The Yuca Diaries

As some of you may have seen here before or through my Facebook or twitter updates, I recently went down to Miami to record a guest appearance on the show, Delicioso, hosted by Ingrid Hoffman and Maggie Jimenez.

Back in November, they ran an online poll where the public was asked to vote for their favorite blogger.  I received the most hits and was invited to the show as a result.

The experience was surreal. I showed up at the set early in the morning.  Like a true Cuban, I showed up with a small entourage… my mom, grandmother and brother all came along for moral support.  And I needed it, I definitely started to get a little nervous when I walked in and saw all of the cameras, personnel, lights. I felt better after receiving a warm welcome from Maggie, whom I had met in Dallas when I interviewed for the original segment, and from one of the producers who helped make my appearance on the show possible.  It was very cool to be able to see how the show was produced an recorded.

First they filmed Ingrid’s cooking segment, then they filmed the celebrity guest segment and then it was my turn.  I started getting incrementally more nervous, but finally I told myself to get a grip and I went up there, had the mic hooked up and said a quick prayer in my head, asking that I not look like a fool on national TV!  I spoke to Ingrid and Maggie for a little while before the segment was being shot, and then just dove right in.

They were both very gracious hosts, you could tell that they’ve got this down to a science.  They were so comfortable on camera that it made me feel more relaxed.  They asked me several questions, like why I started blogging in the first place.  I answered and said that I had really wanted to write a cookbook, but had no idea how, and that the blog seemed like the easiest and most convenient way to start documenting my recipes.  They asked me a few other questions and to be honest, I was so nervous that I could not, for the life of me, remember what I had said. It was only after watching the show that I realized what I said. After the segment was recorded, I was able to take a few pictures with the hosts.  I had a great time on the set and am thrilled to have had the opportunity.

Below are a few pictures of the shoot:

Salsita... the mini superstar of the show

Bunny Ears!

A cook's dream.... so much to pick and choose from...

Having a great time on the set...

I have been meaning to write this post for some time now, but for several reasons I have been pushing it off.  I finally had some down time because I caught a horrible flu and have been laying in bed.  I am all bundled up with my laptop, a box of tissues and some ginger tea.

First off let me start by saying that right after I got back from our trip to Kentucky, I was contacted by a producer from the Univision show, Delicioso, hosted by Ingrid Hoffman and Maggie Jimenez.  Some of you may know Ingrid from her show on the Food Network called Simply Delicioso.  Basically, they’re doing a show about food bloggers, and I will be featured as one of the guests.  They’re planning on hosting a contest, where at the end of the segment, they’ll ask fans to visit the Univision website and vote for their favorite blogger.  The winner will then be flown to the Delicioso set to record a segment with Ingrid.  To say that I am honored is a HUGE understatement.  At this moment, I don’t know the specifics, like when the show will air or when the voting will begin but I will keep you posted- I need all the help I can get.

Please excuse the poor quality of these pictures, I had to create a snapshot from a video.

Secondly, I have been working on re-designing my blog.  It’s been kind of tricky because I am having a few issues with the design aspect.  At the moment, the blog is live, but there are a few changes I am working on.  The margins need to be fixed so that I can add the widget column and so that the pictures don’t cut off.  Also, when I imported the content from this blog into there, the format of the posts was all wonky.  Needless to say, this was going on while I had to prepare for the show, was working on the biggest event my department does, and had to fly home for a family emergency.  It is still a work in progress but I’d like to share it anyway with you.  Just keep in mind that I still have to tweak a few things.

These things aside, I am happy with how it’s coming along.  Brandon created the logo which just adds to the sentimental value for me.

The new blog is simply  www.theyucadiaries.com
The new contact email is rox@theyucadiaries.com

xoxo,
Rox

So this weekend the cooking channel launched (replacing the Fine Living Channel and part of the Food Network parent company).  I was eagerly awaiting this debut and here is my review.

The good:

To start with, a lot of the programming is new.  Not only new, but so far of the 3 new shows I’ve seen, all are really good.  I like that they’ve expanded their repertoire of internationally themed shows like, Indian made easy, Chinese made easy and the Dolce Vita with David Rocco.  One of the other elements that I find particularly refreshing, if not the one thing that most stands out to me, is the un-pretentious feel these shows have.  The hosts feel like real people cooking out of regular home kitchens, not over-the-top, sales-pitch personalities with studio kitchens, equipped with every gadget available to man and extremely post-edited to perfection processing.  The shows I’ve seen so far on the cooking channel really celebrate food with an “indie” sort of feel to them.   They feel less rehearsed and unpolished, but in a really really good way.  I think part of the reason is that a portion of these shows are filmed by the BBC and I have quite a liking for British TV.  The food also seems really attainable, like if you could watch the show and go re-create the recipes for yourself quite easily.

I was thrilled when I learned that the Dolce Vita was being filmed throughout Italy.  It really adds to the credibility and authenticity of the show.  And for me, seeing that I love Italian food and culture, (I’d pack up and move there tomorrow, if I won the lotto) it gives me a chance to daydream and take in the sights without leaving my bedroom.

The other thing I like is that instead of retiring some old classics like Emeril live, Everyday Italian (which I like a million times more than Giada at home) and Tyler’s Ultimate, they’ve programmed a lot of these shows into their current schedule.  Granted, I know these might just be a place holder of sorts until they get more original programming lined up, but I kind of like the option to watch these older shows that are now replaced on the Food Network by reality-chef shows that steer away from actual cooking.  Kind of like how MTV moved away from music videos and only plays raunchy reality shows.  I don’t think the food network has gotten quite there yet, but it’s kind of on the way if they don’t change its direction- in my humble opinion.

The bad:

As I mentioned before, some of their shows are filmed in Europe so the measurements are given in the metric system…  not a terrible thing, but it adds a step to have to convert the recipes, unless they’re listed on their website, which I haven’t checked.

Some of the names they’ve chosen for their shows are somewhat repetitive- i.e.  Indian made easy and Chinese made easy… but really you can look past this if the show itself is good.

This channel is not available in HD yet which means if you’re used to watching food in HD and have to switch to non-HD, it is definitely a downgrade, but again, it is something you can live with, or at least I can.  Hopefully they’ll change this in the future.

That’s really my take on the Cooking Channel so far.  I’ve only watched 3 shows so my assessments might have been made prematurely, but this is the impression I got after watching these shows and the network sponsored commercials highlighting the other shows.  I added a bunch of shows to my DVR queue and intend on watching them this week, which means I might have to amend this post. All in all I am glad they’ve launched this channel and can’t wait to see what else I become a fan of.