i thought deciding between the dishes from week to week was a challenge, now i have to choose one of these amazing dishes, each based on very different ingredients, as the final winner.  talk about a difficult decision.

joe captured fall with his stuffed apples while impressing me with the use of home made focaccia.  as i mentioned before, bobbing for apples stuffed with pork would be my wildest dream.  a creative and heart warming dish.

mimi brought us back to her visit to france where she met a woman from vietnam and was able to learn about both cuisines and how they tie together.  the use of ‘quick pickled’ haricots verts immediately caught my attention as it is a technique that i use very often to add an acidic component to my dishes.

dave cooked up one of my favorite proteins, quail.  i write this as i sit in seattle at the dinner table where the platter of quail that i cooked for my friends has just been devoured.  a beautiful photo and dish that i could easily see being served at one of chicago’s top restaurants.

in the end, i chose a dish that captures the simplicity and whimsy that i enjoy in food as well as the casual feel that i will have in the dishes at my new restaurant.  great food is all about layers of flavor and it does not necessarily have to come in a fancy package.  i think that these days many chefs are taking a more casual approach to food as this is the way many of us like to eat.  look at bill kim, one of the city’s most talented chefs who has just opened two very casual spots with amazing flavors throughout the menus.  i assure you that on any given day you can find a chef or two in line.

congratulations to mimi and her banh mi!  i am excited to invite you to cook with me at the next wandering goat dinner.  just wait till you find out whose house we are cooking in…as a fellow foodie i am sure you will be as excited as i am.

to the other finalists, thank you so much for your gorgeous and tasty looking dishes!  as mentioned on tuesday, a celebration with all of the fabulous cooks who joined me in my first virtual kitchen competition is in the works.  stay tuned and i look forward to meeting all of you!