The Heat Is On Read online

  “The fish is nice,” said Chef Gary. “Flaky, moist, and not too sweet.”

  Chef Aimee waved her hand in front of her mouth. Chef Gary quickly handed her a glass of water. She guzzled it down, then fanned her mouth. “That spicy honey drizzle is spicy! Too spicy for me!” She took another drink of water.

  “I like spice,” said Chef Porter. She took a piece of fish. “This is good too.” She turned to Caroline. “Well done.”

  Chef Aimee was still drinking water, so Chef Gary moved on to Rae. “Rae, can you tell us what you made?”

  “Yes, Chef. I made Szechwan black cod with a morel mushroom broth. My side dish is roasted garlic cauliflower mash.”

  “Great presentation!” said Chef Gary. “You sure know how to decorate a plate.”

  Rae blushed.

  Chef Gary took a piece of the cod. “Moist and flavorful.” He popped a morel into his mouth and closed his eyes. “Nutty, meaty—with this little spice in the sauce.” He nodded. “It works—in fact it’s delicious.”

  Chef Porter scooped up a forkful of the cauliflower. “I can’t believe this is cauliflower. I think I like this even better than mashed potatoes.”

  “Impossible,” said Chef Aimee. She picked up her fork and took a bite, then raised her hand. “I could be wrong.”

  Chef Aimee and Chef Porter both complimented the fish, as well.

  Rae couldn’t stop smiling.

  Oliver was next, and he was not smiling.

  “Oliver, can you tell us what you’ve made?”

  “I made Cajun-spiced Parmesan crusted tilapia, with smoky cheese corn grits.”

  “What kind of cheese did you use?” asked Chef Gary.

  “Smoked cheddar.”

  Chef Gary nodded, then shook his head. “This plate looks a little bare for me. I think some color would have been nice. Is this on purpose?”

  “Yes, sir, of course. I wanted to keep the plate minimal to focus on the food.”

  Chef Gary nodded. “Fine, but, looking at it now, if you could add one more ingredient, what would you choose?”

  “Roasted mini heirloom tomatoes,” answered Oliver.

  “Ooh,” said Chef Aimee. “That would’ve been nice.” She took a fork and cut off a bite of fish. “It’s tender and flakey . . . and not too spicy. Well done, Oliver.”

  “These grits are to die for,” said Chef Gary. “I like them better than the fish. There’s a disconnect for me with the crust. Cajun spice and Parmesan cheese. I’m not sure that’s working.”

  Chef Porter agreed. “I think one or the other would have been a better choice.” She took another bite of the grits. “But the grits are delicious. Very tasty.”

  Chef Gary took another mouthful of grits and swallowed fast. “Thank you, Oliver. Good work!”

  The judges moved to the back of the room to discuss the week’s competition. Caroline, Rae, and Oliver stood waiting for the final decision.

  The decision for the elimination challenge always took the longest. The judges had to evaluate everything: big challenges, mini-challenges . . . everything from the whole week counted.

  Finally, they came back. Chef Gary moved to the center of the room. “These young chefs are amazing. They only just learned how to fillet a fish, and not one of us found a bone. They mastered the skill in record time. I wish we could keep you all here for another week, but unfortunately we can’t. Someone has to go home. There were some mistakes made today, but they were minor, and that’s why today’s decision was so difficult.

  “Oliver, the crust on your tilapia was a miss, but your smoky cheese grits were outstanding.

  “Caroline, your honey trout and your roasted radishes were creative and inventive, but your spicy honey drizzle was a tad too spicy.

  “Rae, your black cod and morel sauce was sophisticated and delicious, and we could not get enough of your cauliflower mash. It was unanimous: Rae, you are the winner of this elimination challenge! Congratulations! You will be advancing to next week’s competition. Please come and stand at the front.”

  “YES!” Rae threw her arms into the air and raced around the table to stand next to next to Chef Gary.

  Chef Aimee handed her an envelope. “Congratulations! This is a certificate for one thousand dollars’ worth of new cooking supplies. Pretty handy if you win the food truck next week.” Rae jumped and screamed! She couldn’t believe it. The audience clapped and cheered. Suddenly she remembered Caroline. She looked across the table. Caroline stood motionless.

  Chef Porter raised one hand and the room went quiet. “This is unfortunate, but we have to send one of our young chefs home. I have no doubt that we will see this young person again, and in their very own restaurant. Caroline, will you step forward?”

  Caroline shakily put one foot in front of the other. “Caroline,” said Chef Aimee. “You may join Rae up at the front.”

  The room fell into a shocked silence.

  Chef Gary shook his head. “Oliver, I am sorry, but you will not be joining us for week three. While you did accumulate the most stars and win the Golden Envelope for the advantage in the elimination round, many of your wins were for the mini-challenges, things such as fixing the roux, the mushroom challenge, and the fish challenge. Your only substantial win this week was the ratatouille lasagna.” Chef Gary paused. “And there was another matter brought to my attention—your burnt dulce de leche. Oliver, please hang up your apron.”

  Caroline gasped and covered her mouth.

  Oliver nodded and looked down.

  “Oliver, we were happy to have you here, and I know Chef Porter speaks the truth. There are great things in store for you. Thank you for being part of our show.”

  Oliver nodded, forced a smile, thanked the chefs, thanked Caroline and Rae, hung up his apron, and then walked up the ramp and out the door. Caroline grabbed Rae’s hand and squeezed.

  Well, I admit that I’m a little surprised about losing, but I gave it my best shot. I’m still cool, calm, and creative. I made some mistakes, but I’ll only become a better chef because of them. I was glad for the experience and happy for Caroline and Rae. Next up—start my own restaurant! I have connections.

  Chef Aimee put her arm around Rae’s shoulder. “Next week is going to be unbelievable! For both of you.” She smiled at Caroline. “Just you wait and see.”

  I can’t believe I won! I can’t believe Caroline is here! I can’t believe we get one more week together. I don’t want to think about having to battle Caroline. We’ve become like best friends, but tomorrow I’ll say, Yeah, I can win!

  Unbelievable! I didn’t know that Oliver had burnt his dulce de leche! Unbelievable! I’m so glad I’m here . . . with Rae. It’s the best and we’re besties! I can’t believe it—one of us is going to win the food truck. AAAAAH!

  “Congratulations, Caroline and Rae. You are moving on to the last round of Next Best Junior Chef! This round of competition will be unparalleled—it’s friend against friend. There’s no room for helping hands, and one mistake could send you home. Can the besties fly solo? Are they brave enough to face the mystery challenge? Who will be the Next Best Junior Chef? Tune in to the final episode of Next Best Junior Chef to find out!”

  STAY TUNED FOR SCENES FROM THE SEASON-ONE FINALE OF NEXT BEST JUNIOR CHEF!

  But first, a word from our experts . . .

  Essential Techniques for the Young Chef

  from The Young Chef: Recipes and Techniques for Kids Who Love to Cook by the Culinary Institute of America

  · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

  These techniques are the cornerstone of every chef’s success. The better practiced you are at these methods, the better a chef you will become—and the better your food will look and taste.

  Mise En Place and Measuring

  Mise en Place

  Mise en place (pronounced “meez en plas”) is a French term that means “everything in its place.” In the kitchen, it is a concept that helps chefs become
more organized and work more efficiently. Having good mise en place means that you have cut, chopped, and measured all the ingredients needed for a recipe before you begin to cook or bake. When you have all your ingredients in front of you, the next step is to review them against the recipe to make sure nothing has been left out and that everything is measured correctly. This organizational concept will allow you to build professional-level work habits that will last forever.

  Measuring

  Accurate measuring is extremely important to the success of all recipes. Oftentimes just a little bit too much or too little of something can ruin the dish.

  There are two types of measuring cups. Dry ingredients use a cup that has a flush rim and that measures exactly the amount stated on the handle. Typically these come in sets containing a ⅛ cup, a ¼ cup, a ⅓ cup, a ½ cup, and a 1 cup. Liquid or fluid measuring cups are clear and have the measurements marked on the side of the container.

  When measuring dry ingredients, scoop—do not pack—the ingredient into the cup, and then level it off with the back of a knife.

  When measuring liquid ingredients, place the cup on a level surface, fill it to the desired amount, and then bend down and look closely at eye level to make sure the ingredient is level with the line on the cup.

  FRIDAY—Week Three Begins

  CHAPTER 1

  aroline turned away from the studio door and studied Rae’s face. “Friends . . .”

  “. . . to the end!” They finished the sentence together. After two tough weeks of slicing and dicing, they were here together for the final week of competition. “Shhhhh.” Chef Nancy put a finger to her lips.

  They nodded and quickly faced forward. In just a few seconds the door would open and it would begin all over again.

  Rae counted the days on her fingers and then rubbed her palms against her shirt. In seven days one of them would be the winner—the Next Best Junior Chef! And the other . . . She didn’t want to think about that. She studied the back of Caroline’s head. Was she nervous about winning or—worse—losing? The producer’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

  “BOOMS!”

  “LIGHTS!”

  “CAMERAS!”

  “ROLLING!”

  And then the announcer began. “Welcome to Next Best Junior Chef. This is week three, our FINAL week of competition. After Thursday’s elimination round, we’ll have a winner for the Next Best Junior Chef! We have two remaining talented junior chefs, who have certainly earned the right to be here, but are they ready for what lies ahead? This week’s challenges will test their culinary knowledge, ingenuity, and maybe even the bonds of their friendship. It’s time to jump from the frying pan into the fire. Will they sizzle or fizzle? We can’t wait to find out—so without further delay, let’s bring out our final contestants.”

  Chef Nancy tapped Caroline’s shoulder. Caroline walked confidently to the front of the studio, pacing herself to match the announcer’s tempo.

  “Congratulations, Caroline, and welcome to this exciting final week of competition. Caroline is eleven years old and from Chicago, Illinois. She worked some fast food magic last week, elevating a hot dog to an haute dog. She has continually impressed the judges with her creativity and culinary talent.”

  Chef Nancy held the door for Rae.

  “Congratulations, Rae, and welcome to the final week of competition.”

  Rae blinked twice, focused on the front, and started down the ramp. The energy of the room quickly changed her nervousness into excitement.

  “Rae is eleven years old and from Port Chester, New York. Last week, she won unanimous praise for perfecting a cookie classic and served up a winning dish in the elimination round. This young chef is a master of both pleasing the palate and presentation.”

  Rae stood next to Caroline in front of the three 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 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 their overall creative vision.”

  Caroline reached for Rae’s hand, then gave it a squeeze and held on. Caroline squeezed back.

  “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 to the center of the room. “WOW! This is it!” He nodded to each of the junior chefs. “Congratulations. You’ve made it!”

  They smiled back.

  He shook his head. “I have to be honest, this is not going to be an easy week, but”—he raised a finger—“it will be exciting. We have twists, turns, and lots of surprises. You will not be disappointed. As in previous weeks, there is a theme, and we’re especially excited about this one. Our theme for the week is innovation. So we’ll want to see some fresh new ideas. Are you ready to battle it out and flex your creative muscles?”

  “YES, CHEF!”

  “And you’re still friends?” He pointed to their joined hands. “Remarkable! Well, that calls for a celebration. Let’s have a toast!” He motioned to an assistant standing at the side of the studio. “Bring out the champagne!”

  Buy the Book

  Visit www.hmhco.com or your favorite retailer to purchase the book in its entirety.

  Visit www.hmhco.com to find all of the books in the Next Best Junior Chef series.

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  About the Author

  CHARISE MERICLE HARPER is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including the Just Grace series and the Next Best Junior Chef series. Charise lives in Oregon.

  Learn more at www.chariseharper.com

  About the Illustrator

  AURéLIE BLARD-QUINTARD studied classical drawing in Paris and earned a Master of Communication Media degree, specializing in stop-motion animation, in Bristol, England. She lives with her family and their cat in Strasbourg, France.

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