Ten years ago Evanne Schmarder and her husband, Ray, sold their houseboat in Portland, Ore., and became RVers in search of a new lifestyle. Fortunately for the fans of the RVCookingShow.com, they still haven’t found it.
Both Evanne and Ray are free spirits who have followed the road less traveled since they were married. When they found themselves dissatisfied in corporate jobs and less than thrilled with the cold and rainy weather in Portland, they started poking around the RV park on the other side of the island where their houseboat was anchored. They sold their home, purchased a camper, and headed off to find the next place to live. What they discovered: They loved traveling full time — traveling and eating, that is.
“The show started as a lark,” Evanne shares. “We’d have people over, and they’d always be looking over my shoulder as I cooked, asking questions and wanting the recipe. And I thought, wouldn’t it be fun to do a little video?” So two years ago, Evanne began creating recipes that used the best of local ingredients and Ray captured her on film cooking and sharing interesting tidbits about the place they were visiting.
They posted the videos on YouTube.com and before they knew it, friends were watching and sharing the shows. It wasn’t long before they received top ranking in their category based on viewer votes and ratings. “We really enjoyed doing it,” she laughs. “So we thought, let’s keep on doing it.” They found a couple of sponsors and never looked back.
Since that first show in Tucson, Ariz., which featured a recipe for guacamole, they kept learning and improving. They only do shows about places they’ve visited. All of the recipes are tested by friends and family before making it to the show. “I like doing a few takes because I really want it to be right,” Evanne says. “But my husband’s always ready for it to be a wrap so he can eat.”
She recalls a particularly tasty dish they made in St. Louis that wasn’t around long enough to for them shoot the photographs they needed for the Web site. “We’d made these pork chops with a mustard garlic compound butter, and it smelled so good we couldn’t help ourselves,” she recalls. “We devoured them and then looked at each other and went, ‘Uh oh.’ ”
Evanne and Ray do a 10-minute show every few weeks from their 31-foot Jayco fifth wheel. “We try to make things that are easy, healthy and, of course, delicious,” she says. “We go into the grocery stores and little markets where we’re staying and we discover things about the local culture that sometimes even the natives don’t know.” From grilled pizzas in Las Vegas to a Great Smoky Mountain corn casserole, Evanne chooses dishes that reflect the locale.
When there’s not enough time in the video to include all of the interesting information they’ve discovered, the extras are posted on the Web site where viewers can watch the show and download the recipes. Evanne calls the community they’ve built through the show a virtual campfire. With thousands of fans who write to her regularly to let her know how much they appreciate her creativity in the kitchen, she’s inspired to keep going. “Some even invite us to stay at their houses,” she jokes.
Evanne would love to continue to grow the show. “I’d like to find a larger platform and reach more people,” she says. “And I’m open to however that comes to be.”
When asked how long she sees herself doing this, she answers like a woman who understands how to live her dreams. “Until it’s time to do something else. We’ll know it when it’s time.”
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