Monday, August 30, 2010

My Jovi-al weekend! (BON JOVI!!!)

Ok, I had two choices this weekend ... actually 3. Sleep all day, Go to a concert called Rock the Bells here in NYC or head out to the Hamptons with my girl Lisa Evers, a friend and reporter for Fox 5 here in NYC. I chose the latter and later the music buff in me that was missing Snoop Dogg perform his entire first album from front to back, was HANDSOMELY REWARDED!!!
OMG! Isn't he handsome!?! And he was so nice in person. Yes, I am never too cool to get really excited about something like this meeting. We were all in South Hampton at a private dinner hosted by Jason Binn and special guest Dwyane Wade at Madame Tong's. We left shortly after this picture even though people were being seated for dinner because we'd already dined on B. Smiths' place in Sag Harbor and started the day at the closing for the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge at the Bridgehampton Polo Club. Here we are hours away from meeting Jon Bon Jovi :-) The weather was perfect and I'm happy I chose to hang with my girl Lisa! We keep in touch, but would you believe we haven't seen each other in years?? Two busy gals in the city ... Ok, I'm back to work today taping new episodes of Cooking for Real. I'll check in with some behind the scenes stuff later if I'm not zonked! Happy Monday!!!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Trivets aren't trivial!

Hey there! I'm currently taping season 8 of Cooking for Real in Food Network's Chelsea Market studios and yesterday I shared a picture of my favorite dish so far. I go so much response to the plate, I thought why not show you another neat addition to my repertoire ... two pretty trivets!That's Jamie and she styles my set along with Wendy. Today when we were ready for the final act of the show we realized we needed a few more trivets than the tiles I usually use and a few seconds after the request, Jamie waltzed over with those beauties! I gasped a bit, so simple, but very pretty to me. They were reminiscent of nautical rope, but sweet. I did the flip to see if there was a tag or identifying mark and I found none. Pretty neat though. Then right before the show ended, I made a drink I can share with you here because I've already served it plenty of times this summer at events. It's my Brooklyn Iced Tea. 6 ounces of lemoncello, 3 ounces dark rum, 3 ounces tequila, 24 ounces sweet tea. Pour it in a pitcher of ice and lemon wedges, stir, then pour in a highball glass with ice ... way better than a Long Island Iced Tea, of course I'm biased :-). Here it is on set today ...It was tasty, but I couldn't sip too much because I was only on my first show and needed to finish my second show of the day! In the background you can see my purple door ... tomorrow I'm going to attempt walking through that door on the show for the first time. I am super excited about it because if I do it right, it'll be a nice tribute to Mr. Rogers. If it doesn't look good we'll scrap it, but just wanted to tell you so you have the inside scoop! Wish me luck pulling it off, I am so corny that I've wanted to do it from the start, hope it works :-)! Ok, have a great evening/day. I'll do my best to keep posting while I'm taping, but I do find my time crunched a bit. Thanks for all the comments! BTW, the website redesign is going very well, hope you guys like my new home!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I'm back in the studio!

Hey there! First, some business ... I posted a TV alert Monday here for that evening's Best Thing I Ever Ate: Slices. Myself and the guys at Difara's thought my fave slice would be featured in that episode. It wasn't, but it's not bad news ... the good news is the segment is on the way in a few months. The heavenly slice is featured in Best Thing I Ever Ate: Crazy Good! Now THAT'S what I'm talking about! The way these things work is the production company sends us a list of the next season's themes and asks us if we have any suggestions that fit each category. Many times I don't have something that fits into each episode, so I just pitch what I really love. Sometimes they look at my list of places and menu items and decide it better fits in another category. So, the cool thing is they decided after having a slice themselves, it had to be recognized as "crazy good"! Love it! It airs far from now and I'll remind you when it gets close, but just so you know it's November 22, 2010. Sorry to the RSS feed peeps (fnf), I deleted the post and you may have clicked a link to nowhere.

Ok, on to today's business ... I'm back in the studio!! I am so happy to be back with the crew cooking and eating for real :-). This is my 8th season and it still feels brand new. I get just as excited to go to work as I did on the first day back in February 2008. What a joy to work with the pros that I do and it's been a great ride these couple of years traveling and meeting you. I'm nostalgic a bit, but the funny thing is life never let's you forget. For example, during taping various media outlets ask for permission to visit the set an get an interview. This time around I have a few visits planned, but the first one put every thing in perspective. Take a look ...
That's SSgt Bates, SSgt Ofiara and TSgt Davis from Airman Magazine. The cool thing is I knew Airman Magazine was on the the schedule to visit the set, but I didn't put two and two together until we chatted in person. Turns out they work in the same building with the some of the very same people I worked with while in the Air Force! Many departments have moved around since my time in the military 13 years ago so I guess I didn't think some things would remain the same and it's cool that they have. I still call and keep in touch with my former commander and immediate supervisor and actually just talked to them a couple of months ago. The crew from Airman Magazine work right across the hall from where my cubicle was and they reminded me so much of my time there. I found out my favorite taco place right next to base is still open and just received a Blue Ribbon award from the city!! I could've told the judges that years ago!! We also had some of the same stories and jokes and SSgt Ofiara actually was sent to South Korea for her first assignment just like I was as a radio broadcaster, so we had plenty in common to talk about. I talked and talked and talked to them, all the while I was thinking in the back of my head, wow ... I can't believe I made it through the military and how life is pretty amazing when you choose to truly experience all it has to offer. I grab it every day and it hugs me back. The military was a great time filled with plenty of travel, but plenty of hard work. It really set me up for everything to follow and I didn't even approach it for that. Life is pretty cool. So suffice it to say it was great going waaaay down memory lane my first day back in the studio. Here's my view from the set as the crew from Airman Magazine blend in to the background in their camouflage ...Can you see them? It was pretty cool to chit chat between acts and we all exchanged information because I plan to get back to San Antonio soon for some good food and friends. Can't wait!

Well, as I mentioned it was my first full day back today, but yesterday we shot one episode to kind of shake off the cobwebs and work out new elements. Today was full steam ahead with 2 shows to shoot. So far we've taped episodes I call "Wonton Be Startin' Somethin' ", "I Have an App for That" and "Chow Down". I can't tell you what I made, but I try to be descriptive and fun with my titles, so hopefully that'll help. :-) It's all easy comforting food for the late summer early fall and winter, so I hope you tune in when they start airing! What I can show you from today is my favorite plate so far ...
It is soooo pretty to me! I almost didn't want to cover it! Our set designers Wendy and Jamie are the best. I just watched Aarti's Party and LOVED her set, I LOVE Guy's set and I really love my set as well. They do them all and find a way to let the dishes and things surrounding us look like us. Wendy delivered this plate to the set for my first show today and I instantly fell in love. I took a closer look and noticed it was signed by "Andy Warhol". I thought ... nooo couldn't be, could it? Then, I flipped it over to check it's provenance ...It's truly an Andy Warhol collection! I don't even know how old it is or where she got it, but that's another part of Wendy and her team's brilliance. Have you ever seen the video about her on FN's website? Take a look at the video on FN Dish

Hope you enjoyed the video, that was from a few seasons ago. Ok, time to study my shows for tomorrow and call it a night! Stick around, I still have a couple of pictures to share from my stint co-hosting with Betsy on Martha Stewart Radio. I had such a great time and look forward to returning in the future.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

FN Mag VP Visit on stands now!

photo credit for this picture: Steve Giralt.
Hey there! Well it's out!!!!!!!
That's the September 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine out on stands now, or if you are like my mommy, it's in your mailbox. Subscribe here :-). Back in May this year I visited the residence of the Vice President and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden for a very special occasion: A Cookout with the Troops! The entire day was about honoring our war veterans - active duty and retired. The Biden's son served in the war so taking care of the troops is not just something that is important to them politically, they actually understand the needs and concerns because they are affected by what happens in the military right at home. The whole story of how this event came together is in the magazine, but know the focus was more so on the wounded veterans and their families than anything. I know I was there to deliver the flavor, but I also felt honored to have a chance to say thank you in person to some very deserving war vets. The Biden's often visit hospitals caring for our war veterans and on one visit just weeks before the cookout they invited some people they met to join them at home to eat and relax by the pool. I'm sure it seemed like an empty promise to the hospitalized troops, but just weeks later we would all sit pool side and enjoy a moment away from the realities of the day and honor them. Yes, there's a pool at the Vice Presidential residence, thanks to Dan Quayle, he added it during his time in office. Neat little piece of trivia I picked up during the tour. You may visualize the Vice President and his family hanging out at the pool, but I asked how often they actually get time to do that and our tour guide said, save for special events, never. Looks like Quayle had plenty of time on his hands, eh? Anyway, I gave you some behind the scenes stuff right here on the blog and you can catch up by reading the links below...

More Recipes Please May 20th - before the visit, recipe and menu planning.

Chili Chili Bang Bang May 24th - during the visit to Washington D.C., figuring out what to wear.

and ...

Post VP Vittles May 26th - just after the visit.

Now that the article is out, I can share a few more behind the scenes details and pics. Ok, let's start with a fun one! After all of the menu planning detailed in the blog linked above, I got around to telling some friends and family about my impending visit to the Vice President's residence and was surprised at the amount of people that suggested I bring back a keepsake! Ahem ... a 5-finger discounted keepsake!! :-) Funny thing is, it was already on my mind ... like what can I take?? lol Not steal, but would there be a coaster or something or maybe just a great photo that sums it all up? On the ride over to the house I asked everyone in the car if they'd received the same request ... and everyone said "no" and I giggled to myself at how crazy my friends and family are, myself included. No one said it seriously, but I think it's just what people say when you are about to visit the White House or the Vice Presidential residence. "Bring something back!". It reminds me of how people always ask you to bet one coin for them or something if they hear you are headed to a casino. Anyway, the funny thing is as we were getting settled in the pool house to prepare for the day, someone took a trip to the bathroom and came out overjoyed to find this ...
That's me dabbing my lips revealing a soft paper hand-towel stamped with the Vice Presidential seal!!! I took several self-portraits until I got my smirk just right :-). When the discovery was made in the bathroom of this "keep sake" we all crowded in there to look at the neatly stacked hand-towels and I bet each of us were thinking as we stared at the stack of soft white cloths "How many is too many to take as a souvenir?". I took two and still have them pressed between two pages of a book, old school style. I'm not telling if I saw anyone else take any ;-), but it was truly a neat moment. It's almost as if the tour of the house and the garden didn't make us feel like we were there, but the hand towel discovery did. Pretty funny, and I'm sure it is not as bad as stealing Vice Presidential china lol. Has someone actually done that? Why did everyone make that joke with me? Speaking of, there was no pomp and circumstance here, the Biden's are a laid back everyday couple so it was cool to get an email about the event that said to dress casual and prepare to dine on the Vice President's finest "plastic china". Take a look at my fried Beet chips with my newly found souvenir ;-) ...
Here's Steve, Food Network Magazine photographer and a pretty funny guy, getting the food ready for it's close up...
That's FN Mag editor in chief, Maile Carpenter helping out with the light reflector thingy. (Like my technical terminology?) We were a small crew of just 4. Myself, Maile, Steve and design director, Deirdre. Only the day before did I find out my uncle could attend and it was nice for them to invite him over from his job at The Pentagon, he's a war veteran himself and was in need of a break. When I saw our picture in the magazine I was too happy. He's commanded two waves of the 82nd Airborne in our current conflict and both times he was over there, it was hard on the entire family. Small things like saying "thank you" mean plenty and it's even better when there's food involved! Here's my Celebration Trifle waiting in the kitchen to be brought out to play ...
You can see the golden beets all sliced up and ready to fry in the background. They are soooo good fried! If you have some in your garden or at the store, give em a try! All of the recipes I served that day are available in the magazine right now or at A Cookout for the Troops on the website. There are also plenty more photos from the day there as well. I snapped a picture of the set up before everyone arrived ...
Intimate, eh? They are setting up the podium in the background for the VP and his wife's speech and at every table they had one extra empty seat for myself and the Biden's to occupy as we moved from table to table visiting with the troops and their families. Very thoughtful. Also another nice touch was the military band, Country Current, playing tunes for the cook out ...
They sounded great during warm up and when everyone packed in we all agreed the band made the cookout a real party. They were so nice and being active duty military members made it cool to them they were able to honor the war veterans as well. Everyone was just pretty much happy to say thank you in person to people that have made huge sacrifices for our freedom. After the tours, pictures and the band warming up, the honored guests and their families started showing up and shortly after that, the Vice President and his wife arrived to greet us all. I was so close I couldn't believe it! Vice President Biden began with some words and I almost cried, it was so nice to hear someone in such a high position speak the language of a military family member. He was funny, serious and so real. It was refreshing. During his brief chat he offered real commitments he and his wife were dedicated to as far as taking care of not only the war veterans, but their families. He also told of their own son's tour of duty in the Army National Guard and how his deployment to Iraq affected the family. It was a very powerful story that resonated with all the guests. Next, Vice President introduced his wife and Dr. Biden stepped to the podium to speak more about their efforts to assist military members and families struggling after returning from the war. I can't tell you how good it felt to hear them speak so freely and unscripted, it was from the heart and I continue to be so happy about that day. I was truly honored to participate, as an Army brat, an Air Force veteran and an American, I'm thankful for all that the military does to keep us safe, I couldn't say thank you enough to everyone in attendance. Catch the full story in the new issue of Food Network Magazine out now!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Me and Martha Stewart! ahem ... radio :-)

Hey there! I'm heading back to my old stomping grounds of radio for the next few days! I sure hope you have XM/Sirius radio because I'm filling in Wednesday until Friday on Martha Stewart Radio's morning show, Morning Living. I've been on a few times and have totally enjoyed myself each time, so when they asked on my last visit if I'd sit in with Betsy while her co-host Kim was on vacation, I said of course! I'm bringing along some friends for the week and look forward to joining in on the conversation. Check the Martha Stewart Radio blog for updates and information. You can find us on Sirius 112 and XM 157. I clicked a link on the blog and found a way to try Sirius for free with a 7-day trial. I don't have satellite radio at home, but I'm thinking about it because when we recently took a trip to the Carolinas, we rented a car with satellite radio and had so much fun going through all the channels. Pretty neat for a music lover. Ok, hope you can catch Betsy and me! We're on from 7-10AM eastern, Weds. - Fri.!

Monday Night Baseball with the Yankees!

Hey there! Last night I took a trip to the new Yankee Stadium to serve up some sliders and smiles in the Legends Suite.Ever hear of the Legends Suite? Well, lemme first start by saying it was my first time going to a MLB game. I've done NBA, WBC (boxing), NFL and even NHL, but it was my first time at a pro baseball game. The Legends Suite is within Yankee Stadium and it's pretty much all about eating -- and air conditioning :-). I was invited by the Yankees to plan a menu to serve within the Legends Suite and I thought one of my favorite sliders would work perfectly. The Legends Suite is set up like a huge restaurant and bar with tables everywhere. You can buy a ticket and hours before the game starts and even during the game, you can step inside for some great dining and drinks as well as a great view of the playing field. In the center of the suite is a huge round of food stations with all kinds of stuff like sushi, risotto, crab legs, steaks and last night I added ...That's my sign announcing my Plantain Chips, Veggie Chips and Caprese Sliders. I was told that the rush would come before the game, then lull a bit and pick back up again. Well, last night we didn't see a lull in the action at all and the line was long! So many people came back for seconds asking for plates of 4 sliders or more at a time! Even house waiters from another floor stood by ordering plates of 6 or 8 sliders at a time! Pretty crazy! Here's my station ...I really didn't have much time to stop and take pictures of the crowd. We were making the sliders to order because I wanted everyone to get 'em hot. I'm talkin' toasted bun, melted buffalo mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, fresh basil ... all that! Here are a few before they were quickly plated with some chips and a smile :-) ...I think we went through about 4 or 500 sliders, maybe more. There was even a tiny tiff between people in line and the waiters on the side getting plates for their tables, very cute. I had a huge proud smile at that moment. Must be what it feels like to have men fight over you, but for me they were beefing over my beef. Teeheehee. Well, the night was a blur, but in there were tiny breaks to say hi, take pictures and run to the kitchen for more basil. Thanks to everyone that stopped by for a bite and to say hi! I really enjoyed serving ya! Special thanks to the kitchen staff for helping during the rush and to Don and the entire staff for a great evening!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

NFNS Finale: After Party tonight at 10PM!

Hey!! Tonight it's all over, but really starts on NFNS. It's the finale of Food Network's highest rated show that finds the Next Food Network Star. Do you remember the seemingly choreographed, but fluid and effortless style of Dan & Steve, winners of season one? That's where it all started and since then we've met Guy Fieri, Amy Finley, Aaron McCargo Jr. and Melissa D'Arabian. I've known for some time who wins tonight because of my involvement in Cooking Channel's Next Food Network Star: After Party. It airs at 10PM tonight on Cooking Channel right after the NFNS finale on Food Network. It's the show, after the show and we started midway through the season interviewing the finalists that were eliminated each week. Here we are last week with Aria...It was a roller coaster ride for her with a strong start at the top and a slow decline to her vote off. I think the Iron Chef week was just brutal and after meeting her during our taping I wished she had a do over. I think I felt that way for pretty much every finalist I met. I think it's a tougher decision for the judges than we know because they meet and see more than the edited version we get on television. I found more and more that if each person had more time, we'd love them all. That being said, Adam Gertler, Kelsey Nixon and I were too happy to give each person a "do over" when they visited our After Party set. Last week, we let Aria give the Iron Chef challenge featuring bacon a second try and she truly won us all over!Those are donuts she made with potatoes. They were dense, not airy or chewy and filled with bacon bits. Plus, they were fried in bacon fat, then glazed with chocolate-hazelnut spread and sprinkled with yet more bacon. See, this is what she needed, eh? I mean, she just sprinkled bacon around on NFNS' Iron Chef challenge. I was hurt lol. Then, she didn't stop there, the donut holes were rolled in bacon sugar! She just blitzed some sugar with fried bacon and voila, the perfect way to follow through on the bacon flavor for the challenge. I watched that episode so many times preparing to tape After Party and I don't think I've talked to the television like that in a while, outside of yelling when playing video games online :-). It was painful to watch, mostly because I think you just really want everyone to do well. After meeting Aria and talking with her, I think she watched the show with the same reaction. So, tonight on Next Food Network Star it's Tom, Aria and Herb in the final push for the win. Rachael Ray makes a special appearance and helps each finalist not only mold their new show, but she directs the pilot.

We have a big party planned right after the winner is announced on Food Network, just flip over to Cooking Channel at 10pm and we'll be there with ... who knows? :-) We will have more than one guest though ... hope you tune in and hope your favorite wins. If they don't ... not to worry, it ain't over till the fat back sizzles. BTW, did you miss Serena's reaction to us asking her about the conflict with Brianna in the NFNS apartment kitchen? There's a video clip up from the After Party called Serena Says, and she has plenty to say :-), check it out!

Ok, enjoy the final episode of the season! Hope your fave wins!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Eat, Pray, Love: Red Carpet Premiere!

Hey there! Late last week I got a text message from work asking if I wanted to attend the movie premiere of Julia Robert's new flick Eat, Pray, Love and walk the red carpet. Heck yeah! Why not?! I have to say the only other time I've walked any carpet, was Diddy's "white carpet" at one of his all-white parties in the Hamptons. BTW, really Diddy? White, the least flattering color on most regular-sized people, at a cookout?? I still remember being super safe while drinking and eating so my all white didn't turn into all stains. Anyway, I was too excited to get the invitation to view the movie ...Only problem for me is I uploaded the book to my Kindle, but hadn't had the chance to read it yet. I quickly began and I'm proud to say I actually finished it Tuesday morning while getting my nails done for the big red carpet walk that night. I usually don't get my nails painted, just buffed because I don't want to look down, see a chip in the polish and wonder if I'll have a little Essie or OPI in my salad.

I was so busy last week with menu planning and recipe writing that when I got the call I just knew I didn't have time to run out and find something to wear, so I called in a professional and all I had to do was try on the options and decide. We do this for Cooking for Real too, no way I know how to find things that look good on camera or know the right cuts. The cuts I know are cuts of meat. :-). I get questions here and there on the blog comments about wardrobe so I plan to do an interview with my on-set stylist when we tape in a couple of weeks. I'll post it as soon as I get it all edited and try to help any curvy ladies looking for the right pair of jeans :-).

Ok, so after getting dressed and practicing poses, I headed out to the premiere. On the way over to the movie my bff asked me to send her a picture of my clutch purse because we traded pics and comments for days over what to wear and she already approved everything else about my outfit via emailed pics, but hadn't seen the purse. I took a quick pic on my cell and sent this over ...As I focused I chuckled a bit to myself because usually when I take a picture of my lap, it's of food I'm eating in transit :-). This time, it's a cute and sparkly number by Nicole Miller.

I got there early and called the pr rep. for the event to let her know I was there and she asked me to circle the block until the red carpet was ready which was perfect because it gave me time to reflect and think about how I would answer certain questions about the book or expectations of the movie while on the carpet.

You want to hear a crazy full-circle story? So, the last time I was on the red carpet, I was reporting for HOT 97 at the premier of Jay Z's docu-movie Fade to Black back in 2004. I'd forgotten the name of the theater, but pulling up Tuesday night it all came back to me and I realized I was about to walk the carpet at the same venue I last reported from when I worked in radio. If you would've told me then I'd leave my job in a year and change careers to chase another dream, only to end up walking the carpet 5 years later, I would've made the crazy face at you. Let's be real this was all about the movie and the stars, but for me it was a neat moment to thank myself for chasing the dream. I'm having fun and enjoy all of the challenges that come my way. Thank you so much for watching.

So, I got there and it's just like you've heard it described before ... there were a jillion camera flashes and people yelling my name and which direction to look in order to catch their camera's lens. Here are a couple of the shots I found out there ...
I'd step, stop, smile and repeat for about 30 feet of the red carpet then the next segment of the carpet was for television media. This is where I felt like Kathy Griffin on one of her episodes. She was talking about an awards show where she actually saw or heard someone say the didn't want to interview her and they did it in a nasty way. I guess the only difference is I went in knowing on the scale of A to Z, I surely am not close to an "A" :-), and it's ok with me. I didn't hear or see any thing like what Kathy shared on her show, but you kinda do this slow walk to allow anyone to call you over for an interview. Like a pony show. I did the slow walk and after a few steps, the CBS crew stopped me. I felt like a kid finally picked for the team. After that quick interview I did a few more on camera and then moved even further down the red carpet to speak to radio, print and online media. This is where I stood just 5 years ago waiting for a quote from Jay Z. I started in the print section with New York Magazine, then moved on to Yahoo and many other domestic and international news outlets. When I was done I turned around and took a picture of the scene from the end of the red carpet ...After the red carpet duties it was movie time and I don't remember open bar at the Fade to Black movie premiere, but at this one they had all the popcorn and drinks lined up on the counter for the taking and huge bins with water bottles in them. I opted for a bottle of water and saw myself to my seat. They were numbered and I sat down in my chair almost at the end of a row with only two other people in it. Not 5 minutes after I sat down, one of the two people leaned forward and said "Sunny?" and turned and my row mate was Sandra Lee and one of her girlfriends! I scooted over and we chatted a bit. She is so sweet guys, just how you'd expect her to be. I always enjoy bumping into her! Then down the aisle came another familiar face to join us in our row ...
That's Anne Burrell and her guest Justin. We actually took that picture at the after party for the movie just a few blocks away. Shortly after she got there, the lights dimmed and the experience started. The movie was good, but for movies adapted from books I always wished I'd seen the movie first and then read the book second. Only really so I don't spend the entire movie checking off changes made for artistic reasons. Some of the dialogue in the movie Eat, Pray, Love was familiar and even word-for-word. So, if you've read the book, it's a neat treat and a pat on the back to the insiders. It was cool to hear laughs for jokes I knew were on the way like what the lady says when Julia (Elizabeth) marvels at her boyfriend washing her intimates as no man has ever done before. I won't say more just in case you plan to see it :-), but there were many laughs throughout the movie. It's not all sappy girl-flick stuff.

After it was over we decided to check out the after party at the Metropolitan. It was crowded but we found a little corner to stand in and chit chat over drinks. After talking it turns out, Anne's friend Justin and I know some of the same people because he produces shows for MTV and VH1 and I spent many years in the music business as a DJ, host or journalist. Small world, eh? Just a few seconds after whipping my phone out for the picture above, guess who appeared over my shoulder?Yup, I turned around to put my cell phone away and someone said something like "she's here". Look close! It's the star of the movie, Julia Roberts talking to her co-star, Richard Jenkins. He plays an important character in the book/movie named, "Richard from Texas". I've liked him in so many productions, but I think Six Feet Under was pretty darn good and the last episode goes down as on of the best finales in my lil book. We stuck around for a bit and Anne and Justin headed out for more of the NYC night and I headed home for my Brooklyn bed :-). I have more posts on the way soon, sorry for the brief absence, I had more things in my inbox than my outbox :-).

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

AC Food & Wine Festival: Pictures and about a thousand words

Hey there! Well, I've finally recovered from a packed-tight weekend at the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival. I had such a great time!! I gambled a bit, sipped a bit and ate a bit. Between all that, I met some nice people and enjoyed what turned out to be some beautiful weather after a rainy start early Thursday. I have so many pictures to share from the last two days, so I guess I'll go in order ...

On Saturday, July 31st ...
I caught a ride on what I call Monopoly way ...
It's my view from a wicker rickshaw. That was my preferred mode of transportation this past weekend along the boardwalk passing streets like St. James Place and Park Place. Sure, it took a bit longer, but I get car sick very easily and it's hard to justify taking a car or taxi just a few blocks when I'm by myself. The weather was perfect for it so that's what I did Saturday morning to get to the Blues, Brews and BBQ event at the Showboat Casino. The event was hosted by The Neely's and musician Robert Cray.Can't see Robert Cray that well there, but I was also trying to get the checkered table cloth in the shot because I liked that it was BBQ down to the decor. Here's a better stage shot...Not too much better of a picture, but I did my best :-). I walked around a bit and got my hands on 2 little cups of beer then stopped to take a pic with the Neely's...They took pictures with everyone that came up to them, then ended the event by signing copies of their cookbook. After that, I took the rickshaw back to Caesar's for a late lunch at the Pier Shops and by the time I was done, it was time to start getting ready for my Sunset, Sliders and Spirits pool party that evening. I got to the party 30 minutes before the official start for a VIP reception and I was so happy to enter hearing the DJ play Billy Idol's Flesh for Fantasy...

I just can't say how crazy it was to hear this song! Brought back memories and I instantly thought how I was about to make some more memories that night. A huge thanks to DJ Sonatra He navigated the 80s, 90s and the 10s, with style. Like I said when we ended the night, there's no party without a DJ. Here are some of the people that stopped by ...That's Jen from the comments section here and the blog "one curly fry in a box of the regular". We've chatted plenty in comments and email, but this was our first meeting. We had a bet that I had to find her in the crowd based on her picture and I'm happy to report not 2 seconds after I stepped onto the pool level to find her, I said aloud to myself, "I'm looking for Jen". She actually turned around and I thought ... "is that her?" I walked closer to get a better look and it was!! Here are her girls ...How neat to finally meet! It got packed pretty fast and the next thing I knew the party was in full effect/swing! ;-)
That's the southern dream-team of the Neely's. Word has it they are expanding, official details to come soon :-). Pat and Gina are always so nice to me. They both often ask how I'm doing and ask if everything is ok. Pat feels like he could be an uncle giving out sage advice at every turn ...
We had a second to chat and then I ran into someone I missed at Thursday night's NFNS: Kick Off Party ...
It's Aarti, Next Food Network Star finalist! She looked like the sunset with her color choice and radiant smile. I kept seeing her throughout the weekend, but this was our first chance to chit chat. It was so nice of her to come to the party! It was sold out, but there were several "lists" so, it was packed to the brim and I made sure to move around to see everyone. I headed upstairs next to catch the sunset and ran into these partying ladies ...
On of them had two drinks and I said, now these are my kinda girls!! I mean, they were tiny drinks so why not have two at a time? Then I headed down the steps and caught a glimpse of one of my favorite rays of sunshine ...
Awwww that's my girl Alex Guarnaschelli of Chopped, Alex's Day Off and her home, Butter. I met her when we were both trying out for Food Network shows. We auditioned together on set and out of all the people I auditioned with I thought she was the most pleasant and interesting, besides being a great chef. I wake up to her show most Sundays at 9:30 and immediately get hungry! Here's someone I just met a few weeks ago ...
That's Serena from this season of NFNS. She was just eliminated last week, but she still has dreams and desires to be on the network, so you never know! She and I both got lucky and caught a tray of sliders and my Summer Corn Salad coming out from the kitchen and hijacked it for a couple of bites. I was so happy with every thing; the food, the music, the weather. Then I met someone I never expected to meet, much less in this setting!
She should look familiar to you if you watch Food Network faithfully. It's Marlie Hall, she once hosted Recipe for Success on Food Network. There's also another special she hosted that I always watch when I catch. I can't remember the name of it, but it's a candy convention in Las Vegas and I can't turn away from it. It was so nice meeting her as I was a fan long before being on the network. Then another face I missed the first night of the festival popped just in time to close the night out ...
That's super mommy Melissa D'Arabian. She had such a busy schedule for the weekend so it was so nice that she made it out. It truly is a busy weekend for all of us with many parties overlapping or closely scheduled, so it was hard to make every event. With that being said ... NOTHING was getting in the way me heading over to Sandra Lee's Sweet & Stylish party right after my pool party was over. I quickly changed and headed over to the ballroom to catch her on stage hosting a fashion show ...I took that standing right next to a table with my offering for the event, my Easy Blueberry Peach Cobbler.That's Gerry manning the table and passing out my desserts with a smile. When Sandra was done working I caught her backstage to say hi and get a photo for the blog. Her outfit was sooooooooo pretty. She looked just beautiful, this picture does no real justice ...Foxy lady and just the sweetest! I finished my night by heading to an after party, sorry no cameras ... and then I went to my favorite night spot "Club Bed", with a bottle of water for bedside table service to combat the dry air of a hotel room. :-)

Sunday August 1st ...

I slowly pushed myself out of bed around 11am and headed over to the House of Blues for a little brunch with Jen and friends at the Neely's Gospel Brunch. I walked in to the sounds of church ...The choir sounded so crisp and full. The acoustics in the House of Blues are great in so many cities. They really put music first there. I said my hellos to the Neely's and promptly sat down at the next table with Jen and her girls eager to get a full pot of coffee in my system lol. We ate and chatted between songs as much as we could, then when it was over and we got up to leave Tony Neely, Pat's brother, stopped by to say hello.I ran into him the day before at the Brews and BBQ event while he was overseeing the menu, this time we had a bit more time to chat. Not for long though because I had plans to quickly make my way over to Alex's Farm to Table Brunch at Caesar's. So, I hopped in a trusty rickshaw and headed back down the boardwalk to another plate of Saturday night recovery food.Looks classy, eh? I got there just in time to sit down and catch Alex's introduction and explanation of the menu ...Next to Alex is a representative from Wild Horse Wines, the featured vintner for the brunch. Here's my view of brunch. No words needed. It was yummy, just wait until you scroll down to dessert ... OMGrizzlyGoodness!! Click on this first pic to read the full menu on the side. I didn't get all the parts and mostly because the beignets came out warm, so no delaying for a photo! They were tender chewy little dough balls filled with raspberry jam. I had one, then split the guilt over a second one with a neighbor... Take a look at the salad when you zoom too ...

JUST LOOK AT THAT!!! The guy across from me killed his in no time flat so I corralled another one and before you know it, it was empty just like the first serving. This is where I try to end simply so this last picture can speak for itself. It was the perfect ending to my weekend. However you think it should taste ... is how it tasted and more. It was pretty darn perfect. After this I went back to my room and headed into a much needed food coma. Thanks for getting through this marathon post and if you were in Atlantic City this past weekend and we met, thank you so much for saying hi! I had fun at every turn and can't wait until the next one ... NYC is on the way!!! Tix are available now here.