Winner of Foodie Freebie Friday: Alton Brown’s Good Eats!

Foodie Freebie Friday is here! It’s already been a long day for me, after a 2 hour commute into work – one way. But thankfully I’m now in the warmth of the office and trying to thaw from the winter cold up here in Chicago.

So back on Monday I mentioned how my first meeting with Alton was a bit embarassing. Here’s what happened and I still feel like a dork even though it happened 2 years ago…

I was at a trade show that he attended where Alton was a spokeperson for Shun cutlery. I knew automatically it was Alton because I knew about his connection with Shun (which are outstanding knives, by the way!) So there was Alton right in front of me, about 10 feet away at the Shun cutlery booth. He had his back turned to me and I was a bit star struck. I found it odd that there was nobody between me and his back. Just to Alton’s side was a large display of Shun knives and various brochures. I walked up to the display with the plan to nonchalantly bump into Alton. (In retrospect, it was stupid, I know…)

So there I am, immediately behind Alton, pretending to look at this knife display… as if it was more interesting than speaking to Alton himself. Alton turns around and looks at me apologetically.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get in the way of the display,” says Alton.

“Oh no worries. I was curious about this line of Shun knives. Do you have a preference in a specific Shun line of knives?,” I replied.

“Yes, but I’m kinda busy right now. I’d love to talk to you about it after I get through this line…”

It wasn’t until then I saw the extremely long line of eager and excited Alton fans. The line snaked around the Shun booth and I knew it would be almost an hour before I got up to the front of the line. I did end up getting in line and when it was my turn, he greeted me with, “Hi! We meet again!” *blush*

Well that’s enough from me. I’m sure you’re checking in to find out who won this week’s Foodie Freebie Friday! I really enjoyed reading about everyone’s favorite Good Eats episode and I plan on printing the comments to give to Alton when I see him in a couple of months. I’m sure he’d love to know how much he’s admired! The lucky winner this week will be receiving:

Alton Brown’s Gear For Your Kitchen

Alton’s Angles 3.5in. Shun Vegetable Knife

with autographed box

…..*drumroll please*…..

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

36

Timestamp: 2009-01-16 16:05:35 UTC

Comment #36 is from Linda and Matthew who said:

Handsdown favorite episode is the turkey frying episode. My husband and I watch it every Thanksgiving on You Tube. It cracks us up! This year we fried our turkey and used this episode as as guide. So fun!

My husband is a science teacher and just loves Alton. He was just miles from our house during Feasting on Asphalt 1 and 2 and my husband was so disappointed we didn’t see him. January 12, 2009 4:18 PM

Congratulations Linda and Matthew! An email has been sent to you to confirm your mailing address so your package can be mailed out today. Thanks to all those that commented and stay tuned to the next Foodie Freebie announcement on Monday, January 19, 2009! You won’t want to miss the next one, especially if you love to bake!

Foodie Freebie Friday: Alton Brown’s Good Eats

So what’s the Foodie Freebie this week? Well, this is a very special foodie freebie… especially if you appreciate the knowledge, scientific enthusiasm and humor of Alton Brown. Of course, before I tell you what the freebie is, allow me to provide some background…

BUT if you don’t know who Alton Brown is, well perhaps this foodie freebie is not for you. In fact, if you truly don’t have the faintest clue of what this man is all about, it’s best you stop reading now and peruse some recipes or other adventures on my site. Are you still with me? Good. Continue reading…

Now Alton Brown’s show, Good Eats, is extremely popular on the Food Network channel. However, did you know that the pilot for Good Eats first aired on Chicago’s PBS member television station (WTTW) in July 1998? Yes, that’s right… another reason why Chicago is on the culinary map! The Food Network picked up the show a year later in July 1999, and continues to air new episodes.

I had the pleasure of meeting Alton Brown twice in the past two years and will be seeing him again this coming March. The first time I met him was quite an embarrassing run in. (I’ll divulge that story at the end of the week, if you’re really interested.) He’s an extremely intelligent and kind person, very down to earth and someone to be admired. So by now you’re probably ready to know what the foodie freebie is, right? This week’s foodie freebie is an Alton Brown giveaway which includes:

Alton Brown’s Gear For Your Kitchen

Alton’s Angles 3.5in. Shun Vegetable Knife
with autographed box

Alton’s Angles is a series of Shun Cutlery designed by Alton Brown, and bearing his image. Brown liked the shape of the Shun Vegetable Knife, but had difficulty using it as his knuckles kept hitting the cutting board. Alton’s Angles add a 10° angle to the handle of the knife, lifting the knuckles away from the cutting board, and making the knife easier to grasp. Alton’s Angles can sometimes be seen on Good Eats.

I hope the lucky winner will enjoy this special Alton Brown foodie freebie… and thinks of Chicago when watching Good Eats in the future! Here’s how you can get in on the Alton action:

Some guidelines:
– Giveaway is only for those who live in the United States. My apologies to my international readers!
– You must have a valid email address so that you can be contacted if you win.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment about:
– Your favorite Alton Brown ‘Good Eats’ episode and why. Are there any episodes of this show that stand out to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on Alton Brown!

Deadline: Thursday, January 15, 2009 at 12 midnight CST.

Winner will be randomly chosen by Random.Org’s Interger Generator based on the number of your comment and will be announced on Friday, January 16, 2009. Good luck!

Winner of Foodie Freebie Friday: The Spice House!

Happy Foodie Freebie Friday!! I’m so excited to send out this wonderful Chicago Spice House freebie for a lucky winner to enjoy. Hopefully the winner will have a fun culinary adventure of their own with the following:

Front pocket apron

Time Out Chicago’s Eating & Drinking 2008
The Spice House catalog
Greektown ‘Billy Goat’ Seasoning
Chicago Steak Seasoning
Pilsen Latino Seasoning
Argyle Street Asian Blend
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pizzazz

Are YOU the winner of this week’s Foodie Freebie Friday?…

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

50

Timestamp: 2009-01-09 13:11:08 UTC

This week’s winner is reader, Alondra!

Anonymous [Alondra] said…

My Favorite spices are Saffron & Cinnamon, I love using saffron in my rice to give it that little extra color, and cinammon just compliments anything with chocolate.

Alondra
sweet_nonis@yahoo.com

January 6, 2009 11:06 AM

Congratulations Alondra! An email has been sent to you to confirm your mailing address so your package can be mailed out today. Thanks to all those that commented and stay tuned to the next Foodie Freebie announcement on Monday, January 12, 2009!

Foodie Freebie Friday: The Spice House!

The first Foodie Freebie Friday is here! Are you ready for the giveaway item of the week? Before I announce it, here’s a little background on the items…

Many folks are more familiar with the popular Penzey’s name when it comes to quality spices. Ruth and Bill Penzey, Sr. opened and founded their spice shop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1957. The Penzeys sold the business to their firstborn child (Patty) and son-in-law (Tom) as they looked toward retirement. Patty and Tom took the business and created The Spice House in the early 1980’s.

The Penzey’s spice name you’re probably familiar with is as a result of Bill Penzey, Jr – who is Patty’s younger brother. Penzey’s Spices was founded by Bill Penzey Jr. back in the 80’s as a mail order only business which later started to open storefronts in the 90’s. So technically, Patty & Tom created The Spice House before Penzey’s Spices became so popular. Between Patty/Tom and Bill Penzey, Jr. is some sibling rivalry… and I confess I’m loyal to The Spice House and Patty & Tom, as I’ve met and worked with them personally.

You may notice that I am a frequent user of The Spice House spices as I’ve linked to their site whenever using one of their specific spices in recipes. I wanted to share with my readers some Chicago inspired spice love with my first Foodie Freebie Friday giveaway…

This giveaway includes:
Front pocket apron
Time Out Chicago’s Eating & Drinking 2008
The Spice House catalog
Greektown ‘Billy Goat’ Seasoning
Chicago Steak Seasoning
Pilsen Latino Seasoning
Argyle Street Asian Blend
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza Pizzazz

I hope the lucky winner will enjoy a taste of Chicago with these spices! I’ve featured some of the neighborhoods (Greektown, Pilsen, and Argyle) within my food tours you can read about on my blog. These are the neighorhood flavors that really make Chicago special… and you have a chance to receive this!

Some guidelines:
– Giveaway is only for those who live in the United States. My apologies to my international readers!
– You must have a valid email address so that you can be contacted if you win.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment about:
– Your favorite spices. What spices do you tend to use regularly? Savory for cooking? Sweet in baked goods? I’d love to hear your spice stories!

Deadline: Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 12 midnight CST

Winner will be randomly chosen by Random.Org’s Interger Generator based on the number of your comment and will be announced on Friday, January 9, 2009. Good luck!