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Cook of the Week Challenge: Week 4 judges take on oat, honey recipes

Chefs John Junior and Suzy Singh along with Penny Kazmier and Michael Pennisi took a look at final Round 1 recipes. Joining them from our sponsors were chefs Andrew Moltz from Quaker Oats, Nate Sumner from Heritage Prairie Farm and Nadia Tilkian of Waterleaf restaurant at College of Dupage.

Andrew Moltz: Chef Moltz attended the University of Illinois where he obtained his bachelor and master degrees in food science and food microbiology. Eager to learn more, he attended the Le Cordon Bleu-affiliated Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago and spent several years in the kitchens of some of the finest restaurants in Chicago. Getting back to his science roots, he joined Newly Weds Foods and Givaudan Flavors as a research chef and helped develop innovative food products. As the new executive chef for Quaker, Moltz focuses on creating a culture rooted in the culinary arts within research and development by demonstrating and elevating the potential of Quaker Oats through new product innovation and culinary exploration.

Nate Sumner: Sumner never planted a seed his whole childhood. In fact, his only experience working with plants was the one time in high school that he mowed the lawn. His path to the field actually started in the kitchen. After graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and grinding it out on hot lines from San Francisco to Chicago, Sumner realized something was missing. He left the kitchen for the field, to participate in the whole process of preparing high quality food — from the soil up. Sumner currently uses his many years of experience in organic farming, natural beekeeping and sustainable and local food systems and his culinary prowess, as operations manager at Heritage Prairie Farm in Elburn. He oversees all aspects of food production from the seed, to soil, to kitchen, to plate.

Nadia Tilkian: A former Clarendon Hills restaurant owner, chef Tilkian joined the team at Waterleaf in Glen Ellyn as its executive chef earlier this year. Tilkian’s resume includes experience at Barrington Country Bistro in Barrington and Bistro 110 in Chicago. Her menus focus on high-quality, fresh, seasonal ingredients.

“I enjoy investigating new textures and flavors that focus on the main component of each dish,” she said. “Simple but elegant, inventive yet comfortable, is how I like to describe my style of cooking.”

Chef Nate Sumner, Heritage Prairie Farm
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