WOW!! Look at this!!

I just got the direct link for the Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Cookbook (thanks Aly :-) )and I cannot even believe the table of contents!! Look at me reppin for the home cooks among all the chefs!!

Click here

Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Cookbook!!!

Catch me Tuesday morning from 7am-8am on SiriusXM 110 aka Martha Stewart Radio :-)

Hey! It's the Holidays!!

Hey there! So much housekeeping! I've been working really hard and it makes sense, this is the eating time of year! Love it! It goes from candy at Halloween, a weather shift so you add some stews, then the next thing you know it's Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas and New Years' Eve and Day. Yes, I did count Black Friday as a holiday :-) ... an eating one, because you need fuel!

At the end of this post I'll leave my recipe for my holiday fuel (pictured above). First, I want to update you on some stuff I'm working on. Well, reeeeally first is me just telling you thanks so much for being here! There are some big changes coming in the new year and some new stuff that I couldn't do without your support. I am SO SINCERE, if I could just hug you if we ever meet, you'd know. Thanks for being here :-).

Ok, so first let me tell you about this weekend and where to catch me and some holiday food!!!

Sunday 830-ish on NBC for The Today Show!!

They have a stuffing contest and asked me to come by and judge it!! I just love everyone on staff there and I love eating, so it's a no brainer for me. Plus, it give me a chance to tell more people about ...

Sunday @ noon est on Food Network for Food Network Live!

Ok, this is going to be fun. I am so happy to be a part of this show. It's a 2-hour LIVE (really!!!) show with myself, Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, Melissa D'Arabian, Alex Guarnaschelli and more! It's hosted by Alton Brown and we're taking your calls, skypes, emails and tweets for the entire 2 hours while we also cook up some of our favorite holiday recipes!! Here's how to reach us:

Twitter stuff

#FNThanksgiving

@FoodNetwork

@SunnyAnderson

Facebook and Like us as well as posting questions

http://www.facebook.com/FoodNetwork

Skype us with video questions!!

FoodNetworkThanksgiving

Email!

ThanksgivingLive@FoodNetwork.com

Call!

855.281.1363

Log on!!

http://www.FoodNetwork.com/Live

So many ways to interact with us Sunday! Ok, I just read my notes from the network and they say we have to have our phones off during the broadcast because it will mess with the signal. We have rehearsal today and I'll ask about ipads lol, so we can live tweet!! I'd love to live tweet and do the first ever live shout out on Food Network lol! Ok, that's a 2-hour show, from 12-2, so tell a friend and check your listings, it also reruns later in the day and in the week as well!

Then, I'm heading to the Giants game for some Sunday night football! I plan to head over to the Food Network concession stands and tweet some photos, so follow me if you are interested in what we offer at a game! Can't wait!!

Monday I'm sleeping then ...

Tuesday 7AM - 8AM Martha Stewart Radio!! SiruisXM 110

It's another year of fun with my girl Betsy Karetnick and her new co-host Brian for the Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Hotline. I'm hanging with them the whole hour answering questions about the big bird and whatever else comes up! This year there's an online cookbook with all of the recipes from each guest during the hotline hours... get it here (I'm in it!!! In a Martha cookbook!! crazy!!):

FRRRREEEEEE MARTHA COOKBOOK!!!

www.MarthaStewart.com/radio

call us at 866-675-6675!!!

Then...

Tuesday Nate Berkus Show!!

Check your local listings by clicking here, but it airs in NYC on WNBC 4 at 2PM. Our show is called "Made in America" so he focuses on American designers and products then hangs with me for some classic American eats! Tune in and catch the recipes on the links once the show airs.

Wednesday, I'm more than likely heading down to Philadelphia for a cheesesteak at my favorite spot. Why? Well, I'm Thanksgiving'd-out :-).

Ok, in the meantime ... I should probably do a big time press release, but you've been asking me for years and for years I've been working on the right thing, not the fast thing...so I'm really proud to tell you first here that just last week in a flurry of meetings I finally signed a cookbook deal with Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House! This little girl that loved words and often found friendship with a dictionary because we moved so much, now gets to be published. Darnit, I can't even type it without crying. I hate being a girl sometimes for that reason alone, I'm wimpy. I've wanted to be published for so long, which is why I didn't want to rush into anything. From the moment I started at the network people have asked me when a book is coming. I have to tell you, no way I could've put one out and be successful back then. It takes time. I never rush life, I like to say I'm not slow, I'm just deliberate. I can't wait to begin the real work on it, recipes are written and I'm still developing more, but there's so much more to do. After talking with my publisher and the team we all agree it would also be best if I write it myself instead of using a co-writer. I'm going to be a *real* author!!! :-) I want you to know the words are mine and so is the heart. Thank you so much for the continued support!!

Ok, that's it and I just got a call from the car service picking me up for rehearsal today. Tune into my twitter feed for pics from rehearsal!!! Hope you enjoy the weekend and find a way to virtually hang out with me in the next few days :-)!!

(excuse the typos, I'm in a rush!! I'll reread this and fix em later!!)

And now ... BACON BARK!!! it's on Martha's online cookbook as a different title, but it's all the same!! I make a batch of these and pack em in my bag on the weekdays I know I'm gonna be running around. Good energy boost thats sweet and spicy and baconey lol

Sunny's Bacon Bark

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2011

For the nuts:
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup walnut halves
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the bacon:
6 strips center-cut bacon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon hungarian paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the nuts. In a small bowl add pecans, walnuts, maple syrup, brown sugar, paprika, pumpkin pie spice, a pinch of salt and a grind or two of pepper. Stir until everything is coated, set aside.

In a small bowl add bacon, brown sugar, lemon zest, paprika, a pinch of salt (yes, bacon has salt, but a pinch goes a long way here) and a grind or two of pepper. Spread out on a non-stick baking sheet (or line it with non-stick aluminum foil) and cook until almost done (flimsy, but wrinkled) and sugars are bubbling, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and using scissors, cut the flimsy half-cooked bacon into chunks the size you'd like to bite :-). Add snipped bacon back to the same baking sheet and pour contents of the nut bowl on the sheet as well. Stir and fold the bacon and nuts together with a spatula and spread everything out on the sheet.

Place back in the oven for 15 more minutes, stirring and spreading again halfway through. Serve warm or allow to cool then break apart.

if you Build a Biscuit ... they will come

Hey there! Just a quick update before I head down to Miami, FL for the 2011 SoBe Wine and Food Festival. I had plenty of fun last week filling-in on Martha Stewart's Sirius/XM radio channel. I have some pics from that to share at the end of this post, but first ... my brunch this Sunday was so much fun I thought I'd share. One of my close friends, Fiona, told me last week about a place that allows you to "Build a Biscuit" called Peels. WHAAAAAAAAA?!?!?!?!?!? So, immediately I did the smart thing and said "no thanks". Like, I am trying to fit into jeans that fit me last year this time lol. Then, I thought about it and got smarter, I texted her back and said let's throw caution to the wind and go Build a Biscuit on Sunday!!! Take a look at mine ...GEEZ. That's my baby! I chose scrambled eggs, bacon, red-eye gravy and fried chicken. I kept seeing biscuits delivered with the chicken inside the biscuit and we decided to share the calories on the chicken, so we ordered it on the side. Let's talk about the biscuit for a second, it wasn't the fluffy, pull apart kind. Very smart on their part because when you are piling it on, you need a good sturdy foundation. There was a nice crunch on the bottom too, I liked it plenty ... but only ate half of it (compromise):-). Here's the menu of add-ons in case you'd like to build your biscuit one day ...
Really, I asked for "pepperjack" too, but I guess it was lost in translation. I never really complain about stuff like that because sometimes I think it's the "food gods" that brought it to me that way. I must admit, cheese would've killed the spotlight for the red-eye gravy anyway, I was just piling it on. So, in the end it was perfect! Perfect enough to share calories on a slice of apple pie ala mode ...It was so good, I hope you believe me when I say I only had the very edge, a triangular piece of the pie and maybe 2 tip-of-the-spoon scoops of the ice cream. I was very modest. Very hard to not massacre good food! Ok, since we are on the sweet tip here ... have you seen the commercials for the new chocolate donuts at Dunkin Donuts? Well, I'm a sucker for a good advertisement so I had to check it out ... Now this, I must admit, I ate the WHOLE thing!! BTW, this is not an advertisement, just one chocaholic to the next saying, give the inside-out/reverse Boston Creme donut a try. CRAZY!!!

Ok some pics to catch up on last week and then a pic from my photo shoot today for Food Network Magazine ... I totally forgot to tell you about the magazine shoot. It's for the June issue this year and I'm making something and showing the steps that go with it. That's all I can say about it until it comes out in a few months.

Now a couple of pics from last week filling in on Martha Stewart's radio channel...

I talked to Stephanie Izard, winner of Top Chef season 4. Here we are after the interview ...Check out her new restaurant in the Chicago area, it's called Girl and the Goat. I'd visit for the name alone!! Then, I also talked with stylist to the stars (Jay-Z, for one) Crystal Streets. You may recognize her from a reality show about stylists ...
Such cute style she has! She's launching a jewelry line, check it out at LyraLovestar.com

And now to today ... I'm in Manhattan taking pics for Food Network Magazine, we are on lunch now so I thought I'd share it with you :-) ... I can't tell you what I'm making, but here's a pic of us setting up the shot ...That's it! Ok, tomorrow I head out to Miami for some sun and fun! If you make it, check in here for updates, if you can't I'll do my best to show you what it's like at the 2011 SoBe Wine and Food Festival!

Monday was sweet!

Hey there! Hope you got a chance to tune in yesterday on Martha Stewart Living Radio over at Sirius/XM! Get a free trial here and tune in today! I'm on today from 1-4PM! Yesterday, Adam Richman and Badlands Booker stopped by as my first guests and I challenged them to eat some of my Halloween candy lol. I'm stupid, but it was fun and I'm sending their charities a check ...We had plenty of fun and found out Adam has a new show on the way and Badlands has a date with a King Cake, or two, or three in Atlantic City soon. Tune in today, I have plenty of guests and I'm kicking it off with Robert Irvine!

A week with Martha! (almost)

Hey there! I've been a bit slow on posting and replying to comments, but I see pics of my finished spread for the big game are requested, so I'll post them at the end of this.

First, news to share! If you have a Sirius/XM receiver, tune in this week to catch me on Martha Stewart's radio station(if not, click here for a free trial!!!). I'm filling in during the afternoon drive all week long, except Wednesday. In the past I've stopped by for interviews and even co-hosted with Betsy on Martha's Morning Living show. This time I'm all alone so I have some great guests coming by. It's a tricky schedule, so I'll list it in a second, but can you believe I'm Martha material? Yes, I garden, but it's considerably messier. I obviously love to cook and I'm constantly doing stuff around the house. Some call it nesting, but I don't really think of it as that. I just like to constantly make things better. Anyway, I'm happy to be asked back because radio is like second nature to me, so it's a breeze and I'd love to talk and have conversation. It's a talk station, I asked if we could play music and it looks like snippets, but not whole songs. Should be fun! I like to think there are people like me out there, totally Martha inside :-), but a bit rough around the edges, ahem real - like Cooking for Real :-). It's not always pretty, but it gets done, right? Ok, here's the schedule for today and the rest of the week:

Monday 1-4PM

Tuesday 1-4PM

Off Wednesday

Thursday 2-4PM

Friday 1-4PM

Today's guests include; Man vs. Food host and author Adam Richman, competitive eater Badlands Booker, Lee Schrager, Debi Mazar, her hubby Gabriele Corcos and more! Stick around for updates.

Ok, week-late game day food flicks ... this is my counter top turkey fryer moonlighting as a wing fryer ...

I made like 20 per batch so they would always be hot when served. I made 3 different types ...That's a spicy honey BBQ sauce I whip up. Then a simple blend of honey and dijon mustard ...
And the third was a new recipe I worked on the night before. Wings tossed in a BBQ dry rub ...

I liked them all, but my new favorite is the last one ...
They taste like a sweet BBQ potato chip, down to the powder left on your fingers for licking! Can't wait to share the recipe with you on a show or in print somewhere :-). Then, here's the layered queso dip I made ...

Plus, I made the chili the day before and wrote about it here.

And what is a party without drinks???

That's a watermelon drink I made by just blitzing melon chunks and running it through a sieve. I toss the solids and sweeten the juice and add some lime juice, then I shake with tequila, pour over ice and top with lemon-lime soda. Pretty darn refreshing!!

Ok, sign up for a free trial and tune in to Martha Stewart's channel today on Sirius/XM!

Martha Stewart Radio Rocks!

Hey there! Well, I'm midway through my week filling-in on Martha Stewart's Sirius morning show, Morning Living. The usual co-host Kim is taking time off, so all this week I was invited to sit in with host her co-host, Betsy. The show airs from 7-10AM Monday through Friday on Martha's Sirius/XM channel, so all this week I'm waking up like I'm in basic training again. :-) Luckily for us, on Tuesday we got a wake up call from acapella group Rockapella. And I do mean wakeup, take a listen ...Sounds pretty cool, huh? This is just one of the jingles they are known for singing in commercials. Others include Dr. Pepper, Almond Joy, Budweiser and because I did a quick internet search I knew to ask them about the Preparation H jingle I'd never heard of. I didn't get it on video, but it was hilarious. Worth a look around on the internet. If you like acapella music they have a new cd out right now called "BANG!". Sounded great! If you want more videos and behind the scenes stuff from this week, Martha Stewart Radio has a blog and even posted more video of Rockapella Live on Morning Living.

We also had on Chef Gavin Kaysento talk about braising (!!Loud!! music on that link if you are at work). The great thing is I was already set to braise some beef because my guy requested it on Monday, so when Chef Kaysen mentioned his braising trick, I took it and ran. What's the trick? Nothing major, just a way to cover a dish without needing a lid ...Use parchment paper! The good thing about this is it keeps the tips that peek out from your braising liquid from getting dry and tough, while still creating steam so every thing cooks. Something Chef Kaysen didn't get a chance to mention is how this method also allows a bit of the moisture to evaporate around the edges, giving you a thicker consistency without using a thickening agent, verrrry nice. Here's how my Beef and Barley Stew kicked off after I seared all the beef chunks with olive oil, salt and pepper ...It's the usual suspects. Some people call it a mirapoix (MEER-uh-pwah) or French for the combination of celery, carrots and onion, but I often add one or two other things to my base flavor so I call it a mirapoix plus 2. The two extra ingredients here are parsnips and garlic, then I threw in some spices. I'm really on a parsnip kick lately. I love all the eating seasons, but I think this time of year, when the seasons are changing is the best! Just a few short, hours later and an addition of some wine, broth and barley in the last hour, we were ready to eat!!!On the bread was just good olive oil, salt and pepper. I toasted it in the already hot oven and called it a night! It was late and we were hungry! I was happy to make my guy happy with a request, because he almost never requests anything, he just takes what I make and it always changes so he likes the variety more than anything. I'll add this to the line-up on Cooking for Real so I can share all the particulars with you, but if you are considering braising anytime soon, give the parchment method a try. Really nice results and if you are like me and sometimes want to use a dish that didn't come with a lid, it's a great little trick that is better than aluminum foil.

Ok, one more pic, then I need to get to sleep so I can be awake and ready to go in the morning! Remember how I told you about my brunch at Prune on 1st Avenue and 1st Street in NYC? Well, I made plans with a friend last week to return and today was the day I fell in love again ...That's our plate of Fried Sweetbreads. I say OUR because the preamble to this declaration was both of us devouring our own plate of Prune's Fried Oyster Omelet. I was too excited when my friend said on the final swipe of her omelet plate "I'm still hungry!". I immediately suggested "Sweetbreads? Wanna split?" and she happily agreed. Actually when we first ordered the sweetbreads were the first thing that came to mind, but I just couldn't resist another plate of the omelet, so I gave in. Let me tell you ... I have had some sweetbreads in my life, but these are right on par with the best. Gee whiz. I mean tender, smooth and the crunch on the outside was perfect without being a tad bit greasy. Now, I'm hooked and know I have to go back and finish the whole menu. I'm an omnivore and I have no dilemma lol. Luckily it's not a book, just a 1-fold menu:-).

Ok, hope you have a chance to tune in, we are having a great time and just laughing the whole way through the morning. It's Martha Stewart Radio - Morning Living 7-10AM eastern, Sirius 112 and XM 157. Tune in and join us for some fun! Wanna steam it online for a free trial period of 7 days? Click here :-).

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.!

NYC is the place to be!

If they could see us now, eh ladies?!

That's friend to the blog and cool foodie Toby on the right and Barbara on the left. I've known them for about 3 years and they just visited a few weeks ago. Between their heavy Broadway and restaurant schedule ;-) and my computer malfunction (I know, beating the dead computer, eh?), we were able to meet up at the place where we first met, inside NYC's Chelsea Market. That's where many of the shows on Food Network tape and every year it feels like the heart of the New York City Wine & Food Festival.

It's a neat scene during the festival with the piers close by and a teeny park just out doors. Usually people retreat inside the market for a bite or the A/C. If you haven't enjoyed the fun yet, this is my personal invitation to come this year! I have a cooking demonstration scheduled and would love to make time to hang if you want, maybe coffee at my fave stand in Chelsea Market? Tickets are on sale now for this year's event. Check www.NYCWineandFoodFestival.com for details. Just so you know, 100% of the proceeds from the NYC Wine and Food Festival help the hunger relief organizations Share Our Strength and the Food Bank for New York City. It's a pretty neat way to enjoy a foodie treat, while treating someone in need with food.

Speaking of food :-) ... I had an NYC first yesterday, but first I stopped by Martha Stewart Radio to chat with Kim and Betsy and ran into Simon Doonan...
Simon's the creative director for Barney's, author and so much more. I cringed thinking my outfit wasn't up to par, White linen pants, a bright orange top layered with a thin cardigan and ... flip flops. They asked me to dress like I was going to a cookout, so I did my best lol. Just as I began to worry he'd think I looked a hot mess, he gave me a compliment on my shirt! Even asked where I got it, when I said New York & Company, he made a cute joke about wishing it were from Barney's. He even okayed my flip flops because they matched and I had a nail appointment after the show. Even if he didn't mean it and was just being nice, I took it at face value ... why not right? I'll take a freebie :-) So, after the interview with Kim and Betsy about summertime eating, their producer asked me to fill in when Kim goes on vacation in August. I, of course, said yes! So if my taping schedule works out for the next season of Cooking for Real, I'll head back to the common grounds of radio for a week in August to chat Martha-style. Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in! Teeheehee ... can't wait. Truly. I'm one step closer to Martha, she's a smart business woman and I like when she loosens up with musical guests. I really just want to meet her so I can ask all kinds of boring gardening questions.

So while waiting on the nail place to open, I decided to finally cross a thing off my NYC foodie to-do list ... get a bagel at Murray's...
That's my poppy seed bagel, not toasted, with scallion cream cheese along side a regular coffee. Sooo good. I'm a bottom half lover for the crisp crunch, but the top half was so chewy and fluffy ... ooowweeee! I think really, the water here in NYC is the best. It tastes great and makes bagels and pizza dough, just really unique. A special hello to the couple I met from Austin. They were here on a foodie mission and it was neat to meet them as I was playing tourist in my own city.

Okay, that was my Monday take care! Stick around, I'm taping a new show this week and I'll share everything I contractually can :-).