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Good Eats: The Proof Is In The Pudding
Alton examines the role alcohol plays as an ingredient. He considers its flammable nature, exploiting that property to cooke a flambé dish, Flaming Shrimp and Grits using bourbon. Then he considers the cooking properties of fortified wines, specifically, the Italian contribution called Marsala, in a tasty and easy dessert called Zabaglione. Finally, he shows how to use alcohol's power to extract flavors water can't reach to produce “the essence of lemon in beverage form” called Limoncello.
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Episode Info
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Episode number: 13x12 Production Number: EA1312H Airdate: Monday November 23rd, 2009 |
Recap
Alton explains that for centuries cooks have touted the virtues of cooking with alcohol, often with beer and wine for the subtle flavors they impart. At other times, they extol the virtues of distilled spirits like whiskey, vodka, and fortified wines like marsala and brandy. But whichever spirit a cook might choose, Alton recommends a clear of the spirit and more generally of the roles alcohol plays in cooking, careful consideration and a conservative wrist. For the next half hour, he will examine the use of alcohol as a cooking ingredient. Is it just an excuse to “lube up” the cook, or is it truly Good Eats!..Read the full recap
Episode Notes
Cards
- “Revenuers” were government agents responsible for collecting taxes and ridding the Mountain South of moonshine stills.
- Grits are recognized as the official prepared food of the State of Georgia. Ga code 50-3-78
- Fortified wines by country:
- Marsala – Italy
- Sherry – Spain
- Madeira – Portugal
- “Sabayon” - French for zabaglione, can be transformed into a savory sauce by eliminating the sugar and adding herbs.
- Cherries Jubilee, Steak Diane and Bananas Foster are all classic flambe dishes.
The episode title comes from an English phrase, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”. The phrase is often truncated to “the proof of the pudding” or even “the proof is in the pudding” as Alton did when he titled this episode. Here, the term “proof” refers to a test; the phrase really means that to test something one must usually experience it; the word of others is considered far less reliable. The pun here is the double use of proof, which is a term related to the percentage of alcohol by volume in a spirit.
Why did alcohol once mean “eyeshadow”? It is possible that the word comes from the Arabic al kuhl which was an early distilled substance, a dark pigment now called kohl and once used cosmetically, as eyeshadow. Another possibility is al gawl or al ghul which means “spirit” or “demon”, and could be the reason English has the word "spirits" as a general homonym for alcoholic brews.
Alton notes that isopropyl alcohol is frequently used as a disinfectant for cuts. It works for this, but it also damages cells unprotected by skin (which is why it is painful). Physicians now generally recommend other compounds for this purpose; the most effective wound care measure is to wash the wound gently with soap and water. Any wound too deep for this requires professional attention.
The actual maximum proof of any distilled spirit is around 191, or 95.5% alcohol by volume. Past this point it is not possible to remove the additional water by further distillation (such a solution is called an azeotrope). It is possible to further purify ethanol in various ways, but such methods often involve adding other chemicals, some of which are poisonous, or they involve complex and expensive techniques unsuitable to mass manufacturing.
Episode Quotes
Alton: Here we have isopropyl, or rubbing, alcohol, which is used as a drying agent and as a disinfectant used to torture children who have suffered a scrape or cut.
Alton: Thanks for the ride, officer! Well, now that the matter of my bail has been settled, we can get back to our educational endeavour.
Alton: Due to its balanced flavor, golden glow, complex aroma, balanced acid and alcohol, the sweet ambra, or amber marsala, is especially suited to desserts.
Alton: (about zabaglione) Oh, did you think this was for you? No...
Episode Goofs
During his black powder test, Alton claims that no spirit lower than 40% alcohol by volume (abv) will sustain combustion and eventually ignite the powder. While technically true this statement is slightly misleading: the actual minimum abv needed to sustain combustion is closer to 58%. A spirit containing 40% abv will burn, but it will not sustain combustion long enough to ignite black powder.
Cultural References
Alton claps twice to turn on the lights in his “wine cellar” and later to extinguish them. This is a reference to a popular piece of home electronics, a switch marketed as “The Clapper”. Sold since 1985, the device is a switch that can detect the sound of a clap, and when it detects two such sounds closely spaced, it changes the state of an output plug (turning it on if it is off, or off if it is on). The device has been marketed with a signature “Clap On... Clap Off” commercial jingle for most of its existence.
“John Woodhouse” pastes a “Property of Keith Richards” sticker on a barrel of wine. Keith Richards is the lead guitarist for The Rolling Stones, one of rock's preeminent acts; an arrangement of one of their songs with the Good Eats theme plays under this scene. Richards also carries a reputation as an abuser of various intoxicants, including alcohol; he has been arrested several times in connection with his habits.
Episode References
Another Show: Alton eyes an agave plant and notes that the spirit produced from it is properly the subject of another show. He may be referring to Raising the Bar Again, an episode from later in this season where he discusses the product of fermenting agave syrup, tequila, in the context of the margarita. Alton has also used tequila in a few other episodes, notably Fruit Ten from Outer Space and to produce the condiment Crema in American Classics VIII: Tacos.
Another Show: Alton mentions beer and wine, but says these subjects require their own show. That show, Fermentation Nation, aired earlier in this same season.
Another Show: At the very end of the episode, Alton notes that alcohol has mant other uses in the kitchen, suggesting that another episode on this subject might appear in the future.
Other Episode Crew
| • Creator | Alton Brown |
| • Executive Producer | DeAnna Brown |
| • Music | Patrick Belden |
| • Camera Operator | Ramon Engle |
| • Director of Photography | Marion Laney |
| • Sound Mixer | James Green (1) |
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