"My first book is really about heat. That book, for me, was an exploration of heat as ingredient. Why we don't talk about heat as an ingredient, I don't quite understand, because it is the common ingredient to all cooking processes"
About this Quote
The line “why we don’t talk about heat… I don’t quite understand” is performative confusion, a signature Brown move. It frames a cultural blind spot as common sense, inviting viewers to feel smart for noticing something “obvious” that cooking shows traditionally ignore. Subtext: if you’re struggling in the kitchen, it’s probably not because you lack talent or fancy ingredients; you’re mismanaging the real driver of flavor. Maillard browning, caramelization, the setting of proteins, the gelatinization of starches - these are heat narratives.
Context matters: Brown rose in an era when food media split between chef worship and lifestyle fantasy. His project was to demystify without flattening the pleasure. Calling heat an ingredient is a populist power move: it tells audiences the most important tool isn’t a $300 pan, it’s understanding what the stove is actually doing.
Quote Details
| Topic | Cooking |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Brown, Alton. (2026, January 16). My first book is really about heat. That book, for me, was an exploration of heat as ingredient. Why we don't talk about heat as an ingredient, I don't quite understand, because it is the common ingredient to all cooking processes. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-first-book-is-really-about-heat-that-book-for-110812/
Chicago Style
Brown, Alton. "My first book is really about heat. That book, for me, was an exploration of heat as ingredient. Why we don't talk about heat as an ingredient, I don't quite understand, because it is the common ingredient to all cooking processes." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-first-book-is-really-about-heat-that-book-for-110812/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My first book is really about heat. That book, for me, was an exploration of heat as ingredient. Why we don't talk about heat as an ingredient, I don't quite understand, because it is the common ingredient to all cooking processes." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-first-book-is-really-about-heat-that-book-for-110812/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
