Next she opened the soup, stirred it, and sniffed the contents. It was Italian wedding soup, which was chock-full of little meatballs, spinach, veggies, and broth. She took a spoonful and considered what—besides the tomatillos—she could add to make it taste and feel more like a sauce.
Just as she felt an idea starting to form, the Kitchen Wizard hollered, “Everyone, stop what you’re doing!”
The contestants put down their tools and looked up expectantly. Piper had a feeling it was time for their second surprise challenge.
“The zombies are coming,” the Kitchen Wizard droned. “The zombies are coming.” All three contestants laughed as the host of the show lumbered across the set with a camera trailing behind her. In her normal voice, she went on, “As you all know, cooking is rarely a solitary pursuit. Most of the time, we cook for or with someone. This surprise challenge will test your communication and partnership skills. Imagine, if you will, that you must take refuge in a safe place, because the zombies have drawn ever closer.” The lights in the studio flickered in a spooky way while the Kitchen Wizard continued her explanation. “You have no choice but to hide inside a zombie-proof pod while someone else finishes today’s task for you. You won’t be able to see your workstation, touch your equipment, or taste your food. Your only means of correspondence will be through an earpiece. You’ll need to give clear-enough instructions that someone else will be able to carry out your dish in your absence.”
“So we won’t be the ones cooking?” Jack asked.
“Not directly, no. You will be the brains behind your dish,” the Kitchen Wizard said, waggling her eyebrows, “but someone else will execute your orders.” She held her arms out in front of herself and groaned. “Mmmm, brains.”
They all laughed again.
“Who will be cooking?” Frankie asked.
“I was just getting to that,” the Kitchen Wizard said. “This is where things get really fun. Each of you has brought friends and family from home to cheer you on during today’s adventure. Before the competition began, I spoke with your cheering squads, and they helped me choose a sous-chef to join each of you in your kitchens.” She waved her hand toward the wings and said, “Please welcome your zombie support team!”
Piper and the other contestants spun around. A spotlight shone down on one side of the set. Piper couldn’t wait to see who her assistant would be.
Dan? Hopefully not. (No offense to her brother!)
Her mom?
Milla?
She tried to think of whom she would want to cook with her and was relieved she wasn’t the one who would choose.
“First up, we have Frankie’s dad, Matt!” A slim man stepped out from backstage and waved at Frankie. His expression made him look like a deer caught in headlights. After studying Frankie’s dad for a second, Piper noticed he also looked a little…strange. It took a moment for her to realize that it was because Frankie’s dad had been made up to look like a zombie—his clothes were ripped, and his face was pasty and dead-looking. It was hilarious! Frankie raced forward and high-fived him. “Oh boy,” Frankie said, laughing. “Lookin’ good, Dad. This should be…interesting.”
“Next, we have Jack’s best friend and neighbor, Marguerite Elliston!” Jack sauntered over and air-kissed a tall, smiley girl who looked a little older than him. Just like Frankie’s dad, Marguerite was wearing tattered clothes and rotten-looking makeup.
“Finally, please welcome Piper’s friend and classmate, Mariana Sanchez!”
As soon as the Kitchen Wizard announced Mari’s name, Piper was sure her family and friends had made the right choice. Mari was the only one of her friends with any real passion for cooking, and she wasn’t afraid to take risks. Piper rushed forward and hugged her pal. Mari’s clothes were dirty and torn, her usually tan skin was pale and crusty-looking, and her short hair was in tangles. Whether Mari was a zombie or not, Piper was thrilled to have her friend on set!
A producer yelled, “Cut!” Then there was a flurry of activity as people started talking loudly and moving set pieces around. “We need a few minutes to bring the contestants’ zombie-proof pods onto the set,” the Kitchen Wizard explained. “Take this time to get your partner acquainted with your workstation and explain your plans for today’s task. We’ll have cameras rolling in five minutes or so, and at that point you’ll need to turn everything over to your zombie support team.”
Piper turned to Mariana and grabbed her hands. “I’m so excited you’re here with me!” she said. “When did you find out you were going to be on the show?” she asked in a rush, leading Mariana over to her workstation.
“They told us about this surprise challenge when we got here this morning!” Mari told her. “When we checked in at the front desk, a producer told us your guests had to nominate one person who would get to come on set and help you. They didn’t give us any other details. Ruby suggested me, and everyone else agreed. Well, except Finley, who really wanted to do it—but your parents stepped in and said no.” Mariana grinned. “My dad drove a bunch of us here, so he could sign the waiver giving me permission to participate. Then they took me backstage and gave me a zombie costume and did my makeup,” Mariana said, her eyes huge. “This is crazy! I’m on TV!”
Both girls jumped up and down, grinning at each other. Behind them, three giant metal pods had been wheeled onto the stage. Talk about obstacles to overcome! Piper shuddered, thinking about being closed up inside that pod, unable to touch, taste, or smell her food. She obviously had no choice but to accept help during this challenge. Luckily, she had a strong partner.
“Okay, let me tell you where things stand,” Piper said, knowing she had to make the most of her time with Mari. She quickly walked her friend through her supplies and equipment and explained her three courses. “I’m not sure any of this is going to turn out the way I want it to. Not because of you, obviously, just because we don’t have a lot to work with. But I’m hoping for the best!”
“I love your appetizer and dessert. They sound yummy, and they’re a really fun way to use the foods you had to choose from,” Mari said. Then she frowned. “But can I be honest?”
“Of course,” Piper said. It was nice to have someone she could bounce her ideas off.
“The pasta dish doesn’t sound very exciting,” Mariana said bluntly. “You’re usually so creative, and it just doesn’t seem like a very Piper dish. It’s a little…boring. Is there something we could do to make it feel more you?”
Piper considered this. It was a boring dish. A safe dish. Would plain old pasta and sauce really win her the $10,000? More importantly, would she be proud to present something that didn’t truly represent her creativity as a food scientist?
Mariana added, “This is your big dream, Piper. You don’t want to look back later and wish you’d done more.”
Piper laughed. “Correction: this is one of my big dreams. The food-science world better be ready for a whole lot more Piper Andelman after I’m finished here.” She took a deep breath. “But you’re right.” She chewed her lip and considered. “I need to go out with a bang. Win or lose, I definitely want to know I went for it.”
Before Piper could come up with an idea of how to make her main course bigger and bolder, a producer shouted, “Quiet on the set!”
The Kitchen Wizard stood in front of the contestants and explained, “Once the cameras are rolling, each of my three foodies will step inside one of these metal pods and be locked up. For the rest of the competition, you won’t be able to see what’s going on at your workstation. Your only contact with the kitchen will be through your earpiece. You’ll have to rely on strong communication and trust in order to complete your dishes.”
Piper grinned at Mariana. “You’re going to do great,” she told her. “Don’t be afraid to take some risks with me, okay?”
“Got it,” Mari said. “Thanks for trusting me to help you.”
“We’re on in five, four, three…” One of the producers held up two fingers, then one.
The cameras were rolling again. “Forced to take shelter from zombies,” the Kitchen Wizard droned from the center of the set, “our three contestants have no choice but to direct the rest of their meal from a remote location. This will be a true test of their communication and planning skills. Contestants, please enter your zombie-proof pods.”
On her command, Piper, Frankie, and Jack each stepped into their pods. There was a padded seat inside each one, but it didn’t look very comfortable. Piper made a mental note to bring an extra pillow and a fluffy blanket if she ever had to hide from zombies for real.
When she slid the door closed behind her, Piper realized there was a solid metal plate blocking her view of the kitchen set. She could see out the sides of her pod, which meant she had a decent view of her fellow contestants, but she couldn’t see a thing going on at her workstation. She and Mari had both been fitted with earpieces and tiny microphones—like a high-tech walkie-talkie system—that would help them communicate with each other.
“Hello?” Piper said, testing out the microphone. “Are you there, Mari?”
“Here!” Mariana said, her voice ringing in Piper’s ear. “Ready for my first task, boss.”
Piper giggled. This was going to be fun! “Okay, first off: Can you take a peek in the oven and see how much time is left on the pies? They might be done.”
“How do I know when they’re done?” Mariana asked.
“Check to see if the crusts are getting too brown. Then give the pan a little shake so you can figure out if the filling has set.” Piper could hear her friend jiggling the pies inside the oven.
“The insides are still a little wobbly, and the crusts are pale,” Mari reported. “Maybe five more minutes?”
Piper smiled. “Excellent instincts, chef.” Next, Piper gave Mariana step-by-step instructions on her flatbread. Without tasting it, Piper couldn’t figure out which spices would elevate the flavors. She just had to trust that Mari would tell her if something didn’t taste right. “Hey, Piper?” Mari asked. “What am I supposed to do with this little bowl of apple stuff on the counter?”
“Just throw it—” Piper began. But then she grinned as a better idea popped into her head. “Cheese and apple go well together, right?”
“I don’t know,” Mari said. “Hold on while I check.” Though Piper couldn’t see her, she imagined Mariana dipping a spoon into the apple toaster pastry filling, then sprinkling a bit of the powdered cheese on top. A second later, Mari reported back, “Yeah, that actually tastes really good. Kind of salty and sweet at the same time.”
“Let’s change it up, then!” Piper told her. She proceeded to give Mari directions for how to finish preparing the flatbread. Usually, she relied on instinct while cooking. But by having to vocalize everything, Piper found herself really thinking through her process and technique more thoroughly. It was almost like speaking her lab notebook reports aloud!
While Mari finished preparing the flatbread, Piper took a moment to listen to what was going on with her competition. In the pod to her left, Frankie was giving orders to her dad. Though her voice was firm, she didn’t sound angry or mean—just authoritative and confident. She was slowly trying to explain what “low boil” meant. Frankie looked over at Piper, shook her head, and made a funny face. She mouthed, “I’m doomed.”
But then a moment later, Frankie broke into uncontrollable laughter after listening to her dad say something into the earpiece. “No, no, no,” she said, closing her eyes and trying to catch her breath. “Let me explain that again.” Piper loved that even in the heat of the competition, Frankie could laugh through her partner’s mistakes. She hoped that after the taping was over, she and Frankie would become friends.
To Piper’s right, Jack was fiddling with his hair and spinning in nervous circles inside his tiny pod. He was speaking to his best friend in a low voice, so Piper couldn’t easily hear what he was saying. When he noticed Piper looking his way, he gave her a reluctant smile. “How’s it going?”
Piper smiled back. “Pretty good. I’m having fun—you?”
Jack looked surprised. “Yeah,” he said finally, his smile widening. “I guess I am.” Even though Jack was obviously very stressed-out, he seemed like a decent guy. “Let me know if you need my help with anything, okay?” he added quietly. “I owe you for the milk. And during a zombie apocalypse, we need to take care of our neighbors, right?”
Piper nodded. “Thanks.”
“Flatbread’s ready,” Mari said, her voice suddenly echoing loudly in Piper’s ear. “What’s next, boss?”
“We have to figure out what to do about my boring main dish,” Piper replied, realizing she didn’t have a lot of time left to play around with ideas. She thought about how talking through her worries with the Daring Dreamers Club had helped her earlier that week. Maybe if she talked through this difficulty, too, she would be able to come up with a solution. “I have some serious problems.”
Just then, Mr. Bakshi appeared beside her zombie-proof pod and asked, “What kind of trouble are you having?”
After a moment’s consideration, Piper decided there was no harm in telling the guest judge what she had planned. It wasn’t like he could (or would) steal any of her ideas. So she quickly told him (and the cameras) about her boring pasta idea, then explained, “I like to cook, but the thing I really love is playing with food. It’s the science and chemistry in the kitchen that I love most. I want to show you and the Kitchen Wizard my creativity, and a bowl of boring old pasta and sauce isn’t going to do that. I know I can come up with something, but in such a short amount of time, it’s hard!”
Mr. Bakshi nodded once. Then he said, “We have this issue in our product-development lab all the time. Often your best ideas get stuck—like a pesky can of tomatoes at the back of the pantry—and you just need to move things around a little bit to free them.” He cocked his head and asked, “Why don’t we look at this your way? What is the first step of the scientific method?”
“Ask a question,” Piper said confidently. She often used the scientific method in her food science. She would come up with a question (the what-if of her process!), do a little research, make a prediction, and then conduct her experiment.
“Yes,” Mr. Bakshi said, nodding his approval. “So let’s start by asking a few questions, and we’ll see if we can get your ideas unstuck.”
Ruby
Who knew Piper had such a take-charge attitude? Man, watching her do her thing in the kitchen is impressive. I wonder if she’s ever considered coaching as a future career? She could be a real asset on the side of the soccer field, shouting out suggestions and pointers in that no-nonsense voice of hers.
“Keira’s in the middle!”
“Up the line!”
“Behind!”
Luckily, our team has a great coach (not to mention our “bonus coach”: my dad, who has a habit of marching up and down the sidelines during games, yelling out his own tips from the parent section), so I guess Piper can stick with inventing and food science for now.
Speaking of my dad, my family’s sort of what I wanted to write about for the fears and obstacles journal assignment. One of the things I was most afraid of when I was little was that my parents might someday get divorced.
Then it happened.
I had no choice but to face my greatest fear, because there was nothing I could do about it. Having no control over a situation totally feels awful (which I’m sure Piper realized when she got locked up in that pod during the show). There was literally nothing I could do about my parents splitting up, and for a year or so after it all went down, life stank.
But to be honest, having divorced parents isn’t as bad as I’d always imagined it would be. I know I’m one of the lucky ones, because my parents still get along pretty great. Another
girl on my soccer team has parents who don’t even speak to each other and can’t be in the same place at the same time, and I know it’s really hard for her.
My mom and dad are pretty good about not putting me and Henry in the middle when they’re annoyed with each other. But it’s still stressful that we have to divide our time between two different houses. And sometimes I’m a little (okay, a lot) jealous that Henry and Dad get extra time together because Dad’s the head coach of Henry’s soccer team. Maybe I should join Hen’s team so I can have my Dad as a coach? Hmmm. Could be something to consider…that’s probably what Mulan would do.
Mr. Bakshi and Mariana began firing questions at Piper. First, Mr. Bakshi asked, “What features of a dish make it interesting to you?”
Piper had no trouble answering that one. “Food that surprises you in fun ways,” she said. “I love when food looks like one thing but tastes or smells like another.”
Next, Mari asked, “What is one of your favorite meals you’ve ever created?”
“Hmmm,” Piper said, pondering. Finally, she blurted out, “The first meal I got to work on from start to finish at Helping Hands. I felt like I was a part of something that really mattered.”
Frankie’s voice chimed in: “Which of your family members do you most love cooking for and why?”
Piper laughed. “My sister, Finley, because she likes to eat silly stuff!”
Daring Dreamers Club #2 Page 8
