Good Eats

Alton Brown knows his foodstuffs, but so what? Dozens of tele-victual specialists know how to make a perfect barnaise or tell if a cantaloupe is ripe. What sets Brown and his Good Eats gang apart is how much they know and include in their half-hour programs about history, anthropology, math, chemistry, physics and popular culture. In an installment of Good Eats, a viewer is almost as likely to hear or see a reference to Batman or Werner Von Braun as baguettes or balsamic vinegars. Whether Brown is advising Okra’s agent, Syd, on how to make his slimy client more popular, demonstrating how NOT to deep-fry a turkey, or describing ancient popcorn-popping methods, his show is a feast of puns, goofy props and good advice. For being omnivorously educational and great cheesy fun, Good Eats receives a Peabody.