When Vera mentioned a column to me, she said it would probably spark some creative ideas on other food-related content.
And it did.
I will never win a Food Network show. I won’t win a show like “Chopped,” but thankfully, I also won’t win “The Worst Chefs in America” either.
I grew up watching Julia Child on PBS like many in my generation. When my son was a teenager, he loved watching Food Network and shows like “Chopped” and Alton Brown’s “Good Eats,” and we were his guinea pigs when it came to his cooking.
Sometimes I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask Jeremy what he’d put in his creations. I didn’t of sweet tea as an ingredient in a dish, but he did. He also experimented with lots of spices. And he developed into an amazing cook who could create his own sauces and rubs.
What I wouldn’t give to have some chicken marinated by him, but Uncle Sam has moved him to Texas.
I remember watching the movie “Julie and Julia” several years ago. Since I loved Julia Child, I also enjoyed watching Meryl Streep’s representation of her. I thought she was marvelous in the role.
I also thought the concept of trying to make every single one of her recipes in a year was a massive undertaking, but it was clever at the same time.
When Vera told me she was encouraging people to make her recipes and post them on social media so she could VERAfy them, I started thinking about doing that. I told one of her staff members that I wanted to bake one of Vera’s cakes, but I was a little nervous about doing it.
She reassured me that everything I needed to know would be in the recipe post.
So, the day before Thanksgiving I’m going to take the plunge of my version of “Julie and Julia.” I perused the recipes on Vera’s website and found Vera’s Caramel Cake. I’ve only made one cake from scratch in my lifetime. I was 11 or 12 and working on a badge for Girl Scouts.
Next week, I’ll let you know how it turned out, and maybe, I’ll get VERAfied in the process.
Wish me luck!
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This week on The VeryVera Show
Thanksgiving is about home and family, and on The VeryVera Show Thanksgiving edition, Vera Stewart makes her way back to her hometown of Macon for a special episode.
See the street where Vera grew up, visit Famous Mike’s of Macon and its owner Mike Seekins and learn about the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Vera also takes a trip to the Ocmulgee Brewpub, where she chats with Mark McWilliams, the manager, and Miss B, the back of house manager; to Dovetail with Chef Brad Stevens and the 1842 Inn with owner Charles Olson.
She also held a book signing at Travis Jean Emporium.
This week’s episode doesn’t have any recipes to go along with it.
The show will air at 12:30 p.m., Thursday at WJBF-TV, but if that’s in the middle of your Thanksgiving feast, it will re-air at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
