The only cooking show hosted by an appetizer

Way, way back before time was time online and I still got all my viral video fixes from places like Newgrounds, I saw a cooking show that was heavy on humor, thick with food science, and hosted by Alton Brown trapped in an octopus' body.

I'm kidding.

Sort of.

I'm referring to Deep Fried, Live! A series of flash cartoons designed to make cooking fun--and teach you about things like, say, the science behind brining a turkey before you deep fry it--hosted by a friendly if accident-prone talking octopus named Tako.

I don't know when the last episode came out, but there are currently 8 in all, and all are worth watching. One of the creators, Rob DeBorde, is actually a writer for Good Eats, and the connection is obvious. Tako has a penchant for silly puns and geeky humor, and he offers a wide breadth of cooking knowledge. Much of this info is shared in a particularly handy way--clickable notes on the side of the screen, narrated cheerily by Tako, that automatically pause the show and unpause it once they're finished. You can also click on icons that pop up contextually--i.e., a little knife when Tako mentions good knives--to shop for the best cooking tools. It's a bit like Good Eats meets Pop-Up Video, all hosted by a cartoon octopus.

And I can't wait to make that octopus' cookie recipe.

-Jim, out.