Fun Fearless Foodie

After my short but oh-so-sweet stint working over at the Food Network on Iron Chef America I’ve been itching with excitement to get another opportunity to work with the FN team.  When I departed last month I made sure I told everyone who needed to know that I wanted the chance to interview and test for their official intern program and was stoked when a week later I was greeted with an email inviting me to do just that.  So for the last month i’ve been anxiously awaiting the big day and trying my best to keep the whole thing quiet so that in the event I didn’t get the internship I could avoid the awkward letdown, or at least publicly.  Well friends, I’m excited to announce that the interview went great and I have been offered a 3 month internship at the FN starting in January!

I know this doesn’t make me the Next Food Network Star or anything, but getting an internship at FN is a very cool opportunity and can open a lot of doors down the line in terms of career potential so I plan on taking advantage of it to the fullest.  The whole interview process was more of a practical test than a traditional interview.  When I arrived at the studios last Friday I was given a worksheet with a variety of tasks that I needed to complete, showcasing my knife skills, cooking skills, and practical knowledge of recipe writing and editing.  I won’t reveal my assignments in an effort to maintain the mystery and competitiveness of the process but I will say that my culinary school know-how and the fact that I had worked there before were advantageous.  This simple technique was also handy.

I felt pretty confident throughout the interview, but to make things more nerve-wracking they were also filming an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay in the test kitchen at the same time I was completing my test. Lookout for the back of my head in an upcoming holiday episode!

My internship begins on January 4th, 2011, a great way to kick off the new year.  I will be working at the studios located above Chelsea Market full time for 3 months at the same time I finish up my last 3 months of school at FCI.  It’s going to be a hectic time, but everything I’ve been wanting all at the same time.  I’m not sure what shows and projects I’ll be working on during my stint there, but I will get the chance to rotate throughout different departments, working with the test kitchen, product development, production, and research.  My goal for this whole process is to hone in more on what it is I truly want to do when my “life as a student adventure” ends and make some great connections that will hopefully lead to bigger and better things.

Until then, I’ll be working in my own test kitchen whipping up delicious dishes to share with you here on Fun Fearless Foodie and look forward to a beautiful and bountiful fall in NYC!