Alton Brown was scheduled to call me at 2:15 PM. Beforehand, I made sure I put my notes together with a list of questions to ask during the interview. I’ve never done an interview as formal as this or with someone as widely known as Brown. I start to get a little nervous.

The phone rings at 2:15 PM on the dot.

On the other end of the line I hear, “Is this George?”

I say hello and ask if he minds that I put him on speaker. As I’m adjusting the sound on the recording kit I mention I’m a little bit nervous.

He says, “That’s OK! Don’t be nervous. I don’t want you to be nervous; whenever I talk to journalists I get nervous because I always say crap I’m not supposed to say.”