Challenge cooks wow judges with creative dishes
The 2016 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge is off and running and now we've got the first two contestants heading into Round 2.
In Challenge 1, Craig Brannan of Lake Villa was deemed the winner and in Challenge 2, Daniel Imburgia of Elk Grove Village. Both of their opponents, Cara Kretz of North Barrington and Hazel Oreluk of Mount Prospect brought their A games and the judges were faced with difficult choices here but had constructive comments for all four cooks and much praise all around.
Looks aren't everything but they certainly help in the cooking department. Dan Rich decided that Cara Kretz gave the judges a beautiful plate presentation in Challenge 1 of the Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. The first two cooks had to work with mystery ingredients Madacaskar Vanilla, courtesy of My Sweet Kake, skirt steak, black beans and purple yams.
“The skirt steak looks incredible and it was a bold but rewarding move bringing the purple yams to the forefront.” He also thought the bacon wrapped onion was a nice way to add variety and spice up presentation. “I'd like a bite of everything on the plate,” he said. Plating and presentation gave Cara Kretz the edge, although Northern Illinois Food Bank's Jennifer Lamplough thought both contestants used lots of ingredients and steps that could be overwhelming to home cooks, she found Kretz's steak looking “perfectly cooked” and the whole dish “very pretty.” Lamplough also suggested that both of our cooks offer recipe directions and list of ingredients in order for easy preparation. Tina Selga, My Sweet Kake, was enthused that Kretz used Madagascar vanilla in each section of her recipes and gave her efforts high marks in creativity, appearance, ease of preparation, use of ingredients and perceived taste.
Craig Brannan's luscious looking skirt steak won kudos from Rich who thought the cook made nice use of the vanilla in the marinade. “Watch your plating throughout the rest of the competition,” Rich guided, “the puree is a bit overstated on the plate” and both puree and hash on one plate could be a starchy redundancy. Rich, who has felt the heat in this particular kitchen as the title winner of 2013 Cook of the Week, suggested that participants make certain that they showcase, not tuck away, mystery ingredients.
In Challenge 2, cooks were given light sour cream from Littman Brothers Lighting, boneless chicken breast, apricots and parsnips to work their magic on. Judges evaluated Daniel Imburgia's International Tacos vs. Hazel Oreluk's Chicken Breast with Apricot Sauce.
Michael Pennisi, the 2012 Cook of the Week winner and 2016 judge, admits his numerical scores tend to be harsh (it's the physics teacher in him) but he judges consistently and thoughtfully. Pennisi really liked how Daniel Imburgia used the apricots to make a tangy, spicy sauce akin to sweet-and-sour sauce “but beats anything one can buy in a jar.” The quick-pickled parsnip slaw appealed to him in keeping the feel of street taco although he was puzzled about using lemon juice instead of the typical squeeze of lime. “I would definitely like to try this dish to see how all the flavors work together,” he decided. Benson Littman concurred, because he simply loves tacos and was drawn to the taco recipe straight away. Chef
Suzy Singh thought Imburgia hit a home run with the perfectly balanced flavors of spicy Cajun chicken, sour pickled parsnip and sweet apricot chili. Highlighting three intense flavors that marry well gave Imburgia's “International Tacos” the “W” in this round. Singh suggests he tighten up the plating in future rounds “because this dish is a party of a plate!”
Hazel Oreluk won praise from Singh for good use of the ingredients in an easy-to-prepare recipe that the whole family can enjoy. Pennisi thought it was a grown-up-kid's meal and one adults should be able to appreciate with its indulgent, comforting elements. He found the sweet apricot sauce pairing well with fried chicken but thought the sauce was begging for zip like vinegar, mustard or heat from chili peppers. “Proving again that presentation is a key element, he thought another ingredient should have added more color on the plate. Singh suggests Oreluk free her inner chef to think more outside the box if she submits a “redemption recipe” because she has so much potential.