Seeking Sugar and Spice

Chincoteague Sunsets Book 1, Seeking Tranquility, “is a deeply satisfying book that will, at the same time, leave you wanting more.” – Blogger and Reviewer, Jessica Castillo

Will twelve chefs bring fame and fortune to Chincoteague Island and its restaurants, or will one jealous competitor bring infamy to them all?

Holly Peterson, owner of the Sand and Sugar Café, is insecure about her abilities in the kitchen. Lorenzo D’Angelo feels unprepared to open his own restaurant, Speziato, on Chincoteague Island. Just as Holly and Lorenzo begin to have confidence in their eateries and themselves, celebrity chef, Gideon Randall, announces his new cooking reality show will take place on the island.

Neighbor vs. Neighbor will be a cooking show like no other, pitting all the chefs on the island against each other in a competition for TV’s top prize in cooking—$100,0000 and a year’s worth of nationwide advertising during all Gideon’s shows. As summer gets underway on Chincoteague, things heat up in the kitchen, at the resort where contestants are sequestered, and in the restaurants they’ve left behind. In a recipe that calls for the perfect combination of sugar and spice, sabotage becomes the main ingredient.

Other Books in the Chincoteague Sunsets Trilogy

Excerpt

“Here we go, everyone,” Gideon said once they were all gathered on set that afternoon. “Remember, you’re all here because you’re good at what you do. You own or work at businesses that people support and want to succeed. Yes, this is a competition, but you are neighbors and colleagues, probably friends. It’s a small island, and no matter what happens here this week, that fact will remain. You may be competing against each other, but don’t let that ruin the quality of life you have here. Just continue to support each other like always, do your best, give it your all, and have fun.”

Holly was a bundle of nerves, and it wasn’t just because she was going to be on national television. She never gave any thought to being in a work area this close to another chef, and she certainly never gave any thought to sharing her space with Lorenzo. It took everything in her to focus on Gideon’s pep talk. She tried a deep-breathing technique that Tori taught her when they came back from their first commercial break. When the red light on the camera was illuminated, she pasted on a smile and listened carefully to their host.

“Your first task will be simple and no nonsense. You’ll be cooking a regular breakfast, but not something I can get at McDonald’s.” The crowd laughed as expected. “I want pancakes, I want breakfast meat, I want eggs, but don’t give me boring buttermilk or crispy pan-fried bacon or scrambled eggs. I want it to be special, with personality and flair. You have a whole pantry full of fours and spices and a refrigerator bursting with flavor. I expect your dishes to reflect that. Everything will remain available to you throughout the competition, but there are limited quantities of some items, so you need to know your ingredients from the start. You have one hour to get this right. And the clock starts now!”

Holly couldn’t believe it when their task had been revealed that morning after their first cooking lesson. She’d spent hours upon hours learning to bake lofty souffles, grill perfectly temped steak, and sauté vegetables she had never heard of. She was not expecting to begin the competition with the meal she did best.