ATLANTA — Alton Brown is in his sun-filled Atlanta kitchen on a Monday morning, prepping biscuits inspired by his grandmother, and asks Siri to set the timer for 20 minutes.
“I’ve set the timer for 10 minutes,” Siri replies in a male British accent.
Brown grimaces. “Twenty minutes! Shut up!” Brown yells, exasperated. “Cancel!” He tries again and this time, Siri complies.
“The British accent makes yelling at it so much more civil and satisfying,” he says with characteristic dry wit.
Brown, 62, has embraced his professorial look with a preference for button-down vests, tweed suits and silk neckerchiefs. He has carefully crafted his public mad-scientist persona over the past quarter century while imparting culinary knowledge to the masses. He created the groundbreaking edutainment show “Good Eats,” added tasty commentary on “Iron Chef America” and then hosted his sadistically sardonic sabotage-packed game show “Cutthroat Kitchen” where he said he played a “Darth Vader” version of himself.