The Buzz!

As soon as I got the news I did a “happy dance”, I was going to be on LIVE National television. Not just any live television show, I was going to be on The Daily Buzz, a Nationally Syndicated Television show broadcast Live to more then 160 markets and over 2.3 million viewers. It’s different then the “Today Show” or “Good Morning America”, on the “Buzz” they’re always cracking jokes and just having a fun time (on and off the air), their catch phrase is “Morning News - Morning Fun“. The small problem we had was that I had less then a week to prepare! What was I going to make and how would I rehearse!!!!

 Getting "Psyched up" Last minute check of everything

 I sat down with the family and decided upon a dish that I had created a couple of years ago “Linguine Cole” (Cole being my middle name). Since I’ve learned and experienced so many new things from when I first created this dish I had to update it. I recipe tested for three days (becoming sick of pasta) and I finally got it. I called it Fusilli Cole (see the recipe below) because of the pasta I was using…Fusilli. With some help from my parents we set up our kitchen island like it would be the set on the show, we even shot video to see how I did. Every morning and every night my parents and I rehearsed and timed the segment, so much that at one point late at night I just started laughing and couldn’t stop! Soon it seemed that everyone that followed me and JeremyCooks knew about my Daily Buzz premiere. My Nana planned a TiVo/dessert party (you think I’m joking but I’m not), my Uncle, who’s a Dentist had his entire office schedule to watch it on their TV’s and all my teachers and friends wanted to watch as well. Lets not forget the millions of viewers that also watch the Daily Buzz! No sweat…right! My parents and I headed up to Orlando (where the studio is) Wednesday afternoon and we were geared with pots, pans, utensils, and ingredients. I prepped all the ingredients in the very small kitchen we had in our hotel room (two burners and a tiny sink).

Kia coming over to discuss the segment

 At 5:00 in the morning my mom and I got up to make the dish. Mom assisted me with cooking the chicken while I prepped and made the sauce. The dish normally takes about 30 minutes to make but my entire segment was less then 4 minutes so we had to cut and paste a 30 minute dish and squeeze into 3 minutes, leaving me about a minute to talk about Jeremycooks! When we got to the studio, I was a little nervous but definitely more excited so I did a little “shake it off” dance. There are four anchors on the show, Andy, Mitch (who devoured the plate of Fusilli Cole after the segment), Kia, and Holly. Kia was going to interview me and it was almost time. We started to set up in their studio kitchen (also very small, actually it’s a movable set) and it had all LG appliances so they had a very cool electric stove. 5 minutes to go and they were showing different shots of the website! Kia made her way over to the kitchen; I took a deep breath and then counted back. 5..4..3..2..1 and the rest was history! I guess 2.3 million more people now know about JeremyCooks and my Culinary journey and I hope they continue to follow me. Keep on Cooking!

It's all hitting me now about 30 seconds to air

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Fusilli Cole
(Serves 4 people)

Ingredients:
1lb (16oz) Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless) (3-4 Breast depending on size)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Thyme
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup Grape Tomatoes (Halved)
2 Teaspoons of Minced Garlic
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 Cup of White wine (can substitute with Chicken Stock)
1 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup Pine nuts (toasted)
8 ounces of Fusilli pasta
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano

Pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Fusilli and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite (al dente).
Drain pasta and return to pot. Drizzle some Olive Oil and stir to prevent sticking

Chicken Breasts:
In a large heavy skillet on Medium-High Heat melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the pan.   Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Shred the chicken into bite sized pieces, cover loosely with Aluminum foil.

Using the same skillet add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are tender.
Add the garlic and thyme and saute another minute until the garlic is golden brown. Deglaze the pan by adding the wine, Simmer and Reduce until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Add chicken and tomatoes to the pan, stir for a minute. Add pasta, pinenuts, spinach and lemon zest, lightly tossed until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano.