Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
User Journal

Journal FortKnox's Journal: Leapfrog and Good Eats 23

Journal by FortKnox
I just reworked my entertainment center to work with a new piece of hardware my brother found called "Leapfrog". Basically, everything (TiVo, DVD, etc...) goes into my reciever, then from the reciever to the TV. I have a TV/VCR combo in the bedroom, and that's it.
So, the 'primary' leapfrog goes between the reciever and the TV, then plugs into a phoneline. The 'secondary' leapfrog goes into the input of my bedroom TV, and into a phoneline. The phoneline is how they talk back and forth (into a very upper signal, so you don't tie up the phone line... like how DSL works), and viola, if I bring the TiVo remote into the bedroom, change to the input of the bedroom TV, I get the TiVo signal in there, and can do anything in the bedroom I did in the family room. Pretty nifty technology. The disadvantage is that you are manipulating the TiVo, so whatever you do in the bedroom happens in the family room. But if I'm playing the gamecube (not attached to the reciever, but straight into the family room TV), my wife can use the TiVo in the bedroom. Neato, eh?

I've become a "Good Eats"-a-holic. I've already made most of the recipes that Alton gives on the show, and I'm setup to do more. I can't wait to make the blueberry-plum no-pan pie when my wife goes out of town. If you just wanna learn the 'general' stuff, with the science in the background, give "Good Eats" (on the food network) a try. Also check the 'interview' archive, cause alton interviewed with /. (I even had my question asked, but didn't know about alton brown at the time. Wish I woulda, cause I've got a ton of cooking questions to ask him!)
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Leapfrog and Good Eats More

Leapfrog and Good Eats

Comments Filter:
  • I briefly looked it over and it covers a few recipes but more on the technique and science behind what he cooks.
  • I'm also a "Good Eats"-o-holic.

    I also enjoy "The Thirsty Traveler"
  • His book is great. A lot more of general cooking techniques than actual recipes. But there are some good recipes in there. It is a very entertaining "cook" book.
    I keep watching his rants/raves [altonbrown.com] page on his website to see what else he's doing, but he hasn't updated since October. (maybe he's busy, go figure)
    I did make a hybrid version of his meatloaf. He has one recipe in the book and another for the show. So I kind of combined them. It actually turned out quite well. Sean D.

  • I got my otherperson Alton's cookbook for Christmas -- I can't say how it is, because we haven't been in a reading-cookbook mood, and when I finally was ready to look up things, one of our friends had borrowed it! (to be returned upon delivery of HIS copy from Amazon). From the scanning I did stealthily before Christmas, it looked pretty good.

    Alton has a lot of know-how, and a lot of trivial knowledge... he's basically a food geek. I *did* make his curry chicken pot pie from the Casseroles show last week -- and it was pretty good, but we're not big curry people. My tastes run more toward the cayenne/chipotle peppery flavors for spicing up what could be a bland food -- Tomato sauce, soup from a can (which gets doctored mostly to get rid of the can flavor), potatoes, etc.

    The problem I have with cooking is that I make it up as I go, and cook mostly by smell -- sometimes taste, as well, but smell's 90% of taste, anyway, right? I'll eat something at a restaurant and a couple weeks later, I'll decide to duplicate it (with some tweaks, usually).

    Example: I used to go to a little Mexican place with co-workers when I lived in Spartanburg. For dessert, they'd always get some sort of sweet honey-tortilla thing with cinnamon. A couple of months ago, I decided I was going to make this dessert, and as simple as it was to figure out what was in the dessert, I made a pretty good replica. Now, for a pseudo-fancy dessert, I make honey-cinnamon tortillas and put them into bowls with ice cream.

    I don't know where I was going with that, other than cooking is simple if you take a scientific approach to it, with the knowledge beforehand that your experiment can flop, and badly, or be the masterpiece that was in your head. Even if the masterpiece is just chili. :P

  • Alton is tops in my book not becuase of the wit of his show, but becuase of the garlic trick.

    I no longer need any of those damn, green rubber "garlic peelers" that suck. Infact, while making a to-DIE-for pasta sauce while at the in-laws, my MiL offered "Oh, I'll just get the garlic peeler!"
    (SNIP)(SNIP)(SMASH)(RUB) "oh don't bother, it's all peeled."

    Thanks, halloween episode of good eats!
    • ... I missed that episode!

      Does he just crush them, then peal off the skin?
      • first you snip the ends off, rests the blade of a chefs knife flat on top of the clove and lightly smacks it, which should release just a little bit of that sticky garlic juice. then you rub the clove between two hands- and VOILA! (or rather, VOICI!) a peeled clove!

        when I posted that up on one of Em Emalb's journals- someone gave me a FAT-ASS recipie for garlick bread- you stick some butter (Tbsp or so) with the garlic and throw some italian seasoning on it, and maybe a little extra oregano. put in microwave for 10+ seconds, until the butter is melted. Add some freshly grated cheese (Parmesan or Romano- Locatelli is my all time fav)- to form a paste- slice bread, top with your paste and toast in the oven (broiler might be a bit too fast...)

        of course- tune for taste.
        • Cool... will try it this weekend.

          And for good garlic bread, just roast a garlic bulb, and squirt a clove on the bread and spread. Might be a bit too powerful for most, but I'm a garlic fanatic.
          • Yours is definitely the healthier recipie!

            We did that for thanksgiving (roasted a head while cooking our bird)- it came out pretty well too...
            however the microwave method is lightening fast*- and its a different kind of strong than baking the head. (if you like it strong I would recommend 1 good sized clove to 1 Tbsp of butter)

            *How long does it take to roast a head?

          • I made the 40 Cloves and a Chicken recipe. Of all of Alton's recipies that I have made, this one is my wife's favorite.

            I highly recommend the garlic bread recipe he presented along with this. Brush your bread with the garlicky olive oil in the bottom of the pan after cooking the chicken, then toast the bread. The garlic cloves are as soft as butter and you can spread them over the bread, and they are nowhere near as strong as uncooked. Yummy!

    • Can you quickly describe the garlic trick?
      • Having one of those days?

        My reply [slashdot.org] to the parent asks, and he explains it in his reply.
        • Usually I would look, but slashdot is running like molasses in January for me.

          Have you had a chance to try the technique yet?
          • ./ is running fine for me... (wait, am I even connected?)

            REPOST
            first you snip the ends off, rests the blade of a chefs knife flat on top of the clove and lightly smacks it, which should release just a little bit of that sticky garlic juice. then you rub the clove between two hands- and VOILA! (or rather, VOICI!) a peeled clove!

            when I posted that up on one of Em Emalb's journals- someone gave me a FAT-ASS recipie for garlick bread- you stick some butter (Tbsp or so) with the garlic and throw some italian seasoning on it, and maybe a little extra oregano. put in microwave for 10+ seconds, until the butter is melted. Add some freshly grated cheese (Parmesan or Romano- Locatelli is my all time fav)- to form a paste- slice bread, top with your paste and toast in the oven (broiler might be a bit too fast...)

            of course- tune for taste.
  • FK, why not ask your cooking questions here and see if any of us know any of the answers...
  • My wife couldn't stand him till I used one of his ideas. "whered you learn that?" "from that guy you don't like" She hasn't complained since.
    I also like Foodnation. I know a lot of people can't stand Bobby Flay but he doesn't bother me.
  • Interesting that you chose to buy the LeapFrog that uses the phone line [crutchfield.com] when for the same price you could have bought a wireless one [crutchfield.com]

    For those interested... go here [terk.com].
    • actually, I got the generic radio shack brand... which was discontinued and in the 'clearance' bin for only $10.

      That's why I didn't get the wireless version. $140 difference ;-)
      • I'm all about the clearance stuff...

        I had not seen these before, but apparently they have been out for some amount of time now. I'm interested in installing something like this at my house. I'm a youth ministry leader at my church, so I have kids hanging out at my house all the time. Something like this sounds like it could be a good way to keep track of what people are watching on my various TV's through out my house... Apparently, with some sort of adapter, I can even watch my computer screen... Even though I use We-Blocker [we-blocker.com], you never know how people are going to get around a filter...

        What do you think?
        • well, they can always switch off of the leapfrog by simple switching to regular TV instead of 'input' (but if you have nothing attached, they really won't be able to go anywhere). Other than that, you can keep them all on the same channel as your 'primary' leapfrog TV.

Slashdot Top Deals

"Experience has proved that some people indeed know everything." -- Russell Baker

Close