I'm Just Here for the Food
by Alton Brown · first published 2002
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Explains the science behind cooking methods like braising, grilling, roasting and frying, including why each works and which foods suit it; a fun, engaging pick for cooks who want to understand the fundamentals.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
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…right gear can be important (knives and pans, yes, but an ounce/gram scale and a thermometer have changed how we cook). Learning is the other key. I've spent too much on cookbooks, but Alton Brown (e.g. 'I'm Just Here for the Food'), Julia Child (esp. 'The Way to Cook'), and Thomas Keller (esp. 'Ad Hoc') all have a lot to teach that applies in day-to-day cooking. I like Thomas Keller's baking trick (from 'Bouchon Bakery'): Use…
on “Ask HN: Hackers who cook” ↗My favorite for teaching cooking, not just recipes, is 'How to Cook,' Julia Child. We have our own and keep a copy at the in-laws for ready reference. We are also big fans of Alton Brown's 'I'm Just Here for the Food.'
on “The unreasonable effectiveness of just showing up everyday” ↗Have a look at Alton Brown's "I'm Just Here for the Food." It teaches the different cooking methods - braising, grilling, roasting, frying etc. It teaches you why how these methods work and what foods benefit from them. It's a fun a book and you will cook a…
on “The unreasonable effectiveness of just showing up everyday” ↗Alton Brown's "I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking" is a fun intro too.
on “Julia Child's Kitchens” ↗My hot recipe tip: Get a cookbook or three, and don't bother with the SEO cesspool. - I'm Just Here for the Food (and the sequel) - Six Seasons - Cook's Country - Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat And others, but those are the ones I use most. Especially Six Seasons -- if you are interested in reducing the amount of meat…
on “Tips for a Better Life” ↗How to Cook Everything, I'm Just Here For the Food, and On Food and Cooking are my big three. The first one for the breadth of recipes, the second to learn a bit more about the physics and chemistry of cooking, and the third for the truly deep dive into…
on “Why do recipe writers lie and lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions?” ↗Alton Brown used to have a recipe (I'm Just Here for the Food?) for homemade microwave popcorn where you can use a typical metal staple and it won't spark, something to do with the amount of metal, and also actual size of the microwave wavelengths used being bigger…
on “Science of Microwave Ovens (2016)” ↗