Hey! My name's Pete Bakel and I live in Washington, DC with my spectacular wife Beth and my amazing sons, Bruno and Hugh. I work as a Communications and Marketing Manager at a financial services company. I'm originally from New York and learned how to cook watching my dad make huge, delicious breakfasts for my mom, my three sisters, my brother, and me (all kinds of food, each serving as a vehicle for butter!). I watched my mom make great, healthy dinners for us all and marveled at how she could whip up meals after unbelievably hectic days taking care of five kids. And I married into a family of incredible cooks.

Living in the East Village of New York City as an adult is really what got me into cooking. Chinatown, Little Italy, Polish and Ukrainian butcher shops, corner bodegas, and insanely good neighborhood restaurants were all a few steps away. I could get the freshest produce, fish, meat, cheese, and bread any time and really cheap -- cooking heaven!

I entered this contest because it's probably the coolest thing I'll ever do (my sister Gertrude rocks for talking me into it!) and because I'll finally get a little closer to knowing if my family and friends actually like my cooking, or have just been really hungry and lying to me all these years!

Week 4

Beef and Scallops Three Ways

Ingredients






• 5 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
• 4 all-beef franks, such as Ball Park, divided
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup fresh wild mushrooms, such as oyster or chanterelle
• 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped finely
• 2 shallots, sliced in rings, divided
• 1 clove garlic; ½ minced finely, ½ sliced razor thin
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon cold butter
• 1/2 large bunch fresh spinach, about 2 packed cups, washed
• 2 slices brioche (optional)
• 6 large sea scallops, scored with a pound sign on one side
• 1 tablespoon crème fraiche (optional)
• 2 teaspoons chives, chopped finely (optional)
• 1 teaspoon caviar (optional)
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses



Directions

Preheat a grill on medium-high heat.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Cut 2 of the franks into a small dice and cook them with the bell pepper and mushrooms until the mushrooms have softened and everything is lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Reduce the heat under the pan to medium and add the tarragon, half the shallots and the finely chopped garlic to the pan with a dash of salt and pepper. Cook everything until the shallots have softened, then crank the heat up to high and add the white wine to the pan. Cook the wine, scraping up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan, until it has reduced by half. Add the butter to the pan along with a pinch more salt and pepper and swirl the pan to incorporate the butter as it melts. Once the butter is mixed into the sauce, remove the pan from the heat and reserve it warm until you’re ready to serve.

While the frank and veggie mixture is cooking place a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining shallots and sliced garlic to the pan and cook until the shallots have softened, about 1 minute. Add the spinach to the hot pan with some salt and pepper and sauté until the spinach has wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and reserve.

While the frank and veggie mixture cooks, cut the remaining 2 franks in half lengthwise and place them onto the hot grill until they’re grill-marked and heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove the franks from the grill and cut one into small matchsticks and the other into about 5 pieces (you can be fancy here and cut it on the bias for a nice presentation!). If you’re using the brioche, place it on the grill as well until grill-marked, about 1 minute.

Place a medium skillet over medium high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and place them scored side down into the hot skillet. Let them cook until golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes, then flip them over and cook them until the center is translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove the scallops from the pan and reserve until you’re ready to serve.

In a small mixing bowl whisk together the Dijon, pomegranate molasses, and some salt and pepper. While still whisking, drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO to make a vinaigrette. Reserve until you’re ready to serve.

If you’re using them, combine the crème fraiche and chives and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.

To serve, divide the frank and veggie mixture between the two plates, keeping it contained to one-third of the plate. Top each with 1 scallop and a dollop of the crème fraiche and chive mixture. Top each scallop with a small scoop of caviar. Next divide the spinach between the two plates, again keeping it in one-third of the plate. Top the spinach with the grilled frank matchsticks to make a hatch-work pattern. Top that with 1 scallop. Finally divide the diagonally sliced grilled frank between the two plates and drizzle with the Dijon-pomegranate vinaigrette. Place the grilled brioche slice alongside the frank.

Serves 2

Week 3

Grilled Citrus Marinated Turkey Breast with Avocado Salad

Ingredients






• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and deveined, thinly sliced
• 5 tablespoons chopped cilantro, divided
• 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
• 5 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling, divided
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 6 thinly sliced turkey breast cutlets
• 3 ripe tomatoes, cut into small wedges
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced



Directions

Preheat a grill on medium-high heat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the juice and zest of the citrus, jalapeno, half of the chopped herbs, and about 3 tablespoons EVOO. Season the marinade with salt and pepper and add in the turkey cutlets, tossing them to evenly coat. Let the meat marinate for about 10 minutes.

While your meat in marinating, grab a medium mixing bowl and toss together the tomato wedges, bell pepper, 2 tablespoons EVOO, and remaining herbs. Season the salad with salt and pepper and set aside.

Grill the turkey breasts until grill-marked and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

While the meat is grilling, grab a serving platter and fan out the avocado on the plate. Arrange the cook turkey on the platter along with the tomato salad. Give the platter one last dash of salt and pepper and a drizzle of EVOO and then serve.

Serves 4

Week 2

Spinach Salad with Couscous, Sausage, & Orange Shallot Vinaigrette

Ingredients






• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 cup couscous
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 8 ounces fresh Italian pork sausage
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 oranges, 1 juiced and zested, the other peeled and cut into 5 segments
• 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 bunches fresh spinach leaves
• 8 ounces snow peas, about a handful
• 2 vine ripe tomato, cut into wedges



Directions

Place a medium sauce pot over medium high heat and bring the chicken stock to a boil. Season it with salt and pepper and stir in the couscous. Remove the pot from the heat and cover it. Let it sit for about 5 five minutes so the couscous can absorb the liquid, then fluff it with a fork. Stir about 3 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano into the couscous and then visually divide the pot into four portions. Form each portion into a 1” patty, giving you four patties total.

Place a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add sausage to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 6-7 minutes. Remove the browned sausage from the pan and reserve the rendered fat in the skillet. Add the couscous patties to the hot pan and cook them in the sausage fat until golden brown on both side, about 3 minutes per side.

Remove patties and top each with remaining cheese. Set aside.

While everything is cooking on the stove, grab a medium mixing bowl and whisk together the Dijon, orange juice and zest, shallot, salt and pepper and a drizzle of EVOO. Add the spinach and snow peas to the dressing and toss to coat.

In another shallow bowl, add the tomato wedges and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper plus 1 teaspoon of EVOO.

To serve, divide the dressed salad between four plates and top each with a couscous patty. Garnish the salad with the orange segments and tomato wedges and sprinkle some of the cooked sausage over each plate. Garnish each plate with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve.

Serves 4

Week 1

No-Press Panini with Mozzarella, Roasted Red Pepper and Basil

Ingredients






• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 slices white bread
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 4 whole jarred roasted red peppers, patted dry and cut into strips
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 12-15 basil leaves, roughly chopped



Directions

Place a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Place four slices of bread in the skillet and divide the mozzarella, roasted red peppers and Parmigiano-Reggiano between each of them. Top each with the second slice of bread and cook for another minute or until the bottom sliced is golden brown.

Carefully flip the panini and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the other side is golden brown.

To serve, remove the panini from the heat and cut each of them into quarters. Garnish with chopped basil.

Serves 4

Mediterranean Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients




• 1 cup greek yogurt (full fat, reduced fat, or fat free – your choice)
• 4 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 cups chicken stock or water
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/2 pound ground turkey breast
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin



Directions

Preheat a medium saucepot over medium-high heat.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, mint, lemon juice, lemon zest and garlic. Season with salt and ground black pepper and set aside.

Place a medium pot over high heat with the chicken stock or water and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Bring the liquids up to a bubble then reduce the heat to simmer.

Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl combine the turkey, parsley, remaining cinnamon, and some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roll the meat into cherry tomato-sized meatballs and drop them into the hot liquid. Cook them in the liquid until they’ve cooked through, 3-5 minutes.

To serve, plate meatballs and top each with a dollop of yogurt sauce.

Serves 4-6

Roasted Red Pepper and Endive Bites

Ingredients




• 2 whole jarred roasted red peppers, diced
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ground black pepper
• 12 endive leaves, cut into thirds



Directions

In a medium mixing bowl combine the red peppers, Parmigiano-Reggiano, EVOO and black pepper.

To serve, spoon the dressed red peppers into endive leave sections.

Serves 4-6