Daniel Imburgia of Elk Grove Village

With Creole seasoning as his favorite ingredient, Daniel Imburgia does New Orleans proud by way of Elk Grove Village and if he runs out of the mixture in the middle of a recipe, he turns into “Gordon Ramsay on a bad day.” The 34-year-old shakes it on everything from grilled crab legs to pork chops and pasta sauce, so it's bound to make an appearance in this year's Cook of the Week Challenge.

Imburgia was a contestant last year and was thrilled to get a second chance. “I had an amazing time, although because it was such a new experience, I feel like I was somewhat reserved,” he explained. “This year I plan on kicking it up a notch and giving it my all.” Every Sunday Imburgia takes his youngest daughter, Abigail James, to the grocery store, usually Valli Produce. “Because we've been doing that so long, she knows the names of vegetables, fruits and specialty foods that my parents don't even know and she helps me cook a lot, too.” The Elk Grove Village house must smell like heaven because the kitchen is cooking all day long, with family and friends stopping by on Sundays. “My brother drives all the way in from Big Rock every Sunday night to get some food for the week. He has a few beers and heads out.

My goal is to give away enough food on Sunday that I still have to cook every other night of the week.”

If the challenge includes capers, Imburgia will be a happy man. “I sneak them into everything from chicken noodle soup to pizza sauce,” he admitted. He also adores sweet onions but leaves nuts out of entree dishes. “Nuts are good, don't get me wrong,” he explained, “but I like them on their own. Maybe they can be sprinkled on ice cream, but not in main dishes.”

— Jacky Runice