The Heat Is On

by Charise Mericle Harper

  I chose the cream of chicken soup for my side dish. I’m making a baked cheesy corn casserole. I’ve never used canned soup in a recipe before. This will be a first. I hope it works out.

  I chose the cream of mushroom soup for my entrée. I’m going to make a mushroom, potato, and chicken casserole. Fresh mushrooms would have been a big help, but the pantry didn’t have any. That’s what people who shop at the pantry feel like—happy to have the food, but wishing there were more choices.

  Chef Nancy stepped to the center of the room. “I will not be coming around to visit you today—you’re on your own.”

  There wasn’t time to think about this new twist, because the minute Chef Nancy was gone, Chef Gary gave the signal to start. “Let’s get cooking!”

  Oliver mixed milk and eggs and the can of soup in a bowl. In another bowl he added cinnamon to the cake mix, then added this to his egg mixture. He buttered and floured a cake pan and spooned in the batter.

  Chef Aimee arrived just as he was popping the pan into the oven. “Done already?”

  Oliver nodded. “It’s fast when you use premade items, but I still have to make icing.”

  Chef Aimee looked at the clock. “More than enough time—forty minutes left.” She moved over to see Rae.

  Rae was using a mandolin to slice her potatoes.

  “How is it going?”

  “Crazy!” answered Rae. “There’s so much to do and not much cooking time. I pounded the chicken breasts to make them thinner so they’d cook faster, and now I’m sauteing the onions and slicing potatoes both at the same time.”

  “How are you putting it together?” ask Chef Aimee.

  Rae pulled out a baking dish. “I’ll layer the potatoes, put the chicken on top, and then cover them both with the mushroom soup and the onions.”

  “Sounds tasty,” said Chef Aimee. “Are you confident?”

  “Confident!” Rae held up her potato.

  Caroline was Chef Aimee’s last stop. She looked around at the empty pots and pans. “Oh no, did I miss everything?”

  Caroline pointed to the oven. “The cheesy corn casserole is baking. I just have to make the topping.”

  Chef Aimee looked through the oven window. “Looks good.”

  “TEN MINUTES LEFT!”

  Oliver pulled his cake out of the oven and placed it on a rack. There was no way it would cool in time for frosting, so instead he improvised a glaze in a double boiler, quickly heating sugar, cream cheese, and milk.

  Caroline and Rae and Oliver worked together to plate their meal. They placed their dishes on a long wooden cutting board. Three small single-serving plates—one for each menu item. Oliver sliced three thin pieces of cake and stacked them together. Rae gathered the mushrooms from the sauce and arranged them in a line next to the chicken breast. She added a saucy swirl to the edge of the plate. Caroline sprinkled crushed cornflakes on top and down one side of her ramekin.

  “TIME!” Six hands flew into the air.

  “CUT!”

  The hands came down.

  Steve motioned for Janet and Mark to follow him. “Let’s get those close-ups.”

  Chapter 15

  hef Gary called everyone to the front.

  Oliver set the board on the table. Rae and Caroline stood at his side.

  Chef Gary looked at the table, then the group. “Look at this. You work well together.” He pointed to Rae. “Tell us, about your dish.”

  “It’s a chicken potato bake with a mushroom onion gravy.”

  Chef Gary nodded. “That sounds like comfort food to me.” He handed forks and knives to Chef Aimee and Chef Nancy. “Let’s dig in.”

  “Mmm, this is really good,” said Chef Nancy. “I have a sweet spot for mushrooms.”

  Chef Aimee nodded. “Me too. And the chicken is moist and tender.”

  Chef Gary speared a potato and popped it into his mouth. “Nice sauce, and the potato is firm but cooked. Well done, Rae. How did you find this challenge?”

  Rae shook her head. “Challenging! It’s not easy to cook when you don’t have many supplies and hardly any fresh food.”

  “So true,” said Chef Gary. “And yet for many people this is a reality.”

  Chef Aimee pulled Caroline’s dish to the center of the table. “Caroline, tell us about your dish.”

  “It’s a cheesy baked corn casserole.”

  Chef Gary tried a bite. “It’s like cornbread, but moist and cheesy. And I love the crunchy bits on top. What are they?” Caroline smiled nervously. “It’s kind of an invention—they’re crispy fried onions and smashed cornflakes mixed together.”

  “Really?” Chef Aimee took another bite. “Wow, I’d never have guessed. That is an invention.”

  Oliver was the last to present. “I made a tomato soup spiced cake.”

  Chef Aimee picked up a clean fork. “How did you come up with that?”

  Oliver shook his head. “It wasn’t really my idea. My grandma makes something kind of similar.”

  Chef Aimee took a bite. “Nice, but not very spicy. I only taste cinnamon.”

  Oliver nodded. “I wanted to add cloves, but there weren’t any in the pantry.”

  “Unfortunate,” said Chef Gary. “But sometimes you just have to make do.”

  “I still like it,” said Chef Nancy. “It’s not overly sweet, even with the glaze.”

  “And it’s very moist,” added Chef Aimee. “Nice job, Oliver.”

  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅

  Oliver, Rae, and Caroline waited while the judges stepped off to the side to discuss the competition. Two minutes later they were back at the table.

  Chef Gary waved a stack of papers. “We are proud of all of you. Even with restrictions, you were able to create interesting, delicious, and creative dishes. We’d like you to share your recipes with the food pantry, so when we’re done here, please write them down.” He dropped the papers onto the table. “The winner of today’s challenge really did some out-of-the-box thinking, and that was impressive. Caroline, please step forward—you are the winner. Your corn casserole was delicious, but it was the unconventional topping that really impressed us. Congratulations!”

  “Thank you, Chef!”

  Chef Aimee pointed to the Gadget Wall. “Caroline, you may pick out your prize.”

  Chef Nancy added another star to the black board. Caroline and Oliver had two stars each. They were tied in the race for the Golden Envelope advantage.

  Caroline bounced all the way to the Gadget Wall and came back holding a hand mixer. “Look!”

  “I’m happy for you,” said Rae, and she meant it.

  Chapter 16

  t was lesson time in the filming studio.

  Chef Nancy clasped her hands in front of her heart. “We are now going to make the most delicious thing ever invented . . . dulce de leche!” She paused for a moment. “It’s a sweet sauce with origins in Argentina, but many Latin American countries are famous for having their own variations. You can put it in ice cream, cakes, cookies, bars, and my personal favorite—you can eat it with a spoon.”

  “It’s caramel,” said Caroline.

  Chef Nancy shook her head. “No, that’s a common misconception. Dulce de leche is not caramel. Caramel is a mixture of water and sugar, while dulce de leche is whole milk, sugar, vanilla, and a tiny bit of baking soda. The only thing needed to change these four ingredients into pure deliciousness is time, and we’re going to need a lot of that. Dulce de leche takes three hours to make.”

  “What?” Rae couldn’t believe it.

  Chef Nancy smiled. “Don’t worry, it’ll be worth it.” Chef Nancy handed out the recipes and sent everyone back to their workstations. “Mix the ingredients together in a saucepan and set it on low heat. Then you’re going to stir until the sugar’s dissolved. For the first ninety minutes, you’ll want to stir it regularly. The last hour will be the most critical. As your sauce thickens and changes to a dark golden brown, there’s more chance of it burning. There’s only one rule in this pr
ocess: STIR!”

  Caroline raised her hand. “Is this a mini-challenge?”

  Chef Nancy paused for a minute. “No one will be taste testing your dulce de leche today.”

  Once the dulce de leches were mixed and cooking, Chef Nancy started a lesson on baking.

  She pointed at Oliver. “What’s the number one rule for dulce de leche?”

  “STIR!”

  Chef Nancy nodded. “Very good, Oliver. We’re doing two things at once here, baking lesson and dulce de leche, so please feel free to check your pots and . . .”

  “. . . STIR!” They all said it together.

  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅

  Chef Nancy handed out the ingredients for a pie crust: flour, sugar, salt, butter, apple cider vinegar, ice water, and a pie plate.

  Caroline wiggled her fingers. “Everything’s so cold, even the flour.”

  “That’s on purpose!” said Chef Nancy. “Because the colder your ingredients, the better chance for a successful pie crust. Let’s do this together. Step one: stir your flour, sugar, and salt together in your bowl.” She waited until they were done, then continued. “Step two: cut your butter into small pieces and mix it into your flour with a pastry cutter.” She glanced around the room. “Is it crumbly like tiny pebbles?”

  “Yes, Chef!”

  “Step three: using one tablespoon at time, mix in the vinegar and just enough cold water so that your mixture forms into a ball. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Overmixing will make your crust tough.” Chef Nancy stopped and surveyed everyone’s progress. “Normally I’d suggest you let the dough sit for at least forty minutes in the refrigerator, but we don’t have time to sit around and wait.”

  Caroline snuck a little piece of dough off the side of her ball and popped it into her mouth.

  Rae’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.

  Chef Nancy surveyed the room. “Do you like surprises? How about a mini-challenge?” There was only one answer.

  “Yes, Chef!”

  Chef Nancy handed out apple pie filling and pie plates. “We have pre-chilled some dough for you to use, so let’s swap out the dough you just made. Don’t worry, this challenge is about design, not taste.”

  “ROLLING!” shouted Steve.

  Chef Nancy continued: “Family is a recurring theme this week, so we’re asking you to create an original design that is reflective of your family. You will have twenty minutes for this challenge.” Chef Nancy raised her hand. “And your time starts now!”

  “Aaaah!” Rae didn’t usually complain out loud, but surprise challenges were hard. Your brain had to switch gears super fast.

  Oliver separated his dough into two balls and floured the surface of his table. The top crust would be the important one, so while he was thinking of an idea, he’d make the bottom crust and fill the pie. Oliver rolled out the ball, working from the center, then lifted the edge to be sure it wasn’t sticking. He wasn’t a pie expert, but he knew that the less you handled the dough, the better.

  Every challenge is important, so you really have to be smart about the decisions you make. Family means togetherness, comfort, and support. I’m going to use that as a starting point for my design. There won’t be any hearts—my pie will be sophisticated.

  Rae transferred her dough to her pie plate. She trimmed around the edge, leaving an even inch of overlap. She’d use that later and fold it over the top crust. She was just about to add the filling, when she remembered the dulce de leche. Just like Chef Nancy had warned, it was getting thicker. From now on she’d have to stir it more often. A minute later, she was back to the pie.

  I was only nervous about this challenge for about two minutes. I’m really good at design stuff and I love crafts. Working with dough is almost like working with clay, so I know I’ll be able to make a design that will impress the judges.

  Chef Nancy held up her hand. “Fifteen minutes!”

  Caroline rolled out her dough and picked up a paring knife. She carefully cut out a leaf—one down, thirty to go.

  As soon as Chef Nancy said “family,” I thought of a family tree, and then I thought about leaves. My pattern is going to be leaves fanning out from the middle of the pie, and in the middle two leaves will come together to form a heart, because family is love.

  “Five minutes!” announced Chef Nancy.

  “Aaaaah!” This time it was Caroline protesting. Her leaves were sticking to the table. The butter was melting and making the dough sticky.

  The last minutes were busy and silent. Oliver crimped the edges of his crust together with a fork, Rae finished the braided edging of her crust, and Caroline placed two leaves in the center of her pie.

  “TIME!” called Chef Nancy.

  Chapter 17

  aroline, Oliver, and Rae stood at the front of the room, waiting. Their pies all in a row on the big table.

  “Our special judge will be here in a minute,” promised Chef Nancy.

  “Who is it?” whispered Rae.

  “Chef Aimee,” guessed Caroline. “She’s the dessert expert.”

  Suddenly the door opened and Chef Porter walked in. She stepped up to the table, glanced at the pies, then studied the contestants. “Shall we start?”

  “Absolutely,” said Chef Nancy. “Oliver, can you explain your design?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I wanted a sophisticated design that conveyed the complexity and comfort of family. I chose a latticework pattern because it is woven back and forth like a nest, and the circular pattern in the very center of the pie represents hope.”

  Rae took a second look at Oliver’s pie. It was a simple latticework with a spiral in the center. What was he talking about? Whatever it was, Chef Porter seemed to like it, because she nodded like she agreed.

  Next it was Caroline’s turn.

  “Family made me think of a family tree, which made me think of leaves . . . and love.” Caroline pointed to the heart in the middle of her pie.

  “Lovely!” said Chef Porter. “Very sweet.”

  Caroline grinned—nice words from Chef Porter had power.

  Chef Nancy turned to Rae. “Rae, tell us about your design?”

  “I created a honeycomb design and added a decorative pastry braiding around the edge, because being in a family means working together. There are three people in my family—me, my dad, and my grandmother—and with three strings you can make a braid that is stronger than just one string alone.”

  Chef Porter quietly studied the pie. “Exquisite!” She stepped back. “Impressive design work, all of you.”

  Chef Nancy and Chef Porter moved away from the table to discuss the competition.

  Minutes later, Chef Porter returned, smiling. “Congratulations, Rae—you are the winner of this challenge. Your pie is absolutely stunning, and the explanation of your inspiration was touching. I don’t know what this pie is going to taste like, but it would be a shame to cut into this beautiful crust.”

  “Thank you, Chef.” Rae blushed.

  Chef Nancy pointed to the Gadget Wall, then picked up the black board to add a star under Rae’s name. Rae watched. Her first star! She was back in the race.

  Chef Nancy smiled and pointed again. “Rae, you may pick out your prize.”

  Chef Porter was gone when Rae came back from the Gadget Wall. Caroline offered a semi-smile and Oliver ignored her. Rae set the mezzaluna on her table. It had a sharp semicircular blade and two wooden handles. Now she’d be a master chopper like Tate. She sighed, put in her toolbox, and stirred her sauce. For the first time ever, winning did not feel as good as she thought it would.

  Design is not cooking. Of course she was going to win—she’s a craft person. If we were making pies to taste, that would have been fair. I’m the King of Calm, so I won’t get upset about it, but this is a cooking competition—not an art show.

  Those leaves took me forever to cut out. I think my design was harder to make than Rae’s. I should have had a better explanation. That braiding part won it for her. So I guess wor
ds are important.

  The choices we make in cooking are important. Of course the end result is important too, but food is like a story. It has to have meaning. It’s creativity plus science plus emotion. Not everyone understands that. I deserved that win.

  ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅

  Chef Nancy gathered the group at the front of the room. “I know it’s late and you’re all tired, but let’s bake those pies so we can donate them to the food pantry. What do you think?”

  Caroline, Oliver, and Rae all nodded, but none of them looked happy.

  Rae beat an egg, glazed her pie, and placed it in the oven. When it came out, it’d have a golden brown crust. Before returning to the big table, she stirred her sauce a few more times. Maybe the others would forget, and burn their dulce de leche. That would serve them right for being grumpy. She smiled for a few seconds, but then felt guilty. She’d rather enjoy her win—not someone else’s loss.

  Chapter 18

  hef Nancy didn’t notice the restrained mood around the dinner table. She was too excited about the dulce de leche and was eagerly sharing recipe ideas. Now that the sauce had cooled, they were back in the school studio ready to try it.

  Oliver stirred his sauce. The white milky liquid had transformed: it was creamy, thick, and brown—maybe too brown. He pulled out a saucepan lid, ready to cover it up, if anyone came close.

  The rich, sweet smell filled Caroline’s nose and she closed her eyes.