You know we fixate on the food so much itself: “Oh, the ultimate brownie or the ultimate this or that” -- well, let me tell you something: It’s all poop in about 12 hours, okay? The real power that food has is its ability to connect human beings to each other -- that’s the stuff right there and, to me, everything else is secondary to that.
Interpretation
Food is not just nourishment; it serves as a means to bring people together.
Alton Brown emphasizes that while we often focus on the culinary aspects and the perfection of food, the true value lies in its power to unite people. The enjoyment of food becomes secondary to the connections it fosters among individuals, highlighting the importance of shared experiences over the mere act of eating.
In practice
During a family gathering, you might quote this to emphasize the importance of togetherness over the meal itself.
The kitchen's a laboratory, and everything that happens there has to do with science. It's biology, chemistry, physics. Yes, there's history. Yes, there's artistry. Yes, to all of that. But what happened there, what actually happens to the food is all science.
Although I don't take myself very seriously, I do take my work extraordinarily seriously.
A home cook who relies too much on a recipe is sort of like a pilot who reads the plane's instruction manual while flying.
Cooking is an observation-based process that you can't do if you're so completely focused on a recipe.
Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it.
Simple and faithless as a smile and shake of the hand.
You don't often see a cross section of female characters interacting with each other at the top of a chain.
Marriage is like life - it is a field of battle, not a bed of roses.
You practice forgiveness for two reasons: to let others know that you no longer wish to be in a state of hostility with them and to free yourself from the self-defeating energy of resentment. Send love in some form to those you feel have wronged you and notice how much better you feel.
When I was just a twenty-something, I came to Newark, and I found a connection to the city in a spiritual way. I found a connection here and people here that reminded me so much of my roots and my own family.
If the other persons behavior is not in harmony with my own needs, the more I empathize with them and their needs, the more likely I am to get me own needs met.
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