St. James City resident to be featured on TV show
A resident of St. James City will be featured on an upcoming television show later this month on ABC thanks to a contest she won.
Cindy Bickford said her husband found out about the contest, “how to Do florida” Ultimate Fan Giveaway Getaway from looking up its website after he watched the show because of a shirt he wanted to purchase that read “Fresh Florida.”
“I have to give him credit for finding the contest,” she said.
The requirement for the contest was easy – all Bickford had to be was a Florida resident. She said this is the first time the television series held the contest.
The 30-minute TV series highlights destinations in Florida, two unique “how-to” features, as well as a Florida cooking segment with culinary ambassador Chef Justin Timineri. For more information visit howtodoflorida.com.
The show, “how to Do florida,” will air Sunday, Aug. 26, at noon on ABC, featuring coral restoration, swimming with dolphins and a cooking segment with Bickford.
The host, Chad Crawford, is a Floridian who came up with the idea of promoting everything Florida through a television series. Bickford said it was nice to talk with Crawford because she and her husband are originally from Hialeah, Fla., and have never left the Sunshine State.
Bickford said she received a phone call one week to tell her she won the contest and the next week she was off doing the shoot for the show.
The prize included four nights at the Hilton resort at Longboat Key, tickets for the South Florida Museum, T-shirts and a guest spot on the cooking segment of the show with Timineri.
Although Bickford eats out a lot and mostly bakes, she said it was fun to be a part of the cooking segment.
“The filming took place outside, with the grilling of Florida lobster and fresh fruits,” Bickford said.
She said Timineri created the recipe, which was done by blanching the lobster before it was place on the grill. A sauce, which was made with fruit and cilantro, was also added to the lobster meal.
Bickford said she did not know you could grill fruit, which she thought was really neat. They prepared grilled watermelon and papaya.
Although Bickford does not normally eat seafood, maybe a taste here or there, she stood beside Timineri to prepare the lobster and later tasted it once it was finished. She said she probably will not be eating lobster again.
“They did ask me if I was allergic to seafood when we met the night before filming. I said no,” she said. “My friends can’t wait to see the show because everyone who knows me knows that I do not eat seafood.”
The experience, she said, was fun and she had a wonderful time. Bickford said it was neat to learn that Timineri is a full-time chef that promotes Florida food.
“Everything he does is Florida food,” she said. “Everything he cooks is very light.”