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ATTLEBORO - Can a former Army cook become the Next Food Network Star?

Can a person who prefers shepherd's pie to saffron and truffles, kids gooey in chocolate to French cuisine, win her own show on cable TV?

Stay tuned.

Jennifer Cochrane, 32, of Woonsocket, R.I., is a mostly self-taught chef who started playing in the kitchen at age 7. Cochrane is currently executive chef at Briggs Corner Pizzeria in Attleboro, and soon to be chef at its sister restaurant, The Mediterranean Bar & Grille in South Attleboro, should it open on schedule in late July.

The proud mom of a 4-year-old daughter, Lyric - with a son on the way - Cochrane gave up her home and put her worldly possessions into storage to go off on a whim to New York and beyond for a wild chance to take her place among the Food Network's cooking stars. This realistic former Army veteran (eight years, active and inactive) got another dose of reality when the Next Food Network Star premiered on June 1. Fending off the tongs and talents of other would-be celebrity chefs, Cochrane faces weekly challenges and elimination until a winner is crowned on July 27 and is given his or her own Food Network show for a six-week run in August.

Should this Washington state native win, Cochrane's idea for a show is to cook with kids. She wants to take children to see things like pasta being made or chocolate being molded, and then return to the kitchen, where she will teach them how to do it themselves.

"My culinary point of view changed throughout in the second episode," said Cochrane. "It changed to kid-friendly, cooking that the whole family can enjoy."

SUN CHRONICLE: What was the first dish you made when you stumbled into the kitchen at age 7?

JENNIFER COCHRANE: I made a lot of potions. Whatever I found in the cupboard, I'd just mix it.

I think maybe the first thing, with my mother watching, was macaroni and cheese because that's what we always ate. We never made it out the box. It was always from scratch.

I made pancakes, I made easy stuff. Whenever my mom was around, she would let me play in the kitchen. She'd watch me as I worked over the stove.

SC: So, are you completely self taught? What was your primary learning source, cookbooks? TV shows? Mom?

COCHRANE: I didn't watch a lot of cooking shows. I mostly learned from cookbooks, and if I saw something I liked, I'd make it.

Then, I learned much more through the industry, the restaurant business. I picked up things from other chefs. I took a couple of culinary courses in the military. SC: I hear you don't go near certain foo foo stuff, like truffles. Is that right? Why?

COCHRANE: Because I like a big plate of food. I want to eat a lot of food. I plate nicely, don't get me wrong, but these tiny little portions of things on the plate - I don't know, it looks really pretty, it looks great - but when I'm done eating, I'm still hungry. I love Italian food so much. Big portions!

SC: Your favorite food is shepherd's pie, a real guy's dish. Is that because of your years in the Army?

COCHRANE: I worked in a few Irish places. My first job out here was at the Chieftain in Plainville. I fell in love with the owner, Mary, and I fell in love with the food.

She shared her recipe and no one else could do it, so I started to like shepherd's pie. I have a lot of friends in Scotland, so I started to learn about the food out there and fell in love with it.

People in Scotland love Indian food. They dip a lot of food in curry sauce. Curry is a really big thing out there.

SC: How taxing was the audition process to get on this show?

COCHRANE: To be quite honest with you, the first day, when they asked me to come back, I was appalled. I couldn't believe it. Obviously, I was thrilled. I just went up there (to Boston auditions) on a whim to see if I could make it.

The next day, I had to go to Boston and I had to do a demo. I brought a tablecloth, my kitchen aids. I even brought my sous chef with me, German. I handed him the eggs whites so he could whip them for me.

He goes everywhere with me. He's awesome. He is a worker. Twenty hours a day, he'll work. I wanted to bring him on the show. I was going to put him in my bag. He wouldn't fit.

SC: What kind of show would you do if you won? What would you teach?

COCHRANE: I want to do a kid's show. Maybe the set would look like the "Cat in the Hat," and I'd wear a big striped hat and bow tie. Kids would have their aprons. I'd start off by taking kids on a field trip. So, you go to a pasta factory, get to see how pasta is made, then come back from the factory and make the pasta. I mean, it's like Play-Doh.

It would not only be interactive with kids, but I'd show parents at home what they can do. Not just a documentary. Parents and children working together as a team and making chocolate or cooking pasta.

My daughter is learning about measuring in cups. She's having a ball. She's with mommy. She's learning with me.

SC: I know you aren't allowed to give too many details, but what has this TV experience been like?

COCHRANE: It's been a really awesome experience. Stressful at times. Through the entire show, you are completely stressed. I mean, you ask, 'Am I going to be next? Am I going to be next? - To leave?

I learned a lot about who I am, what I want out of life. I took their criticism. I agreed with most of what they said. Of course, now watching it, I get mad at things that happened. I wish I could go back and change things, but I can't.

I can't believe I'm still on the show.

SC: How do you differentiate yourself from the other contestants? Is that the key to winning?

COCHRANE: We all have different points of views. When you are pushed to work with a two-minute limit, well, whatever we can do together quickly, whatever we can push out is whatever we can do.

I've never really competed against other people for anything.

SC: How much did you have to change your life to be on this show?

COCHRANE: I basically put my whole life on hold. I was in a house and I gave up the house. We packed all of our stuff and put it in storage. I flew my daughter out to Washington state, and she stayed with my parents for a month.

I only knew I'd be on the show at the last minute. It was a waiting game. I basically changed everything.

SC: Was it worth it?

COCHRANE: I think it's all been worth it. Everything in my life is going really well. I don't know what I will get out of this after July 27. Will networks call me to be on their shows? I don't know. But I'm so happy how it all turned out.

I still don't know if I'll be on Food Network, but you never know.

Jamie merolla can be reached at 508-236-0431 or jmerolla@thesunchronicle.com.