Joe Wachter of Lake Zurich

Complex chemical reactions go on in food constantly from a banana turning brown to the capsaicin in that bowl of vindaloo curry making you sweat. So, will that fact that Joe Wachter spends his days teaching chemistry at Harper College give him an advantage in the Cook of the Week challenge?

"As a chemistry professor, I always enjoy getting a chance to talk to people about chemical concepts," the 37-year-old explained, "and the science of cooking can be a fun way to start the conversation, so maybe I'll get the chance in this competition to teach some people some chemistry!"

The Lake Zurich dad of two young children may be able to explain in the classroom why corn pops, but he still has to wrestle meal planning at home beyond kid favorites like hot dogs and peanut butter sandwiches. "My wife and I split up the cooking and grocery shopping pretty evenly depending on our work schedules, so neither one of us feels overwhelmed by being solely responsible for feeding our family," he said. "With a grocery store close by, we tend to eschew weekly meal planning in favor of stopping at the store more often and building meals around whatever is on sale or in season."

Wachter's preferred ingredient these days is the Poblano pepper. "I like to roast them, then remove the skins, stems and seeds. They can be sliced and used in many different ways: in stir-fry, tacos, tostadas, tamales, omelets. I like to add them to pasta sauces and casseroles as well." Just keep him away from blue cheese - he's not a fan although he'll add it to dishes for others - and if there are Tootsie Rolls in the vicinity, his guilty pleasure gets the best of him to the point of gastrointestinal distress.

Why did he want to dip his ladle into the Cook of the Week challenge? Wachter simply loves to cook and wants to test his skills against other amateur enthusiasts.

"I hope I get some chances during the competition to publicly thank my mom for how hard she worked in the kitchen to make sure my siblings and I always had good food to eat growing up. I know I didn't appreciate it then, but I do now. Thanks, Mom!"

- Jacky Runice