IVCC instructor competes for chance to be named Favorite Chef

Jill Hejl, a cooking instructor at Illinois Valley Community College, qualified as a top 15 contestant in Carla Hall presents Favorite Chef – a competition featuring the best chefs from across the U.S.

“It’s thrilling to see everybody come out and all of their complimentary comments,” Hejl said. “They know how much work I put into everything. Not only does it taste good but it’s visually appealing so it’s very heartening to see.”

Hejl’s inherited her passion for cooking through her mother and grandmother. But like most childhood passions Hejil needed inspiration – a Nancy Drew book.

“I started cooking when I was 8,” she said. “I was always a little voracious and I got the Nancy Drew Cookbook, along with my Nancy Drew mysteries. So, I actually started making little suppers and stuff.”

Hejl said she may not have a culinary degree, but she feels 100% like a chef.

“I’ve catered Bunco parties in Naperville. I worked at a bakery in downtown Champaign,” she said. “So, I’ve always cooked and baked and people know of my abilities. I just love that world and I’ve never stopped learning.”

Hejl said she enjoys creating complex recipes and adding her own twist, discovering new flavor combinations, new techniques and making a recipe work with what she has on-hand.

“I’m always mixing it up,” she said. “I start with a base recipe and go off that ... I’m always whether it’s baked or savory dishes tasting and adding flavors and twists because you don’t always have the ingredients.

“You can always make it a different way. Make it work with what you have.”

Hejl said her favorite cuisine to make is French – a nod to one of her favorite chefs, Julia Child.

“I have always loved the French look and the skills needed to prepare French food,” she said. “It seems like it’s something simple and yet you need exquisite execution.”

Some of her favorite French dishes include beef bourguignon, a beef stew with red wine and gougère, a savory cream puff made of choux dough mixed with cheese. Hejl typically uses gruyère.

The winner of the Favorite Chef competition will receive a $25,000 prize, be featured on the cover of “Taste Home” magazine, a publication that celebrates the joy of home cooking while offering cooking tips and heartwarming stories. Winners also will have the opportunity to cook with celebrity chef Carla Hall, who rose to fame in “Top Chef” and “The Chew.”

Hejl said she would love to open a bistro and tea shop where patrons could come and enjoy sweet and savory treats in the European tradition.

“I love to care people through food,” she said. “Nothing makes me happier than to make something and give it to them.

“It’s almost like a piece of culinary art, but also it nourishes them on the most basic level – it’s a thrill.”

To vote for Jill, visit the Favorite Chef at https://favchef.com/. Voting is open through Thursday, June 6. People can vote free daily or pay for additional votes. The contest proceeds support the James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the people behind America’s food culture and push for new standards in the restaurant industry.

To contact Jill visit Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jill.hejl, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jillhejl/ or call her at 815-488-8360.