Marie Bass

Q. What was your favorite recipe that someone else made?

A. Many of the other cooks developed some awesome recipes and I plan to try a couple of their dishes, particularly the Pumpkin Pear Soup and the Coq Au Vin with Apricots.

Q. Has this contest re-energized your love of cooking or is takeout looking better?

A. Since I have been involved in the challenge, I find myself being even more interested in cooking and the presentation of my dishes. My husband and I hosted a small dinner at our home last weekend and I found myself paying special attention to the presentation of the dishes. I've always enjoyed cooking and frequently develop my own dishes, but thinking about how to plate the dish attractively is really fun.

Q. And any other comments you'd like to make?

A. For the final challenge, it will be fun, but also a bit intimidating - secret ingredients, cooking in front of an audience and having limited time to get it finished might be a bit stressful. Even with all that, I plan to have a good time. My good friends and family will be there to cheer me on!

I have loved being involved in the Cook of the Week Challenge - it was so much fun to get secret ingredients and develop a recipe that others might want to make. I'm glad I applied to join the challenge - I enjoy cooking, but have never had any formal culinary training, so this was a first for me. I am thrilled that I have made it to the Final Four. Actually, I'm honored to be selected from the outstanding cooks who participated in the challenge.