One of FoodTV's rising stars, who has not received the attention or praise that he deserves, is Alton Brown and his show Good Eats. His is not just your ordinary cooking show and Brown definitely is not your ordinary host. Like a good recipe, Good Eats blends equal parts of many elements (cooking, science and pop culture) to offer up a show that is entertaining and educational. With a background in cinematography, as well as food, the spiky-haired Brown is a mix of Quentin Tarantino film trivia and the scientific experimentation of Mr. Wizard applied to food.

Each episode takes a basic theme or ingredient (like chocolate, strawberries, or ham) and using the basic principles of food science, Brown creates several dishes from the ingredient. Aside from the many film and pop culture references, Brown has a personality and dry wit that makes him a likeable guy. He also seems down to earth. For the most part, the episodes take place in a set that is supposed to be his house and you feel at home with him. He seems like to slightly strange neighbor that's always doing strange things to his grill—like attaching a hair-dryer to turbo-charge it. Always interesting and often education, Good Eats is the perfect cooking show that shows you they why, along with the how.

With that introduction out of the way, let's take a look a one of the Good Eats DVDs:

Juicy Meats is the DVD for those who want to learn the finer points of manipulating the raw slabs of foodstuff that come from our friends the cow, pig and chicken. There are three episodes of the show on the disc, as well as a few extras.

Episode 1 – Pork Fiction: The episode opens with Brown on a farm reading a group of pigs a section from George Orwell's Animal Farm. From there he tells you the history of the pig and introduces you to his butcher. After explaining the difference between baby back and spare ribs he journey's to the annual Pig Jig in lower Georgia. From there you'll learn the proper way to rub your ribs and why braising would be the best way to cook your ribs. Never one to waste, the juice from the ribs is cooked into a glaze that works better than any bottled sauce you can buy. Those looking for a sure fire way to smoke and barbecue their ribs will have to wait for another episode or venture forth with what they've learned here and try it on their on.

Episode 2 – Steak Your Claim: Once again we start on a farm with a herd of cattle in the background. Similar to the pork episode, the cuts of beef are shown on a diagram of a steer and the differences are explained. After government agents step in and explain the meaning of USDA, it's time to cook the steak. Full of tidbits of information—pans have straight handles and pots have looped handles—this episode covers a ton of information. My personal favorite is the promotion of cast iron for cooking. An art lost in an age of innovation, cast iron cooks and flavors food better than any expensive pan will. Able to move from stovetop to oven allows the steak to be finished at an even temperature after a quick searing on the stove. Finishing off with a reminder that learning about your food is better than cooking from a recipe is the best tip you'll take from this episode and the series in general.

Episode 3 – A Bird in the Pan: The mission is simple. Create a good tasting and simple roast chicken in one-half an hour. Brown is the man for the job and he's going to let you tag along for the ride. From prehistoric ancestors to the free-range cousins that are all the rage today, chickens are explored in full. Like any episode about poultry should the necessities of hand washing and cleanliness are explained and then it's time to pick your pan. After selecting your spices Brown teaches you to season your chicken under the skin. Doing this keeps the spices from burning and also keeps the in contact with the bird. Finish it off with a sauce and the best chicken you've cooked will be within your grasp.

More than just a recital of recipes, Good Eats presents you with all the information that you'll need to create not just the recipes you've seen but the knowledge to make your own. Combined with the witty and likeable presence of Brown, the numerous pop culture and film references will keep any viewer on their toes and laughing in their seat.

The Video: Again, the video on this disc is a full frame transfer from the original episode. Sharpness, contrast, and coloring are all perfectly done and the audio/video problems have returned for this disc. There again seems to have been a sync problem with the sound and transfer. At several moments in all three episodes (less in the last) the video speeds up and down while the audio stays the same. It's doesn't affect the viewing of the episodes in any way, but it is quite annoying.

The Audio: The stereo mix is a capable one with the title and episode music sounding good. The vocals on this disc are mixed at level much better than the Sweets disc as well.

Extras: What kind of extras can you have on a DVD for a cooking show? The recipes are included, of course. All the recipes for the shows are on the DVD and included in a foldout booklet in the case. The best extra is the Q&A with Brown that is included. Filmed on location of a special episode (parodying the Tom Hanks film Cast Away) Brown sits at a table and talks into a camera answering viewer's questions. For approximately 15 minutes he answers questions that have been written on note cards. His wry wit and knowledge shine again in this short section and you'll learn as much about him personally as you will about the science behind the episodes. Also included are commercials for the other FoodTV shows.

Overall: The perfect mix of pop culture and cooking—if there could be such a thing—Good Eats is the most entertaining and educational cooking show you'll ever watch. Brown has a perfect personality that lets him explain all the information and science needed to make your next meat-cooking escapade an exercise in Good Eats.