The Expression Hub

  • When Dreams Come True…(4)

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    “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.

    Continue reading →: When Dreams Come True…(4)

  • When dreams come true…(3)

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

    Eleanor Roosevelt

    Before I continue with the story, wishing all my readers and subscribers a very Happy Friendship Day. May this Friendship Day be as wonderful as the lovely people in your life who come in the form of friends. After all, it is aptly said by someone “hai yaari toh zindagi hai ” which when read in any manner holds true. For those who do not speak Hindi, it translates to “if there is life there is friendship and vice-versa”. Now lets come back to our story . Earlier in the story we saw how our hero had a passion for cooking and wanted to become a chef. He had a great supporter in his mother but a fierce critic in his father. However he did not let his father’s opposition deter him and went on to clear the entrance test . But little did he know there were some surprises waiting for him.

    Our hero was delighted on hearing about clearing the exam. Yet he knew he had tough battles to fight. The interview and the presentation test were to be held on the same day. The academy had a very strict criteria : only top 25 made the cut for the presentation test out of the top 100 who were selected from the entrance test. The panel made sure that they grilled the candidates in a very intense manner that only a few could not break down under the intense grilling. This process panned out for entire 5 days with the candidates being divided into lots . Our hero was placed in the last lot which meant that he was going to be interviewed on the last day. This did unnerve him despite that he tried to contain his emotions and decided not to feed his fears. On the other hand the panelists had chosen their top 20 only the last five candidates remained. Our hero could sense the pressure mounting on him . However he took a deep breathe and entered the hall which had the panelists waiting to tear him apart. He wished the panelists and decided to answer the questions thrown at him in the most calm manner. After all , he had been repeating to himself in his mind that no matter whatever comes to him he need not be too reactive about it even though it might be a bit tricky for him to handle. Since the focus is on our hero the following is the transcript of the questions which he was asked.

    Q1. Tell us something about yourself (a very common question but believe me when the panelists asked him they wanted to know his entire history)

    He started with his name and from where he had come. The panelists interrupted him and told him to tell them something else after all they had heard the same stuff from others. So, they did not want the repeat of the same story. Our hero decided to use a different approach. Though he felt humiliated by the sudden interruption, he did remind himself that it was a mental test so he better not be transparent. He told them like all he too had a dream and he narrated his story of how he always wanted to do something which would make everyone who rooted for him proud. Though he did not have a huge fan following but there were some people who did root for him. That made him work hard for them.

    The panelists were impressed by his story because after all somewhere they could resonate with the feeling of how a person wanted to make people around him proud. However, they did not show it on their face. They were curious about this person who could prove to be a great asset because he had that fire in him.

    Q2. What distinguishes you from the other people ? In other words they wanted to know what could he bring to the table if he were to be selected as a cook?

    Ans. He had the passion for cooking which is a must for all the cooks . Apart from that, he was curious and innovative as he loved to know his ingredients well and experiment with them.He had developed a great sense of taste and had immense patience and was super flexible and very clear about how the end result should look like.

    Again an impressive answer as they wanted a candidate which had clarity in his or her thought process apart from being flexible and obedient and other qualities which are a prerequisite in a cook. They then grilled him over the technicalities of cooking like the difference between braising and broiling, what was julienne, safety practices that needed to be taken care of, how would he handle the criticism of a dish, why was portioning important etc. Though he was mentally exhausted he tried to answer them all with a calm demeanor and tried to contain his irritation. Finally the volley of questions thrown to him were the panelists was over . He thanked the panelists for giving him the opportunity and after he came out of the room just rushed to a washroom to vent out his irritation in front of the mirror. After having a quick wash he went to the cafeteria to have a quick bite. He was fortunate that the Academy had made a provision for lunch for all the candidates because he did not want to spend the money which he had. He was not a cheapskate but instead just preferred to save because he knew the worth of money. After all, you could not afford to spend recklessly when you came from a family which struggled to meet ends .

    After having a quick bite, he sat down waiting for the result. After all it could be announced any time and he could be called for the presentation test anytime . His heart told him that he would be making it to the presentation test though he wanted to know the reality soon. Soon the results were out. He was mentally exhausted and wanted to take rest, his restless mind did not allow him to take rest. He rushed to the bulletin board where the result was displayed. Though he had made the cut, there were 2 people who were ahead of him in the top 5 selected for the day. He was placed third . He felt content but at the same time he was curious and may be a bit jealous as well. After all, a man on mission could not afford any mistakes which would cost him his positioning. Was this turning into a man he did not want to be ? Or was he just a man on mission who wanted to prove his detractors wrong?

    The presentation test for all the 25 selected candidates was to be held on the same day. Out of the 25, 15 were girls and 10 were boys. They were supposed to recreate dishes which were made by famous chefs and had been put in a basket. They were a mixture of all three- starters, main course and desserts. Each one had to pick up a chit from the basket and start recreating the dish by quickly searching for the ingredients and the recipe card. This all had to be done in a limited time span of 2 hours. This was to check the agility and ability to handle pressure in a crowded kitchen. The dishes were then to be tasted by the panelists who had grilled them. If the interview was grilling, what adjective will you use to describe the presentation test? Do tell me in the comments section. See you next week for a presentation test that is going to be super thrilling and an adventure rushed with lots of adrenaline. Till then lots of love to all and have a great week ahead.

    P.S. – If I do feel like converting this into a book in the near future, just imagine the details I can put into the story. Though this blog space does not restrict the writing space , but it does become pretty exhausting to deliver a lot of paragraphs in a summarized manner. While on the other hand, writing a book should be an adventure which helps you stretch your imagination. So, fingers crossed for the same as I do feel this will make a pretty good novel.

    Continue reading →: When dreams come true…(3)

  • When dreams come true…(2)

    Published by

    Roshani Patil

    on

    “A dream doesn’t make reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”

    Colin Powell

    Our hero decided to give wings to his dreams. He started preparing extensively for the entrance exam of the Culinary Academy. Whatever resources he could find , he tried to take notes on the same as well as experimented a lot in the kitchen. His father, felt his son was wasting his time and ridiculed him for the same. But he decided to pay no heed to the ridicule even though it hurt him a lot. He decided to focus his energy towards sharpening his culinary skills and being updated about the field. After all competing against a big crowd was not an easy task and he could just not afford to spend his energy for fighting against a cause that seemed trivial. This was because he was just focused on one thing and that was making the cut and then rising to the top. To achieve this, he was willing to pay any price in the form of hard work.

    The entrance exam to the Culinary Academy was divided into three sections-a written test, an interview and the presentation test. The written test was a mix of objective and subjective questions. The interview was a one to one session with the faculty members which was supposed to be an intense grilling session. And if the candidate could overcome the grilling session a final hurdle stood in between the way of the candidate and his or her dream – it was the presentation test wherein they were supposed to recreate dishes made by the experts within a limited time period and add their own creative twist to it. And if you think, after making the cut you could cut some slack, you are mistaken. There were a lot of classes and tests to be undertaken. In short, the academy was supposed to be sort of a pressure chamber from which graduating with top honors was a pretty daunting task and not for the meek- hearted. But it was also a gateway to the elite’s club and make a name for yourself . After all what was life without challenges and ambition? Also, our hero had a mission to prove his father wrong. It was not as if he hated his father . He just wished his father would have encouraged him more to pursue what he loved doing.

    Finally, the day of examination arrived. Our hero had butterflies in his stomach. But he made sure not to show any signs of self doubt on his face. After all he could not show his fears . So, he put on a confident front and decided to give a brave face to all the obstacles he had to face. After all, “all our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”This quote by Walt Disney was what he had decided to make his go to mantra in his life. He took a long breath and entered the exam hall. One should have been scared by looking at the number of applicants . But not our hero. He had made up his mind to just compete with himself and never ever compare his journey with others . After all, not everyone would be able to fathom his journey and make sense out of it. He began cracking what was considered as one of the toughest exams with a serene expression. The exam which was considered as a tough nut to crack was not that difficult for our hero. This is because he had been preparing himself to face this day. So, how could he not breeze the exam? He finished his exam and returned home. The interview was supposed to take a month after the written test. This was unnerving for our hero;but he decided to prepare himself for the interview and the presentation test. So, he increased his working hours in the kitchen. He woke up at the crack of the dawn and spent his entire day in the kitchen which his mother ran sharpening his culinary skills.

    The examiners at the Culinary Academy were surprised as no one had managed to score above 60% in their entrance exam. However, there was this one candidate who had managed to impress them all. No prizes for guessing who that candidate might be. He had topped the entrance exam with a distinction. The examiners were pretty impressed about the insights which were provided by our hero. Since, he had topped the exam, they decided to grill him pretty intensely in order to check whether he could handle the pressure. The evaluation was completed and the exam result was declared on the website. As the result day approached, our hero was busy in the kitchen. It was his mother who reminded him to take a break from his endeavor and check the result. He agreed to do the same. However, our hero’s father just gave him a smug smile. This was because he was confident that his son might not be able to make it and that failure will sting him and he will never dare to dream big.

    With a soft prayer on his lips, he opened the website of the Culinary Academy and started searching his name from the bottom of the list. After all, he did not expect his name on the top. But, guess life has its own way of surprising people. He searched the entire list without looking at the top and did not find his name. He shut the website and returned to the kitchen with a heavy heart. He did not want to inform his mother that his efforts had gone in vain. So, he just started to work in a silent manner. His best friend came to the kitchen and asked him about his result. He just felt as if something in him had broke and he broke down . However, his best friend did not believe him and asked him to provide the website of the same. When his best friend opened the website and scanned the result , he was relieved and delighted as his friend had made it for the interview. He decided to reward his best friend’s efforts by searching for more issues of the What’s Cooking magazines and ran to give him a hug after searching for the same.

    The best friend gave a tight hug and handed him the extra issues which he had found in the pile. Our hero was puzzled and asked him the reason for the tight hug.His friend did not say anything and just asked him to recheck his result. Our hero, though dejected was not in the mood to do the same. He refused politely and decided to return to the kitchen . This made his best friend a bit crazy and he slapped the hero on his face for being a fool. Then he explained that only a foolish person would not be happy about the fact that he has topped the exam and not prepare for the interview. Our hero thought his best friend was cracking a joke. He, a topper in the entrance exam of Culinary Academy? To this, his best friend showed him the result. That is when realization hit him hard. He had indeed topped the exam and got the ball rolling towards what was supposed to be a far fetched dream. Though he had topped the exam, he still had a long way to go. So, he decided to double his efforts after all the journey to the top was not going to be a cakewalk.

    P.S. -Why am I having a feeling this story (When dreams come true…) is going to be a super fun as well as a very long piece? One which will be super inspiring journey as well as a journey where we stretch our imaginations and create something magical. If you are enjoying the work, don’t forget to share the love for the same and follow the same so that you do not miss an update. Links of the same are given below or in the About me section.

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    Let’s grow this small venture into something valuable and great:)

    Lots of Love and Hugs,

    Roshani

    Continue reading →: When dreams come true…(2)

Hello,

I’m Roshani

Welcome to The Expression Hub! I’m Roshani, who loves to express herself through the medium of writing. This blog is my little corner of the internet where I dive deep into the world of movies, books, and web series—reviewing, analyzing, and sometimes just ranting about the stories that make us laugh, cry, and question everything.

Beyond reviews, you’ll also find my personal musings—random thoughts, life reflections, and the occasional deep dive into the things that inspire me. Think of this as a space where art meets emotion, and where honest opinions matter more than star ratings.

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