Friday, January 7, 2011

The flood gates are open!!

Hey there! That's me and my bestie Natina taping some segments in Brooklyn last Wednesday for an upcoming promotion on Food Network. Can you guess when this may air?? We taped at place I go for a good beer and something ... ANYthing fried to perfection, Chip Shop. Here I am with one one of the owners, Suzanne.
If everyone needs a Cheers, Chip Shop is mine - complete with a visit from my parents that started sober and ended hilarious. Can't wait for you to see what we shot, of course I'll give more deets when I can, but being here promises that you've got the scoop already!

Well, looks like from comments while I'm thinking I'm saving you from the stereotypical boring vacation slide show, I'm actually holding out on ya! I also took counsel from a former blogger and friend, and he too agrees with you in comments, sharing is caring teeheehee. I now feel so bad I didn't post that 15-lb lobster tail last year! Someone asked in comments where I got the Jurassic Park-sized tails ... I got em in Eleuthera, an outer island of the Bahamas that is an inexpensive, must-stay with a jillion empty and beautiful beaches. I just didn't want to over share, as I actually do in person. So, I promise from now on to post pics from vacay, but since everyone has been so encouraging ... how about a VIDEO??!!
Hope you liked my first video. I haven't edited video since I was in training for broadcasting for the Air Force. Back then one of the pieces of equipment was so big we called it a "toaster" and now I'm editing on a tiny laptop. No cords, board or speakers needed. Crazy.

Anywho, the vacay was to Paris, France. Here's a picture from the day we landed ... in the middle of a blizzard!
Here are a couple more food shots ...Far East in France ...There's a huge and growing Asian immigrant population in Paris and we took advantage of it. We ate all over the place, even at the Louvre. This is a cream of asparagus soup I got at the museum. It had the crunchiest little, oil-laden croutons ...
Very smooth and balanced, see the saffron? Then a vegetable terrine at a place on the Champs Elysees ...
It needed salt, but I tend to think that about many things. And finally a bowl of rummaged through mussels. The frites were served in a little cup on the side and happily throughout dinner, as I ate them, fresh and hot new ones arrived like a refill of tap water. Loved it!
We ended up in Paris because while I was planning a sunny beach vacation I ran into a really cheap apartment rental in Paris. It was actually cheaper to go to Europe than hitting the Caribbean. Another thing, just in case you are a tripper ... it's WAAAAAAY cheaper to rent an apartment or house on vacation if you are planning. Only difference is no room service, but I actually enjoy cooking and dining out on vacay, as I call it. Plus no crazy hotel and tourist taxes added on to the bottom line of the lodging bill. Even in the lean times I've scrounged and taken a vacation at least once a year since I left home at 18, refueling is important for the battle (military ref. lol), but seriously ... growing up moving around all the time, kinda turned me into a "change of scenery" seeker. So, we booked the trip and immediately began to work on our French. I'd been a few times before in my pre-teens, but it was my guy's first time. All I really wanted to know how to say was, "one more please" and "please can I have some more" lol ...

And now, in the new spirit of sharing ... a final note from my babies ...Meow, meow. :-) That's Truffle on the left and Cheddar on the right. You can buy your cats toys, but they always end up playing with other stuff, the laundry basket is the new thing all of a sudden. Both are rescue cats. Cheddar, or "Ched-rock" was taken to our local vet for boarding and her owners never picked her up and the number they left was fake. I found her 4 months into her extended and caged stay when I made my boyfriend take his cat, yes HIS cat to the vet for a check up. His is a rescue as well, found his on the street years before we met, and very nasty. I keep telling him it's feral lol. Cheddar has a super protruding chest bone, not all of her teeth and when we got her she was a bit ill and in need of some TLC. She's just fine now and she brings me joy everyday, can't believe someone would leave her :-(. Her biggest worry these days is which treats she gets, how many and when. Then my Truffle or "Truffle-duffel" as I tend to call him was at the right place at the right time, I got him from an ASPCA truck during NY Pet Week last year while waiting to meet friends for a trip to Coney Island. Truffle, a Maine Coon, talks allllllll day everyday, very loudly. Cat owners know what I mean. We think it's why he's a rescue, some owners just don't see the beauty in quirks like that, I rather like my kitty alarm clock :-). I mean he is up at 7AM everyday, just talking. To whom? We have no idea lol. If I wanted a quick million I'd record him saying "Hello" and send it to AFV. He also does this very human-like stand on his hind legs when he wants to be picked up, and like a baby he also prefers to be held over the shoulder. Really cute. I know, this totally puts me in the running to be a cat lady, but I'm not, I grew up with dogs and look forward to adding some to the pack soon. Trust me though, rescues are hard to pass up, just ask Lindsey in comments... she was there when I rescued Truffle, he was undeniable.

And in true form, I bury the lead ... My show air times are on the move!!! Until I letcha know, catch new episodes of Cooking for Real, Sundays at 11AM, then catch repeats weekday afternoons (Monday-Friday) at 4PM. Catch it live or set your DVR for the series, or season and let it do the work! This week's episode is "Phonin' in Flavor", I have a tasty frozen drink, I'm grilling some pork and I'm making broccoli shake what the cook is givin' it. :-)

16 comments:

Jen said...

Hi Sunny, this is Jen from Washington state, I just love your show- my hubby even watches it with me and he doesn't usually even stay in the room when I am watching "food tv"... haha. I loved hearing about your trip to Paris- the food looks great. I'd love to take an adventure like that someday! Can't wait for the new episodes :)
PS- your cats are adorable! I've always wanted a Maine Coon, I have a tabby cat who is pretty talkative too...

jen @ one curly fry said...

I love the vacation pics! I went to Europe back in 1994 and it was such a good experience. I know I would appreciate it SOOOOO much more now that I'm older though. We went to Paris as well and while I enjoyed it and loved the beauty of it, Austria was absolute favorite!

My guy isn't big on traveling but we made a deal that if we sold the house and moved into the city (what he wanted to do) that we could take a vacation to London - lol! Hey, whatever it takes ;) So once we get our passports and all of that good stuff (mine expired, lol) I'll be planning that trip!

The kitties are adorable! When I got my Oliver I got him from my sister's vet's office. Someone had found him in a garage (in the winter) and had all of this frost bite on his ears, nose, etc. Poor guy. I had just moved into an apartment on my own and he was the perfect roommate! I had him for about 8 yrs before he got sick and passed away :( And my little black Halloween cat - I got him at the SPCA. He was the only kitty there all up in my face meowing and not all shy in the back of the cage, and I knew he'd be perfect for me. I miss them so much! It's so lonely without them.

Wow, didn't mean to write a book, LOL! But can you believe SOBE is NEXT MONTH? Where has the time gone? I'm so excited (and nervous) at the same time!

Dolphinfanhg said...

Sunny,
Love love love the video! I especially love the 'oh yeah' just before he added the hazelnuts! ;) Case in point why we love to hear about your food on your travels...this post makes me want to jump on a plane to Paris right now! As if the crepes didn't make my mouth water, that vegetable terrine looks to die for! Thanks for sharing, and your editing skills are pretty kicken' girl! :)Keep em coming!

sbrtir said...

Hey World Traveler....Loved reading your blog, watching your video and having you back!!!!! Missed you! This is Toby from Jacksonville...we dropped off some gifts at the food network mailroom and we were wondering if you got them. Thanks for being you and take care of Truffles and Cheddar

Charles said...

Life.Is.Too.Funny. This morning we we're reading your blog and learned your vaca was in PARIS, and we have been seeing Paris pop up everywhere we go within the last few weeks, (on tv, in general conversation, in magazines, etc...) and I said to him either we're being teased or a blessing is upon us. Literally, within a couple of hours, it was confirmed that I'll be taking my guy to Paris in the Spring!! I've been only once when I was fifteen and he's never been so we're realllly excited! I'd love to find out more about the apt rental! Sounds like so much fun and like you said, you don't incur all those tourist & hotel fees. Did Ina let you rent out her apt girl?! Cuz you know she luxuriates over there from time to time. That video was cool thx for sharing. Loved the backing track, "Crepes et Baguette"-too cute. I'd love to see some other photos from your trip there and any places that you vistited that you found worthwhile. Thanks Sunny!

Holly said...

Hi Sunny! Your video was AWESOME!! The Grand Marnier & sugar crepe sounds yummy!!! I'm dying to know...what is a Cuban breakfast? Also...can we discuss how completely adorable your cats are??? We used to have a Maine Coon, and I miss her "talking" all the time :-)

Anonymous said...

Hi Sunny! I just want you to know that my life hasn't been the same since I found your show. I have since started my own blog, and have grown very fond of your recipes and the warmth-from-the-heart feel you give to each dish. My favorites still are the Fake Crepes, and the Garlic, Pepperoni and Shrimp Appetizer of which I, of course, had to blog about! I wish you well in all of your endeavors. This post made me want to travel and taste the flavors of the world...maybe one day. Who knows where my blog, The Onyx Plate, will take me. Thank you as always for being an inspiration!

Maria said...

WOW! You have been a busy lady and I am not sure what to comment on first.

Paris photos and video....AWESOME!! With the music and everything the video was cool. ALSO, it left a youtube link of you eating a bhut jolokia pepper. That must of have crazy hot! The other foods you took pics of made me so hungry and here I am on a diet!

I love your cats. My sister in law volunteers at a shelter and took in a rescue cat. She has all these digestive problems and was really sick for a long time. She was one of a few survivors in a house where there were 100+ cats. My sister in law and my brother have to close the bathroom and kitchen doors all the time because she will try to go in the tub or sink, because that is what she did in that house. It is wonderful that you will take in rescues. They also have a Maine Coon!! who OWNS that apartment and now have adopted twin brothers that were left at the shelter too. SO 4 cats. Don't worry about being called a cat lady...we tease my sister in law that is she wasn't married, people would think she was one!!

Looking forward to some fun recipes in your new season!!! So psyched to see it.

Sunny Anderson said...

jen, i'm so glad you guys don't have to fight over the remote! my guy and i have a few shows we both agree on and it feels great, so i know the feeling! so glad i fit into that category for ya! maine coons are hilarious. he has such a personality. he just finished talking for about 20 minutes and now he's sleeping. adorable.

jen, yaaaaay!! glad you liked them! we skiid in austria on the border with switzerland, i'd love to go back and ski one day ... green hills of course lol. hey, if you guys go to london you can do a day trip via the chunnel to paris! we almost took a day trip to london, but were pretty jet lagged and addicted to crepes :-) can't wait for sobe!!!!!!

dolphinfanhg, yaaaaay!! the video is my pride and joy lol it took me about 5 hours to make. i can't believe how much you can do with a laptop these days. seriously, i totally feel old. i remember correcting tape on a typewriter. i had a teacher that didn't even want corrections, so you had to type a perfect page, totally bit the big one. lol. here we are now with a delete button, and keystroke commands. crazy. more vids on the way ...

sbrtir, TOBYYYYYY!!!!! I GOT THE GIFT!!! THANKS!!! I LOVE IT!!! I didn't have a tree this season, but next year it's the first ornament i'm unpacking! i'll take a pic and post it this year during the holidays. thanks so much, love the beer and the pizza :-).

charles, give me your email again. i'm sure i passed it to my bestie to invite you, but if you are still asking me if i have it, that means she hasn't yet and i start taping tomorrow, so let me get on top of this!! ok .. now about paris, OMG!! have fun!!! check out cobblestay.com ... that's where we found our place. we stayed at the amelot terrace apartment. 2 blocks from the train, a quick walk to crepes :-), there's a small grocer on the corner for tiny stuff for the tiny fridge. perfect location. we even walked home from the louvre one day. can't wait to hear about your trip!!! and p.s. ... take those life hints, to me they are real and have always landed me in the right place. from the smallest hint to the largest.

theonyxplate, wow. well, thanks so much for the kind words and welcome to the blogging world, it's work eh? hope you are having fun and thanks so much for watching!!! and btw, the fake crepes ... sooooooo good at midnight lol.

maria, busy and happy!!! glad you liked the paris video!! i sat in bed like a kid for hours just playing with the laptop like a toy. had fun. so about the cats ... all of my cats go into the bathtub. cheddar is the only one that rolls in it though. we think she likes the smell if the soap or something. maybe once a week, she jumps in, rolls around and jumps out. we don't mind. what we did mind was truffle using the bathroom wherever he saw fit. seems like his previous owners didn't really help him find the litter box. so we bought attractant and tried different litters and had to eliminate any piles of stuff, luggage, clothes, anything, because he loved the pile if you know what i mean lol. i mess, but we totally are in for the long haul with our rescues. they are a treat! pretty much every day we notice what makes them unique and why possibly someone couldn't handle them, but we are happy we found them because we really have the patience. i'm also happy my guy is an animal lover, takes a team sometimes. hope you like the new season too!!!

Lindsey Christensen said...

Sunny! So cool seeing you retell that story. What a remarkable day that was! So awesome for me to be with you when you happened upon Truffle. The little guy looks like he is really thriving under your care. I definitely think his name suits him. My dog Oscar also loves laundry baskets…in fact, he loves all sorts of enclosed places. As soon as he sees me bring out a suitcase or duffle bag, he jumps right in, wanting me to pack him along with all my other stuff and take him with me wherever I go. Pets have so much personality!

Too cool that you were in Paris! Nothing beats a European vacation, in my book. How’d you do with your French phrases? I have a few down pat that serve me well – “where’s the restroom”…”May I have a glass of red” (that one’s key)…and my personal favorite ”I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”. Essentials!

Stefanie said...

That food just looks SO good. And the cat photo-cute!

Anonymous said...

Sunny,

I do like your show, but there are two things you say incorrectly that drive me out of my mind (and don't say it's some regional thing...) The words are yolk and ramekin, which you promise yolllk and ramkin. In yolk, it is pronounced "yoke" like "folk" the l is silent. In ramekin, the e is NOT silent, and so is pronounced ram-e-kin. It has 3 syllables. Things like that lead me tyo believe that you are not as well-versed in cooking as you present yourself.

Sunny Anderson said...

anon, are you serious??!! yolk is yolk, where are you from? i think if you've travelled plenty you'll find many regions in this country say the "L" in yolk and many regions say ramekin with two syllables. really. reeelax it's food. it's for all of us, you say tomato, i say tom-ah-to, still tastes the same. and i'm no chef, but food network is big biz, before they sign on anyone, they make sure we are well-versed in cooking. so few of us do this job, so that is pretty much ground zero for the application, everything else like accents, dialects, regionality and the other are secondary. love of food comes first. don't you agree? no matter what i thank you for watching! so because barbra walters can't say her "R's", does that mean she's a bad interviewer?? i hope not. i respect her plenty and hope to gain yours :-). thanks again for watching!

Sunny Anderson said...

lindsey!!! how neat was that day??? coney was nice and i can't believe how clean that beach bathroom was! lol. as for paris, i did pretty well with the phrases and even added "can i have a carafe of water for the table please?", such fun.

stephanie, thanks!! my kitties say thanks too!!!

Anonymous said...

You really handled our negative poster with more dignity than I could or would have. I guess that's why you're where you are in life...I wanna be just like you when I grow up. Oops! Did I say wanna? :) I'm proud of you. Love from your less uptight friend in the South! :)

Linda (B'ham)

rayinHoustonTX said...

Thanks for the "Gamer's gathing" show on 01-30-11.I'm still surprised gaming(video games) has not went MAIN stream.I guess the old timers are still running America-LOL-we still don't have an xbox 360 in the white house-LOL

anyway I watch your show religously and NOT just because of your "Ass'ests" like all the other guys on my job-LOL