"Mom and Dad, the show is about to start!" Aqiao turned on the TV and shouted into the kitchen.
"Here it comes, the meal is ready." Aqiao's father brought the dishes out from the kitchen and arranged them.
Ah Qiao's mother also came out with rice and dishes. "Is today the first episode?"
"Yes!" Aqiao nodded. "The first episode should be the auditions. The contestants cook for the judges. Only those who pass can qualify to participate."
This scene is played out in every corner of the city.
"MasterChef" is a national variety show, and its broadcast time coincides with the prime time of dinner. Many families will watch the show while eating.
Aqiao is also a fan of this program. She and her friends were looking forward to it very much at school today. The group even agreed to watch the program carefully today and go to the college tomorrow to "buy stocks", that is, predict which contestant has the chance to become the champion of the new season.
Soon, the show began and a medley of self-introductions of various contestants flashed by.
"I'm a househusband."
“I’m a rock musician.”
"I'm a farmer."
"I'm a college student."
. . .
Then came the introductions of the three judges.
The three judges of this season are all old acquaintances, and they were also judges in previous seasons.
The three are:
Fu Shilang, an SS-level chef, owns several restaurants that have been awarded star certification by the Gourmet Association.
Yu Wenyi, an S-level gourmet, owns several chain restaurants as well as wineries and farms.
Wen Qi, an SS-level baker, owns a chain of dessert bakery shops.
Aqiao was very happy after seeing the judges.
"That's great! Sister Wen Qi is here too!" She said excitedly to her mother with her side face turned. There were rumors before that Wen Qi might not participate in the new season. Aqiao was worried that the competition would become a situation where all three judges were men.
Now she can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Don't just look, eat your food quickly." Aqiao's mother put a few pieces of braised pork trotters into her bowl.
"Hmm." Aqiao grabbed the pig's trotter and gnawed on it while continuing to stare at the show on TV. When she saw the contestants being introduced, several good-looking men and women flashed by, as well as a mother-in-law who looked particularly kind. She didn't know when they would appear.
Fu Shilang stood up with a smile and spoke to the contestants below.
“Welcome to MasterChef.”
"First of all, congratulations on entering the preliminaries. From this moment on, you've already stepped halfway into the official competition. Of course, your culinary skills will determine whether you can actually qualify for the official competition."
Yu Wenyi said, "One of you will become the final champion, receive a generous prize of 1 million, and a chance to realize your dream, whether it's opening a bakery or a restaurant, these dreams will have a chance to come true."
There was enthusiastic cheering from the audience.
Wen Qi introduced the competition to the contestants, "The rules are simple. Within half an hour, prepare a dish using the designated ingredients, and let the three of us taste it. If you can gain our approval, you will receive an apron and advance to the next round of the official competition. But remember, there are only 100 spots available for the official competition, so you need to give your best performance to have a chance to win the apron."
"Are you ready?"
The contestants said in unison: "Alright."
"Who will be the final MasterChef?"
Contestants: "Me!"
"So, let's start cooking!"
The opening credits finally finished, and the first three contestants appeared.
Qi Hua, a bartender in a bar.
He's going to make a shrimp cocktail sandwich with Marie Rose sauce.
Feiyan, an accountant.
She wants to make seafood dumplings.
Lan Qingying, an unemployed single mother.
She wants to make spring rolls.
They were assigned to three cooking tables, and each person had to prepare a dish within 30 minutes, and then serve it to the judges in turn for tasting.
Ah Qiao's eyes widened. "Wow, someone actually wants to make dumplings and spring rolls. Is 30 minutes enough? Time must be very tight."
"But this kind of complicated cooking means high risk and high reward. If you can do it well, it will get extra points from the judges." Aqiao's father analyzed.
The images on the TV flashed by quickly, and it was time for the contestants to serve their dishes. After all, there were so many contestants, and there was not enough time to show the contestants' specific cooking process, but it seemed that these three did a good job.
Qi Hua's cocktail shrimp sandwich has a layer of green shredded lettuce on soft bread, and shrimp covered with orange sauce on top. You can see a hint of green in the sauce, which should be some kind of herb.
Feiyan's dumplings are arranged in a circle on a plate, with a dish of soy sauce and vinegar on the side.
Lan Qingying’s spring rolls have an eye-catching color scheme, with a small beige roll in the middle and various side dishes surrounding it.
As a long-time viewer of the show, Ah Qiao noticed immediately that "Fei Yan's dumplings looked delicious, but the presentation was a bit average."
Ah Qiao's mother nodded. "Lan Qingying should pass without any problem. The spring pancakes with the accompanying dishes are so colorful and they look appetizing."
"Qi Hua probably has a chance. Yu Wenyi prefers Western style. If Qi Hua's sandwich tastes good, he should be approved." Aqiao's father also discussed with his family.
Qi Hua was the first to serve his dish. After the judges tasted it, Wen Qi said that the seasoning was good and the dill in the sauce went well with the shrimp, but she didn't like the taste of wine in the sauce as it was a bit too strong.
“So sorry, no.”
Yuwen Yi said that this was a modification of cocktail shrimp, so it was normal to have a bit of alcohol flavor, so he gave it a pass.
Then the final decision falls on Fu Shilang.
While Fu Shilang was thinking silently, Qi Hua became obviously nervous. He clenched his hands and spoke anxiously.
"Please give me a chance and I will show you that I am more than that."
Fu Shilang spoke slowly, "I also think the wine tastes a bit strong, but the flaws outweigh the merits. I also feel your love for food, so I'm willing to give you a chance to show it. Come on, kid, take your apron."
"Thank you, thank you! I will prove to you that you didn't choose the wrong person!"
Qi Hua immediately rushed forward excitedly, shook hands with the judges excitedly, then took the apron, put it on, and rushed out. In the waiting area outside, Qi Hua's family members cheered when they saw Qi Hua rushing out wearing an apron.
The next one was Feiyan. The judges did say that her plating was not good, but her Spanish mackerel dumplings were very fresh and delicious, so she finally got an apron.
Lan Qingying's spring pancakes successfully won unanimous praise from the three judges and she also successfully won an apron.
The three people made a good start, but also made the subsequent competition more intense. After all, in Go, one less player means one less player.
The next few performers were mediocre and no one got the apron.
Aqiao took advantage of this time to stuff rice into her mouth. Just as she was concentrating on eating, she suddenly heard a "da da da" knocking sound.
Huh? What's going on?
Aqiao looked up and instantly showed the same surprised expression as the judges on the show.
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