Local woman takes her bad cooking national

Season 2 of ‘Worst Cooks in America’ features Sparta nurse, By Rose Sgarlato SPARTA — Food Network’s reality series Worst Cooks in America will premiere season two on Jan. 2 at 9 p.m. And one of Sparta’s own, Jen MacLean, is a contestant on the show. Well known to her family and friends for being a horrible cook, MacLean was nominated by her husband to be on the show. Equally bad cook candidates from all over the country went to New York City on casting calls, but despite the serious competition, MacLean was one of 16 to make the final cut. An operating nurse at the Specialty Surgery Center in Sparta, MacLean said she never had a reason to learn to cook, “I don’t have any real fundamentals. I came from a big family. I had a roommate in college who was a great cook. Then I got married to my husband who cooks, so I always dodged the bullet.” Although she rarely goes in the kitchen, she is a huge fan of the Food Network and was familiar with the first season of “Worst Cooks in America.” Her husband Scott could not understand how she watches cooking shows but never picks up any tips. They both agreed she would be a perfect candidate for the Worst Cooks in America. She brought her children Hannah and Patrick to the first casting call. “I really think my kids sealed the deal.” She said when the producer asked them about the possibility of a mom that could cook, they said, “Alleluia!” On the second casting call she had to make an entrée. Maclean cooked a steak dinner. “I am not good with potatoes, so I made the microwave ones, and for some reason, they turned green. They became a train wreck,” she said. Her lack of kitchen confidence and skills and eagerness to learn was just what Food Network was looking for. “It was a national casting call. I thought it was impossible, but I made it,” said MacLean. Worst Cooks in America was the highest-rated series premiere last year on Food Network. Celebrity Chefs Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine head up the two teams of eight. The weekly one-hour episode has a Skill Drill and Main Dish challenge. At the end of each show, a member of each team is eliminated by a culinary panel of three judges. In addition to learning how to cook restaurant meals, the final winner earns $25,000. When MacLean had to leave her job for months to participate in the show, but she had to sign a release promising to keep everything a secret. “I had to tell my boss that I was leaving for an extended period of time to pursue something that was very important.” Her boss respected her privacy and vagueness. Only Jen’s husband and 12-year old daughter knew where she was going. “I told my 9-year old son I was on a business trip,” said MacLean who did not see or speak to her family for many weeks. Contestants had no access to computers, television, radios or cell phones. “I spoke to my husband twice for brief supervised periods of time using someone else’s phone. This was the most difficult part to be away from my family for that long with very little contact — it was much harder than any cooking challenge.” MacLean adapted to being in front of the camera very quickly. “I thought it would be scary, but it wasn’t. Everyone working on the show made me feel very comfortable,” she said. MacLean said the show was as close to the truth as possible, “You can only imagine the outlandish bad things that happen naturally to people who cannot cook.” The elimination round was emotionally grueling for all involved. “You get closer and closer once someone leaves. It’s bittersweet — all these people have become your friends. You are happy it’s not you, but you are sad for that person.” Though the filming has stopped and she has returned to work, she is still keeping secrets. In November when the promotions on the Food Network began about season two, she was finally able to tell the truth to her co-workers about where she was. But not about the outcome. “I initially started doing it for the money, but I really wanted to show my husband that I can do this. I put my heart in it 100 percent.” From learning basic skills to fancy restaurant meals, MacLean considers herself much more capable in the kitchen and recently baked a cheesecake from scratch. And she learned that absence makes the heart grow fonder. “It’s truly a once in a lifetime thing — my husband was responsible for everything, I got a guy who gave me a great gift. I was on TV, and I fell in love with him again.” It’s anyone’s guess how far she makes it. To find out and cheer MacLean on, tune in to the season two premiere of Worst Cooks in America on the Food Network, Sunday, January 2 at 9 p.m.