Jamie Andrade 27, Elk Grove Village

Jamie Andrade

27, Elk Grove Village

International logistics agent

Cook of the Week Challenge 2011: Round 1 winner

What is your favorite ingredient and how do you like to use it? This year’s favorite ingredient is bacon — swear it makes everything taste better. Even though it has a strong distinctive flavor, it’s very versatile. I’ll throw some brown sugar and cracked black pepper on it for a quick breakfast side, wrap it around chicken with barbecue sauce and cheese for an easy dinner, chop it into almost any casserole or stuffing. You can honestly put it in anything from seafood to dessert. Ever tried candied bacon?

Describe your style or approach to cooking. Simple and straight forward. I try not to use canned or processed foods and I’ll try anything once. I like the ease of being able to run out to my garden and grab fresh herbs, tomatoes and peppers to use with a meat or chicken dish. You can get big flavor with a few simple ingredients.

Why do you want to be part of the Cook of the Week Challenge? Redemption!