Showing posts with label cooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooks. Show all posts
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Behind the Scenes of a Television Cooking Segment The Weekend Gourmet Cooks on Great Day SA!
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| Its 15 minutes until the show goes live, so Im busily putting the finishing touches on my prep work in the KENS 5 kitchen set. |
Most of yall dont know this, but I have a background in broadcasting. During college, my undergrad degree was in Radio, Television, and Film. Ive worked for a variety of radio stations...and I dabbled in a bit of TV back in the day as well. I also love public speaking, so its a dream come true to appear on a professional television broadcast!! This time, they asked me to focus on a light and healthy summer meal...so I shared my yummy Pollo Confetti Chef Salad. I thought it might be fun to share some behind-the-scenes pictures that Michael snapped, along with some information about everything that goes into preparing for a 4-to-5-minute television cooking segment.
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| Five minutes before the show starts, the ingredients are laid out...the decor is set up, and a finished salad is on display. |
The alarm goes off at 600...I need time to do full hair and makeup and load up the car before we leave at 730. The show airs live at 900 each morning, and guests are asked to arrive at 800 to set up. Let me tell you, the time goes by QUICKLY!! There are tons of lights, cameras, and monitors on the set...and lots of production staff running around getting ready for the show. As I prep my ingredients and decorate the kitchen set, the producer tells me that Ill be up after the opening segment and first commercial break. Host Paul Mireles stops by to discuss what questions hell ask...and I let him know that Im going to have him help me assemble the salad as we chat.
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| The view of the Great Day SA set from the audience point of view. Notice multiple cameras, monitors, and crew. Ralph, the producer, is in the Spurs Ginobili jersey. His job is to keep this controlled chaos organized! |
The audience is seated about 15 minutes before the show starts. Im mostly set up by then, so its time to go into the production booth to verify the spelling of my name and the blogs url for the pop-ups that will be inserted during my segment. Then, its off to the dressing room to powder my nose, fluff and spray my hair, and put on my apron. Not only does the camera add 15 lbs. (NOT fun, by the way...), but the bright studio lights can really make you look washed out -- especially when youre as fair as I am! That means I have to wear a lot more makeup than usual, and more vibrant colors. Then? Its showtime!! During the opening segment, I make sure that everything is in place...and I just try to relax and have fun. Michael waves at me from the audience and gives me a thumbs up...hes my biggest fan!
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| This is a teleprompter. It is mounted to the top front of the camera, and the text crawls up as the host reads the words. |
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| In the KENS 5 kitchen with host Paul Mireles. There are three cameras and a monitor over my shoulder the entire time! Its really not as scary as it looks. I just try to think of it as hanging out in the kitchen and talking about food...and all the cameras just happen to be there! |
When the show is over, I thank the production crew for their work...chat a bit with the hosts and producer, and leave one of the finished salads for them to enjoy! Michael and I pack up my stuff, load it in the car, and get back to our normal life. Its time to head to my day job for the rest of the day...and I take the other completed salad to the office to share with my co-workers. People ask me if its scary or nerve-wracking to be on live television. I can honestly say that I find it to be a blast...and not the least bit scary. Cooking on television is such fun for me! And now...heres how the final product looked as it aired live. Now that you know what it takes to make this segment happen, tell me what you think!
Thursday, February 5, 2015
The Enchanted Cooks Chicken Tortilla Soup featured in HomeAway Holiday Rentals Travel Cookbook
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| Chicken Tortilla Soup |
Remember this delicious soup? Its the one I make in the slow cooker. Just looking at this now, makes me wish I was home and could make it. Instead Im in a hotel in another city and my crock pot wouldnt fit in my carry-on bag, so no soup for me.
If I were vacationing in one of HomeAway Holiday-Rentals homes, you can bet Id be making this, though. In fact, they put together a cookbook full of tasty recipes from all over the world for their vacationers to take advantage of, and they selected my Chicken Tortilla Soup to be included. Im honored! Take a look HERE - very cool :-)
There are tons of other great recipes in their Travel Cookbook, too, so feel free to peruse at will. You dont have to be on holiday to enjoy these delicious dishes!
Sunday, February 1, 2015
January Foodie Recipe Collection Big Flavor Casseroles One Dish Wonders for Busy Cooks
Check out Big-Flavor Casseroles -- One-Dish Wonders for Busy Cooks!
by Wendy Wofford-Garcia at Foodie.com
For this months Foodie Contributor Recipe Collection, Im focusing on a subject thats very near and dear to my heart: casseroles. Theres something very comforting about cooking -- and eating -- a hearty meal thats baked in the oven until bubbly. For me, casseroles bring back memories of my childhood. As an adult, casseroles tend to find their way to my dinner menu on a weekly basis. Casseroles are a busy cooks best friend, because theyre a filling and complete meal thats baked in one dish. That means less cleanup after dinner -- and leftovers make a delicious lunch the next day!
Casseroles can get a bad rap from those who consider them too retro or old school for modern cooks...but that definitely doesnt have to be the case! The recipes Im sharing this month have one thing in common: they all feature robust flavors that will temp your tastebuds and warm your stomachs on a chilly Winter evening. Ive got everything from Tex-Mex to pasta bakes...and even a couple of casseroles that can be assembled the night before and baked the next morning for a leisurely weekend brunch. I hope youll give these flavorful one-dish wonders a try in your own kitchen!
Disclosure: This is a compensated post on behalf of Mode Foodie. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
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