When the two teams opened their ingredient bags to start the fourth annual Battle of the Chefs on July 27, they were faced with creating a dish in 45 minutes using animal crackers, pork, kimchi, Mongolian sweet barbecue sauce, fresh corn, canned fried apples and a rutabaga.
Both teams apparently created a tasty dish. Judge Michelle Nelson, mayor of Flossmoor, wondered aloud whether both entries could win. In the end, the result was about as close as it could be.
Team Dunning’s eked out a victory by 0.5 points, 69.5 to 69 for Team 3v3, led by Chef Jerome.
But the real winners, according to Team Dunning’s leader Maureen Mader, are the autistic teens and young adults served by the iCan Dream Center in Tinley Park.
“The reason I do this fundraiser every year is because autism is something near and dear to my heart,” she said. “My son Nico has autism. He works here at Dunning’s Market. He has two degrees and he’s working on a third degree.”
She introduced Nico to the audience, and he took the microphone to offer his greetings.
“I feel very grateful to work at Dunning’s Market, to go back to college and work towards another degree and another career in life,” he said. “I hope everyone has a great evening.”
Mader said not all young adults with autism get the support they need to pursue career and higher education opportunities, and the iCan Dream Center programs are intended to fill that need.
“Without programs like the iCan Dream Center to support these kids, they will be lost,” Mader said.
She said employers who don’t understand the nuances of autism can misinterpret the responses from autistic applicants. The iCan Dream program advocates for kids and helps educate employers.
Find more information about the iCan Dream Center at icandreamcenter.com.
