The name fits the face—Sunny. “Cooking for Real” host Sunny Anderson may well have the most effervescent personality on the Food Network, her smile as inviting as the meals she prepares on her Saturday morning show. Part of the network’s popular “In the Kitchen” weekend line-up, the 30-minute program features Anderson’s unique twist on comfort food, melding affordable, easy-to-find ingredients with flavors inspired by her global travels.
Though Anderson downplays her culinary point of view—“there’s not too much to my style”—she’s clearly well versed in the art of cooking. Anderson’s travels as a self-described “Army brat” inspired a passion for food and an adventurous culinary streak that shines through her recipes. Creative dishes include chicken sausage rigatoni in a spicy vodka sauce and sweet potato and celery root fries or lime Italian ice and curry pork burgers with spicy ketchup.
“For me, it’s really about my zeal for food,” said Anderson, who grew up in Germany and made it a point during her career in the Air Force to sample local cuisine wherever she was stationed. “Living in Germany, my family used to go to beer fests and celebrations. We wanted to see what people were eating. We met families who were foodies. In Bad Kreuznach, Heidelberg and Nussloch, we saw a culture that revolved around food, from beer, to bratwurst. It was the first time I’d seen such indulgence in food and it made me love food even more.”
Anderson’s back story might also be the most diverse of any Food Network celebrity. Award-winning military radio host and news reporter; popular on-air personality in New Orleans, Montgomery, Ala., Detroit and at New York’s venerable hip-hop station Hot 97; MTV2 guest hosting; radio and television voice-over work in ads for Destiny's Child, LL Cool J and John Legend; a stint as food & lifestyle editor at Hip Hop Weekly magazine; catering company owner (she opened Sunny's Delicious Dishes in 2003).
Food Network came calling in 2005. She was a special guest on “Emeril Live”. It was a life-altering experience. Being on Emeril’s show blew my mind because he’s my generation of a cook: welcoming, not too cheffy and too much of a home cook,” Anderson said. “He’s an expert—friendly and well-trained. I developed an interest in television.”
Anderson was back on television in 2007, co-hosting “Gotta Get It”, a show about the latest food gadgets, and again last year, hosting “How'd That Get On My Plate?”, a primetime series that follows ingredients from their raw states to the finished products. Getting her own show has been the proverbial cherry berry bar (one of her recipes) atop the icing on the upside-down cornbread cake (another recipe).
“Little things make me feel like my culinary point of view is respected—when I’m talking to someone who tried a recipe, or who watched my show. It makes me feel amazing,” said Anderson, who lives in Brooklyn and remains passionate about news and music. “I’m not doing a specific type of fare—not all French, Italian, Korean, German, Italian or soul food. I take from all disciplines. I hope my personality comes out through my food and that I’m relating to the everyday person, showing them that they can make great food, too.”
“Cooking For Real” airs each Saturday at 12 pm/11 am CST, Sunday at 10:30/9:30 am CST and Wednesday at 1:30/12:30 pm CST.
Want to try a few of Sunny’s recipes, visit the Chef’s Corner by clicking here.
