Alton Brown Quotes - Page 5

What tends to happen is that people will go - they've got hot broth, you know, they've added some liquid to their drippings, they've brought that up to heat. And then they try to add in a big clump of just kind of a handful of flour, and of course, it turns into library paste.

What happens is that in each clump you've got the gelatinization of starches, which happens very quickly at the surface of the clump and it kind of forms a protective skin around this dry hunk of flour.

The jewel of the lard is right around the kidneys. But this is a fat that has a very specific crystalline formation and a high melting point.

The skin is forming because of proteins, just like if you cook milk or anything else that's got a coagulant protein in it.

I hate using the word coagulant.

You know, [skin] happens at the gravy boat stage - right? - or this happens when you're trying to keep it warm. So the way that I avoid this is I keep my gravy - the second it's done, I put it in a thermos, which will keep it hot and will prevent air from getting to the surface. And I keep it there till the last moment. The last thing that goes out to the table is the gravy, and I pour it out of the thermos and immediately move it in.

I keep the "ThunderCats" thermos safely in the kitchen.

Lumps are caused by one thing and one thing alone - the improper addition of a starch.

It's funny, when you look back in history books or American cookery books, one of the reasons that the quinces and cranberries are used so often is because of their natural jelling properties.

Cranberries contain a massive amount of natural pectins. They will gel all on their own, which is why you can basically make cranberry sauce out of filling.

I'm grateful my teenaged daughter is healthy and well and for the work I do to make a living.

If there's something I feel certain of, it is that we're not very aware of each other and that's largely because of social media.

I feel a strong wakeup call and need to build social connections.

I've learned that you shouldn't have preconceived notions about anybody.

I'm loyal and very good about giving people opportunities.

I'm just sitting around thinking about turkey.

I want to bring things up to room temperature, especially poultry, before I cook it because I want it to cook faster so that there's less moisture loss.

If I took my turkey out of the refrigerator and, like, threw it in a dumpster or drug it down the street in New York for a while [it will make people sick].

I do know I'm a control freak.

I am publicly apolitical.