Alton Brown’s job on the popular Food Network series “Good Eats” was to deliver mainstream food and unearth the science behind it. And to always present it in his own quirky fashion — with crazy, custom-built models, hand puppets and crew members pressed into acting roles.“Good Eats,” which aired its final regular episode this summer (three one-hour specials will air later), set out to show us how to make a better pancake, green bean casserole, apple pie (see recipe) and much more.

As a fitting coda, “Good Eats 3: The Later Years” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $37.50), the final book in Brown’s three-volume series capturing every episode, has just been released in what amounts to a victory lap.

We talked to Brown about the show and his plans.

Inspiration: “Most of the kind of wacko stuff came from home. It’s me wandering around the house in the middle of the night … wondering how to do something better.”

One example: “We made a derrick out of a ladder to safely fry a turkey. The crew thought I was nuts. But then when they saw how it worked, they say, ‘Oh my god, that’s beautiful.’”

The show’s influence on home cooks: “My responsibility was to entertain. At the same time, laughing brains are more absorbent. Have I made people better cooks? I have no idea. I have asked, Can people do this and will the dish be better? Will the scrambled eggs be better, the pie be better?”

What’s next? Brown has several projects in development for the Food Network, but he declined to talk about them. For now he’ll continue his roles on “Iron Chef America” and “The Next Iron Chef.”

Brown was willing, however, to talk about one project: video-enhanced e-cookbooks. “I intend to be one of the pioneers on that new frontier,” he said. “I hope we do for that medium what we did for cooking shows, that is, something that hasn’t been done before.”

SUPER APPLE PIE—Yield: 1 (9 1/2- to 10-inch) pie

CRUST12 ounces flour (2 cups plus 6 tablespoons)1 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon sugar6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces2 ounces vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces5-7 tablespoons applejack (i.e., liqueur or hard apple cider)

FILLING3 1/2 pounds apples (about 6 large, a mix of Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn and Golden Delicious)1/2 cup sugar, divided3 tablespoons tapioca flour2 tablespoons apple jelly2 tablespoons apple cider2 teaspoons fresh lime juice1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise  (see note)

Procedure:1. For crust, pulse flour, salt and sugar in food processor to mix. Add butter; pulse 5-6 times, until texture looks mealy. Add shortening; pulse 3-4 times, until incorporated.2. Sprinkle in 5 tablespoons applejack. Pulse 5 times. Add more applejack as needed; pulse until mixture holds together when squeezed. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.3. For filling, peel and core apples; slice into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss with 1/4 cup sugar. Place in colander set over a bowl; drain 1 1/2 hours.4. Transfer drained liquid to small saucepan; cook over medium heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Set aside to cool. Toss apples with remaining sugar, the tapioca flour, jelly, cider, lime juice, salt and grains of paradise.5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.6. Remove one dough disk from refrigerator. Place dough on lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Lightly sprinkle top of dough with flour; roll out into a 12-inch circle. Place in a 2-inch-deep, 9 1/2- to 10-inch tart pan. Gently press dough into sides of pan, crimping and trimming edges as necessary. Set a pie bird in center of bottom of pan (see note).7. Arrange apples in shell in concentric circles, starting around the edges, working toward the center and forming a slight mound in the center. Pour any liquid that remains in the bowl over the apples.8. Roll out second disk. Place over apples, pressing pie bird through top crust. Press edges together. Brush top with reduced juice everywhere except around the rim. Trim off excess dough. Place pie on lined baking sheet. Bake on bottom shelf until apples are cooked through but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Remove to rack; cool until almost room temperature, about 4 hours.Note: In Episode 186, Alton Brown sets out to make a better apple pie. Grains of paradise (aromatic, peppery seeds) are available at Savory Spice Shop, 110 N. Tejon St., or online, such as at thespicehouse.com (or use caraway seeds, Brown says). If you cannot find a pie bird (used to vent the pie) in kitchen stores, make a hollow tube from aluminum foil. Refrigerate butter, shortening and applejack 1 hour before beginning.Alton Brown, “Good Eats,” Food Network

Alton Brown’s recipe for his 10-serving Super Apple Pie is legendary. Photo by MCCLATCHY