Indy had practiced making clam chowder, but this was different. This wasn’t a frame she’d rescued from an estate sale that had languished in an attic for decades that was worn, maybe broken, and needed her care to restore it. This was a bunch of fresh ingredients, and for a moment she felt the beginning of a panic attack.
On her show she was always able to focus on what she was fixing because it was usually just her and a small crew, but here she felt the pressure of the townspeople watching her in real time.
Nola looked at her and took a deep breath, then nodded at her. Indy smiled at her friend and took a deep breath too. She could smell the garlic that she’d chopped a few minutes ago and the smokiness of the grills on the fire that she’d started.
These scents soothed her. She nodded to herself, blocking out everything but the ingredients on her bench. She was able to start cooking the chowder while the cameramen walked around her station and took different shots. Though Conrad had said that she’d forget the cameras were there, she didn’t. But she’d figured out how to make it manageable.
Nola was her cooking assistant and was busily peeling and dicing the russet potatoes she was using in the recipe. Meanwhile Indy was on the clams. Because of the nature of this cook-off and the high stakes, she believed she had the best chance of winning by bringing out the freshness of the clams so she was steaming them in a wine-and-garlic sauce that she would later use to cook the bacon in.
Once the clams were steamed, she pulled them out. She sieved the remaining juice to get rid of any dirt that might have come from the clams. Then she had to shell them, which wasn’t that hard since they had mostly all opened during the steaming.
Just as she felt like she was getting into a rhythm, Ophelia came over with a camera. “Ready for me?”
“Sure,” she said with a confidence she was starting to feel. This curse-breaking business was more complicated than she’d anticipated. But her cook was going well.
“Is this recipe one of your own?” Ophelia asked.
“No, it’s not. But I am bringing some techniques and tastes from my grandmother’s lessons. I thought this would be the perfect edge for me to use today.”
“Interesting. That accent doesn’t sound very New England,” Ophelia said.
“No, ma’am, it’s not, I’m from Georgia,” Indy said.
“So are you bringing any Southern twists to your clam chowder today?”
Indy was. She’d texted her mom that morning and had decided to make some homemade cheddar biscuits that her mom was famous for to go with the clam chowder. “I am. I’m making my mama’s biscuits. But also the using the basics I learned cooking low country boil growing up.”
“Interesting. Why did you decide to do that?”
“Well the low country boil incorporates many of the same items as the clam chowder, so I thought the flavors might work together. If I’m going to beat the Beast, I needed to have something unique.”
“Indeed. I’ll leave you to your cooking,” Ophelia said.
The director called cut. “That was great. You’re a natural on camera.”
“Thanks, this is so different from my show. I don’t feel natural at all. Do I keep working?”
“Yes. Cut is just for interview part. We’ll be bringing the judges through next. But keep cooking. There’s a storm advisory and we’re hoping to get these dishes finished before the rain arrives.”
“How close is it?” Indy had gotten used to the storms that blew through this area off the Atlantic Ocean.
“We’ve got a couple of hours but not much more.”
“Got it. I’ll be done in time.”
“Great,” Ophelia said. “I’m the producer as well as host of this show, so I’m watching the budget. If we don’t get this finished today, it’ll be expensive to come back.”
Ophelia smiled at her as she moved over to Conrad’s station. Indy walked over to Nola who was still peeling the potatoes to give her the update.
“A storm’s brewing. So chop faster I guess,” Indy said.
“Of course there’s a storm coming. The Beast is back in Gilbert Corners. It’s just like that night ten years ago.”
“Stop being overdramatic,” Indy said.
“I wish I were. That night of the ball the day started perfect, like today, and then by midnight there was a blizzard. I’m just saying thatperhapssomething is trying to stop you from breaking the curse.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in it.”