Lights, Camera, Cook!

by Charise Mericle Harper

  Caroline looked around and then breathed a sigh of relief. “No cameras.”

  Rae nodded. She felt exactly the same.

  The first stop was the filming studio, where they’d originally met the judges. Everyone wanted to know the same thing: which workstation would be theirs for the competition. The four workstations were identical. Each had a stove, a sink, an oven, and a folded apron sitting in the middle of the table. The only difference was the embroidered name on the front of the apron.

  Caroline ran her finger over the smooth bumps in her name.

  “Remember,” said Chef Nancy, “please don’t move anything. These stations are set up for the competition. You can explore later when we’re working in the school studio.”

  Caroline pulled her hand back and glued it to her side. Chef Nancy had eagle eyes.

  Chef Nancy gave Caroline a mini-nod and then continued. “There’s a wide assortment of tools for you to use, right at your own workstation. And don’t worry, everyone has the same thing: mixers, food processors, knives, and so on.”

  Chef Nancy pointed to the front of the room. “Next stop, the pantry.” It was to the left, behind the big table where they’d met the judges. The fruits and vegetables were stacked in bins in the middle of the room like an island—the vegetables on one side, the fruits on the other.

  Chef Nancy held up a mushroom. “Morels, enoki, and chanterelles. We stock a wide variety of high-end ingredients for you to use.”

  Oliver turned away. He wasn’t a fan. He’d only use the mushrooms if he absolutely had to.

  Chef Nancy pointed to the three big refrigerator doors at the end of the room. “There’s one for dairy, one for sauces and specialty items, and this last one’s a freezer.” Her phone buzzed and she looked down at the screen. “Oops, we’re behind schedule. Time to move on.”

  Chef Nancy led the way out of the filming studio and into a hallway. She stopped in front of a big red door and pushed it open.

  “This is the school studio. We’ll have some of our cooking lessons in here, when we aren’t filming with the judges. The worktables are set up exactly like the ones in the filming studio. This is on purpose, so you can be comfortable and familiar with your workspaces. You’ll have lots of time to look around tomorrow. No one wants to use up competition time looking for a spatula.”

  It was a joke, but no one laughed. They were all thinking the same thing: I hope that doesn’t happen to me.

  Chef Nancy closed the door. “Next stop: the recipe library.”

  My least favorite ingredient? I don’t have one. I like everything. A good chef knows that all ingredients are unique and important. The Next Best Junior Chef has to be open to anything.

  The library was impressive. Two walls with floor-to-ceiling books flanked a large picture window overlooking a small pond. Several comfy-looking sofas and a long table surrounded by chairs filled the center of the room.

  Chef Nancy pointed to one of the book ladders. “You’re welcome to come in here and study recipes in your free time, but please be careful if you’re climbing.”

  The library’s amazing. I’ve never seen so many cookbooks in my entire life! I personally only own two cookbooks. There must be thousands in there, from all over the world. It’s really a chef’s dream come true!

  Chef Nancy hurried the group down a walkway and out two big black doors. The view was spectacular: green hills framed the distant sky and a cobblestone path led to a large log building. Porter Lodge was the last stop on the tour. It’s where the kids would eat, sleep, and relax when they weren’t on camera.

  Chef Nancy pointed to the lodge. “Your rooms are ready. Go look, explore. You don’t have to wait for me.”

  Everyone ran ahead, except Oliver. He stayed with Chef Nancy all the way to the door, which of course he held open.

  “Oh, how thoughtful. Thank you.” Chef Nancy seemed surprised.

  Oliver nodded and smiled. Cool, calm, and a gentleman. He was going to win this thing.

  Saturday

  Chapter 5

  hef Nancy had a speech, and when everyone was seated at the big table eating breakfast, she started. “Welcome to day one of the Next Best Junior Chef challenges! I know you’re excited and can’t wait to get started, but before we begin, I want to go over a few things. Number one: the cameras.”

  That got everyone’s attention. Oliver looked up, Tate dropped his toast, Caroline put down her spoon, and Rae stopped chewing.

  “Some of you might be nervous about the filming, but don’t be. We’re not asking you to bite off more than you can chew. You’ll get used to the cameras, I promise. Before long, you won’t even notice they’re there.”

  Caroline shook her head, leaned toward Rae, and whispered: “Do you think a person can be allergic to cameras?” She scratched her arm. “They make me itchy. Plus, what if I make a mistake? It’ll be on TV. The whole world will see it!”

  Rae nodded, but Caroline couldn’t tell if she was agreeing with the worry or the allergy part.

  Chef Nancy continued. “Being on TV is exciting, but I want you to remember, you’re chefs, not actors. It might be tempting to show off for the cameras, but save that energy for your cooking! You’re going to need it. We have a busy schedule. There are mini-challenges today, tomorrow, and Monday; a field trip challenge on Tuesday; and the first elimination challenge on Thursday.” Chef Nancy handed out a paper with the schedule of events. “This is going to be an exciting week. Are you ready for fun?”

  No one moved. There was a lot to take in. Oliver, Rae, and Caroline studied the paper. Tate counted the days on his fingers. Chef Nancy smiled and waited. When they looked up again, she asked again.

  “Are you ready for fun?”

  This time they all answered.

  “YEAH!”

  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅

  After breakfast, Chef Nancy led the group to the school studio. It was smaller than the filming studio, but the workstations were identical. Instead of a pantry, there was a large curtain at the front of the room.

  Tate ran to his workstation. “Can we touch stuff?”

  “Great idea.” Chef Nancy nodded. “Let’s take fifteen minutes to explore your spaces.”

  Rae opened and closed all the drawers, a huge smile on her face. “I can’t believe it. There are so many tools!”

  Caroline fiddled with the food processor. “This is the exact same one my mom has in her restaurant.”

  “Good weight!” said Tate. He handled one of the knives.

  “Can we move things around?” asked Oliver. “I like my measuring tools on the left side of my workstation.”

  “Me too!” said Tate, and he grinned at Oliver.

  “Of course,” said Chef Nancy. “This is your space. You make the rules.”

  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅

  The fifteen minutes passed quickly. Not everyone was happy.

  “Already?” complained Tate. “But I didn’t even get to look at the mixer!”

  Chef Nancy nodded in sympathy, but she didn’t change her mind. Instead, she walked to the large curtain at the front of the room and flung it open.

  Tate gasped, instantly forgetting his frustration.

  Chef Nancy waved her arm. “I present the Gadget Wall!”

  She gave everyone a minute to look it over. The entire wall was filled with spinners, slicers, strainers, spatulas, tongs, knives—cooking gadgets of every kind.

  Before anyone could ask any questions, Chef Nancy continued. “If you win a mini-challenge, you can choose your prize from this wall. That item will be yours to take home, but until then, please keep all gadget prizes in the toolbox under your workstation. Your gadgets are not to be used in the competition.”

  Tate nodded. “I wondered what that box was for.”

  Caroline nodded. “Me too. I looked—it’s empty.”

  “Not for long,” bragged Oliver.

  When I win a mini-challenge, I’m going to pick a chef’s knife! I like chopping and slicing. I taught myse
lf by watching YouTube videos. My mom calls me Master Chopper, but that’s embarrassing, so I don’t tell people. Oops! Oh, man—now everyone knows.

  Chapter 6

  hef Nancy pointed to the door. “Okay, everyone, let’s move over to the filming studio. We’ll be using the pantry in our first challenge.”

  Two workers brushed past as they walked out.

  “Let them through,” said Chef Nancy. “They’re here to get the Gadget Wall and bring it to the filming studio.”

  Tate stopped and looked back. “They’re taking down the wall?”

  Rae pushed him forward. “It has wheels!”

  “How did you know?”

  Rae shrugged. “I notice stuff.”

  Steve was waiting in the filming studio with the camerapeople Janet and Mark.

  Chef Nancy stepped next to Steve and raised her hand. “Workstations, please—and don’t touch anything.”

  But it was too late; Tate was already waving a handful of cards he’d picked up off his table. “What are these for? Are we playing a card game?”

  Steve scowled.

  Chef Nancy waved her arms. “STOP! You may touch the cards, but PLEASE! Do not touch anything else! Especially the aprons!”

  Steve glared at Tate, but only Rae noticed. She turned back to her apron and smiled. There it was, her name, right under the Next Best Junior Chef logo. She couldn’t wait to put it on.

  My wow moment was seeing the apron with my name on it. It made everything seem more real. I got goose bumps all over my arms!

  “These are camera cards,” said Chef Nancy. She waved one in the air. “You each have ten camera cards, and it’s in your best interest to keep them and not lose them. The camera card competition starts today and finishes on Wednesday. The contestant with the most cards left on Wednesday afternoon will be the camera card winner.”

  “How do you lose them?” asked Caroline.

  “Camera mistakes.” Chef Nancy shook her head. “I don’t like to do it, but if you purposely look directly at the camera, perform for the camera, or hide from the camera, I will have to ask you to give up one of your camera cards.”

  Rae pointed to the Gadget Wall. “Is the prize a gadget?”

  “Better,” said Chef Nancy. “The prize is an hour-long private cooking lesson with me on Wednesday night.”

  “Wait!” Tate waved his cards again. “That’s huge! Isn’t the elimination challenge on Thursday? And the winner gets a special lesson ahead of everyone else! Is it a lesson on anything we want?”

  Chef Nancy waved her arm over the room. “Anything you want.”

  Tate nodded. Chef Nancy was right: a private lesson was better than a gadget, and probably worth more than a mini-mixer, a fancy cheese grater, and a really good knife all put together.

  “I need that!” announced Caroline.

  “Me too,” added Rae.

  “Good luck!” said Oliver, but Rae could tell he didn’t mean one bit of it.

  Steve nodded to Chef Nancy. “Okay, junior chefs, this is our first mini-challenge. The cameras are about to go on, and they will be following you into the pantry, so watch for them. No pushing, please.”

  Steve held up his hand and spun it in a circle. “ROLLING!”

  That word sent a nervous shiver straight down Caroline’s spine. Rae shot her a fast smile. It helped. Caroline nodded back.

  I like the cameras. It’s important to catch all the big moments in the competition. Plus, a real chef knows how to work under pressure. They don’t bother me at all.

  Chef Nancy clapped her hands. “Okay, contestants, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for. Please put on your aprons.”

  Tate wasn’t sure if he was supposed to stay quiet, but he couldn’t. “AWESOME!”

  Rae felt exactly the same.

  Putting on the apron was a big moment. It was exciting but it also made me feel calm. The apron is my uniform. When I’m wearing it, it means I’m doing my favorite thing in the world: cooking!

  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅

  The first mini-challenge was a game called Pantry Pick-Up.

  Chef Nancy stood at the table at the front of the room and explained the rules. “This game is designed to help you learn the layout of the pantry. You will each get a list of ten different items to collect and put into your basket. The first one back here with all the correct items will be the winner.”

  What did I do to prepare for this mini-challenge? Jumping jacks and squats. A warm body moves faster than a cold body, and to win you have to be fast!

  Chapter 7

  hef Nancy held her hand up. “Your time starts . . .” She sliced the air. “Now!”

  Everyone raced to the pantry. Rae stopped next to the arugula and read over her list.

  “Watch it!” Tate sprinted around her.

  There were ten items on the list; and two had pictures. That was helpful, because she had no idea what a fiddlehead or a sunchoke even was. She found the sunchokes next to the potatoes. The sunchoke is not an attractive vegetable. It’s like the zombie cousin to the potato—nobby, brown, and misshapen. The fiddleheads didn’t look much better to Rae. They reminded her of curled-up green caterpillars. It was a relief to get to the familiar. She looked for the easy things next: Parmesan cheese, spaghetti noodles, cilantro, sour cream, and peanut butter. The cumin was easy too—spices were always in alphabetical order. She found the whole-wheat flour next. It was heavy and hard to carry around—that was bad planning. She should have left it for last. She ran her finger over the list—one item left.

  “Bosc pear!” Rae shouted out loud, but no one noticed. They were too busy racing around and yelling. Mostly it was Excuse me! Excuse me! Excuse me! But then there was something different.

  “BEHIND YOU!”

  A second later, there was a crash.

  Tate and Oliver were on the ground, their baskets empty and food all over the floor. Tate scrambled up, scowling. Oliver shrugged and brushed himself off. Rae went back to the pears. This wasn’t as easy as she thought it’d be. She stared at the display. There were four different kinds of pears; red, yellow, green, brown—and no labels. Which one was the Bosc pear?

  “Time!” shouted Chef Nancy.

  “What, already?” Tate dropped his basket.

  Chef Nancy had one hand in the air and the other on Caroline’s shoulder. It was only a game, but still, Rae was disappointed. It’s not easy to go from I could win this to I lost.

  Chef Nancy called everyone over to the big table. Tate grumbled all the way back. Chef Nancy checked his basket. He was missing a fig and had almond butter instead of almond paste.

  Rae was missing a Bosc pear. It was the brown one.

  Oliver had everything—but he hadn’t made it back to the table before Caroline.

  Chef Nancy read from Caroline’s list and unloaded her basket onto the table. “Paprika, asiago cheese, baking soda, buttermilk, tiger melon, celery root, almonds, cornstarch, golden delicious apple, and prunes. Congratulations, Caroline! You have all the items on your list. You are the winner! You may pick your gadget.

  Caroline raced over to the Gadget Wall, a camera following closely behind.

  Oliver shook his head. “It’s too bad I crashed, but I’m happy for Caroline. She must be so excited.”

  Chef Nancy patted Oliver’s shoulder. “Thank you for showing such good sportsmanship. That’s an important skill.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Oliver nodded.

  “Um.” Tate moved next to Oliver. “Sorry about the crash. You could have won.”

  Oliver smiled. “No worries. It’s just a game.”

  When Caroline came back, Oliver was having his own private interview about being a good team player. They all had to wait until it was over. Rae scowled—even when he lost, Oliver was a winner.

  Sure, it was a race, but things can go wrong. If Tate hadn’t crashed into me, I probably would have won, but accidents happen. I want everyone to be happy. I don’t get upset about little things. I’m the King of
Calm in competition and in the kitchen.

  When the interview was over, Caroline held up her gadget for everyone to see. It was plastic and tube-shaped. No one knew what it was called or what it was for.

  Caroline set it down on the table. “It’s a spiral veggie slicer! I saw one once on TV.”

  Chef Nancy went to the pantry and came back with a zucchini. She handed it to Caroline for a demonstration. Caroline went right to work.

  “Zucchetti!” joked Tate, and it was true. The slicer could turn a zucchini into strands that looked just like spaghetti.

  Oliver put his hand up. “Can we play again?”

  “Of course,” said Chef Nancy. “But before we do, does anyone have any thoughts on how to save time?”

  “Get the heavy things last.”

  “Put the list in order of where the items are in the pantry.”

  “Get what you know first.”

  “Go to the fridge last—that door is super heavy.”

  They all agreed about the door.

  Chef Nancy shook her head. “I’m sorry about that. We can’t change the door.”

  My dad’s in the army, so he knows about working out. We used to do routine together every morning. I’m still practicing for when he gets back. Tomorrow I’ll add some extra pushups. That’ll help with the fridge door.