1)  What did Alton Brown do before cooking?

He worked "as a cinematographer and video director."

2) So, what kind of video work did he do then?

	AB: "AB shot videos for the likes of REM, and more commercials than you can shake a steak at."
	Follow-up: A enquiring fan (Kiddo) ask him at a Sur La Table event which REM video he did work on: The One I Love.

3) What sorts of things does Alton like and not like?
Anything else about him?

Here is Alton's Personal Profile at Food Network's web site.

4) Who are the other Brown family members?

	Alton's wife: DeAnna. Also the producer of Good Eats. Follow-up: DeAnna Brown only produced Seasons #1 and #2 as well as the Thanksgiving Special. Follow-up: DeAnna returned to producing the show from season #5 onward.
	Daughter: Zoey. Born January, 2000
	Two "worthless" hound dogs.

5) What are the names of his hound dogs? What are their favorite recipes?

	AB: "A representative for Mr. Brown's dogs requests that his client's names be withheld, but they do admit that they're partial to a little chicken fat drizzled on their dry food. Of course, if AB drops an occasional biscuit on the floor, who's to say what might happen?"
	Follow-up: At some point Alton began mentioning only having one dog instead of two.
	Follow-up: AB mentioned on his book signing tour in Dallas in June, 2002, that he had to put to sleep one of his dogs 1- 1/2 years ago. The surviving hound is a basset hound mix.
	Follow-up: Alton's book states that his remaining dog is named Matilda.

6) What kind of Computer does Alton own / like?

	Alton owns an Macintosh ibook special edition graphite. (Post 127.1)
	You can read his interview with Macworld here.

7) When did Alton Brown first begin to cook?

	Apparently he began cooking when he was little because he doesn't remember a time when he didn't cook.
	Follow-up: In my interview with Mr. Brown he said he'd always been cooking, it was a hobby, and he used cooking to "get girls."

8) What kind of watch is he wearing on the show (seasons 1-4)?

	He used to wear a Hamilton model 3828 with Automatic Chronograph. (Post 349.1)
	Follow-up: Read this story about who owns his watch now.

9) What kind of glasses are those he's wearing in the 3rd season?

A fan wrote saying they are the Georgetown model # GTN701, color black. This has not been confirmed.

10) Might there be an emot-icon for Alton?

We think this is a good facsimile: =8~}

11) How tall is Mr. Brown?

He's 5' 11"

12) If he had to eat one food every day for the rest of his life, what would it be?

"A cheeseburger."

13) What is his favorite Good Eats episode and what is his favorite recipe from the show so far?

	See FAQ #17 below.
	"That is amazingly difficult. They're like my kids, I love 'em all! Some of the better recipes I think, have been the simplest. I really like our French onion soup, microwave applesauce, our garlic chicken and the rib eye steak from the very first episode. And of course the salmon smoked in a cardboard box."

14) What is the weirdest dish he's ever eaten?

"Eyeballs. Curried lamb eyes. Wacky and disgusting."

15) If he could be any food what would he be?

"A tuna. They swim 50 miles per hour. Who wouldn't want to do that? They're the Porsches of the sea."

16) How does he feel about being the sexiest food host on TV?

"Getting more comfortable with it every day."

17) What are Alton's favorite and least favorite episodes?

Alton answered that very question on his website in the Rants & Raves (from his previous version of the site) section on 1.1.31. Here's his list by season: Season 1 Love: The Dough Also Rises Not so much: Use Your Noodle Season 2 Love: True Brew Not so much: For Whom The Cheese Melts Season 3 Love: Flap Jack Do It Again Not so much: Mission Poachable Season 4 Love: Bulb Of The Night Not so much: Fry Hard II Season 5 Love: Crepe Expectations Not so much: Scrap Iron Chef Season 6 Love: Good Milk Gone Bad Not so much: Strawberry Sky Specials I love them Both but I have to say that as a film maker, Down And Out In Paradise is the most fun I’ve ever had.

18) Has Alton ever won an award?

On May 5, 2003, Alton won the 2003 James Beard Foundation / Kitchenaid Book Award: Reference for his book I'm Just Here For The Food. See a picture here.

19) What was AB's Bio at Foodtv.com before they took it down? (from March 2000)

	Name: Alton C. Brown Date of birth: July 30, 1962 Place: Los Angeles, CA (I'm the only member of my family born outside of Georgia) Education: University of Georgia (Drama); New England Culinary Institute (Culinary Arts)
	Favorite dishes for cooking: Pizza (I like throwing dough around) Smoked anything (caveman instincts) Fried green tomatoes (because I've cracked the code) Waffles (any time, day or night) Sauces
	Favorite dishes for eating: Cheeseburgers Smoked salmon Peaches (preferably in a cobbler or pie) Really great bread Duck confit
	Can't stand: Chicken or beef liver (duck and rabbit livers are another matter) Eyes (just on principle) Things that are still moving (ditto) Sweet potatoes (my only enduring childhood food phobia) Red velvet cake (spooky)
	Childhood influences: My mother and my television
	Adult influences: My wife and producer DeAnna; Patrick Matecat, the French chef who taught me how to taste my food.
	Sage advice: There are only two kinds of food: good and bad. Also, all of life's big problems include the words "indictment" or "inoperable." Everything else is small stuff.

20) What books, food or otherwise, does Alton recommend?

In addition to Cookwise below, Altonbrown.com has these recommendations: Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical by Anthony Bourdain     In Typhoid Mary, Bourdain, renowned chef and author of Kitchen Confidential (2000), reexamines the legend of Mary Maflon, otherwise known as the infamous Typhoid Mary. Unwittingly responsible for an outbreak of typhoid fever in Oyster Bay, Long Island, in 1904, Mary, a cook, fled when authorities began to suspect that she was a carrier. Resurfacing in New York City, she continued to infect victims with the typhoid bacillus until she was caught and incarcerated by the authorities. Investing a tragic tale with a new twist, Bourdain plays historical detective, providing an entertaining and suspenseful evocation of turn-of-the-century New York. Barnes & Noble Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin     Elizabeth Bennet is the perfect Austen heroine: intelligent, generous, sensible, incapable of jealousy or any other major sin. That makes her sound like an insufferable goody-goody, but the truth is she's a completely hip character, who if provoked is not above skewering her antagonist with a piece of her exceptionally sharp -- but always polite -- 18th century wit. The point is, you spend the whole book absolutely fixated on the critical question: will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy hook up? Barnes & Noble The Refrigerator and the Universe: Understanding the Laws of Energy by Martin Goldstein, Inge F. Goldstein (Contributor)     The authors explain the laws of thermodynamics for laypersons. They begin with the historical development of thermodynamics: how attempts by engineers and natural philosophers to understand the nature of heat and how to use it efficiently in heat engines led in the 19th century to the discovery of two fundamental laws of energy. They then show how the laws follow from the atomic theory of matter and give examples of their applicability to such phenomena as the formation of diamonds, how blood carries oxygen, and the history of the universe and evolution of life. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. Barnes & Noble

The Alton Brown Store at Means Street's web site used to have three books for sale, 2 of which I'll mention here: Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking -by Shirley O. Corriher     Shirley is featured often in the show and I believe Alton relies heavily on her in his research. Cookwise covers the science and history of cooking in an easy to read format. Those I know who have read it have enjoyed her insights into the world of food. It is currently $24.00 at Barnes & Noble. Food: A Culinary History -by Jean-Louis Flandrin, Massimo Montanari, Albert Sonnenfeld. It is currently $14.40 at Barnes & Noble. Here's the quote from Means Street Food: A Culinary History is a testament to the diversity of human cultures across the centuries. Exploring culinary evolution and eating habits in a cornucopia of cultures from ancient Mesopotamia to modern America, from the Byzantine Empire to Jewish societies in the Middle Ages, the book is a rich banquet for readers.

21) Has anyone noticed the similarity between Thomas Dolby and Alton Brown?

Oh yes. We've wondered about that. Check out my Separated At Birth? page for more comparisons.