Saturday, September 25, 2010

Chow Down TODAY!!! Cleveland tomorrow!

Hey there! Well, here I am getting ready for a trip to Cleveland today for work tomorrow and my guy turns on Food Network to watch. I say "scroll forward and see what I'm cookin' today". He scrolls forward and it looks like a NEW episode of Cooking for Real is on today!!! I just taped it not a month ago and it's ready for you to catch!

NEW EPISODE OF COOKING FOR REAL TODAY!!!!!!

It's called Chow Down and the star of the show is my Chunky Chicken Chowder, perfect if the weather is starting to turn on you wherever you are. A little behind the scenes for you ... The chowder is inspired by a soup I get here often in Brooklyn when I'm feeling under the weather. It's called pesole and actually, my guy goes to get it for me, because this is my go-to soup when a cold has socked me a huge punch and I can't even get out of bed. Traditionally pesole is a soup made with pork, but we get it with chicken to mimic a good ole cold-killin' chicken noodle soup. I've even make it even when I'm not sick, so I give you my version today, not the traditional with pork. A bit healthier and the taste is out of this world! There are huge, plump hominy kernels I simply call white corn or choclo and then what I really like about the soup is locally here in Brooklyn, there's always a huge bone or two in your bowl with meat still attached, sooooooooo gooood! The bone adds flavor, but I love getting to the bottom of the bowl and knawing the rest of my way to health :-).

So, the behind the scenes thing is, to many - that bone in the soup may look unappetizing. Matter of fact it sounded very unappetizing to a member of the production team. There was actually discussion about me not putting the bones in the soup and the final bowl I make for myself. I actually had to make a case for them, even though it may look unappealing to some, it's authentic that way. Gladly, the team agreed I should keep it authentic, ahem Real :-), and the bone stays! To go with the Chunky Chicken Chowder I have my Roasted Tom and Jack Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, these are grilled cheeses for the grilled cheese lover. Roasted plum tomato slices, cilantro, red onions and pepper jack cheese, geez. Hope you really give this one a try! I finish up with a drink only for the heat lovers, it's my Hot Choco Loco. It's chocolaty and it's crazy!!! It's heat on top of heat and I'll just say, it's one of my fave things to have when snuggled up on the couch watching television during cold or rainy weather. I start with 2 jalapenos, but if you are not into it .. maybe try with one? Trust me though ... the heat of two are so on point if you like spicy!

Well, that's it! Food and new tales of eating on today's newest ep of Cooking for Real!! Season 8! Thanks so much for the support!! Hope you like the new season. If you are catching this late because you enjoy internet free weekends ... Catch the show on Monday as well at 4PM!

Aaaaaand ...

Cleveland! I'm on the way! I'm getting into a Healthy Food Fight with Aetna and it's been plenty of fun so far! Come out and hang with me at the Ripe! Food and Garden Festival Sunday all day! Just look for the blue and orange Aetna truck!

Don't forget! Today, Cooking for Real: Chow Down at 12noon eastern. Tell a friend!

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Sunny,

Had no idea you lived out this way...yes, LA is very close in proximity, I happen to work out that way, but you also forgot to mention how close Sin City is as well. I also lived out in Rancho from 04-08. Loved it there. A very recretional enviorment. And I also had an Oh too familiar experience with heart-ache out that way..Her LOSS! and the same goes for that EX fellow of yours. Sometimes what we see as misfortion, eventually evolves into a blessing...Anywho! lol, enough of that BULL-PLOP! I wanted to ask you for a favor...I love waffles ALOT! not that I weigh 300 lbs or anything,lol, but I'm having a real hard time with making fresh Waffles from scratch. "Hoy Mayven!"can you recommend a good recipe?...lol. S.O.S. Help! Thank You, Tom.

Anonymous said...

Sunny, cilantro is one of my faves. However, my husband detests it. He says it tastes like soap. I've heard other people say that. Have you ever heard that before. It's so sad because I think cilantro can add so much flavor to a dish.

Charles said...

Great show as usual, Sunny. I love me chix corn chowder so this looks really good but I may sub chix breast-I just cannot groove on thighs for some reason. Maybe it's the texture? Those sandwiches looked bangin' so they'll be on my menu one night this week. I made a huge lasagna this wknd so once I've stuffed myself silly with it then I'll make those sandwiches. I'll save the hawt chocolate drink for this coming wknd. Hope u had fun in Cleveland! Did u run into Betty White? ;)

Lindsey Christensen said...

I caught your new episode on Sat. and it was terrific! I'm not sure if it subconsciously inspired me or what, but on Sunday I ended up making soup and grilled cheese...instead of your luscious chowder (which looked divine!), I jazzed up some Trader Joe's butternut squash soup with some curry spices and made a grilled cheese with bacon, turkey, fig jam, and cheddar - two slices please! Gotta love this time of year when the weather is just oh-so conducive to a comforting soup and sandwich combo. Love your behind the scenes peak at the bone debate...glad you stuck to your guns! I can see why that chowder is your go-to cure for a cold. It looked hearty and stick-to-your-bones, warm-you-through-and-through and TASTY! Anxiously awaiting the F&W Fest...what are we down to, 2 weeks away?!

Janet DeSanders said...

Hi Sunny,

I enjoy your show and love the tops you wear. Where do you find them?
Especially the orange with white embroidery you wore today in the Chicken Fried Steak show.
Texas-OU weekend is coming up and that would be great to wear!

Jan in Dallas, TX

Dolphinfanhg said...

darn my feed that never told me about this post! grrr. so I missed the first episode but I have the rest set on DVR now. hopefully I'll catch this episode another day...that soup sounds awesome!

Drew @ How To Cook Like Your Grandmother said...

Sunny,

Just wanted to say it was great meeting you at the Ripe festival on Sunday. I really appreciate the inside view of what FN is looking for. We'll see if the next tape I send works.

By the way, here's the recipe for the potted chicken: http://cooklikeyourgrandmother.com/2010/09/how-to-make-potted-chicken/

Mike Belsito said...

It was great seeing you in Cleveland! I hope you really liked my healthy take on Chicken'n'Waffles. :-)

Sunny Anderson said...

thomas, yup i was there. but not for long. only took 6months for my heart to break and i was back on the road to my concrete jungle :-). looks like we rubbed elbows cuz i was there the summer of 06! lived on miliken in an apt complex across from the mall! ok, as for waffles. I have to do one on the show cuz i make em at home all the time. there are some pretty good basic ones online, the key is separating the eggs and fluffing the whites. I fold them in at the last second.

cooking mama, hey girl! looks like your hubby has what I simply call the cilantro gene. some people's palate tells them it tastes clean like soap. poor thing, because as you know ...cilantro is pretty darn tasty!

charles, thanks!!! i always use the short form "chix" for chicken too! i think it's from working in fastfood, that's how we wrote the tickets and how it showed up in the computer. i feel you on the dark meat. it surely is a diff texture, but it has so much more flavor because it's the muscle that moves most when the bird is huntin and peckin. do the breast, but leave the bone in for sure! then i'd remove the breast and shred the meat, those bones aren't ones you want in a bowl. too small and may be dangerous!

Sunny Anderson said...

lindsey, woohoo! i was cutting it close on the blog that day eh? nothing like finding out last about your life lol. that fig jam sounds like the plan girl!! i spread it all over stuff, only used it on the show once so far on my plum tart. pretty yummy there. and how about i had pumpkin soup on sunday! so all i needed was a grilled cheese and we'd be in the same zone. i love the weather change. and yes, the big bone debate ... i notice in the recipe online they took it out, i'm sending an email in a sec to get it changed back! the debate continues!!!

janet, the orange with the cream is lucky brand. they have plenty of embroidery work and i like that stuff. you're right, it's the perfect burnt orange color! have fun at ou weekend!!

heather, argh! well, if the feed is slow, it's my fault. i only posted this a couple of hours before the show aired because i found out late. hope you caught it on monday! how've you been?

drew, well i have to say i don't know what they are "looking for" but i do know what worked for me, so i hope some of my words helped! much success and i suggest you keep chasing the dream! this is a business of "no's" and you gotta go through a few of them to get to the "yes".

mike, like?? I LOVED!! you couldn't tell?I ate the whole plate, not just the cursory bite. I only wish i had more hot sauce! like i said, it was the first "breakfast" recipe of the competition and it started it with a bang! good stuff! can't wait to see who wins!!

Charles said...

Thanks, Sunny, for the tip on the chix breast! I never knew that's why the dark meat has more flavor-cool! Cerainly makes sense. I could just sit and pick your brain all day about the ins and outs about food. :)

Sunny Anderson said...

charles, yup ... that's why the breast is white meat, it just sits there and does nuthin lol. pick my brain charles, i don't know everything about food because there is just so much to know about it, but i have my brain packed with plenty of stuff. food has been a big part of my life for a long time! readin cookbooks like novels lol!

Charles said...

Hey, whatever you can answer I'll greatly appreciate! I always have a pretty well stocked pantry & fridge, but I ALWAYS go to a cookbook or online for a recipe and for once, I just want to be creative and put something together. It's weird; I kinda know what pairs well together as far as herbs/meats/veggies but I get skeered trying to think of what to make, LOL! Maybe one day I'll get comfortable with it. Is it possible to just not have a knack for that? Don't get me wrong-I love trying new recipes from my cookbooks and articles and such. But sometimes I'd like to put something together and be like, "I did alright with that"!

Kelly Hirt said...

Sunny,

I love watching your show! Your personality combined with the delicious recipes are glorious! I have one question though. Who makes that refrigerator with the clear door? I REALLY REALLY want one. LOL

Keep up the great shows,

Kelly Hirt
Tucson, AZ
Saphirechains@aol.com