TV Jots

Big Daddy on His Big Victory

The fourth season of the reality culinary competition The Next Food Network Star ended on Sunday, July 27, with the announcement of the lucky participant chosen to receive their own cable cooking show. His name is Aaron McCargo, Jr., of course, and I was fortunate to have the chance to participate in a group interview with the aspiring celebrity chef just this past Monday.

Read on to learn all about McCargo’s foodie experiences on and off the show, including his aspirations for his brand-new Food Network series Big Daddy’s House, which premieres at 1:30pm EST this Sunday, August 3.

What was your original impetus to send in an audition tape for Next Food Network Star?
Aaron: I actually never sent anything in. My wife had my hands tied; she sent in my audition tape.

What was the best part of your experience on the show?
Aaron: Meeting the nine other finalists, building relationships, and getting good ideas from all of them.

When during the competition did you start to think that you could actually win?
Aaron: I walked in thinking I had a chance to win. Week to week, they took me on a roller-coaster ride, but I never gave up believing in my chance of winning.

Now that you have won, how do you plan to prepare for your new show?
Aaron: My plan is to just get people to tune into my show. With my show Big Daddy’s House there will be no competition. I can be myself, having fun and cooking.

Will your show be based on one theme or style of cooking? Or will you open the door to other options, say, different regions?
Aaron: My food presented on the show is going to be wide open in style and presentation. My main goal is teaching people to use what they have at home in preparing their meals.

How has your family’s food habits influenced what you want to present in your new show?
Aaron: We’re all about big portions. My mother always was into flavoring food a lot and that is what I plan to present to the audience in Big Daddy’s House.

How would you describe the style of your food?
Aaron: The history is very important. I call my food Soul Food, but I keep it with an ethnic twist. It’s about food that is flavorful and fun.

When did you first realize you were a serious eater? What do your family and friends think of your food obsessions?
Aaron: I became a serious eater at the age of four. I was served one piece of fried chicken and thought to myself, “When I get older, I’ll cook my own whole chicken so I can eat it.” My friends and family think I’m a food junkie. I go to work and cook, I come home and cook, I spend weekends cooking with my family. I just am obsessed with cooking, and I want to show the world what I can do, and I think Big Daddy’s House will be the place to do it.

Can you tell us about your favorite family food tradition?
Aaron: My favorite family food tradition had to be fish on Fridays. And because of my Italian background with a Roman Catholic upbringing, I would always prepare pasta on Wednesdays. So, on Fridays, I started to combine the two into a unique dish to serve to my family.

Guilty pleasures? Describe your perfect meal.
Aaron: I love Coors Light cold, but if I could eat anything, my perfect meal would be a 16- to 18-ounce New York steak, cooked medium, with asparagus and fried mushrooms. To start off, I would have one of my salad’s with a special dressing and one of my homemade soups.

What food won’t you eat?
Aaron: There’s not any foods I would not eat. I’m pretty open to eating anything. I love food.