My hot dog and my rosti are bursting with flavor. When the name is Turbo, you have to deliver a big experience. The judges are definitely going to want more than just one bite.
Oliver walked confidently over to the table. This was his to win. Rae’s mistake had cost her points, and Caroline wasn’t much of a threat.
Chef Aimee studied Oliver’s plate. “Oliver, I like your presentation. It’s interesting to see a balancing act on the plate. Can you tell us what you’ve made?”
“Yes, ma’am. This is a Turbo Dog with a sriracha barbecue sauce and an onion-bacon relish. And balanced on the edge here are three slices of my bacon and scallion potato rosti.” Oliver pointed to the ramekin. “And tangy homemade ketchup.”
Chef Aimee dipped a crispy potato slice into the ketchup. “Mmm, bacon-y!”
Chef Gary pretended to push her aside. “Let me at it. I love bacon!”
He took a bite and closed his eyes. “I hope there’s more of this left in the pan. I’ll eat it for lunch.”
Chef Nancy agreed. “I’ll help you.”
Chef Gary shook his head. “Nope, all mine!”
Everyone laughed.
“And now for the Turbo Dog.” Chef Gary divided the hot dog.
Chef Aimee took the biggest piece. “That’s a great name, very catchy.”
They each took a bite.
“Nice spice,” said Chef Aimee.
“Bacon-y!” said Chef Gary.
“Um, very,” added Chef Nancy.
Oliver couldn’t help but smile. He was winning.
“Too much?” asked Chef Gary.
Chef Nancy and Chef Aimee both nodded.
The smile faded.
Chef Gary moved his hand over the plate. “This whole thing . . . I hate to say it, but it’s just one flavor. Bacon! I love bacon, but we’re losing the taste of the hot dog and any other spices that might be in here. It might work if we called it the Bacon Dog, but even that might be a stretch. Am I right? Is there bacon in everything?”
Oliver paused. “Uh . . . yes, sir. I fried the hot dog in bacon fat and there’s bacon in the relish and bacon in the potato rosti.”
Chef Gary stepped back from the plate. “Unfortunately, more is not always better, but on their own, the rosti and the ketchup are delicious. Thank you, Oliver.”
Oliver walked back to his station. Later he’d probably be embarrassed, but right now he was just numb.
Chef Aimee called Caroline to the table. “Caroline, what have you made us?”
Caroline pointed out the items on her plate. “It’s a Freckles Dog with a peach vidalia onion salsa with three jalapeños—one for each freckle on the puppy. And my potato dish is baked onion Parmesan hash brown cups.”
Chef Aimee leaned forward and took a hash brown cup off the plate. One bite later she was waving her hand up and down. “There’s something inside and it’s . . . delicious!”
Chef Gary agreed. “That’s my kind of surprise! And the tanginess of the sauce is sophisticated.” He eyed the plate. “I could eat another.”
Chef Nancy quickly snatched her piece away and bit into it. “Wow! It’s like a hash brown donut.”
The Freckles dog was next. “Three pieces and one jalapeño for each of us,” announced Chef Gary. He popped his piece into his mouth.
Chef Aimee examined the plate. “I like how it looks—fresh and healthy—but hot dogs aren’t very healthy, are they.” She laughed and took a bite. “Oh, wow! Yum!”
Chef Gary looked at Caroline and shook his head. “I’m sad. You’ve given us a sample, but I want more! Your presentation is fresh and inviting and you really delivered on taste. The sweet spicy combo is sophisticated, but not overpowering. You let the hot dog shine through. Well done, Caroline.”
Chef Nancy raised her hand. “I second that. I want more too . . . with another potato donut, of course!”
“ME THREE!” added Chef Aimee, and everyone laughed.
Caroline walked slowly back to her workstation. This was the singular best cooking review of her life, and she wanted to remember every second of it.
The judges moved to the back of the room to discuss the challenge, but the winner wasn’t going to be a surprise. Rae looked back and gave Caroline a thumbs-up and a big smile. A friend happy for a friend—Caroline was going to remember that, too.
Chapter 7
he judges called everyone to the front of the room.
“What a start,” said Chef Gary. “It’s like the three bears. Too much, too little, and just right. I think we all know who’s our winning bear. Caroline, will you please step up? You are the winner of this challenge. We all loved the Freckles Dog, and the hash brown potato cups were ingenious. It’s a recipe we’re excited to share with the readers of Creative Cooking.”
Caroline blushed. “Thank you, Chef.”
Chef Gary pointed to the Gadget Wall. “And it’s time for a decision. You may pick a gadget from—”
“Not so fast!” Chef Aimee put her hand up. “There’s plenty of time to pick out a gadget. Caroline has a bigger decision to make: the fate of Chef Gary!”
Chef Gary feigned surprise. “What? Are we doing that again?”
Chef Aimee turned to Oliver and Rae.
They nodded.
Chef Gary shrugged. “Really? Are you sure?”
“YES, CHEF!
Chef Aimee looked at Chef Gary. “An adventurous chef never says . . .”
“NO TO A CHALLENGE!” shouted the junior chefs.
Chef Gary threw his arms up. “Okay, you win! I’ll do it.”
Chef Aimee turned back to Caroline. “This week’s fate of Chef Gary is Trick or Treat. Make your choice.”
“Trick!” shouted Oliver.
“Trick!” yelled Rae.
Caroline looked back and forth between them. “Treat!”
Chef Nancy, off to the side where the cameras couldn’t see her, made a clapping motion.
Rae and Oliver obeyed the cue and clapped, but it was halfhearted.
“CUT!” yelled Steve.
Caroline is acting weird. Maybe it’s a power thing because she won. I don’t know. She was supposed to pick Trick! Rae and I both told her to. If it’s bad, it’s not our fault.
Chef Nancy rushed forward and gathered the contestants together. “Caroline, you may go to the Gadget Wall and pick out your prize.”
Caroline came back with a mortar and pestle.
“Good choice!” said Chef Nancy. “There’s nothing like fresh-ground spices. We can put it in your toolbox later. Now out to the parking lot.”
“Parking lot?” asked Caroline. “What kind of treat’s in the parking lot?”
“A crummy one,” complained Oliver. “But we’re stuck with it.”
Caroline scowled and grabbed Rae’s arm. “You’re wrong. I’m sure it’ll be . . . amazing!” They followed Chef Nancy out the door, with Oliver grumbling behind them, then suddenly froze.
Oliver pushed to the front. “An obstacle course!”
“LOOK!” Rae pointed. “CHEF GARY is . . .” She burst out laughing.
Chef Gary was wearing roller skates and hanging on to Chef Aimee’s shoulders like his life depended on it. She pulled him slowly towards them.
He shook his head. “This is a lot harder than it looks. I should have practiced.”
Chef Aimee pointed to a table near the start of the course. It was filled with everything needed to make a fabulous sundae. “That’s the ice cream station. You’ll have two minutes to make a sundae, and then Chef Gary will pick them up, and head though the course of orange cones to the finish line. We’re hoping he’ll make it without falling down.”
Rae leaned next to Caroline. “I’m not.”
“Me neither,” added Oliver. He was grinning from ear to ear.
I’m glad Caroline picked Treat. I’m going to put lots of whipped cream on my sundae. We’re all kind of hoping Chef Gary falls down, but not to hurt himself, of course.
⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
While the junior chefs waited at the ice cream table, Chef Gary was outfitted with safety gear—wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, and a helmet. When he was done, he raised his arms in a cheer, “I’M READY FOR ANYTHING!”
Chef Aimee smiled and looked at her watch. “Start your sundaes!” Two minutes later she gave Chef Gary a little push, “GO!”
Chef Gary inched forward, slowly at first, but then faster and faster. It was a straight shot to the ice cream station—no turns. Caroline saw Chef Gary approaching and quickly added her finishing touch—one maraschino cherry on top of a swirl of whipped cream. When she turned to look again, her eyes widened. Chef Gary was NOT slowing down.
He waved his arms. “Move! MOVE! Coming in HOT! HOT! HOT!” Caroline jumped to the side just in time. He body-slammed into the table. CRASH!
“OW!” He looked up. “Sorry!”
Rae stifled a giggle.
Chef Gary put the sundaes on a tray, took a deep breath, and pushed off toward the obstacle course. He weaved slowly in and out between the first few cones. Holding the tray while skating was not easy, but soon he was picking up speed. Fast was not better—it was hard to control the skates. He missed two of the turns and plowed right over one of the orange cones. His skates crossed the finish line a moment later.
Chef Aimee clapped and cheered, but Chef Gary didn’t stop. He was speeding across the parking lot toward the other side. He hit the curb and was suddenly airborne. A second later, he belly-flopped onto the grass, arms out like a giant starfish. There was a horrified silence. Then slowly a hand rose up. “I’m okay!”
“YAY!” Everyone cheered.
Chef Gary sat up. He was covered in whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles. He pulled off the skates and threw them into the bushes. “That’s it for skating!”
They cheered again.
Chef Gary is amazing! He’s not afraid of trying new things, even if it makes him look silly. He’s an inspiration. I’m pretty sure everyone is glad I picked Treat!
Saturday
Chapter 8
liver was chatty at breakfast. Rae studied him. Considering he’d lost yesterday, this was a surprise. Where was his usual scowl of disappointment? Maybe he knew something about today’s challenge. It wasn’t fair to keep secrets. Not when they had the pact. She pushed the muffin basket across the table. “Why so happy? Do you know something we don’t?” She raised her eyebrows.
Caroline leaned forward and said in a low voice, “STP! Stick-together pact! Remember? STP!”
Oliver dug out a blueberry muffin. “Okay, but it’s not what you’re thinking. It’s personal . . .” He looked around the room. “And kind of weird.”
The girls leaned in.
“My mom makes me do this thing called visualization. It’s a brain exercise. You know, where you imagine a thing you want, like our food trucks.”
Caroline shook her head.
“What? How?” Rae looked confused.
Oliver sighed. “Okay, so I imagine my food truck, walking up to it, what it looks like inside. That kind of thing. My mom says it’s supposed to help me have a winning spirit or something. I told you, it’s weird, but it kind of works. It makes me feel positive and focused.”
Rae stared, not sure what to say. This was not what she was expecting.
“Huh!” Caroline nodded. “Maybe we’ll try it too.” She looked at Rae and exaggerated her nodding. “So we can all be even.”
Rae took the hint. “Yes, thank you for sharing.”
“Whatever.” Oliver looked away and bit the muffin.
⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
After breakfast, it was time for some quick interviews. Today’s theme was comfort food. How hard could that be? Caroline led the way to the filming studio, but instead of stopping at the orange door and waiting for the others, she knocked and went right in.
Oliver and Rae exchanged surprised glances.
“What’s up with her?” asked Oliver.
Rae shrugged.
Oliver gestured impatiently. “Well, I wanted to go first! Something’s going on—she’s different. It’s like she’s suddenly better at stuff.”
Rae shrugged again, but she’d noticed.
My favorite comfort food is lasagna, but only the way my mom makes it. First she makes a ratatouille, and then she uses that as one of the layers. And instead of mozzarella cheese, she uses goat cheese in a béchamel sauce. It’s amazing!
The minute Caroline stepped out of the interview room, Oliver pushed in front to take her place. Rae sighed and let him pass. The stick-together pact didn’t make Oliver any less annoying.
Caroline pointed to the door. “The producer is a lot nicer than he used to be.”
“Really?”
Caroline nodded. “I don’t think he’s trying to trick us into saying nasty things about each other anymore. That was probably just a last-week thing.”
“Maybe,” said Rae. But she wasn’t so sure.
My favorite comfort food is fried chicken and biscuits, but it takes long time to make. My aunt Laura shared her family recipe with me. You have to brine the chicken in buttermilk and spices. And the biscuits have to be made with cold butter, not shortening. A real chef knows that good ingredients make a difference.
When Oliver was done, Rae took her place on the stool.
“Ready?” asked Steve.
The cameraman turned on the camera.
My favorite comfort food is my grandma’s chicken pie. Before we started cooking, she used to buy biscuits for the top. The kind that come in a tube, and you have to whack it on the counter to get it to open. I always liked doing that part, but now we make our own. It takes longer, but it tastes better. Just smelling it baking makes me feel warm and happy.
Caroline and Oliver chatted nonstop all the way back to the lodge. Rae was there, right next to them, but she didn’t say much. She was too busy thinking. The competition felt different. Just yesterday, they’d all been on equal ground, but today something had shifted.
Chapter 9
fter lunch, they marched to the school studio.
At first it was just a joke. “Time to march over to the studio,” said Chef Nancy, but then Oliver started calling out the pace and they really were marching. ONE, TWO! ONE, TWO! Even Chef Nancy joined in.
By the time they walked through the door, Rae was feeling better. One, two, one, two—that’s what she needed to do. Take the competition one step at a time.
Caroline looked around. “No cameras!”
“Well, not for now,” said Chef Nancy. “But there’ll be interviews after the lesson.”
Caroline shrugged. “You know what? I don’t even care about the cameras anymore.”
Chef Nancy walked to the big table at the front of the room. “There are two parts to this lesson. First we’ll go over the five basic sauces and then we’ll have a mini-challenge. Who can name the five basic sauces?”
“Espagnole, veloute, béchamel, tomato, and hollandaise!” said Oliver.
Chef Nancy nodded. “And not including taste, what is the most important quality of a sauce?”
Rae and Oliver both raised their hands.
“A stable emulsion!” shouted Oliver. “When one liquid becomes evenly dispersed inside another liquid.”
Rae scowled. Why did he even bother putting his hand up if he was just going to yell out the answer?
“Correct, Oliver.” Chef Nancy held up four fingers. “Four of these sauces start the same way. What is that common element?”
“A roux!” answered Caroline.
Rae spun around, surprised. This was suddenly a competition, and she wasn’t getting any of the answers.
“Very good, Caroline. A roux is a paste that is used as a thickener for sauces. There are only two ingredients: flour, and butter or an animal fat.
Chef Nancy pulled on an apron. “Sauces! I could talk about them all day, but there just isn’t time. How do we fix a sauce that’s too thin?”
“Cornstarch!” answer
ed Rae. “Mix cornstarch and water together and add that to the sauce. Or you can add rice, and then once it’s cooked, purée the whole sauce.”
“Or puréed tomato,” offered Oliver. “One tablespoon at a time.”
“Huh.” Caroline looked at Oliver. “I didn’t know that.”
Chef Nancy nodded. “How about a sauce that’s too thick?”
That was an easy one. Oliver, Rae, and Caroline all answered together. “More stock!”
Chef Nancy crisscrossed the apron strings behind and her back and tied them in front. “How would you fix a dish that’s too salty?”
“Add water . . . no.” Rae shook her head. “That would take too long, and you’d have to wait for it to reduce.”
“Add cream?” asked Caroline.
Oliver raised his hand. “You could try a little sugar, but I’d use lemon juice! Acid can help to mask salt.”
Rae stared. How did he know all these tricks? Did he study textbooks?
Chef Nancy smiled. “Very good, Oliver, and don’t forget vinegar—it does the same thing.”
“Okay!” Chef Nancy clapped her hands. “She pulled three bowls out from under the table and handed one to each of them. “I’ve given you each a hollandaise sauce. As you can see it’s lumpy and watery. What should we do? How should we fix it?”
Caroline started to answer. Chef Nancy raised her hand. “No! Don’t tell me. Show me. This will be a fast mini-challenge. Your workstations have been stocked with eggs, flour, and milk. I want you to fix this sauce and turn it into a smooth, creamy hollandaise. First one to achieve this wins. Okay, back to your workstations.”
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