After ten episodes that have put hopeful television chefs through the rigors of cooking in a food truck, charming Eva Longoria, mastering an 'Iron Chef' challenge and even serving meals from the Palm Springs kitchen of the legendary Frank Sinatra, last night the winner of 'The Next Food Network Star' was crowned.

It came down to three finalists -- Aarti Sequeira, Herb Mesa, and Tom Pizzica. After filming their pilots, under the guidance of Rachael Ray, the programs were evaluated by both focus groups of Food Network viewers as well as the selection committee.

The reviews were excellent all around. Nobody failed and each pilot showed true promise. The selection committee made a strong case for each contestant. Of course, only one could be the big winner. Who was it? Consider this a SPOILER ALERT. Continue on for the reveal, as well as an interview with 'The Next Food Network Star' champion.

Scripps Networks Interactive, the company behind the Food Network and HGTV, has gotten an ally in its war against Cablevision. For those unaware, Cablevision dropped Scripps programming due to a disagreement about fees.

There will be an encore presentation of the Food Network's highly-rated program Super Chef Battle: An Iron Chef America Event on the local networks WPIX-TV in New York and WTXX-TV in Hartford, Connecticut. The HGTV special HGTV Dream Home 2010 Tour will also be appearing on WPIX.

One can only wonder if this is the future of television, in which cable channels make deals with networks for encore broadcasts. It would help the networks find cheap programming and there have already been experiments with cable and networks sharing programs (such as Friday Night Lights).

In the end, Scripps and Cablevision will likely come to an agreement, just as Fox and Time Warner Cable did. Now if only Cablevision would start carrying BBC America to make me happy.

Everyone knows that there is drama between Jon and Kate and the episode following the well-gawked-at season premiere totally blankets over the whole situation. Instead of having Jon and Kate face their demons, the show decided to pretend like nothing happened. The situation between Jon and Kate reminds me of the strain between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. TLC decided to go the way of the ailing sitcom and implant celebrity guests. No more paparazzi shots and stress about the relationship; instead we'll get visits from outside forces. Yay for whitewashing.

Thanks Chef Michael Symon, but your services are no longer needed on Dinner: Impossible. Yes, he's been given the pink slip because it seems the folks at Food Network realize that they may have acted a bit rashly when they changed chefs last April. The Food Network has rehired Robert Irvine and will reinstate him as the host of Dinner: Impossible.

Apparently, fudging his resume wasn't quite the high crime and misdemeanor it was made out to be. In fact, the network's dramatic reversal is proof positive that Dinner: Impossible has not been the same show with Chef Robert.

It's easier to forgive Irvine for padding his credits -- including facts like cooking for the Queen and preparing meals at the White House -- than it was to find as charismatic a star to anchor the weekly show.

Perhaps it's unfair to prejudge, but I am really, really disappointed in the Food Network. The announcement that they are planning a new series that involves competitive eating called Eat the Clock sounds like a sell-out.

It sounds like Food Network is following in the footsteps of classy shows like Hurl and Fear Factor. I expect better from the network that espouses to be about the best in food and cooking, not how fast you can jam it down your throat.

The same company that's behind Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels, Pie Town Productions, has cooked up Eat the Clock. They're comparing it to The Amazing Race, but with eating contests thrown up -- I mean, in. There will be travel involved, which relates to Rachael's travel show. Maybe they'll have Rachael try her gullet at consuming mass quantities. (Oh wait, that's the Coneheads.)

Even though Food Network has had a few hiccups lately especially on The Next Food Network Star, I'm happy to see that the execs still can spot talent when it crosses their path. I watched the finale of The Next Food Network Star and saw Aaron McCargo Jr. win the title and then caught his new show Big Daddy's House. He was excellent and far more relaxed and appealing than he was on the competition show.

In fact, in the finale episode, I was more impressed with one of the two contestants that didn't win, Adam Gertler. Now Food Network is giving Gertler his own show. The program is called Will Work for Food and it's going to be premiering on September 30 on Food Network.

A couple of week's ago, I noticed -- and ranted here -- about the Food Network showing a promo for the penultimate (or nearly penultimate) episode of The Next Food Network Star which revealed who would be eliminated in the show that I was viewing. It seemed like bad form to me, but some people defended FN and advised me to get a DVR and use it. Just to be clear, I have two and use them extensively. This was a case where I was watching a rebroadcast a day after the airing, commercials and all. My point was that FN should know better than to schedule a promo for that reveals so much about the show you're watching even on a rebroadcast.

Anyway, now it turns out that Food Network has made yet another flub that's spoiled the surprise of The Next Food Network Star reveal. This one occurred on their web site. D Magazine reported that a week before the finale of the competition reality show, video interviews with the three finalists were broadcast on the web site and the winner was clearly indicated. In case you have the finale on your DVR and haven't watched it yet, The Next Food Network Star will be shown after the jump.

When I look at some of the people who have emerged as today's biggest stars on TV, I scratch my head and wonder, "how did that happen?" There are a few stars who have completely exceeded my expectations -- and I bet yours, too. In fact, after you read my five (no cell phone pun intended), I'm betting that you'll have a few more overachievers to add to the list.

1) Ty Pennington
I'm not ashamed to admit that for a couple of years I was hooking on TLC's Trading Spaces. It may have been the perky Paige Davis, the home improvement on a $1,000, the cool things that the designers did in just 24 hours -- whatever it was, I was a regular viewer. Oh, yes, there was also a carpenter on the show named Ty Pennington.
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Summer's here and that can mean only one thing -- food! Okay, maybe that's only what it means at the Food Network. The Food Network will kick off six new shows for the summer beginning right after the Fourth of July. Here's what's on tap:

• Grill It! with Bobby Flay - This is the latest from Iron Chef and master griller Bobby Flay. It's sort of a competition/fantasy show, but not a Throw Down (that's another show). Bobby will introduce 13 viewers who've sent in their videos showing their grilling expertise and why they should be on air to grill alongside BF. The show premieres on July 6 at 9 o'clock a.m. with a shrimp episode.

• How'd That Get On My Plate? - From the field to the plate, hostess Sunny Anderson -- who just started on FN in April with Cooking for Real -- shows how the things we eat make it to our tables. The first episode is July 6 at 11 p.m. The food in question will be strawberries.