A personal chef from New Jersey is a current contestant on "Food Network Star," a show dedicated to identifying top talent for a new Food Network cooking show. Nicole Gaffney is from Brigantine, New Jersey, and is a trained personal chef. She applied to the show on a whim, but has already made it through four episodes and survived several rounds of elimination.
"Nicole, 29, isn't just another personal chef," Food Network says on its website. "Her magnetic personality and innate culinary talent set her apart from the crowd."
Gaffney comes from a Sicilian family of fishermen and she first learned to cook from her grandparents. Her childhood on the Jersey Shore also influenced her culinary style, Gaffney told Food Network. She favors a "coastal cuisine," with an emphasis on bold flavors and delicious fresh seafood.
Gaffney used to work in the restaurant industry, but says she became burned out on the high-pressure lifestyle and decided to start a new career as a personal chef.
"I thought, my passion is clearly in food and I have to find a way to make it work for my lifestyle," she told nj.com, a New Jersey news outlet.
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