The Kitchen from Marcela's Point of View — with Photos!
Emile Wamsteker, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
It's my turn this week to take you behind the scenes of our new show, The Kitchen. On behalf of Geoffrey, Katie, Jeff and Sunny, I'd like to tell you how absolutely grateful we are for the feedback, ideas, photos, recipes and love you've sent our way. All five of us, along with what has to be one of the best production crews I've ever worked with, are constantly looking for and debating what topics, recipes and ideas you would find most interesting.
Personally, I want you to walk away from each show feeling like you have learned something — like it was worth sharing your hour with us. We all have very different perspectives on food and cooking, and, I think, that’s what’s so great about The Kitchen; at one point or another, someone is going to say something that you connect with.
I’m injecting this show with two syringes: la mom and, because it’s in my DNA, la Mexican. It’s remarkable how even though I've dedicated my life to food, I’m still stumped every once in a while about what to put on the table for Fau (aka Fausto, my son). Anybody can buy a rotisserie chicken and make some tacos (often dinner at this casa), but what if you don’t even have time to go to the grocery store and get the darn chicken? What if, more than once a week, it’s like a Chopped episode and you just open up the pantry praying that you've got enough in there to whip up something good and nutritious for your family?
We're going to jump into that. And we’ll jump into easy meal solutions the whole season. I can’t speak for the rest of the hosts, but it took me a while to figure out that you don’t really want recipes that take a whole day to make. I mean, every once in a while I like to do a tamal tutorial, but I get it. I’m a mom. I work. We’re always in a rush, but feeding our kids and families is top priority. You want solutions. You want food that both the kids and the parents will love. You want easy and you don’t want to break the bank. I get it. We get it. And we will work very hard to be able to share those ideas with you every single week. I’m going to apologize in advance for mentioning Fau 40 times per episode, but, hey, he’s what inspires me to want to develop those very recipes.
There's something for everybody in The Kitchen. GZ will be at the bar mixing cocktails, or maybe the gorgeous Katie is whipping up something healthy and fresh — or giving us ideas on how those very pantry items can double as beauty creams (without the hefty department store price tag). Jeff will always find a way to make you laugh. I told him just the other day that he might be some sort of genius and not even know it, as comedy is just another manifestation of intellect. And we all know Sunny’s real approach to cooking is a huge hit, so you’ll get plenty of that as well.
In last Sunday's episode, both Sunny and GZ shared the most-absurdly delicious (and equally easy) recipes for chicken wings, and, true to her fabulous style, Katie made grilled salmon with a citrus-fennel salad. Jeff came up with a tasty pasta dish called Sal Monguini.
In terms of behind-the-scenes gossip, all I can say is that I’m honored and grateful to be working with this group of people — not just the cast, but the production crew too. We’ve got something good here, and every day we are all in constant communication about how to make it better and more fun for you.
We're all on Instagram and Twitter: @KatieLeeKitchen, @GZchef, @JeffMauro, @SunnyAnderson and @chefmarcela. We love interacting with you, so use #TheKitchen; I promise to personally respond or repost.
Enjoy the show.