It’s not often you can make your kids jealous with your job.

I’ve made them jealous on other occasions. My son was envious when I went to see Velvet Revolver, for example, and that was way before he developed his current awe of Slash.

We are very fond of the Food Network at my home, though, and I got a plum assignment. Hence my daughter’s jealousy that I just got off the phone with Alton Brown, host of “Good Eats,” in preparation for a preview of his upcoming Matrix:Midland lecture.

He talks just like he does on his show, I told her. And he revealed a trick you can play with liquid nitrogen, which I also told her – but you’ll have to wait for the article.

This post originally appeared on ourMidland.com, the online home of the Midland (MI) Daily News. Republished with permission.