Chelsea La Valle

Q. What was your favorite recipe that you made?

A. Throughout the cooking competition, the recipe I enjoyed to make the most was Pesto Fettuccine with Polpettini and Bruschetta. This particular dish triggered memories of cooking Italian meals with my mother, in which I learned how to make pesto infused with garlic, red pepper flakes to add a hint of heat, parmesan cheese and olive oil for richness, acidity from the lemon juice and toasted pine nuts for texture.

Q. What was your favorite someone else made?

A. I have been so impressed by the overall cooking skills and techniques of all the cooks in this competition, as it has truly been a wonderful learning experience for me. In particular, Marie Bass' recipe for Mediterranean Chicken with Squash Fritters was impressive due to the presentation of the dish, the creative utilization of the secret ingredients, as well as a strong display of cooking techniques and understanding of the secret ingredients.

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

A. This competition has re-energized my cooking and enhanced my creativity due to the previous secret ingredients I received. I have become truly inspired by all the dishes the cooks in this competition have made and I will continue to take with me the experiences I have gained throughout this cooking competition when creating new dishes.

Q. What other recipe from your fellow cooks do you want to make or have made?

A. I am eager to make Marie Bass' Mediterranean Chicken with Squash Fritters recipe, as the presentation of her dish was very striking and I enjoyed her concept of simple and flavorful food that can appeal to many cooks.

Q. How are you going to prepare for the finale?

A. To prepare for the finale, I will review previous recipes I have created, while playing the song "Eye of the Tiger" in the background. Secondly, I plan to watch episodes from the Food Network show "Chopped."

Q. Overall thoughts on the competition?

A. I feel truly blessed to have participated in this cooking competition. It has been a wonderful learning opportunity and a great avenue to enhance my cooking skills and showcase my overall joy for cooking.

Q. Any other comments you'd like to make?

A. A big thanks goes to all those who made this cooking competition possible. Thank you very much for this opportunity.