Sowwy ... enter the recipes ...

Hey all! So, the Wendy Williams Show was such fun yesterday!!! I didn't even think to take pictures, so I'm waiting on a copy and then I'll upload the segment, may take a week or so, but I'll get it up. I got there at like 8AM and we went through a rehearsal to make sure the camera and director knew where we'd be during the live segment. They call it a "run-through" or "walk through" and the coordination of the cameras and stuff is "blocking". So, midway through my blocking Wendy came on set and she was just sooooooo sweet! We'd never met, but I'd been singing her praises for years and recently someone here on this blog told me in a comment that she said something sweet about me on her radio show. So, to say thanks, I sent her a little something and viola, here we are. Her husband was there as well and he was just as friendly as she was. I'd heard so many good things about him from a former co-worker that introduced the now married team years ago. So, we did the walk through and went back upstairs to finish hair and make up.

Antonio Sabato Jr. was on before me and our dressing rooms were right across from each other ... he is very handsome in person! I heard a producer tell him I was next door and he was like "who?" lol!!! omg, I totally had to laugh inside, cuz of course he doesn't know who I am ... he is Mr. play on the beach with Janet Jackson! :-) what a memorable video. So, up next was me and Wendy ... she asked if I was fired from my last job in radio, I answered something like "my contract was up and it was time to go", which is the truth, but not getting renewed does sound like a firing huh? We actually came to a mutual agreement that I wanted to do something different the way things were going at the station weren't for me. There was new management and plennnnnty of in-fighting. The funny thing is I don't think my former radio boss believed I was serious about a new endeavor and he kind of joked about me trying "this cooking TV stuff I was looking into" ... and here we are 3 years later. I worked hard and boy am I happy I didn't give up. So, I'm going to continue to work hard because there are actually people that think you can't do anything better than the radio station Wendy Williams and I both worked at ... but they can, and we did. So, I am more than proud of Wendy Williams, I admire her. The rest of the interview went off without a hitch and she asked a jillion rapid fire questions, all while we made Caribbean Chicken Wings, Mango and Avocado Salad and Refrigerator-Brewed Iced Tea. I've received several requests here, and my website email for the recipes because they aren't all on FoodNetwork.com yet, sowwy. The only reason for that is because they haven't aired yet, but GMA's website has them up, so I'll post them here too. Wendy Williams' website is basic now so it doesn't have recipes up from guests yet, but I am pretty sure she is getting picked up, the buzz, the shows and the staff are all that of an established show and she really fills the gap we are missing in midday talk television. If you can catch her, give her a try.... ok, here are the recipes, have fun with them and stick around for a few pics from last week's road trip ... 

Caribbean Chicken Wings

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson

1 habanero, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup orange juice
7 lbs chicken wings

In a food processor, blend together all the ingredients but the chicken until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of marinade. Place chicken wings into a large resealable plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two sheet trays with parchment. Remove chicken from bag and place on the baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring reserved marinade to a boil. Reduce by 1/3 until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove chicken from oven. Brush chicken with the glaze. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and cook chicken until cooked through, another 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Inactive time: 4 to 6 hours

Mango and Avocado Salad

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 mangos, cubed
2 avocados, cubed
1/2 small red onion, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large serving bowl, whisk together vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. Slowly whisk in oil. Toss in mangoes, avocado and red onion to coat. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Refrigerator-brewed Sweet Iced Tea

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson

1 orange
2 to 3 plums
8 tea bags (recommended: Lipton)
½ cup sugar
1 lemon

Fill a large pitcher with 2 quarts of cold water. Quarter orange, squeeze juice into pitcher as well as add the peels. Pit and cut plums into wedges and add to liquid. Cut the strings off the tea bags and mix the bags into the liquid. Let tea steep in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.

When ready, remove orange peel and tea bags from pitcher. To the tea, stir in sugar until it dissolves. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half into the tea. Slice the other half into rounds and add to the tea. Serve over ice.

Yield: 2 quarts
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:
Inactive time: 8 hours