symon

How did it end? In Kitchen Stadium, of course. What was the secret ingredient? Swordfish. After they finished cooking, “The Chairman” announced that the regular judges wouldn’t be judging; the Iron Chefs would!

Michael Symon served:

Marinated Swordfish – The judges liked the cocktail served with the dish, and thought it was a good start.
Olive Oil Poached Swordfish – They liked the look, but not everyone agreed on the seasoning.
Swordfish Ravioli – Chef Cora loved the broth, but didn’t like the gritty texture.
Spice Roasted Swordfish – All three judges loved the dish.
Crispy Swordfish – Chef Cora thought this dish was bland, but Chef Morimoto liked it.
Braised Swordfish Collar with Grilled Swordfish – They liked this, and Chef Cora declared this Iron Chef quality.

John Besh served:

Cold Smoked Swordfish – Bobby Flay liked it, Chef Cora called it exceptional.
Swordfish Crunchy Roll – Bobby thought the lobster overpowered the dish, and Chef Morimoto agreed.
Swordfish Brandade Agnolotti – Chef Cora called the dish a success.
“Breaded” Swordfish – Chef Flay said that it needed something extra, and Chef Cora said that it needed more spice.
Blackened Swordfish and Shrimp – Chef Cora said that the shrimp was unneeded, and Chef Flay agreed.
Swordfish Piccata – Chef Flay liked the idea of using the fish like a piece of meat. Chef Morimoto thought the bacon and mushroom were a bit strong, but liked the dish.
Swordfish Cream in Brik Pastry – Chef Morimoto asked for dessert, and Chef Besh came up with it. Morimoto applauded the effort, but Flay and Cora couldn’t tell there was swordfish in it.

All of the judges and the Iron Chefs did a panel afterwards and discussed the candidates. They wrote names on ballets, and Alton brought them back to The Chairman, who announced that Chef Michael Symon was the winner.