Lugaru
Sous Chef
Bupo107 said:
Dr Hattori had a chance to battle once... if Alton does battle one day that would RULE! On his show he seems to only do "man food" but Im sure that he can put together some crazy stuff if required to.
Tsai Beat Flay......
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Dr Hattori had a chance to battle once... if Alton does battle one day that would RULE! On his show he seems to only do "man food" but Im sure that he can put together some crazy stuff if required to.
Consul
Senior Cook
Hi! New guy here, but you all just touched on one of my favorite shows, Iron Chef.
I still much prefer the Japanese production over the American one. Here's where I think the American one goes wrong:
No banter - All you hear through most of the show is Alton's commentating. I am a big fan of Alton Brown, but he needs some people to talk to besides Kevin. If you watch the original, you have an announcer (Fukui), an expert (Hattori), and one or two of the judges, and they all talk about the battle with each other. If Alton had a few people with him to look on the battle and talk, it would be much better I think. I can only imagine how good the Tsai/Flay battle could've been if Ted Allen and Alton could have bantered through the entire battle.
The choices in Iron Chefs - I'm with most of you on this one. Flay shouldn't be there. I would've much rather seen three master chefs that I had never heard of, as we would then be seeing things we aren't already used to.
Choice of who to battle - In IC America, the chairman (a character the show could do without, really) makes the choice of who the challenger is to battle. In the Japanese show, the challenger almost always makes this choice themselves, except in rare "special occasion" battles.
How about a little more on the challenger? - One of the things I like most about the Japanese series is that they spend an easy 5-6 minutes talking all about the challengers and giving their histories. It gives context to the entire battle.
There are, however, a few things I think they do well:
Alton and Kevin - These two work well together, and I think Kevin Brauch was a great choice for floor reporter. I like him on The Thirsty Traveller quite a bit.
The communication between people - I actually like how you can clearly hear the two chefs, the judges, and Alton all together, and how well they can communicate with each other across the floor. Now if only they would expand on this a little...
Okay, that's it for now. Sorry for the long newbie post.
I still much prefer the Japanese production over the American one. Here's where I think the American one goes wrong:
No banter - All you hear through most of the show is Alton's commentating. I am a big fan of Alton Brown, but he needs some people to talk to besides Kevin. If you watch the original, you have an announcer (Fukui), an expert (Hattori), and one or two of the judges, and they all talk about the battle with each other. If Alton had a few people with him to look on the battle and talk, it would be much better I think. I can only imagine how good the Tsai/Flay battle could've been if Ted Allen and Alton could have bantered through the entire battle.
The choices in Iron Chefs - I'm with most of you on this one. Flay shouldn't be there. I would've much rather seen three master chefs that I had never heard of, as we would then be seeing things we aren't already used to.
Choice of who to battle - In IC America, the chairman (a character the show could do without, really) makes the choice of who the challenger is to battle. In the Japanese show, the challenger almost always makes this choice themselves, except in rare "special occasion" battles.
How about a little more on the challenger? - One of the things I like most about the Japanese series is that they spend an easy 5-6 minutes talking all about the challengers and giving their histories. It gives context to the entire battle.
There are, however, a few things I think they do well:
Alton and Kevin - These two work well together, and I think Kevin Brauch was a great choice for floor reporter. I like him on The Thirsty Traveller quite a bit.
The communication between people - I actually like how you can clearly hear the two chefs, the judges, and Alton all together, and how well they can communicate with each other across the floor. Now if only they would expand on this a little...
Okay, that's it for now. Sorry for the long newbie post.
Lugaru
Sous Chef
Welcome aboard Darren!
I really agree with your post... especially the Alton/Kevin part. My roomate kept saying "this guy is dumb, he asks too many questions" and I told him "that's his job... to get every one to talk so the viewers can learn new things".
Edit: doh!
I really agree with your post... especially the Alton/Kevin part. My roomate kept saying "this guy is dumb, he asks too many questions" and I told him "that's his job... to get every one to talk so the viewers can learn new things".
Edit: doh!
Consul
Senior Cook
My name's Darren, but thanks all the same. 
Actually, I went a little overboard with that post, but I've been dying to get that all off of my chest. Nobody else I know cares about Iron Chef, if they've heard of it at all.
About Tsai vs. Flay...
I have a friend in culinary school who has met Flay twice. His observations of the man are the same as all of yours: he's a jerk.
Tsai had a lot of guts to try Peking duck in one hour. The part that blows me away is that he actually managed to pull it off. I loved the part where he pulled out the air compressor and stuffed it into the duck. That should go down in the annals of cooking history.
Two things I would like to see on Iron Chef America (besides everything I outlined above):
1) "Please welcome Challenger Martin Yan!"
2) "We unveil the secret ingredient... SPAM!"
Those need not be the same episode, though that would be funny...
Actually, I went a little overboard with that post, but I've been dying to get that all off of my chest. Nobody else I know cares about Iron Chef, if they've heard of it at all.
About Tsai vs. Flay...
I have a friend in culinary school who has met Flay twice. His observations of the man are the same as all of yours: he's a jerk.
Tsai had a lot of guts to try Peking duck in one hour. The part that blows me away is that he actually managed to pull it off. I loved the part where he pulled out the air compressor and stuffed it into the duck. That should go down in the annals of cooking history.
Two things I would like to see on Iron Chef America (besides everything I outlined above):
1) "Please welcome Challenger Martin Yan!"
2) "We unveil the secret ingredient... SPAM!"
Those need not be the same episode, though that would be funny...
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
Welcome to the site Consul - and roflmao on the Spam!!
Consul
Senior Cook
Thanks, kitchenelf!
Maybe if they had a challenger from Hawaii? (I don't know anything about Hawaii firsthand, but I've heard stories about how popular Spam meat is there.)
You know, I'd be willing to bet that you could make some good dishes with Spam if you took the time to know it as an ingredient. Maybe I should play around with that some.
This coming from someone that actually likes Spam, although it does have to be cooked.
Maybe if they had a challenger from Hawaii?
(I don't know anything about Hawaii firsthand, but I've heard stories about how popular Spam meat is there.)You know, I'd be willing to bet that you could make some good dishes with Spam if you took the time to know it as an ingredient. Maybe I should play around with that some.
This coming from someone that actually likes Spam, although it does have to be cooked.
Consul, I am from Hawaii and we love Spam,(sorry norge). Here is a link to the Spam web page. Interesting stuff there.
http://www.spam.com/es.htm
http://www.spam.com/es.htm
norgeskog
Washing Up
I hate to instill some controversy here, but I am an activist, so here goes. Saying of the day......spam is bad food and bad e-mail sorry guys
sorry guys
norgeskog
Washing Up
wasabi said:A difference of opinions is what makes the world interesting, norge.
Yes wasabi, you are correct. I figured if I was going to slam spam, I had better take a look at the link you provided, wanted to see what someone did with it, but no recipes. How do you cook (isn't it already cooked) it? I remember I liked it, my mother used to fix it, but have not had it since I was a kid. She would fry until crunchy on outside and put on a piece of toast with an egg on top.
norge, on that link right under the pic of the spam is link titled "eat it". They have recipes there. my favorite way to eat spam is spam musubi. I got this from AlohaWorld.comOno Recipes.
Spam Musubi
Contributor: Margie
Recipe Number: 1051145728
Ingredients:
4 cups uncooked Japanese rice
4 cups water
5 sheets sushi-nori (seaweed)
1 can SPAM or SPAM Lite Furukaki
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice wine (mirin)
Cooking Instructions:
Cook rice in rice cooker. If no rice cooker is available, put rice and water into a large heavy saucepan. Heat water and rice until boiling then immediately turn down and simmer for approximately 20-25 mins. or until soft and water is evaporated. Boil soy sauce, sugar and rice wine. After it boils, turn off flame. Cut SPAM into 1/4 in. wide slices. Fry in pan. Soak fried SPAM in soy sauce mixture. Line a musubi maker with sushi nori so that both sides stick straight up. Spread cooked rice across bottom of musubi maker, on top of nori - 1/4 inch high. Sprinkle furukaki on top of rice. Place two pieces of SPAM in musubi maker on top of rice. SPAM should cover most of the length of the musubi maker. Spread more cooked rice on top of spam - 1/4 in. high. Sprinkle furukaki on top of rice. Fold over one side of the nori. Use musubi maker insert to press down on top of nori, rice and SPAM. Fold over other side of nori and press down. Remove musubi log from maker. Cut each log into four pieces.
Additional Comments:
Used to make these with my mom for our school lunches and dad's lunch, too and for after school snacks if get any leftovers.
Spam Musubi
Contributor: Margie
Recipe Number: 1051145728
Ingredients:
4 cups uncooked Japanese rice
4 cups water
5 sheets sushi-nori (seaweed)
1 can SPAM or SPAM Lite Furukaki
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice wine (mirin)
Cooking Instructions:
Cook rice in rice cooker. If no rice cooker is available, put rice and water into a large heavy saucepan. Heat water and rice until boiling then immediately turn down and simmer for approximately 20-25 mins. or until soft and water is evaporated. Boil soy sauce, sugar and rice wine. After it boils, turn off flame. Cut SPAM into 1/4 in. wide slices. Fry in pan. Soak fried SPAM in soy sauce mixture. Line a musubi maker with sushi nori so that both sides stick straight up. Spread cooked rice across bottom of musubi maker, on top of nori - 1/4 inch high. Sprinkle furukaki on top of rice. Place two pieces of SPAM in musubi maker on top of rice. SPAM should cover most of the length of the musubi maker. Spread more cooked rice on top of spam - 1/4 in. high. Sprinkle furukaki on top of rice. Fold over one side of the nori. Use musubi maker insert to press down on top of nori, rice and SPAM. Fold over other side of nori and press down. Remove musubi log from maker. Cut each log into four pieces.
Additional Comments:
Used to make these with my mom for our school lunches and dad's lunch, too and for after school snacks if get any leftovers.
norgeskog
Washing Up
wasabi, sounds complicated and I do not have those rolling things.. Spam sushi is what it sounds like. BTW I found the recipe icon, took me to Hormel web site.
htc
Head Chef
In college I stir fried spam w/ tomatoes & green onions and ate over a bed of rice. If I had more $$ I would have used shrimp instead of spam.
norgeskog
Washing Up
htc said:
I will vote for shrimp.
masteraznchefjr
Sous Chef
ooo i use to eat that in hawaii everyday. and i still do occassionally here
There's a fastfood outlet in a major mall here called SPAM JAM. It offers spam in its many glorified manifestations: as a sandwich, omelette, with rice, etc. The outlet looks like a small Macdonalds. I keep passing by it but have never tried it. Maybe I should... Anyway, there's an idea for people out there looking for a business concept.
ironchef
Executive Chef
Bupo107 said:
Alton would get his butt handed to him. He knows a lot about specific foods and their basic uses, but knowing about food and being able to put together 5 world class dishes in the span of an hour are two completely different things.
htc
Head Chef
I hate to say it, but I'd have to agree that Alton would probably lose. Don't get me wrong, big AB fan, but I can't see him pulling off nice looking dishes. I think they would taste good, but I don't know if he could make them look fancy. That said, I would still LOVE to see AB compete!
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
hmm, you 2 make good points about ab. i guess we should all email him to encourage him to be in an iron chef battle. you never know how someone performs until they're actually on stage. ab has all the basic knowledge of tricks and techniques that would really help with odd ingredients, but might get mired down with a common ingredient, imo.
ironchef
Executive Chef
I don't think Alton could handle the time contraint. Does he have any professional culinary experience? Does anyone know? He just seems like a guy with a scientific background who is interested in food. Most people have a hard time making 2-3 relatively simple dishes in an hour. Unless Alton was really a chef or cook somewhere, I seriously doubt he could even come close to pulling it off. It's like asking a high school baseball coach to play in the Major Leagues. Sure he knows about the game, he can teach you the game, and he can probably play the game, sure. But can he play the game at the highest level?
