I’d have never guessed that this was Gina Homolka’s first live demo, as a team member from the Macy’s Events team said. As a new member of Macy’s Culinary Council, she seemed calm and natural on stage after being introduced, giving a 45-minute presentation on demonstration of her favorite “skinny” recipes. Homolka is a well-recognized blogger of her venture called Skinnytaste, where she showcases healthier versions of favorite food items. Additionally, her intense focus on recipe testing and developing have helped her to create two successful cookbooks; her latest one, Skinnytaste Fast & Slow, was recently nominated for a prestigious James Beard Foundation award!

Much like the Todd English demo, I attended a few months ago, Homolka demonstrated a few recipes, answered questions from attendees, and invited them to a post-demo sampling. Guests that made a purchase of $35+ in the home department that day were eligible for a Meet & Greet, where Homolka autographed a gifted a copy of her Skinnytaste Fast & Slow book. Since I have quite an insatiable sweet tooth, I suppose it’s fitting that my favorite recipe was the Slow Cooker Blueberry Slump. She mentioned that what this dessert lacks in visual appeal, it more than makes up in flavor. “It doesn’t look that great, but it tastes amazing,” she stated about the slump. I believe she said that this recipe took her eight times to perfect, and I loved the result. Also showcased were her Grilled Cumin-Rubbed Skirt Steak Tacos, and Skinny Texas Cheese Fries.

After sampling everything, I made my way to the Meet & Greet, where I was able to chat with Gina for a few minutes. She was so sweet and appreciative, and we bonded over our similar taste in camera, the Canon Rebel 5, and all the great food shots it gave her. I’m so excited to a re-create a few things out of the book and share them with Gina on her social channels.