Monster Blood is Back by R. L. Stine

Author:R. L. Stine [Stine, R.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2021-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

I watched the three judges—Larry, Mary, and Jake—pull their chairs closer to their table. They smoothed down their hair, and adjusted their outfits, and cleared their throats. Getting ready to go on camera.

I told myself not to get nervous. Our casserole dish was solid and simple. But did you ever tell yourself not to get nervous? Then you know it doesn’t work at all. In fact, it makes you even more stressed out!

Hess announced that Sunday and Jackson were to be judged first. Morgan took the tall metal pot off their counter and carried it to the judges’ table.

Courtney set down spoons and soup bowls. Then she ladled the steaming liquid from the pot into the three bowls.

“Sunday and Jackson, please tell the judges what you have made,” Hess said.

They gazed at each other. They couldn’t decide which of them should talk. Then they both started to talk at once. That made them both laugh.

“Sunday, why don’t you explain the dish?” Hess suggested.

She swallowed. “Well, we made a soup. It’s a tomato pasta soup with meat.”

“Kind of a chili,” Jackson added. “It’s chili and soup. We invented it.”

That made Nathan laugh out loud. He’s so totally rude. “Did they invent chili or soup?” he whispered to Ashli. And she laughed, too.

I realized I was gripping the counter edge tightly with both hands. I lowered my hands and backed away.

The judges took their time tasting the chili-soup. Larry had a smile on his face as he tried three or four spoonfuls. Mary had her face scrunched up and seemed to be thinking hard. Jake tasted the dish, then poked his spoon around the food in the bowl, examining it.

Hess stepped in front of a camera. “Okay, judges—what do you think?” he said. “Larry, let’s start with you.”

Larry set down his spoon. “Well, I like the idea of the soup,” he said. “And I think it tastes pretty good. But to me, the tomato overwhelms everything else. I can’t taste the peppers or the cheese. I think you should call this tomato soup. You haven’t succeeded with your chili idea.”

“I agree with Larry,” Mary said. “And I’m finding the soup rather thin. I think you need to spice it up. The green peppers aren’t enough to give it flavor.”

“I loved it,” Jake chimed in. “Of course, I love tomato soup. It’s my favorite. And I think the beef and the pasta and peppers are just an added treat.”

He turned to the other judges. “I would like it a little hotter,” he said. “I like a soup that burns your tongue—don’t you?”

The other two judges shook their heads no.

Hess stepped up again. “Thank you, judges. And thank you, Chef Sunday and Chef Jackson. Next up, let’s sample the dish by Ashli and Nathan. What dish have you prepared?”

“It’s an eggless frittata,” Nathan said. “It’s an Italian dish, a little like an omelet.”

“Only, an omelet is cooked fast,” Ashli added. “A frittata is cooked slower. And a frittata doesn’t have to be served right away.

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