Week-at-a-glance

Hey there! I looked up and realized halfway through the week, that it's almost over! Last time we chatted I was on the way to a secret taping for a show. Look who I shot the show with ...
Look familiar!? It's Kelsey Nixon and Adam Gertler, former finalists on Next Food Network Star, Season 4. That's at rehearsal last week. We are working on a new show for the Cooking Channel called Next Food Network Star: After Party. It debuts in just a couple of weeks on Sunday, July 18th. I am really excited about this show, basically each week after someone is sent packing on NFNS, they'll arrive on our show over on the Cooking Channel to talk about getting sent home and how the competition was for them. I cannot wait! Only thing not so fun is that I know who gets the boot before it airs, which as a television viewer takes out the fun, but rest assured, I won't tell you a thing! You'll have to catch the show and then hopefully ... :-) watch our After Party. A program note, it is designed to air right after NFNS, just switch over to the Cooking Channel and we'll be waiting at 10PM eastern ... except for July 18th, the night it debuts. That show airs at ... 11PM, 1 hour later. I know, pretty late for a school night, but totally worth it! One of the judges on NFNS stops by ... I won't say who, but they have a chat with the person they voted off, good stuff. I mean even if I weren't on the show, this is right up my alley of viewing, really happy to be a part of it. I hope I ask the questions of the finalists and judges you want to know as a viewer, if you have any along the way, feel free to post them here! Hope you catch it live, or on Memorex :-). (showin my age, 35) I'll surely give a reminder here before the show begins to air. If you want to check out a new blog, give a Happy Bday over at the Cooking Channel's blog, they're 1 month old!

Remember how I told you about taping The Best Thing I Ever Ate a couple of weeks ago? Well, yesterday was the follow-up taping here in Brooklyn at the actual restaurant that serves one of the best things everrrrr. I can't tell you what it is or where to get it ... but I can share this picture. They brought it out while I was eating a smaller version as a surprise ... I immediately whipped out my phone for a pic!
What a mammoth of a ... well, can't say can I? So many secrets today, huh? Sorry. Let's see what can I tell you ...

I'm wrapping up my menus for the next season of Cooking for Real! I tape in August and the shows begin to air in the autumn months, so I'm doing plenty of off-season eating at home while in the final recipe testing stages of the process. I like to make sure that when the shows first air, they are in season. Plenty of stews and roasts and ...
Meatballs!! Like my fine china? Teeheehee. I am soooo over dishes when in recipe testing mode, sorry for being a bit too real ;-). As soon as the website gets relaunched, I promise I'll try to class it up a bit. This is in an episode I'll call "First Date Spaghetti". I can't tell you how many times over the years I've heard about a friend or someone making spaghetti for someone on the first date at home. It's an easy sell to a date, easy to prep and not a wallet buster. My version has mega meatballs I flavor up and sear in a pan then finish off in the oven and the sauce is so easy and tasty, I hope you give it a try. If things go as planned, I'll tape this episode along with 12 others in just a couple of months. I can't talk about this without an emotional knee-jerk response to tell you thank you. You with those eyes reading this. Thank you so much for the support and for watching Cooking for Real if you have already or intend to do so. Because my parents raised me, I know I am capable of anything, but because I am always chasing dreams and sometimes landing them, I also know nothing is done alone. Thank you so much for being here. I wake up every day happy and thankful.

On to today in my week-at-a-glance ...

Ever learn a new word or hear about something and the next thing you know it keeps popping up? Well, just after doing my first ever SMTea a few weeks back, I got up at 5am this morning and headed to the city for my second SMT. It was at a completely different studio and this time I was there to talk about cool recipes for the 4th of July weekend. Look who I ran into!
That's Jack, he was at my very first SMTea and if you caught the blog he's also in one if the pictures I shared, hooking me up with some audio. Today he was running the camera behind us. When I walked in and saw him I was too excited! Nothing better than a familiar face from my first go at it. Look at what time it is! 107PM. We started around 8AM and just after we took this picture I did one more interview and we wrapped. Then I headed out to another meeting about my website. I can't wait to launch it! Looks like a few months at the most and I'll have new bells and whistles.

Hey speaking of new ... I learned a new trick from Kersti Bowser and her Gourmet Butterfly crew today ...
That's my Blackberry Gin Fizz Float with blackberry sorbet ... or is it, take a closer look ...
All morning the drink sat on set and that 'sorbet' never melted. I guessed and it was right, it's vegetable shortening, lard really, blended with black berries. Smart, eh? Reminds me of one of my favorite posts here on the blog; Making food ready for it's close up. Give a read if you are in to food photography or just interested in how food is made to look so yummy on camera. Here are the ladies that pulled off the lard trick today! Chef Kersti is on the left ...
What a day! I have tomorrow off and plan to spend it in the kitchen! Then I get up early on Friday to hang out with Good Morning America in Central Park for their Summer Concert Series!! I have a great 4th of July spread ready to go and I'll post the recipes from the show on Friday. Now all I have to do is find something festive to wear! If you are in NYC, it's a FREE concert with Mary J. Blige!! Come on out and have some fun in the park! If you are elsewhere, I hope you tune in. Click the link above for all the details. Here is a map to Rumsey Field if you plan to join. I'll try to take pics and post them as well! See you Friday!