Final four cooks revealed in Cook of the Week Challenge
Sixteen cooks, 40 recipes. And it all boils down to four final contestants in the fifth annual Cook of the Week Challenge.
They are — drum roll, please — Marie Bass of Mount Prospect, Kim Bradley of Glen Ellyn, Bill Hicks of Carpentersville and Chelsea La Valle of Deer Park.
It's been a tight competition from the beginning, with voting close on every challenge. The cooks' creativity has been inspiring to say the least.
Now, the four finalists face their toughest hurdle: a live cook-off at 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2, at the Westin Chicago Northwest in Itasca.
So far, these cooks have had nearly a week to brainstorm, study, create, test and perfect each of their recipes. Next week, they will have to cook live, using a basket of mystery ingredients, a full pantry, a cook station and a helper — with just one hour to make the magic happen.
Past contestants say the live cook-off is intense, thrilling and also a bit terrifying. Adrenalin is pumping until the cooks put the finishing touches on their plates and hand them off to the judges.
Judges tasting the four dishes at the finale are Brian Emmett, 2013 winner of CBS' “The American Baking Competition” and author of “Get Your Bake On;” Chef Mario Rizzotti, “Iron Chef America” judge and food personality; Mike Burton, general manager of the Westin; Jimmy Nicolau, director of Midwest sales at Grecian Delights Foods; Mario Portanova, director of Porte Brown LLC; and Jamie Andrade, 2014 Cook of the Week Challenge Winner. They will be evaluating the dishes on taste, presentation, use of secret ingredients and more.
Sponsored by the Daily Herald, the fifth annual food competition and expo will also feature main stage demonstrations by Rizzotti and Emmett, as well as Chef Massimo Gaffo, the corporate chef at Ala Carte Entertainment, and Mark Eckert, executive chef of the Westin.
Chef Paul Guerrero, culinary director of Cooking Skills Academy in Itasca, will serve as the emcee.
The event features food and beverage samplings from Toasty Cheese, Grecian Delights, Village Tavern, Ala Carte Entertainment and more.
Our original 16 home cooks will be introduced at the finale. I know in years past, contestants have come to cheer on their former competitors. It feels much like a reunion — they've all been in the kitchen trenches together.
The raffle prizes are a big draw as well. Among this year's offerings are Spa Bleu gift certificates, Seasons 52 gift cards and VIP tickets to see Lidia Bastianich at the Genesee Theatre.
Tickets are $20 and include food samplings, two drink tickets and a goody bag; $5 of each ticket will be donated to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. For tickets, visit events.dailyherald.com.
To round out the semifinals and the recipes printed last week, here is what judges had to say about Challenges 11 and 12.
Challenge 11
Kim Bradley and Jack Mac Intosh faced off using honey mustard from Village Tavern, Tony's Italian Sausage from Tony's Finer Foods courtesy of Porte Brown, broccoli rabe and currants.
• Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pork Wellington/Broccoli Rabe Slaw and Honey Mustard Sauce — Kim Bradley
Jamie Andrade: I love the sweet and savory stuffing with the sausage, currants and tart apples. It sounds amazing by itself, but to stuff it in a Wellington with a honey mustard sauce — sign me up. Cutting the heavy sauce with apple juice and carrying that tart flavor through the dish was smart. It sounds great and looks delicious. Amazing job.
Mario Portanova: My mouth was watering when I saw this recipe. I could imagine seeing this recipe in a high-end restaurant. The combination of ingredients was perfect. The honey mustard sauce really brought the dish to the next level. The recipe was original and creative. Nice usage of the mystery ingredients. Great presentation!
Mike Coughlan: Cooking with honey mustard in itself is a tough feat; this sauce is typically used as a dipping sauce or salad dressing. Using it primarily for the salad is a little on the safe side. However, adding it to the bottom of the plate is interesting. I think the combination of the ingredients is well used. The thinning of the sauce with the olive oil and apple juice is well thought out and should pair well with the Wellington. I think the ingredients all work well together and the use of honey mustard with the pork is intriguing.
• Honey Mustard Flan with Grand Marnier Currant Reduction/Naan Flatbread with Roasted Broccoli Rabe and Grilled, Crumbled Italian Sausage and Egg/Grilled Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Sandwich with Sharp Provolone — Jack Mac Intosh
JA: The naan flatbread is something I'd make for myself for a quick lunch or light dinner. It sounds delicious. The sandwich with the sautéed broccoli rabe is also very well put together. I would have liked to see more than two ingredients incorporated into each dish, as there are three separate, unrelated dishes, so it's not cohesive. Each sounds delicious, but I would have liked something more cohesive.
MP: This was a creative use of honey mustard. I would never have thought to incorporate it with flan. I liked the simplicity of the grilled Italian sausage and broccoli rabe sandwich with sharp provolone. It looks very tasty and like a dish that an amateur cook could make. The naan flatbread dish had a lot of tasty ingredients, but I feel that the fried egg on top would be overbearing and take away from the other ingredients. The overall use of the mystery ingredients was great!
MC: Again, being creative with honey mustard is not easily incorporated other than in salads or for dipping! I do think it also works well in sandwiches; I would have loved to see it used in all of the items. Having said that, the flan was a very creative use of the sauce. Well done! I love the use of spices and herbs in the flatbread. The sandwich made me crave it instantly. We have breakfast covered with the flatbread, lunch with the sandwich and dessert with the flan. Overall, I think the use of all the ingredients was well thought out with good appearance and, without a doubt, a great taste! I do wish the honey mustard could have been incorporated into the other recipes. All the recipes, in my opinion, would be appealing to many.
Challenge 12
Bill Hicks and Tim Schmitt were tasked with making a vegetarian soup using pear juice from Whole Foods Market and red chile peppers.
• Spicy Pumpkin Pear Vegetarian Soup/Spinach Salad with Pear Vinaigrette/Red Hot Cinnamon Pear Ice Cream — Bill Hicks
Penny Kazmier: I was pleased to see the stock started with roasted vegetables, which add great flavor and color. When I read the name of the ice cream, I expected one of the ingredients to be Red Hots candy and was a little disappointed to see the red food coloring, so consider adding the candies next time. They would add a cinnamon kick and color you were looking for.
Eileen Brown: Wowza! I would love to have someone make this meal for me. I love the warmth of the spicing with the chiles, cinnamon and ginger paired with the sweetness of the pears and the pumpkin. Roasting the vegetables to make homemade broth is always a nice touch. The use of the secret ingredients in all three dishes is exceptionally well done. However — and this is a big however — this is way over the top in terms of labor and ingredients. I bet this cook could come up with an equally delightful meal with half the ingredients and in half the time.
Cindy Adams: This recipe has all of the ingredients to satisfy all of the taste buds. The soup and salad are a great combination of seasonings, sweetness and spiciness. My mouth was watering as I read the ingredients list, although I am not fond of the preparation and cooking times. Top off this wonderful vegetarian duo with another sweet and spicy treat, and you'll never think of vegetables the same again!
• Hearty Vegetarian Soup — Tim Schmitt
PK: This is definitely a hearty soup with lots of vegetables, but what makes it most interesting to me is the ginger and pear combo, which adds an exotic twist to an otherwise traditional soup. I worry a bit that the broccoli may add some bitterness and think the soup would have been fine without it, but it still sounds delicious. Homemade croutons and crème fraîche add a nice finish.
EB: This soup is nothing if not healthy and hearty. This is a perfect stick-to-your-ribs winter dish that would certainly taste even better on the second day. I loved the addition of the fresh corn kernels; I'm a little less certain about the broccoli, which can be fairly overpowering in a vegetable soup like this. However, as delicious as this soup sounds, it does seem as if the secret ingredient, pear juice, was a bit of an afterthought. In other words, you could take out the juice and the soup wouldn't miss a beat.
CA: I love a hearty soup, especially in the fall. There is more prep work than I prefer, and I would recommend having a side dish to complement the soup. Although, I do like the idea of the sweet pear juice being added to a spicy soup. This recipe is filled with a wide variety of vegetables and is sure to please the palate of any vegetarian.
• Daily Herald correspondent Mary J. Insprucker contributed to this report.