Allez Cuisine!

About Iron Chef America and Alton Brown's role
Read about the Food Network's version of the Japanese classic show including Alton's role of culinary commentator

Alton Brown's ICA poetry
You've heard his haiku's and other rhyming verses on ICA

ICA links
Videos and other fun stuff about ICA

Iron Chef America News

Iron Chef America "Supreme Cuisine" the Wii video game in stores NOW! Alton provides his fast-paced commentary as per usual. Check out the ICA: Supreme Cuisine site at Destineer.

Iron Chef America profiled in USA Today Weekend Magazine. Alton even wrote the article! Iron Chefs tackle ginger.

Iron Chef America profiled on ABC's Nightline July 31, 2008. Watch "Let the battle begin," behind the scenes at Iron Chef America on ABC News' website.

Based on the wildly popular Japanese television show, Iron Chef, the American adaptation Iron Chef America (ICA) brings to our shores the best in culinary competition. This food battle production from the Food Network is the second incarnation of the show created for the American audience. A brief, two episode Americanized series called Iron Chef USA aired on the now defunct UPN network in late 2001.

In 2004 Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters premiered on the Food Network pitting top American Chefs—Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck—against two of the original Japanese Iron Chefs—Masaharu Morimoto and Hiroyuki Sakai. This mini-series filmed in Los Angeles was the precursor to the weekly ICA now airing on Food Network. In both the current series and the Battle of the Masters, Alton Brown serves as the culinary play-by-play announcer. In his culinary commenter role, Alton blends insightful observations with interesting food trivia, a pinch of food science and culinary expertise at a wickedly fast pace. Viewers are always in for a treat each week with Alton perched at his Kitchen Stadium podium. Alton, probably the only personality on the Food Network capable of delivering the dizzying details of Kitchen Stadium, might pull up a chalkboard with a critter map to explain the cut of beef uses in Battle Ribeye or take a marker to his own arm while explaining the honey making process on his bee tattoo in Battle Honey.

Preparing for a battle, Alton arrives early to the studio and begins his research. He begins by learning about the secret ingredient. Alton is privy to the secret ingredient early on filming day. From there, he builds notebooks containing the information. However as Alton has mentioned in several interviews about ICA, the real challenge in his assignment is learning about the items each chef brings into battle.

While the secret ingredient soaks up the limelight, for Alton understanding the Iron Chef’s and the challenging chef’s pantry is even more vital. Both the Iron Chefs and challengers stock their respective kitchens with special items brought for the battle. These items might appear at any moment in the battle; therefore, Alton must be on his toes when a mysterious item comes across a chef’s countertop. On battle day, the staff at Kitchen Stadium let Alton look over the items the chefs have brought for the competition. This allows Alton to spot unusual ingredients then conduct research so he can explain to the viewers if, or when, the item comes out in the battle.

At his vantage point in Kitchen Stadium, Alton has two 30-inch Apple Cinema screens to watch several of the camera feeds from the floor. In addition to the screens, floor reporters and information from the control booth keep Alton updated on all the happenings. In Kitchen Stadium, the food fight is fast and furious and thanks to Alton’s play-by-play commentary the viewer is not knocked out in the melee.

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Last updated: December 26, 2008

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