Some Like It Spicy by Robbie Terman Page A

cheese was delicious. The lobster was perfectly cooked, and I loved the balance of sweet and spicy.”
    “This was not a beginner’s dish,” said Claude. “But many of our readers at Gastronomy magazine are advanced cooks and I think they would enjoy this very much.”
    “Thank you,” she said, her grin at full force.
    Andrea added her two cents. “Ashton, you were completely at ease in front of the camera today. I could tell this was a dish you really knew and how relaxed you were making it. It was as if you forgot the camera was even present. Nicely done.”
    High atop cloud nine, Ashton barely heard the comments on Jolene’s and Duffy’s dishes. They loved her dish. Loved it . And when people watched this episode, how could they not want to run to the restaurant the very next day and try it for themselves? It would be torture keeping this secret from Jenna and Chloe until the episode aired.
    Ashton shook out of her reverie as Ty got ready to announce the winner. Time for the fake surprise look , she thought.
    “All three dishes were wonderful,” Ty said. “But this dish was not only delicious and beautifully presented, it was something we could feel good about eating. Tonight’s winner is…” He paused for effect. “Jolene.”
    Ashton’s shock was genuine. Her eyes widened like saucers, and her mouth fell open and then closed as if it were a flytrap. How could Jolene have won? And with fish! Who really cared about so-called healthful eating? Everyone claimed they did until they opened the menu. Then, suddenly, they wanted whatever was battered, deep-fried, and smothered in cheese. Ashton had learned at the first restaurant she’d worked in that healthful didn’t sell.
    But apparently it won contests.
    “Jolene, as the winner, your dish will be featured on the cover of next month’s Gastronomy magazine . Congratulations. You three chefs can take a seat in the safe zone,” Ty said.
    Ashton hated the prick of envy that ate at her. As if she wanted to be in that pretentious magazine anyway! She could just imagine the call from her father if he opened his mailbox to see her name front and center on the cover. Her eyes began to burn. Damn! She would not let them see her cry.
    She took a seat between Jolene and Duffy. An instant later, she felt Jolene grab her hand.
    “I can’t believe it,” Jolene whispered. Her face was flushed and she was grinning.
    Ashton felt like a monster. Just because she was disappointed didn’t mean she needed to act like a wounded bear. “Congratulations,” she whispered back, squeezing Jolene’s hand. “We are going to celebrate big-time when we get back to the house.” Her stomach sent her a rumble of warning. “But no alcohol, please.”
    Sally had stopped the cameras at some point and was now placing the other chefs in a row at the elimination table. They were each standing in front of an elaborate candle with a tall flame burning as filming resumed.
    “Elena,” Ty said, “let’s start with you. Why do you think you’re on the bottom?”
    Elena’s lower lip trembled. “The meat was undercooked.”
    “You looked extremely uncomfortable on camera,” Andrea added. “As a James Beard Award nominee, you should have more confidence. It was as if you were trying to hide. I think the problem with the food was that you were concentrating on staying out of sight of the camera, rather than cooking.”
    Tears streamed down Elena’s face as she nodded. Ashton ached for the woman, who looked as if she wanted to sink into the floor and disappear.
    Lance had the opposite critique. His meal, the judges pronounced, had been overcooked because Lance had spent more time playing to the camera than checking the temperature of the meat. Anthony’s pasta was praised, but his sauce was declared too strong. Then, it was Morgan’s turn.
    “Morgan, why did you pair the scallops with sweet potato?” Ty asked.
    “This was a sophisticated version of fish and chips,” Morgan said.