Tonight is the big night! I’m counting down the hours until my national TV debut on ABC. I’m excited to announce that I’ll be competing for a spot on one of these four culinary giant’s teams—Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre and Marcus Samuelsson! Please tune in to cheer me on at 8|7c. Learn more about my audition experience, and be sure to visit SomeKindaGood.org after the premier to get the scoop on my post audition show thoughts!
Will I make the cut? Show your support for me on social media by following me on Facebook and Twitter. Join the conversation and live tweet with me tonight using #TeamRebekah and #TheTaste! Thank you for watching. I plan to make Georgia proud!
Some Kinda Good is two. Happy Blog-iversay to me! The year 2013 has been filled with amazing opportunities, complete with my local TV debut on Statesboro Cooks, lots of feature writing, live cooking demonstrations, volunteering and more. What a year!
To celebrate Some Kinda Good’s second birthday, my friends at Braswell Food Company have graciously donated a Gourmet Holiday Gift Set to one of YOU, my lucky readers! How awesome is that? Before we get to that, I’d like to take a look back at a few of my favorite moments from 2013, highlighting some pretty major accomplishments:
Urbanspoon Recognition
Some Kinda Good has held the #2 ranked spot on Urbanspoon’s Leaderboard of Top Georgia Food Blogs since April 2013.
Freelance Work
I became a guest blogger for Visit Savannah, and my local work is also featured on the Visit Statesboro website.
I got to write the November Cover Story for Moments Magazine, featuring Hunter Cattle Company’s Kristan Fretwell.
Newspaper Food Columnist
May 19, 2013 – A proud day. My first published food column.
I became a food columnist for the Statesboro Herald in May 2013.
TV Appearances
Holiday Episode November 2013
Summer Episode June 2013
The best camera crew ever!
I had the opportunity to co-produce and host two episodes of Statesboro Cooks, a local, cable TV cooking program in June and November this year.
Live Cooking Demonstrations
I was invited to be the Celebrity Chef at the Statesboro Main Street Farmers’ Market on August 17, 2013. What a blast!
In August, I appeared as the Celebrity Chef at my local farmers’ market, where I performed a live cooking demonstration serving up Summer Bruschetta.
Future Happenings
Perhaps the most exciting adventure this year has been auditioning for The Taste on ABC in L.A., Calif. Premiering on Jan. 2, 2014 at 8 p.m., the cooking competition reality show is sure to be entertaining. I hope you’ll tune in to see how my Hollywood experience plays out!
Thank You
Since its inception in Nov. 2011, Some Kinda Good has reached nearly 37,000 hits. Though it’s a lot of hard work, blogging has proved to be a wonderful, creative outlet and platform for me. My success wouldn’t be possible without you, and my dishes wouldn’t be as delicious without Georgia Farmers! I sincerely thank you, my blog followers, for reading and sharing my little piece of the World Wide Web with your friends and family. Thanks for your encouraging comments, and all your “likes” and re-tweets. Not a single one has gone unnoticed. To my farmer friends, chefs and restaurant owners, thank you for making Southeast Georgia the finest place to exist.
I especially thank Julia Child who said, “Find something your passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” As it turns out, that philosophy has served me well.
Giveaway Information
Braswell’s Gourmet Holiday Gift Set includes pumpkin, apple and sweet potato fruit butters, and Balsamic Sweet Onion Jam and Red Pepper Jelly. Some Kinda Good approved!
I couldn’t think of a better way to show my appreciation for your support than to share with you food products from one of Statesboro’s own gourmet businesses. Braswell’s has been making specialty preserves, condiments and sauces for almost 70 years. Valued at $35, the set includes an assortment of Braswell’s most popular fruit butters and hors d’oeuvre jellies, perfect for entertaining this time of year! For your chance to win, choose from the options below. You do not have to be local to participate, but must reside in the United States. 1) Comment on this blog post with your favorite and most memorable Some Kinda Good post, explaining why you chose it. If you’re new to Some Kinda Good, tell me how you came across my blog.
2) Follow me on Twitter @SKGfoodBlog and tweet “Win a Braswell’s Gourmet Gift Set from @SKGFoodBlog! wp.me/s20PUE-4197 .”
3) Like and share Some Kinda Good on Facebook (or just tell me you already do if that’s the case)!
Contest ends on Friday, Nov. 29 at 11 a.m. EST. I’ll email the winner and announce the recipient on the Some Kinda Good Facebook page. The gift set will be mailed directly to your home.
Disclosure: I received one Braswell’s Gourmet Holiday Gift Set valued at $35 to celebrate Some Kinda Good’s 2nd Birthday.
Update: 11/26/13: In addition to the Braswell’s Gourmet Gift set, the winner will also receive one fresh baked loaf of bread from Sugar Magnolia Bakery & Cafe!
One of my favorite things about volunteering at food & wine events are the people I get to meet. As a volunteer in The Local Palate Celebrity Chef Kitchen at the inaugural Savannah Food & Wine Festival this weekend, I helped greet guests, set up and break down the stage in between talents, collected trash and even got to be a sous chef for Food Network Star finalist, Linkie Marais. I got to interact with festival guests from neighboring coastal towns like Hilton Head S.C., culinary students at Savannah Technical College and Virginia College, and walked away from the event with a 4-pound leg of lamb, a package of mushrooms and one big red onion because I was in the right place at the right time.
Backstage with Food Network Star Finalist Linkie Marais (left) prepping ingredients for her cooking demonstration.
Linkie Marais cooks mushrooms and onions in the Big Green Egg for her Lamb Ragu dish.
Linkie was a finalist on Season Eight of Next Food Network Star. It was awesome to meet someone I had watched on TV last season. She was extremely personable and very friendly. I helped Linkie and her manager clean and chop mushrooms for her cooking demonstration. Plus, they gave me $40 worth of lamb that would have otherwise been discarded. Thanks for the meat and vegetables that you had an overabundance of Linkie…I will make great use of them. What an awesome, unexpected volunteer perk!
Martha Nesbit (right) and I worked together in the Celebrity Chef tent.
One of Martha’s cookbooks: Savannah Celebrations.
Mrs. Martha Nesbit is a long-time food writer in Southeast Georgia. I got to work with her in the Celebrity Chef tent, and later purchased an autographed copy of her cookbook, Savannah Celebrations. I have no doubt that it will become a favorite resource, and I can’t wait to dive in to her recipes!
I first met Culinary Producer Libbie Summers at the Inaugural Saint Simons Food & Spirits Festival in 2012. This year, she was signing her Whole Hog Cookbook in the Celebrity Author’s Tent. We couldn’t see my phone screen and didn’t know if we were getting a good picture or not, but looks like we did pretty good Libbie! Ha. It was great to see you again! We’re officially old pals.
I also ran into local Brooklet farmer, Del Ferguson of Hunter Cattle Company at the event. It’s always good to see a familiar face when you’re out and about. Way to represent Statesboro in The Hostess City Del!
Virginia College Presentation
Stylin’ in my Savannah Food & Wine Festival volunteer apron
Anthony Lamas; Food Network’s Extreme Chef Winner moderated by Editor in Chief Maggie from The Local Palate
My favorite! Head Chef from Savannah Technical College’s Culinary Program
A random plate of food during the event.
Other presentations included Executive Chef Shaun Doty from Atlanta’s Bantam & Biddy, Savannah Technical College, Virgina College and Food Network’s Anthony Lamas from Extreme Chef. My favorite presentation of the day was Chef Jean Yves Vendeville from Savannah Technical College’s Culinary Arts program. He and his team operated like a well-oiled machine and in his 40-minute cooking demonstration, cranked out three different dishes for the audience to try. He was funny, engaging, educational and entertaining. When his presentation was complete, I told him I wanted to be his student one day.
For Savannah’s first ever food & wine festival, the turn out was impressive. Nearly every event during Nov. 11 – 17 was sold out. The Southern, culinary shin dig was definitely a team effort and took the hard work of many. I am confident that it will only get better with time. I was honored to be a part of the experience and fortunate to have made such great connections while volunteering! Thanks to everyone who made it happen.
*Special thanks to my awesome boyfriend Kurt, who brought me my blog business cards that I forgot at home during the event.
For months now I’ve been reading and hearing about the ubiquitous lobster roll–in Bon Appetit and Cook’s Illustrated magazines, and on TV shows like the Cooking Channel’s Eat Street. I must admit I’ve only eaten lobster on a cruise ship vacation; it is not something I can often afford. Plus, I live in the South and have always associated the lobster roll with Maine and seaside towns like Portland, Oregon. The concept of pairing lofty lobster with the all-American lowly hot dog bun, well, that’s just not something you see every day. So, over the weekend I sequestered myself in the kitchen and set out to make this mystery. I may be in Georgia, but with one bite, I was at a seaside shack on the upper East coast, toes in the sand.
With a little help from the July & August edition of Cook’s Illustrated, the recipe was actually very simple. The most difficult part is getting the meat out of the lobster tail, but no worries. I’ll share a tip that makes it easy. I purchased two lobster tails for $18.95 from Ellis’ Meat Market here in Statesboro, then cooked them for 12 minutes in boiling salted water.
Meanwhile, I toasted two good ol’ Sunbeam white bread hot dog buns in butter and seasoned them with salt and pepper on each side. They didn’t know what to think.
I managed to get all my ingredients locally, which can never hurt. I picked up some lemons, green onions and celery from L&D Produce. Chop about two tablespoons of celery and a teaspoon of the onion. A little onion goes a long way, it shouldn’t overpower the lobster.
Once the lobster is finished cooking (you’ll know when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the tail registers 175 degrees), drain and let it cool. Be sure to take them out of the hot water. I forgot to do this and nearly burned myself cracking the shell because I was so excited to get to the meat. There is more than one way to skin a cat, but to keep the tail meat in one piece, Cook’s Illustrated recommends removing the meat by turning the lobster on its side, and pressing down with both hands until the shell cracks. Then, with the flippers facing you and shell facing down–thumbs on opposite sides–pull back to crack the shell and remove the meat. Works like magic. See? Dice lobster into 1/2 inch chunks.
Next, mix two tablespoons of mayo with a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and a splash of lemon juice. Toss in the green onion and celery. Mix well and add lobster meat. Toss to coat.
And now for the assembly. I used a lettuce trio including green leaf, iceberg and radicchio. Line the hot dog buns with lettuce. Then spoon lobster salad into the buns, until it’s spilling out and looking irresistible. Finish with a drizzle of melted butter and a final sprinkle of salt and pepper.
The lobster roll is really the perfect, down home dinner party food around. It’s so approachable and unpretentious. That is of course, if everyone brings their own lobster. Ha! Serve it with potato chips or fries, whatever suits your fancy.
The crunch of that toasted bun with the creaminess of the lobster salad is something to write home about. The lemon juice really brightens the flavor.
Bon Appetit contributor Michael Paterniti says,“For me, the lobster roll is more than just culinary transcendence or proof that simple food made simply is the most soul-satisfying of all. It is summer itself, the baptismal rite after winter and mud season, a diary of days.” That sums it up.
Here’s a quick reference of everything you’ll need.
It was 1:37 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon when the email came. The subject line read: ABC’s The Taste. I had pre-registered for the show the week before, after a friend shared on my Facebook wall that they were casting for Season 2 of the cooking competition reality show.
A casting producer was interested in me! I stared at my computer screen in amazement for about 10 minutes before I pulled myself together. I emailed her back and got the details. She’d invited me to come to Nashville that weekend for a private on-camera interview, and to skip the Open Call auditions and long lines. Mind. Blown. I had already committed to traveling to Atlanta to write a restaurant review for Hottie Hawg’s Smokin’ BBQ, but had previously planned to submit an audition video. She completely understood and encouraged me to do so. In the 10-minute video, I had to cook a dish that represented me and really showed my personality, including any other talents.
I chose shrimp and grits with a white wine sauce, of course.
Wild Georgia Shrimp & Grits
Today marks over one week since I’ve heard back and I’m eagerly awaiting the outcome. It would be amazing if I made it any further in the process, but the truth is, I’ve already won. During the midst of the week, I’d shared the news with a few folks I hold close. My dear friend, Bill, knows my story and where I’ve been. He said it best.
“You have a brand new testimony of someone who stopped, took stock of her life and decided that life was too short not to pursue her passion. You are proof that success isn’t about the size of the stage or how big the audience, but making it happen. You have taken what you love and pursued it with passion. And, in the process, you have discovered that regardless of where the road takes you, you already are living out your dream.”
If you’d like to see my audition video, you can check it out below. I’ll keep you posted on where the road leads.
Me and Paula hanging out in her gift shop in historic Savannah, Georgia.
I’ve never met Paula Deen, but this I know: She is not a racist. I write this post on the heels of yesterday’s breaking news–that Food Network will not be renewing her contract.
Paula Deen’s Hashbrown Casserole
Like many of her fans, I too am from the South, her native state of Georgia. We share a love for Southern comfort food, seafood and the coast. For years, I’ve cooked from her cookbooks, eaten at Savannah’s The Lady and Sons, visited her gift shop and looked forward to Saturday mornings when I could sit down and learn from her as I watched Food Network. I’ve spent many an hour in the kitchen following her recipes and laughing with my Grandma over how long it took me to bake her lemon cake, and how easy they made it look on TV. I can’t count the number of times I’ve eaten a delicious cake or herb-roasted pork tenderloin with the family, and upon that first bite of pleasure uttered the words, “It’s a Paula Deen recipe,” as everyone tasted in agreement. I’ve read her book It Ain’t All About the Cooking and have found myself in her as I admired her rags-to-riches story. I’ve tasted some of the best food I’ve ever put in my mouth from Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible. Paula Deen is a nationwide household name. As fans, we feel a connection to her, relate to her and associate good memories with her food and her name.
Just this week before the news was revealed, I made known my ambitions to cook with Paula on her Best Dishes Food Network show. She has been a huge inspiration for me in the kitchen and without her, I wouldn’t be the cook I am today. Paula paved the way for many Southern TV food personalities that have come and are coming after her. For that, I’m thankful.
I believe Paula Deen is a kind-hearted, generous and caring woman. Her fans–black and white–are loyal. Those that know and love Paula admire her courage. I believe her apologies were sincere. When reading the fan’s reactions to the news on Food Network’s Facebook wall just yesterday, one comment said it all: “Leave my Paula alone. Yes, I am African-American.”
Paula, Michael, Jamie and Bobby…if any of you read this, know that this morning we sit around our breakfast tables saddened. We’re wondering how this will affect Jamie and Bobby’s Food Network shows, how we’ll ever be able to watch the network again without hearing Paula’s laugh and seeing her familiar, friendly face. No matter what lies ahead, we love you all and will always be fans. Know that our thoughts and prayers go out to your family.
Paula Deen is not a racist, and that’s just the truth y’all.
Some Kinda Good is one. Happy Blog-iversary to me!
I began blogging at a time in my life–the year was 2011, the month was November–when I needed to be fully engaged in something. It’s amazing how the landscape of your life can change in a year’s time, and who would’ve thought blogging about crab legs and barbecue would’ve filled a hole I never knew was missing?
Blogging allows me to combine many of my favorite things like eating, food and cooking but also writing, taking pictures, being on camera and sharing my personality and passion for coastal culture and the South. I really didn’t have any expectations when I set out to blog, other than not being one of those people on Facebook that share nothing but food pictures–because unknowingly, I was that girl for a long time. The moment became very real to me when a friend commented on one of my food pictures with this: “Facebook: Rebekah’s Food Diary.” I thought, ‘Wow, he’s right. There’s a better way.’
Enter Some Kinda Good.
Some Kinda Good’s original design by my friend, Amanda Hudson.
With a background in web writing and PR, I had all the skills in place. I set out to learn WordPress and gathered up some photos of the food I’d cooked. Not surprisingly, I had plenty of content at the ready, as though it had been stockpiled for its moment in the sun.
Some Kinda Good has evolved over the year, and I’m kind of embarrassed at some of my earlier posts. You’ve got to start somewhere though. As one of my favorite quotes says, “The expert in anything was once a beginner.”
Some Kinda Good’s current design by my friend, Tori Sprankel.
Throughout the year, I’ve built relationships with restaurant owners, food and beverage connoisseurs, food writers and other bloggers. I’ve gotten to meet notable cookbook authors, culinary producers, well-respected chefs and colleagues at food & beverage public relations firms throughout the Southern seacoast. I’ve also subscribed to Bon Appetite Magazine and become a sort of amateur kitchen expert among friends and family. I’ve worked with ingredients I once considered foreign like, heirloom tomatoes and pimiento-cheese. I’ve sampled restaurant dishes I thought I would never order like fried chicken and waffles or an open-face whole egg omelet topped with goat cheese, sautéed shrimp, spiced pecans and arugula….for breakfast!
I’ve learned to be true to me, that you can’t pursue a food trend because it’s a trend. When I did that, I only did it for the sake of being popular, to show that I too was up-to-speed with food on a stick, kid food for adults and all things local and organic. While it was fun to experiment, those ventures lacked passion.
And we all know without passion, the fire dies.
All along, my philosophy has been guided by one thought from Julia Child who said, “Find something your passionate about, and keep tremendously interested in it.” I’m a firm believer that it’s never too late to do the things you love, and when you do the things you love, success comes.
Some Kinda Good was ranked #2 on Urbanspoon’s Leaderboard of Top Georgia Food Blogs September – November 2012.
These are the successes I’m celebrating…a few highlights from my year in the blog-sphere:
I got to meet Nathalie Dupree (bottom right) at the Inaugural Saint Simons Island Food & Spirits Festival in September 2012.
Without sounding too much like I’ve won a Grammy, I couldn’t celebrate my successes without acknowledging a few special folks:
Thanks to my mom and best friend Charity, who without fail were always the first to comment on my posts, even when the content lacked interest or when no one else cared. Thanks to my graphic designer friends, Amanda and Tori for giving my blog the exact look and feel I envisioned, as it progressed throughout the year. To Angela and Jennifer, my other best friends, thanks for all your encouraging words…your affirmation often kept me going. To my former co-workers and friends in the PR department at Floyd Medical Center, your belief in my abilities blows my mind. Thank you for your constant reassurance, for calling me out when my posts aren’t well beyond expectations and for holding me to the Class of Style standard.
With nearly 15,000 hits and a healthy following through social media, I’m pretty stoked. Not too shabby for my first year in the blog-sphere. Some Kinda Good is bringing my dreams to life. Maybe year two will include The Cooking Channel or Food Network. Dream big or go home!
Tonight is the big night! I’m counting down the hours until my national TV debut on ABC. I’m excited to announce that I’ll be competing for a spot on one of these four culinary giant’s teams—Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Lefebvre and Marcus Samuelsson! Please tune in to cheer me on at 8|7c. Learn more about my audition experience, and be sure to visit SomeKindaGood.org after the premier to get the scoop on my post audition show thoughts!
Will I make the cut? Show your support for me on social media by following me on Facebook and Twitter. Join the conversation and live tweet with me tonight using #TeamRebekah and #TheTaste! Thank you for watching. I plan to make Georgia proud!
For months now I’ve been reading and hearing about the ubiquitous lobster roll–in 
Once the lobster is finished cooking (you’ll know when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the tail registers 175 degrees), drain and let it cool. Be sure to take them out of the hot water. I forgot to do this and nearly burned myself cracking the shell because I was so excited to get to the meat. There is more than one way to skin a cat, but to keep the tail meat in one piece, Cook’s Illustrated recommends removing the meat by turning the lobster on its side, and pressing down with both hands until the shell cracks. Then, with the flippers facing you and shell facing down–thumbs on opposite sides–pull back to crack the shell and remove the meat. Works like magic. See? Dice lobster into 1/2 inch chunks.
Some Kinda Good® 