A Memorable Experience
Reading B2
A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE
Sara Adelardi, 17, tells us about taking part in a TV cooking competition.
Since I was a child who stood in my grandmother’s kitchen sniffing the delicious smell of freshly baked bread and homemade soups, I’ve known there is only one thing I want to do in life: cook. So, when I spotted an advert on a website inviting young people to apply for a TV cooking competition, there was little doubt I’d be first in line to take part. I thought ‘This could be the beginning of my cooking career!’
The application process was far from straightforward, as I soon discovered. First, I had to fill in a lengthy form, detailing everything from how I became interested in cooking (that was the easy part), to things like what I hoped to get out of being part of the show (these were much trickier!). Once I’d got through that stage of the process, the next step was to cook a test dish for the show’s judges: scary but exciting, too. If that was good enough, I’d be invited to take part in the four-week televised competition. One person, selected by the judges, would be voted out of the competition in each programme, until the winner was announced during the final.
Until I had to create a test dish, I’d been pretty positive about my cooking ability; I often cooked big meals for my family at the weekends, and my friends loved the little snacks I took into school for break times. But suddenly I found myself up against 11 other young people who’d been cooking for longer. Some of them – I’d known this might be the case – had even had part-time jobs as waiters, surrounded by top-class food prepared by professional chefs. Would I really be able to compete? As I stood at my counter in the test kitchen, ready to start cooking, I remembered my grandmother’s advice: ‘Stick to what you know best’.
The judges tasted each test dish, made a few notes, and sent us all home. Then the wait began. Had I made it to the televised competition? Eventually, the phone call came. I’d be in the first live programme of the series the following week! Our first challenge would be to make a meal with a selection of ingredients chosen by the judges. It was impossible to know what they’d pick in advance, and I knew I’d just have to use my creativity on the day, but I was still desperate to do some preparation, and rushed straight to my parents’ kitchen, pulling everything from the cupboards in a panic. All day I experimented with new flavour combinations, testing them out on my parents and sister. Most things they liked, some they didn’t. What if the judges weren’t keen on my dishes?
The day of the first programme dawned and suddenly there I was with the other competitors, waiting to be given our instructions. The lights were hot in the TV studio, but although I’d expected to be nervous about being filmed for a TV show, my excitement soon took over. I recognised all the ingredients spread out on the table in front of me and I was eager to get to work. I knew exactly what I was going to cook! My grandmother’s words rang in my ears again. ‘Keep it simple,’ I thought, as I started chopping.
I didn’t make it any further in the competition. The judges liked my dish and said I showed promise as a cook, but the other competitors were better on the day. I’d learnt a lot from seeing how they worked, and how imaginative their dishes were compared to mine, so I wasn’t too disappointed. It had been a memorable experience, and (line 70) confirmed in my mind that cooking was the career for me. Years of learning still lie ahead of me, but one day I’d love to own my own restaurant – and help other young people fulfil their dreams too!