Melissa d'Arabian facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Melissa d'Arabian

d'Arabian in 2015
Born	Melissa Donovan Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Cooking style	American French Low calorie
Spouse	Philippe d'Arabian
Television show(s) Ten Dollar Dinners Kitchen Survival Guide (pilot)

Melissa Donovan d'Arabian is an American cookbook author and television show host. She won the fifth season of Food Network Star in 2009. Following her victory, she went on to host Ten Dollar Dinners on Food Network.

Early life and education

Born in Anaheim, California, d'Arabian moved throughout her childhood to Tucson, Arizona; San Diego, California; and Bethesda, Maryland. During this time, d'Arabian attended several private Christian schools. d'Arabian's parents divorced when she was a few months old, and she and her sister were raised solely by her mother. Because her single mother was paying her way through medical school, Melissa discovered her passion for cooking and developed her budget strategies very young. In an interview with Food Network, she said, "That's where I learned about cooking as a way of showing people that you care about them." After high school at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Maryland, d'Arabian attended the University of Vermont, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. d'Arabian joined Alpha Chi Omega. After a period working on cruise ships as part of the entertainment staff, d'Arabian studied at Georgetown University, earning her MBA.

Television and professional career

d'Arabian at 2013 LA Times Festival of Books

After winning Food Network Star, d'Arabian launched her show, Ten Dollar Dinners in 2010. The show focused on affordable meals that cost ten dollars or less to make. The show ran for three seasons. In 2012, she published her first cookbook, Ten Dollar Dinners: 140 Recipes and Tips to Elevate Simple, Fresh Meals Any Night of the Week, which became a New York Times best seller. Also in 2012, d'Arabian began hosting a show on the Cooking Channel, Drop 5 Lbs. with Good Housekeeping, which featured low-calorie recipes and weight loss tips.

d'Arabian is a frequent judge on Guy's Grocery Games, where she has demonstrated her ability to speak fluent French. She has also appeared on several other Food Network series, such as The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Chopped, Food Network Challenge, and The Best Thing I Ever Made. Her recipes and budgeting tips have also been featured on the Today Show, CNN, People, Food Network Magazine and iVillage.com.

Ten Dollar Dinners

Ten Dollar Dinners is an American cooking television program hosted by d'Arabian. It debuted August 9, 2009 at 12:30 PM EST. Melissa d'Arabian is the winner of the fifth season of The Next Food Network Star.

The second season of her program premiered in January 2010 on the Food Network. During this season, she received a new kitchen set, which has the set up similar to a home kitchen. The third season of her program premiered in July 2010.

In each episode, d'Arabian shows the viewers how to cook up a dinner for four people based on a budget of $10 USD.

Personal life

While working in merchandise finance in Euro Disney, d'Arabian met her husband, Philippe. They live near San Diego, California, with their four daughters. d'Arabian identifies as a Christian and attends the First United Methodist Church of San Diego.

Filmography

Television