Recipe for Disaster
Epilogue: Love Don't Die
6 months later…
"Get ready for an extreme Chopped showdown," Ted begins as dramatic music plays in the background. "16 returning champions, 5 grueling battles… only 1 chef left standing in the end. Who will take the tournament and the $50,000 prize? And who will be… Chopped?!"
After the beginning introduction of the show plays, Ted picks up for the live broadcast.
"It took exceptional talent and extreme determination to make it to this point in the competition. 16 started out, but now only 4 remain," Ted stated. "Who will be named the ultimate Chopped champion? Let's get re-acquainted with our former winners…"
As I hear the other 3 chefs' introductions play, followed by their appearance in front of their stations, I take a deep breath and prepare myself for my grand entrance.
"My name is Santana Lopez and I am the Executive Chef and Owner of Maribel's in Los Angeles, CA," I start off. "The last time I was on the show, I was pretty anxious going up against these awesome chefs, but I think I handled it pretty well. I was also still struggling with a lot of things going on in my personal life, but I'm happy to say that that's no longer the case."
As my voice over continues to play, a video of my everyday life plays on the screen.
"Since my last appearance, my restaurant became a 5-star eatery, my Chicken Parmesan was featured on an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate", and I received a James Beard award. Even with all of the accolades, the best thing that's happened to me since the last show was getting the chance to re-connect with the love of my life… Brittany! She's my inspiration for everything and whom I'm playing for today."
As I make my way down the hallway and stop in front of my station, I'm curious to know what's hiding inside of this basket. As soon as Ted gives the go ahead, I open my basket and begin to calculate what appetizer I'm going to prepare for the judges. As soon as I see the lamb fries – aka lamb testicles – I know that it's going to be a long day.
At the end of the entrée round, I'm happy to announce that I'm still in the competition.
"Chef Santana, Chef Henry… please open up your baskets," Ted states as the dessert round commences.
Once I open up my basket and see the barley flour, Cola, rose water syrup, and finger limes, I know exactly what I'm going to make. As I immediately run to the pantry to grab the assorted items I need to make my desert, I waste no time diving in, preparing the base for the ice cream I'm planning on making. From that point on, I was like a machine. Nothing could stop me. I'm so close to winning this whole thing that I can taste it. It's not like I need the money either, but I want to win for Brittany. I want to show her how much being loved by her has affected me for the better.
At the end of the 30 minutes, Chef Henry is first to present his dish. He made some type of crumble with macerated fruit. It looked very appealing and the judges seemed to like it a lot. This could mean trouble.
"On to Chef Santana… tell us about your dish," Ted says.
"Judges, what I've made for you today is a play on one of my wife's favorite dishes. In front of you is a chocolate chip pancake with a cherry-rose water syrup, accompanied by a Cola-finger lime ice cream. Please enjoy."
As the judges dig in, I see a lot of head nods and eyes closing I think that's a good thing.
"I must say, this is probably the best ice cream I've ever had on this show," Marcus exclaims. "The texture is just so smooth and velvety… I wish I had more."
I smile and nod my head in appreciation.
"I was a little worried at first when your pancake batter with the barley flour wasn't thickening up, but you managed to pull it off," Alex says. "They're so light and fluffy with a combination of great flavors."
"Thank you Chef," I respond back. Getting a compliment like that from an Iron Chef is mind-blowing.
"Chef Santana… you've really found a way to highlight all of the basket ingredients. You're so fun to watch in the kitchen as well," Amanda says. "Compared to the last time you cooked for us, I can taste and feel the amount of love you put into this. What brings you back here with us today?"
"Honestly, without this show… I wouldn't have the greatest gift in my life," I reply.
"Hmm… I'm intrigued now. How so?" Amanda inquires.
"Well… a few years back, my wife and I were in a terrible car wreck," I begin, trying my best not to break down.
Although everything worked out in the end and me and Britt are happily married now, talking about the accident that took away 6 years of our lives together is still a rough topic to discuss.
"Long story short, she lost her memory and forces beyond our control kept us apart for years. However, on one faithful day, my wife happens to see the episode I was featured in and tracked me down. Even though she still didn't remember me, we were able to re-connect and fall in love all over again. We've been together ever since," I finish up as I wipe the single tear that was beginning to form in my eye.
"Wow… that's incredible," Amanda proclaims.
"Such a beautiful story," Alex adds in.
"Alright, now that the judges have sampled your last plate of food, they will take into account all of the dishes you have presented today and determine who the grand champion will be," Ted states as we nod and head backstage.
After a few minutes of deliberation, Chef Henry and I are summoned back in front of the judges. As Ted lifts up stainless steel lid to reveal the plate beneath it, my eyes widen once I realize that it's not mine.
"Chef Henry… I'm sorry, but you've been Chopped," Ted solemnly announces.
As Marcus explains the flaws in Chef Henry's dishes, my brain is just bouncing around with excitement. I actually did it! I can't believe it.
"And that means, Chef Santana… you are our grand champion!" Ted exclaims. "What are you gonna do now that you have an extra $50,000 in your pocket?"
"Wow… this is incredible!" I state sincerely as my excitement builds up. "I'm definitely gonna use a part of the money to spoil my wife; she's the reason behind everything I do. I'm also gonna set some of it aside for when we start a family," I continue on. "The rest of the money is going to be donated to Keep Memory Alive. It's a foundation that helps improve the lives of patients suffering from brain disorders. Although my wife's memory loss wasn't caused by a disease, we can both relate to how devastating memory loss can be and how much it can affect a person's life and those around them."
"That's very noble of you," Amanda says, trying to dry the wetness forming around her eyes.
"I just wish she was here right now…" I say more to myself than to the judges.
"Well, luckily for you… we can make that happen," Alex says with a smirk on her face.
As I scrunch up my eyebrows, I notice that Ted and the judges are looking at something behind me. As I turn around to see what they're staring at, I see the most beautiful woman in the world approaching me.
"Brittany…" I whisper out as I take a few quick steps towards her and wrap my arms around her, effectively lifting her up off of the ground. "We did it baby!"
"No… you did it, baby!" she retorts. "I'm so proud of you!"
Once those words leave her mouth, I connect my lips with hers in a sweet, celebratory kiss. She immediately smiles into it as we break apart.
"I love you… so much," I state breathlessly.
"Not more than I love you," she sincerely replies.
After we separate from each other, I grab Brittany's hand and lead her over to Ted and the judges.
"You're food was really amazing today," Amanda says as I give her a hug. "Whenever you're in town again, make sure you come visit us."
"I'd love to!"
One year later…
So much has happened this past year.
With some of the winnings I got from the show, Brittany was able to open up her very own dance studio. Originally, she wanted to call it "No Pants" as a play off of 'dancing with no pants on'. However… after I explained to her that parents might be a little reluctant to send their kids to a dance studio that implies that pants aren't being worn, she agreed that perhaps that wasn't the best name for it. After some brainstorming, she landed on "Like No One's Watching…" I immediately love it cuz let's face it… we all do our best and most embarrassing dancing when we think no one else is around.
After only being opened for a couple of weeks, word of Brittany's studio spread like wildfire and sure enough, people were knocking down her door to have a chance to work with the awesome Brittany S. Pierce. I'm so proud of her.
As for me… I've been pretty fortunate.
Besides being able to fall asleep with my best friend in my arms every night, my restaurant has been doing quite well. I guess I made quite an impression on some of the execs from the Food Network because after I was crowned the Grand Chopped champion, they approached me about the possibility of creating my own show. After several meetings of hatching out possible ideas, we finally landed on one.
And just like that… "The Singing Chef" was born.
The concept of my show is showing the audience how to make quick, delicious meals without having to spend an abundance of cash. Basically, I take the most simplest and traditional meals you can think of and help the viewer to elevate it into something better.
The other important element that I wanted to have incorporated in my show was my love for music. Music has always played an important role in my life and since my restaurant has been a staple for new bands trying to display their talent, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to lend a helping hand. Throughout my show as I'm cooking and instructing the viewers at home, the music playing in the background is that of an up and coming band. At the end of the show, the audience is treated to a live performance of said band.
And sometimes, just sometimes … I perform as well.
After I meet with the writers to go over what meal I will be making and what band will be featured in that particular episode, it usually only takes 2 days to film the whole thing. This schedule worked out pretty well for me because it allowed me plenty of time to still work at my restaurant and spend the rest of the time at home with my lovely wife.
It was exactly 2 weeks ago that life changed again… for the better.
I was in the middle of a meeting with my producers when I got an urgent call from Brittany. My phone had been buzzing non-stop inside of my purse for several minutes. As I reached into my bag to just cut the damn thing off, I saw the snippet of a text from Britt that said to call her ASAP in all caps. After I excused myself from the meeting, I called Brittany in a panic. Once she answered and I determined that she was okay, I questioned the reason why she was blowing up my phone.
It was then when she beckoned me to turn around. Once I did, my eyes immediately landed on her and the positive pregnancy test she had grasped in her hand. We had been trying for months to get pregnant with negative results. However, after seeing that pee stick with a plus sign and how my wife's eyes illuminated an already pretty well-lit room, nothing else mattered. As we embraced excitedly about this new chapter in our lives, an idea suddenly popped into my head. With a quick peck on the lips and an 'I love you' leaving my mouth, I ran back into my meeting with a brilliant idea for the musical guest I wanted to be on my next show.
"And that's how you turn classic nachos into something with a little more pazazz," I say into the camera with a wink. "Next up, we have a special treat in store for you. Finally reunited after 10 long years apart, I give you… Loose Change!"
As Brittany counts us in on the drums, Puck revs up his bass while Quinn delicately dances her fingers across her keyboard.
Can't count the years on one hand
That we've been together
I need the other one to hold you
Make you feel, make you feel better
As I start the first verse, I easily strum my fingers on my guitar after not playing for so many years.
It's not a walk in the park
To love each other
But when our fingers interlock,
Can't deny, can't deny you're worth it
It feels so good to have the people I love the most in the same room again. We haven't jammed like this since high school.
Cuz after all this time…
I'm still into you
Even though so much has changed in the past decade, I know that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
I should be over all the butterflies
I'm into you (I'm into you)
And baby even on our worst nights
I'm into you (I'm into you)
Let 'em wonder how we got this far
'Cause I don't really need to wonder at all
Yeah, after all this time I'm still into you
Once we reach the chorus, the others provide background vocals as I continue to sing lead.
Some things just, some things just make sense
And one of those is you and I (Hey)
Some things just, some things just make sense
And even after all this time (Hey)
As we get to the hook, I look back at Brittany and we harmonize the section together.
I'm into you…
Baby, not a day goes by
That I'm not into you…
I sing that part at the top of my lungs to let Brittany know how much I mean it. As the song comes to an end, I mouth 'I love you' to Brittany before I hug the rest of the gang and thank the studio audience for coming out and watching the taping of the episode. I then look back at Brittany and see the glow that they say all women get when they're pregnant. I can't wait to me our little guy or girl when these 9 months pass.
It's so true though…
Even after all of this time and all of the drama we've both had to endure, there's not a single day that goes by that I'm not into Brittany Susan Lopez (formerly Pierce).
Author's Note:
And there you have it guys… the final chapter! I know it's shorter than my other chapters, but I hope you all still enjoyed it. I'm so sad to see this story end, but I'm happy with the way the story progressed. I just want to thank everyone who read this story, followed it, or added it to their favorites. Also, a big thanks to those of you that were kind enough to leave a review… I really do appreciate it. I hope you guys aren't too disappointed with the ending and continue to read my other stories. Anyways, thanks again. Below is a list of the songs titles I used for my chapters (just in case anyone was curious).
-Kris
Songs Used:
Still Into You by Paramore
Song Titles:
Chapter 1 – Beautiful Stanger by Madonna
Chapter 2 – There She Goes by sixpence None the Richer
Chapter 3 – Come See About Me by The Supremes
Chapter 4 – The Hardest Thing by 98 Degrees
Chapter 5 – What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts
Chapter 6 – The Truth by Kris Allen
Chapter 7 – Cry by Mandy Moore
Chapter 8 – Coming Home by New Found Glory
Chapter 9 – Find My Way Back by Michelle Branch
Chapter 10 – God Gave Me You by Blake Shelton
Chapter 11 – A Moment Like This by Kelly Clarkson
Chapter 12 – Beautiful Day by U2
Epilogue – Love Don't Die by The Fray
Disclaimer: I own this story… that's all.