Chapter 6

          Mari and Elena were called by chef Gino and chef Michel to let them know what will happen to the contest that chef Gino wanted to create. Lucas was beside Mari when the three owners were talking to the two. Elena was enthusiastic to let the chefs notice her since she knew to herself that Mari was able to get noticed even in her simple action. She wanted Mari to know that she is much more superior to her just because she started earlier than Mari, although the two of them have equal standing in terms of chef Gino's sight.

"Elena, you still have two weeks in the Hot or Meat station right?" asked chef Gino

"Yes chef," Elena likes the Hot or Meat station, throughout her experience from her past jobs, she was always working as a line cook of the meat station. Which became her biggest advantage when she was assigned to that station. But aside from being a line cook she got very minimal to no experience to other stations that is why she had to adjust more in learning how to make the dishes of those stations and by the time she was able to adjust, she needed to change into other stations again and that made her back to square one.

"Alright, Mari this will be your last week in the cold station. Your next station would be in the pastry station, that is alright with you right?" Gino then proceeds to ask Mari after verifying the station of Elena.

"really chef! I would love to be in the pastry station! Thank you!" said the now very happy and excited Mari.

"Hahaha! Are you that happy to be in that station? Why, do you want to be a pastry chef one day?" Michel finds Mari's reaction very cute that he decided to ask the reason behind her reaction.

"ah! sorry chef, Yes I do want to become a pastry chef one day. It is my dream to become one and if possible I wanted to become a chocolatier as well. But I still lack in experience and knowledge as well so I am trying my best to learn more." Mari explained herself to everyone since she seems to have noticed that it is not only chef Michel but everyone in the dining as well is now looking at their direction. It looks like her excited reply made everyone notice her happiness just by being assigned to the pastry station.

"very well then, you two need to listen to me very carefully. I have decided to test the abilities of you two by competing with each other. You will need to make one dish from what station you are currently assigned. Elena will be making one main entree as her dish while Mari will be making a Dessert as her dish. Think of a dish that will be enough to be placed on our menu, I only have one criterion for it and that is to make a simple and delicious but elegant dish. Your dishes would be tasted by us three and when we approve of your dishes then we would let our guest make be the judge of which dish is best for them. Do you have any questions?"

"I have one question chef," Mari doesn't mind being asked to participate in that sudden competition for she will do her best to present the best dish she could do.

"what is it?"

"Chef, won't it be better to have us make the same kind of dish or we make two dishes like one main dish and one dessert. That way it would be much easier for everyone to make a judgment on those dishes. Since making two different dishes would be hard to judge in terms of taste and appearance."  Mari finds it a little hard to understand how they would judge their dishes. If she is going to make a dessert and Elena would make a main entree, then how will they compare it? Those are two different kinds of dishes or stations.

"well, I did consider that but Mari, you haven't been assigned yet in the meat station so won't it be hard on your part? Elena's first station is the pastry station so at the very least she got experience in that area." Chef Gino initially wanted to propose to have two dishes per person but since Mari hasn't been assigned yet in the meat station that he didn't tell Michel about it and instead just suggested having one dish as per what station they are currently in.

"That…I have some experience in the hot station so it is alright for me to create a main entree as well chef. But whatever you decided then I will do so," Mari learned some main dishes during her college days as well and there was a time when her professors would make them create a dish of their own in just 45 minutes. It is like a mystery box challenge that can be seen in the television cooking competition show. But aside from those, she was able to get assigned to the meat station during her on-the-job training that was conducted by their school.

"Then let them do two dishes, Gino, it would be easier for us to judge as well and it would be easier for our guests to choose the best dish that they want." Said chef Michel who is now being lovey-dovey with his wife Allan.

"But…would that be ok with you Elena?" Gino did notice that when Elena was in the pastry station, she struggled a lot and it took her a lot of days before she got used to it. That was another reason why he didn't propose the two dishes and also he hasn't yet seen how Mari works in the meat station.

"ah! that is alright with me chef" Elena needs to face her weakness and do her best to prove her abilities.

"Alright, since it's alright for the two of you then you will make one main entree and one dessert. As I have said earlier, make it simple and delicious but elegant as well that fits in a fine dining restaurant like us. You have this whole week to decide which dish you will make and the following week would be the time when you will present your dishes to us three. " Gino then decided to have the two make two dishes since Michel supported what Mari suggest and Elena agreed to it as well that he got no choice but to let them make two dishes per person.

"Our judgment would be the base whether your dishes passed or if still needs improvement before we let our guest taste it. I will talk to the manager here about the promotion of your dishes and unto how will the guest make their choice of best dish." Said Allan to both Mari and Elena.

"Yes, chef!" said both Mari and Elena. After that everyone went home since it is now midnight and they still have work tomorrow. Those who have their morning shift already left much earlier than those who have the night shift. That day was full of events that everyone was there whether they are in the morning shift or not, they need all the manpower they need for the whole day event.

Lucas gave Mari a lift since it is already so late while Elena went home together with some of her friends. She lives much nearer compare to Mari who lives a bit farther than her. But when Elena saw Lucas being so friendly to Mari and pushes her to let him give her a ride home, she felt a little jealous. She wanted to be treated like that as well, asking her to give her a ride home or just be persistent in giving her a ride home instead of her walking by herself or with her friends.

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Two weeks had passed and it is the day that Gino, Michel, and Allan would taste the dishes that Mari and Elena made. That day, Gino let the two make their dishes and not join the dinner service for that night. Michel will be arriving after he is done with the last preparation for tomorrow's soft opening of the new restaurant.

Mari is finally done making her dessert, she sets it aside so that the only thing that she would do is to plate it. While her main entree just finished cooking a little over 10 minutes ago, right now she maintains the heat level of her pot into a low heat to avoid it being over-cooked or dry. In cooking an entrée that would be served at a later time, one could have it pre-cook just to avoid it being over or undercook when they serve it. But when their meat was cook together with its sauce or if it's like stew chefs or cooks would finish cooking it and just maintain the fire into very low to low heat to keep the temperature of their dish right.

Proteins such as chicken, fish, and beef have different cooking times and there are times that it is difficult to know if it is perfectly cooked or not. Beef has different categories that a guest could choose from, from medium rare to well down. While for chicken, fish, and pork the only thing that needs to achieve in cooking those is to have it tender, juicy, and not dry or overcooked. To some people, they would see it as something very easy to cook but for cooks and chefs, those are very tricky. When overcooked it becomes dry and sometimes rubbery opposite to it is undercook which cannot be served to any guest as well. Tricky as it is, cooks and chefs, don't see it as an easy protein to cook that is why they always have a thermometer in their pocket or to some more professional, touching it was their way of know if it is perfectly cooked but to be on that level, it takes a lot of practice and experience.