Where are you living now?

My family and I are currently living in the teeny, tiny village of Brianny, in Burgundy, France. (I decided to follow the advice of everyone who blogged and said if I loved France so much, I should move there! Thanks! Good advice!) We’ll be here through the Fall of 2008, when we’ll return to San Diego to enroll our son, Indiana, in kindergarten. We’re having a wonderful time eating and traveling a lot and enjoying the regional specialties of France, which has such a rich and diversified cuisine heritage. We’re actually near the Morvan forest where the fields and pastures are given over to cattle and other livestock and farming, but north of us is Chablis and just south the wine regions of Beaune, St.-George-en-Nuits and Maçon. A funny note, because I’m waiting for him to arrive: To give you an idea of how small our village is, we have no boulangerie, which is practically scandalous in France. But lest the paysans take up arms again in revolt at the lack, there is a "bread guy" who comes by in a van twice a week, delivering freshly-baked baguettes. He honks the horn and you run out the gate to fetch your allotment. And of course, it’s good bread! With our friends here we’re thinking of hosting some cooking classes and culinary and wine tours this summer. We should have a web site up by April with dates, for anyone who’s interested in learning more about my kind of French cooking: The unpretentious, down-to-earth, country cooking that is particularly wonderful here in Burgundy. You’ll get to stay in a gorgeous and funky 18th century farm complex and gather your own snails in the garden!

What was the experience of winning NFNS like for you?

Surreal. For several months, I believed that I was the third man out, and I made my peace with it – why it happened, what it said (and didn’t say) about me as a cook, etc. When events unfolded I was really caught off guard. I had very mixed emotions about the whole thing. On the one hand, I was excited to be back in the race. The whole atmosphere of The Next Food Network Star is exhilarating and it was an adrenalin rush to be once again surrounded by cameras and producers and in that passionate work environment, readying for and filming the finale. On the other hand, I was bothered by a sense of things not being fair. I felt horrible for Jag, and didn’t like the idea of profiting from his mistake. When I won, I felt really, really terrible for Rory, whom I like very much and who I respect very much as a cook and a performer and a gutsy, ambitious woman. It’s hard to hold two conflicting emotions simultaneously: Happy for myself – though also terrified – and guilty because I felt I didn’t deserve to win. It was a very bittersweet victory. By the time I was announced the winner, family issues had also helped me determine that working in television was not going to be in my future.

Tell us about shooting your show, The Gourmet Next Door.

Shooting The Gourmet Next Door was a learning experience. I was very nervous and also continuously plagued by a sense of guilt that I shouldn’t be there, and it made getting through the filming at times very difficult. I’m also my own worst critic and I wanted to do a great job, to earn the honor that had been given to me instead of another one of the extremely deserving and qualified NFNS3 cast members. I loved working with my producer, Mark Dissin, who taught me a lot and who was a great mentor throughout filming. Also, the culinary producers and everyone who works in the Food Network Kitchens, who are tremendous cooks and very talented at what they do. For anyone who thinks that doing a cooking show is easy – try it! It’s very, very, very hard! You have 18 minutes of cooking time – not much! – and no script, except for the closing and opening. But all in all, I had a wonderful time. I pushed myself, I was proud of what I accomplished, and I think I succeeded in my mission, which was to share the love I have for French food with people and to teach them about cooking. Cooking is such a gift. It’s a way to relax, a way to share with the people you love, a way to take control of your health and well being, a way to give back to your community by paying attention to what you eat and where it comes from. I hope that my show made a few people more willing to go in the kitchen and play.

Will you be back for another season?

I will not be back for another season. The producers offered me more shows, but with my family I decided it was time to move on to other projects. The lifestyle and obligations of a television personality – including cultivating the thick skin it takes to survive the harsh criticism and vicious personal attacks mounted by bloggers – just aren’t compatible with my goals or my family at this time.

What did you enjoy most about being on NFNS?

The work and the chance to be surrounded by other people who were passionate about cooking. I always felt like I was going to throw up walking into the kitchen for a challenge, but the rush – finding out our directive, gathering ingredients, beginning to create, watching the clock, thinking, planning – was intense and very, very exciting.

Do you keep in touch with other contestants?

I do with a few. I think the outcome of the season was tough on everybody. There were divided loyalties, maybe, and hurt feelings and some bitterness. I am sure that every one of us, however, will have tremendous success in our futures. Paul is a very special and dear friend of mine and we stay in close contact. Colombe actually helped introduce me to the family from whom we’re renting our farmhouse in Burgundy, and she may be visiting here in May, so we’ll have a reunion!

Any behind-the-scene happenings from NFNS you can tell us?

The antics of Paul and Jag kept us in stitches. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. It was like living with The Odd Couple. They both give very good massages, too.

How do you see NFNS having changed your future?

I learned a lot about myself, what I’m capable of, what I believe in, what I want from life. I gained a lot of perspective about what’s important to me. I came to change my family’s life, and I’m still committed to doing that, but I see other roads toward the end goal and I’m willing to be more patient. I’m working on it! Absolutely, winning NFNS3 helped me open doors. I have a new column in Bon Appétit magazine, called "Family Style," about cooking for your clan, and I’m really proud of that. I’ve written freelance for various publications and magazines for years, and now I’m working on other goals in publishing as well, in part because I’ve done a lot of reflecting on why I love food and cooking and what’s the best way to communicate and spread that hopefully infectious love.

What advice would you offer the next round of contestants?

I have advice from both sides of the coin: If you’re eliminated, try not to dwell on it, or read too much into it. Television is a strange medium and I don’t think anyone can say with certainty why one show works or another doesn’t or why one performer has more promise or charisma or whatever than another. I trust that the producers know what they’re doing, but it doesn’t mean that there aren’t big things still to come in the future. Maybe they’re just not the things you originally hoped for, or thought you wanted. And if you win, enjoy the ride and be gracious and prepared to work very, very hard!

You won, but when you look back, would you have done anything differently?

No, I couldn’t change the way things happened because life is always right and everything happens for a reason. But I wish I could have saved some people some heartache and sadness.

Are you recognized a lot now?

Not in France! But in the States, yes. People are very kind and I’m thankful to every single person whose come up to me and said congratulations and that they loved NFNS and The Gourmet Next Door. Even though I’m not staying on for another season, the shows changed my life and I’m very thankful for all of the people who wanted to help me toward a different future.

What was the greatest lesson you learned from your time on NFNS?

In October, right around the time that The Gourmet Next Door was on the air, good friends lost their 19-year-old son, Danny Riley ( www.dannyriley.com), to a three-year battle with cancer. He was a brilliant, passionate kid who loved music. (Jack Johnson fans will notice that Jack’s new album is dedicated to Danny, who was his wife’s cousin and who sings on a track of the album). Danny lived a big, short life. I carry a picture of him in my bag with me, to help me remember to live one day at a time, to accept and to look for the blessings that life gives us, to be courageous, and to have perspective. This is what I will take with me from 2007, a really crazy year. Thank you to everyone for your support!