Thursday, September 9, 2010

I'm fighting with Bobby Flay!

Hey there! You read it right! I'm in a fight with Bobby Flay! Add to that Cat Cora and Sara Moulton, but it's not a catty fight, it's a food fight :-). I already made a joke like this in my last post, but I totally wanted to recycle it. This Labor Day I headed out to Rutherford, NJ and took the fight to the streets! We are all teaming up with Aetna Healthcare for a food fight and you can get more details at HealthyFoodFight.com. Basically, we are challenging cooks around the country to make a healthy dish that tastes great. Each event is the semi finals and the last of course is the big one where someone takes home a nice cash prize and culinary gifts! I took some pics while I was there, but most of the day was filled with eating dishes from the contestants and chatting with all the local food people that stopped by to watch all the cooking drama! Here's the booth/kitchen where all the contestants prepared their dishes ...There were three rounds of cooking with new contestants each round. If you happen to join us to watch the food fight in a city near you, make sure you stop at these kiosks in the pic below ...If you step up to those and enter your information, you can win a complete set of cookware. I asked one of the event planners how many and he said that plenty were available at each event, so sign up!!! Ok so, here's the first round of contestants right before they started cooking ...
This next picture is of the winner of the round. I took this prior to even eating or voting, but something told me she would be at the top or close to it. They were cookies made with no butter, sugar, flour, or eggs. Just figs, dates, walnuts, bananas, apple sauce, oats and I'm sure I'm missing something, ahem along with her name. I know, bad reporting, but I think the food and the heat took about 20 IQ points from me that day teeheehee. Anyway, she was pleasant and her family was there to support her and the cookies were so good, I swiped one to eat on the ride home. It didn't make it far :-). Here she is proudly presenting her cookies ...
We had two other winners that day, but everything was great so I bet the scoring was pretty close. By the way, we judge on taste and presentation. Then the recipe is sent to the people at the Culinary Institutes of America and they test it and determine the nutritional value.That portion is 50% of the score. So it's a really rounded competition. We don't judge solo either, Aetna has the judging panel packed with food people galore! I met someone Monday, a fellow judge, I'd like you to meet ...
That's Rossella Rago, host of a web series called Cooking with Nonna. Turns out she is featured on an upcoming episode of 24 Hour Restaurant Battle with her mother! Check the webisodes, I really like them and they remind me of David Rocco's show on Cooking Channel. He had me captivated the second I turned the channel and he was taking direction from an Italian grandma while she kneaded a massive pile of dough into submission. "Nonna" means Grandma in Italian, so in each episode of Cooking with Nonna Rossella cooks with a different Italian grandmother and it's not just cooking, there are old pictures, stories and at the end ... MANGIA! :-) I think she is working towards something, something good. So I support her, give her a look! Okay, that's it for today ... I went to Chip Shop in Brooklyn a few days ago and took a picture of one of my favorite desserts. The owner told me about a new show on the way that shot an episode there. Guess who the host is?? I can't tell, but I will say it's one of the finalists from the most recent season of NFNS! I bet I'm late on this and it's on the web somewhere, but I just wanted to let you know to inspire you ... it's not always about winning, sometimes it is truly about the journey and gaining all the experience you can. If you think you can do this, I say send in a tape to NFNS ... you never know! Although I can't tell you who is hosting the show ... I can show you one of my fave desserts ...A Fried Mars bar! Now, that's some food worth fightin' over! :-) Take care and hope you are enjoying your week! Excuse the typos ...I'm runnin' errands and posting at the same time...I'll fix 'em tonight after dinner.

10 comments:

Lindsey Christensen said...

Would you believe I've never had a fried candy bar? Even at the Iowa State fair where of course you can find all things fried and "stick-i-fied" ha, looks divine though!

jen @ one curly fry said...

The Food Fight looks so cool. If I wasn't moving this weekend I would totally come check it out and maybe even enter. After all, I could really use some new cookware! :)

You know what? I've never even had a Mars bar before. I don't even think I know what's inside of one! But anything deep fried is good, right? ;)

Charles said...

Hey Sunny, I'm uber excited that you'll be appearing at this weekend's shroom' fest in lil' podunk Kennett Square, PA LOL I'm in nearby Chadds Ford, PA and my name is Charles and I was curious if you have time to do quick meet & greets with the public before or after your judging? If not, can you take out time for me? HA! Also, will you be there both Sat & Sun?

I'm a huge "FN addict", (shout out to ur boy Jacob), but really I am and your show is one I really look forward to on the weekends.

Thanks Sunny, and hope to see you this weekend!

Holly said...

OMG - a fried Mars bar? Seriously - that is just not fair...I am at least an hour away from Brooklyn, and it is too late to drive up there now - lol!! It looks SO insanely good!

Anonymous said...

Too bad that's not coming to Raleigh. Bummer!

I think it's great when they take talent from NFNS and use them in other shows. The show opens open so many doors from what I've seen.

Sunny Anderson said...

lindsey, girrrrl ... just do it at home, it's a must. i'm giving you a homework assignment! i don't know their batter, but it is close to tempura or a beer batter if you know how to make. in a pinch i've seen people use pancake batter on oreos, just not on candy bars. it is sooooo wrong, but sooo right. and i like the word "stick-i-fied" lol ... one to add to the vocab!

jen, i know i was gonna say ... max's another time is fine. don't worry i am so close, i will be back probably for personal way before business, i truly am addicted to max's. and i think you can get mars bars online. it's like a milky way, kinda. plenty of chocolate and caramel, but the texture of the caramel reminds me of the milky way.

charles, i will not only be there, but i will have plenty of time before and during the competition to say hi! i don't bite unless it's food, so please come up and say hi, i'll be looking for you, so don't be shy or think i look busy. people interrupt me all the time and i don't mind at all! thanks so much for watching and participating on the blog!

holly, yes girl, a frrrriiiiieeed mars bar! a vision, eh? lol. i can wax philosophical about frying all day. but whoever started the fried candy bar revolution must be rewarded! i wonder who and when was the first. if i ever get to it, i'll market a fried candy bar batter lol. who needs cookware or knives?! lol.

cooking mama, love the new pic! i know, i would love a free trip nc for biz so i can convince my grandma to make the drive and deliver a red velvet cake! teeheehee. i also agree about nfns, it is truly the only "reality" tv show that really gives the winner and others qualified, a kick start. i never hear or see many of the winners of some of the other shows out there. not that they aren't good shows, but i really like when people benefit and not just the network making ratings, you know? in that respect, everyone wins with nfns. great ratings and a huge career boost.

Amy said...

Forget Fried Mars...I adore Fried Snickers Bar. Chocolate peanutty gooeyness. Thank goodness my fair season is short.

Sunny, Quick question for you, where do you get your wardrobe? You always look fantastic, so I just wondered!

Charles said...

Awesome! I'll be there Sunday, Sunny, Lord's Willing. I wanted to come today but last minute changes :(

I cannot believe your schedule allows you to blog
like you do, let alone respond to everybody! Very cool.

Renee said...

Hi Sunny!! It was great to meet you today at the Aetna Healthy Food Fight!! And I was amazed by your video on your page that you were in the Air Force, I was in the Air Force Aux, Search & Rescue team. I had a great time today and am nervously awaiting to hear who won!!!

win or lose, it was a great experience!!

Renee

Charles said...

Hi Sunny! I just got done watching the VMA's, (which were horrid btw), and I am still on cloud 9 from meeting you today in Kennett Square, PA @ Mushroom Fest. The rainy weather couldn't put a damper on your charming, warm and welcoming personality. I'm bout' it bout' it come February and I hope we could meet up when I get to the BK again. I think I definitely want to hit up that Chip Shop: yum! I just wanted to say thanks again as it was a true pleasure getting to speak to you today.

Btw, Tremaine is sorry he missed you and thanks you for his signed pic, and says you are welcome to come by and cook or chill whenever your back in the area. 2 minutes from DE and 25 min outside Philly. Just sayin'...<=