"I miss you, too. I'm nervous. Can I do it?" Beauty was feeling agitated while on her way for the preliminaries.

"Yeah, you can do it. I believed in you." He parked the car properly in the parking lot.

"I'm still nervous." She rubbed dry her palms on her trousers as she walked with big strides.

"Just breathe deeply and do it multiple times until your tensed nerves relaxed." He got out from his car and stepped into the elevator.

"What if I can't do it?" She stopped and looked heavenward.

He stepped out and halted his steps in the building's lobby, "You've cooked a lot of food for people with enthusiasm. All those who saw and tasted your dishes were in awe. So, I believe you can pa.s.s this round easily. Just be yourself and enjoy making the dish…oh, how about this? Just think that you're cooking your dish for me."

"Why for you?"

"Why not for me?"

"How about for my family?"

"Fine, but include me in that family. Remember, my future wife." He tried to joke while saying what he desired just to help her relax and be confident with herself.

"Harhar, you really know how to make me laugh. Alright, I'll try to cook for you and for my family." It was a sarcastic remark but Clarence didn't mind.

"That's my girl."

She realized she was no longer edgy this time. "Thanks."

"Oh my, don't say that when I'm not beside you." His mouth curved into a smile and glanced at the ceiling.

"Why?"

"How can I hug and kiss you then?"

"You haven't kissed me yet and I won't allow that easily. Hmph!" She clenched her fist felt defeated with his arrogance.

"Oh, poor me. Never mind that will come soon. Hehe. Enjoy cooking."

The talk ended as she entered the sliding door of the Cebu Convention Center. She smiled, "Whew! Here I come."

. . . . .

"Beauty Ferol, number 110. Welcome for your preliminary round. You will receive another set of instructions as you go in. Relax and enjoy cooking." Sheila said to Beauty while she was waiting for the latter at the door of hall number 3.

Sheila now knew the name of her rival. She was smirking whether Beauty would be able to pa.s.s the irritable judges in this infamous hall. She continued to guide the other partic.i.p.ants on their way inside.

"All partic.i.p.ants please, choose any worktable you want. Cook a dish that you think would totally represent yourself to the judges. You have 30 to 45 minutes to prepare. Ready... and start." A woman wearing a chef outfit said.

Beauty never thought this would be the theme. 'What's best to represent oneself with food?'

The other two started their preparation right away. She was left standing where she was. The judges looked at her with concern. Time was ticking, would she be done on time like this?

She thought she's creative, unique in her own way, self-learned, and a girl…. "hmm… yes, that's it!."

. . . . .

While outside number 3 hall, people gossiped and magnified the tenacity or eccentricity of the judges.

"You know what? In this hall, only a few people pa.s.sed. This group of judges is the strictest. Most of all, that lady judge. A girl yesterday cried after hearing her sarcastic remarks. Poor girl, she was still a first-year student of that well known culinary college."

"How many pa.s.sed so far?"

"So far, only five people for the past three days of the preliminary rounds."

"I hope not all will be crying out when they step out. Hall #3 will be awarded as the miserable hall for this year."

Sheila heard them all talking and felt satisfied.

. . . . .

Back inside.

Instantly filled with motivation, Beauty hurriedly went to her workstation with the enthusiasm she usually had. Grabbing a basket she grabbed a fish fillet, all meat pork steaks, ginger, onion, vinegar, tomatoes, and others and brought to her station. Without further delay, she decided to make one of the dishes she made the night before leaving Camotes Island.

First, she cut the steak into a big circle and carved the edges with meticulous care using a pair of kitchen scissors to make it look like petal tips. Then pounded it with a mallet to make it thinner and tender. She rubbed a mixture of turmeric, salt, and pepper and some sesame oil on it.

The whole steak was placed inside a non-stick m.u.f.fin pan and spread out to take its shape. Another same pan was placed on top of the meat and placed it on a stovetop grill in medium heat. After grilling, she placed it into the preheated oven. Four steak bowls were made. Three prepared for the judges present and one for her trial.

The fish salad was prepared in a jiffy and remained cool in the chiller.

Ding! The timer set off. When she checked the steaks, she panicked a little. The middle was still watery and was not tasty. She tried to calm her inner turmoil.

a.n.a.lyzing the occurrence deeply she saw the moisture from the meat floated out the seasonings. She decided to spoon it out and brushed the same mixture all over the meat again. The steak went back in the oven without the pan on top this time.

When the pork steak was done, the outer part was partly charred using a fire torch and placed each on a saucer with romaine lettuce. She spooned in some fish salad. For the finis.h.i.+ng touch, tomato peelings were transformed into flowers and set each on top. Teaspoons were prepared for each judge. Her dish was ready to be served.

She was the first one to finish. Seeing her ready, the judges called for her right ahead. Her dish was served to each judge and waited for her explanation.

"I call this dish as Spicy Fish Salad in a Flowery Steak Bowl… I'm a persistent girl the flowery steak bowl represents. The raw fish salad describes my uniqueness and for being a self-learned cook. And the last, the whole dish portrayed my creativeness." Beauty explained with sweating palm hands.

Before the judges started lifting the teaspoon, Beauty suddenly said, "I suggest you pick the whole thing by hand and slowly bite at the edge eating the fish salad with it. It will be tastier this way."

The judges were intrigued after hearing that. Truly, as they bit they tasted the whole combination with delight in their eyes.

"This is a unique way to eat a very stylish presentation," spoke a judge.

"Actually, this is my first time to see this kind of presentation of the 'kinilaw' with 'sinugbang baboy'(fish salad with roasted pork steak). It's really special to serve it this way. You did well." The lady judge said.

"Thank you, thank you." Beauty said happily. Her eyes glistened and almost teary as well.

"Who taught you to do this?" a smiling male judge asked.

"Actually, no one. I personally thought the whole thing. I always like to present my dishes to make it more appetizing and enjoyable to eat." She replied with confidence. All of her anxieties were thrown out after hearing their compliments.

"Self-learned and creative indeed. I say you pa.s.sed this round." The lady judge said as she threw an ap.r.o.n to Beauty.

Beauty jumped with joy after catching the white ap.r.o.n with the logo of the Culinary Organization of the Philippines.

A staff beckoned her to go out of the hall. She ran with joy with the ap.r.o.n in hand.

Outside, all onlookers were astonished to see someone coming out with bright smiles from that said miserable hall. Even the first to produce a pa.s.s for today's preliminary round.

Sheila's face darkened. She hadn't thought that her rival really did have abilities.

"Nice, that means she is not weak at all and a worthy opponent. Hope you'll pa.s.s this regional compet.i.tion and be among to be sent for the nationals. If not, then I will dare s.n.a.t.c.h Clarence back to me."

Cathy also heard the news about Beauty. She also pa.s.sed this round a day ago so she was looking forward when they meet again. She was now planning how to make Beauty completely fail.