Chapter 4- Winner
Regina stood nervously in front of the judges, her anxiety palpable as she awaited their verdict. She knew her performance in the previous rounds hadn't been stellar, and she couldn't help but worry about her chances. Still, she was determined not to beat herself up about it; this was just the beginning of her journey in the culinary world, and she had much more to prove.
As she glanced at the judges, she noted their varying expressions. Maleficent seemed a bit bored, Emma appeared disinterested, possibly preoccupied with her phone, and David smiled warmly at each contestant as they walked in.
The cameras began to roll, and Killian set the stage for the moment of truth. "SO, whose dish is on the chopping block?" he said with dramatic flair, building the suspense.
The dish revealed was Ashley's, the young pastry chef. She looked disappointed, but Emma offered some words of consolation. "Ash, your first dish, the urchin soup, was really special," Emma began. "Delicate, but what happened with this dish was that there was a hodgepodge of ingredients, and everything became kind of muddled. And so for that reason, we had to put you on the chopping block."
Ashley shrugged, offering a somewhat petulant, "Sorry you didn't like it," before leaving with her head held high, even in defeat.
"And then there were two," Regina muttered to Snow as they walked back to the kitchen, the tension rising.
"Chef Regina, Chef Snow," Killian addressed the remaining chefs. "You are the final chefs in the competition. Congratulations."
"Thank you," they said in unison, acknowledging the gravity of the moment.
As they prepared for the dessert round, Regina couldn't help but reflect on her journey so far. "Third round, I am excited about cooking dessert," she shared in her aside, recorded after the competition as she contemplated her performance. "I started my career as a pastry chef."
The basket of mystery ingredients was revealed, containing bulgur wheat, pomegranate juice, pineapple, and green papaya. Snow seemed excited about the challenge, and Regina wasted no time in formulating a plan.
"Maybe a genoise?" she mused aloud, her mind racing with ideas. A bulgur wheat cake genoise with caramelized pineapples and pomegranate papaya syrup seemed like a promising concept. Regina multitasked, steeping the bulgur wheat, cracking eggs for her cake, and working on the syrup with papaya in the background. She also prepped her pineapples and had them ready with brown sugar for caramelization.
However, in the midst of her preparations, Regina realized she had forgotten to add butter to her cake mix, a crucial element to prevent sticking. Quick thinking led her to silicone pans, and she hoped this last-minute decision wouldn't be her downfall.
With the cake in the oven, Regina felt something was still missing. "Think, Regina, I'm Italian, I am an Italian chef," she encouraged herself. Searching the fridge, she retrieved some ricotta cheese to add richness to her dessert. Mixing it with honey to balance the acidity of the fruits, she hoped this addition would save her dish.
With only ten minutes left, Regina carefully removed the cake from the oven. To her relief, it came out of the silicone pans intact. She swiftly plated her creation, cutting the genoise in half and stuffing it with the honeyed ricotta. The judges observed her ingenuity with interest.
Killian announced the countdown, and Regina placed the pomegranate papaya sauce over her genoise. As the seconds ticked away, she couldn't help but feel a mixture of hope and apprehension, wondering if her dessert would impress the judges enough to secure her place in the competition.
Proud of her presentation and confident in her dessert, Regina stood waiting as Snow struggled to finish plating her own creation. The countdown began, and Regina watched the seconds tick away, the anticipation building.
"1, hands down, step away from the counter," Killian declared, ending the frantic rush of the cooking phase. Regina was breathless but satisfied. She knew she had given her all, and her dessert was a testament to her culinary skills.
As they reset the plating area, Regina couldn't help but steal glances at Emma, who sat with her fellow judges, engaged in laughter and conversation. The camaraderie among the judges intrigued Regina, and she found herself drawn to their world, despite the competition.
Soon, the cameras were back in place, and the judges were ready to sample the desserts. Killian set the stage, highlighting the challenge and introducing the two remaining chefs.
"Chef Regina, and Chef Snow," Killian began, "The challenge was to create a dessert in thirty minutes, using bulgur wheat, pineapple, pomegranate juice, and green papaya."
Regina was the first to present her dessert, and she felt a surge of confidence. "I think I did pretty good," she replied with a smile. "I made a bulgur wheat genoise stuffed with honey ricotta and vanilla with caramelized pineapple."
The judges tasted her creation, and Regina's eyes were fixed on Emma, awaiting her reaction. However, Emma remained composed, simply commenting on Regina's use of her Italian roots and the choice of basil as an herb. Regina took Emma's nod as a positive sign, but the other judges had mixed opinions.
Maleficent praised the texture and basil, while David found the dessert a tad too sweet. Regina struggled to hide her frustration at his comment, reminding herself not to let it affect her.
The judges moved on to Snow's dessert, and Regina tuned them out, deep in thought until she heard something that piqued her interest. Snow had completely disregarded the time limit, and Regina wondered if this would disqualify her or affect the final decision.
Leaving the deliberation room to take a break, Regina took out her phone and initiated a FaceTime call with her young son. His cheerful voice and smiling face provided a welcome distraction from the stress of the competition. She cherished these moments with her son, who had brought so much joy into her life despite the challenges she had faced in her personal journey.
"MOM!" shouted her son, his excited voice breaking through the distance.
"Hi, my little prince," Regina replied with a warm smile, her heart swelling at the sight of her son's gap-toothed grin. He had been a beacon of light in her life since the day they adopted him when he was two.
"Did you win?" he asked eagerly.
"I don't know yet. I am waiting to see. The judges are talking to each other now."
"You're gonna win, Mom. I know it," he declared with unwavering confidence.
Regina chuckled, her son's unwavering belief in her touching her deeply. "Have you been good for Abuelo and Nona?" she inquired.
"Of course, Mom. Don't you know I'm awesome?" he replied with youthful enthusiasm.
Regina couldn't help but smile at her son's response. "I do know that, my little prince."
As they chatted, Regina noticed Emma and Killian walking back to the set with their fingers intertwined, their closeness not escaping her observant eyes. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the grown man's attempts at romance with someone so much younger. Yet, she acknowledged her own hypocritical thoughts, as she had been harboring a crush on Emma ever since she had sampled her food in Boston, even though she had a girlfriend at the time.
Suddenly, Henry's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Mom!"
Regina was startled for a moment but quickly responded, "Henry, go brush your teeth and go to bed. I have to be back on set."
"Okay, Mom..." he said and then paused. "Break a leg... but not really. Why do they say that?"
Regina chuckled at his innocence. "Nona will tell you all about it. She used to work on stage."
"Okay... Hey, Nona!" Henry called out before dropping the phone without hanging up. Regina smiled and ended the FaceTime call, knowing her son was in good hands with her parents.
Back on set, the atmosphere was tense as they waited for the judges' verdict. Snow was clearly upset with herself for not stopping cooking when instructed. Regina tried to reassure her, saying, "It's not over till it's over."
Snow sighed and admitted, "You know what? What's done is done. I can't change it now."
When they were brought back in front of the judges, the room was filled with silence. The stone-faced expressions of the judges gave no hints about who the winner might be. Regina's stomach fluttered with anticipation. She knew Snow had exceeded the time limit, but she hoped the judges would focus on the dishes themselves when making their decision.
Side by side, Regina and Snow stood, waiting for the verdict. The tension in the room was palpable as they both turned to look at Killian. He posed the critical question, "So, whose dish is on the chopping block?"
With a sense of finality, Killian's hand went over the cloche, and he slowly lifted the lid, revealing Snow's dish.
"Chef, you have been chopped," Killian announced, and Regina's heart soared with a mix of relief and excitement. She had done it. She had won the competition. The opportunity to move to California with her son and pursue her culinary dreams was now within reach.
"Chef, your dishes were wonderful, but there were just some things lacking in your understanding of flavor," Mal explained. "And then what really sealed the deal at the end was your lack of respect for time."
Snow nodded in acknowledgment, seemingly prepared for the outcome.
"That was something that we couldn't overlook," Mal continued. "Respect and honor to the kitchen is something we take seriously here."
Then, Killian flashed a smile. "And that means, Regina, that you win $10,000. What will you do with it?"
Regina beamed with a sense of accomplishment. "I have an amazing little boy. And Henry and I are finally going to leave home for our own adventures."
"That's fantastic," David chimed in, offering his congratulations. Regina approached the judges and shook their hands one by one. As she reached for Emma's hand, their eyes locked in a moment of unspoken understanding. It was clear to both of them that they played for the same team, that Emma was queer, and Regina could tell. They exchanged knowing smiles and then moved on with their lives.
Snow walked past Regina and extended an invitation. "Hey, Regina. You want to go out for drinks. You'll pay."
Regina laughed and agreed, "Yeah, why not?" They headed to the hotel bar, where the four chefs sat together, reminiscing about their competition experiences over drinks.
In the background, Emma entered the bar with a visible air of frustration. She didn't exchange words with anyone and instead made a beeline for the bar. Without hesitation, Regina decided to take the initiative and approached the younger woman.
"Bad night?" Regina asked, her voice filled with genuine concern.
Emma's green eyes, still dilated with frustration, met Regina's gaze. She didn't immediately respond, but after a brief pause, she admitted, "Yeah, it's been a rough one."
Regina nodded empathetically. "Well, let's turn it around, shall we?" She offered a warm smile, extending an invitation. "Join us for a drink."
She looked at Emma with curiosity as the blonde's green eyes seemed to dilate. Emma didn't say anything more; instead, she simply suggested, "Let's go to your room instead."
Regina raised an eyebrow. "To do what?"
Emma stated matter-of-factly, "I know what you want, and I am not opposed to it." She slid out of her chair, adding, "I trust you can be discrete?"
Regina nodded in agreement, and without another word, she followed Emma to the elevator, ready for whatever adventure the night might bring.