Keller mom Melissa d’Arabian finishes in top three in second episode of Next Food Network Star

by Teresa Gubbins

In week two of The Next Food Network Star, Season 5, local contestant Melissa d'Arabian of Keller repeated her performance from last week's premiere by rising to the top three.

Melissa didn't do well in the opening challenge, in which contestants were given two ingredients for a dish that would appear in Esquire magazine. Melissa got a weird combo: chicken and maraschino cherries. Bad enough, but she made it worse by describing her dish as "family-friendly" instead of Esquire-like manly. Worst of all: the uncomfortable facial expressions she provoked from the lifeless Food Network executives who recoiled when she said it would be good for a toddler or baby.

Beetle-browed contestant Eddie won.

But Melissa vindicated herself in the main challenge, one hosted by Good Housekeeping magazine. Each contestant was assigned a holiday, with Eddie making the assignments. Not much of a strategist, he assigned holidays that fit each contestant's personality the best. Kooky Michael got Halloween, health nut Katie got Earth Day, and so on.

Melissa, ever the uber-mom, got Mother's Day, which she translated into "breakfast in bed." The judges oohed over the rich-and-creamy texture of her baked egg dish, but Jamika Pessoa of Atlanta, Ga., won for collard greens and corn bread. Debbie "I'm Korean" Lee also made top three for her wontons.

Melissa saw more drama when big galumpy contestant Brett implied that she wouldn't have succeeded without the help she got on plating from him and contestant Teddy. His accusation made Melissa's mouth form into a surprised "O", and later she cried indignantly about the slur on her integrity. But Food Network destroyed any chance for a showdown by sending Brett packing. Good call, as he was a big irksome goofus.

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