Rebecca Morris writes: “I’ve always loved to travel, but it wasn’t until my CIA (Culinary Institute of America) trip to Spain that I realized just how well food, wine, and the people that produce it can tell the story of a region.”

When my partner accepted a job in Australia, I barely hesitated to sell my car, leave my stable job as a recipe developer at America’s Test Kitchen in Boston, and head down under. Crazy? Not quite, just wanderlust.

I’ve been living in Sydney for two months now, and am happy to report that their advertising campaign is right: There really is nothing like Australia! In terms of the wide variety of food and wine, Australia goes way beyond the meat pie and the Vegemite. Take for instance the macadamia nuts that crunch and melt in your mouth, or the sensuous black truffles as big as your fist, or the rebel wine makers that are breaking all the stodgy ‘old world’ rules (and becoming wildly successful). There’s no way around it, Australia is primed to be the next destination on the bucket list of every food-loving traveler around the world.

At the moment, I’m in the running for an exciting food job in Australia that would allow me to stay for another six months. It is called, “One of the Best Jobs in the World” and is being promoted on by Tourism Australia.

When I heard of this opportunity, I had a gut feeling I should apply. I want to be a food writer and if I want to tell the story of a region through food, there is truly no better place to start than Australia because there is still so much to be discovered.

I put together a 30 second video highlighting my accomplishments and why I am qualified for the job of “Taste Master.” If hired, the job would involve going all over Western Australia (WA), eating, drinking, and foraging for the very best that their territory has to offer.

My goal at first was to just make it to the top 25, as there were over 45,000 applicants from all over the world applying for the same position as I was. Well, what do you know? I made the cut, and am now charging full speed ahead for the shot at being an ambassador to all things tasty in WA.

My next challenge will be to gain support on my social media sites until they narrow it down to the final three contestants on May 15th. You can keep up to date on my application, and read about what I’ve been up to in Sydney, on my travel blog, lucky country diaries.

A Personal Note: Rebecca, I am happy to be among the many voices who are singing your praises and hoping, hoping, hoping you win…Oh, I forgot…You are already a winner in my book!

Executive Chef David Robinson

Chef David is a close friend and colleague. He has a cooking school in upstate New York State for wounded vets. In addition he stars on TV and has created the incredibly fabulous Learn How to Cook video series.

I asked him to give some advice about cooking on TV. He replies: “Pay your dues in smaller local markets before attempting to leap to a national screen. There are tremendous opportunities in local television, on sites like YouTube, embedding video for your own blog and web site, to promote your cookbook or restaurant.”

Here are a few pragmatic things I’ve learned while producing and appearing in cooking segments for broadcast and video:

1.    Get used to seeing your face and hearing your voice on TV. If you are uncomfortable with your own appearance, or the sound of your own voice, get over it.

2.    Start collecting original recipes that would be suitable for video. Test and practice them. TV consumes content voraciously. Be prepared for opportunities by having your recipes ready in written form.

3.    Teach cooking classes using your recipes at a local cooking school, kitchen store, club, or church. Note: if/when the class gets bored.  Listen closely to the questions your students ask.  These will help you to update and revise your recipes before you use them for video.

4.    Get free or low-cost production: have a family member run a video camera, take advantage of cable access channels, call local TV stations, contact a TV/film school.  Film students want to learn to shoot food, because it is so lucrative in the commercial market.

5.    In the local broadcast markets, get used to producing your own segments, including recipe selection, food and ingredient preparation, setup, food styling, wardrobe and makeup.

6.    Be flexible. Every video or TV situation is unique, from the cameras to the directors.  Sometimes you will have a complete kitchen set, sometimes you’ll have to bring a table and a hotplate.

7.    Choose recipes you can accomplish easily within 3 to 4 ½ minutes. Be ready to move ahead with all steps of a recipe. Have change-outs prepared for the next phase of the recipe in case you run low on time.  (You typically have to prepare a recipe 3 to 6 times to represent the different stages of cooking and a final reveal of the finished dish.) Leave time to taste the dish. There’s something wildly unsatisfying about demonstrating a recipe that doesn’t culminate in tasting it.

8.    Get someone who knows about TV makeup to teach you how to apply your own, or hire a makeup person for a few hours to help you design your makeup. Guys, get help buying natural-looking makeup and practice putting it on.

9.    If you wear glasses, get anti-glare coating on your lenses to prevent the lights from reflecting off your glasses.

10.   Don’t wear pinstripes, or thinly striped woven fabrics. They create an effect on camera called “moiré” – it’s when the pattern jumps around on camera like it’s vibrating.

11.   When you are booked for a TV appearance or taping, be there early.  Producers are nervous types and want to be confident you will show up prepared and do not cancel, leaving them stranded.

12.   Keep the patter going as you cook. For instance, if you’re chopping, keep talking. Be ready to share brief anecdotes and details about the recipe.

13.   Use clear vessels for your ingredients when possible.  Learn to pour your ingredients away from you, toward the camera.  Keep the set/work area organized and simple; don’t over-decorate.

14.  Take charge of your segment. Know your recipe cold. Finish the recipe in logical steps.Don’t let the anchorperson or guests run away with your time.  Keep one eye on completing the recipe, one eye on your host/guests, and one eye on the clock. I realize that’s 3 eyes!

15.  Be yourself. People can spot a phony a mile away. Create a TV persona based on you, perhaps not your exact personality, but a heightened sense of the best of you.  Speak with clarity and assurance.  Be kind, warm and enjoy yourself.  This is show biz.

16.  Learn everything you can about production. Be a sponge. Talk to the camera and lighting folks, watch other talent work in front of a camera, and sit in the editing room.  Always try to get copies of your appearances – record them yourself to be certain you have copies.

17.  Bring muffins or cookies for the crew; they can help you or hurt you. Bribe them. Today’s camera person is tomorrow’s director.

18. If you’re nervous, fake it. It gets easier. It’s okay to stink at first.

Executive Chef David James Robinson is the creator and host of Learn How to Cook (and eat your mistakes)!, a comprehensive 10-DVD and streaming video series for the home cook with over 100 recipes and techniques.  Chef David has also made over 50 live appearances cooking on NBC/Albany.  He is owner and executive chef of Bezalel Gables Fine Catering & Events in the Hudson Valley of New York.

Image courtesy of http://stocklogos.com/logo/ballerina-italian-pastry-art

I recently met a charming young woman who had spent 12 years as a ballet dancer before enrolling at the Culinary Institute of America.

I asked her why she had stopped dancing.

She said she had become totally fed up with having people shout at her…

I immediately thought, working in a hot kitchen with an irascible chef would obviously solve that problem!

I said nothing.

She then volunteered that she was happy she could now eat a bacon cheeseburger and fries instead of the half lettuce leaf that would keep her weight low enough to be hoisted over the head of her partner.

“What’s next after graduation?,” I asked.

“I want to be a dining room manager in a fancy restaurant,” she said without pause.

I asked her if she knew that Thomas Keller employs a dancer to show his waitstaff how to walk gracefully through the room before delicately before placing the plates on the table.

She mentioned her years of ballet training at her next interview. She landed the job she wanted.

Now she’s pirouetting all the way to the bank (and coaching little girls who suffer with anorexia).