Contents
* * *
Title Page
Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Essential Techniques for the Young Chef
Sample Chapter from THE WINNER IS . . .
Buy the Book
Read More from the New Best Junior Chef Series
Middle Grade Mania!
About the Author
About the Illustrator
Connect with HMH on Social Media
Copyright © 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Illustrations copyright © 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
Text copyright © 2016 by the Culinary Institute of America, pages 168–70 from The Young Chef
All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [email protected] or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.
hmhco.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Harper, Charise Mericle, author. | Blard-Quintard, Aurélie, illustrator.
Title: The heat is on / by Charise Mericle Harper ; with illustrations by Aurélie Blard-Quintard.
Description: Boston ; New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, [2018]. | Series: Next Best Junior Chef ; episode 2 | Summary: The second week of Next Best Junior Chef features family and traditions, as Caroline, Oliver, and Rae, ages eleven to twelve, face more challenges and another elimination.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017004283 | ISBN 9780544980280 (paper over board)
Subjects: | CYAC: Cooking—Fiction. | Contests—Fiction. | Television—Production and direction—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Cooking & Food. | JUVENILE FICTION / Action & Adventure / General. | JUVENILE FICTION / Humorous Stories. | JUVENILE FICTION / Performing Arts / Television & Radio. | JUVENILE FICTION / Media Tie-In. | JUVENILE FICTION / Business, Careers, Occupations.
Classification: LCC PZ7.H231323 Hc 2017 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017004283
eISBN 978-1-328-91642-6
v1.0118
For the home cooks,
and the powerful memories folded, stirred, and shaped by their food.
Friday—Week Two Begins
Chapter 1
aroline, Oliver, and Rae were lined up outside the studio door, the same as a week ago with two exceptions: Tate was missing and they were excited instead of nervous. Tate had been sent home at the end of last week’s episode, but the biggest change was the excitement—after a week of competing, they had more of an idea of what to expect. In just minutes, the announcer would call their names and they’d be walking down the ramp to greet the judges.
Caroline spun around and whispered a fast “Good luck.”
Oliver frowned. “I don’t need luck.”
Rae returned a thumbs-up. “You too.”
“Shhh!” Chef Nancy held a finger to her lips.
Caroline flushed, faced front, and a second later . . .
“BOOMS!”
“LIGHTS!”
“CAMERAS!”
“ROLLING!”
. . . it started.
The announcer’s voice filled the room. “Welcome to Next Best Junior Chef! This is week two of our competition and things are about to get hot in the kitchen. We’re down to three junior chefs. They’re the best in the nation, but can they handle the challenges we’ve cooked up? Will the King of Calm keep his cool? Are the bonds of friendship about to be sliced and diced? Thursday’s elimination round will leave us with the final two contestants. One of these talented chefs will be the Next Best Junior Chef! Let’s bring out our three young contestants.”
Chef Nancy tapped Caroline’s shoulder—it was the signal to walk through the door. Caroline stepped forward and smiled all the way to the front of the studio.
The announcer continued. “Congratulations, Caroline, and welcome to week two. Caroline is eleven years old and from Chicago, Illinois. She’s got some tricks up her sleeve. Not everyone can turn an eggplant into a delectable dessert. The judges have been continuously impressed with her skill and creativity.”
Oliver’s foot hit the ramp just as the announcer said his name. He marched forward, head up, and with only a hint of a smirk. This was serious. He wasn’t here for fun.
“Congratulations, Oliver, and welcome to another exciting week. Oliver is twelve years old and from Montgomery, Alabama. He’s our reigning champ from last week, and this will give him an edge in today’s competition. Last week we saw this King of Calm step up and save the day. The judges all agree: This junior chef is some kind of superhero in the kitchen, too.”
Chef Nancy tapped Rae’s shoulder and then gave it a squeeze.
Rae grinned and moved out into the bright lights. She wasn’t worried about fainting again—that was a last-week thing, she was sure of it.
“Congratulations, Rae, and welcome back to the competition. Rae is eleven years old and from Port Chester, New York. She got off to a bit of a rocky start last week, but that hasn’t slowed her down. She’s feisty, determined, and a master of culinary presentation. The judges have not been disappointed. This young chef knows how to wow both the eye and the palate.”
Rae moved in next to Oliver and faced the judges.
“Our esteemed judges include Chef Vera Porter of the famous Porter Farm Restaurant, the renowned pastry chef Aimee Copley, and Chef Gary Lee, restaurant proprietor and host of the award-winning show Adventures in Cooking. The judges will be watching our competitors very closely throughout the week, and everything that happens along the way will be taken into consideration when we get to the final elimination round. In addition to choosing a winner, the judges will have to dismiss one of our junior chefs and ask them to hang up their apron. This decision will be based on performance, the taste and presentation of their dishes, and overall creative vision.
“Our junior chefs are mentored by Chef Nancy Patel, the 2013 recipient of the Golden Spoon Award.
“The winner of Next Best Junior Chef will receive two life-changing prizes: a custom food truck and a guest spot on Adventures in Cooking when it begins filming this summer in Italy!”
Chef Gary stepped forward, his arms opened wide. “Welcome, young chefs! Are we all excited to be back?”
“YES, CHEF!”
He rubbed his hands. “Are you ready for the surprises? The unexpected? The twists and turns?”
“Yes, Chef!”
“Hmm.” Chef Gary studied the contestants and stroked his chin. “Not so enthusiastic that time. Well, you’re probably right to be worried. This is not going to be easy. It will be challenging and—”
“FUN!” interrupted Chef Aimee. “We’re going to have fun.” She winked at Caroline. “I promise!”
Caroline breathed a sigh of relief. Chef Gary’s joking around w
as making her nervous. The wink helped a lot.
Rae glanced down the line of judges. Chef Porter was wearing her sour-pickle face. A minute later it disappeared.
Chef Porter cleared her throat and smiled. “The focus for this week is sharing, here, with us and with others. We want to learn about your families, your traditions, and your inspirations, because these are the things that shape creativity. It’s going to be an exciting and fulfilling week!”
“CUT!” Steve the producer waved his arms and the cameras turned off.
Chef Gary and Chef Aimee stepped around the table to shake everyone’s hand and wish them luck, but not Chef Porter. She was already gone.
After the greetings, Chef Nancy pointed to the orange door on the far wall. “Interview time, and it’s the same format as last week. When Steve asks a question, just answer honestly.”
“Me first,” said Oliver. He pushed to the front and marched across the room. A minute later he was sitting on the stool facing Steve the producer and Mark the cameraman.
“Ready?” asked Steve.
Oliver nodded.
Steve signaled the camera. “Tell me, Oliver, do you have a pet?”
I have a cat. His name is Muscadine. That’s a kind of grape that grows in Alabama. But we don’t call him that anymore, because Muscadine is hard to say, especially if you have to shout it out loud a lot. Cats aren’t good listeners. We just call him Deeno.
I have a pet goldfish. He’s five years old, which is pretty old for a goldfish. My mom wanted to call him a French name like Celeste, but my dad promised me that I could pick the name. It’s not easy to tell if a goldfish is a boy or a girl. Stanley doesn’t care: as long as I feed him, he’s happy.
I don’t really have a pet. There are two white ducks down at the pond a block from my house, and sometimes when we have old bread I’ll go down there and feed them. They’re really tame—some people even touch and pet them, but I’m not really a close-up duck person. I just like watching from the distance.
Chapter 2
unch was set out on the big round table at Porter Lodge. Rae looked out the window at the large grassy field and the wooded forest in the distance. This was definitely the nicest place she’d ever stayed. The lodge was huge, and everything inside was top-notch fancy. She grabbed a mini sandwich and slouched back in her chair, resting her knees against the table. It wasn’t home, but after a week, she was used to it. She waited for Caroline and Oliver to pick a seat. No one sat in Tate’s spot. She shuffled to a new position so she wouldn’t have to look at the empty chair. She’d miss his jokes.
Chef Nancy rushed through the room with a stack of papers. “I’ll be back in five minutes. Start eating. We have a busy afternoon.”
Rae nibbled the crust of her sandwich. “Why don’t people like the crust? It’s my favorite part.”
“It’s the bread,” answered Oliver. “Good bread means good crust.” He bit into his sandwich.
“And the filling,” added Caroline. “That’s important too. You have to spread it right to the edge of the crust or all you’ll get is a mouth full of dry bread.”
Rae pointed her sandwich at Caroline. “Thanks for the tip, but I’m pretty sure we won’t be making sandwiches this week.”
Oliver was still chewing, but he nodded in agreement.
Rae caught Caroline staring at Tate’s chair. She lowered her lip. “I miss him too.”
They both looked at Oliver. He shrugged and changed the subject. “Did they ask you a pet question in your interview?”
Caroline brightened. “Yeah, I have a goldfish and—”
Oliver’s raised his hand. “Stop.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “That’s a clue. I’ll bet you anything, the next challenge has something to do with pets.”
Rae scanned the room. She motioned for the others to crowd closer. “This is exactly what we should be doing. Working together! Helping each other. What if we made a pact? A stick-together pact!” She studied Oliver. “We agree to stick together, share information, and help, that way we can all do our best.”
“And focus our energy on cooking!” Caroline threw her hands in the air. “I’M IN! Stick-together pact! STP!”
Rae raised her arm. “In!”
Oliver tapped his finger on the table, studied it, then looked up and pointed. “Okay, but this is a still a competition. I’m going to do everything I can to win.”
Caroline grinned eagerly. “Of course! We all are, and . . . may the best chef win!”
⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
When Chef Nancy returned to the room, everyone was talking and joking. She smiled. This was the kind of energy she’d been hoping for since day one.
She moved to the head of the table. “Just a few things before we get started. We will not be using camera cards this week. Last week we used them so you’d learn to be more comfortable in front of the cameras. This week I assume you are all sufficiently trained and know the rules.” Her eyes settled on Oliver. He’d learned the hard way—losing last week had stung. This week he would not hog the camera.
She continued. “Great! Let’s head to the school studio. I want to introduce some new features in this week’s competition.”
⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅
The school studio had not changed: the workstations were clean and ready to be used, and the Gadget Wall was still at the far end of the room, festooned with shiny kitchen tools.
Chef Nancy gathered the group around the table at the front and pulled out a large black board with three names across the top. “Every time you win a regular challenge or a mini-challenge, I will put a star under your name. On Wednesday evening, the contestant with the most stars will be named the winner of . . .” She reached under the table and pulled out a shiny gold envelope. It sparkled and shimmered under the studio lights.
“The Golden Envelope!” Rae gasped, Oliver clenched his fists, and Caroline felt a shiver run down her spine. They all wanted it.
Chef Nancy continued. “It will be opened on Thursday morning to reveal a special advantage for the winner, to be used in this week’s elimination challenge.”
It was hard to concentrate on anything else, but Chef Nancy was already moving on. She handed out the schedule for the week. “As you can see we’re fired up and ready to get things started. We’ll move into our first challenge right after this meeting. The judges will be more involved this week—and that’s a compliment. They really want to learn about your inspirations and process.” Chef Nancy tapped the schedule. “I’ll give you a few minutes to go over this.”
Caroline studied the paper. “Eight challenges! How many did we have last week?”
“Fewer,” answered Rae. “Six including the elimination challenge.”
Oliver waved his hand in the air. “Excuse me, ma’am. Will I get to use my advantage today? The one from last week? Remember? I picked fire.”
Chef Nancy shook her head. “Sorry, Oliver, no advance information.”
Rae shot Caroline a look. Water and air—those were the leftover choices after fire. What did it mean? Was that good or bad? And how were they part of the challenge?
Chef Nancy started toward the door. Rae sighed and followed. It wouldn’t be a long wait to find out. The challenge was next.
Chapter 3
hef Nancy led everyone outside to the back of the lodge. She stopped at a small fenced-off grassy area in front of an impressive tent, with two large double doors, and big windows.
Oliver pointed to the door. “Do you know what’s in there?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Our challenge.”
Chef Nancy opened the gate and led the group onto the grass. “Wait here. I’m going inside, but I’ll be right back.” A minute later she emerged with Steve the producer and the camerapeople.
“ROLLING!” shouted Steve, and Chef Gary burst out the doors.
He jogged over to the group. “Phew! We had a little pet trouble, but now we’re all good. Should we start?”
“YES, CHEF!”
> Rae shot Caroline a look. Pet! Oliver was right!
Chef Gary grinned. “I know you’re all pet lovers, so I can’t wait for you to meet my new pet. In just a minute Chef Aimee is going to—”
“EEEH!” Rae squealed.
Caroline hopped up and down and pointed.
Chef Gary turned. Chef Aimee was walking toward them holding a squirming puppy. He shook his head. “Well, upstaged again, but I don’t mind. I love this little gal.
Chef Gary rubbed the dog’s ears. “What a beauty. She’s a long-haired dachshund.”
Chef Aimee kneeled down. “Would you like to meet her? If you sit on the grass, I’ll let her go.”
Caroline, Rae, and Oliver dropped to the ground. A minute later they were in puppy heaven.
Rae stroked her ears. “They’re so soft!”
“I want to hug her forever!” said Caroline. The puppy wriggled out of her arms and headed straight for Oliver.
“Fiesty!” Oliver tried to raise his arm, but the puppy was tugging on his shirt sleeve.
“Oh, dear! Sorry, Oliver.” Chef Aimee pried the puppy away. “I guess she needs some training.”
“That’s okay, ma’am. I have lots of shirts.”
“What’s her name?” asked Caroline.
“Good question!” answered Chef Gary. “We haven’t decided. Any suggestions?”
The puppy raced circles around them. Happy to be free.
“How about Turbo?” suggested Oliver. “She’s pretty fast.”
Chef Gary nodded. “Good idea. You know, the dachshund was bred to chase and catch small animals.”
“Freckles!” shouted Caroline. “Because she has three little spots right on her chin.”
The Heat Is On Page 1
