Judges praise creativity in Cook of the Week Challenge tailgate match-ups
The first Round 2 Cook of the Week Challenge contestants fired up their grills as we added a tailgating theme to the weekly mystery basket matchups and the judges certainly were fired up by their recipes.
In Challenge 9, Jamie Andrade and Joan Huenecke were tasked with working whole chicken, mango, almonds and licorice extract into football-friendly fare. In Challenge 10, Denise Allen and Emily Geddes had to coach beef top round, eggplant, ruffled potato chips and Opaa Zesty Greek Yogurt Dip into a game-time meal.
Today you'll read what the judges said about each contestant's creation, but we're keeping the lid on who won each challenge until Oct. 22. On that date we will reveal the four finalists heading to the Nov. 3 live cook-off at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg.
Do you have your tickets to join us yet? If not, head to events.dailyherald.com to reserve your spot in the audience. Tickets cost $20 and include a drink ticket, a goody bag, samples from our vendors and celebrity chef demonstrations. Tickets sell out each year, so don't delay.
Jagermeister-infused Grilled Asian Kebabs: Jamie Andrade
Ted Brunson: Kebabs are a great item for tailgating! Now, it's kicked up a notch with Jagermester! The preparation seems easy enough to not take time away from the day and the perceived taste is great! Tailgating is all about socializing and convenience of great food. This nails it!
Dan Marquardt: Wow this looks fabulous. I like the Asian flair and blend of unique ingredients.
Joyce Mongello: Cutting up the whole chicken not so easy; may be too much for tailgating. I like the almond rub; it's creative.
Michael Pennisi: Kebabs are always a great choice for grilling and combining varied flavors. I like that this chef incorporated the anise into a soy and orange marinade where it adds depth without being too assertive. Using almonds as part of a rub intrigues me and I would love to try it as the process seems similar to making a peanut sauce for chicken satay. While kebabs do look "pretty" with the mixture of veggies and meat I would suggest cooking the meat separately from the veggies to ensure more uniform cooking. My biggest concern is that this recipe doesn't use the whole chicken and there are some wings and legs feeling left out.
Tailgate Octoberfest Chicken with Fennel Slaw and Mango Salsa: Joan Huenecke
T.B.: I love beer can chicken. This recipe takes it to a whole new level! Great use of all ingredients and I can only imagine how tender and juicy the bird is. My one major concern is the lengthy preparation and cook time. I applaud the creativity, but wonder how much the fans in the parking lot would appreciate the hard work. Overall, I'd love to have this on game day!
D.M.: Great creativity and nice presentation! This is essentially a meal with the side but my secret ingredient was used in the side and not the main dish.
J.M.: Great use of ingredients-like that the chicken is cooked whole made multiple dishes with the ingredients given.
M.P.: I really like the seasonings on this beer-can chicken, they remind me of what I could be tasting on spit-roasted chicken in Bavaria. Fennel and anise are very similar in flavor and so the slaw/dressing combination is elegant in its simplicity. In addition, the slaw recipe is filled with a lot of other flavors to balance out the licorice notes. I would love to see the cook use the almonds for something more than a garnish. The mango salsa recipe looks great but it seems very disconnected from the other flavored components of the dish.
Grilled Steak Gyros with Zesty Yogurt Sauce: Denise Allen
T.B.: This dish sounds and looks delicious! I love the combination of flavors into a pita for easy eating at a tailgate party. This is gourmet street (or parking lot) food.
J.M.: Good recipe for tailgating-like the ease of preparation.
Jimmy Nicolau: Product looks great. Simple and delicious!
M.P.: The seasonings used in this recipe tie the steak and eggplant together into a flavor packed combination. I like that this cook included steps to tenderize the top round by using a meat mallet, marinating it, and cutting it into strips. I would only suggest cooking the eggplant first, then tossing the cooked eggplant into the marinade. This cook showed creativity in transforming the yogurt dip twice, first into a flavorful version of tzatziki sauce which finishes off the sandwich and then into a chip dip. I would have liked to see the potato chips transformed in some way instead of just being served on the side.
North African Spiced Steak Rolls and Turkish Eggplant Moons: Emily Geddes
T.B.: I have no doubt this has fantastic taste! I really like the use of potato chips with the eggplant. It does seem like it would be a bit awkward to eat for some people at a tailgate, but I'd definitely dig in!
J.M.: Interesting mix of flavors; very creative. I like the eggplant chips; a good use of the secret ingredient potato chips.
J.N.: Very nice plating. Good job on the idea and uniqueness of this dish.
M.P.: This cook also took the time to tenderize the top round which is essential to making this cut enjoyable. The North African spice pallet is just starting to become popular and I am impressed that this cook keeps abreast of new trends in food. My only concern about this dish is the cooking method as I think the direct heat of the grill will dry out and toughen the meat rolls. Using potato chips and seasoning as a breading is a good idea and add some needed crunch and flavor to the eggplant which is otherwise a pretty bland and mushy vegetable. Again the cooking method concerns me as I can envision of the breading falling through the grill grates. Finally the cook prepared a delicious tzatziki sauce which I think works as a dip for just about anything.
Fan favorites
Voters picked Joan Huenecke's Tailgate Oktoberfest Chicken and Denise Allen's Grilled Steak and Gyros as the Challenge 7 and 8 winners, respectively.
Online voting
Online voting opens for the final Round 2 recipes on Oct. 15 and will close at midnight Oct. 19. Cast your vote at surveymonkey.com/s/2014COTW. Each week we'll select one person at random to win a prize from one of our sponsors.
For voting on Challenge 9 and 10 recipes, Gemini Cruz will receive a $25 gift card from Whole Foods Market.