The Heat Is On

by Charise Mericle Harper

  Chef Nancy scanned the room. “You may taste it, but only one spoonful each. We’ll save the rest for tomorrow.”

  “OH MY GOSH!” Rae’s hand fluttered in the air. “It’s SOOOO good!”

  “De . . . li . . . cious!” murmered Caroline.

  “Mmmmm mmmm mmmmm!” Oliver choked down a spoonful. His dulce de leche was definitely burnt. He covered the pot.

  Chef Nancy held up a roll of plastic wrap. “It’s getting late. Let’s wrap it up.”

  Dulce de leche is amazing. I want to put it on everything and I want to cook with it. It’s like finding a whole new ingredient that you didn’t even know existed. As soon as I get home I’m going to make some. My grandma is going to love it.

  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅

  It was lights out when they got back to the lodge. Chef Nancy pointed at Rae. “And no chit-chatting. Tomorrow’s a really big day. I want you all well rested.”

  Rae collapsed on her bed. “UGH!” What a tiring day. She didn’t want to think about it, any of it—the good or the bad.

  Caroline pulled her pillow into her arms. “Your honeycomb pie design was really good.”

  Rae looked up surprised. “Aw, thank you!” She paused. “Are you worried about Oliver? You both have two stars.”

  “I’ve been so focused on my own cooking, I haven’t had time to worry.” Caroline yawned and pulled up the covers.

  Rae sat up. “Maybe we should do that visualization thing too!”

  Caroline closed her eyes. “Okay, I’m walking up to my food truck, Diner Française, and I see . . . Wait! It’s you!” Caroline waved her arm. “And you’re walking up to your food truck, the Crafty Café.”

  Rae leaned back on her pillow. “You’re right! We both have food trucks!” She waved back to Caroline. If it was pretend, it might as well be perfect.

  Tuesday

  Chapter 19

  hef Nancy greeted everyone with the same four words. “Big day! Get ready!” The pattern at the breakfast table was the same as always: eat fast and listen.

  Chef Nancy shared the schedule for the day. “We’ll start with a visit to the Flower Meadow. That’s a designated space here on the farm, available for special events. Then we’ll come back to the filming studio for interviews and to start the challenge. And finally, we’ll head back to the Flower Meadow to finish up.”

  Chef Nancy pointed to the door. “We’ll leave in twenty minutes.”

  Thirty minutes later, the golf cart was winding through an unfamiliar part of the estate.

  Chef Nancy pointed to a white tent in the distance. “That’s the Flower Meadow tent.”

  Caroline felt a twinge in her stomach. This was her chance to beat Oliver, and then if she won again, maybe even hold the Golden Envelope.

  As they got closer, the tent got larger and larger until it was clearly the biggest and most spectacular tent any of them had ever seen.

  “It’s like a mansion!” gasped Rae.

  Chef Nancy led the way in. They passed through a giant ballroom: wood floor, multiple chandeliers, and flowers everywhere.

  “It must be a wedding!” whispered Caroline.

  Chef Gary, Chef Aimee, Chef Porter, and the cameras were waiting in the next room. It was smaller than the first, and the ceiling was covered with tiny fairy lights.

  Caroline twirled in a circle, looking up. “It’s magical!”

  “Ballerina?” asked Chef Porter. Caroline froze. Chef Porter smiled. “Don’t worry, I like your compliment.” She turned back to the group. “Welcome, everyone, to Flower Meadow.”

  Chef Aimee moved next to Chef Porter. “Who knows what a quinceañera is?”

  “A fruit?” asked Caroline.

  Chef Aimee shook her head. “Quince is a fruit, but a quinceañera is a celebration. It’s a Latin American tradition celebrating a girl’s fifteenth birthday.”

  Chef Aimee gestured toward the ballroom. “It’s a big party with dancing, fancy clothes, speeches, and, of course, a lot of food. Our quinceañera today is Olivia, and she and her parents, and four special friends, will be the judges for today’s challenge.”

  Caroline shot a look at Rae. The judges weren’t going to judge?

  Just then, the door behind Chef Gary opened and two people walked into the room.

  Chef Gary motioned them forward. “Welcome, Mrs. Rios. Welcome, Olivia. I’d like you to meet our talented young chefs.” He introduced everyone, then continued: “Today’s challenge is to prepare two desserts, one traditional and one inventive. The traditional dessert is called alfajores, a sandwich cookie filled with dulce de leche.”

  “Dulce de leche!” whispered Rae. “So that’s why we made it.”

  Mrs. Rios reached into her purse and pulled out a sheet of paper. “I brought you my grandmother’s recipe.”

  Chef Porter took the recipe. “Thank you, Mrs. Rios. What a special honor for our young chefs. I am sure they will not disappoint.”

  Chef Gary moved next to Olivia. “I understand you have a favorite sweet treat that you’d like to see incorporated into a dessert. Is that correct?”

  Olivia nodded. “It’s my favorite thing ever—cotton candy! It fun to eat and tastes great! What’s not to like?” She grinned.

  “Cotton candy!” repeated Chef Gary. “This is will be the feature in your second dessert.” Chef Gary looked down the line of young chefs. Are you ready for this challenge?”

  “YES, CHEF!”

  “Me too,” agreed Chef Aimee. “I can’t wait to see what you make.”

  “CUT!” yelled Steve.

  Chef Nancy gathered the young chefs together and led them back outside to the golf cart.

  Caroline smiled all the way back to the filming studio. Desserts! This was her specialty. She could win this!

  Chapter 20

  I’m not scared of this challenge. I’m like Olivia—I like cotton candy. I won’t go for something subtle. If you like cotton candy, you want a one hundred percent cotton candy flavor overload.

  I don’t think the cookies will be hard to make. Olivia wants cotton candy and my twist is to give her that flavor mixed with a new texture. Cotton candy melts in your mouth and then it’s gone. I’m going to make something that’s more substantial, something that lasts.

  I was watching Olivia. She seems bubbly and fun. I bet she’d like a whimsical dessert, something that looks special . . . and tastes great, of course. I’m still thinking, but I have some ideas.

  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅

  After the interviews, everyone lined up behind the big table, facing the judges.

  “ROLLING!”

  Chef Gary tapped the top of his head. “Is this full of ideas?”

  “Yes, Chef!”

  He smiled. “And I bet you can’t wait to get started.”

  “YES, CHEF!”

  Chef Aimee stepped forward with a green bag.

  Oliver groaned.

  Chef Aimee shook the bag. “That’s right. Team challenge with two teams!”

  Rae looked at Caroline, then Oliver. Team challenge? But how? There were only three of them.

  Chef Aimee called Rae to the front and presented her with the bag. “Please pick out the name of your teammate.”

  Rae pulled out an envelope and handed it to Chef Aimee.

  Chef Aimee opened it, then smiled. “Mystery!” She held out the card: it was blank except for a giant question mark. She turned to Caroline. “This means you and Oliver will be partners.”

  Rae looked around frantically. Two against one? That wasn’t fair.

  Chef Gary chuckled. “Rae, you look worried. No need—we’ve brought in a special guest to help you.”

  Rae’s palms were sweaty. Her heart was racing. It was hard to cook with someone you knew and trusted, but cooking with a stranger? This was going to be even more of a disadvantage.

  Chef Gary pointed toward the back of the room. “And here comes your partner!”

  Rae inhaled a fast breath, then turned around. “TA-AATE!”

&
nbsp; Tate raced down the ramp, high-fived Oliver and Caroline, and jumped right next to Rae. She gave him a big hug.

  Chef Gary gave everyone a minute to calm down. “Welcome back, Tate. It’s great to have you here to help with the team challenge.” He clapped his hands. “Okay, let’s get serious. This is not going to be easy. You have a lot to do, in a limited time. You’ll need to create two dessert items: traditional alfajores using your own dulce de leche, and a creative dessert featuring cotton candy.” Chef Gary held up his hand. “But, unlike the other challenges of this past week, we need you to provide us with not one, but eight samples of each. You have two hours to complete this challenge.” He studied each of the young chefs. “Can you do it?”

  “YES, CHEF!” The answer was thunderous.

  Chef Aimee covered her ears. “That’s what we like to hear. We’ll have a cotton candy machine available for you to use, as well as cotton candy flavoring and sugars in the pantry. You’ll have ten minutes to discuss your ideas and create a pantry list.” She raised her hand. “And that time starts . . . NOW!”

  “My station!” yelled Oliver.

  “My station!” shouted Rae.

  “DUH!” shouted Tate. “I don’t have a station.” It was ten minutes filled with loud talking, frantic note-taking, and compromise.

  There are good things and not so good things about having Oliver as a partner. He’s a great cook, so that part is a bonus, but he really likes getting things his own way. He loved my idea for mini cheesecakes, but now he’s added cookie cups. That’s more work, but like he says, you can’t win this without innovation. Teamwork is compromise.

  Caroline and Oliver have two dulce de leches to choose from. Not that it matters, though, because mine turned out great. I’m mostly excited about the cotton candy challenge. We’re making mini cotton candy milkshakes and decorating them with candy and cotton candy cookies. Tate has creative ideas and we work well together. I’m lucky to have him as a partner.

  Caroline is a strong partner and work well as a team. I don’t have a doubts about her cooking ability. That’s important, because it means I don’t have to double-check what she’s doing. Making mini cheesecakes was a good idea, but adding the cookie cups makes it a great idea.

  “Two more minutes!” said Chef Gary.

  Rae scribbled down some last-minute ingredients, Oliver went over his list, Caroline looked at Mrs. Rios’s recipe, and Tate did some jumping jacks.

  When we do the pantry run, Rae will grab the big stuff and I’ll grab the little things. I’m fast, so we’re being smart about using my strengths. I’m glad I could come back to help her.

  Chapter 21

  O!” shouted Chef Aimee, and everyone took off for the pantry. Rae made two trips back to her workstation to drop off supplies. This time there would be no going back.

  “Don’t forget the sprinkles!” shouted Rae.

  Tate spun around and headed back to the shelf.

  “Sprinkles!” repeated Caroline. She followed Tate. She’d forgotten them too.

  “TIME!” called Chef Aimee.

  “CUT!” yelled Steve.

  Chef Nancy waved her arms. “Leave your baskets at your workstations and come back to the pantry.” She rolled a cotton candy machine to the center of the space.

  “We want everyone to have the same opportunity for success, so here are a few last-minute instructions. First, once you’ve made your pastry for the alfajores, put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This is part of Mrs. Rios’s recipe. Do not ignore this step. Second, I want to show you how to use the cotton candy machine. We have pink sugar and blue sugar.”

  Chef Nancy gave a quick demonstration of the machine. “Any questions?”

  Four heads shook simultaneously.

  “I can’t wait to try it!” whispered Caroline.

  “We’ll see,” said Oliver.

  Caroline scowled. What did that mean?

  Five minutes later the teams were back at their workstations, waiting for the official start.

  Chef Gary raised his hands: “LET’S GET COOKING!”

  Rae and Tate had a plan: first the alfajores cookie dough, so it could go into the fridge; then the ice cream, so it could set in the freezer; and last the cotton candy pinwheel cookies.

  Rae mixed the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Tate creamed the butter and sugar in the mixer, then carefully added the egg yolks one at a time before adding the vanilla.

  “We have to be careful when we add the flour,” warned Rae. “If we overmix it, the cookies will be tough.”

  Caroline got to the fridge with their alfajores dough just seconds before Tate. She rushed back to work on her cheesecake.

  “Crust into oven,” barked Oliver.

  “On it!” Caroline held up a rectangular glass baking dish. There wasn’t time for full sentences.

  Chef Aimee walked up just as Caroline was pressing the graham crust into the dish. “What are you making?”

  “Cheesecake. Oliver thought it would cook faster if it was spread out, and since we’re cutting it up to serve it . . .”

  “It doesn’t make a difference,” interrupted Oliver. “So faster is better.”

  “What’s next?” asked Chef Aimee.

  “Sugar cones!” answered Caroline.

  “Cheesecake mixture!” insisted Oliver.

  “Hmm.” Chef Aimee looked back and forth between the two of them. “Seems like you two might need to get on the same page.” She turned and left them staring at each other. Getting on the same page involved lots of whispering. “What makes you the boss?” snapped Caroline.

  Oliver looked around, then lowered his voice. “We don’t have time for this, so I’ll just tell you. I’ve had lessons and training. I know what I’m doing! I’m not some homeschooled wannabe chef!”

  Caroline stepped back eyes wide. “You had lessons? From professionals?”

  Oliver brushed it off. “So what? Like you didn’t?” Caroline shook her head.

  “Really?” Oliver smirked. “Your mom, the chef. She’s not a professional? Get over it, Caroline. You’re just like me!”

  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅

  “What are you making?” Chef Porter rested her hands on the counter.

  Tate looked up, surprised. He hadn’t seen her coming.

  “Uh . . .” Chef Porter always made him nervous.

  “Cotton candy ice cream,” answered Rae. She held up her spoon, then quickly put it back in the saucepan and stirred. “I’m mixing milk, whipping cream, sugar, salt, egg yolks, vanilla, and cotton candy syrup. I can’t stop stirring or it’ll burn.”

  “Yes, of course.” Chef Porter turned back to Tate. “And what are you making?”

  Tate didn’t look up. He fumbled with the stand mixer and mumbled something about being busy.

  “Busy doing what?” asked Chef Porter. Now she was scowling.

  Tate dropped a stick of butter into the mixing bowl and turned it on high. Rae watched. This was not going well. Tate had nothing to lose—he didn’t have to be nice. Rae pulled her saucepan off the heat, grabbed a measuring cup, and stepped in front of Tate. She smiled at Chef Porter. “Excuse me, Chef Porter, I just need to reach the sugar.”

  “Oh, certainly.” Chef Porter stepped back.

  Rae measured out half a cup of sugar and added it to Tate’s butter mixture. “Tate, can you measure out the dry ingredients, over there?” Rae pointed to the far end of the counter.

  Tate nodded, more than happy to escape Chef Porter.

  “We’re making cotton candy pinwheel cookies with pink and blue swirls,” explained Rae. She cracked an egg and added it to the bowl.

  “I’ll come back later,” said Chef Porter. “I’d like to see how you put those together.”

  As soon as Chef Porter was gone, Tate was back with the flour mixture and an apology.

  Rae nodded. “Next time she comes over, just let me do the talking.”

  Twenty minutes later, when the judge
s were making rounds, it was Chef Aimee, not Chef Porter, who stopped by.

  Tate rolled a ball of blue dough into a nine-inch flat square, then brushed it with water and covered it with a pink square of dough the same size. He gently push the two doughs together with a rolling pin.

  Rae brushed the top of the pink square with water. “This is the fun part.” Starting from one edge, she carefully rolled the dough over on itself until she had a chubby tube-shaped log.

  Tate brushed the log with water and rolled it in sprinkles. “Now it goes in the freezer to harden, then we’ll slice it into cookies and bake them.”

  “Impressive teamwork!” said Chef Aimee. “I’m excited to see how this all comes together.”

  “Me too.” Tate waved and ran off to the freezer.

  Chapter 22

  IXTY MINUTES!”

  Caroline looked up at the clock, then down at the oven. “Sixty minutes? I don’t think it’s even close to being cooked! Can you tell? Can you?”

  Oliver bent down to look. He was worried too. “It’s close—ten minutes, maybe fifteen.”

  Caroline marched back and forth between the oven and the worktable.

  Oliver watched. “That pacing’s not going to help. Let’s work on the alfajores. You get the dough from the fridge and I’ll prepare the baking sheets with parchment paper.”

  When Caroline came back, Oliver rolled out the dough, and then he and Caroline stamped out twenty-two circles, enough for eleven finished cookies.

  Caroline picked up the leftover dough. “Should we do more? Just in case.”

  Oliver studied the baking trays. “Fine, if you can fit them in. But there isn’t time for another whole tray.”