Television producers meet with the hosts or editors, sift through hundreds of recipes, and meet with the executives from the network that will air the series, to develop the concept of the program. Themes for the episodes are narrowed down, and recipes are then broken down into shopping lists and storyboards that choreograph the cooking demonstrations.
The food must look delicious on camera, and it’s crucial that the recipes work. Anything less than that and viewers will change the channel. From my own experiences, if the recipe was relatively quick and easy to shoot and it made me rush to the supermarket and cook it later that week at home, then I know we shot a home-run episode.
NAC: What with the new Martha Stewart show that you're filming, you seem incredibly busy! What does a typical day look like for you, meal-wise? Do you cook? Do you have TIME to cook?
WONG: When I’m in production, a healthy diet pretty much goes out the window. The shoot days are often 12-14 hours straight, with just an hour for lunch. And depending on the project, [shoots] can last for a couple of days or go on for eight weeks straight. When I’m shooting in a studio, I’m at the mercy of the catering company and the craft service table that is typically littered with junk food. On the flip side, traveling and shooting on location gives me access to the best dives, restaurants, farmer’s markets, artisanal makers and home cooks. Great for the palate, but terrible for the waistline!
Right now I’m shooting a new 13-part series for PBS that is being produced by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. It’s called Everyday Food Baking and the host is John Barricelli. I can’t begin to tell you how many cakes, cookies, pastries, pies, tarts and sugary-buttery confections I’ve “sampled” in just two weeks. But it’s my job to capture the passion and craft of each person we put in front of the camera. As such I feel it’s my duty to touch, smell and taste their food. How else can I be an investigative and thoughtful food journalist?
Producing and directing cooking programs is what inspires me to return to my own kitchen. When I’m not on the road or confined to a studio, you can find me food shopping at Fairway, Citarella and Zabar's in New York City’s Upper West Side. My kitchen measures 7ft x 5ft and my counter top space is 2ft x 1 1/4ft, but somehow I’ve managed to squeeze in two food processors, a stand mixer, a collection of stainless steel pots and pans, various enameled pots, a plethora of bakeware, sharp knives, and every gadget imaginable. Approximately 500 cookbooks line my hallway. As much as I love to cook, it’s hard to find the time and energy to prepare elaborate meals during the work week. But on weekends, I always make it a point to prepare my favorite recipes or to try new ones with my boyfriend and friends. I am most happy when I’m cooking in my tiny kitchen.
When I’m not in the midst of production, I work hard to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regime. Six hours a week, I do kickboxing, weight training and Japanese sword-fighting. The bottom line is, I have to eat right in order to train hard.
NAC: If you had the luxury of time to prepare your favorite meal, what would you serve?
WONG: My all-time favorite meal has to be Thanksgiving. I plan the menu as early as October. I grew up in a very traditional Chinese home, and every night of the week my family prepared classic Chinese recipes. Thanksgiving was the only day of the year when my parents prepared American dishes. My parents made roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, and candied sweet potatoes. They also relied on certain supermarket staples such as prepared biscuits that would go straight from the refrigerator to the oven, packaged stuffing mixes, frozen pouches of buttered corn, and canned cranberry sauce, which was served sliced. To appease my grandparents, my mom would prepare Chinese dishes like sticky rice with Chinese sausage, dried shrimp and dried shiitake mushrooms.
For the past ten years, I’ve been preparing the Thanksgiving feasts. Sometimes it’s in my small apartment. Other times I transport my kitchen tools and all the food to a friend’s home because she has a larger kitchen and dining room table. And recently, my family has allowed me to take over their kitchen. The week leading up to Thanksgiving tends to be a bit frantic between all the food shopping and prep work. I’ve adapted some of my family’s recipes, and added a few new dishes that I learned from the cooking shows I worked on and from my travels. And it’s all worth it in the end. Right before I call everyone to the table, I take a moment to look at the beautiful bounty of food. Roasted Turkey with homemade gravy. Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes. Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta. Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest and Cinnamon. Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter. Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream. Pecan Bars. And, of course, flaky biscuits from a can.
NAC: Has your palate changed at all since becoming a producer of food shows? How so?
WONG: My parents and grandparents grew fruits and vegetables in their backyard, and they cooked dinner every night of the week. I’ve been reading cookbooks and food magazines since I was a teenager. I feel very fortunate that I have a career that encourages me to play with and taste food on a daily basis. I work with some of the most talented chefs and cooks. Food stylists, prop stylists, photographers, and cameramen constantly inspire me to visualize food in new ways. My craving for fresh, flavorful, well-executed food was created and developed by my family. Over the years my friends and colleagues exposed me to new ingredients and cuisines. If anything, working on cooking shows for the last eight years has showed me hundreds of new ways to satisfy my cravings. |
