Ben Blake of Wheaton

Ben Blake's interest in cooking originated with his mother who would try new recipes, pass down old ones from her mother or simply improvise. “When I was in middle school I started cooking for myself and would occasionally help my mom prepping and seasoning things,” the Wheaton resident said. “One thing I frequently did was add more cayenne pepper to my mom's homemade chili when no one was looking.” Which may explain the Electrical Engineer's favorite ingredient these days — chili oil. “It adds a level of spice to my food, and I like to use it for marinades, cooking oil or for an added kick in sauces.” He also favors peppers, ranging from bell to bird eye chiles, ginger and limes. His palate is still at odds with blue cheese. However, Ben and Jerry's ice cream always elicits a satisfying smile.

One recipe the 26-year-old always requested when he was a kid was Louisiana barbecue shrimp in which shrimp is cooked in a butter roux sauce accompanied by sourdough bread waiting to soak up the butter sauce. “Another recipe I loved when I was growing up was mom's Buffalo chicken sandwich — it was a seasoned chicken breast on a pretzel bun with Buffalo sauce, blue cheese (which I personally omitted), red onion and lettuce. It's a recipe I still make today with my secret Buffalo sauce recipe.”

Now that he's helming the stove, Blake's family enjoys his curry pasta with jerk chicken, his play on island flavors blended with Italian flourishes. It's those interesting fusions that got him to enter the Cook of the Week challenge. “I like competition and I would like other people to try the recipes I create,” he said.

— Jacky Runice