Cook of the Week Challenge: Judges weigh in on Emmentaler, chia seed mystery basket recipes
Molly Sutton and Juanita Harrell round out our Final Four. The cook-off will be held Nov. 3 at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg.
Sutton's cassoulet and biscuits won the delicate squash/hot dog/Edelweiss Creamery Emmentaler/King Arthur Flour mystery basket challenge, while Harrell's pork chops pitas took top honors in the pork chop/mascarpone/Now Foods chia seeds/Woodfield Mall snow peas challenge.
Here's what the judges had to say:
Midwest Cassoulet with Swiss Cheese Biscuits: Molly Sutton
Brienne Hendrickson: Creative, but yet not over complicated. Looks great and is a recipe I would want to try myself.
Joanna Miller: Excellent combination of ingredients in the Midwest Cassoulet, hearty and delicious. There are many layers of flavor and textures. With the perfect pairing of the biscuits, this is definitely a hearty fall meal sure to warm you up.
Dan Rich: This is a well-prepared offering that nicely incorporates the mystery basket ingredients. Sneaking the hot dogs into the cassoulet is a nice idea, although I suspect that I might still be looking for the richness and flavor of duck or something a bit more traditional. The biscuits look and sound delicious. I'll be making these at home. This is a well thought out, well-constructed dish that is up against some heavy competition. Best wishes as you continue on to the final four.
Suzy Singh: Great job in creating one cohesive dish! Overall the flavors worked well together in a beautiful symphony that is not only balanced but extremely creative. I wished you treated the hot dogs in the same way you treated the pancetta, chicken and pork. The flavors of the cassoulet would be even more elevated if the hot dogs were diced finely and browned. This would increase the earthy undertone of this dish. Overall, amazing job and this recipe truly warmed my heart.
Fall Sunday Brunch Trio: David Rench
B.H.: Appears very complicated to make, but very creative. I like how cheese was used in more than one of the dishes.
J.M.: What a creative approach to hot dogs in the frittata. A great way to fancy up a basic. This is a great fall recipe, perfect for brunch. This contestant also took a basic tomato and dressed it up. Nice combination of sweetness from the tomato paired with sage and Swiss cheese.
D.R.: Wow! This made me want to take a fork and knife right to the computer screen and dig in. I loved the theme, and the way this contestant made it all work together. An absolutely beautiful presentation. I wondered how the hot dogs were going to be used in this challenge, and I feel that the contestant rather artfully tucked them away and made them palatable in their Trio.
S.S.: Considering that I just finished a culinary tour in Italy, I must say these recipes are authentic. Create skill and understanding of traditional Italian technique on this dish. The entire dish had a central focus and the flavors worked very well together. I especially loved that you sautéed the hot dog to obtain a nice caramelized flavor. I still would have liked for this dish to be composed as one dish instead of three separate dishes with the central focus on Italian cuisine.
Teriyaki Pork Pitas with Tempura Snow Peas and Peach-Pineapple Smoothie: Juanita Harrell
Heather Lloyd: This meal looked delicious, the presentation was superb. The ease of preparation really sold it for me. I believe that all skill levels of cooks could prepare this meal.
J.M.: This recipe looks to be a good balance of sweet, tang and spice. It is a nice balance of color and texture. Creativity is spot on here too with the ingredients.
D.R.: This cook has done a nice job using all of the mystery basket ingredients. For my particular taste, I would like to have seen a bit of caramelization on the protein. I would have also preferred that the chia seeds be better incorporated into the main plate; they may have added some additional depth to the pita or have been a nice surprise if incorporated into the tempura mixture. The dipping sauce seems to be more of an afterthought and the heat from the Sriracha may obscure the more subtle flavors of the dish. Fewer snow peas on the plate may have made the offering slightly more visually appealing.
S.S.: Talk about flavor! This contestant went above and beyond to create a delicious and flavorful meal! Using the chia seeds in the smoothie was a great use for this ingredient but I wished the contestant stretched their imagination and used the chia in a very innovative way … such as in the tempura batter. Chia seeds are very hydrophilic and they expand with water. The use of the Chia seeds in the tempera batter would not only provide great texture but also great flavor. Keep this in mind when using unique ingredients.
Asian Rice-Stuffed Pork Chop with Hot Mustard Pan Gravy, Glazed Vegetables and Chai Cookies: Chris Crabtree
H.L.: I think the presentation could have been more creative, though the use of the ingredients was fantastic.
J.M.: This looks to be a creative recipe, layering many flavors. Looks to be a hearty meal for this time of the year.
D.R.: This contestant did a nice job incorporating all of the ingredients in the mystery basket. I like the way the chia seeds were worked onto the main plate. I would have preferred a quick stir fry with the protein included, or simply plated on top. The cookies kind of had me scratching my head, and seemed to force the use of the mystery basket ingredients a bit. I would also encourage this contestant to be mindful of her plating — the pan sauce seems to want to be the star of the plate, trying to overshadow the pork chop in this offering.
S.S.: The technique this contestant used for this dish was off the charts! Kudos for using chia in the stuffing and in the chai infused cookie! One suggestion that would be helpful moving forward in this competition is to tighten up your presentation. Place your starch in the middle of your plate and build vertically. Not only will this look more visually appealing but it would also allow the consumer to have a taste of all of the ingredients in one bite to provide a well rounded taste.
Fan favorites
Voters picked Molly Sutton's Midwest Cassoulet with Swiss Cheese Drop Biscuits and Chris Crabtree's Asian Rice-Stuffed Pork Chop with Hot Mustard Pan Gravy and Chai Spiced Cookie as the Challenge 11 and 12 winners, respectively.
For voting in the final recipe challenges, Rosalie Brock will receive a $25 gift card to Coach's Corner in Elk Grove Village.
The cook who received the most votes throughout the contest will be announced as the Fan Favorite at the Nov. 3 finale and receive a special prize.