Melissa D’Arabian won Season 5 of “The Next Food Network Star” on Sunday, but what you may not have known was that since the finale taped (about two months ago, so we were told by the network), her new show, “Ten Dollar Dinners,” already has taped six episodes. The show premieres this Sunday, August 9 at 12:30pm ET/PT, and on the it Melissa will demonstrate how to create flavorful and interesting meals for a family of four for under ten bucks.
DArabian, who recently moved from Keller, Texas to Kirkland, Washington, beat out runner-up Jeffrey Saad of Los Angeles to take the title of Next Food Network Star, and we had the chance to participate in a conference call with Melissa this past Monday. Here are a few of the highlights of what she had to say…..
On her new show’s premise: “The challenge isn’t how to feed a family of four hot dogs on ten dollars. The challenge is how to feed them shrimp or a well-rounded meal that has several components. I think you’re going to be really surprised by the ingredients and by the recipes.”
On what she is most looking forward to about being a Food Network Star: “Joining Next Food Network Star was always about connecting with and sharing my stories with other people. Having my show now is an opportunity to share ‘war stories’ with other moms that are stay-at-home moms or work 80-hour work weeks.”
On how she feels about becoming a celebrity chef and TV personality without any formal training: “Watching the show, as a viewer, I was rooting for myself after episode 3 or 4….it feels amazing to know that I’ve been able to accomplish this, but it’s been a tremendous lesson in not underestimating myself.”
On if the show is as much work as she thought it would be: “I’ve done my best to prepare myself and my husband and I are really on the same page about this. We talked a lot about what this could potentially mean before I even applied to the show. But the flipside is, it’s like talking to a woman who is having her first child…I feel prepared, but I respect the fact that I’m entering into really new territory.”
On incorporating the actual “mom” aspect into her show: “I’m hoping to hit a common denominator that goes beyond parenting, but I am a parent through and through… but I still think moms will have a huge takeaway from my show.”
On what it was like taping the show and meeting some of the network’s personalities: “I’m being very sincere when I say this….every day was like opening up a Christmas present…and it was like the ultimate surprise party that never ended.”
