Food Network: Melissa d'Arabian of The Next Food Network Star

I had the opportunity to interview Melissa d'Arabian, finalist of The Next Food Network Star, via email this  week.

 

Can you tell me a little about yourself and your family?

"I’m a career woman turned stay-at-home mom to four pre-school aged daughters.  I met my husband Philippe while living in France, so our family is bilingual and bi-cultural."

You’ve never had formal culinary training.  Where did you gain your culinary knowledge?

"I’ve been cooking ever since I was a little girl.  I’ve had so many teachers along the way: my mom, my mother in law, articles, books, and the list goes on.  I am always learning because I love food! To me, turning on some great jazz music, pulling out fresh ingredients and just experimenting for hours is incredibly relaxing; I get lost in the process.  With four kids though, that kind of cooking usually only happens after 8pm!"

All the judges raved about how good your pastries are.  Where did you learn to make them so well?

"Baking can sometimes feel a little more like a science than an art – measurements are precise and there is less tasting-then-adjusting and seasoning, which is my favorite part of cooking.  The trick to keeping baking fun for me is to have a few basics mastered and then add an interesting twist.  I paired orange and chocolate together with basic cream cheese pastry dough, but I had the dough mastered already.  I could use that same dough and make a Mexican chocolate pochette, for instance, with chocolate and cinnamon flavors.  The whole trick about dough for me is: know what temperature you need it.  Some doughs the fat it room temp; some (most) need the fat really cold."

"I learned by trial and error.  Unfortunately with baking, you often don’t realize the “error” until the dish is complete, and of course it is too late to change anything.  So, mastering dough can frustrate even accomplished cooks."

Who are your culinary influences?

"My biggest inspirations are my family – my husband and my four daughters. It's always about cooking for the person and not the plate."

If you win the Next Food Network Star what kind of food will you demonstrate?  Easy meals for families?  Kid friendly?

"If I become The Next Food Network Star, I hope to create meals that inspire the seasoned cook, but are accessible enough for anyone to want to try them.  I would want to share more than just recipes; I’d want to share techniques…tips for getting food on the table quickly on those days where you’ve worked 14 hours, ideas for making budget ingredients feel more luxurious.  My goal would be for people to be in the grocery store and suddenly they are reminded of a tip I gave them and it’s like a small lightbulb that goes off in their head."

You used to have a cooking show, The Gourmet Gallery, about 15 years ago.  How did that come to be?

"The Gourmet Gallery – wow, that takes me back!  I hosted a very low-budget, local show that showcased chefs in the Los Angeles area.  So it was a food-related show, but it wasn’t really a “cooking show.”  I had a great time doing it, but I’m guessing the ratings weren’t great because it was cancelled after I think two episodes!"  

You have a husband and four young daughters.  How do you balance your home life and new found stardom?

"Philippe and I are very clear about who we are as a couple and as a family.  “Stardom” hasn’t really figured into the equation, although that changes every day. So far, the balance has been between the “work” (which for me is The Next Food Network Star) and “family” – a balance families across America are managing all the time.  So, I do it like any other working mom who loves her children more than anything: I do my best, and it is never perfect.  My family will always be the priority.  But just because I’m the mom doesn’t mean I don’t count.  I want my girls to grow up knowing that moms count."

What is your favorite dish to make for your family?

"My new favorite dish to make for my family is a spinach dish I created a week or two ago.  It’s just simple creamed spinach, but I started by caramelizing shallots and used leftover pieces of “string cheese rejects” for creaminess, and a small amount of imported parmesan cheese for nutty flavor.  The ingredients were simple, but everyone in my family just loved the dish!  I’ve made it three times already."

You’re such an inspiration for stay-at-home mom’s and people who have never had formal culinary training.  Any advice that you can give us wannabes? 

"If there is one thing I have learned during The Next Food Network Star, it is to trust my palette!  Keep tasting and adjusting.  Taste and adjust.  Don’t be afraid of letting go a little in the kitchen…keep a frozen pizza in the freezer if you feel like you need a safety net.   I tell girlfriends of mine to try taking all the ingredients of a recipe they know well, and make the dish using a different technique. For example, if you have a great go-to recipe for marinated grilled chicken, try using the recipe’s dry ingredients in a flour dredge, sautéing the chicken, and then de-glazing the pan with the liquids in the recipe.  Familiar flavors; whole different dish!" 

 

Tune in Sunday, August 2, at 9 p.m. to Food Network to see if Melissa wins the coveted prize of her own cooking show! 

 

Other articles you may enjoy:

The Next Food Network Star:  Who Should Be the Winner - Raleigh Cooking Examiner

Food Network:  Throwdown with Bobby Flay - Raleigh Cooking Examiner

Food Network: Chopped - Raleigh Cooking Examiner

Photo used with permission from The Food Network