The Expression Hub

“It is surmounting difficulties that make heroes.”

Louis Kossuth

Previously in the story, we witnessed a finger biting interview session in which our hero was grilled intensely as part of the selection test of The Culinary Academy. The worst part was that our hero was placed third and the best part was that he had cleared the dreaded interview with flying colours. Though the third position was not a bad achievement, it did bother our hero a bit. Guess when you just want something badly, you are bound to feel dejected if your performance falters a bit. However, there remained a final wall between him and his life long dream of entering into what was considered as one of the best schools for cooking as this was his gateway to the dream and the desire that he had in him since childhood.

All the 15 contestants entered in a huge hallway which had 8 counters with 2 contestants on each counter. They were supposed to pick a chit from the basket which was kept in front of the first counter and prepare whatever they had got in a limited time span of 2 hours. These dishes were supposed to be created by world famous chefs throughout the world and were divided into starters, main course and desserts. No one had it easy as every dish in the basket was supposed to be of the same difficulty. Not only did they have to just recreate the dishes but also had to add their creative twist. This would make them gain extra points. The setting for the presentation test seemed to look like that of a cooking reality show. Everyone including our hero was super excited as well as terrified because of the uncertain future. Out of the 15, only top 3 would be making it to the school . One from each category which meant this was going to be a do or die for everyone involved.

The clock was to begin after each contestant had picked up what was in the store for them. So, began what was supposed to be a battle of luck, wits , creativity and what not. Each one of them had picked their chits along with the recipe card. Our hero got a dessert card and the recipe which was written on it was Devil’s Food Cake which was made by a chef but had way too many ingredients and processes. He was terrified from inside and the only expression in his mind was a dirty swear word though he ensured not to speak it aloud. The ones who had got the starters seemed easy for him though there was a lot of chopping and cleaning involved. As for the main course, a bit tough but was manageable if you had the dexterity and the speed. Desserts were the one which had to use a bit brains and creativity a tricky thing as the combination of ingredients had to work properly.

Our hero took a deep breathe and started to rummaging the ingredients from the pantry as the others did. He quickly went through the ingredients and picked the required ingredients and some more which he thought might work with the cake. He had an advantage over his teammates and that was he had a quick eye to find out the required ingredients. This quality of his he had developed during his time in the kitchen with his mother. He went on his counter and started following the instructions. He started using the techniques which were known to him and started making the dessert. He tried not to focus on others as he did not want anything to go wrong. Thus , he preheated the oven while combining the ingredients and preparing the batter. The judges who were going to taste the contestants’ dishes were taking the rounds and asking the view of each contestant. They just wanted to tap into the minds of the contestant and check their creative insights.

Our hero had just replaced some substances and instead gone for some substances which he thought might taste well. Our hero had a very strong intuition as far as ingredients were concerned. Though the judges felt he was taking a risk but deep in his mind he knew it was going to work. He raced against the clock to create what was going to be a concoction of sweet, a bit bitter, a bit salty and a bit nutty. Though he was trying to play against the book, but he was confident that he might be able to impress the palates of the judges. He was happy and satisfied and started garnishing his dish with a few taste checks in between and a few minutes to go on the clock. He was relieved that he could complete a challenging dish with some time left on the clock. The other contestants too had started plating their dishes . Everyone’s dishes looked mouth watering . So, it was going to be a tough decision for the judges to settle for the top 3.

It was the decision time.Each contestant was asked to present their dish to the panelists and take a step back as the judges scored the dish based on presentation, taste and the creativity the amateur cooks had used in their dishes. They called upon a starter followed by a main course dish and a dessert. That was going to be the order they were going to eat the dishes. First they called upon the participant who had prepared Manchurian. She walked confidently and presented her dish to the judges. The judges took a bite and asked her what her creative insight was into the dish. She replied that she had used soya chunks and had used some egg to thicken the base. Though the dish tasted good but the judges were not satisfied with her creative insight. However, they thanked the contestant and asked her to return to the counter. One by one the dishes got evaluated and the scores were written down.

Soon, it was the turn of our hero Remember he had tried combining different flavors in his dessert. The judges asked him about his creative insight and he replied having combined different flavors in his dessert. Though the judges were skeptical about his creative insights when they tried the dessert they were in shock as the dessert had surpassed their expectations and had created an unique flavor without losing the soul of the dish. They had a huge smile and asked him to take his seat. They were impressed by the risk which our hero had taken in order to give a twist to the dessert.

The judges had made their decision . There were two people on the third spot which meant they had to make the decision for a single winner. So, did our hero make the cut ? Will the doors of the prestigious Culinary Academy be finally open to our hero?Will everything that was put up to stake will be worth it? Tell me in the comments section as next week we wind up this short story. Also, do let me know how was the story . Till then have a great week ahead.