Local grad cooks his way to Emmy win on Rachael Ray’s show

Credit: Courtesy of Grant Melton

Credit: Courtesy of Grant Melton

Having his mother as his high school guidance counselor has worked out pretty well for Grant Melton thus far.

“She gave me some good advice,” the 2007 Brookville High School graduate said.

“Find something you really love doing and turn it into a career.”

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She’s a cool mom. 😎

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Cooking up a storm and doing what he loves helped earn the 30-year-old an Emmy  in the outstanding informative talk show category Sunday for his work on the “Rachael Ray Show.”

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“I was really excited to be a part of the team that was nominated,” the alumni of the  Muse Machine, a Dayton-based theater program, said. “A dream scenario for me is to get a second one so I can use them for dumbbells.”

The New York resident is now one of Rachael Ray culinary producers. He started as an intern after graduating Columbia College Chicago, where he earned a bachelor of arts in interdisciplinary studies and studied broadcast journalism and film.

Credit: Courtesy of Grant Melton

Credit: Courtesy of Grant Melton

“I literally have had every single job with the show,” he said.

These days, the baking pro appears regularly in cooking segments with Rachael Ray and produces food segments for celebrity guests.

He does everything from coming up with recipes to collecting ingredients.

Melton's creations can also be found on his Instagram page and website,  GrantMelton.com.

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Credit: Courtesy of Grant Melton

Credit: Courtesy of Grant Melton

He likened picking a favorite recipe to picking a favorite child, but said he loves his recipe for red wine brownies and rosé alfredo.

“Let’s just put some booze in this and see what happens,” Melton said when asked how he came up with the recipes.

Melton — one of three sons in his family — says he got his passion for food from his parents, Pamela and Wendell Melton.

“We had dinner every night as a kid,” he said. “Something I looked forward to after school was helping them cook.”

Grant said his father, like his wife, is a high school guidance counselor, loved Emeril Lagasse and other celebrities chefs. 
"I basically learned everything I knew about food from my parents and watching television."

Melton said he encourages people to pursue their passions.

“Find something you really love doing and turn it in a career. The other things is you have to put in the work,” he said. “I always encourage people to dream big, but work harder.”

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