The second episode of Food Network Star aired on Sunday night and what a ride! Today, I’ll share some episode highlights, along with my thoughts from the show. On week 2, the finalists were tasked with producing an on-air podcast and later filming a field segment at an aviation museum and food hall in LA, known as The Proud Bird. Chef Manny Washington and I were paired up and tasked with creating a dish in the color purple. Every element on the plate had to be purple, then we had to describe our dish to podcast listeners and make them hungry enough to want to eat it!
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I had the MOST fun working with Manny. He is an all-around stellar guy, and when it comes to good food, we were on the same page. Purple is not the easiest color to dream up, but once we figured out there were purple potatoes, we were well on our way! We made Purple Loaded Chips with wine-soaked cheddar cheese, purple onion, purple basil, purple heirloom tomatoes and even a purple crema! I whipped up the crema with sour cream and grape jelly with a pinch of salt, which we drizzled over the top. The judges LOVED our dish! #Winning Also, my favorite part of the podcast was when I got SOME KINDA GOOD in there! And did y’all hear that crunch when Giada took a bite? We fried the chips until they were crispy, then seasoned them with Old Bay.
Next, we had a group challenge at The Proud Bird. Listen as Harrison explains.
Now, this is where my marketing director self came out! LOL! I was excited that they used a clip from my own YouTube Channel on the Food Network!
Our team intro was strong, and Harrison, being the rock star that he is, led us off great! The team transitions ended up being a really positive play for our team.
I was up after Amy. When you’re competing for the dream job of your life, you want to get it right. Despite how this may appear, my takes went super fast, Simone had several takes as well, and my team finished strong. I’m a perfectionist, what can I say?
Bobby, Giada and Damaris had some really positive feedback for me and it meant the world! It’s so incredible to have your personality and your food validated on national TV by people you respect. Now, about not meeting the challenge…I beg to differ. My style of cooking is Southern, coastal cuisine which puts hamburgers in a totally different ball park (pun intended). Also, the last time I checked, hamburgers are all-American, not just a Southern thing. I was also being a team player at the Proud Bird and burgers were the item left after everything else was taken. Are there things we wish we could do differently in life? You bet! But once a decision is made, you have to own it and move forward and that’s exactly what I did.
Unfortunately, even with our smooth transitions, my team lost the challenge. Thankfully though, Bobby & Giada saw enough in me to want to keep me around for another week! Those eliminations are so intense, you could cut the tension with a knife. We are literally standing there hanging on every word. I was so immensely relieved when Bobby called my name!
You can vote for me in Food Network’s Fan Favorite contest. 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. Thank you so much for watching, and cheering me on! I’d love to get your thoughts on the show. Leave me a comment below.
Purple Loaded Chips Recipe Serves 4 Snack Portions
3 Purple Potatoes, sliced thinly using a mandolin or a knife
1 – 2 cups Wine Soaked White Cheddar Cheese, grated
Old Bay Seasoning
Purple Basil, chiffonade
Purple Heirloom Tomatoes, chopped
Small Purple Onion, diced
Grape Crema
1/2 cup grape jelly
1/2 cup sour cream
2 TBS Lemon Juice
Salt
In a deep fryer, or cast iron skillet filled with 1-inch of vegetable oil, fry chips until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain chips on paper towels. While chips are still hot, season well with Old Bay. Transfer chips to a large sheet pan in a single layer, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Place them in the oven under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Keep an eye on them! Meanwhile, dice up the tomatoes and onion, and chiffonade the basil. For the grape crema, mix together equal parts of grape jelly and sour cream. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt. To plate, alternate chips and cheese with toppings. Drizzle with grape crema. Enjoy!
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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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