Susie | LIFT

My Experience with Reality TV

Posted by ngreene on Aug 23, 2010 in Adventures, Featured

Somehow Susie and I got roped into applying to be on a new television show that is premiering in September 2010.

It was easy enough … We filled out a form and sent it to one of the producers and we got a call back to arrange a screen test. They asked us to be available for 30 minutes and to be prepared to make something while we were being interviewed … Just to make sure that we could talk and cook at the same time.

We thought long and hard about what to make and, because we couldn’t decide, opted to make two versions of chicken bites.

Susie made one of her favourite recipes: chicken breast meat cubes, tossed in Franks Red Hot, then rolled in crushed up baked BBQ chips and Fibre One cereal. She served the bites with a honey-mustard dipping sauce.

I made a boneless chicken wing, which was inspired by Rousseau House in Ancaster. I didn’t have a recipe, but I knew what flavours I wanted to incorporate. I deboned the wings and stuffed them with sautéed garlic and shallots with a little fresh cilantro. The stuffed wing was placed on a hot BBQ. For a dipping sauce I made an emulsion of lavender honey and red vinegar with chilies and a little more cilantro.

Both dishes turned out great!

We were great on camera and were notified almost immediately that we would be on the show. Our filming week was July 19-23, 2010, which meant that we each had to reschedule the two different weekend getaways that we had planned. Susie was supposed to be heading to Miami and I was heading into Algonquin Park with some buddies.

Susie had a brilliant idea for a theme that would be sexy and fun almost immediately. We would make an entire menu of small dishes, each of which would include an ingredient that is a aphrodisiac. She has a book called “Intercourses“, which is filled with recipes using aphrodisiacs. We ended up using none of the recipes from the book, but we did take inspiration from the ingredients that were perfectly suited for the theme.

For the show we were to attend dinner parties held by two other couples on Monday and Wednesday, then we would host a dinner party on the Friday before being judged as to who threw the best shindig.

The Monday and Wednesday were easy because all we had to do was show up. At some point during each night the invited guests were individually taken away to a “confessional”. This would be the chance for every invited guest to criticize the hosts performance and send a message for the judges to consider.

The Friday was a whole new ball game. Cameras were rolling from about 10:00am and didn’t stop until after 10:00pm. Each of the other couples had already had that experience by the time we came around but, of course, nobody warned us about how intrusive the crew doing setup would be to our schedule.

We had everything planned for the day. In fact, we made up a game day schedule so that nothing could go wrong and we would always know what we needed to do and where each of us needed to be throughout the day. For the evening we actually planned down to every 15 minutes to make sure that our guests had plenty happening while still having a relaxed atmosphere. To be clear, only Susie and I knew about the schedule so the guests would have had to assume that we were going with the flow.

We made sure that we had plenty of time and were working with easy to manage ingredients with lots of padding added in so, at first, when the crew were calibrating lighting and camera angles, we were happy to relax and let them do their thing.

Then, we were told that we would be doing an afternoon interview with the judges that we had not planned for in advance. It took an hour or so to do the interview and re-record all of the pickups. (A pickup is when they like something that someone said, but they want to either hear it again more clearly or with a different intonation)

We were left scrambling a little, but there was still extra time in the schedule. Then Susie dressed the salads hours before the party and killed the spinach! I had to do a last minute grocery store run.

It came down to the prep for the final course … Dessert Pizza and I had to roll out the dough and toss it, but the kitchen was full of crew. I ended up having to prep it on a serving tray and toss it in a corner, but all was done on time before the guests arrived.

Susie was in charge of decor so she picked up some beautiful floral arrangements from Burst to finish off our room and she managed all of the transitions with our counter / table. Since we have only one surface big enough for guests to eat and for us to do prep with, this was a huge job to manage.

All in all, I am glad that we participated in the show. It was a great experience to share with Susie and something interesting to tell kids about in the future.

The one thing that surprised me the most was how the producers shape the show while filming. They don’t go out of their way to tell you what to say in as many words, but they definitely lead you to act a certain way and have specific responses.

First, we were told not to be “Canadian” with our responses, rather that to act more extreme would make for better TV. They said “If you like white wine and you’re asked; “Do you like white wine?” The preferred responses would be: “Yeah, I love it!, or “No way, I can’t stand the stuff!”

They also shaped our responses to fit the story. They would ask questions and then you would need to incorporate the question into your answer so that the audience could figure out the reason for the answer

For example, at one of the dinner parties I was asked about how the food tasted and I actually liked it, so I said so. Then they said that others had said that if one dish was slimy and over cooked and ask if I agreed with that assessment. This went on for a few minutes, until I said: “The food was okay, except the eggplant, which was slimy from being over-cooked and wasn’t spicy enough”

You aren’t exactly given lines, but the producers are pros at coming up with ways to create drama from the ordinary. I can’t wait to see they how they cut me together. I’m sure that I will come across as an over-confident, arrogant jerk, based on my memory of some of the things they were getting me to say. I guess that’s pretty close to my personality anyway.

We were sworn to secrecy when it comes to announcing the winners for the week so I cant share that quite yet. Susie wrote a very accurate account of our experience which I will be posting after the episode airs on the Food Network.

The show has been getting a lot of press in recent weeks, some of which you can read through below. They also used out place for some behind the scenes footage and pictures, which you can pick out in some of the articles if you’ve ever been in my living room.

Eat Drink Slay – The Globe and Mail
Dinner Party Wars: Reality TV judges the best soiree – The Toronto Star
Behind the Scenes of Dinner Party Wars – Food Network
Dinner Party Wars – Food Network

The show airs Wednesdays starting Sept 1, 2010 at 9:00pm EST on The Food Network.

Married Life #7 of 7 ~ A letter to my wife

Posted by ngreene on May 21, 2010 in Family

A letter to my wife on our anniversary:

Dear Susie,

Today is our one-year anniversary of marriage.

When I think back to our first date I can’t even believe that we’re here today! You had just come back from Vegas and, despite the late hour and how tired you were, you agreed to see me ahead of the “first” date we had planned later that week.

We spent hours flirting and sparring with each other over drinks at 7-West, before I put an end to the evening by making you cry because I felt I had to be honest with you about who all I was dating at the time. The next morning we sat in your office and you told me that work-Susie liked me, home-from-Vegas- Susie didn’t like me, and that weekend-Susie and regular-evening-Susie wanted to give me a shot before you made any decisions about whether you like me or not.

Today, I guess the majority of Susies have agreed that I’m not such a bad guy and one of these days I would love to get another chance with home-from-Vegas-Susie.

Every day I wake up and feel happy to find you next to me. I’m thankful for everything that you bring to my life, even those little things that drive me crazy.

I love your style and I love the way you carry yourself. I love your confidence and I love how you connect with people. I would have been a fool to not grab you when I had the chance and that has been the best decision of my life.

You make my life better in a lot of ways: you push me, you take care of me, you advise me, you encourage me, you make me want to be the best man that I can.

I adore you. I try to let you know how beautiful you are every day. I recognize my faults and I appreciate how you ignore them.

Thank you for our first year of marriage. Thank you for being my wife. Thank you for being with me and thank you for all that you do for me.

I love you and I can’t wait to see what comes next for us.

Love,

Nathan

Married Life #6 of 7 ~ A Year in Review

Posted by ngreene on May 20, 2010 in Family

Susie and I started dating on May 21, 2008. We chose to marry on May 21, 2009 so that we wouldn’t have to change the day that we celebrate as our anniversary.

We were definitely going to be getting married on the 21st of May … I just didn’t know which year!

There’s an adage that any man who gets married is told by one of his friends or family members:

“A woman marries a man expecting that he will change, but he doesn’t.

A man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change, but she does.”

Despite a fairly exhaustive web search, I have no idea where that quote comes from, or who I first heard that advice from, but I do know that I heard it from multiple advice-givers over the years. I’ve been trying to think about different ways that either of us have changed over the past year and I can’t come up with any.

I think that we both knew who we were pretty well as individuals entering into a relationship. That’s definitely an advantage to getting married a little older. Having that extra time to get to know yourself makes it much easier to know what you want out of a relationship and where you’re willing to compromise.

We were very clear with what we expected from each other from the very beginning so I don’t think that either of us have been surprised with anything the other has done during our first year. Of course, like any couple, we have our moments of abrasiveness. I know that I am a difficult person to live with for a variety of reasons, the least of which being that I’m as stubborn as a mule.

If I had to find a fault in my wife, it’s that she feels a need to get overly involved in peoples lives and that tends to cause her a lot of stress. She can’t stand to know that someone is in pain if she can think of a way to make whatever it is any less painful … and she is very creative.

It makes me think, if the worst thing I ever have to put up with is someone who cares about people more than they maybe should, how bad can things ever get? Sign me up for a lifetime.

I think that the wedding planning and execution process is a great test of a couples resolve. In our case, we really did need a honeymoon after the wedding. There were pre-events, setup tasks, cleanup tasks, drama with guests, post-events, and don’t get me started with the intensity of the negotiations for the guest list and seating chart.

The last year, since returning from our honeymoon, we’ve slipped back into the routine of life. The usual stresses of work, family, friends, finances, apply to us as they do anyone else. One thing that we’ve learned is that we really need to remember to spend time alone together, particularly when things do get stressful.

Of course, one of the topics that will come up in the first year of marriage for any couple is whether and when to start thinking about expanding the family. We’re closer to that step now than we were a year ago. Before we get really serious we need to consider changes to our lifestyle, schedule and home. It’s hard to imagine how a child would fit into the busy-ness of our current lifestyle, but I guess that’s how everybody feels.

I’m sure that the next year will bring a ton of change for both of us. I already know it will all be great!

Married Life #5 of 7 ~ My Speech & The In-Laws

Posted by ngreene on May 19, 2010 in Family

I am not really one for preparing in advance when it comes to giving any kind of speech that has meaning to me. I procrastinate and I just can’t think of what I really want to say until the day of the event.

Even if I do prepare, I have a tendency to throw away everything that I’ve written on the day of the speech in favour of something off the cuff and more relevant to things that happen on the day in question.

That’s exactly what happened on my wedding day. The upside is that you get a very authentic and honest speech. The downside is that you can overemphasize some things and forget to include some key points that you intended to make.

I have never gone back and listened to my speech, even though I have it on video. But, even without having seen it, I know that I skipped the section of my planned speech where I acknowledge my in-laws. I actually had a great bit about how much I appreciated their hospitality and support.

How could I miss such an important part of my speech, you ask?

I blame my bride. She, for weeks, reminded me constantly how important it was for me to say something about her in my speech. I was planning on saving what I had to say to her for my closer.

I got into my speech and I know that I rambled a little, then I looked to the crowd to see my blushing bride, who was pointing to herself with both thumbs and mouthing to me from across the room: “Me … Don’t forget to talk about me!”

Immediately, I jumped ahead to talk about her and I lost my train of thought, hence the missing in-law acknowledgements.

In retrospect, I am very much appreciative for the love, respect, and support that my in-laws and their respective partners have had for me before, and since the wedding and I am glad to be able to acknowledge that in a public forum, even if it is a bit late.

Married Life #4 of 7 ~ Adelgreene & Favourite Shots

Posted by ngreene on May 18, 2010 in Family

Unfortunately, a one week countdown only left me with 7 post opportunities, but I had 8 posts that I wanted to make, so this is a two-fer.

ADELGREENE
Every time a man and woman get married there is a debate that happens at one point or another about whether the woman will be taking the man’s last name after they get married.

Our debate has lasted for over a year now and we are deadlocked. The problem is that I’m not asking for her to change to my last name. I’m asking her to change to a new last name that we create using parts of both of our surnames: Adelson + Greene = Adelgreene.

Here’s my rationale: Traditionally, a woman would have taken the last name of her husband. And, to be honest, if that were important to me I am sure that she would change her name. We have already agreed that any children that we have would be given my last name. She has a very unique name, which has a very strongly associated professional personal brand that we both agree that she shouldn’t lose if possible. I love my last name, but know that it is quite common and would prefer to have a more unique last name.

The debate rages on and we are both rallying people to our cause. The problem is that we can both be very convincing and, too often, the people that we are polling have a stake in the matter.

Names have been changing constantly over generations. Even Greene is an anomaly from previous generations because over the years the “e” at the end has been added or subtracted from one generation to the next, mostly because of government errors. From my father and my father’s father to me, we are reaching the longest stretch in family history without a change. I’m due for a change … the family name is over due for a change.

Have your say … There’s a poll to the right hand side. It’s very simple: Do you think we should change our surnames to the new Adelgreene or not?

FAVOURITE SHOTS:

We had two photographers at our wedding who had very different styles. They got all of the requisite shots that you expect at weddings, but they so got a lot of different shots that really stand out for me.

This is a collection of shots that I love but most will probably never make an album:

Married Life #3 of 7 ~ Sammy

Posted by ngreene on May 17, 2010 in Family

When Susie and I got married, we had everything planned down to the smallest detail. Who am I kidding? Susie had planned everything down to the smallest detail. I was along for the ride, up until the big day.

The only thing that she couldn’t plan was how Sammy would run the show as MC of the evening. I have to admit, he really stole the show. He was a great MC and he ran the night perfectly, but he really went above and beyond by writing a song about us and singing it live while playing the guitar at the wedding.

Here is the video … we missed the first two words because the camera was slow to turn on, but the rest is here:

Here are the lyrics of the song, and for those who are racking their brain trying to recognize it, it’s sung to the tune of Rod Stewart’s: OOH LA LA

Love is a four letter word
Then again, so is bird
Love played on a triple letter score,
Is worth so much more

Spanky likes to pull his pork
Get your mind
Outta the gutter
Susie always says
Hey, hold the butter

I’d like you to welcome, The Adelgreenes
I’d like you to welcome, The Adelgreenes

Yoga in the morning
Spinning afternoons
Dinner in the evening
There’s no time for a snooze

Susie likes a ro-co
Spanky likes Warcraft
Everybody thinks
He’s such a spazz

I’d like you to welcome, the Adelgreenes
I’d like you to welcome, the Adelgreenes

And a few of the action shots from the performance:

Thanks again Sam … You were really awesome!

Married Life #2 of 7 ~ Our Honeymoon

Posted by ngreene on May 15, 2010 in Family

For our honeymoon we went on an unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime, trip to St. Lucia. The folks at Jade Mountain could not have been better hosts.

This place was absolutely gorgeous with breathtaking views, incredible attention to detail, spectacular food, and world class accommodations. From beginning to end, this was truly the perfect honeymoon. If you’re interested, you can check out my review on TripAdvisor.com.

We had several cameras with us so we came home with various video clips and loads of pictures. Oddly, we had lots of pictures of some things and then whole days that we took no pictures whatsoever. In the end, I was able to put together a very amateurish home video / slideshow.

It was too big for youtube, so I ended up putting it on Viddler.com, which I had never heard of before using it. I am a huge fan of Viddler, but I’ll leave that for another day.

In any case, the following video is over 12 minutes long and is really done under 10 mintes, but I added in a clip of an argument that we had at dinner one night and a funny sound bite from when we forgot the video camera on in our daypack while hanging out one day.

Great trip, great hotel … I would recommend it to anyone.