Chapter 5 #2
Ten minutes had already gone by and he hadn’t even started removing the breading from the frozen seafood.
He saw the other chefs around him similarly struggling, but a few of them were already cooking.
Including Staci. He thought of her background, how she’d talked about cooking with her grandmother and realized that the key to this challenge was in something he’d never experienced before.
He’d cooked from fresh and local ingredients because they were the best sources for good food.
Staci had done that because they’d been the quickest and likely the cheapest.
He threw away everything he’d learned in the kitchen and carefully considered the ingredients before him.
He needed to make something simple, healthy, yet tasty.
A Florentine dish was still his goal but he needed to streamline it.
He changed his main plan and discarded the fish, opting for a single dish lasagna instead.
He heated up the prepared tomato sauce, which tasted too bland so he went back to the pantry to get more spices until the seasoning tasted as he wanted it.
He layered the heated sauce into the pan with the ravioli and the spinach and then crumbled some cheese on top and put it under the broiler to heat through and brown.
He pulled the dish out with two minutes left on the clock.
He sampled it and realized the dried spices and processed cheese had yielded something that was very tasty.
He had never felt so free in the kitchen.
This wasn’t something his grandfather, father or uncles had ever done and as the timer sounded and he glanced at the other stations he felt a certain confidence in both himself and in his dish.
Marcel and Fatima started three stations down from him and he glanced around the room, noting some interesting takes on the frozen food challenge. The sense of pride he felt didn’t wane. He knew his skills and the dish he’d put together met the challenge requirements.
Marcel didn’t like the dish that Max, who was at the station next to him, had prepared. “This shows little imagination. It’s like you dumped the package on a cooking tray and prepared them per the instructions. I expected better from you.”
“Everything is well cooked and I really liked the spices you added to the potatoes,” Fatima said.
Now they were at Remy’s station, staring at his dish. “What have you prepared?”
“A Florentine style lasagna, using prepared tomato sauce and ravioli.”
Marcel didn’t look like he was expecting much and Fatima just smiled at him. Remy realized that this was his first big cooking challenge all on his own. The world wouldn’t end if he screwed this up, but then he’d never be more than the sum of his family. He’d never—
“Delicious,” Fatima said. “What did you add to the sauce?”
“Spices and garlic,” he said.
“It really is good,” Marcel agreed. “I see you have seafood on your station why didn’t you use it?”
“I was going to take the breading off and then I thought if I’ve worked all day and have hungry kids to feed, the last thing I’m going to want to do is take the bread off of some frozen shrimp.
I want to feed the kids quickly and nutritiously.
I would have wanted fresh spinach, but the frozen does still offer lots of nutrients,” Remy said.
“Yes, it does.” Marcel nodded.
The chef and host moved on to the next station and Remy caught Staci looking at him. He winked at her and she frowned at him. When the judges had tried all the dishes Remy, Staci and Conner had the top three meals.
“Our top three produced some really good and healthy dishes and all three will be presenting them at an LA Food Fair later this week. But today’s winner is Staci.”
Everyone clapped and Remy felt a pang of resentment that he hadn’t won, but the smile on Staci’s face made up for it. He wasn’t happy to lose but he did like seeing her happy. Next time though he wanted her to have to be satisfied with second.
THEY TOOK A brEAK FROM filming after her win was announced.
And the studio was cleared. Staci wanted to share her news with someone.
Though as Alysse had reminded her last night, she wasn’t supposed to share any details from the contest. All of the episodes were being taped to air once the entire competition was over.
“Another winning dish. Looks like you might be the chef to watch,” Quinn said coming up to her.
Quinn had been at the station next to her during the Quick Cook challenge and had made a faux risotto from boil in a bag rice.
It had sounded pretty good but there hadn’t been enough time to cook the rice and it had stuck together.
“I think each new challenge is going to up the stakes. So far they’ve been up my alley.”
“Lucky,” he said. “I wonder what the elimination challenge will be this week.”
“From watching the show I thought they’d have told us already but I guess not,” she said. She noticed Remy standing at the back of the room talking to Marcel. She’d heard—well everyone had—how much Marcel had enjoyed his dish and Staci was surprised that she’d beaten him.
“What’s his story?” Quinn asked, gesturing toward Remy.
“Out of work New Orleans chef. I wonder if it’s an effect of Katrina. I know that was years ago but I’ve heard from friends there that the city still hasn’t recovered.”
“Who knows? He’s good,” Quinn said.
Staci was getting a little annoyed at the way Quinn was talking about everyone else’s skills and not his own. “Everyone’s good or they wouldn’t be here. You earned a spot just like everyone else. Shake off what just happened and focus on what you’ll be doing next.”
He gave her a half smile. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep well last night. I don’t like having to share a room.”
“I don’t either,” Vivian said, joining their group. “The Princess and The Pea over here tossed and turned all night. But it didn’t seem to affect your cooking.”
“I don’t need a lot of sleep,” Staci said. “I’ve always been able to function on five hours.”
Remy was lingering at the edge of the group. She tried to ignore him, wanted to show him he meant nothing more to her than any of the other chefs in the competition, but her heart beat a little faster and she found herself staring at him when she thought he wasn’t looking.
“What’s everyone’s thoughts on the elimination challenge?” Remy asked.
“Well, I’m guessing an offsite test,” Vivian said. “I saw that they were bringing the cars around front for us. Plus they always start with that on the show.”
“Do they?” Staci asked. “I’ve only watched a few episodes.”
“Not me. I’ve been addicted to the show from the beginning. Love everything about it.” Vivian smiled.
“Maybe we just have to go shop for our ingredients,” Quinn suggested.
“I was hoping for a mystery basket,” Staci said. She had done well with the first blind challenge after all.
“Doubt it after the Quick Cook,” Vivian said.
“I don’t care what it is as long as we start soon,” Quinn said. “The waiting is hell.”
The rest of the chefs continued talking and Remy took her arm and drew her away from the group. “Congratulations on your win.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I could beat you. You had Marcel eating out of your hand.”
“I was surprised. Critics don’t usually go for easy comfort foods.”
“No they don’t but that was the spirit of the challenge,” she said.
“Your mac and cheese looked good,” he said.
“Thanks. Family recipe,” she said with a quick grin.
“I gathered as much. Listen, Staci, I want to learn more about you. I like—”
“For the contest?” she asked.
He shook his head. “For me. I...I like you.”
She backed away from him. “Not now. I said I don’t want to talk about anything personal while we’re here. I need to stay focused on what I’m doing. Last night proved it to me. And I’m here to cook.”
She wondered what he was hoping to find in her expression and then if he found it because he seemed to nod and take a step away. “All right, but when we get back to the house I want you to go for a walk on the beach with me.”
She didn’t want to commit to doing anything with him. She wanted to put distance between them but then remembered her dream last night. Remy was tied to her cooking now and she knew it. That passion he’d kindled in her last night was the fire that drove her whether she wanted to admit it or not.
“Fine. Let’s get back to the others,” she said.
They soon found out that Vivian was right. It was an Off-Site Challenge and they were headed to the UCLA college campus to serve lunch for the hungry students. They’d have to shop for their ingredients and then prepare them in two hours.
Staci tried to think of what she could make that would please the college students and the judges.
But her mind was blank. She was thinking about Remy again and she had to wonder if that was his strategy.
He’d certainly done a good job of distracting her.
Ugh, she thought. She had to stay away from him.
From now on when he walked over to her, she’d walk away.
They were driven to Whole Foods and everyone was shouting and running around like crazy people trying to find what they would need to create their dishes.
Staci felt lost and she knew that after her win she was the one to watch so she took a second and pushed her trolley away from the crowds.
She closed her eyes and thought about her grandmother, Alysse and all her friends back home in San Diego.
She concentrated on them, but it wasn’t calming her down.
“You okay, chère?” Remy asked coming up behind her with his buggy.
Suddenly she had an idea of what to cook and a new fire in her belly. She wasn’t going to collapse in on herself. She was determined to win and to beat Remy again. She wanted him to see her, to know she was a good chef and she needed him to know that she was strong in the kitchen and out of it.
She gave him her sexiest grin. “I am now.”
“Good. I’d hate to beat you if you aren’t on your A game,” he said.
“Ah, Southern Man, you’re going to have a hard time beating me,” she said. “That’s a promise.”
“Sounds more like a challenge,” he said. “One I’m happy to accept. Whoever does better this afternoon—the loser has to cook dinner for them.”
“Deal,” she said. “I’m ready for you to have to cook for me.”
“Pride goes before the fall,” he said, pushing his trolley away.
And she just laughed as the dish finally coalesced in her mind.
She didn’t want to assign too much importance to Remy and instead decided that like a secret spice he was the key to her cooking.
She realized that wanting to beat him and prove herself worthy in his eyes made the competition personal and that was what she needed.