Iron Chef

[October Knight]

I R O N
C H E F

Welcome to Kitchen Stadium.

As the sue chefs scrambled around the floor of kitchen stadium, trying in a hurried effort to get everything ready for the competition, host, and renowned food expert, Takeshi Kaga cocked an eyebrow and stared mysteriously out over the scene. From his podium, perched a little ways above the floor, he could see the entirety of the Battle arena and beyond that, the live studio audience that sat on the edge of their seats, awaiting the much anticipated battle. The smell alone would be enough to push some crazed fans over the edge, which is why a team of security guards sat in the shadows waiting for some poor fool to try and rush the set in hopes of getting just a bite of the amazing food.

~Cue cameras, set ready..then Lights~

The Scene was lit up like a roman candle as Takeshi made his way to the stage.

"Ladies and gentleman, I welcome you all to Kitchen stadium. Today is a very special day in Iron Chef history. Today, two exceptional chefs, with very different back grounds, will be going head to head for the honer of calling themselves Iron Chefs." Takeshi gazed off into the distance, as if recalling a very fond memory. " I am unable to express in words the joy I am feeling at this moment, the pain that came with the anticipation leading up to this day has been....excruciating, but none the less delightful. So I will not drag it out any further than need be. However, before announcing our chefs I would like to introduce the judges. First we have the beautiful and talented, Natsumi Okuda, who's music had graced the ears of Japan as well as the entire world. Next is Mr. Hong Kwok-Moon, a very powerful man, with a deep roots in the fishing industries. He is CEO of one of the largest ship building companies in south Korea. Last, Mr. Matt Brown, brought to the Iron chef competition by chance, expect great things from him. Tonight I would also like to acknowledge our camera men, without them the show would not be what it is today. One of our best is a Mr.Enchong Dimanno, his shots always bring out the highlights during battle."


Takeshi took another step closer to the arena, looking very serious, as if what he was about to say next would shatter the very core of reality as we know it.


" Our first chef is a Mr. Sean Kelly, a Chef with a predominately Irish influence in his cooking, he has been involved in the food industry his entire life and is the winner of various awards including "The best new chef in New York" Award. Next we have the stunningly beautiful Miss. Kate Angel. Her strong Greek background is sure to bring a level of originality to the battle that will turn heads, while her over the top cooking antics may take them off if our announcer gets too close. And with that I will close, for the chefs gourmet cooking will speak more beautifully than words could ever describe."

~Cue lights as the Chefs prepare to enter the Arena~


Everyone in the building is waiting with baited breath for the unveiling of the secret ingredient.
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[megane-kun]

Enchong waited on his post, wondering what the new show was about. Of course, it was anything but an ordinary assignment to him, one that brought ample money. His job was simply to record what was happening, and to record it properly. However, something told him that this job would be something interesting.

He has been there hours even before the first contestants entered the studio, err, arena, as the show would like it to be called. He saw the sous chefs enter, along with the ingredients they are to use for the contest. He also saw the audience, one by one, eventually filling the studio with their anxious talk. He also noted with interest the team of security guards, some of them his friends, who have been assigned to this studio. Apparently, some of the audience would jump into the stage just to get a taste of the food being cooked. Enchong himself felt his mouth water at the thought of what might the chefs would turn their ingredients into, but he have to stop himself.

Finally, his cue. Enchong trained the camera towards the show's host, Takeshi, who introduced himself, the show, its judges, and its contestants. A fellow cameraman beside him panned his camera across the audience, while he focused his to the each of the judges: first to Natsumi Okuda, whom Enchong have had a chance to see in some other show. He then panned the camera towards Mr. Hong Kwok-moon, some kindly old man whom, quite accurately, Enchong perceived to be a businessman, what this businessman has anything to do with food-tasting was beyond him though. Tossing that thought aside, and as Takeshi began introducing the next judge, Enchong moved the camera towards Mr. Matt Brown.

Enchong then felt the strong floodlights shine upon him. His companion cameraman smiled as he focused his camera upon him. Shocked, he looked at Takeshi just as he introduced Enchong to the audience. He shyly waved towards the other camera and turned his attention to his.

The two cameramen trained their cameras towards Takeshi as he moved closer to the stage, and began introducing the contestants. Enchong glanced at his fellow cameraman and nodded some signal. Enchong looked at the lightsman to confirm where exactly the contestants would appear and trained his camera to the spot.

 

[Anglkate]

This was it! Kate had arrived early to set to prepare herself for this moment! Honestly, she saw herself as the underdog of this competition, really having no formal culinary background.

~~ excerpt from interview~~​

"What inspired you to begin your cooking career?"

"As you know I was going to school in order to become a physicians assistant, but I've always had a love for cooking. Being in the kitchen with my mother, who is 100% greek, she taught me many things growing up, and I relished it all. I was always a better baker, creating my own delectable treats, but I was still fascinated with cooking. Cooking with my mother, I watched and helped her create her own unique recipes based off various common dishes. It was an artform almost, and I enjoyed it. When food was scarce in college I had to learn to cook what what I had to make a satisfying meal, so I began to diversify, using what my mother had taught me to get by. As they say, the rest is history from there"

~~end excerpt, back to kitchen stadium~~​

When the lights were cued, the crowd was hushed and the host, Takeshi, began his opening statements. A dream come true! This is what you've always wanted to see! Kitchen Stadium! Now here you are...got get em Kate! she thought to herself.

~~excerpt from interview~~​

"Did you ever think you would make it to Kitchen Stadium?"

"Me? Heck no! Haha, I'd grown up watching the cooking show with my mom, and had always loved the excitement of Iron Chef! I occasionally thought, 'hey! that would be so cool to be on there sometime!' But I never DREAMED it would be true for me one day! This is an amazing opportunity and one I am grateful for!"

~~end excerpt, back to Kitchen Stadium~~​

Takeshi had just finished introducing the judges and giving the camera crew a quick appraisal as well. Finally the challengers were introduced. The applause came as she prepared for her entrance onto set.

"...Next we have the stunningly beautiful Miss. Kate Angel. Her strong Greek background is sure to bring a level of originality to the battle that will turn heads, while her over the top cooking antics may take them off if our announcer gets too close."

His introduction was flawless and almost made Kate laugh but she kept together.

~~excerpt from interview~~​

"We hear you are quite the...showgirl...while in the kitchen. Care to elaborate or explain?"

"Haha that. Ah yeah, some of my co-workers might say that I'm a little over the top when I cook and really get myself into it 110%! I've just always been passionate about cooking and I tend to get a little...cooking happy. I will admit that there will probably be some pans and food flying but some of it is that I'm just a klutz! Guess you'll have to wait and see what they really mean, haha"

~~end excerpt, back to Kitchen Stadium~~​

This was it. After her introduction, there was a small opening that Kate was to step through as she made her way down the isle toward the stadium entrance. The audience was alive and clapping enthusiastically as she entered the stadium. She gave a wave to those passing and she shook the hands of a few great chefs that were there in passing. The judges were on their podiums standing and cheering as well, which only added to the excitement. When she arrived on stage she gave a polite bow of respect to Takeshi, "I am honored to be here. Thank you." She said excitedly as she turned toward her competitor.

"And with that I will close, for the chefs gourmet cooking will speak more beautifully than words could ever describe."

Everyone knew what was to come next. The unveiling of the secret ingredient for the day. Silence fell upon the crowd as they all waited. Kate held her breath wondering if she'd be able to survive the challenge...

 

[Zypher]

Natsumi Okuda, the famous J-Pop star wandered about the kitchen stadium before the show had started. With a wistful sigh she looked at the pots and pans and tools that the two chefs would be using. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine. It was a great honor to be picked to judge one of the greatest cooking shows in Japan. As she wandered a worker from the show came over to her.

"Okuda-San, it's time to take your place..." The man either was a fan or was just rather shy, maybe he was new and wasn't used to working around celebrities.

"Okay!" Natsumi skipped over to her seat and sat down.

~The opening scene~

Natsumi smiled as the camera focused on her and her introduction was spoken. "Hi~" She waved energetically and bowed her head. The excitement she felt was almost tangible to her. This will be an exciting battle! I wonder what the special ingredient is...

 

[Charbovari]

Another day, another television appearance. Hong Kwok-moon sat in the back of a black sedan, looking out into the city street as neon lights passed him by. We have the quarterly earnings call at 9:00am tomorrow... meeting with the wife at 11... well, I hope our kids are watching TV tonight. They love Iron Chef.

"Chairman Hong, remember, don't talk too much today. This is just a publicity opportunity; the Board would remind you not to say anything that will negatively impact our stock price." Mr. Lee, the Chairman's assistant, was speaking.

"You don't need to remind me, Dokkyun. I won't be able to talk—I'll be too busy eating." Hong Kwok-moon laughed boisterously at his own joke.

Finally, the car pulled up to the studio building. ID cards were flashed, elevator buttons were pushed, hair was styled and makeup was applied. The Chairman took his seat next to a pretty pop princess and nodded his head in greeting to her and the other judge at the long table. He fiddled with his microphone and stared impassively into space, until finally the bright television lights came on. When he was introduced, Mr. Hong flashed a small smile at the camera. The spotlight moved away and he glanced down at his watch. Two more hours of filming to go...

 

[megane-kun]

The first chef appeared as scheduled, waving to the audience as she made her way through the aisle to the stadium. She smiled sweetly and bowed to Takeshi.

It was the second contestant that everyone was now waiting for. One minute, he still hadn't arrived. Enchong thought that might have been because of some technical problems backstage. Those things usually happen but the show must go on.

Two minutes, still no signs of the second contestant.... Something must be wrong. That feeling was only amplified by the commotion of the sous chefs in the arena.

"What's wrong? We're doing this live, no?" Enchong asked his colleague who only answered with a shrug.

"Oh well, never mind that, let's just turn our cameras off for the meanwhile."

 

[October Knight]

Takeshi was in a state of panic, although you could never tell from the look of tranquility on his face. His palms were balled up into tight fists. A light layer of sweat was seconds from forming over his brow. This may very well be the greatest disaster in Iron Chef History. Whatever issue Chef Kelly had that kept him from showing up to the battle was not the issue, finding a replacement was. The show must go on! As announcer, and proud front man of the Iron Chef show, Takeshi would not accept defeat. He had a plan, but would need to act fast. Within seconds he was backstage yelling in Japanese on his iPhone. He was attempting to find another chef that could take the place of the missing Sean Kelly. After several obscenities and a short pause he was informed that there was another chef currently staying in Japan on Vacation. He was the only other Chef that had applied for the show that could be reached. His name was Chef Cheeto Delgado-Hernadez. Takeshi closed his eyes for a moment and regained his composure before stepping back out into the set.

Three blocks away from the Iron Chef set in downtown Tokyo

"Wha'Chu mean you got no Jalapenos? What kind of grocery shop is this, man?" Cheeto stood face to face with a Japanese man who was working at an upscale food store

"Chu don't got no Jalapeno. Chu don't got no tortilla, Chu don't got no nothing!" He turned to leave, unhappy that his dinner would be postponed when he was confronted by a man in a suit.

"Cheeto Delgado?" Asked the man with a frantic look on his face

" what'chu want man." Asked Cheeto, still frustrated with the markets lack of Mexican cuisine.

"I am am here on behalf of Takeshi Kaga of Iron Chef. He is requesting your immediate role on the show as a competing chef, its an emergency so we must hurry!"

Cheeto's eyes shot open in amazement. He had applied for the show months ago, but never received a call back.

" Are You kidding me man, Of course I'll come, but I'll need another Teekit to get back, i was sposed to leave today and....." He was grabbed by the arm and thrown in the car before he could finish the sentence. Cheeto didn't mind though, after all he was about to do battle in Kitchen Stadium.

Back at Iron Chef

Takeshi had gotten word that Chef Delgado had been located and was en route to the studio. He let out his breath, and with it, all the tension that had come with the potential disaster. He again addressed the audience. He only hoped that Chef Delgado would be a worthy opponent for Chef Angel.

"There has been a slight change in our competing chefs for this evening. It seems that.....Chef Kelly" Said the famed announcer with the slightest hint of distaste in his voice "Is unable to make the battle, we are greatly disappointed, but this disappointment has a silver lining. Tonight we are pleased to announce a new face to the Iron Chef World. A Chef from America Named Cheeto Delgado Hernandez. A Chef who specializes in Mexican cuisine, what little is known about him I know he will make up for in style and....."

Just then the back doors opened and Cheeto burst through to Kitchen Stadium. His eyes were just a little wider than his smile. His hair was freshly greased back, with tres flores pomade no doubt, and on his Chefs uniform a single red rose stood out against the bright studio lights. He turned to the audience.

" I am Chef Cheeto Delgado-Hernandez. Chu all will remember my name when this is over. Please let me cook for you, then chu can see why they call me El Pollo Loco of the kitchen!" Takeshi's Jaw was almost on the floor at this self introduction, but the show must go on. Before took Cheeto took his place on his assigned side of the battle arena he walked over to the judges tables and placed the red rose in front of miss Okuda.

"Chu are very beautiful." He said smiling, the pomade in his hair shining more than his attempts to ass kiss the judges. Cheeto walked over to where his sous chefs were waiting with boiling water and hot pans.

THE SECRET INGREDIENT

Takeshi walked over to the covered table that held the ingredient. He looked to the Chefs and then to the Audience.

"Tonight we have something very special. An ingredient that is second to none in its class. It has been a delicacy in many cultures over the centuries. And now the moment you have been waiting for."

Takeshi pulled back the cover and revealed Yellow fin Tuna. It was laid out in fillets as well as the whole fish. Along with that both Chefs would have a wide variety of ingredients to choose from, located on set in the massive walk in freezers and refrigerators as well as the living room sized pantry.

"Let the Battle begin!"
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[megane-kun]

"Want to go out for a bite to eat?" the other cameraman asked Enchong, who looked at the kitchen stadium and shrugged.

"Nah, someone has to be here in case the other contestant suddenly shows up," Enchong politely replied.

"Oh come on!" the cameraman tried to convince Enchong, "Look! It has been around ten minutes or so already! And also, all of the other crew have already gone out to grab a quick snack. We should too."

Enchong smiled, "Hmmm, don't let me stop you then. Go on ahead, Andoy"

"Suit yourself then...." Andoy shrugged and then left.

Enchong saw Andoy leave the studio, along with some of the audience members who also opted to go out while waiting for the program to resume. He wasn't so sure what was happening, but since Takeshi has left the arena around ten minutes ago, leaving the other contestant's sous chefs in confusion, he was sure something was indeed amiss. This was confirmed when he faintly heard Takeshi yelling in Japanese, backstage.

"I should have went with Andoy for a snack," Enchong sighed, "Oh well, might as well go out for a smoke or something."

----------------------------------------------------------​

Enchong's little cigarette break might have taken a bit longer than usual, for when he came back, Andoy was already waiting for him with a sandwich and a can of soda in hand.

"Hah! So you went out afterall," Andoy laughed and gave him the cola and the sandwich.

"Yeah," Enchong laughed too as he opened the cola and took a bite of the sandwich, "Couldn't resist the temptation."

"Nothing has happened yet?" Enchong asked inbetween bites.

"I saw Takeshi talking to some other chef backstage, so I guess we're going to resume the show soon," Andoy said.

"Good! So the other contestant finally arrived?" Enchong replied, finishing his sandwich.

"Not so sure, but most likely not, for he looked different..." Andoy shrugged.

"Okay then," Enchong smiled and finished his drink. He put the sandwich wrapper inside the cola can and placed it on the floor beside his stool. "At the very least, we would get this show back on track..."

A signal from their director confirmed that they were now back on track, and soon afterwards, the lights dimmed and a spotlight focused on Takeshi, who got back on stage. Enchong trained his camera on Takeshi as he began addressing the audience.

"There has been a slight change in our competing chefs for this evening. It seems that.....Chef Kelly" Said the famed announcer with the slightest hint of distaste in his voice, "Is unable to make the battle, we are greatly disappointed, but this disappointment has a silver lining. Tonight we are pleased to announce a new face to the Iron Chef World. A Chef from America Named Cheeto Delgado Hernandez. A Chef who specializes in Mexican cuisine, what little is known about him I know he will make up for in style and....."

The unfamiliar introduction startled Enchong, who was surprised to see the new contestant suddenly appear onstage. Andoy laughed at him, "Focus!" It seemed that Andoy caught the other contestant on his lens, much to Enchong's relief. The relief didn't last long though, as Enchong couldn't stop himself facepalming at the new contestant's self-introduction. He wasn't alone, though, for his camera caught Takeshi's jaw drop, perhaps in reaction to the same. To avoid catching any more off-guard moments of their host, Enchong pointed his camera to the judges, just in time to catch Chef Cheeto place a red rose in front of Miss Okuda.

"This day is turning out to be weirder than I ever expected it to be..." Enchong thought as he began taking the camera out of the tripod and lugging it on his shoulder. "I'll take the left side, no?" he asked Andoy, who nodded.

As another cameraman took a shot of the secret ingredient, which turned out to be Yellow fin tuna, Enchong and Andoy moved out to their respective places. The competition is about to begin.

 

[Anglkate]

Kate and the others waited patiently for her competitor to arrive, but there seemed to be some sort of delay. Her heart was racing as she wondered if the show as going to be cancelled! She'd be heartbroken if that were the case! Whispers were going around as confusion began to be sparked. Suddenly the announcer came back with a new announcement...

"There has been a slight change in our competing chefs for this evening. It seems that.....Chef Kelly is unable to make the battle, we are greatly disappointed, but this disappointment has a silver lining. Tonight we are pleased to announce a new face to the Iron Chef World. A Chef from America Named Cheeto Delgado Hernandez. A Chef who specializes in Mexican cuisine, what little is known about him I know he will make up for in style and....."

Before he could finish her competitor arrived. She watched him with a cocked eyebrow Seriously? I have to face HIM? This is like when i was working back at the cafe with Alexander...the womanizer she thought to herself with a soft sigh. She quickly cleared her throat remembering she had to be professional, or as professional as she could be.When Cheeto arrived next to her she smiled kindly and extended her hand, "Glad you could make it" she said with a soft chuckle.

The host walked toward the covered table as the famed secret ingredient was ready for unveiling. Kate turned toward the table and waited to see what she would have to work with. "Tonight we have something very special. An ingredient that is second to none in its class. It has been a delicacy in many cultures over the centuries. And now the moment you have been waiting for." He threw back the cover to reveal....YELLOW FIN TUNA?! Kate's eyes got slightly wide Crap she thought to herself as the battle began.

Knowing she had limited time she rushed forward and began to grab the best tunas she could find. Tuna....what can I make with TUNA? she thought to herself. She had a few ideas, but they were slightly rudimentary. No matter, food was food. It was all in how you presented it right? She had a few ideas in mind from friends she knew and her appetizer was going to be one of them. She had a Hawaiian friend who had introduced her to it at one point in time.

Going to the kitchen she grabbed soy sauce, green onion, sesame oil, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper, and wasabi powder. She would have to start with this as it had to chill. She was going to make her appetizer called Poke (poh-kay). She would have to fridge the mixture for at least an hour so she hoped it turned out well with the time they had. Her sous chefs hurried around to help make the preparations. Skinning the fish into steaks and making sure it was all de-boned she quickly cut the tuna into cubes and placed that into the refrigerator. Her sous chefs were running around preparing things as she turned, "What should I do?" one spoke. Kate sighed and grabbed her frying pan turning and bringing the pan with her to hand the man. Of course instead of handing it to him she ended up hitting him with it as he quickly went down. Blinking she turned, "Hey! You!" she called to another, "Catch!" she tossed the pan as they thankfully caught it, "toast the sesame seeds!" she ordered as they got to it.

Meanwhile she began to chop the green onion up. Once she had enough she grabbed a glass bowl and mixed all the ingredients together minus the tuna. Going to the sous chef who had toasted the sesame seeds she added those and mixed everything together. With the mixture complete she went back to the fridge and got out the tuna fish adding it now to the glass bowl as she made sure the tuna was well marinated. Turning she went to put the bowl in the fridge but tripped as the bowl went flying. Luckily another sous chef caught it and managed to get it into the fridge. Smiling, Kate glanced at the time and was happy with the progress. She was going to let that chill a bit before finishing the dish. Now for her next dish...I hope they enjoy my platters...I wish to give them a range of different ethnic foods. She smiled some as she went to her next station.

((Poke Recipe never had this but it looks rather good o.O...Pic))

 

[Charbovari]

Hong Kwok-moon tapped his fingers on the judges' table impatiently as the introductory sequence drew out for much longer than necessary. What was going on? Was the show going to be cancelled? That would be terrible, terrible indeed... not just for my kids watching at home, who I told to stay up to see me on TV, but my PR team will be nagging at me for days on end if this appearance falls through... Hong Kwok-moon watched as the camera crew talked to each other, even leaving the room to get snacks. I wish I could leave to get a bite to eat, if this continues to drag out... Mr. Hong retrieved his mobile phone from his pocket and started typing a quick email to his personal assistant, asking if he could bring him some kind of bento box to tide him over until further word came from the show producers...

"Gggggggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggglllll." Mr. Hong's stomach suddenly rumbled loudly, and a startled look came over his face. He glanced at his fellow judges, Ms. Okuda and Mr. Brown, and luckily, they didn't seem to notice - or at least, they hid their reactions from him. He quickly completed his text message, and folded his hands politely on the table in front of him, staring into empty space with a blank look.

Finally, Chairman Kaga began to speak again. What a relief! As he was introducing the new competitor, a specialist in Mexican cuisine, Mr. Hong's eyes widened as the man, Cheeto Delgado, took the mic from Takeshi's hands and abruptly gave his own introduction. Such gall! While Mr. Hong found his impromptu speech surprising and hard to square with traditional expectations of social politeness, he did admire the man's lively manner and willingness to take a risk. Mr. Hong smiled to himself and took out his mobile phone again, hiding it under the judges' table as he quickly typed in a note on his to-do list: Plan a vacation to Mexico...

When Takeshi announced the secret ingredint of yellowfin tuna, Mr. Hong let out an audible gasp. What a pleasant surprise! He was glad the show had begun before his bento box arrived, because he would truly relish seeing, and tasting, the creations the chefs would come up with with such an ingredient. Indeed, Hong Kwok-moon had grown up learning about, preparing, and eating the yellowfin tuna - it was a major catch that his fisherman father brought back on his trips, and it often fell to him to gut and debone the tuna, to help his mother to prepare dinner every night. Kwok-moon knew all about them, inside and out. He leaned forward intently to watch the competitors as they began their work, and he knew he would truly enjoy the chance to savor the chefs' dishes... and he had the knowledge to carefully evaluate each of them with a critical eye.

 

[October Knight]

Tequila & Lime Yellow-fin Tacos

After his slightly flamboyant display, Cheeto tried to get familiarized, in the little time he had, with the kitchen he would be doing battle in. It was the most well equipped kitchen that he had ever seen in his life. It had ranges, a deep fryer, a grill station, pressure cookers, full sized double door ovens and every pot, pan, knife, and utensil that anyone would ever need.

Cheeto, being pretty new to the professional cooking world, knew very little about his competition. However, he had heard that pots and pans were known to fly when she was working. He cast a glance and a nod in her direction before turning to his team and looking them over. They looked like a pretty sturdy bunch, all wearing long white chefs smocks and ready to go. This was the big moment and Cheeto had never been more ready in his life.

As soon as the ingredient was announced, Cheeto got started on his first dish. He sent his assistant chefs to get a few of the yellow fin fillets as he honed a long knife against a steel. Although Cheeto was a cocky bastard, he managed to shine in the kitchen; Chopping ingredients and mixing sauces with ease and perfection. The fillets were laid out in front of Cheeto, he knew right away what his first recipe would be. The perfect appetizer, something that would really catch the attention of the judges and the audience. Tequila and lime tuna tacos, simple at first glance, but underneath the surface..a very grommet twist of a traditional favorite.

In a shiny steel bowl, Cheeto began to mix up a marinade of sorts. He halved a few limes and squeezed the juice into the bowl, taking care that none of the seeds got in the mix. Next he added some seasoning, salt pepper, a little chili powder and some cumin. After that, he grabbed a bottle of 1800 especial tequila, making sure to take a drink himself before pouring a little into the mixture.

Then he took another shot, smiling and saying to his lime mixture "One more for me, and one more for you." As he poured another splash into the mix. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a pan flying across his opponents arena. At that moment he realized that the rumors were true. ' She is a real chili pepper, that one' thought Cheeto.

At the same time Cheeto was about to cut into the tuna, his sous chefs were making fresh tortillas. They mixed the dry ingredients and began pouring the mixture into the tortilla presses.

Cheeto turned to the fish and looked at it very seriously, "So whee meet again, Chu remember me? Yes, its taco time my scaled friends"

Cheeto started cutting the fillets into small strips. His knife flew across the meat with speed and accuracy. It was easy to see that this was not the chefs first time cooking under pressure. He got all the Tuna cut up and then began coating it in the Lime and tequila mixture, he had added a little olive oil so it would be thick and rich. After they were coated up nicely, he fired up the grill pan section of the oven. Then he threw on the pieces of fish and as they began to sizzle he took another shot of Tequila, winking at the judges and smiling widely as he did. His one gold tooth twinkled in the set lights, giving him a very comical appearance.

Everything was going nicely, but Cheeto realized that he needed to think of another dish. Honestly, fish tacos were his first and only idea at the moment. Maybe the stress was getting to him?

 

[Anglkate]

Her next dish she had her sous chefs working on while she was preparing the Poke appetizer. Her main dish was going to be Greek style tuna steaks with pita chips, a side of tzatziki sauce, grilled vegetables, and a Greek salad. Gathering ingredients, she had the sous chefs prepare the salmon steaks. Marinating them in a mixture of oregano, olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. The tuna steaks were put in the fridge to marinate. Now that her Poke was done, Kate took out the marinated tuna steaks, and set them on plates. The sous chefs had prepared some grilling pans on medium-high heat to grill the steaks in. Getting the tuna steaks on plates, Kate tossed them to the chefs as they began to grill them. Meanwhile another group was dicing up various vegetables to make a mix they tossed that into a frying pan with some olive oil and various other spices. Smiling, Kate went over to investigate and add her own flare to it, remembering the grilled vegetables her mother used to make.

"ahh the days" the cameras were whizzing around as she turned and had to quickly duck to avoid head injury. "watch it!" she called and turned having to slightly jump to avoid another crash. Her sous chef threw the pan they were holding in the air as Kate caught it and managed to somehow catch the vegetables (for the most part) in the pan again. Sighing she set it on a burner, "Careful!!" and quickly headed over to her next station.

Normally she would make the dough for pita bread from scratch, but time was short so she had to make due with what she had. Finding fresh pita pockets she cut them into triangles and dusted them with some olive oil on both sides. Sprinkling sea salt and some herbs on top she tossed them into the oven to bake until a light brown. They would be her pita chips.

Meanwhile her sous chefs prepared the tzatziki sauce. A cucumber/yogurt mixture and a great dipping sauce for pita chips or bread. Using greek yogurt, she mixed that with peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber, added some olive oil, salt, pepper, dill, garlic, and a little lemon juice. Making sure it was well mixed, she put it in a container and placed it into the fridge to prepare for serving.

The final piece of her main dish was the greek salad. This was something simple and quick to make. She only required spinach leaves, feta cheese, kalamata olives, tomatoes, onions, and green peppers for the main part. To top it off she would make her own vinaigrette dressing by combining balsamic vinegar, red wine vinaigrette, olive oil, and a little honey. This she would drizzle over the salad to complete it.

With the tuna steaks done, pita chips finished, tzatziki sauce refrigerated, and greek salad put together she only had to plate it. Putting the Tuna steak on the side, she would adorn one edge with a row of pita chips and add the side of tzatziki sauce in a small mound near one end. Next she would add a side of the zesty grilled vegetables, and end with the greek salad in the corner. Cutting a slice of lemon for the tuna she put the slice at the end in case anyone wanted it. Her main dish was now finished. All that was left was desert!

This would prove the real challenge for her, but she had a few ideas that might work. Now it was all down to time...

 

[Lovie the OG]

Matt Brown fixed his glasses as he settled down in his chair next to the other judges. He was a little late, about fifteen minutes, but oh well, they would just have to excuse it. He put his briefcase, (which he carried everywhere with him), down on the floor next to him as he faced the arena, where the chefs would be emerging to. Matt could already smell the ingredients, although they had yet to reveal them. Good, he had gotten here before they revealed the secret ingredient. He was also one of the judges they wanted to interview before the secret ingredient was revealed. Matt clasped his hands together, just as his stomach growled.
Great, he thought. He had not eaten breakfast before leaving that day. He was hungry. At least I'll get some food when it's time to judge. He thought again, as he fixed his tie.

Matt settled down finally, just as a camera man and an interviewer came up to him. "Matt Brown, it is my pleasure to be talking to you." The interviewer, a tall thin, snooty-looking woman with blond hair and hazel eyes, started into the mic. "It is to my understanding," she continued, "that you are the only judge ever to appear on Iron Chef that does not have a some kind of succeeding career. How does this make you feel?" She smiled (a fake smile, easily noticed by anyone. Even dumb people could tell it was fake, unless they were shit-headed with some drug or had too much to drink, but this was a cooking show, why would shit-heads be watching this? So yes, anyone would have noticed this exotic fake smile from this interviewer, that is if she was facing the camera), as she lifted the mic near Matt's mouth.

Matt shifted a bit in his chair before answering, "It is my pleasure to be here." He grinned. "And yes, your understanding is quite correct. I have no famous, succeeding career behind me. And I assure you, I never will. This does not make me feel out of the crowd either. I love food, and so does anyone else in this building and who ever is watching this. It is why I agreed to be here today. Not to mention I simply love watching this show and wishing I could cook like the chefs that appear on here. I even envy them at times." He did a small, casual chuckle. The interviewer rolled her eyes a bit before she faced the camera. "Well! That wraps up this talk! Thank you, Matt Brown!" She said hurriedly as before long she and the camera dude walked out of sight.


Matt grinned to himself as he focused on the arena once more. Then, the host appeared. Matt didn't bother to listen to Takeshi's usual sayings. He just kept his ear in, waiting for the secret ingredient and watching as the chefs began to emerge onto the arena. And then... Takeshi revealed the secret ingredient: Yellow Fin Tuna. Matt's stomach growled from the words. He loved tuna, all tuna. Now he couldn't wait for what the chefs would make with this.
Both of the chefs dove into the kitchen at the same time, getting the ingredients that they needed for whatever dishes they were planning on making and making whatever they could in the fastest speed possible. Matt watched as they battled, each chef concentrated on what they were doing and only what they were doing. They gave no attention to the opponent. Matt Brown liked this about the chefs. Each with stern faces and only focusing on their cooking, their food, and never, not once, looking at their opponent. Matt noticed Kate's Poke. It looked amazingly good, and prepared very well. His stomach grumbled again. He sighed. He never missed breakfast. This just sucked that he was starving while watching food being cooked. The smell of the food didn't help either.

Matt focused his attention to Cheeto. He was...an interesting chef. He was cutting the tuna up in slices then putting them in some kind mix as he added olive oil. He then turned to the judges and smiled, a goofy smile, but not as near as bad as that interviewer's was, and a gold tooth was sticking out of his grin. Matt gave a slight wave to him to be nice. But he wasn't thinking of being nice or respectful, he was thinking, I can't wait to get the food these chefs are going to make down my throat and into my system. I'm starving. He smiled at the chefs, or well, their food.

 

[October Knight]

~Tekashi watched with a pleased expression on his face, this would no doubt be one of the closet battle in Iron Chef history. As he waiting and watched his stomach gave a low grumble at the delicious smells that filled the air~




Grilled Yellow-Fin with pineapple and lime salsa


Cheeto was in a temporary state of panic, although the smile on his face told other wise. He had to come up with a main dish and at the moment he was drawing a blank. Recipes and ingredients were flying through his head as he searched his memory for 'that special dish' that would win the judges over. He needed something perfect, something original some that would blow their socks off with taste and originality. In a flash, it came to him; Grilled Tuna Fillets with a pineapple salsa! His eyes shot open as he turned to his sous chefs.

"Alright, chu guys, fire up that stove top grill." Said the Latin chef as he ran to the ingredients to get a ripe pineapple.

After selecting one he ran back, throwing it on the counter and grabbing some other ingredients he would need for the salsa; Jalapeno, cilantro, ripe tomato, white and green onion and some fresh sea salt. First he began skinning the pineapple. He chopped the top part off and then, holding it lengthwise, began running his knife slowly down the sides, taking care to remove all the outer skin. It was important that he got down to the best meat of the fruit, which was located more towards the center. After removing the skin, he cut it into quarters and then sliced out the tough core. Now he was left with the delicious fruit, which he cut up into small squares.

"Ok, Chu guys." He said turning again to his faithful team of Sous chefs " I am going to whip up this salsa, I want chu to get those fillets ready to grill, remember to use lots of olive oil on them or else the tender meat will stick to the grill, ok?" With that, Chetto took another shot of tequila and went to work finishing up his salsa.

He started chopping the rest of the ingredients with blinding speed and accuracy. First the jalapeno, which he removed the seeds and inner membrane from to reduce the heat. Then the onion, green and white, and lastly the Tomato. He threw them all into a bowl and started adding the dry ingredients. After it was all together he mixed it up, adding a little lime juice to give it some ~Zing~. The pineapple salsa isn't as overpoweringly sweet as some might think. With the added salt and lime juice, it makes the perfect combination of flavor.

Finally he went to the Grill where he began Grilling the fillets. Smoke and fire rose from the grill as he splashed a little tequila over them, it sent a reddish flame high above the grill along with wonderful smells. He squeezed a little lime over the tuna as well as a lite sprinkle of salt and pepper. It didn't take long at all for them to be done.

By this point, Cheetos light brown cheeks had a nice rosy flush to them from the tequila. The slight biz from the alcohol gave him a new found confidence as he started planning out his desert.

 

[megane-kun]

Enchong didn't anticipate the heaviness of the camera he started to lug around the studio. He and his team of cameramen took the left side of the stage, where Kate cooked, while Andoy and his team took the right side of the stage where Cheeto cooked.

The secret ingredient for this show, Yellow Fin tuna, had Enchong wondering, if that's the tuna he'd eaten often in the form of canned tuna, or something else more fancy. It didn't look very similar to canned tuna, he noted, but as for the taste, he didn't know. The contestant, Kate, seemed to have been disquieted too, judging from the reaction on her face. Enchong, however, hid this fact from the camera, and focused on the preparations Kate's team of sous chefs did with the tuna and other ingredients.

Enchong followed Kate as she went to the center of the stage to get some of the best tuna she could get her hands on, almost bumping into one of Andoy's cameramen in the process. But that's a fact of life here in the kitchen arena. Not only are the chefs required to act fast, but the backstage personnel, such as him, need to act fast too, and be deft enough as to avoid any fatal collisions.

Wondering what Kate would do with the tuna, Enchong watched his team run around the left side of the stage, hoping to catch a good shot of the proceedings. When he got his attention back at Kate, he noticed she had in her hands some condiments, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper, and wasabi powder. From what he knew of food, Enchong surmised she was going to make some Japanese, or some Japanese-inspired dish. He imagined her putting the tuna in a soy sauce and wasabi marinade and frying them in sesame oil and sprinkling some sesame seeds on it, just like a quick porkchop, but quickly dismissed that as some boring dish that would most probably be laughed upon in this arena. And when Enchong noticed Kate deboning the tuna and cutting it into steak-sized portions, he was floored. Was he right afterall?! No, not quite, as Kate then cut the fish into cubes and put them in a marinade of soy sauce, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper and other ingredients such as green onions. At least he got the marinading part right, he thought.

Enchong smiled as he was reminded of the fish adobo he tried to make before, with the fish cut into cubes and marinading them for at least a day before putting them into a quick simmer along with some other ingredients. Such reminiscing, however, almost put him out of whack in what he was supposed to do, to capture the cooking process and to bring them to the people watching on TV. He caught himself just on time to see some flying bowl action, which he, and other cameramen on his team, got perfectly, on many angles.

"I am not so sure as wether or not that tossing action would help in the flavor, but it sure is fun to watch," he commented to one cameraman.

------------------------------​

Andoy watched Enchong go ahead as he prepared to face the flamboyant chef Cheeto. He felt he got the short end of the stick, as with all his dealings with Enchong, but, he's got to do his job. After the first five minuites, Andoy was surprised to note that Cheeto wasn't as flamboyant in the kitchen as his stage presence earlier suggested.

Or perhaps he was just not that used to cooking in this kind of kitchen.

Nevertheless, Cheeto seemed to have had his wits in place and quickly proceeded in cooking his first dish. Andoy followed him towards the center of the stage where he almost bumped into Enchong. Enchong, as Andoy noted, was sometimes too airheaded for his job, but he does have his brilliant moments, someone such an airhead couldn't possibly acheive, but anyways, Cheeto got some of the fish, never even bothering to look and inspect them much. "Was he that confident in his skills?" Andoy asked himself as he followed Cheeto back into the kitchen.

It was in the preparation of the ingredients that Cheeto once again showed his, uh, weirdness, or perhaps, stage presence. Andoy almost missed Cheeto talking to his ingredients, but with the help of his team, they were able to capture Cheeto's dialouge with his ingredients before chopping, slicing, and dicing them into bits.

It was hard following Cheeto's team around, for they acted so fast and confidently, Andoy and his team had to play catch up. It was only after the dish was done that the camera team discerned that it was fish tacos that Cheeto's team made for appetizer.

And then a pause. Was Cheeto out of ideas? There was virtually no action from the sous chefs either, indicating that perhaps, they were done working for now. With that lull in activity, Andoy managed to catch a glance of Enchong's camera team capturing the bowl-tossing action in the other side of the stage.

"Damn that Enchong and his getting all the good parts", Andoy thought. He quickly turned his gaze back to his team and shrugged.

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OOC:
that's only for the first dish. the post for the 2nd dish will come soon.

 

[Anglkate]

Glancing at the time, she had just enough for one last dish. The desert portion, but what to make? As her sous chefs were running around preparing things she stood in the middle with her hands on her hips in deep thought. think think think! Everything was going crazy around her as she walked through lost in her own thoughts. The sous chefs made due and dodged beautifully around her as if this were a dance. She'd walked from one side of her kitchen to the other and paused. Suddenly her hands flew up in the air, knocking a pan from a sous chef's hands. Taking the pan she caught the item and handed it back again, only spilling half of it, "well could be worse...but...I HAVE IT!" she grinned deviously as she turned and quickly went to work. It wasn't going to be a grand desert or finishing dish of any kind, but perhaps simple and sweet would do the trick. She would make a sort of spread dip with the tuna ingredient and add to that some sort of toasted bread or bagel to use the spread on. Or perhaps a crack of sorts. Simple and sweet.

There were some leftover grilled tunas. Kate took those grilled tunas and began to puree them until they were a fine paste (of course making sure they were deboned and all first). To the paste, Kate added ½ cup sugar, 2 cups strained Strawberry, pureed, ½ cup heavy whipping cream, and ½ tbsp salt. Blending the odd mixture together it seemed to all fit somehow as she set the mixture and prepared the sides for it. She decided to make bagel chips to go with the creamy spread. Slicing some bagels into thin slices, she placed them on sheets in a single layer. Heating some olive oil in a pan she added garlic for flavor. When the mixture was done she took a pastry brush and dipped it into the sauce spreading it evenly over the bagels. When they were evenly coated she popped them into the oven until golden brown, then flipped them over and let them cook until crisp. Finishing the desert she would have the dip placed in the center with the bagel chips around for dipping pleasure.

With time almost out she went to get the finishing touches done on all of her dishes and waited for the time to run out! Hopefully her dishes would have an edge over Cheetos. But she wasn't really confident. Either way, it was still good food. She smiled at that thought.

((not sure how this would taste, but Aragon gave me the recipe so thanks XD))

 

[October Knight]

Cheeto had no time to check on his competition as recipes and ingredients swam through his head. He searched his memory for anything that would help him come up with a combination for yellow-fin tuna that would make a tasty desert. He poured himself another shot of tequila, savoring the way it seemed to warm him from the inside out as it hit his stomach. Liquor always seemed to help him think, it relieved his stress and helped clear his mind, in small amounts. With another confident smile at the judges, Chetto snapped his fingers and looked back at his sous chefs who were eagerly awaiting his command.

"Ok, I got an idea. Get me a couple of the nicest fillets you can find." With that, Cheeto turned to get some other ingredients. He had finally thought up a desert.

Reaching back in his memory, to the first day he had arrived in Japan, he had eaten at a small cafe that was renowned for its amazing and unique ice creams. They had a wide variety of strange combinations, the one that stood out in his mind was a wasabi ice cream blend; Sounds a little strange at first, but the sweetness of the cream and the slight bite from the wasabi made a very tasty combination. Cheeto planned to combine this with a very carefully made (and very mild) Yellow-fin tar-tar served with a lite sprinkling of yellow-fin caviar. He just hoped his idea would go over well with the judges.

As his sous chefs returned with his fillets, Cheeto was already in the process of making the ice cream, adding just the right amounts of cream and sugar along with a gentle helping of fresh wasabi. The fresh wasabi is much stronger than the processed stuff, but would really bring out the taste of the tuna tartar. Next he began using a small paring knife to take of a fine layer of the tuna, creating a paste that would be used to make the tartar. He added some finely chopped green onion and fresh sea weed for texture. Then he placed the wasabi ice cream over the tops, creating something that looked like this

View attachment 1784

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And with only seconds left, the portions were plated, it was time for the biggest challenge of all: The Judging. Cheeto took a deep breath and thanked his sous chefs. Then he bowed to the judges, just as the buzzer sounded, indicating that the time had come.


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Takeshi walked between the two Chefs, ushering them to join him in the middle of the arena. As he spoke, he addressed everyone in the stadium.

"This has been an amazing match, but now is time for the final segment of today's show."

With that the lights dropped as the sous chefs began preparing to serve the first plate to the judges.


Takeshi spoke again, summing up the dishes that both Chefs had created.


"The Lovely Chef Kate Angel has amazed us all with these delightful culinary masterpieces. And not to forget the always impressive, exquisitely skilled, Chef Cheeto Delgato-Hernandez. Their dishes are as follows, and will be presented to the judges in this order."

Chef Kate Angel

1st: Poke (Poh-kay).

2ed: Greek Style Tuna steaks with pita chips and tzatziki sauce.

3rd: Sweet tuna spread with toasted bagel chips.


Chef Cheeto Delgado-Hernandez

1st: Tequila & Lime Yellow-fin tacos.

2ed: Grilled Yellow-fin with Pineapple salsa.

3rd: Yellow-fin Tartar with fresh wasabi ice cream.


As the two Iron chefs looked on with anticipation, their respective Sous Chefs presented the first entree to the Judges.

Let the Judging Begin!
​

 

[Charbovari]

As the chefs and their assistants proceeded to prepare each of their dishes, the aroma of diverse spices, vegetables and of course, the ongoing presence of tuna in the air being grilled and cooked in various forms, occasionally wafted over to the judges' table. The occasional whiff of fresh tuna and green peppers, or the pleasant smell of charred fish on the grill, each made Mr. Hong nostalgic for times past: gutting fish with his father, or standing next to his mother in the kitchen, handing her vegetables as she prepared the nightly stir-fry. The smells not only made him nostalgic for his youth, he was also getting hungrier by the moment, his mouth watering quite a bit. Mr. Hong took pains to restrain his excitement and put on his most serious, business-like face once again as the stage lights shone on him and the other judges. The moment had finally came to savor the chefs' creations.

1. Appetizers - Des apéritifs

Chef Kate Angel: Poke

As the sous chefs brought out Chef Kate Angel's colorful Hawaiian appetizer on chilled platters, Mr. Hong nodded approvingly. "I once attended a corporate retreat in Honolulu, and remember fondly this dish known as Poke. Where did you learn to make it? I look forward to trying it, Miss Angel." Mr. Hong picked up his fork and scooped up some of the mix, being careful to include chunks of tuna, chopped green onions and red peppers, as well as the soy-based sauce in his forkful. He closed his eyes and took a bite, pausing for a moment before continuing to chew. After a few moments, he nodded and smiled politely at Chef Angel and her staff. "I understand that the time contraints of this competition make it difficult to chill the Poke completely, according to Hawaiian tradition. But the ratio between fish, spice and onions in this appetizer, and the overall simplicity of the dish is quite successful in bringing out the cool freshness and natural flavor of the tuna itself. Well done."

Chef Cheeto Delgado-Hernandez: Tequila & Lime Yellow-fin Tacos

Mr. Hong had noticed Chef Delgado's liberal use of Mexican liquor in the kitchen, grinning at him from a distance at the time. Now was the moment of truth; to find out whether such innovations really amounted to improved flavor, or if it was simply an entertaining flourish on the part of the chef. As the sous chefs presented the fish tacos to Mr. Hong, he noticed with some perturbation that the fish-and-lime mixture was overflowing from the tortillas onto the rest of his plate. Always a finicky eater, Mr. Hong commented with a small laugh, "Ah, a common problem with tacos, the fact that they are unwieldy, yes? Or maybe the availability of Tequila in the kitchen had a role in that? Haha!" Giving up on trying to pick up the taco with his hands, Mr. Hong took his knife and fork, cutting a corner of the taco and raising it to his mouth. As he chewed, his eyes widened, and he looked surprised, as though many thoughts were coming to him all at once. "What a boisterous flavor! The spice, the tangy tuna with lime, and the still-present kick of liquor... I feel like I've just been to a party! My only complaint is that the tuna itself is almost overpowered in this dish by the other spices. But quite an interesting concoction, yes." Mr. Hong nodded to Chef Delgado with a smile.

 

[Zypher]

Natsumi sat quietly as she waited for the chefs to start, her chair was oddly comfortable but she ignored it, she wanted to focus on the exciting dishes but it appeared that one of the chefs had vanished! As she looked towards the other two judges another man burst into the kitchen stadium and made a loud boisterous announcement, complete with a thick accent. He left a rose in front of her and went off to his section of the kitchen. Natsumi giggled and placed the rose off to the side, he was very nice but she wouldn't be swayed by his ways. She was determined to let the cooking speak for itself!

As the secret ingredient was revealed Natsumi let out an oooh and a small cheer, looking between Chef Kate and Chef Cheeto. She knew who she liked better in terms of personality but she was sure the food would be the deciding factor. She watched as the chefs poured their hearts into their meals and even shot glances at the other judges as the chefs cooked. She waited in anticipation as the dishes neared completion and before Natsumi knew it the plates were being carried up to the judges' table.