As I promised earlier this weekend, I’m going to share a little bit from my conversation with Food Network’s newest star, Melissa d’Arabian. I, along with a few other bloggers, had the opportunity to chat with her over the phone on Friday afternoon.
I didn’t transcribe the phone call, so this is just from my notes. I was able to ask her three of my own questions, and listened to everyone else’s as well. Ultimately, what I got out of the conversation was that Melissa’s a lot like me. She wants to feel empowered when she saves money at the grocery store, while still making delicious food that nourishes not only the body, but the soul.
Melissa has four young daughters. (4, 3, and almost-2-year old twins!) I asked her what her girls think about her win. She said that TV’s a big treat for them, so seeing their mom on TV is no different than seeing any of their other favorite characters. (i.e. Elmo’s on TV!) They have no sense of the extensiveness of the show, the fact that it’s broadcast across America. She told me a funny story about the finale of The Next Food Network Star. The announcement of who the winner was going to be was just minutes away, and her daughter Charlotte told her she had to go potty. She asked her if she could hold it for just a little while. The announcement was made. Melissa won. The studio went crazy. But Charlotte still had to go potty and told her mom, “It’s starting!” so Melissa asked the cameramen if they could take a break before her first interview… now that I write it out, the way Melissa told the story was much funnier!
Someone asked Melissa about creative ways to include kids in the kitchen.
- She takes a look at her recipes beforehand, and tries to find the elements that they can help with.
- She also involves her kids when grocery shopping. Each child is allowed to pick one item from the produce department. With so many shapes, colors, sizes, and textures to choose from, it’s almost as fun as picking out a new toy! Her kids will pick out the craziest one, and she’ll go home and create a recipe around it.
- Filling a muffin tin is always fun for kids… a good way to make individual mini-tortes!
- She tries to put veggies into her kids’ breakfast so that she can be more flexible later on in the day. She loves adding spinach puree to things like vanilla yogurt. I’m not sure if that would fly at our house.
- Make oatmeal even healthier and fiber-rich with add-ins – fruit, nuts, etc.
- “No Thank You Bite” – Melissa created this rule because she wants her kids to try new things, yet still express their opinions. She said that they’re welcome to say that they don’t care for something as long as they’ve had one bite of it. At that point, they can say “No thank you” and move on.
Melissa was asked if the 6-week duration of the show was a vacation for her. Her response – “it’s the most sleep I’ve had in the last 4 years!!” It was nice for her to be able to focus 100% on something that had nothing to do with being a mom. She was able to utilize her creativity and find herself again. Being completely “immersed in momdom”, she had lost touch with who the adult was, and needed to add herself back into the equation.
Melissa doesn’t expect to be a perfect working mom – but she thinks it’s great for her daughters to see her doing something that she loves, and I completely agree. For those that are wondering… no, she won’t be picking up the family and moving to New York anytime soon. She flies to NYC to shoot the show, and flies right back home afterwards.
Advice on auditioning for next season’s The Next Food Network Star
Melissa submitted a video of herself sharing her recipe for homemade yogurt. She’s not sure what Food Network saw in her, as no one ever told her why she was picked. What she does know is that her video was accessible. It gave people information. Taught them something. She said that it’s important to be true to who you are, to bring what you have to the table… beginning with “Melissa is the best at THAT” and going from there.
“If you’re competing with something that you’re not the best at, you’re competing in the wrong game…” The mistake she made on the show at first was putting herself in the same game as those that went to culinary school. Once she was able to embrace the fact that she’s cooked for the last 35 years and is an expert at saving money, then she was playing a game that she could win.
Her favorite dish is the potato-bacon torte, which just happens to be the centerpiece of the first episode of her show, Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d’Arabian. It premiered earlier this afternoon, but I just finished watching it. The beauty of having a DVR!
“Perfectly-Priced Parisian” was the theme of Melissa’s first show. Food Network’s description:
Melissa puts together an upscale yet affordable meal, worthy of any pricy Parisian café. She starts off with a creamy Potato-Bacon Torte and accompanies it with a fresh Paris Café Green Salad. For a light and sweet ending to this luscious meal, Melissa makes a one-of-a-kind Applesauce Granita with Maple Yogurt. Bon appétit!
So what did I think of the show? I liked it. And I’m not saying that just because Melissa and I are practically BFFs. 😉 The show kept my attention from beginning to end. The pace is perfect. Melissa’s kitchen is bright and full of light, just like her personality. She looks great, and keeps good eye contact with the camera.
Melissa’s brimming with good tips, like how to get a rolled out crust from the counter to the pie plate. And the advice about keeping bacon in the freezer – it’ll last longer, and because of the fat content, it never freezes 100%, so it’s always easy to cut. GENIUS!
I found the recipes to be very accessible. No hard-to-find ingredients. No dishes with a million steps. Teaching comes naturally to Melissa. I’ve always used store-bought crusts, but she made making it from scratch look so easy!
Now the claim that this dinner cost $10 could be a problem. Obviously if I went to the store and bought butter, bacon, thyme, heavy cream, flour, potatoes, salt, pepper, Gruyere cheese, eggs, garlic, mixed greens, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, applesauce, lemon juice, yogurt, and maple syrup, I would spend MUCH more than $10. This show is assuming viewers have many of these items in their pantry or their fridge already, and calculates the cost of the meal by the actual amount of food used. And this assumption may be right. I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mom, and have almost all that in my pantry at this moment. Everything except the heavy cream, Gruyere, and fresh thyme. If I substituted half-and-half, dried thyme and Havarti cheese, then I could realistically make the potato-bacon torte right now. If it weren’t just past midnight!
What do I think she should work on?
- I know it’s just nerves, but she repeated certain words a little too much – umm, alrighty, I’m gonna…
- She went back and forth betweening calling the meal dinner and lunch. It could easily be both, but it was distracting. The show isn’t called Ten Dollar Lunches!
- The mini-interviews after every commercial. Not a fan. I’d rather go right back to the cooking. I don’t feel like they add anything to the show.
I’ll definitely be looking forward to the upcoming episodes of Ten Dollar Dinners. I’ve already snuck a peek at some of the recipes and it all looks delicious!
I THINK MELISSA DID A GREAT JOB ON HER FIRST SHOW. I WATCHED THE WHOLE SHOW AND HUNG
ON HER EVERY WORD. SHE`S EASY TO WATCH AND EXPLAINS THE RECIPES VERY WELL. SHE`S
VERY NEAT IN APPEARANCE AND WILL MAKE A GREAT ADDITION TO THE NETWORK COOKING STARS LINE-UP. I`LL WATCH HER SHOWS WHENEVER THEY`RE ON. GOOD JOB MELISSA.
i love melissa she is so good at catering for ordinary people not elitist types like jeffrey would have cooked for if he had won (thank god he did not as he was very arrogant)
I only wish Melissa show would air in Canada where i will be studying for 2 years – food network canada sucks they showed the network star shows but seem to be refusing to show the winner Melissa’s new show
I also think Melissa did great. She didn’t seem nervous to me at all. As far as repeating words, has anyone watched Essence of Emeril or Tyler Florence? Emeril repeats phrases constantly, over and over. He’s not at ease at all on that show, and he’s clearly fixated on the teleprompter and not natural at all. Watch Tyler’s Ultimate and just count how many times he says Boom. At least she doesn’t flail her arms around like an idiot like Rachael Ray or Anne Burrell. How about Sandra Lee. Who drags her words out like “its gonna be sooo good”. I enjoyed watching her very much and I just hope FN doesn’t corrupt her like they do so many. It’s nice to see someone who is a real cook and not an in your face character like the food network seems to throw at us. Melissa, your a refreshing change.
We vote for Melissa!!
.-= FunnyBusinessCartoons´s last blog ..Business Strategies for Dummies: #12 =-.
She WAS noticeably nervous, but I’m sure she’ll relax in future episodes. Did she just film 6 episodes and then — goodbye, thank you, your series is over?
Also, I couldn’t get over her earlier revelation on “Next Food Network Star” about her mother committing suicide. So out of left field — but honest. When she cut her mother’s initial into the pie crust before putting it into the oven … I could hear her voice slightly cracking. “If only my mom could see me now” she must have been thinking.
It was touching, and almost brought a tear to my eye.
I’m watching the Moroccan episode right now, and I feel like the Food Network totally thinks they are pulling one over on the viewers with the $10 claim. I’ve been cooking all my life, and I would not say that the majority of the ingredients are standard in an average person’s pantry. I’d have to buy ground beef, dates, olives, tomatoes, chicken stock, wine, cilantro – okay, I’m tired of counting everything I’d have to buy, and she’s not even one with the meal. Maybe I’m not average, but I don’t have a lot of those things unless I’m making a specific recipe that calls for them. I find myself feeling completely resentful as I’m watching this now as I feel it’s a fraud. You gotta drop the $10 claim, and just call it “Dinners.”
I have to agree with the last post. While I liked Melissa and thought her or Jeffrey would make a great host, the show just doesn’t work! You cannot claim to want to help the average “stay at home mom” and use ingredients that I’m used to seeing on Barefoot Contessa.. At least Ina makes no excuses about her expensive and exotic tastes..
While I wish Mellisa well and believe she could have a place on the food network, I think “The Ingredient Smuggler” was a much better concept.
The show will not last in it’s current state. It seems to much like a rehash of other shows with no inventiveness or newness to it’s concept.
Does it really matter if the dish cost a few dollars more or less than $10? I think you miss the point, which is that you can prepare creative meals without spending a ton of money. If you watch Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals, do you become upset if it takes you 45 minutes to prepare one of the dishes she demonstrates.
As far as not having the necessary ingredients in your pantry, maybe it’s time that you expand your cooking horizons (this is what Food Network is all about). These are not unusual or exotic items. I can honestly say that with the exception of the olives and ground beef, I have on-hand all of the ingredients required to prepare the dishes presented on last nights show. In fact, I even have olives, just not the Kalamata Olives she called for. I don’t think I’m that unusual, but I do like to cook, to experiment and try new things. Life’s to short to eat the same old meals over and over and over and over . . .
Except, someone could realistically make the Rachel Ray meal under 30 minutes if they were well prepared… NO one could purchase the indgredients needed for the Moroccan meal for under $10 even when purchasing just what you need from the bulk section. I could exclude all the spices which would be a part of a pantry, and maybe even the chicken stock although she used almost all of the carton since she used it in each of the three dishes, and still the cost would be substantially over $10. If the point is to make good food inexpensively, or add spices to expand the flavor profile, fine. But the title of the show is ten dollar dinners… and there is too much doubt that it could be true. especially with the organic ingredients she was using.
Given the huge success of the 5 Dollar Dinners blog and many others like it, I was very surprised at this title. TFN should have known it would be scrutinized for promises.
While I do understand why they chose her, Melissa’s touting of her travels to Paris and Africa turned me off. I have a hard time relating to her, because clearly she doesn’t need to make $10 dinners herself if she can travel so extensively.
Beyond that, I found her tone a little patronizing. When she spoke about the kalamata olives from the olive bar, she made it seem that use of canned or jarred olives would be heresy.
Finally, I found it incredibly annoying every time she claimed to have invented something. There are many other words she could use that would make her seem more approachable and less snooty.
.-= Jennifer Wilson´s last blog ..And I thought only America had weirdos =-.
I’m not a cook nor have I seen the show yet, but I think Food Network should be careful about the show’s title. I would not have all of the basic ingredients in my pantry to prepare the meal. I would first need to stock up before cooking. I’m wondering why they don’t the show “Stay-at-Home cook or Mom in the Kitchen”?
.-= Musings from Me´s last blog ..Why Do You Keep Coming Back to Read a Blog? Part 2 =-.
Reading the comments above, it looks like many readers/viewers agree that it’s pretty unrealistic to prepare these meals for less than $10 and I’d agree as well. Many average kitchens don’t have these ingredients ready to grab out the fridge (jeez, I wish I did !!) like the cheese or even thyme for that matter! So with that said, I think the title of the program already gives viewers skepticsm or leaves them feeling cheated at the end of the show.
Also, I was rooting for Jeffrey to win because I thought he was more easy going and wasn’t so “typical.” Not that I dislike Melissa, but I didn’t enjoy her new show because I feel the way she talks / narrates seems so forced, but it can very well be due nervousness. I’ll still tune into her show, though, just to see if she develops progress and to see any better recipes that actually seem to fit within the $10 budget give or take.
Reading the comments above, it looks like many readers/viewers agree that it’s pretty unrealistic to prepare these meals for less than $10 and I’d agree as well. Many average kitchens don’t have these ingredients ready to grab out the fridge (jeez, I wish I did !!) like the cheese or even thyme for that matter! So with that said, I think the title of the program already gives viewers skepticsm or leaves them feeling cheated at the end of the show.
Also, I was rooting for Jeffrey to win because I thought he was more easy going and wasn’t so “typical.” Not that I dislike Melissa, but I didn’t enjoy her new show because I feel the way she talks / narrates seems so forced, but it can very well be due nervousness. I’ll still tune into her show, though, just to see if she develops progress and to see any better recipes that actually seem to fit within the $10 budget give or take
Reading the comments above, it looks like many readers/viewers agree that it’s pretty unrealistic to prepare these meals for less than $10 and I’d agree as well. Many average kitchens don’t have these ingredients ready to grab out the fridge (jeez, I wish I did !!) like the cheese or even thyme for that matter! So with that said, I think the title of the program already gives viewers skepticsm or leaves them feeling cheated at the end of the show.
Also, I was rooting for Jeffrey to win because I thought he was more easy going and wasn’t so “typical.” Not that I dislike Melissa, but I didn’t enjoy her new show because I feel the way she talks / narrates seems so forced, but it can very well be due nervousness. I’ll still tune into her show, though, just to see if she develops progress and to see any better recipes that actually seem to fit within the $10 budget give or take
.-= Jane´s last blog ..Peanut Butter Y’all! =-.
I just happened on this forum and while I do not normally get involved in online discussions, I thought I might add some perspective from the viewpoint of a professional broadcaster.
During the course of my career, I have worked behind the scenes and as on-air talent (you are called talent whether you have any or not, but that is another story 🙂 ). I am also a professionally trained cook, food tester, restaurant critic and author.
I can tell you from personal experience that Melissa has talent and lot of it. Her on camera performance is nothing short of phenomenal, especially considering her relative inexperience. Does she make some mistakes, sure she does, but so does every new (and old) performer. In fact, I will bet that she is even more critical of her performance than any of you are. That is good by the way, because she will learn from her mistakes and continue to improve.
After many years, I still do not like watch / listen to myself on the air. I hear every dumb thing I said and see every hair out of place. I also see mistakes you probably do not see and keep kicking myself for making them (while imaging my crew is calling me an idiot behind my back). The bottom line; it is easy to pick out mistakes when you have the luxury of analyzing every word and movement from the comfort of your easy chair. It is quite another thing when you are the one in front of the camera. Not only does Melissa have to prepare the food, but she also has to simultaneously describe what she’s doing, weave in a compelling story, keep her eye on the live camera, watch her time cues and stay on her mark; all while smiling and not cutting her fingers off! Pick ups (retakes) and post edit can help fix some blunders, but make no mistake about it, time is money and there is a great deal of pressure to get it right the first time. I know it looks easy, but trust me it is not!
Enough of my rant. All I am saying is, give her a chance, make the food (it is good) and learn what she has to teach you. Do not get so hung up on the show title and menu pairings (which she probably had nothing to do with anyway) that you lose site of the food – the Food Network is after all, about food! I predict, that given a chance she will continue to grow in her craft, learn from her mistakes, and truly become one of the Food Network’s next stars.
Now go eat something!
Al,
Go to the website Act One. Go to About Us and check out who is a member of the executive program advisory board. Bingo! Our little Melissa D’Arabian who so coyly said she was just a home cook. BS! Act One trains people how to succeed in television and Hollywood. She is a fake. Food Network may or may not have known about this, but it sure isn’t listed in her bio. Lies are either by commission or omission. Her lie here was in not disclosing that she is merely a product of an organization who does nothing but groom people to do what she has done.
Sorry, but Melissa’s show is boring and unrealistic. I find her far from being talented and hopefully she will go away or they will put her on at 2 a.m. during the week. Too bad they did not go with Jeffrey’s idea – different ways to use spices is a great idea and something different.
I wish to put in my 2 cents. Melissa’s show is not aired yet in Canada (foodtv.ca) I cannot post my comments but I did try a few of her recipes. For me, ingredients fell under $5.00. It depends what you have already in your fridge or pantry. I have balsamic vinegar, olive oil, thyme, lemons… What will cost me expensive I substitute if I can. You do not have to buy an expensive cheese, or the best cream, or use all the ingredients in her recipes. You do not like olives , do not use them. Shop around and look at the prices ! Use what you got. Kalamata olives I love those. They cost me at my grocery store at the butcher stand ( already packed in it’s plastic container )$1.70 (canadian), I still have alot left after I finished the meatballs ! The leftovers are not wasted. The olives I can use in other recipes and or eat them alone or with my sandwiches. The canned tomatos less than a dollar (canadian). The tomato paste .69 cents. The lemons, I ran out , so I needed to buy some anyway. Brown sugar, I ran out as well, and I love to bake. Ingredients I use already !
The spices, well I have a large pantry of spices. Dates, I bought the dried dates, a whole bag for $1.89. I still have the whole bag left and I can make a pastry with that as well. You see nothing is wasted. People stop complaining ! If you love cooking and your passionate about food, your pantry will stock up and always have those ingredients available when you need it. Melissa cooks as I do. I am not afraid and she uses all the ingredients I use already in my cooking. If you complain about ingredients costing you too much money, and if you love cooking and expanding your horizons, you can substitute with what you got or what you can afford. Tiramisu ( italian dessert ), for example is expensive for the mascarpone. My gosh, I substiute for cream cheese and it still tastes great. Espresso is better, but you can use any strong coffee. Use what you got that is all. Chicken breasts can be expensive when not on sale. Well I once bought chicken legs and deboned them all and was surprised I had a beautiful substitute for chicken breasts. Now as for Jeffrey, I like him alot as much as Melissa. Jeffrey’s ingredients are more expensive than Melissa. A Harissa steak is a nice change, but hey, I never eat steak sandwhiches but will try out one day. Looks great ! Scallops, Tillapia , anchovy paste, Harissa etc… Sounds all wonderful but I cannot afford these ingredients. I have not made one recipe as of now. He is a whole different ballgame and unique just like Melissa. So give her a break and lets wish her well.
What she said. 🙂 Excellent post!
I must say I agree with several of the others I too like Melissa but not this show. I am a mom who cooks dinner every night and was excited to see the new recipes she brought to the table but most of the ingrediants that she uses I do not have and will not go out and buy for one meal. Sandra Lee has the newer show where she makes meals on a budget and I like this one much more. I do not like cooking shows that involve too much personalized “talk” give the recipe and move on dont bring your family members on and thier pets or give me your lifes bio…Melissa you seem nice but I wish they would have chosen Jeffery.