Cooking is a way of life for Genien Sheikah, of Tinley Park, and her husband and mom. So when they had a chance to show off their culinary skills on a recent episode of “Guy’s Grocery Games” on Food Network, it was “a surreal moment.”
“You are watching these people on TV and all of a sudden you’re there, you’re part of it and you see it all in person,” said Sheikah. “We were treated like guests, great guests,” Sheikah said.
The show’s casting department contacted Sheikah through her social media and asked if she and her family would be interested in competing on a Family Teams episode. Her Instagram page instagram.com/genie_cooks/ chronicles her delicacies and recipes. She’s also on TikTok (@genies_life) and Facebook.
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She said she likes quick, family friendly meals at home and recipes with lots of shortcuts. Some of her favorites include bruschetta chicken with onions, sumac and pita bread, and stuffed grape leaves.
After a video interview with producers, she was contacted two days before her episode was to be recorded and told to get tested for COVID-19.
The taping started with a speech from Food Network host Guy Fieri.
“He said that we were already winners for making it on the show out of thousands of people,” Sheikah said.
On the episode, the three competing families were instructed to choose a protein, starch and produce, each starting with the letter F as well as spices.
“On my blog, I like to take classic Middle Eastern dishes and add a twist to them,” Sheikah said, adding her mom was really good at making Middle Eastern sweets, reflecting their Palestinian heritage.
“My wife, she’s an amazing cook,” said her husband, Ahmed Khatib, who specializes in grilling.
The families had 30 minutes to shop and prepare their meals. The Sheikahs chose filet mignon, Fresno chili peppers and French bread to make a Middle Eastern stew, which also included tomatoes, onions, potatoes and seasonings. They would have swapped the French bread for pita but needed a starch that started with an F.
“We literally had 10 seconds to decide (on ingredients), the clock was real, pretty much everything you see on the episode is how it went down,” Sheikah said.
The judges loved the meal but said the potatoes needed more time to cook. In the end, the Sheikahs finished in third place.
“Folks, this is very difficult, I thought the dish was delicious, I love to eat, I think you just got outscored,” Fieri said.
Still, the family hopes to be on the show again and losing didn’t dim their love of cooking.
Sheikah said that love goes back to when she was 12.
“I started to learn just from watching the Food Network and, when my parents were at work, I was the oldest and it was my responsibility to get dinner on the table,” said Sheikah, of cooking for her three sisters, two brothers and parents.
The family reflected on their recent experience with joy.
“It was amazing, it was a great feeling,” said Yousra Sheikah, Genien’s mom. “Just being there was an accomplishment for Genien.”
Of course, they wished could have done things a little differently and nabbed the $20,000 prize.
“Afterward you think, I could have done this, I could have done that,” said Yousra Sheikah, pointing to a suggestion from Fieri that they cooked diced potatoes in a fryer before adding them to the final dish to simmer.
“I guess you’re more comfortable in your own kitchen where you know where everything is and you don’t have a challenge.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.