Arlington Heights firefighter wins Cook of the Week Challenge

As the newly crowned winner of the Daily Herald's Cook of the Week Challenge, Arlington Heights firefighter Darla Pitts could go on to write a cookbook or try improvisational theater with the best of them.

It's not a stretch to see Pitts master the art of improv after she conquered the live cook-off Monday night. Without a scripted recipe, the final four contestants had to concoct a dish based on five mystery ingredients.

But Pitts rose to the occasion in a pressured-packed finale, impressing the judges with her plating presentation and balance of flavor to claim the 2018 Cook of the Week Challenge title at the Westin Chicago Northwest in Itasca.

The 42-year-old also avenged her loss in the 2017 challenge finale. What made the difference this time? Learning to trust her instincts.

"This season, I went with whatever I would want to eat instead of thinking too much about it," she said.

Four home cooks - Oscar Chapa of Volo, Mark Clemens of Elgin, Roberta Fahey of Arlington Heights and Pitts, who lives in Chicago - advanced to the showdown after four weekly challenges.

What was at stake?

A spoon trophy big enough for a Middle-earth giant. A grand prize worth more than $1,500. And bragging rights that will make a splash at another tense gathering: the Thanksgiving family dinner.

Inside a packed ballroom at the Westin, Pitts whipped up the winning dish, adapting to the challenge of cooking on a big stage with only an hour on the clock and those surprise ingredients: flank steak, escarole (a bitter, leafy green), garlic sauce, Italian bread and virgin olive oil.

Inspired by her favorite meal of the day, Pitts prepared a steak and eggs Benedict with hollandaise sauce and escarole hash.

"I love making breakfast, too," a relaxed Pitts said shortly before the contest began. "I do a lot of breakfast at the firehouse I cook at."

The judges tasted her dish last, about 20 minutes after the cook-off ended. Despite that timing, it was clear she ticked off all the boxes, incorporating acid, spice and richness.

Judge Elizabeth Schuttler, the 2017 Cook of the Week Challenge winner, called it a "fantastic dish" and noted Pitts' "attention to detail."

Pitts has been cooking for 15 years - as long as she's worked for the Arlington Heights Fire Department. Her culinary talents are well-known around Station No. 3, but her fellow firefighters aren't exactly picky eaters.

"They're just happy someone's cooking for them," Pitts said. "I'm probably my toughest critic for sure."

Pitts will take home a grand prize including a chance to dine at Season 52's chef's table, a Thermador Emerald Series Integrated dishwasher from Novak & Parker/Thermador valued at $1,250, gift cards from Jewel and Binny's Beverage Depot, and cooking classes for two at Cooking Skills Academy in Itasca.

The other three cooks will receive classes for two at Cooking Skills Academy and gifts cards from Binny's and Jewel.

While the contestants manned their induction cooktops, fans who have been following the Cook of the Week Challenge in the Daily Herald's Food section were treated to an appetizer buffet, samples, a raffle and cooking demonstrations.

Before the cook-off got underway, M. Eileen Brown, the Daily Herald's vice president and director of strategic marketing and innovation, paid tribute to Lois Seiler, hired as the newspaper's first women's editor in the late 1940s and the creator of the original "Cook of the Week" column. Seiler died in October at the age of 92.

Proceeds from the eighth-annual event supported the Northern Illinois Food Bank.