This past week, I got to live out my wildest childhood dream as a contestant for an upcoming show on Food Network!!!!!!!! WHAT is my life?! I was cast to participate in the “proof of concept” for the show, which will be shown to the Food Network execs to see if they’re going to eventually pick up the series. So don’t get too excited because the episode I’m in will not actually air! Regardless, it was one of the coolest things I’ve done.

The name of the show, celebrity chef judges, and concept of the show are under wraps, since the show is still in its early stages, so I can’t really tell you everything, but here’s a little taste of what my day was like!

I made a version of a dish that was on the blog a while ago, inspired by Minimalist Baker’s Sweet Potato Chickpea Buddha Bowl! Because the bowl has a Tahini Maple sauce on top, the maple syrup gave me the idea to put a twist on the dish by putting it on top of a sweet potato waffle! It came out beautifully, and it’s a fun and unique dish because it’s perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

I made the dish at home and brought it to the set where an amazing food stylist plated my dish to make it look picture perfect for the camera! When I saw it on screen, I couldn’t believe it was mine! It was amazing to see all the behind-the-scenes magic that goes into food shows like this one!

I got to film with a judge tasting and critiquing my dish (he loved it! Woooh!) We also filmed an interview like you see on most food shows, where they cut to the person talking about how they were feeling while being judged. Throughout the day, I helped out as an extra while other people were presenting as well, and then we filmed as a large group with the host at the end!

I was on set from 11am until 8pm, so it was definitely a longgggg day, but it was 100% worth the exhaustion because it was so much fun!

Enjoy! 🙂 Love, The Perky Foodie