The theme song plays.

Doors with show logo slide open. The logo shows a banana and a yellow triangle with black stripes.

A clip shows images of Link making recipes in the kitchen. Link is in his twenties, with short wavy black hair. He wears a black T-shirt with a print on the front.

Pop Star Link appears behind a D.J. tray with tomato slices as records.

Pop Star Link is in his twenties, with short wavy brown hair. He wears an unbuttoned black shirt over a white T-shirt, a purple hat and a headset.
By changing outfits, he turns into Pop Start Link 2 and 3.

Captain Cook appears on a pirate ship clashing spoons with a skeleton.

Captain Cook has a beard, long braided hair, and wears a pirate hat.

An animated Link rides a bike across the screen.

I.Q pops up in the lab. She is in her twenties, with long wavy brown hair in a ponytail. She wears a white T-shirt with a print on the front.

Detective Link appears in an interrogation room. He wears a beige coat and a black hat.

Chip Dippington appears behind a desk. He wears a suit and a headset and hold notes.

Gastro Bob pops up on top of a plant. He has curly white hair and wears a lab coat.

Then, Secret Agent Man blasts off. He is bald and wears a dark suit and sunglasses.

Now animated Link mixes substances in a flask and the flask explodes.

The logo of the show appears with the title "Gastro Blast" in blue letters.

The curtain rolls and the announcer says FOR TODAY'S RECIPE,
LINK WILL BE JOINED BY:
IQ,
GASTRO BOB,
AND YAR CAPTAIN COOK.

I.Q., Gastro Bob and Captain Cook pop up inside bubbles on the screen.

The announcer says AND BACKED UP AS ALWAYS BY:
GUINEA PAGE AND THE
ANIMAL CRACKERS!

A band of animals appears on stage. A duck plays the drums, a rabbit plays the keyboards, a white and gray rodent plays the guitar and brown rodent sings.

(music plays)

In the kitchen, Link says CHECK OUT WHAT WE HAVE
TO COOK WITH TODAY!
BONE-LESS, SKIN-LESS
CHICKEN BREASTS.
I KNOW WHAT WE CAN
MAKE WITH IT...
CHICKEN FINGERS!

Gastro Bob says BUT, LINK, THAT IS A
SCIENTIFIC IMPOSSIBILITY!
CHICKENS DO NOT HAVE FINGERS!

Link says DON'T WORRY, GASTRO BOB!
"CHICKEN FINGERS" IS JUST
THE NAME OF THE DISH.
THAT'S BECAUSE WE CUT
OUR CHICKEN INTO LONG,
THIN STRIPS THAT LOOK LIKE
THE FINGERS ON YOUR HANDS!

Gastro Bob says REVOLUTIONARY!
LINK IS RIGHT!

Link says TO MAKE YOUR
CHICKEN FINGERS,
YOU'LL NEED THE FOLLOWING
INGREDIENTS...
2 POUNDS BONELESS,
SKINLESS CHICKEN BREASTS,
CUT INTO LONG, THIN STRIPS
1 LOAF OF BREAD,
WE'RE USING WHOLE GRAIN
3 EGGS
HALF A CUP OF MILK
VEGETABLE OIL
1 CUP OF WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
1 TEASPOON OF FINE SEA SALT
1 TEASPOON OF FRESHLY
GROUND BLACK PEPPER
HALF A TEASPOON OF PAPRIKA

The ingredients pop up on the counter top as he mentions them.

Link puts on oven mitts and says WE'RE GOING TO LET THIS
LARGE BAKING SHEET HEAT UP
WHILE WE PREPARE OUR
CHICKEN FINGERS.
SET THE OVEN FOR 425
DEGREES, PLEASE, GASTRO BOB!

Gastro Bob says YOU GOT IT, LINK!
425!

Link says I PUT OUR CHICKEN IN
THE FRIDGE TO KEEP COOL
UNTIL WE'RE READY TO USE IT.
NOW WE'RE READY TO MAKE
OUR OWN FRESH BREAD CRUMBS,
WITH WHAT ELSE...
BREAD!
WE'RE GOING TO PROCESS THE
BREAD IN A FOOD PROCESSOR,
AND BREAK IT DOWN TO
SMALLER PIECES, OR CRUMBS!

The band plays as he processes the bread.

Link says IF YOU DON'T HAVE A FOOD
PROCESSOR OR FRESH BREAD,
DON'T WORRY,
YOU CAN USE BREAD CRUMBS YOU
BOUGHT AT THE GROCERY STORE,
OR YOU CAN CRUNCH
UP BREAKFAST CEREAL.
JUST MAKE SURE THE
CEREAL YOU'RE USING,
DOESN'T HAVE ANY
FANCY FLAVOURING.
IN ANOTHER BOWL, WE'LL MIX
TOGETHER OUR WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR,
OUR PEPPER,
OUR PAPRIKA,
AND OUR SALT.
NOW THAT OUR DRY
INGREDIENTS ARE FINISHED,
IT'S TIME TO WHISK TOGETHER
OUR WET INGREDIENTS!
IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO
WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE
AND AFTER
HANDLING RAW EGGS.
HERE COMES THE TRICKY
PART, WISH ME LUCK!

Gastro Bob says GOOD LUCK, LINK!
BREAK AN EGG!

(music plays)

The image of Link cracking the egg turns into a pop up screen on a news show.

Behind his desk, Chip says CHIP DIPPINGTON, HERE!
DID YOU SEE THAT?
THE PERFECT EGG BREAKAWAY!....AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!
YAY!
[CROWD CHEERING]

(music plays)

Link says WE'RE GONNA WHISK
OUR EGGS A BIT.
THEN WE'RE GONNA ADD OUR MILK
AND WHISK AGAIN TILL
THEY'RE FULLY COMBINED.

(music plays)
JUST LIKE WITH RAW EGGS, IT'S
A GOOD IDEA TO WASH YOUR HANDS
BEFORE
AND
AFTER
HANDLING RAW CHICKEN.

He washes his hands.

Link says RAW CHICKEN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
HOST A HARMFUL BACTERIA
CALLED SALMONELLA.

(music plays)

Captain Cook holds a salmon and says SHIVER ME TIMBERS,
SALMON'S NOTHING TO
BE SCARED OF, LINK!
I'LL EAT ANYTHING
RAW AND WRIGGLING
BECAUSE OF ME TOUGH PIRATE GUT!
[STOMACH GROWLING]
DID YOU SAY SALMON
OR SALMONELLA? [CHUCKLES]
[STOMACH GROWLING]
I DON'T FEEL TOO GOOD!
[LAUGHS]
[STOMACH GROWLING]

Link says WE DON'T ALL HAVE "PIRATE
STOMACHS" LIKE YOU CAPTAIN COOK.
BESIDES WASHING YOUR HANDS, THE
BEST WAY TO KEEP THOSE HARMFUL,
SALMONELLA BACTERIA FROM
CONTAMINATING YOU OR YOUR
KITCHEN IS TO KEEP YOUR KITCHEN
UTENSILS AND ANY SURFACE THAT
COMES IN CONTACT WITH
THAT RAW CHICKEN, CLEAN.
YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING...
WHY AM I DRYING MY CHICKEN?
THAT'S BECAUSE WE WANT THE
SURFACE OF THE MEAT TO BE AS DRY
AS POSSIBLE BEFORE WE DREDGE!
DREDGE IS A COOL TERM.
IT'S A COOKING TECHNIQUE FOR
ROLLING A MOIST FOOD IN A DRY
INGREDIENT TO CREATE A CRUST.
IF THE MEAT'S WET,
THE WATER AND THE FLOUR
WILL CREATE GOOEY CLUMPS.
BUT WITH THE MEAT DRY, WE'LL
GET A NICE DUSTING OF FLOUR.

The band plays.

Th his oven mitts on, Link says REMEMBER, OUR BAKING SHEET'S
BEEN PREHEATING, SO IT'S HOT.
I'M GOING TO BRUSH OUR BAKING
SHEET WITH A LITTLE BIT
OF VEGETABLE OIL,
THIS WAY OUR FINGERS...
I MEAN OUR CHICKEN FINGERS,
WON'T STICK.
YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING, WHY
DID WE PREHEAT OUR BAKING SHEET?
WELL WONDER NO MORE!
THE HEAT FROM THE
BAKING SHEET WILL CRISP UP
THE BOTTOM OF OUR
CHICKEN FINGERS.

(music plays)

Gastro Bob says I'LL SET THE TIMER
FOR 10 MINUTES, LINK!

Link says THANKS, GASTRO BOB!
THESE TONGS CAME IN
CONTACT WITH RAW CHICKEN.
SO WE WON'T USE THEM AGAIN UNTIL
THEY'RE WASHED WITH HOT WATER
AND SOAP.
REMEMBER THAT HARMFUL
SALMONELLA BACTERIA
I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT?
WELL, WASHING YOUR HANDS
WITH WARM WATER AND SOAP
REMOVES THAT FROM YOUR HANDS
WHILE YOU'RE
PREPARING YOUR FOOD.
COOKING WITH HEAT REMOVES
THEM FROM YOUR FOOD
AND MAKES THEM SAFE TO EAT!
HOW DOES THAT WORK, IQ?

(music plays)
A slate appears with a test tube for an "I" and a "Q" in purple.

In the lab, I.Q. says MICROBES OR MICROORGANISMS
ARE THE SMALLEST,
SIMPLEST LIVING THINGS WE
KNOW, LIKE BACTERIA OR FUNGI.
YOU NEED A MICROSCOPE
TO SEE THEM.
SOME MICROBES ARE HELPFUL,
OTHERS ARE
HARMFUL.

On a blackboard behind her, a clip shows helpful and harmful microbes. Then another clip shows how harmful microbes turn into helpful microbes by heating the chicken.

I.Q. says HEAT IS INDISPENSABLE TO MAKING
CERTAIN FOODS NOT ONLY TASTE
BETTER BUT ALSO FOR FOOD SAFETY.
A MICROBE LIKE SALMONELLA THAT
LIVES IN UNTREATED FOOD CAN BE
RENDERED HARMLESS BY HEATING.
TO ENSURE CHICKEN IS
HEATED ALL THE WAY THROUGH,
ITS CORE TEMPERATURE MUST REACH
165 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

Link says 165 DEGREES?
I WONDER HOW I'LL KNOW WHEN OUR
CHICKEN FINGERS HAVE REACHED
THAT TEMPERATURE.
CHICKEN COMES IN SO
MANY SHAPES AND SIZES.
SO HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN ALL
OUR CHICKEN'S FULLY COOKED?
THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY!
[WHISPERING]
WHAT'YA SAY, SECRET AGENT MAN?
[LINK ON THE RADIO]
WHAT'YA SAY, SECRET AGENT MAN?
[LASER SFX]

Secret Agent Man takes a pipette out of his pocket and drops some liquid on a meat thermometer on a table. The thermometer appears on the kitchen counter top.

Link says A MEAT THERMOMETER!
THANKS, SECRET AGENT MAN!
SOUNDS LIKE IT'S TIME
FOR AN EXPERIMENT!

Gastro Bob says INDEED!
A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT!

Link says WOAH!

Two plates pop up on the counter top. They have two pieces of cooked chicken. Both pieces have a thermometer on.

On the counter top, Gastro Bob says USING MEAT THERMOMETERS,
WE CAN TAKE THE
GUESSWORK OUT OF COOKING,
AND ACCURATELY READ THE
INTERNAL
TEMPERATURE
OF THE FOOD!

(music plays)

Link says I'VE GOT A PIECE
OF POACHED CHICKEN,
WHICH MEANS SIMMERED IN WATER.
AND A PIECE OF
BARBECUED CHICKEN.
AND TWO MEAT THERMOMETERS.

Gastro Bob says WHICH PIECE
OF CHICKEN DO YOU THINK
HAS BEEN
COOKED
TO THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE
OF 165 DEGREES?

(music plays)

Link says I WOULD GUESS THE
BARBECUED CHICKEN.
LOOK AT THE OUTSIDE,
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DARKER
AND KIND OF CRISPY.
WHEREAS THE POACHED CHICKEN
DOESN'T HAVE VERY
MUCH COLOUR AT ALL.

Gastro Bob says EUREKA!
WE'VE GOT AN OPPOSITE RESULT.
IT'S THE POACHED
CHICKEN THAT'S COOKED!

Link cuts the grilled chicken and says I GUESS YOU CAN'T JUDGE A
PIECE OF CHICKEN BY ITS COLOUR.
FOOD COOKS FROM THE OUTSIDE IN,
AND ALTHOUGH THE BARBECUED
CHICKEN LOOKED LIKE
IT WAS COOKED ON THE OUTSIDE,
THE INSIDE STILL NEEDED
MORE COOKING TIME!

Captain Cook says YAR!
I LEARNED A LOT TOO, LINK!
COOKING WITH HEAT PREVENTS US
FROM GETTING SICK FROM OUR FOOD?
WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK...
[CHUCKLES]
AND WASHING OUR HANDS?
BARNACLES!
I GUESS WE PIRATES ARE A
LITTLE BEHIND THE TIMES!
I JUST BOUGHT A TOOTH
BRUSH LAST MONTH
AND I'VE ALREADY
BRUSHED ME TEETH TWICE!

Link says GOOD FOR YOU,
CAPTAIN COOK!
SPEAKING OF COOKING,
WE'RE GOING TO USE THESE
CLEAN TONGS
TO FLIP...

Link flips and says WHOOAH!
WHOOAH! NOT ME!
NOT ME!
THESE CHICKEN FINGERS!
SO THE OTHER SIDE CAN
HAVE A CHANCE TO CRISP.

(music plays)

He flips the chicken fingers.

Link says ONCE YOU'VE FLIPPED ALL
THE CHICKEN FINGERS,
WE'LL PUT THEM BACK IN
THE OVEN TO BAKE
FOR ANOTHER FIVE MINUTES.
LAB RAT, SPEED DIAL!

(music plays)

Lab Rat speeds up the time.

Gastro Bob says 3-2-1,
FIVE MINUTES IS UP!

Link takes sheet out of the oven using oven mitts.

Link says WE'RE GOING TO USE
THIS
CLEAN
MEAT THERMOMETER
TO CHECK THE TEMPERATURE OF OUR
CHICKEN...

(music plays)
165 DEGREES!
OUR CHICKEN IS COOKED!
NO SALMONELLA COMING FOR
DINNER, AT OUR HOUSE!
WE'LL LET THE CHICKEN FINGERS
COOL CAUSE THEY'RE REALLY HOT!
BUT IN THE MEANTIME,
LET'S TIDY UP!

As Link tidies up, the band plays a song that says LET'S TIDY UP!
(LET'S TIDY UP!)
WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED
AND THE COOKING'S DONE,
EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD
LOTS OF FUN YOU,
GOTTA CLEANUP THE
POTS AND PANS,
GOTTA PUT EM' AWAY, YOU
GOTTA WASH YOUR HAND.
YOU GOTTA DO YOUR BEST
TO CLEANUP YOUR MESS,
AND TIDY UP!
(SO TIDY UP!)
YOU GOTTA DO YOUR BEST
TO CLEANUP YOUR MESS,
AND TIDY UP!
(SO TIDY UP!)

Link says MMM!
DON'T THESE LOOK GOOD?
YOU CAN SERVE YOUR CHICKEN
FINGERS WARM, JUST AS THEY ARE.
OR WITH YOUR FAVOURITE
DIPPING SAUCES,
LIKE RANCH
OR HONEY MUSTARD
OR BARBECUE!

Link says MMM!

(music plays)

A slate reads "Gastro News."

Chip says HELLO, GASTROBLASTERS!
WHAT A DAY IN THE
GASTROBLAST KITCHEN
AS LINK HAD THE SHOWDOWN OF THE
CENTURY AGAINST SALMONELLA!
IT WAS A TAG TEAM EFFORT
BETWEEN KEEPING IT CLEAN
AND KEEPING IT COOKED!
AND CAN YOU BELIEVE
THAT FIVE FINGER DREDGE
IN THE RECIPE'S FIRST QUARTER?!
IF THAT'S NOT A SLAM DIP MY
NAME ISN'T CHIP DIPPINGTON!

He winks.

In the lab, Link says THANKS FOR YOUR
HELP TODAY IQ!

I.Q. says NO PROBLEM, LINK!
THANKS FOR THE LUNCH.

(music plays)

They do a cool hand shake and say GASTROBLAST!

Music plays as the end credits roll.

Producer, Alicia Hamilton.

Director, Justin Dyck.

Written by Amanda McNeice.

Brain Power studio.

Logo: TVO Kids.