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Fliers were sent to one and all competitors thanks to Holden’s trusty owl (Barnaby) and the fliers were posted to all the Common Rooms. Enclosed inside the envelope or posted on a notice board is an invitation to The Great Hogwarts Chef Off!
SPOILER!!:
Welcome one and all to Hogwarts’ ultimate cooking battle where passionate chef wizards and witches compete to be crowned the Hogwarts’ Best Amateur Chef. You will be tasked to compete in a one time event and will have your dishes judged. The theme this year is “YOUR HISTORY”. Please prepare a dish that reminds you of your home or where you came from.
If you are interested, please report to the kitchens.
On the day of the event, Simon arrived to inspect the clean kitchen that had been prepped with individual cooking stations. He stood near the front of the kitchen, waiting to greet guests and judges alike!
OOC: welcome one and all to Holden’s competition! This is a cooking competition!! We’ll move on in 48 hours but feel free to post your charries. House elves are more than welcome to participate too
curly haired prefect - "sometimes I get angry!" - 30/90 - *chicken emoji* - probably @ Disney - I speak dog
Normally not one to jump for signing up for any sort of social activity - this one involved food, so Javier was a bit more inclined to volunteer his time! It seemed as if he was the first one to arrive along with Simon, so he gave his colleague a little nod in greeted as he walked in.
"Ready for this? I hope you're prepared to put out possible fires - you can never be too cautious with these kids," he said with a small chuckle. He should know - his class REQUIRED fire and he'd had more than a few run ins with fires gone array.
__________________
I'm still standin'________________________________________ better than I ever did
Lookin' like a true survivor_________________________________feelin' like a little kid
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
"If you are interested''?
Jude didn't need to be told twice to report to the kitchen on the assigned day and time. Cooking and baking was something he did EVERY school break with his mother. It was one of those mother-son moments he treasured. Thanks to Addison Anders, he made a decent cook. Maybe that's why he was more concerned about having a good time at this even rather than competing.
"Hi, hello, good day, professors," Jude greeted Holden who happened to be one of his favourite professors, and the professor he knew the most about in terms of history and the Slytherin Head of House who was pretty cool in his own way. "Can we get started now?'' he continued, his face bright and cheerful. Just kidding. Of course they had to wait on others to arrive.
Arden might be twelve, but she could cook for herself. And while she wasn't entirely sure this was the greatest dish of all time, or the exact details, she knew what she wanted to make.
Tofu wraps!!!!
They reminded her of home and her dad's heritage because of the Greek seasonings and stuff. And the chickpeas. AND THE FAKE FETA CHEESE. AND THE GREEK DRESSING.
AND IT WAS EASY TO MAKE. She had never cooked the tofu before, though, only assembled the wraps, but whateeeeveer. The details weren't important right? Pfffffffft
She had this.
And she had in her hand the recipe from her mam. She supposed she could have done a baking thing from her Gran, but naaaaah. She had to introduce Hogwarts to the world of GOOD VEGAN FOOD.
"Elllllo, everyone!" Arden said cheerfully. Not many had arrived yet, but that was okay!
__________________
"You can justify anything if you do it poetically enough."
Roman Gellar ● 1st Year ● Slytherin
"Greetings, Simon," Tapio called out, ducking his head as he came through the doorway. "Great idea for an event!" Despite the excellence of the meals the Hogwarts House Elves prepared, Tapio had been missing his family's home cooked meals and was eager to sample what the students came up with. Perhaps some of them might use some of the fresh herbs they had grown or gathered in his class!
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Where there is food, there is a Jasper Amir. It's the way of the universe. It was totally an ancient proverb for suuuure.
So here he was, to eat food fulfill the divine prophecy.
Though Jasper enjoyed eating more than he did cooking, he could whip up a meaaan meal. So he was quite looking forward to this. "Sup professor," he offered Prof H an easy smile as he walked into the kitchens. "Do you need any more judges?" Jas would gladly participate too, but if there was any chance to try what other people made...
__________________
Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Lemon!
Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
Desiree was so here for this! She’d been looking forward to this bake-off ever since she saw the notice in the Hufflepuff common room. She was a pretty good cook for her age, thanks to lessons from her family and from her dad’s friend who just happened to be a French pastry chef, but even if she didn’t win, it would be fun to share her dish with everyone. The hard part was deciding which dish to make! She knew she wanted to do something to represent the French side of her family, but there were so many delicious French foods, how was she supposed to pick just one?!
In the end, she decided to go with her dad’s favorite dessert, opera cake. Who knows, if her dish turned out well and there was any left over, maybe Professor Holden would let her send some cake home to her dad. And her mum and brother could have some too, of course!
Needless to say, this girl was bringing her A game! She arrived already prepared in a pink apron that said “Bon appétit” in fancy cursive lettering. Her dark hair was twisted up in a neat bun under a matching pink chef’s hat. “Hello, Professors,” she greeted, nodding politely to Holden, Hernandez, and Devries each in turn. Her fellow students (Jude, Arden, and Jasper) got a princessy wave. “Hi, everybody!”
__________________
Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true...
Perseus was great at this food thing, and by that it meant eating it. He could eat all the foods. He wasn’t the picky type. Which is what made making a decision for this competition HARD. He loved all kinds of food; from funfetti cake, to sushi, to shrimp scampi. His all time favorite was SPAGHETTI, though.
How he loved spaghetti. The noodles drenched in tomato sauce. The meatballs in it. It made his mouth drool.
Making his appearance, no idea in mind, he grinned at the people there already. “Hi!” Polite nods to the professors. His older housemates (Jasper and Jude) got cool nods. You know, because they’re older and cool, so cool nods were a must. Desiree got a friendly wave, and so did Arden as he claimed the spot beside the blonde. “I’m so excited. I’ve no idea what to do.” GRIN.
Slytherindor ♛ The Crazytastic Besties ♛ Shan Watson ♛
SPOILER!!: the judges & contestants
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom
Normally not one to jump for signing up for any sort of social activity - this one involved food, so Javier was a bit more inclined to volunteer his time! It seemed as if he was the first one to arrive along with Simon, so he gave his colleague a little nod in greeted as he walked in.
"Ready for this? I hope you're prepared to put out possible fires - you can never be too cautious with these kids," he said with a small chuckle. He should know - his class REQUIRED fire and he'd had more than a few run ins with fires gone array.
Right. Each individual station looked good. The record player was playing some tunes. here were aprons and mitts and... badges to identify the judges. Good. Simon took a step back to admire his work, wondering momentarily if he was missing anything. Did they need more decorations? He sorely wished for a second opinion on the matter.
Fortunately there was Javier entering the Kitchens! Yes, one of our judges for the event. "Excellent timing, Javier. What do you think... it's not too much... is it?" he asked, motioning to the set up.
Disaster was always a risk with these students. Simon had wondered if his activity had been such a wise idea late late last night. However, in front of his colleague, he played it off nonchalantly. Simon wasn't visibly worried about fires. He chuckled at his colleague's fair warning. "But, Javier, that's why I have you here!" smirked Simon. "I know you've dealt with your share of fires.. History of Magic handles ... " Spazzy hand gestures as he tried to explain. "Metaphorical fires?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19
"If you are interested''?
Jude didn't need to be told twice to report to the kitchen on the assigned day and time. Cooking and baking was something he did EVERY school break with his mother. It was one of those mother-son moments he treasured. Thanks to Addison Anders, he made a decent cook. Maybe that's why he was more concerned about having a good time at this even rather than competing.
"Hi, hello, good day, professors," Jude greeted Holden who happened to be one of his favourite professors, and the professor he knew the most about in terms of history and the Slytherin Head of House who was pretty cool in his own way. "Can we get started now?'' he continued, his face bright and cheerful. Just kidding. Of course they had to wait on others to arrive.
Mr. Anders was the first student to join Javier and Simon in the Kitchens. "Hello Mr. Anders. Is it a good day?" he asked as he turned to greet the sixth year. He chuckled at Mr. Anders' enthusiastic question of getting started now. "I appreciate your enthusiasm. Do you have a dish in mind?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by kayquilz
Arden might be twelve, but she could cook for herself. And while she wasn't entirely sure this was the greatest dish of all time, or the exact details, she knew what she wanted to make.
Tofu wraps!!!!
They reminded her of home and her dad's heritage because of the Greek seasonings and stuff. And the chickpeas. AND THE FAKE FETA CHEESE. AND THE GREEK DRESSING.
AND IT WAS EASY TO MAKE. She had never cooked the tofu before, though, only assembled the wraps, but whateeeeveer. The details weren't important right? Pfffffffft
She had this.
And she had in her hand the recipe from her mam. She supposed she could have done a baking thing from her Gran, but naaaaah. She had to introduce Hogwarts to the world of GOOD VEGAN FOOD.
"Elllllo, everyone!" Arden said cheerfully. Not many had arrived yet, but that was okay!
This second year was very well prepared for such an occasion. She arrived with a slip in hand too which Simon assumed was a recipe. "Hello Miss Toros. Welcome. How are you?" he inquired.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadAlice
"Greetings, Simon," Tapio called out, ducking his head as he came through the doorway. "Great idea for an event!" Despite the excellence of the meals the Hogwarts House Elves prepared, Tapio had been missing his family's home cooked meals and was eager to sample what the students came up with. Perhaps some of them might use some of the fresh herbs they had grown or gathered in his class!
And here was Tapio! His other judge. Excellent. "Fair greetings to you as well, Tapio," nodded Simon as he turned to grab another judge's badge. The compliment from Tapio encouraged a smile from the History of Magic Professor. "Thanks. I thought about doing another impromptu debate series but thought this would be a little more fun. Plus we can connect it to heritage so almost linking it back to History." He passed the badge to Tapio.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArianaBlack
Where there is food, there is a Jasper Amir. It's the way of the universe. It was totally an ancient proverb for suuuure.
So here he was, to eat food fulfill the divine prophecy.
Though Jasper enjoyed eating more than he did cooking, he could whip up a meaaan meal. So he was quite looking forward to this. "Sup professor," he offered Prof H an easy smile as he walked into the kitchens. "Do you need any more judges?" Jas would gladly participate too, but if there was any chance to try what other people made...
Mr. Botros was next to join them. This student's surname always made Simon think of his former Ancient Runes Professor fondly. What a great man... Both he and his best mate, Ethan, had admired Professor Botros greatly. He had such wisdom and made Ancient Runes one of his favourite classes. It was tied with Astronomy.
The informal greeting got an amused smirk from Holden. "Sup Mr. Botros," he returned, finding the word 'Sup' very strange to say aloud. He smiled at the offer. "I think we should be set for judges but there will be a section for competitors to vote and comment on their peers' dishes."
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy
Desiree was so here for this! She’d been looking forward to this bake-off ever since she saw the notice in the Hufflepuff common room. She was a pretty good cook for her age, thanks to lessons from her family and from her dad’s friend who just happened to be a French pastry chef, but even if she didn’t win, it would be fun to share her dish with everyone. The hard part was deciding which dish to make! She knew she wanted to do something to represent the French side of her family, but there were so many delicious French foods, how was she supposed to pick just one?!
In the end, she decided to go with her dad’s favorite dessert, opera cake. Who knows, if her dish turned out well and there was any left over, maybe Professor Holden would let her send some cake home to her dad. And her mum and brother could have some too, of course!
Needless to say, this girl was bringing her A game! She arrived already prepared in a pink apron that said “Bon appétit” in fancy cursive lettering. Her dark hair was twisted up in a neat bun under a matching pink chef’s hat. “Hello, Professors,” she greeted, nodding politely to Holden, Hernandez, and Devries each in turn. Her fellow students (Jude, Arden, and Jasper) got a princessy wave. “Hi, everybody!”
This baker looked extremely prepared! Simon noted her pink apron with the fancy cursive lettering on it paired with a pink chef's hat. In fact, she looked even more prepared than HE! Perhaps she'd be teaching them all how to cook? "Miss Marchand. Welcome! I see you're well-equipped for this challenge."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deezerz
Perseus was great at this food thing, and by that it meant eating it. He could eat all the foods. He wasn’t the picky type. Which is what made making a decision for this competition HARD. He loved all kinds of food; from funfetti cake, to sushi, to shrimp scampi. His all time favorite was SPAGHETTI, though.
How he loved spaghetti. The noodles drenched in tomato sauce. The meatballs in it. It made his mouth drool.
Making his appearance, no idea in mind, he grinned at the people there already. “Hi!” Polite nods to the professors. His older housemates (Jasper and Jude) got cool nods. You know, because they’re older and cool, so cool nods were a must. Desiree got a friendly wave, and so did Arden as he claimed the spot beside the blonde. “I’m so excited. I’ve no idea what to do.” GRIN.
Following Miss Marchand was Mr. Baltazar several moments later. "Hello Mr. Baltazar," he greeted in return, watching the boy join his peers. His excitement brought a smile to Simon's lips.
"Please continue mingling amongst yourselves, students. I must speak with my fellow judges up front," he spoke as he waved over both Javier and Tapio over. "Right. I have rubric's for rating the individual dishes that the contestants prepare on these clipboards. Um... I probably should have asked you this earlier but do either of you have allergies?" he asked. Once he got a reply from his peers, he turned back to face the contestants.
He watched the students mingle for a moment longer before calling the group together. "CONTESTANTS!" he exclaimed LOUDLY using a non-verbal Sonorus. "WELCOME ONE AND ALL to the inaugural Great Hogwarts Chef Off!" He paused for applause before continuing. "I'm your host and one of the judges behind today's cooking competition. Joining me as some of our judges are Professor Hernandez and Professor DeVries." He applauded them.
"And our wonderful competitors in front of us. In a moment, I will ask you to introduce yourselves or your super secret Chef alternate names!" He gave them an option to be more creative than his normal lessons. "But first... let me explain the rules! Your task today is to a create not one but TWO dishes that remind YOUR history, YOUR home, and YOUR heritage. How do you express that through a dish, hmm? That is for you to tell us! At each station, you will find the appropriate cooking utensils for cooking and/or baking. You'll also find an apron plus a chef's hat." He motioned to the individual stations, highlighting the equipment there.
Walking a little back to the main group, he continued his explanation. "There is no limit on what ingredients you can use. As for the judging criteria, you will be judged in four categories: Appearance and/or Presentation, Flavor, Texture, and Relevance to the Theme."
"While the judges will be casting their votes, we are going to allow for peer voting too. This will happen after everyone's dishes are done." He took a pause to glance over the pool of contestants. "Before we head to our stations, does anyone have any questions?"
"If not, we'll go to the introductions..."
OOC: Hello! Hello! Sorry for the delay - I had a family emergency that kept me away. Good news is that things seem stable so thank you for your patience! We're going to get this show on the road.
So if there are no questions, feel free to introduce your charrie or their cooking competition persona! We'll move on in approximately 24 hours with the commencement of the competition.
If you haven't joined yet- PLEASE JOIN US! You can drop in any time to be apart of it!
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
“It’s a GREAT day, professor.” Jude bobbed his head to emphasise this fact. Recently he had been doing so much better but right now his attention was focused on this activity. “You’ll just have to wait and see.” He smiled mysteriously at Holden. It wasn’t long before others started to show up, both students and other professors. “Hey, Arden!’’ She was awfully bubbly, wasn’t she? But leave it to Desiree to turn up looking rather princess-like even to a chef off! Jude was here for this! “Hi, Desiree! You’re looking great!” Spotting Perseus, he shot the younger Hufflepuff a grin.
Then they were off to a start. The Hufflepuff applauded happily where necessary. He was just too excited and wanted them to get down to the part where they started to cook or bake. The rules weren’t too difficult and he saw no reason why he couldn’t follow them easily. Chef persona? Jude had none to be honest. He was just more than happy to be himself.
“Ryder Jude Anders here!’’ the Hufflepuff said, raising his usual quiet tone so that it could be carried to everyone gathered. “But I prefer Jude,’’ he added, bouncing on his feet. Hardly anyone knew his first name was Ryder. There were no questions from him; all the fifth year wanted to do was to get to cooking!
"Please continue mingling amongst yourselves, students. I must speak with my fellow judges up front," he spoke as he waved over both Javier and Tapio over. "Right. I have rubric's for rating the individual dishes that the contestants prepare on these clipboards. Um... I probably should have asked you this earlier but do either of you have allergies?" he asked. Once he got a reply from his peers, he turned back to face the contestants.
Tapio shook his head in the negative in reply to the question on food allergies. No, he could and would eat anything and everything, and in fact trying out new foods, and particularly new herbs and spices, was one of his great pleasures in life. He affixed his judge's badge to the front of his robes and turned his attention to the proceedings.
History and tradition expressed through food! What an excellent theme! Tapio had in fact made rather an avocational study of the history of food--in fact, he used to belong to a club on that subject at a local university back in The Netherlands, so he was quite looking forward to seeing what the students came up with.
Karleigh was a little unsure about coming to the cook off, mostly because she wasn't an exceptional chef and did not have many culinary skills. But it sounded like fun and she thought she'd at least see what it was about, leaving the decision to actually participate for later. Maybe she could just watch or sample some of the dishes that other people made. Or judge. She heard that one younger Gryffindor ask about judging, so maybe there was room for that. She could be impartial. Buuut... maybe that was just for teachers.
And before she could say or do anything else, the loud voice of Professor Holden was booming out throughout the room. O...kay. It looked like she was a part of this now and she stepped up behind the station next to Jude. The sixteen year old wasn't entirely sure what she would make - and now it was two things she had to make something about her history, her home, or her heritage... er, what was she even going to do?
She had one thing in mind, maybe, but as for a second dish... she really didn't know. Maybe it would come to her in the process of making her first item. But first, introductions. Karleigh looked at Jude as he started, applauding for him. Oh, she actually hadn't known his first name was Ryder. But then it was her turn. "I'm Karleigh Creed. Hi, everyone!" She waved at the crowd gathered there. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to say anything else, like what she was making (which she still wasn't 100% sure about anyway!), so that was it. Next.
__________________
started like a knight in a fairytale_______________________________________________
ended like a moth in flames______________________ ______________________don't you worry I'll be fine _________________________________________________you were good for the plot line
Slytherindor ♛ The Crazytastic Besties ♛ Shan Watson ♛
He chuckled, relieved to see Jude was in not good but great spirits. It was much better than the last time he saw him outside of the classroom. He watched all the students interact and then waited for them to n introduce themselves.
Ryder was his first name? He didn’t know that. Eyebrows slightly arched, he applauded the introduction. Next was Karleigh who went. She received a warm smile and applaud from Holden. He was looking forward to see what she’d make.
Then Simon waited for all of the students to introduce themselves before clapping his hands. “Great introductions. Well then… Chefs to your stations….”
Once they were all settled, he announced the commencement of the competition. He should have had flags or something musical - that would have been more appropriate surely. “Let the competition commence!
OOC.The competition has commenced! I’ll give you until July 29th to work on your dishes! The judges will be walking around here and there!
curly haired prefect - "sometimes I get angry!" - 30/90 - *chicken emoji* - probably @ Disney - I speak dog
Wait, he was just here to be a fire extinguisher?? But what about the FOOD? Javier was about to open his mouth and jest back with Simon when his colleague pulled him aside. "Erm, no, no allergies - still I hope my stomach will be strong enough to wither whatever it is these teens throw at us," he said with a small chuckle.
Javier was obviously joking. Obviously.
Simon had obviously thought this through. He had a whole rubric and everything! Javier was actually looking forward to this. Provided no one burnt their eyebrows off and no one got food poisoning, they were sure to have a fun day ahead of them!
__________________
I'm still standin'________________________________________ better than I ever did
Lookin' like a true survivor_________________________________feelin' like a little kid
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
The hufflepuff caught the surprised look written on Holden’s face and he couldn’t help but grin. It was nice to spring something unexpected at others sometimes, even if it was a professor he looked up to. He would never forget the bonding moment he and the man had back at the Greenhouses. Jude applauded everyone as they introduced themselves. He did so the loudest for Karleigh perhaps, and that was because, you know… she was her, and he really liked the Gryffindor.
Then the time had arrived: he shot off to one of the stations, immediately pulling on the apron followed by the hat. Did he feel like a professional chef? Of course! RIGHT! He was all set to get started, having decided that he’d be making Shepherd’s Pie {which happened to be his favourite dish EVER and the very first dish he and his mother had made together} followed by a simple Welsh dessert. Because he was part Welsh.
As he usually did with Addison Anders, Jude prepped the ingredients by measuring them out and sitting them at the station. This would make things easy for him when the time came to add each. The good thing about being in School while taking part in this Chef Off? Magic could be used. It was as though his mother was right there with him because when he copied the spell she would use to peel the potatoes, there wasn’t a single hiccup. The knife flashed and got to peeling and cutting the potatoes into quarters. Another worked on peeling, slicing and dicing onions. Yet another diced carrots. While that was being done, water was heated and salted. After, the potatoes were placed into the water and left to boil for twenty minutes.
Next? The oven. Humming to himself, it was lit so that it could be preheated to 400°F. That meant it was time to work on the vegetables. Yes, he was following this exactly as he did so many times back home {minus him using magic}. Jude lifted a pan onto the stove, lit the burner and placed about four tablespoons of butter in to be melted. He pushed the butter around with a wooden spoon to ensure the entire bottom of the pan was coated and when all the bitter was melted, added the diced onions and carrots. They both took about the same time to cook so they always went in together whenever he made this dish.
Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
Desiree positively beamed at Professor Holden’s greeting. Yes, of course she came prepared! She would’ve been silly not to! If that wasn’t enough to make her beam, Jude’s compliment certainly did. “Thank you,” she replied, all smiles and giggles. She had just enough time to return Perseus’s wave with a very princessy one of her own before Professor Holden explained the contest rules. She listened carefully, making a mental note of everything he said. So far everything seemed pretty clear, except…
She wondered if they were allowed to use magic to assist in their cooking. She had no intention of using spells to do all the work for her- not even if she knew enough spells to do that - but she thought it would be pretty cool to use Colorvaria to decorate her dish as a nod to her dad’s background as a charms professor. The thought crossed her mind to ask, but she thought better of it, worried that she’d look stupid or get into trouble if she did. It was no big deal. She could always use food coloring instead.
Desiree introduced herself when her turn came, giving a princessy curtsey. She applauded politely for the other contestants, especially Jude. Oooh, his first name was Ryder? She didn’t know that! What a cool name! She wondered if he was named after Flynn Rider. Come to think of it, he kind of looked like Flynn Rider. Anyway…
She made her way to her station and quickly set to work the minute the competition officially started. First things first, she preheated the oven to 400 F, then greased and lined a couple of 9x13 baking pans for the sponge cake. Setting the pans aside for now, she started on the sponge cake batter. She sifted almond flour and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl, then added one, two, three, four, five eggs. She softly giggled to herself. Boy, opera cake needed a lot of eggs! She mixed the ingredients until the consistency was sufficiently fluffy, then added all-purpose flour.
When she was done with that, she set that bowl aside and separated five egg whites into another bowl. After adding a pinch of salt, she whipped that mixture until it turned foamy. Then she gradually added sugar, still mixing all the while until stiff peaks formed. Now it was time to combine the egg white and almond flour mixtures! She carefully folded the egg whites into the other bowl and added melted butter. Once the mixture was ready, she divided it as evenly as possible among the two baking pans. She finished just as the oven preheated and placed the pans inside, setting a timer for 8 minutes. While the cake was cooking, she’d get started on the coffee syrup.
__________________
Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true...
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
Wasn't Desiree the little cutie? It hadn't gone unnoticed by him that she had applauded really loudly for him. Jude truly appreciated that. He wouldn't have been surprised that she was wondering if he was named after someone from Disney. The answer was no and that there was no extraordinary story that went along with his name: his father had simply liked the name Ryder and his mother had liked Jude.
* * * * * * *
The Hufflepuff took a moment to just stop and inhale the aromas in the kitchen. Gosh! He was getting hungry already and couldn't wait to sample his classmates' dishes {provided that said dishes were edible}! But back to his own dish!
After the carrots and onions were well cooked, peas and corn were added to the mix but cooked for a shorter period since they required less time in the heat. Next, was the meat - ground beef in this case - joined the sauteed veggies. The mixture was turned at times to keep it from burning and this was done until the beef was no longer pink. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme and a few other seasonings were added. That done, it meant that the half cup beef broth was poured in. Jude covered the pan, leaving it to simmer on a low heat. Twice he added a bit more broth to keep the mixture from drying up but after ten minutes, the mixture was ready! Just a small taste test... using a spoon, he tasted a bit. It was decided a bit more salt should be thrown in; this was done and only then was Jude satisfied.
While the meat had been cooking, the potatoes had completely boiled. Jude had already drained and mashed them {by hand because that was something he enjoyed doing manually}. The remaining four tablespoons of butter had been melted into the potatoey mixture along with more seasonings.
Now came the layering process!
Another fun aspect of making this dish if you asked him.
Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
With the sponge cake in the oven, Desiree turned her attention to the coffee syrup. She placed a small saucepan atop the front stove burner and added ⅔ cup water, ½ cup sugar, and 3 tsp instant coffee, then turned the burner to medium. Soon a delicious smell wafted through the air, a smell that her coffee-obsessed father would’ve loved, and Desiree smiled to herself. The mixture had just begun to boil when the timer for the cake dinged. After removing the two cake pans from the oven, Desiree set both cakes and the saucepan full of syrup aside to cool. Next came one of the hardest parts, the chocolate croustillant layer!
Locating a double boiler (or bain-marie, to use the fancy French term), Desiree filled the bottom pot with water and the top pot with 2.5 oz dark chocolate, then placed it on a burner to simmer. As the chocolate melted, she added 2.5 oz of Pailleté feuilletine, small crispy wafer-like flakes, and stirred until she had an evenly combined mixture. When that was done, she checked the sponge cakes and found them sufficiently cooled. With a sharp knife, she cut each cake into three 8-inch squares. She placed two of the six mini cakes on a plate and spread an even layer of the chocolate croustillant. After covering the plate with a loose layer of clear plastic wrap, she put the chocolate-covered cakes in the fridge.
While the cake was setting, she could work on the chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream, in that order. She added 5.5 oz of the dark chocolate to a bowl and set it aside for now. Then she added ⅔ whipping cream to a saucepan and heated it on the stove until it began to boil. She slowly and carefully poured the hot cream over the chocolate in the bowl and let it sit for a minute before stirring. When the chocolate had completely melted into the cream, she set that bowl aside and picked up a bigger, heatproof one.
In that bowl, she added the yolks from the five eggs she’d separated earlier and beat them until they turned a pretty light yellow color. That color reminded her of the marshmallow chickens in her Easter basket every year! She giggled softly. Come to think of it, opera cake would make a great Easter dessert. It had more eggs than and Easter egg hunt! Never mind, back to work!
She added sugar, water, and instant coffee to a saucepan and stuck a candy thermometer in the mixture, heating it on medium. Her bright blue eyes never left the thermometer as the temperature slowly inched upward. When the thermometer read 240 F, she turned the heat off and gradually poured the coffee mixture over the creamy eggs, stirring until the mixture had cooled. Then she switched to a hand mixer to incorporate the butter, Switching the mixer on the lowest setting, she gradually added the butter until it was all blended in. Then she turned the mixer on high, beating the buttercream until it was nice and fluffy. Sheesh, that mixer was loud!
Shutting the mixer off, Desiree set the buttercream aside. With the chocolate-covered cakes still cooling in the fridge for a while, now she had time to focus on her second dish. She was sticking with the French theme, but she wanted to do something savory for this one. It would need to be quick and simple to make too, as the opera cake was so time-consuming in its own right. Oh, she knew! She’d made a croque monsieur!
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Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true...
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
After finding a suitable baking dish, Jude added parchment paper to prevent the contents from sticking. Taking the meat mixture, some of it was played directly on the parchment paper. Using the same wooden spoon, it was spread evenly. This step was repeated with the mashed potatoes. Then the meat mixture and the potatoes again, until both were used up. Into the preheated oven the dish went where the contents of it would bake for thirty minutes.
The Hufflepuff magically cleared away the utensils he had used for the Shepherd’s Pie, Scourgified his workstation then set about prepping the ingredients for his dessert: Pwdin Eva - which translated to Eve’s Pudding. It was a simple Welsh apple dessert .
While apples were peeled, cored and chopped, the boy preheated another oven - this time it would need to be done at 350°F. A bowl was set before him so that the chopped apples, six tablespoons of brown sugar, lemon zest and juice as well as the half tablespoon of cinnamon could be added together. They were mixed together with him taking the time to make sure the apples were coated as evenly as possible.
Another baking dish was layered with parchment paper before the mixture was added. In another bowl, seven tablespoons of butter and half cup granulated sugar were beaten magically. This was done until the two ingredients were fluffy. The first egg was cracked open, added to the mixture then beaten in. This step was repeated for the second egg after which the half teaspoon was beaten in as well. Using a neon green plastic sifter, Jude sifted about three- quarters of a cup of flour over the butter and egg mixture before folding the flour into that mixture.
With that done, it could be poured over the apple mixture. Man! This smelled SO good! Jude adored the smell of the cinnamon wafting up at him. He took another deep breath before sliding the dish into the oven. He had forty minutes before retrieving that.
For the final bit for the Shepherd’s Pie, a small chunk of cheese was grated and by this time, thirty minutes had been completed which meant that the Pie was done. Pulling on mitts, he opened the first oven to reveal a bubbling dish. Yummy! He pulled the dish towards him, grabbed the grated cheese and sprinkled it all over the top. The dish was pushed back into the oven where it would bake for another five minutes so that the cheese could melt and have a light yellow colour.
The five minutes seemed to pass rather quickly and soon the oven was turned off and the dish was out cooling. Just look at it… so PERFECT, so golden, so delicious smelling. There was still a few more minutes for the Pwdin Eva to finish so the boy used the time to clear out his workstation and clean up any mess. Everything was returned to their places but the mitts.
When the Pwdin Eva was removed from the oven, that heavenly aroma hit him even more. Jude placed the dish beside the Shepherd’s Pie and stood back to admire his work. The Pwdin Eva was golden brown and perhaps if it didn’t need to be cooled before adding whipped cream, he would have devoured it right there and then.
At least if his careers as a professional dancer and choreographer didn’t pan out, he could always be a chef!
Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
With the opera cake well underway, Desiree took advantage of the break to start on her croque monsieur. First things first, she preheated the oven to 425 F. While the oven was heating up, she’d make the bechamel sauce. Turning the front burner on medium, she heated half a stick of butter in a saucepan until it was all melted and foamy. Then she added flour, stirring continuously as it cooked for about three minutes. Next came the milk. She gradually poured that in, still stirring all the while. She kept a close watch on the sauce as it cooked, monitoring the consistency. When the sauce had thickened, she turned off the heat and added dijon mustard and a little bit of nutmeg and salt. A quick stir later, and the bechamel sauce was good to go!
Setting the pan aside for now, Desiree picked up a baking sheet and lined it with parchment paper. She placed several slices of French bread on the lined sheet, enough to make one sandwich for each judge and a few extras for her fellow contestants. She spread an even layer of bechamel sauce over each slice and topped them with Paris ham and gruyère cheese. Another slice of French bread went on top, with another layer of bechamel sauce spread atop that. She added a sprinkling of gruyère cheese and herbes de Provence (a spice blend including thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, marjoram, savory, oregano, and bay leaf). Then the croque monsieurs were ready to go in the oven, and not a moment too soon! As soon as she finished topping the last one, she heard the familiar click telling her that the oven was ready.
After placing the croque monsieurs in the oven and setting a timer for 12 minutes, Desiree was ready to start assembling her opera cakes. She removed the two chocolate croustillant-covered layers from the fridge and flipped them onto a baking rack so the chocolate sides faced down. Using a pastry brush, she topped each cake layer with a generous coat of coffee syrup. Then she spread a layer of coffee buttercream on top of that. She soaked two of the remaining cake layers she’d made earlier in the coffee syrup and stacked those on top of the chocolate-covered layers, then came a layer of ganache and the final sponge cake layers. She brushed another coating of coffee syrup on the top layers and spread more coffee buttercream on top of that to finish the cakes. When she was done, she had two square cakes, each consisting of three layers.
Usually the cakes would need to chill in the fridge for several hours, but Desiree didn’t have that kind of time! She’d have to use a cooling charm, or she’d never finish. Merlin, I hope I don't get disqualified for this! She thought to herself as she raised her wandl. More importantly, she hoped the spell would work right! She’d probably cry if she got this far, only to have a magical mishap destroy all her hard work! Okay, Des, confidence and concentration, just like Dad says, she thought, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. A look of intense concentration crossed her face as she cast the spell, and… She gingerly touched one of the cakes and found it cold as if it had been sitting in the fridge overnight. Yes! She did it!
By the time Desiree got the cakes assembled and cooled, the oven timer dinged, which meant the croque monsieurs were ready. She carefully removed the baking sheet full of sandwiches and set it aside to cool while she worked on the final component of the opera cakes, the chocolate glaze. After cleaning the double boiler she’d used earlier, she refilled the bottom pot with water and added 7 oz of dark chocolate to the top pot and put it on the stove. When the chocolate had melted, she added a couple tablespoons of canola oil and stirred the mixture. When it was ready, she poured the glaze over the two cakes, smoothing the coating with a spatula until she had a nice even layer.
Another cooling charm set the glaze, and then it was time for Desiree’s favorite part, the decorating! She poured the last of the chocolate glaze into a rose-shaped chocolate mold and set it aside to cool. Chocolate roses weren’t the traditional decoration for opera cakes, but Desiree wanted to put a bit of her own spin on the dish. She chose the rose shape to represent her mother, whose nickname was Rose, and her favorite Disney movie, which involved an enchanted rose. When the molds had set, she had two perfect dark chocolate roses, but she wasn’t done yet. She wanted them to look like the rose in the movie, so she used edible luster dust to paint the rose parts red and the stems green. When she was satisfied with the color, she carefully placed one chocolate rose atop each opera cake, positioning it perfectly straight. Now the cakes were done!
All that was left to do was slice and serve! Using a sharp knife, Desiree cut the edges off the cakes so that they were perfectly square and sliced each cake into portions. She retrieved a plate for each judge and placed a slice of cake on each one, saving a piece with a red rose for Professor Holden. Then she grabbed a spatula to transfer the croque monsieurs to the plates. When she was finished, there was one sandwich and one slice of opera cake on each plate. Desiree stepped back to admire her work with a satisfied smile. Not bad at all!
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Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true...
The first recipe that Karleigh was planning on making, and the one that she immediately got started on when it was time, were good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies. It might seem like something simple, but it was something that she baked with her mother at home on occasion and so reminded her of home and they were the best chocolate chip cookies she'd ever had. Plus it was something she was pretty confident she could make from memory. She still wasn't sure what she was going to make for her second dish, but she thought it could come to her while she worked on this one.
Trying to tune out the other participants so she didn't get distracted or psyched out, Karleigh got to work. It appeared all the ingredients were there, as well as the equipment, so she measured out the flour, baking soda, sugars, butter, eggs, vanilla, and chocolate chips. She cast a mixing charm to get the spoon working it all together while she looked for some baking sheets. Once the batter was mixed, she cast a cooling charm over the dough. Her mother always said that was the secret to making sure the cookie dough didn't spread when it was baked and made sure the cookies kept a firmer shape.
She found a spoon and began to scoop out the chilled dough into small balls that she placed into neat rows on the baking sheets. She slid the sheets into the oven and set the baking charm. She couldn't remember exactly how long it needed to be baked, but she knew it wasn't long, especially with magic! She peered through the window as she thought about her second dish, watching the cookies slowly get more and more golden brown.
Once they were the perfect shade of golden brown, Karleigh pulled them from the magical oven and set them on top. They smelled delicious and she was sure they would taste that way too! No need to cool them off other than just having them sit for a few moments because who didn't love warm, freshly baked cookies?
Now, for her second dish. Karleigh felt like she was running out of time and probably couldn't make the roast dinner that her mum always made every Sunday during the holidays. Maybe she could make some Yorkshire pudding though.
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started like a knight in a fairytale_______________________________________________
ended like a moth in flames______________________ ______________________don't you worry I'll be fine _________________________________________________you were good for the plot line
Slytherindor ♛ The Crazytastic Besties ♛ Shan Watson ♛
Simon walked around the stations, smelling all the amazing dishes being made. Wow! It all smelled DELICIOUS. It was as something that surprised him greatly. He would have expected things a little more homey but the students had pulled out al the stops They we’re going for gold. “And time! Students, please present your dishes to your judges.”
curly haired prefect - "sometimes I get angry!" - 30/90 - *chicken emoji* - probably @ Disney - I speak dog
Javier had to hand it to these kids - they were getting WAY fancier with these dishes than he had anticipated. Was that a croque monsieur that Desiree had whipped up?! How had she known that was one of his FAVORITE meals of all time?? Javier had come into this expecting something simple - maybe some pasta dishes, some baked goods maybe, but Merlin, these kids had turned it out. Good for them!
And good for HIM of course because now he got to taste test them!
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I'm still standin'________________________________________ better than I ever did
Lookin' like a true survivor_________________________________feelin' like a little kid
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
Jude definitely recognised some of the dishes made by his fellow competitors. And the kitchen smelt so heavenly! He was a fan of baked goods especially and always spent a great deal of his money at the bakery near his home, the one Christopher’s family owned. While waiting for the presentation, he took two pieces of parchment {he had brought along a few} and neatly wrote the names of the dishes he had made in cursive. Then he tapped each with his wand and muttered an incantation so that they turned into cute little cards which he set before the respective dishes. Oh yes, he got some plates and cutlery and a can of whipped cream for the dessert.
Then it was presentation time! Jude glanced around to see if anyone wanted to go before him before speaking up, bouncing on his feet as he did so. “I chose Shepherd’s Pie because this is the first dish I ever learned to make. My mother taught me how to the summer after my first year here at Hogwarts since it is my favourite food. It was then that I discovered my love for baking, and ever since then, she and I have this tradition of cooking and baking whenever I’m home for the holidays. Made from ground beef, potatoes and a few choice vegetables, this represents the ‘home’ aspect.” Now that he was done, and the judges were sure to have gotten a treat simply by looking at the complete dish, Jude indicated to his dessert. Not before he waved his wand again but this time to set a knife neatly slicing and plating pieces of the pie on plates for everyone. “This here is Pwdin Eva or Eve’s Pudding is an apple dessert. I chose to make this because like my ancestors, I'm Welsh and Wales is where my family and I still reside.” Surely sometimes those around him would hear him revert to speaking Welsh at times? “It’s simply chopped apples mixed with spices such as cinnamon covered in a sweet flour mixture. This dessert represents the 'heritage' aspect. Jude waved his wand again so that this time another knife sliced and plated the dessert. He added a generous helping of whipped cream on each before handing the plates out with forks. The Hufflepuff didn’t want to be too lengthy with his presentation since there were others yet to present so he quickly wrapped it up. “Both dishes remind me of my home and they always make me think of my family." And if anyone knew him, they would know that family was everything to him; the Anders’ were a close knit family. This inspired him to have a huge family of his own someday.
Tapio was more than impressed by the complexity of the dishes being prepared by all the participants. It was by far more advanced than anything he could remember preparing years ago when he was this age. And the creativity! He could not wait to sample it all!
The Great Hogwarts Chef Off! 
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