Read Online Liz Marvin - Betty Crawford 03 - Too Long at the Fair by Liz Marvin - Free Book Online
Authors: Liz Marvin
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wasn’t written until eighteen sixty five.”
“Your point?” Walter was still puzzled. Clarise just shook her head. Again.
~
The sun was setting by the time Achmed and Betty finished setting up the cooking competition tent. Her stomach was grumbling and she had a pounding headache. She had eaten too much but lost most of it and now she was famished but she also knew that her blood sugar was most likely through the roof. She dare not eat anything unhealthy today but every so often the mouthwatering aromas of the barbecue tent next door would waft in.
“Are you all right?” Achmed sat down beside her.
“Oh I’m fine. Just a head-ache.”
“Getting off your usual schedule can do that and you’ve had a pretty tough day.”
“What about you? How do you manage to stay so cool and composed?”
Achmed looked down. “I don’t. I learned a long time ago to hide my true feelings and I hide them very well. Mostly.”
Betty massaged her forehead. “I don’t hide mine at all. Mostly. What did you say to Thelma? Whatever it was she deserved it and more but I’d give anything to learn the trick for shutting her up.”
“You’ll have to find your own way I’m afraid. How about everything else?”
She summoned her phoniest smile and answered “I’m constantly hungry, my muscles are always sore and I feel guilty whenever I eat something I shouldn’t and tomorrow I will spend all day tasting foods I shouldn’t eat.”
Achmed put his arm around her. “I have been judging cooking competitions all over the world and they are all the same. Tell you what; I will teach you how to be a good – no, a great food judge, make friends and influence good eating habits and not get fat!”
“That sounds like a terrible book title.”
“More like a late night television infomercial. But it isn’t that hard. First, and you will find this easy but counterintuitive, come to the contest with a full stomach. That way you won’t be tasting while you are hungry. Everything will taste the way it tastes and you will be judging the food for what it is and not trying to satisfy yourself.
Second and this is just as important, before the tasting we will meet the cooks. Remember above all else to smile at the contestants and look them in the eye. When we tour the tables you must ask who they are and where they are from. Ask what they cooked and more important ask how and why they chose the recipe. If the other judges ask these questions then listen to the answers and observe something that connects you to them. Then find something nice to say. Maybe tell them how you connect to their dish or compliment the look or smell of the food. Or both. If you’re alone take notes but tomorrow we’ll have reporters following us around and I’ve arranged to get copies of their notes so we all can review them and discuss the foods before the tasting.”
Betty leaned back, smiling “So all I really have to do is pay attention, smile and not fall over.”
“That is only the first part.” Achmed laughed, “We’ll have table tastings for each category and those will be silent. Each dish will be ranked from one to ten in five categories: use of ingredients, fealty to its category, originality, presentation and taste but here’s the reality of scoring foods; you only score between eight point five and nine point nine because everybody will get their score so nobody loses by more than one or two tenths of a point.”
“Happy contestants who will try again next year.”
Achmed nodded. “We’ll be watched, videotaped and photographed so there’s no cheating and most of the time we’ll know who is going to win before the tasting starts - however if either of us is pleasantly surprised by the taste of a dish put your pencil down in front of your card and I’ll do the same if I agree and vice
“Your point?” Walter was still puzzled. Clarise just shook her head. Again.
~
The sun was setting by the time Achmed and Betty finished setting up the cooking competition tent. Her stomach was grumbling and she had a pounding headache. She had eaten too much but lost most of it and now she was famished but she also knew that her blood sugar was most likely through the roof. She dare not eat anything unhealthy today but every so often the mouthwatering aromas of the barbecue tent next door would waft in.
“Are you all right?” Achmed sat down beside her.
“Oh I’m fine. Just a head-ache.”
“Getting off your usual schedule can do that and you’ve had a pretty tough day.”
“What about you? How do you manage to stay so cool and composed?”
Achmed looked down. “I don’t. I learned a long time ago to hide my true feelings and I hide them very well. Mostly.”
Betty massaged her forehead. “I don’t hide mine at all. Mostly. What did you say to Thelma? Whatever it was she deserved it and more but I’d give anything to learn the trick for shutting her up.”
“You’ll have to find your own way I’m afraid. How about everything else?”
She summoned her phoniest smile and answered “I’m constantly hungry, my muscles are always sore and I feel guilty whenever I eat something I shouldn’t and tomorrow I will spend all day tasting foods I shouldn’t eat.”
Achmed put his arm around her. “I have been judging cooking competitions all over the world and they are all the same. Tell you what; I will teach you how to be a good – no, a great food judge, make friends and influence good eating habits and not get fat!”
“That sounds like a terrible book title.”
“More like a late night television infomercial. But it isn’t that hard. First, and you will find this easy but counterintuitive, come to the contest with a full stomach. That way you won’t be tasting while you are hungry. Everything will taste the way it tastes and you will be judging the food for what it is and not trying to satisfy yourself.
Second and this is just as important, before the tasting we will meet the cooks. Remember above all else to smile at the contestants and look them in the eye. When we tour the tables you must ask who they are and where they are from. Ask what they cooked and more important ask how and why they chose the recipe. If the other judges ask these questions then listen to the answers and observe something that connects you to them. Then find something nice to say. Maybe tell them how you connect to their dish or compliment the look or smell of the food. Or both. If you’re alone take notes but tomorrow we’ll have reporters following us around and I’ve arranged to get copies of their notes so we all can review them and discuss the foods before the tasting.”
Betty leaned back, smiling “So all I really have to do is pay attention, smile and not fall over.”
“That is only the first part.” Achmed laughed, “We’ll have table tastings for each category and those will be silent. Each dish will be ranked from one to ten in five categories: use of ingredients, fealty to its category, originality, presentation and taste but here’s the reality of scoring foods; you only score between eight point five and nine point nine because everybody will get their score so nobody loses by more than one or two tenths of a point.”
“Happy contestants who will try again next year.”
Achmed nodded. “We’ll be watched, videotaped and photographed so there’s no cheating and most of the time we’ll know who is going to win before the tasting starts - however if either of us is pleasantly surprised by the taste of a dish put your pencil down in front of your card and I’ll do the same if I agree and vice
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