Iron Chef America: Edward and Bella
"Welcome back to Iron Chef America! We have two contestants left who are fighting for the chance to have a restaurant in Seattle, which requires a lot of skill! Let's see who is left… "
I stood on the circular pedestal, facing the entire kitchen with an anxious smile. The light shined on me, and I grinned again, directly into the camera. "Bella Swan!" The announcer yelled.I chuckled under my breath. Two years ago, I wouldn't even be thinking of being on this show.
The camera moved to my competitor. We smiled lightly at each other, though; I couldn't help but feel attracted to him. He was just gorgeous, and he knew how to cook.
"Edward Cullen!" Edward grinned that damn crooked smirk into the camera, already feeling confident. I scoffed, making him laugh.
We watched as the host of the show introduced our theme recipe. "Today, in your five course meal, you will be using this ingredient…" The man, whose name I forgot, ripped away the sheet revealing – "Sausage!"
As always, the recipes started to form in my head while the host described all the different meats. The first dish I would prepare would be difficult, but that's why I had a sue-chef to assist me. I bit down on my lip, thinking of the other meals I could present.
"And the timer will be set to sixty-minutes in three, two… one!"
Edward and I rushed to the kitchen, throwing our aprons on while ordering our assistant chefs what items we needed.
"I need cayenne pepper, 1 pound of sausage links, four leg-thigh chicken pieces and a 2-count of olive oil!" I yelled over the voices in the room. I scurried over to the Dutch oven, barely missing Edward and his pot. I switched the knob onto medium, put the pan down and poured the olive oil my sue-chef, Sovisal, had given me a moment ago.
I threw the sausage links into the pan, asking Sovisal to monitor them while I ran to the other side to start the additional dish.
The oven began to preheat to 500 degrees, while I oiled a 10-inch iron skillet. I got dough out of the cupboard, kneading it with my fingers, until Sovisal alerted me that the sausages had became brown. I nodded, telling her to set them on a paper towel, and start seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. She complied eagerly, and set to work.
Rubbing some of the oil on my fingers, I pressed the dough into the skillet, working at it, so it would look rounded. When the crust rose about two-inches, I scooped it up with a spatula and set it in the warming oven so it could rise.
I turned around quickly, ducking my head so Edward could carry his smoldering saucepan over me. He murmured his thanks, and continued on with preparing his meal.
Sovisal yelled at me that the chicken was brown on both sides, and looked utterly delicious. I giggled at her and told her to put it aside on the paper towels. She nodded enthusiastically.
A loud crash emitted from the left of me, and as I looked over, I saw Edward on the floor with a plate next to his arm. I ran over to him and helped him up. He whispered his thanks again and said that he tripped on a sausage link. I laughed at him, and maintained my steady pace of cooking.
I craned my neck over to Sovisal to see her clueless on what to do.
"Add 2 tablespoons of butter to melt with the fat then add flour and whisk to incorporate, and then swap to a wooden spoon. Make sure it's a nice, deep colored roux." I told her, while heating one tablespoon of olive oil and another tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan over a medium-heat oven. Sovisal bobbed her head up and down and did what I asked.
I started the quick process of sautéing the onion and garlic dices that I had cut up earlier. After three long minutes, I added carrots, bell pepper, celery and sausage, and continued to stir them for another two minutes. While I was stirring them, I set another skillet on the oven for the sausages that were for a different meal. I mixed both pans, waiting till the sausages were pink. When they were, I set them on a plate.
"15 minutes have elapsed." The robotic female voice announced.
Beads of sweat started to from on the nape of my neck. When I started to reach back and wipe it off, a warm hand beat me to it. "I'll get that for you," Edward murmured, winking then disappearing deep into the kitchen.
Whoa… I stood there in shock for a second, before snapping back to the priority at hand. The vegetables and sausages began to crackle at me, so I added lima beans, salt, pepper, basil, and the four cups of chicken broth to settle it. I brought the pot to a boil, and then reduced the heat to low. I covered the container and let it simmer.
Bean soup with sausage…Check.
Sovisal ran over to me and asked for something to do. I truly loved her. "Put onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic into that food processor," I pointed to the machine on the right," and pulse to roughly chop. Thanks. You're a saint!" She smiled gratefully and started chopping the items into pieces that would fit into the appliance.
After she was done, I informed her to add the vegetable pulp to the roux and stir with the wooden spoon. And, as always, she obeyed. I smiled, feeling that faint prick of control.
I inserted two tablespoons of oil to the skillet, which used to occupy the sausage links, and heated it until hot. I used the left over peppers and onions and mixed them into the pan, as well as some salt and pepper.
Sovisal ran over towards me, and I advised her to wait for five minutes before putting the garlic in the mix. She nodded; as I strolled calmly over to wear she was working. Sovisal had done what I had asked and had the chicken thighs and sausages waiting on paper towels. She also had the roux to a complete soft brown with the vegetables stirred in.
"25 minutes have elapsed." The almost mechanical voice declared. I comforted myself before I started to freak out and mess up.
I deglazed the pot with a can of beer, though I didn't use all of it. Edward walked by while snagging the can, and taking a small sip. I laughed. He winked again, and walked off. Our constant flirting on the show was pleasurable, and it left me feeling positive.
The last ingredients – stock, bay leaves, paprika and the cayenne pepper were added to the pot, as well as the chicken pieces. I left the pot there, so the chicken could become tender, which would be in another thirty minutes.
Sovisal ended up knowing what to do before I even ordered her to do anything. She had done the one small task of stirring garlic into the mix, and yet, she was so great, that she decided to add the sausage. I nodded my thanks to her in which she returned.
I began to start on the next meal – my famous sausage cups. I had made them so many times, that it only took me twenty minutes to complete instead of thirty-five minutes.
My hands worked on the sausage, doing the prepping in record time. I could already hear Charlie panting on the other side of the T.V. screen.
When the won ton wrappers were formed into a small cup in the muffin tins, and the sausages were crackling in the pan, I told Sovisal the final instructions for the final meal. It only took a short while to make the last meal, since it was easy other than the intermediate meals we had just prepared.
I stuck the muffin tin into the oven at 350 degrees, and let it back for five minutes.
"45 minutes have elapsed." The voice said again. I growled at it, running over to help Sovisal with the final dish.
The cameraman followed me, laughing. "Dude, did you just growl?"
I rolled my eyes, nodding into the camera lens. "It's annoying."
"So, if a dog started to annoy you, would you growl at it?" His mocking tone was starting to irritate me.
I looked up from my cutting board, glaring at him. "I'm going to growl at you if you don't shut up."
He laughed again, but didn't say anything else. I grinned, and continued to cut the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.
The wrappers in the muffin tins were ready to come out, so I stuffed the sausage, ranch and cheese into them, and let them cool.
Sausage cups… Check.
Sovisal and I worked our asses off; occasionally making small talk in between chops or stirs.
But, when the programmed voice announced that we only had three minutes left, I knew that we could be finished in time.
I decorated each meal professionally, hoping that the judges would see how hard I worked for this. Sovisal murmured encouraging things now and then when she noticed my form shaking from nervousness.
And then, it was time.
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"Please welcome Chef Bella to the stand."
I smiled nervously and waved a little, as the judges clapped for me. Overall, I was tense, yet a little excited to hear what they have to say about my cooking.
"Chef Bella. You may begin your presentation."
Sovisal glided across the floor with four plates on an elegantly designed tray. How she got that, I don't know. She set the plates in front of the judges. They all watched with interest as she whispered a, "Bon appetite."
She walked away, and sat in a chair up on the stands.
The judges turned and stared at me as I began to talk about the meal they were eating. "What you are eating is my Chicken Sausage Rigatoni in a Spicy Vodka Sauce. I used to make this for people that came over to my house to visit. Funny thing actually, one of my best friends, Alice –" A scream was heard from the stands. I giggled. "She suggested that I do this show because of the Thanksgiving Dinner we had a couple months ago." I sighed. "This Rigatoni is the first thing I ever cooked for her."
The judges smiled, and took a miniscule bite out of their plates. One of them groaned, making me smile wider.
"I must say… for a simple dish, this is wonderful!" I looked at his nametag, which read Jonathan.
"Thank you," I murmured. The other critics said their praises, and what they didn't like about the pasta.
"Chef Bella; carry on to your second masterpiece."
Sovisal came out with another tray, this time carrying a big tray with one pizza. There was a pizza cutter on the side, along with four ounce glasses of beer. She set it down, giving each member a piece, then she walked away, winking at me. I laughed and fluttered my eyes.
Each judge looked down at their plate and smiled. "This is presented wonderfully, though it's not very original." One of them, the girl named Nina claimed. I nodded, grateful for her input.
"This is a Deep Dish Sausage, Bell Pepper and Onion Pizza. I added my home-made special sauce in there that should give it a spicy, yet subtle taste." They nodded, and took a bite.
My personal evaluators told me what they thought of the pizza, while I showed my appreciation in nods or small murmurs of thanks.
We finally got to the last meal, which was the one I worked the hardest at.
"My closing masterpiece is a Chicken and Smoked Sausage Etouffee. This is my second time actually preparing this type of meal, so I'm not sure what the final outcome is."
Like a routine, each judge tasted it. Some moaned, while others cocked their heads to the side, taking a minute to savor the flavor. My neck was starting to sweat, and I wished that Edward were here to wipe it off again.
Okay… that's kind of awkward…
The third judge whispered a quick, "It has a little too much parsley… But, I love the taste." I beamed at her, and then turned my head to the next judge.
He smiled down at his plate. "The chicken has this unique taste; what did you add to it?"
"I used cayenne pepper plus a dash of my Nana Marie's best, secret, spice."
He laughed and ate another piece of chicken.
"Well, the judges have completed their five course meal. If you would please do so, Chef Bella, we will have to ask you to go in the back room while Chef Edward does his own presentation."
Nodding, I waved at the camera and exited off the back.
I could only hope that my score was either higher or tied with Edward. If not, I couldn't show my face in Forks again.
Everyone would despise me.
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About thirty minutes later, I was called back into the kitchen area.
My hands were fidgeting with each other as I stepped into the room. Edward was standing next to the host, who was looking confused at the judges. He shook his head, pointing to the paper in his hands. The judges shrugged and whispered to each other. The host closed his eyes tightly and shook his head.
"This can't be right!" He whisper-yelled to the judges, though I could perfectly hear him since the room liked to echo.
I walked next to Edward, touching his hand. He smiled and looked down at me. "What's going on?" I asked quietly.
"I don't know, actually. They won't tell me." Edward shook his head, making a lock of his hair fall into his eyes. Without thinking, I brought my hand up and swished it away. He caught my eyes and that heart-warming smirk slowly made its position on his face. I grinned back, and took a step away, glancing around to the host.
He sighed and walked towards the both of us.
"In all the years of doing this show, we have never, once, had this happen." His head was looking down at the paper in his fingers, making sure that he had the right answer.
Somehow, I'm not exactly sure how, but Edward's hand had brushed against my own, and now he was holding it gently. I squeezed his fingers, showing him that I liked the feeling of his touch.
Alice was screaming from the stands, cheering the words, "Bella, Bella, Bella!" I chuckled, not liking the attention, but also cherishing it.
The host snapped our attention back to him by murmuring, "they can't own a restaurant when they get distracted like that," to himself. They?
"And the winner of the restaurant in Seattle, and 100,000 dollars goes to…" Edward squeezed my fingers tightly while I bit my lip.
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"Bella and Edward!"
My heart thumped with every clap I heard from the stands. Both of us? How is that possible? We both looked at each other and asked, "What?"
The host chortled, looking down at the sheet in his grasp. "Well, you see, you both got the same score. Originality, you both scored fours. And for all the others, well, you know. They are all the same…" He laughed again. "Congratulations! You both get to share a restaurant!"
Edward and I stood there in shock. Not blinking. Our mouths wide open. Then, rudely, the director cut to a commercial.
I was the one who moved first: shaking my head, batting my eyes a few times. Then I looked over to Edward. "What?"
He didn't move his eyes, although his lips did move to answer me. "We're sharing a restaurant." It wasn't a question, or a statement. It was more of a confusing affirmation.
"What? Mister Cullen can't share?" I teased.
Edward rolled his eyes, leaning down to my ear. "I bet you I can."
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I stirred in my bed, jostling into the bedside table. One of my eyes opened to see the clock reading 6:13 a.m. I groaned, throwing the covers from myself. The Second Grand Opening of my, oh, excuse me, our restaurant was today and my stomach was not in the mood.
The door creaked open, revealing a frazzled Edward. I tilted my head to the side a little when he walked in with a tray.
"Good morning beautiful." He whispered, setting the tray over my belly.
I smiled. "Morning handsome. What's this?" I pointed to the serving of food. Edward chuckled; while putting some eggs on a fork, and feeding them to me. I chewed, enjoying the taste encircling my mouth. "But, really. What was that for?"
"You're pregnant, Bella. Almost seven months; which means you should be in bed, resting." He murmured, kissing my forehead.
My hands rubbed my face. "That's not fair. Today is the Opening! It's gonna be packed! I'm not going to lay down in bed all day!"
Edward laughed. "Of course you aren't. You're stubborn and will do what you want." I nodded once, giving him a stern expression. "But, as your husband, I'm going to take care of you. And, that will mean that I'm going to work the kitchen today, and for the rest of your pregnancy."
"Ugh."
He snickered, and stood up. "Now get that butt moving. We have a big day!" I giggled, rolling out of bed and walking carefully to the bathroom.
And then I remembered something. "Hey, Edward?!"
He ran through the threshold, a panic look on his face. "Contractions! Oh god, call the doctor! I'm not sure what to do… Oh god!"
I laughed at him, rubbing my swollen stomach. "No, Edward. I had to remind you to call Carlisle and Esme telling them thank you for the nursery they bought us at the wedding."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Edward chuckled at himself. "I should do that then."
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This was something that popped into my head, and it was quite fun to write! Review it, please!