Thank you all for tuning in to the Season Premiere of Food Network Star! What an amazing and exciting first episode. Today, I’ll share some highlights from episode one, my jambalaya recipe and photos from my fun premiere party!
I can’t thank everyone who came out to celebrate with me enough. We had a blast and I have the greatest friends and family in the world.
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Watch my live Facebook feed from the premiere party!
The action began at Universal Orlando Resort’s Volcano Bay. We were tasked with making our signature dishes park friendly.
I made Jambalaya with tender rice and succulent shrimp…it has a kick just like my personality!
My dish included shrimp with the tail on, so naturally, those are already finger-food friendly. I served it all up in a funnel. The ultimate question is, would you “tip it on back?
It was an incredible moment when the mentors, Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis gave me this feedback: “The dish was fantastic!” – Giada De Laurentiis “I LOVE the acidity from the tomatoes. I LOVE the green onion. It has great flavor.” – Bobby Flay
Sounds to me like they thought it was Some Kinda Good, y’all!
In addition to cooking, we had one minute to present to camera. Which do you think would be the most challenging: cooking or presenting? Bless it!
When it came time for elimination, things got pretty intense, pretty quickly. My heart was pounding out of my chest, and I couldn’t believe I was in the bottom three. How did this happen? My flavors had been on point, my presentation was good. This is not how I wanted to begin the season!
Food Network Star – Season 14 – Top 12
And then, there were 10. Thank you, Jesus, that I live to see another day in the competition! I did not fly across the country to be sent home on night one. I have so much more to give. I have worked way too long and hard for this moment. Stay tuned!
Some Kinda Good Jambalaya Yield 8-10 Servings
4 thick slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound sausage, such as kielbasa or Italian, sliced diagonally
2 bell peppers, 1 red and 1 green, diced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of Old Bay
1 Tablespoon Herbs de Provence, crushed
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 cups long grain white rice
1 28 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a dutch oven, fry the bacon pieces until brown, remove from the pan to drain on paper towels and set aside. In the rendered bacon fat, sear the sausage cooking on all sides, then scoop them out and set aside. Add the bell and jalapeno peppers, celery, onion and garlic and stir until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the seasonings, Old Bay, Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and rice, and stir to toast the rice for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and return bacon and sausage to the pot. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the mixture to a boil. Place the pot in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Season shrimp with Old Bay. Remove the pot from the oven and tuck the shrimp into the rice mixture. Place the lid back on the pot and return to the oven to bake until the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender and moist, 20 – 25 minutes. For an unforgettable, Southern coastal affair, serve with Fried Green Tomatoes.
Rebekah is a top ten finalist on Season 14 of Food Network Star. Watch it on Sundays at 9 PM.
You can vote for me in Food Network’s Fan Favorite contest. I hope to make you all proud! Be sure to tune in to Food Network every Sunday night at 9 PM Eastern. Like Some Kinda Good on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter and Instagram. See you next week!
Follow along on my journey of #FoodNetworkStar by posting on social media with #SomeKindaGood! I have LOVED seeing all of your posts.
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Georgia native Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a freelance writer, entertainer and food enthusiast who writes and speaks about her love of good food and the Coastal South. Watch her compete on Food Network Star this summer, Sunday nights at 9 p.m. Rebekah is the longtime Statesboro Herald food columnist and host of SKG-TV on YouTube. A Georgia Southern University alumna, she also attended Savannah Technical College’s Culinary Institute of Savannah. To learn more, connect with Some Kinda Good on social media, or visit RebekahLingenfelser.com.
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