What I Had For LINNER: Beef on flavored skewers

Hey hey hey! It's faaaaaat Sunny!!! And I'm gonna sing a song for youuuuuuu .... I've been cooped up eatin' a thing or two-ooooo.

Teeheehee ... a lil ode to Fat Albert. I've been cooking all weekend just getting some recipes together and then of course feeding myself. So, here's what I decided on for linner ... I marinated some beef chunks in balsamic with garlic, olive oil, cilantro, lime, salt, pepper and a tap of cayenne. Then well, you can kinda see the rest, some jalapenos, red bell pepper, pineapple and red onion. I got the flavored grill sticks from my local cooking store ... real neat. I actually wasn't trusting the infusing of the flavors promise on the package, but out of the two flavors I used I could really taste one of them. I used the Honey Bourbon and the Citrus Rosemary. I could really taste the latter, the other not so much. I think my marinade could have over powered the honey bourbon, but all was still yummy. On the side I made some orzo with a light cream sauce, broccoli and parm. That's it ... and I'm back to work on some palmiers. Hope you are having a great weekend, I can't wait to watch NFNS tonight. The weather in NYC is crazy this weekend, sunshine, then rain, then thunder, then more rain. Can't wait to start the week. Check in tomorrow and I hopefully will have some news one various places I'll pop up in the next week or so to promote the new shows. I'm so excited! Ok, if you catch NFNS tonight, check the website for the FN Dish viewing party with me and Adam Roberts. Again ... Linner for a recipe developin' chick on a Sunday early evening ....

New NFNS vid up ...

Aloha from Hawai'i ... if you are a Next Food Network Star watcher, check on Food Network for the show page, there are interviews with the cast after they leave and everything. Pretty neat, plus there's a weekly webisode with me and Adam Roberts yakkin it up about the week's episode. This week, I brought along my "brother" Du. Now, I call him my brother, but really he isn't. Basically, we are so close, we don't need people thinking we are dating, so we call each other brother and sis ... His mom is not my mommy, but boy has she been there for me. Du has also been there for me just like a brother. He gives me advice about boys and career and life ... we hang out and just really act like family. I love him :-) .... ok, oh hey also, coincidentally if you ever go on my Cooking for Real page on Food Network's website, you'll see a video about my best kitchen moment and I tell a story about Du and my fried chicken .. check it out, but first check out what all 3 of us, Adam, me and Du had to say about this week's NFNS ...



Hip Hop heads may recognize Du as "do it all" from Lords of the Underground, he's also done plenty of television and film work, so he may look familiar to you ...keep an eye out.... he's got some things on the way.

NFNS Webisodes up every week!

Hi All!

Well, my new buddy Adam Roberts of the FN Dish and Amateur Gourmet, has invited me along every week to watch and chat about Food Network's Next Food Network Star. Plenty of links for one sentence huh? teeheehee ... Okay, anyway every week he's invited me to his place and we watch the show together, then chat about it and comment on the contestants. We even talk about the person voted off. It was plenty of fun last week. Check it out below ...

So watch the show Sundays at 10PM/9C and then right after, click here and check for our commentary. This year is interesting so far ... I already have my faves and my not so faves ... feels weird because what if I meet one of them in the future and there I am talking about them on the webisode? Well, you've got my word I'll be honest and as constructive as possible, but I'm also gonna have fun with it. It's a fun show, plenty of different personalities and culinary points of view. I totally got the "Holmes" part of my Lisa Garza comment from a funny post on Jacob's blog here ... alright, hope you enjoy em and if you don't or do agree with my comments, it's cool to say it ... it's an open forum, just don't get too crazy I've seen some angry posts about contestants floating around. :-)  Btw ... the popcorn you catch a glimpse of was from my new 13 episodes ... fresh popped and drizzled with bad stuff, more details when the show runs. We had beers and popcorn while watching, Adam is my kinda guy! Next week, I'm bringing by a close friend to hang out and watch.

Yaaaaaaaaay! Thanks for watching!!!!

Well, I have some amazing news I can finally share! A couple of weeks ago I found out I get to continue taping Cooking for Real for Food Network! I can't believe it, I am so HAPPY! This is a result of early support and viewership, I can't tell you how thankful I am. I've met so many great people here on my blog and myspace. I've even reconnected with friends I thought I'd lost because I moved around so much growing up. Then, the cool thing is exchanging food ideas and stories with people. I really enjoy it. So, if you've watched Cooking for Real, taped it to watch later or told someone about the show, I truly appreciate it. It means so much to me. I've only heard good reports from my bosses and it's a direct result of support. It gives me a chance to continue living in this crazy dream. Life is pretty amazing when you just live it and make deliberate choices. I still can't believe it! When I got the call I was totally caught off guard and couldn't say much. It's one of the few times in my life I've searched for the next word and I used to be called motormouth growing up teeheehee ... I'm sure somewhere in there though I said Thank You, cuz wowwwwww, am I thankful for this opportunity. It feels crazy! Thanks to you too, just reading this blog means if you haven't watched the show, you may catch in the future. If that is the case, I hope you do get a chance to see the show and I hope you enjoy it.

So, with the news of more shows I was just super happy and then all of a sudden my mind went in a jillion directions ... I have work to do!! I found out there's no delay and I begin taping verrrrry soon! I wanted to say something when I got the word, but just got the green light so I can give you some behind the scenes stuff. This week, I'm in the Food Network kitchens working with my producer and the culinary staff. We're testing my recipes so when we post them up on FoodNetwork.com they are written in a uniform way. It's also a major help when we tape the shows, it helps the producers see what the cooking process looks like for my recipes. This helps them map out segments in each episode. We began cooking yesterday and so far I think we've got some great shows planned with some really yummy recipes. Yesterday we started with Chicken Sausage in Vodka Sauce for breakfast and ended the day with Grilled Fish Tacos, I have a belly of steel lol ... the list of recipes between the two was quite varied and all great things I can't wait to share with ya! Today, I cut cabbage, smashed garlic, fried fries, cut mangos, sliced onions, cut cucumbers, seasoned pork, reduced liquids ... and the fun goes on! I think the best part of the day was the end, and not because it was over, but because we baked up my Peaches n Cream cookies and killed a few while cleaning up for the day. Take a look at a shot I took last night when I tested them in my home kitchen.

And then a long shot of the kitchen ...

and two lonely cakes that the kitchen staff cooked up...

I had a piece of the one on the right. They cook all day in the kitchens for various projects and the amount of tasting and passing around of food is just like heaven for me!! Everyone is cooking and sharing, really a cool environment. Lemme check and see if I can give out the cake names below cuz they aren't mine, the slice I had was dense, moist, creamy and a bit light at the same time. I saved most of it and took it home so I could massacre it in private and give it the time and attention a good slice of cake deserves. Yes, that's how good it was. Verrrrrrrry, I mean verrrrrrrrrrrry good. Check in here and there if you are in to pics, I'll take more to post now that I have the go ahead to blog away about the new episodes! :-) Speaking of blogs, head on over to The Amateur Gourmet and check in on Adam Roberts ... I ran into him today at work and I'm really enjoying his webisodes, he's taller than I remembered, but just as nice! The FN Dish updates weekly on FoodNetwork.com Here's my webisode with him ...

The FN Dish Preview

TGIF!!!

Whatta week ... ever have one, where it feels like a month? That was me this week. Friday couldn't come fast enough! Ok, so before I give ya some details on the interview I did with Adam Roberts, just a heads up ... I also spoke with Jacob from Food Network Addict today and that interview should be up soon. Check his blog, I luuuuv the voice it's written in. I'll link the interview when it pops up.

So, about two weeks or three weeks ago Adam Roberts stopped by to film another eopisode of his new show The FN Dish. I've always wanted an inside, behind the scenes show on Food Network, so I was too excited to be included. Super excited. You gotta know, I'm so new that I don't expect inclusion in all aspects, so it's neat to be included with the rest of the FN team. We talked about doing the interview in the city, but thought it would be great to hang out in my 'hood. We'd tape some at my place and then walk the streets. So, that we did. I cleaned my place up and still didn't think it looked perfect. I was so nervous and wanted to make a good impression. We did a teeny tour of my place ... any tour would have to be teeny. :-) And we even got a look at my fridge. Now this is an area I didn't clean up for the cameras. Why? Well, 2 things. I really hate it when I see "stunt fridges". You know, all product labels to the front, way more of 1 item than needed for product placement. I just dislike it, it's like, don't show me your fridge like I'm getting the skinny on what it really looks like and you've set-dressed it. lol. Also, I've watched Adam's show and one of the episodes, he shows his fridge and thank goodness it didn't look dressed up. He had week-old Lemon Bars in there!! Loved it! No way I was gonna fake the funk on my fridge ... Uh hello the show is called Cooking for Real. Ok, so what you see if he shows my fridge shot, is really what I'm workin' with. No care to hide or make any thing or any brands prominent.

Then, I showed some old pics from growing up. My first day on the job at Sonic Drive-In. I totally had to fight to get any kitchen time, they don't like women in the kitchen in fast food places, at least they didn't then and I was so annoyed. I wanted to prep onion rings all day! Instead ... it was me, a change belt and some roller-skates most days, serving the locals. I also showed him a pic of me doing some military radio ... plenty of questions lately about is my service for real or not. lol. Why someone would lie about being in the service truly escapes me, you got my word ... I did my time :-).

Alright, after the apartment tour, we headed out for pizza and on the way stopped by a store just 4 doors down from me. It's like the best little foodie store ever. I won't ruin the whole show because I'm not in on the editing and don't know what will make the final cut, but it was an unexpected stop for us and the owner, funny moment to me. I go to the store all the time, but looking a mess. I mean a mess. It's usually when I'm cooking. I'll run down the street for a new baking dish or something. Anyway, the owner has served me at the register many times and kinda looked over/through me every time. Like, gimme your money! Next! LOL! So anyway, the last time I went in there before we taped, I got to checkout and asked him about a coupon I'd gotten from them via email. He very tersely grunted "HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE COUPON???" Like, he said it as if, who are you and what are you doing in the inner sanctum of my valued customers??? So, I was like, uhhhh I'm on your email list. And then all of a sudden he was cool, wanted to show me the item on the shelf and everything. But I tell ya, it's as if he wanted to know how I got into the club. LOL.

When we were done lookin' at ramekins and listening to the owner talk our ears off about the cooking courses he offers (yes, it is truly an amazing store, cooking classes, gadgets, dishes, and attitude :-)), we took a walk around the corner for this (below)... and you know what??? That's nuff said, you should know who this guy is below, if ya don't catch The FN Dish next week. Adam says it should be up on Monday ...start looking for it then!! And now .... the LIVING LEGEND ...

More Set Flicks

Hey all!
So, I have some more flicks from my set. When I first got notice about the show, there were so many meetings we had. It all happened so fast, but i liken the process to a rollercoaster ... You go to the park cuz you like rides, you get a ticket in and then you just wait in line hoping that by time you get to the front, you're tall enough to get on. Then if you are tall enough, you get on the rollercoaster and it's a craaaazy ride!!

Since like, 2005, I'd written, pitched, discussed or worked on various shows on and off with various themes trying to find the right match at the network. So, when I got the word we could move forward, the funny thing is we all decided to start from scratch and throw out all previous ideas. This was like late last year ... so I walked around wondering how we'd figure out in a few months what I'd been trying to put together for 3 years. We did and while all the creative meetings were taking place, while I was compiling recipes and stuff, countless other people were building my set. I only met one in advance and that was Wendy, she's one of those people you meet and you just know she's going to do something creative, unique and beautiful. So, look, I may be a bit biased, but I love my set. I love it! I've seen some sets that are baren and some that are overdone, but this one really seems like me. All I asked for was lots of color and a microwave lol!! I got it and so much more, if I coulda put an air mattress on set, I would've slept in that kitchen! What I have right now is a narrow strip with everything within reach, kinda like a line in a restaurant kitchen ... a teeny one :-) .... Ok, so here these go ....






And then we filmed the Cooking For Real open in the same space that Tyler Florence films his show. If you look in the left corner of one flick you can jussst make out the tile in his kitchen ... it sticks out if you watch the show alot. Tyler was sooooo nice. Just completely welcoming on his set. He was wrapping the next day and asked if I wanted to attend the party ... again, I said something like "sure, yeah!" and I knew I wouldn't go, why do I do that? Prolly cuz it seems rude to say no. I'm such a doofus. But he was really nice, it's gotta be the food, haven't met a mean person yet at the network. Such a contrast from my radio career. Ok, back to the topic: When Tyler wrapped for the day, we squeezed in and the guys set up my teeny lil red back drop that'll appear in the open ... I haven't seen the open and will probably see it when you do, live on tv :-), but the description I got in the beginning is a picture pop-out thing ... that's the best I can do to describe it. I told the graphics guys that as long as they got it, I was happy :-) ... So to describe, basically we went out on the town and shot flicks, some of which are already running in the tv promo, then those pics we shot will be hanging in a row and I'll be moving them and looking at them in the show open while some of them come to life? Again, this description is the best I can do lol ... Stay tuned, this week I'll give ya a preview of my interview with Adam Roberts, the Amateur Gourmet, on his new online show The FN Dish. We walked the streets of my Brooklyn neighborhood and had a tasty bite!