Bill Hicks

Q. What was your favorite recipe that you made?

A. My favorite recipe was the Prosciutto and Pistachio Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Orange Dijon Sauce. Some of the other recipes were a little contrived because of the unusual ingredients, but this one is something that I might actually consider making for guests.

Q. What was your favorite someone else made?

A. Kim Bradley's recipe for Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pork Wellington sounds wonderful. I haven't tried it yet, but it certainly had some interesting flavor combinations.

Q. Has this contest re-energized your love of cooking or is takeout looking better?

A. While I was doing my test recipes, I got really sick of being in the kitchen, so we ate out a lot; but I love to cook. If I had to cook for a living, I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much.

Q. What other recipes from your fellow cooks do you want to make or have made?

A. I honestly haven't been able to focus on any of the other recipes, but I have kept them all and may give them a try.

Q. How are you going to prepare for the finale?

A. I'm doing a lot of cookbook reading in preparation for the finale. It's always helpful to have a handful of go-to sauces and side dishes that you can rely on.

Q. And any other comments you'd like to make?

A. The competition has been interesting and it helped to reinforce my creative side. At times it was stressful, but mostly just great fun. My thanks to the Daily Herald for making this possible. It's a great event!