November 29th, 2012 
Melissa DArabian Host of Ten Dollar Dinners (Photo Credit: Food Network)
Melissa D’Arabian is coming back to Keller, TX and we are so excited to see her again. Melissa won season five of “The Next Food Network Star” and now hosts two popular television series: Food Network’s “Ten Dollar Dinners” and Cooking Channel’s “Drop 5 lbs. with Good Housekeeping. I met Melissa this fall when she was in town promoting her first book Ten Dollar Dinners, and boy was she on a tight schedule. This time Melissa has a little more time and will be doing two great events in Keller, TX tonight. I wanted to pick Melissa’s brain to see how life has changed now that she’s a big star. Melissa will only be in town for today, so make sure you run over to this event.
Q: Did you ever think you would have your own cooking show or is this a new phase in your life that you didn’t plan for?
A: Yes and no. Clearly winning Food Network Star and having my own show wasn’t something I could have predicted with complete accuracy. But living a creative life that connects me with other people and lets me share life experiences with them is not a surprise at all. How that looked specifically, however, is a wonderful surprise.
Q: How are you handling fame?
A: I love meeting fans! And let’s be honest: I’m not exactly Angelina Jolie. I can still go to the movies without getting mobbed. I still walk my dog in the mornings around the block in my PJs carrying my cup of coffee in one hand and the poop bags in the other. Not very glam at all.
Q: Have people changed and do they see you differently?
A: I think the people who know me would say I’m about as normal a mom as they come…I wear jeans and a ponytail to drop off my kids at school, and my family is the exact same goofy and perfectly lovely bunch behind closed doors.
Q. What are some of the lessons you learned from having your own show?
A: I’ve learned a ton about being a working parent and all the logistics that come with having a job that has me on the road a fair amount. In terms of shooting the show, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is to focus on connecting with the viewers and solving their problems, not dealing with my own. Focusing on the audience takes the focus off of me, which keeps me from getting into hyper self-critical mode.
Q. Being on TV is hard and even harder on your family, how do you decompress and balance it all?
A: As a working mom, I have found that I am most successful when I compartmentalize work and family. In other words, when I’m working, I’m focused on work and doing my best job there. And then when it’s family time, I am focused on my kids and husband. We do our best to protect our weekends and do our best to keep them “family days” as my kids call them. My husband and I work together as a team to make sure we have enough time together as a family and as a couple.
Q. What achievement are you most proud of?
A: My four little girls, by far. Overhearing them being kind and supportive of one another when they don’t realize I am anywhere nearby warms my heart.
Ten Dollar Dinner host Melissa d’Arabian with all of her daughters Margaux (up) Charlotte (grey), Valentine (yellow) and Oceanne (tutu) (Photo Credit: Food Network)
WHEN: Thursday November 29th, 2012
Book Signing: 2 pm
Cooking class with appetizers and cocktails: 6 – 8 pm
WHERE:
Keller Public Library
640 Johnson Rd.
Keller, TX 76248
Ph. 817-743-4800
TICKETS: Purchase tickets at www.kellerfriends.org
