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Summer Flavour
Blinding lights flooded the set. Three cameras captured the bake off sponsored by Wholesome Food Inc., a small, local company, to launch their new cake flour made from the best whole grains. Padma wasn't interested in their product. She had entered the contest solely for the prize money of $10,000. It would go a long way in paying for her son's college tuition.
The contest host babbled at one of the cameras. He went on about how Wholesome Food Inc.was born and their vision for a healthier, wholesome future for all.
It gave Padma the opportunity to gauge the other contestants. Unsurprisingly, they were all women and most of them looked giddy to be on the tele. The studio had a makeup artist, a few of the women, wanting to stand out, had improved upon the light touch-up with atrocious embellishments of their own. One especially kooky lady had slut red lipsticks and heavy shadows.
Amateurs.
She could easily beat these woman any day. The only real challenge she'd face was Mave, the plump woman dressed in the white attire of a professional pastry chef. The toque and the double breasted jacket bore the name of her bakery-Sweet Dreams. Such a cliché.
Padma was well aware of the woman's creations, though. The couple of times her son had bought her treats from the bakery, she found the pastries nearly as good as her own. But it wouldn't matter. Not tonight. She would win the contest.
She had to.
Padma unconsciously patted the slight bulge in her blouse-the plastic wrapped flour she had smuggled into the studio was reassuring. There was no way she would leave this to chance. Especially when even with her skills, the cakes made from the Wholesome's flour turned out unpalatable. She tried sifting it multiple times, substituting half of it with regular flour, adding it on small portions, reducing the temperature of the oven, whisking in egg whites. but nothing worked.
The flour clumped together in light cakes, and made gritty fudgey ones. The new product was a total failure. At best, it could make pancake batters that too only if was allowed to rise overnight and vigorously beat again right before pouring it on the heated pan.
Padma wasn't there to review their product, though. They probably wouldn't want to hear her candid opinion. The prize money mattered. A lot. Even if it meant that she'd have to lie and cheat to get it.
When asked to introduce herself and tell them about her motivations for entering the contest, she was candid about her recent lay-off and how much the prize money would mean for her son's college education.
The host kicked off the contest with a blast of the whistle. The digital clock on the wall started a count down. They had two hours. The other contestants scrambled to gather their ingredients from the walk in cooler installed in the studio. Padma bid her time arranging her working station. ...
The contest host babbled at one of the cameras. He went on about how Wholesome Food Inc.was born and their vision for a healthier, wholesome future for all.
It gave Padma the opportunity to gauge the other contestants. Unsurprisingly, they were all women and most of them looked giddy to be on the tele. The studio had a makeup artist, a few of the women, wanting to stand out, had improved upon the light touch-up with atrocious embellishments of their own. One especially kooky lady had slut red lipsticks and heavy shadows.
Amateurs.
She could easily beat these woman any day. The only real challenge she'd face was Mave, the plump woman dressed in the white attire of a professional pastry chef. The toque and the double breasted jacket bore the name of her bakery-Sweet Dreams. Such a cliché.
Padma was well aware of the woman's creations, though. The couple of times her son had bought her treats from the bakery, she found the pastries nearly as good as her own. But it wouldn't matter. Not tonight. She would win the contest.
She had to.
Padma unconsciously patted the slight bulge in her blouse-the plastic wrapped flour she had smuggled into the studio was reassuring. There was no way she would leave this to chance. Especially when even with her skills, the cakes made from the Wholesome's flour turned out unpalatable. She tried sifting it multiple times, substituting half of it with regular flour, adding it on small portions, reducing the temperature of the oven, whisking in egg whites. but nothing worked.
The flour clumped together in light cakes, and made gritty fudgey ones. The new product was a total failure. At best, it could make pancake batters that too only if was allowed to rise overnight and vigorously beat again right before pouring it on the heated pan.
Padma wasn't there to review their product, though. They probably wouldn't want to hear her candid opinion. The prize money mattered. A lot. Even if it meant that she'd have to lie and cheat to get it.
When asked to introduce herself and tell them about her motivations for entering the contest, she was candid about her recent lay-off and how much the prize money would mean for her son's college education.
The host kicked off the contest with a blast of the whistle. The digital clock on the wall started a count down. They had two hours. The other contestants scrambled to gather their ingredients from the walk in cooler installed in the studio. Padma bid her time arranging her working station. ...
