“I knew I could never go home again”: The high cost of cooking (gumbo) on reality television

I don’t think it’s much of a secret that I watch far too many reality cooking shows, so to say that I found this profile of Next Food Network Star finalist Jay Ducote really gratifying to write should go without saying.

Which isn’t to say I didn’t prefer the 3,500-word longer version that got nixed by networks and publicists for containing too much specific “behind the scenes” information, mind you. I don’t know what they thought I wasn’t going to include “behind the scenes” information given that I pitched the piece as a “behind the scenes” look at reality cooking television. But that’s neither here nor there.