Joanna Pawlaczek

Connect What is your signature dish?

I would say my signature dish is my herby chicken couscous bowl. I take chicken thighs and marinate them in a zesty lime and soy marinade, and I love to cook them on the grill (girls who grill!). I serve it over a couscous salad with whatever veggies look good (I love zucchini, cherry tomatoes) and sprinkle with some feta cheese. If I have extra herbs I also make a chimichurri for this dish. This dish is versatile, simple, looks fancy and is sooo delicious!

Who is your culinary inspiration?

My culinary inspiration comes from chefs that have made cooking approachable for everyone. Cooking was always intimidating to me, until I started to watch chefs who value elevated home cooking. I love chefs like Alison Roman, Brad Leone, Ina Garten; they showed me to just have fun with cooking. As long as my food is tasty, creative and people are enjoying it; then I am happy. Not every dish has to be perfect - and now that I know this I can say that I have become more passionate about cooking.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won the $25,000 I would use it to feed families that could not afford my meal prep service. Having a personal chef is a luxury, but there are so many busy working families that deserve to have nourishing and healthy meals. Menu planning, doing groceries and cooking takes a huge amount of effort and time; and I would like to use this money to lighten the load for families who need it most.