America's Pastime: Watching Other People Cook on TV

America's Pastime: Watching Other People Cook on TV

Lauren Bolden, Pie Bar

I felt like I was channeling Ricky Bobby..WHAT DO I DO WITH MY HANDS?!?
The Very Vera Show

Being on a cooking show is nothing like I imagined it would be. No one hand-fed me sushi, no one fanned me when I was warm, and definitely no one responded (except with a bit of side eye) when I shouted “WHERE IS MY CAPPUCCINO!!?!”.

Over the past six months I have had the opportunity to be on two shows: Cooking Channel’s Sugar Showdown and WJBF’s The Very Vera Show. Baking on television seems like a breeze. You bake a pie, put it in the oven, and “wahhh-lahhhhh” --through the magic of television, a beautiful pie is ready to be served to your well-dressed, celebrity friends.

What you don’t realize is that “wahh-lahhhh” moment is filled with SO.MUCH.WORK. Did you know that someone has to actually MAKE the “wahh-lahhh” pie?!? And all of the prepped ingredients leading up to the finished product? Also, did you know that it takes weeks, sometimes, months of planning and editing to make those “wahh-lahhhh” moments seem effortless?

If you are reading this and shaking your head at my naiveté, then bully for you, but if you are just a small-town girl like me who for years has not understood how the internet gets into the computer-machine, then brace yourself... it’s about to get real.

Myth: There is an intern somewhere dicing all your ingredients, zesting all your lemons, and washing all your dirty dishes.

Busted: Nah, sister. It’s you! Making a cooking show is HARD WORK!! You and your team are responsible for the dicing, slicing, and clean-up. Sadly, there are no cooking-show fairies that wave their wand and make everything perfect and ready to go.

Myth: I can show up looking like hell, because hair and makeup has got my back. They are professionals at the “make it look like I didn’t just roll out of bed after eating an entire bucket of fried chicken while binge watching all four Twilight movies” look.

Busted: There is not always hair and make-up. Why? Because this is real life and I am not Kim Kardashian. This is why I really play up the “messy hair” look. It’s supposed to look like that, duh.

Myth: People on TV are scary and mean.

Busted: Everyone that I worked with on both sets were really friendly, professional, and only a little bit scary. ;)

Baking under a time limit is stressful, but you're concentrating so hard, sometimes you loose track of time. Stress Test Idea: They should play the Jeopardy music in the kitchen as we bake..guarantee you'll see someone freak out (and that's just good tv!!).

Sugar Showdown

Being on TV is surreal. Watching yourself back, it really clears things up for you – like now I know that I sound more country then biscuits and gravy, and that baking on TV is way more difficult than baking in real life. Overall, I enjoyed both experiences and I am looking forward to weaseling my way into many more shows to come.

The Very Vera Show airs in a few different regions. If you're in Augusta -- It comes on TODAY! Find out dates/times here. If you don't reside in any of these regions, we will share the episode online as soon as we can.

Feel free to watch the re-run of my time on Sugar Showdown. Dates and Times can be found here.

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