An Interview, New Projects & More

Following my audition for Fox's MasterChef last weekend, I was contacted by Heather Atwood, a food blogger who produces a regular article called Food for Thought for the Gloucester Times online. Heather did a phone interview with me, recapping my experiences with the audition.

Heather Atwood - Food For Thought

During our discussion, I spoke with Heather about my plans to start a new website and web-TV series called "Cooking in the Great Outdoors." This food-related website will include tips on cooking in the outdoors, gear reviews and a regular video series where I plan to combine several of my passions: cooking, outdoor recreation, great friends and amazing locations. Ultimately, I hope to travel to various locations in New England (and beyond) to bring our viewers content on Rock Climbing, Whitewater Kayaking, Hiking, Snowboarding and much more. Cooking in the Great Outdoors will also feature tips to make preparing meals in the field easier and tastier for those just getting started in outdoor recreation. Finally, each episode will also highlight a special non-profit partner that supports stewardship and preservation of our outdoor spaces. The goal is to create an online space that educates viewers, encourages them to get outside and cook and removes some of the barriers to do so, regardless of their level of expertise. I am currently working on getting the website (www.greatoutdoorscooking.net/) up and running and hope to launch it shortly after the New Year. In the meantime, those of you who are interested in keeping updated the progress of this new endeavor can follow my culinary alter ego OutdoorsCook on Twitter.

The first episode of Cooking in the Great Outdoors will focus on kayak fishing, Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP'ing) and surfing and will be filmed the Sunday after Thanksgiving at a "Secret" location in Rhode Island where my friends and I frequently congregate. I would like to cordially invite any of my friends who live in or near New England to join us for this event to kick-off Cooking in the Great Outdoors. So if you are available on Sunday, November 27th and can make your way to coastal Rhode Island, shoot me a pm via this site for more details. All who attend will potentially be seen in the debut video and of course I will make sure that everyone is well fed.

I am also very happy to announce that Jeremy "JPNor" will be serving as the videographer for this series. As you may know, Jeremy is the technical force behind the 2old2play Pop Culture Series and has filmed my interviews with Robert Englund, William Forsythe, the metal band Murder Dolls and many others in the music and movie industries. Jeremy brings a distinct level of professionalism to this project and I anticipate amazing thing from him on the cinematography front.

We are also looking for someone who can create a visually stunning logo for Cooking in the Great Outdoors. So if you have the chops and think you can develop something that embraces all aspect of the show - outdoor cuisine, adventurous activities, stewardship, amazing locations and great people, please contact me.

Now for Something Completely (ok just somewhat) Different

If you follow my main Twitter feed, you know that our adopted Rottie, Jackson, was hit by a pickup truck in front of our house this past Monday. My fiancé & I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who sent in their wishes for a speedy recovery for Jackson. As luck would have it, he survived the experience relatively unscathed and has received a clean bill of health from our vet. As my fiancé stated once the dust settled "Jackson is the Chuck Norris of dogs. He doesn't chase cars, he head butts them."

We took Jackson for a long walk with some of his friends today in the Breakheart Reservation and he is doing quite well. I fully anticipate that Jackson will be a regular guest star on Cooking in the Great Outdoors, so be sure to follow his escapades along with us.