Cook of the Week Challenge -- tasks getting tougher
Cooks faced some disparate mystery ingredients in round 2 of the Cook of the Week Challenge, and they all produced varied, creative and tasty looking dishes.
Hats off to all for incorporating Mackerel Royal Filet with Jalapeño from King Oscar; peeled plum tomatoes courtesy of Northern Illinois Food Bank; Red Jalapeño Mustard from Greenridge Farm; and baby spinach into workable recipes. While all these items are tasty solo, having to create a cohesive plate of food? Phew, I'm glad I wasn't staring down this task.
Strictly by the numbers, Leslie Vennero Little of Roselle won't be advancing to the next challenge, but competition is getting heated. So far, each round has been close.
As you'll see from judges' comments, the critiques, as well as praise, are getting more precise. Judges know they're working with savvy home cooks, who understand different techniques and ingredients. And that shows in the creative recipes they all have developed.
That's how this contest progresses, culminating at the live cook-off finale. On Nov. 12, cooks will learn the mystery ingredients just before cooking begins. The competition and excitement run high in a full ballroom at the Westin in Itasca and judging of each plate is front and center.
Today, you can see and read about what the cooks eventually created here in the accompanying articles. Find the recipes at dailyherald.com/lifestyle.cook-of-the-week-challenge/.
For round 2, the judges are Penny Kazmier, 2011 Cook of the Week Challenge winner and Culinary Adventures columnist; John Engle, Vice President for King Oscar; Suzy Singh, R & D Corporate Chef for NOW Foods; Jennifer Lamplough, a chef with Illinois Food Bank Depository; Stacy Williams, of Greenridge Farm.
Here's what the judges had to say about each cook's efforts:
Oscar Chapa
Mack Cake Eggs Benedict with Sautéed Spinach Sweet Potato Hash with Cilantro Spicy Mustard-infused Hollandaise Sauce
Engle: Tell Oscar that the King loves his name and that the KO team will join him for breakfast. Outstanding recipe. I'm hungry!
Kazmier: This sounds like a tasty version of eggs Benedict. I like the spicy mustard in the hollandaise sauce, but am not so sure about the addition of cornstarch.
Lamplough: Great way to make a boring fish cake into something more exciting like Benedict. Does the hash not use any of the signature ingredients? Beautiful dish. Might be overwhelming for a home cook. Sounds delicious but very rich. May need more acid in the dish.
Singh: Wait a minute. Is this a professional chef in a home cook competition? If not, can you please open a restaurant so that I can eat your food every day? I am continually impressed by this contestant and his use of the mystery box ingredients. This may not have been the easiest recipe for a home cook to follow - but by far the most delicious. I can't wait to see what this contestant will have up his sleeve next week.
Williams: Love this twist on a breakfast dish. Bonus points for including your poached egg trick.
Mark Clemens
Spinach Salad in Tomato Juice Vinaigrette served with Mackerel Stuffed Canned Tomatoes
Kazmier: The tomato vinaigrette in this recipe sounds tasty. I also like the idea and creativity of stuffing the tomatoes, but I think I would prefer fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Creative idea overall.
Lamplough: Stuffed tomatoes are a unique way to use canned tomatoes. Love the simplicity and making these ingredients the stars of the dish. Beautiful and straightforward. Perfect type of recipe for a home cook. It seems clean and flavorful.
Singh: This contestant followed the Golden Rule of mystery box challenges - keep it simple and let the ingredients shine. You did an excellent job with creating a complete dish using only the mystery box ingredients with a few complementary ingredients. Wonderful and impressive job, contestant.
Williams: I would try to make these as an appetizer for a small party. Loved your creativity on this. Wish you had found a more inventive way to incorporate the spinach rather than just being a bed of spinach.
Roberta Fahey
Breaded Mackerel Tacos With a Mango Salsa Along With a Jalapeño Mustard Spinach Aioli and a Cabbage Slaw
Engle: Looks like a great dinner for a Friday night. Fish tacos are easy to make, I am sure the flavor of these is worth the effort.
Kazmier: The aioli in this recipe sounds delicious and could serve as a versatile condiment for sandwiches and salads alike. The salsa part of the dish needs a little recipe refinement, notably the chunks of mango which I'm guessing should be diced.
Lamplough: Directions could be confusing to home cooks. This sounds delicious. Love the idea of mango adding sweetness to the jalapeño.
Singh: Love the idea of fish tacos using these key ingredients. Love the idea of using mango to complement the jalapeño mackerel. Let's talk about this beautiful slaw - I wish you used a mystery box ingredient with the slaw but, overall, a wonderful job.
Williams: These tacos are vibrant and very appealing appearance-wise. The mustard and slaw mixtures both sound great, but I wonder if you had combined them and made a red jalapeño mustard slaw if that would have made the recipe seem just a bit less complicated. Overall great job.
Dylan James
Canned Mackerel Nigiri and Green Smoothie
Engle: The directions seem somewhat complicated; however the final product was appealing in taste and appearance.
Kazmier: Overall very creative use of ingredients. I would have never come up with this idea, well done. I would have liked to see the tomatoes themselves incorporated in the sauce or dressing.
Lamplough: Very creative way to make the fatty fish exciting to eat. Directions are hard to follow. Love the ingredient pairings with hard-to-pair flavors.
Singh: Love the direction this contestant took to create a Japanese-inspired dish. The use of the various sauces was not only inspirational but also delicious. I wish the contestant simplified this dish and focused on one whole plate instead of creating a smoothie with sushi. Also - I wish the contestant used a reduction of sugar, soy, and red jalapeño mustard for the sushi rice and reduced the liquid to create the perfect rice consistency. Overall great job.
Williams: This recipe sounds delicious but seems a little complex. If there was a way to simplify a little, I might be more likely to try and cook this at home. Great presentation.
Leslie Vennero Little
Mackerel, Spinach, & Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Engle: I love the idea of stuffed pepper. I'm not sure what this is going to taste like, but I need to try it.
Kazmier: Pretty presentation. Your tomato sauce sounds well balanced, and I like how you stayed with the Mediterranean theme and used orzo instead of rice. I'm not sure about the feta and the mackerel, and am worried there may be too much salt coming from these two ingredients. The vinaigrette sounds tasty with your salad ingredients.
Lamplough: Love the risk of doing Mediterranean flavors with jalapeño. Not 100 percent sure it would work though. Love the stuffed pepper as a vessel for the fish. Am concerned about jalapeño flavor marrying with Mediterranean flavors. It seems like olives and feta would compete too much with jalapeño.
Singh: I wish you went with your gut instinct: creating a fish cake using Mediterranean flavors. This dish is still delicious but disjointed. In the next round create a composed dish that is not overly complicated and easy to consume. Good luck contestant.
Williams: Great recipe idea. Appreciated you walking us through your thought process and explaining your inspiration for the dish. Very creative and glad you went with a Mediterranean twist, had me drooling. Love your plating as well.
Darla Pitts
Grilled Mediterranean Flatbread with Honey Mustard dipping sauce
Engle: A great fit for the ingredients and ease of preparation. It is the Year of the Pizza.
Kazmier: Very trendy presentation. I like how you combined the ingredients on the flatbread, but I'm not sure about the dipping sauce. The sweetness of the honey mixed with the fish is an odd pairing for me. Your flatbread crust sounds like it is full of flavor and something I will be sure to try myself.
Lamplough: Very creative to use Mediterranean flavors with jalapeño. Also, the flatbread is a great vessel for the fatty fish. Not 100 percent sure those flavors would work though. Directions need to be clearer for home cooks. Especially when making homemade bread. For example, how much of the tomato goes into the dough and how much is used as the topping? Am concerned about jalapeño flavor marrying with Mediterranean flavors. It seems like olives and feta would compete too much with jalapeño.
Singh: This is perfect. This dish is exactly what I hoped that one of the contestants would create with these ingredients. These ingredients are a perfect marriage for making a Mediterranean flatbread. The idea of creating a no-rise bread is genius. I can't wait to see what this contestant does in the next round. Nice work contestant.
Williams: This looks delicious. I wish you had specified how you mixed/made the dipping sauce.
Ann Wayne
Mexican Fish Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Corn
Engle: Straightforward preparation, but fish stew doesn't seem to be a creative use of ingredients.
Kazmier: What a beautiful presentation. This dish sounds substantial and yet light at the same time. I wonder if you could have added more flavor by sautéing the onions and garlic in oil from the mackerel?
Lamplough: Fish stew is a great idea for this fatty fish, especially with all of the bright flavors. Very well organized and easy-to-follow recipe. Flavors will pair very well together, and those bright ingredients will cut some of the fat of the fish.
Singh: This is the perfect dish for the season, spicy, savory, and warm Mexican soup. I love the use of the ingredients in this dish - it may not have been the most creative but definitely the perfect marriage of ingredients. Nice work contestant.
Williams: Crockpot and one-pan meals are so easy for any level cooks/chefs/parents/etc. Wondering if the spinach should have been wilted down with the onions and garlic first?