Iron Chef Gauntlet (Lip Pop, Nod, Eyebrows)

Iron Chef Gauntlet has kicked off and, based on the first episode, it's actually pretty watchable. Once again The Food Network promo department have knocked it out of the park with an insanely rewatchable little clip which succeeded in ensuring that I tuned in for the start of the series.

Three things stand out about it for me. Firstly, at the seventeen second mark, the tall Texan chef with the top knot (I know he's from Texas because I watched the first episode, remember) glances over his shoulder at his competitor, then turns back and pulls a stupid face. This infuriates me. What the chef stood behind him is upto is absolutely NONE of his business. If I was hosting the show and spotted that glance, I would have eliminated him immediately.

Secondly, at the nineteen second mark, there's a nice little cameo from The Kitchen's Geoffrey Zakarian. Here's Geoff doing his serious / tough guy act, which is my favourite of his two 'acts'. Tune into The Kitchen on a Saturday morning for Geoffrey's alternative persona. There you'll see Geoffrey in an oatmeal turtleneck, giggling like a schoolgirl whilst making gingerbread men.Geoffrey Zakarian is both good cop and bad cop, as and when either identity is required. Geoffrey Zakarian is having his cake and eating it (literally, in certain instances).

Thirdly, and the highlight of the ad for me; Iron Chef Gauntlet host Alton Brown pops up and, with just three miniscule facial movements, steals the show. Now, Alton could have just stood there, grinned inanely, picked up his cheque and driven home. But instead, Alton's better than that. Alton wants us to know that he knows we demand more, so he folds his arms then pops his lips open and shut (it's subtle, but it's there) nods his head and raises his eyebrows. The moment in which this occurs is my favourite thing on THE WHOLE of television at the monent, the lip pop / nod / eyebrows thing that Alton Brown does, it's great. Lip pop / nod / eyebrows. Lip pop / nod / eyebrows. Lip pop / nod eyebrows.

I'm off to a christening this afternoon and I'm planning on just standing next to the buffet, doing Alton Brown's lip pop / nod / eyebrows thing. Hopefully someone will get the reference and we can have a nice Alton Brown chat.

Alton Brown also has a hot take on fellow Food Network show Man V. Food. Get a load of this: "That show is about gluttony, and gluttony is wrong. It's wasteful. Think about people that are starving to death and think about that show. I think it's an embarrassment." WOW!