Styling for the NPR Morning Edition Thanksgiving segment with Steve Inskeep, Renee Montagne and Christopher Kimball of America's Test Kitchen, Cook's Illustrated, and Cook's Country has been a plumb job for me going back a while. I am a radio girl, and a cooking girl, and, on every level, this gig makes me happy.
Previously the taping has been done in homes. This year there was a change up and we gathered at Zola, the lovely restaurant inside the International Spy Museum.
Listening is a big part of cooking, particularly if you are multi-tasking. The pitch of a sizzle will vary depending on temperature and moisture. When your back is turned, you can hear if the pan is ready for de-glazing. Heavy cream being beaten in a stand mixer will sound much different as it becomes stiff. When your back is turned, you can hear that you are about to get butter. As chunks of dry bread whirl in a food processor the sing will heighten as the crumbs turn finer. When your back is turned, you can hear that it's time to press stop before the crumbs become dust.
One of these days, some fine engineer will invent a cook's radio. As the din rises and falls in your kitchen, the volume on the radio will adjust automatically to accomodate. I will buy the first generation.
You gotta keep your ear to the track, so to speak, to avoid a train wreck.
Drat, I wish I had taken more snapshots, but dang was I busy. Tuned in with all my senses.