Movie, Makeover & Mangia

Hey there! Just last week I took a quick trip to Atlanta with Anne Burrell to tape segments for TBS' Movie and a Makeover. Even though the trip was for work, you'd think it was all about eating! We got word of the trip a while back, but just recently got all the logistics. Ever watch it? Most people I talk to say it's just like Dinner and a Movie, but it seems to be more geared to women with the movie choices and segments. I'd never been able to catch the show before, but the funny thing is on vacation, I actually caught a few segments and watched to get an idea of what would be expected of me when I made the trip down south ... so vacation was a bit of work. Can I write off vacation on my taxes now? Teeheehee

We flew in last week Tuesday and were out by Thursday morning! In that time we checked out dinner at Eugene's and Bacchanalia. Eugene's was a blur of plates and food because everyone wanted to order several things and share ... as a greedy person, this is not my particular preference for eating with people. What if I try something and want it all? This is the dilemma of a woman with thighs she'd like to keep. Plus, there's so much work with all the passing of plates and making sure you get a bite of it all. The flip side of the coin is, it's a great way to order everything on the menu without looking like a heathen, so I was a heathen in a sharer's clothing at Eugene's the night we got there. In the blur, I remember yummy liver and the best thing on the table ... we all commented, it was the fried kale. Boy, was it good. Salty, crispy ... just good. Then at Bacchanalia, I couldn't really tell you the best thing, because everything was memorable. I've taken a look at both menus online and they are different from the updated versions being served in each so it's hard to guide you if you are curious. I just know I did some sweetbreads, a great aged steak and I skipped the cheese course and passed it to someone else. Between all of that, the chef sent out several treats that weren't on the menu and they were all pretty amazing. They also had a neat general store attached to the restaurant and a beautiful aging room for the meat. What a spot. I am totally happy with my eating experience every time I visit Atlanta and I've never dined at the same place twice. I think after Bacchanalia, I'll break the record and do a repeat next time I'm in town.

Ok, on to the work ... The idea of Movie and a Makeover is you watch a movie on TBS and during the commercial breaks are segments with the host Mia Butler. These segments usually wrap around the theme of the movie showing and our movie is Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion. So, to a reunion we'd go, kinda. Jen is the guest of this show and her friend Jamie is along for the fun. Basically they are planning a get together for their friends and want to not only learn how to decorate for the party, but how to cook for it too. That's where Anne and I come in. I brought recipes for a signature drink and two great cocktail party bites. They should have the recipes online when the show airs, but they are all from Cooking for Real and I'll post them here after the show runs so you can find them easily, if needed. Here are some flicks ....

Hair and Makeup come first. Here's the show's guest, Jen and one of our hair and makeup artists, Jamillah (hat). Then next to them in the reflection is Jamie, Jen's friend and Mequillah, the other artisan of beauty.
These were taken in Jen's bathroom of her apartment which had been totally invaded by the production. Warning, if you ever daydream about shooting a show at your place, make sure you then also daydream about the cleanup and intrusion. Jen was such a great sport about it all. I've also seen the Neely's endure this as well. The key is a cool crew that understands they are in your home and a homeowner that gets it. Stuff is stuff, living is way better than worrying about the stuff. Everyone on the TBS team were really nice and kept things neat. Here's a fellow military vet that was also on the crew, chillin' in Jen's kitchen.
He's holding some eggs for Anne's recipe and in the background is one of my dishes waiting for its closeup. In the deep background you can see the crew rehearsing our walk-in with stand-ins. So the camera is at the door, a stand-in for Jen opening and two guys standing in for Anne and I entering the apartment. This is so the director, lighting and everyone really, can see what things look like and where people are expected to move within the segment. Before we started shooting the segments though, we both got a binder with the breakdown for each part of the show and headed to the patio to study.

That's Anne and the back of my head lol ... I took the pic without even setting it up. Just stuck my hand in the air ... but lookey what I caught ... Chick-fil-a!!!!!!! For breakfast!!!!! How fitting that it appears above my head, because the whole time I was on the patio, it was on my mind, talking to me and telling me to eat it. Lol. I must admit, I held off and just stuck to my cereal and fruit that I ate at the hotel that morning. Partly because I knew I had a day of eating ahead of me ... but boy, do I like some fast food breakfast. After studying we got to work ...

That's Anne showing Jen her recipe for the party and then I stepped in and showed Jen and Jamie my drink and recipes for the event. We also gave some party tips, then left Jen and Jamie on their own to finish up the prep for the party. Here we are before we left the ladies with the task of finishing up our recipes.
I think this is where the design expert came in and did her part, because when we got back later that night for the actual soiree it looked like this ...

Nice, eh? I can't wait to see the show! Hope you catch it too. It airs Saturday June 20th at 10:40AM est on TBS.

Put up a Post it Note on the fridge to remember! (gotta know the movie for that joke)