Cook of the Week Challenge Week 4 judges
Julian CrewsInspired by a trip to Cuba he took as a reporter for WGN news, Julian Crews founded #8220;Old Havana Foods.#8221; The colorful specialty food company features authentic, centuries-old Cuban products based on his family's recipe files.
When he's not touting the versatility of Old Havana sofrito or cooking up sloppy Joes with Old Havana Chili Cubano, Crews roams the streets of Chicago covering breaking news and bringing unique features to WGN viewers. In recent years, Julian's become a WGN Morning News fixture, filing ongoing reports throughout the day on the WGN and CLTV Midday newscasts.
Crews lives in Grayslake with his wife and two children.
Teresa Martell
In her role as marketing manager for Mount Prospect-based Mizkan Americas, Teresa Martell manages the Mizkan family of liquid condiment brands, which includes Nakano, Holland House, World Harbors and Angostura aromatic bitters.
Martell enjoys finding creative ways to infuse Mizkan's flavor of brands into meals brought to families across the country. Her role allows her to work with culinary professionals, food bloggers and home cooks who share her passion for food.
She grew up in Chicago, where she attended DePaul University, and earned a MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She currently lives in Chicago with her husband and children.
Thomas LeavittChef Thomas Leavitt operates White Oak Gourmet Personal Chef Service with is wife, Lori. He received his culinary certification from Cooking Academy of Chicago in 1998 and began his career at Patrick James' in Glencoe working with chef Don Yamauchi. He opened White Oak Gourmet, which specializes in dinner parties, banquets and home meal service, in 2004. The company is devoted to healthy, from-scratch cooking and works with area farmers to bring organic and sustainably produced meat, dairy and vegetables to clients.
In his free time, Leavitt conducts cooking demonstrations at local schools as part of the first lady's Chefs Move to Schools initiative and serves on the board of the Spence Farm Foundation.