Okay foodies, supporters of black women’s professional (and culinary) dreams, and all-around SPB peeps, I need your help. An old friend Heather Johnston is a Finalist in the Food Network/YouTube Challenge with her Video for Arancini, a delectable fried risotto croquet. The winner of the contest gets a trip to NYC (which is literally 5 miles from where she lives lol) but more importantly, she’d get a sit down with major Food Network casting agents. And we could always use another fierce sista on the Food Network, right?
I’ve known Heather since I was a junior in high school, thinking about colleges. She was a local girl, at Harvard at the time, and came to my school to tell us all about the Big Crimson. She was so real, so down-to-earth (and pretty), I immediately started thinking about the Ivy League—after always thinking I’d never go to college, just go to Paris like James Baldwin (!) and “be a writer.” I did end up a writer, but only after going to a different school—but I still give thanks that I was able to meet Heather, who was doing what we all should do, reach back and bring some others along. Funnily enough, I did end up at Harvard, some twenty-five years after meeting her!
Heather’s had quite a life since she graduated back in the day: this married mother of 2 daughters made 3 independent films with her husband-of-21-years/partner Gordon Ericksen, before transitioning to food, after graduating from The French Culinary Institute in 1997. Her vlog SoGood.tv, where she covers food, wine, some travel, and food politics issues like sustainability and hunger, has been around since 2006. (You can follow her @sogoodtv on twitter), and she’s been featured in Essence as well in USA Today, where SoGood.tv was called one of 5 Blogs to Watch.
So here’s where you good peeps come in: Heather needs your vote! Go to Heather’s page (see vid below). Watch the video and then CLICK the thumbs up button when the prompt comes up either at the 10 second mark or at the end. You can do this EVERYDAY UNTIL AUGUST 16th!!!
Now…Go and make some arancini…and VOTE! Share and spread the word!
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