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Two chefs have been invited to participate in a cooking competition on a remote island
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| [Introduction]
Two top chefs invited to participate in a cooking competition on a remote island. The two women will be dropped off on Pirates Cove Island and will be asked to prepare two types of dishes with limited supplies, using only campfire for heat. At the end of the weekend, the judges will arrive by boat and the two chefs will serve them the dishes they have prepared. Campfire girl pals culture & background: Louisa Italian chef living in the midwest. Finds deep value in the history and traditions passed down from her grandfather's family who came to America from Calabria, Italy. Loves to combine the savory flavors of classic Italian cooking with surprising, experimental ingredients to create amazing dishes! Cheyenne Native American Chef from South Dakota. A connoisseur of Native American cooking. Specializing in Wanhampi (Soups) and Aguyapi(Breads). Especially known for her Gaboo boo bread, (a pan bread made either on top of the stove or open fire). The Challenge: Prepare dishes, each with a few items of cookware: **each chef is given only one knife The Ingredients: A limited supply of ingredients The Judges: *Emerald LaBosse *Paulette Deano *Rachel Raygun Let the challenge begin! |
| As the morning sun made its appearance over the horizon, the 32 ft. sailboat carrying the two chefs approached Paradise Cove Island. Louisa was the first to appear on deck and make her exit onto the island. |
| Although she knew she was in competition against Cheyenne, Louisa had already begun to see her as a friend. On the boat trip they had been given quite awhile to become acquainted with one another, and there seemed to be a bond forming already. However, Louisa reminded herself that she still planned on winning the cook off! Glancing over her shoulder at Cheyenne, she yelled. "Move it, slow poke! I'm ready to get started!" With a grin, she stepped onto the sand and surveyed her surroundings. |
| With that said, it put a fire under Cheyenne's feet because she picked up her pace. "Hmmph...I'll show you who the slow poke is!" with a determined look, Cheyenne headed straight for the tables to see what she had to work with. Forging ahead of Louisa, grinning as she went by. She knew this was going to be difficult, but she was determined to put their friendship aside and give her all, in order to beat this accomplished chef in this difficult challenge. Two aprons hung on a tree limb in front of the table with the supplies on it, and in seeing Louisa approaching, she handed her competitor the apron. Smiling gently, she said. "Good Luck, Louisa! she walked over to each table to take assessment of all that they had to work with, noting there was only one knife for each of them to work with. "Yikes!" she thought to herself as she headed for her campfire where she would be cooking. The wood was already burning and it was looking as if they would begin. |
| Tying the apron strings around her waist, Louisa perused the ingredients available to them. She shook her head, feeling a bit of apprehension. "This is going to be tough," she mumbled. Their supplies were limited, so she would have to rely on her creative instincts to come up with something prize worthy. Pausing to look around at the scenery, she inhaled deeply of the salty air. The warm sunlight kissed her face in dappled caresses as it filtered down through the palm fronds. Louisa found herself energized and peaceful all at the same time, and with a smile, she kicked off her shoes. Sand tickled between her toes as she walked over to the table and began to gather ingredients for her first dish. |
| Cheyenne busied herself with collecting all the ingredients and cooking utensils that she thought she would need for the day. She felt herself start to perspire. Was it because of the pressure that she felt building, or just the morning sun growing stronger with the hours passing? Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew through her long, dark hair. Like a feather her hair blew in the softness of the wind. Then suddenly, she began to regain her concentration and began chopping and peeling vegetables and fruit she would be needing the her first dish. "A cold soup would work well on this day. Something tropical!" she thought. "Along with some Gaboo-boo bread." She was famous for this bread back home on the Pawkawak Indian Reservation where she was from. Two large cantaloupe were peeled and chopped on the cutting board provided for her. She gathered them up and quickly placed them in a large, wooden mixing bowl, then went on to the large cucumber she had selected. "Great! Seedless!" she thought to herself again, as if almost studying it. Cheyenne decided to peel it only in sections so as to give the soup some color. When she finished with it, it looked almost like a pinwheel. Off it went into a seperate wooden bowl. She took the lemons and after rolling it, sliced it and squeezed the juices from it and poured it into the bowl with the cantaloupes. One blender was provided for the both of them. After seeing it free, Cheyenne decided to take advantage of it and puree her cantaloupe mixture before her Louisa needed it. |
| Louisa was pleased at the variety of ingredients the tables held. There was not a huge amount to choose from, but the quality was superb, and she allowed herself a moment's guilty pleasure by sniffing each container of herbs appreciatively. After days of consideration, she had finally decided to prepare her own interpretation of Oliole Parmesiano as her entry for a savory dish. She began by mixing ricotta, mozzerella and parmesan cheeses in a bowl and then set about swiftly chopping a handful of fresh basil with the single knife provided. Stirring it into the cheese mixture, she then covered the bowl with a cloth and turned to the meat preparation. Italian sausage was seared lightly in a pan over the fire and broken into crumbles until the spicy aroma filled the air. Into the sausage drippings was added diced tomatoes, a little onion and lots of fresh garlic. Pleased with how well things were starting out, Louisa glanced over to Cheyenne's work area and wondered what she was concocting. "Are you sure you know what you're doing over there?" she called out teasingly. |
| "You just mind yourself over there! I'm busy!" Cheyenne remarked jokingly with a grin. Lifting her head to reach for the Island's dark rum and some cream to add to the ingredients in the blender and puree some more. A sprig of mint was added next with a few more pulses. Some crushed ice along with a couple of tablespoons of fresh Orange Juice. Wholah! It was ready. Now for the Gaboo-boo she thought. Looking over at Louisa, who was busy herself steady cutting and mixing herself. Cheyenne could see that Louisa had it pretty well under control. She quickly focused back on matters at hand, making the Gaboo-boo. She grabbed another wooden mixing bowl and the ingredients needed for it, including the flour. As she began pouring the flour into the bowl, she took some and threw it over her shoulder at her opponent. "Ha! Take that! That's for good luck!" Cheyenne muttered with a half laugh, then she returned to mixing in her other ingredients. |
| Louisa laughed when she saw the cloud of flour fly over Cheyenne's shoulder. She was so glad she had been paired with someone who had a sense of humor and wasn't so professional that she couldn't have a good time. And besides, Louisa was curious about the other woman. Knowing a little of Cheyenne's background, Louisa was fascinated by the Native American culture and extremely interested in what kind of dishes would be presented at the judging. Returning to her task, she added a couple of eggs and some extra virgin olive oil to the cheese mixture and stirred it efficiently. The sausage was done so she placed the pan at an angle against a rock to separate the excess fat and then set a pot of water on the fire to boil. When the meat had cooled, Louisa folded it into the cheese to allow the flavors to marry and break up some of the stickiness of the ricotta. Observing the texture, she decided to toss in a few breadcrumbs for a slightly drier consistency. |
| The dough was mixed and the temperature of the oil in the cast iron pan was just right. She shaped her bread with her hands, and gently placed four well rounded pieces in the hot oil. The dough began to rise to about a half inch thickness. It was ready to be turned. The baking powder she added, was just enough to have it rise to a good thickness. One after the other she turned and turned. She shaped more of the dough, and as she took the finished pieces out onto a wooden plate covered with a paper towel, the others remaining went in. Cheyenne hadn't really thought much of a beverage to serve with this, but thought a fruit smoothie would work well with this. She will finish these and let them cool before starting on that. Afterall, it was just a matter of adding some tropical fruit, some cream and some ice into a blender to make this delicious addition complete. |
| The water was boiling rapidly so Louisa dropped in a pinch of sea salt and a few handfuls of linguine pasta. A dash of olive oil followed to prevent the noodles from sticking together. While the pasta was cooking, she chopped up a generous pile of black olives, seasoning them with a garlic and herbs. Setting the olives aside, she grabbed a set of tongs and retrieved a noodle from the steaming pot. After testing it between her teeth, she pronounced it, "Perfect!" The pot was emptied into a strainer and the pasta tossed lightly to cool. Once all the elements of her dish were complete, Louisa combined them together in one large ceramic baking dish, tossing the pasta with the cheese and herb concoction. Making sure that all flavors were sufficiently blended, she topped everything with a scattering of black olives and a bit more mozzerella. Then the dish was covered and placed near the fire to keep warm. Satisfied, Louisa took a moment to stretch her back muscles and admire the beauty of the ocean before turning to start her next creation. |
| "Hey Slow Poke, Let's get a move on over there! Whadda ya think this is a sight-seeing tour we're on?!" Cheyenne broke into Louisa's relaxation with a lighthearted jab. Louisa seemed relaxed when she looked over at her friend, so she thought to perk her up a bit. Cheyenne had already put the ice and other ingredients into the blender for the smoothies, so she turned it on full blast. She really wanted to interrupt her friends tranquil moment. Afterall, what are friends for, she thought to herself. She couldn't help take in the surroundings herself. Beauty surrounded her. The tropical breeze blew gently off the ocean. The calm sound of the waves as they came rolling in. The seagulls were calling each other. For the moment, the earth seemed so serene. |
| With one dish under her belt, Louisa quickly set about prepping for her second project. This one would be sweet, in the tradition of Italian desserts designed primarily as an accompaniment to after-dinner expresso. Taralli was her dessert of choice so she began by whisking some eggs and adding to them honey, oil and anise extract. Flour was then sifted into the mixture, and Louisa used her hands to knead the ingredients, forming a ball of dough. Next, she sliced off small pieces of dough, rolled them into a rope, and pinched the ends to form a circle. Each taralli was dropped into boiling water for a few minutes and then drained before finally being browned on a baking sheet. Enjoying the aroma of the cooling goodies, Louisa considered the addition of a dipping sauce for an extra bit of kick. Whisking together milk, confectioners sugar and a little lemon made a thin icing that was the perfect match for the more subtle flavor of the cookies. Sampling one tentatively, she chewed for a moment and let the taste fill her senses. "Yes," she said, nodding. "Grandpa would be proud." |
An announcement came to the chefs..."Only 20 minutes left to this competition ladies!" The announcer was none other than Sticktalker   . "Wojapi pudding isn't going to take me long." Cheyenne mumbled to herself, as she busied herself opening a can of plums. "This will be a lot faster than fresh, to sift and drain the pits." she thought. It was easy enough to make this pudding. It was a fruit pudding that was just out of this world if made correctly. She quickly poured the can into the ten quart pan. It was really bigger than she needed, but when you had not much to work with in the first place, what can you do? She mixed a bit of flour, sugar and water in and began stirring until it started to boil and started thickening. Cheyenne began plating everything. The soup, she placed in wooden bowls with wooden plate underneath. She added a sprig of mint for garnish to the soup and placed the fry bread on the plate to accompany the soup. Then she poured the smoothies into the martini glasses they had been given to work with, and added a slice of lemon with a slight twist to attach onto each glass. The dessert, she didn't know what to do with, because there was anything left to place them in, so she scooped it onto each plate as well. Then placed all onto a serving dish that would be presented to the judges. Cheyenne looked over to see if Louisa was finished. |
| Hearing the twenty minute warning, Louisa kicked into high gear and began to plate the food. She knew presentation was a significant issue when it came to the judges, so she tried her best to make everything look appetizing and beautiful. She scooped the Oliole Parmesiano into wide, shallow bowls. The choice of bowls over plates was simply to allow for tossing and twirling of the pasta without it escaping over the edges of the dish! Each portion was garnished with fresh basil and a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan. As an after thought, Louisa decided to add some focaccia bread wedges. She brushed each piece with olive oil, sprinkled it with a dash of garlic and oregano, and toasted them briefly over the fire while she turned her attention to the dessert. On each plate, she placed several taralli and dusted them with confectioners sugar. Next to them on the plate was a small, dipping bowl containing the lemon icing. Another dusting of sugar settled onto the icing, and a square of dark, strong chocolate rested amongst the taralli. Tiny cups of aromatic espresso had also been prepared for serving along with the dessert. Snagging the focaccia wedges from the fire, Louisa quickly buried the corner of each one into a dish of pasta just as the final bell rang out. Time was up! |
| "Wow! What a beautiful presentation, her opponent had made." Cheyenne observed and thought to herself. For sure her opponent would win, but it didn't matter to Cheyenne because she got more out of this than anyone could ever imagine. A friendship! It was a lot of fun and a great experience. The judges were announced and one by one they took a seat on the podium prepared out of the island trees that were so abundant on this quaint, little island, called 'Paradise Cove'. The sun was slowly fading, as the time had most certainly slipped away. There was still a gentle breeze blowing...the leaves on the coconut trees were clapping together as if they were part of the audience. The only audience, however, were the chefs immediate family that were allowed to accompany them on the sailboat they arrived on, as well as the crew. Louisa's husband could be spotted immediately with the proud smile he sported on his face from the tremendous pride he had for his creative wife. Cheyenne's sister accompanied her and really just wanted it to be over with so that she could take a swim in the warm ocean that was as clear as a crystal. She swore it teased her with the sound of the waves gently touching the shore behind her. The dishes were brought to the judging podium, as Cheyenne and Louisa stood together before the judges. |
| Louisa watched as the judges tasted each dish, quietly discussing their opinions on the flavor combinations and textures. She saw the usual scowl on Emerald LaBosse's face soften into a grin when he tasted Cheyenne's chilled soup, and wondered if she should just accept defeat already. But then, the two ladies on the panel began to bicker over Louisa's pasta dish. Rachel Raygun thought it was a perfect rendition of the Italian classic, but Paulette Deano claimed that it wasn't daring enough for the competition. Suddenly, Louisa realized she had been holding her breath. With a whoosh, she let the air escape from her lungs, and allowed her muscles to relax. In a rush, she discovered that she didn't care so much about winning as she did just making people happy with the foods she prepared for them. At that very moment, she looked forward more to celebrating with new friends and good food there on the beautiful seashore, than winning any silly competition. She reached out and grabbed Cheyenne's hand with a smile that told her it was okay if she didn't win, because sometimes the greatest joy is in the journey. |
| The two chefs stood together hand in hand as the judges finally made their announcement. It was Emerald LaBosse who spoke on behalf of the other judges. "This was a close race. I think we really have two winners here. After talking it over with the other judges, we have decided to award each of you an 'award of excellence' for your representation of your traditional heritage. Great job ladies! Thank you for participating in this great challenge." Both chefs were so relieved that they let out a sigh of relief together, in unison. After hugging each other, the girls acepted their awards with huge smiles...a beautiful blue ribbon for each of them. What a wonderful way to end the day. |
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