Star Scrapbook: Aryen Moore-Alston

Aryen Moore-Alston was the fourth finalist eliminated on Food Network Star, Season 10. Relive the memorable moments from her time on the show.

Aryen Moore-Alston

The fourth finalist eliminated from the competition, Aryen lives in Memphis and has a young daughter. Despite her impressive background of living internationally, she couldn't deliver the bold flavor notes needed to succeed as a future Star.

In Aryen's Words

Each finalist was given a journal to use during the competition, and Aryen filled hers with ideas for future challenges, ingredient notes and reflections on mentor comments. She made the scrapbook her own by penning a scripted version of Food Network's logo on the first page.

Global Message

On day one, Aryen was one of only a few finalists to tell an engaging story about herself. After she introduced her international point of view, Bobby told her, "You have an interesting story, which I'd like to hear a lot more about." Alton noted her potential, explaining: "If you've got an ability to adapt cuisines and bring things into our kitchen, then I think you could be onto something."

Positive Thinking

"I'm so glad that I plated and that it tastes great," Aryen said after finishing work on her shrimp-leek pastry bites she made for the premiere party. She revealed that she was pressed for time, explaining: "I had to devein my shrimp, chop chives, leek[s], endive and garlic before I even began. Phew, I am going to have to step my game up."

Culinary Missteps

Despite her confidence in her premiere party dish, Aryen's food struggled from the very beginning. Her shrimp-leek pastry bites were undercooked, and Bobby deemed them "bland."

The Great Onion Snafu

Come week two, the name of the game was education; it was up to Aryen to teach Alton how to salvage too-thin gravy, and for that, she looked to her rival Lenny for advice. Much to Lenny's dismay, his tips not only allowed her to do well in the competition, but they earned her significant commendations from Alton and even the title of a challenge winner.

Losing Lesson

Aryen's lead in the Mentor Challenge didn't last into the Star Challenge, as the beef stew she served — and inadvertently taught to special guest Alex Guarnaschelli — was a flop. "I'm sorry; I did not like this," Giada revealed.

Begging for Flavor

Although Aryen wasn't one of the bottom performers in week two, the mentors urged her to deliver on the big, bold flavors indicative of her personality. "You've given us two bland plates of beige. This is a worry," Alton said to her. "That is not the you that I see, and that is certainly not the experience of your life."

Inspired Spaghetti

In the Cutthroat Kitchen-inspired challenge, Aryen made it her mission to fill her spaghetti and meatballs with as much flavor as possible, as she noted of her plans for grocery shopping. "I'm going and getting all of the spices that I can," she said. "I'm trying to bring the funk."

Italian Heat

No matter her best intentions, Aryen took her goals for colorful food too far when she dished up an overly spicy arrabbiata-inspired sauce. Cutthroat judge and special guest Jet Tila told her, "I can eat as hot as you can go, and this is really hot." Nevertheless, he was pleased with the "warmth and direction" she displayed in her presentation and story about growing up in Italy.

Camera Close-Up

Bobby challenged each of the rivals to make "a video selfie," and for Aryen, the process of self-recording proved difficult. "You had the camera so close to your face it looked like you were going to eat us," he told Aryen of her video. On top of that, her culinary tip appeared jumbled, as she struggled to communicate effectively. "I'm moving at warp speed, and I don't even know what I'm talking about," she admitted.

Introspection

Going into what would be her final challenge, Aryen took a moment to reflect on her previous struggles and to focus before she filmed her marketing video. "I'm trying to shake off the issues that I've encountered in the past three challenges," she wrote, "and for some reason, the past is holding onto me like a monkey on my back. All I want to do is perform my best."

Candy-Fiend Film

At YouTube Space LA, Aryen worked with Lenny and Christopher on Team PayDay, challenged to market the candy bar in a digital video. The goal was to make it "buzz worthy," according to Bobby, and indeed Aryen's team succeeded with an over-the-top monster-science film. "It was the only video that all of us started talking to each other about," one YouTube executive revealed to the Selection Committee.

Lost Words

When YouTube's Shay Carl previewed Team PayDay's video, he warned Aryen of how critical the delivery of her script is: "You got to hit that last line." Despite this feedback, Aryen's crucial moment was ultimately a flop, as many had difficulty understanding what she said.

Aryen's Goodbye

After four weeks of brutal contest, Aryen was ultimately sent home on account of her inability to command in both the culinary and camera spaces. "I know there's a lot there — just based on all the places in the world you've lived and traveled," Bobby told her. "But we've asked you over and over to give it to us, and you just haven't."

One-on-One with Aryen

Hear from Aryen in an exclusive exit interview to learn her thoughts on the competition and her plans for the future.

Off to Salvation

Aryen's battled Luca and fan-favorite Chad in Star Salvation for a chance to rejoin the competition. Watch Episode 4 to see how she fared.

Go Behind the Scenes

Browse insider snapshots of the finalists and mentors to find out what went down on set when the cameras weren't rolling.

More: Behind the Scenes of Food Network Star, Season 10

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Check out Star headquarters for behind-the-scenes photos, exclusive interviews and insider videos.

On Tonight

Aryen Moore-Alston

Star Scrapbook: Aryen Moore-Alston

Aryen Moore-Alston

In Aryen's Words

Global Message

Positive Thinking

Culinary Missteps

The Great Onion Snafu

Losing Lesson

Begging for Flavor

Inspired Spaghetti

Italian Heat

Camera Close-Up

Introspection

Candy-Fiend Film

Lost Words

Aryen's Goodbye

One-on-One with Aryen

Off to Salvation

Go Behind the Scenes

Want More Food Network Star?

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