Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 68 Do you really want to be a chef? And how many chefs would actually study kaolin?
"Judges' Room"

After judging Xia Ming's dishes, all seven judges simultaneously took a small bottle of water from the production team and began rinsing their mouths.

But as he rinsed his mouth, Xie Tingfeng sensed that something was amiss.

He felt inexplicably thirsty, so he took a small sip of water to try and relieve the feeling.

But this small sip of water couldn't suppress the desire that arose in his heart; for a moment, he had an impulse to drink the water all at once.

After much hesitation, he finally gave up.

Although he is not as professional as the other judges in terms of cooking, he still has basic qualities.

The quarterfinals are currently in chaos, and we've only had three dishes so far. With less than 20 minutes left, it looks like the remaining dishes will be served in quick succession.

In this situation, he needs to save room for the dishes to come, otherwise he might make a misjudgment.

Just as he reluctantly put down the water bottle, he suddenly burped for no apparent reason, and the spiciness in his stomach almost churned up again. He had no choice but to drink another sip of water, which finally managed to suppress the urge.
The other judges were in the same situation as Xie Tingfeng. Li Shanghu even drank half a bottle of water and then turned his head to give Sui Wubai a meaningful look.

Sui Wubai also sensed something, but he didn't say anything, only showing a rather helpless expression.

Just as the two were exchanging glances, Luo Luo's humming voice brought the food to the table.

The three star judges' eyes lit up when they saw the beautifully presented pastries in front of them.

Compared to the bold crispy chicken, the simple sesame paste, and the ordinary noodles, this "Sweet Dilemma" is exceptionally exquisite.

This pastry looks similar to the common "peach blossom pastry" in shape, but it is a size larger and the color is not as pink as a peach blossom; it looks somewhat white.

The petals and stamens are exquisitely crafted, and the plating is decorated with petals, making it look like a work of art at first glance.

"Waiting Room"

Lolo hummed and smiled as he looked at the expressions of the three judges.

This is her most sincere smile since the show started airing.
Actually, she was quite surprised when she was brought out of her family to participate in this variety show.

From the time she could remember, she had never traveled such a long distance. She spent most of her time in the kitchen behind the family home, constantly flipping through ancient books, tasting the flavors of food, and endlessly mixing spices.
At first, she thought this kind of life was pretty good because she genuinely enjoyed making spice blends.

Before she joined the culinary library, her father would often bring her mixed spices to test her. At first, she couldn't answer them, but as she gradually became more familiar with them, she discovered that she was more sensitive to the taste of spices than others.

So, in her eyes, this little challenge became an interactive game.

When she was nine years old, she could accurately smell the combination of more than 11 kinds of spices and could do "basic reverse deduction". At that time, her father took her to her grandfather.

I still remember that day when Grandpa, leaning on his cane, spoke to her with a serious expression.

"Jinran, do you really want to be a chef?"

"You need to understand that this is far more difficult than you think. It's not just about cracking a few spices; it means you'll have to learn countless culinary skills, face countless opponents, and ultimately, only then can you stand out from the crowd."

“If you don’t want to take this path, no one will force you. You can choose to learn how to do business, or you can go into painting or making movies. Being born into the Luo family, you have a choice.”

"So, I'll ask you one more time seriously, do you really want to be a chef?"

Back then, Luo Luo was whining and groaning—no, it should be said that Luo Jinran had never seen her grandfather look so serious.

As a young girl, she didn't really have a concept of what a real chef would eventually achieve, but her father had said that he would be happy if she were willing to pursue a career in the culinary arts.

"Look at your cousin, how smart she is! At such a young age, she's already a capable chef!" "Jinran, you have talent comparable to your cousin's, and you will become an excellent chef in the future!"

It was for this reason that Luo Jinran finally picked up the spice bundle placed in the middle in front of her grandfather.

This also means that she has chosen her own path for the future.

After choosing a chef, her life initially became sweeter, as her father, who was always busy with business and rarely came home, was now a source of comfort.

He started to come back to see her no matter how busy he was, bringing her various gifts from time to time, and also began to care about her growth.

Her mother was very proud of her, and she could always sit in a very prominent position at the family's annual banquet.

Yes, for a family that started out as a chef and later transitioned to business, according to ancestral teachings, no matter how many business geniuses they produce, they will never have the same status as a chef in the family.

And not all children have the talent of Luo Jinran. Her two cousins ​​are only so-so in cooking. One of them is good-looking and went to art school, while the other went to study computer science.

Similarly, having chosen the path of freedom, they received far less support from their families afterward. Even the cousin who studied computer science had to plead with his family for a long time before they finally got their wish to work for a major domestic company.

According to Grandpa, you chose your own path. Born into the Luo family, you have no worries about food and clothing. You are already more fortunate than many people. If you want to go your own way, the family will not stop you.

But if you want to truly stand out from the crowd, in the end you can only rely on yourselves!

In contrast, Luo Jinran's status was not even slightly higher.
"This feeling of being enveloped in sweetness is something some people will never experience in their entire lives."

Luo Jinran stared coldly at the large screen in front of her.

"But how many people know what I've truly endured beneath this sweet facade?"

"Eat up, eat this 'sweet dilemma,' and you'll understand how I feel."

"Judges' Room"

Looking at the pastries in front of him, Nicholas Tse felt inexplicably annoyed.

It seems that he has a physiological resistance to this.
Actually, there's no need to resist it. Although the dish is called "Sweet Dilemma," there must be a contrast beneath the sweetness. But from the perspective of a professional judge, tasting food is his job.

But for some reason, he always felt a little thirsty, yet also a little full.
He blinked, but in the end he reached out and took the dish, then took a bite.

The moment the flaky pastry entered his mouth, Xie Tingfeng frowned!
"Inside the waiting room"

A regretful black horse sat in the corner, seemingly quite devastated.

Chef Li sat at the table drinking his favorite beer, as if he were an outsider.

Xia Ming, facing the big screen, looked at the judges' performance on camera like a director, a satisfied expression on his face.

"The conditions in the city are too good. The seven judges either came from well-off families when they were young or started working as chefs at a very young age."

"As the saying goes, even a three-year drought won't starve the cooks; they certainly don't have the time to study kaolin."

"This stuff is fine when it's dry. But once it gets wet, it's as tough as a compressed biscuit!"

"Moreover, they had already eaten two dishes beforehand, and in the end..."

"I drank a big bowl of salty, firm soup."

(End of this chapter)