Pancakes & Pandemonium - Culinary Competition Mystery #6

Chapter 1

(Amy)

"Do I smell oregano? If I do, I think you're going to win for the most creative pancake."

The batter Amy was preparing certainly was different than that of standard fluffy and sweet breakfast fare. Hers was filled with lumps, chunks, and flecks of aromatic herbs—nothing at all like any of the pancakes that the other competitors were making. She smiled at the woman who had made the comment then said, "I'm making savory pancakes with shredded potatoes, Greek seasoning, and feta cheese. Sort of like a pancake and a rösti had a baby...in Greece. I had something similar at a restaurant in Bay City once and decided to try to recreate the recipe for this competition."

"Sounds delicious. I can't wait to try them." The woman, with blonde hair cut into a short bob, extended her hand. "I'm Teresa Danner. The owner of the Breakfast All Day food truck out in the parking lot."

Amy shook her hand. "I'm Amy Ridley. I'm a food blogger and, hopefully, soon-to-be-published cookbook author." She tilted her head to the side. "I didn't see a food truck when I stepped outside to get some fresh air a few minutes ago. Did it just get here?"

Teresa sighed loudly as she used a wooden spoon to stir a plastic pitcher full of dark, gingerbread-colored pancake batter. "No, I got here over two hours ago. The truck is in the back parking lot behind the hall. Catherine wouldn't let me set up near the main entrance. Said she doesn't want people filling up on breakfast foods from my truck before the pancake competition begins, so more people will buy tickets to try the samples. I wish she would've let me know that before I paid to be in the bazaar. The only good thing is that now I won't worry so much about having Kim manage the truck by herself while I'm in here since there won't be as much business."

While she could understand the bazaar organizer Catherine's point—it was a bum deal for Teresa. Amy looked around at the aisles crowded with shoppers. "There are a lot of customers here. I'm willing to bet there are plenty of cars parking around back already." She pointed at the hallway that led to the rear entrance of the building. There was a small line of women waiting to pay at the admissions table. "All of those ladies must've come in from the back parking lot."

"That's good to see. I would've done the contest anyway because it's for a great cause. I was just counting on having a nice spot for the truck. Not to get hidden in the back. Good placement means good profits, and that truck is my livelihood."

The Flipping for Freedom contest was raising funds for a nearby women's shelter. People attending the February Fun Bazaar could buy tickets to try all of the pancakes and then vote for their favorites. The proceeds would go to the shelter while the winning pancake maker would receive a goody basket composed of prizes gathered from the bazaar vendors. Amy, Teresa, and four other cooks representing local businesses had come up with their own unique recipes for pancakes. Amy was competing for Riverbend Café, the downtown hot spot where she still worked an occasional shift if the owner, Sophie, needed some help. However, maintaining Amy's Kitchen—her food blog—and testing what seemed like a million recipes had become her morning-to-night focus over the last six months. She was in the final stages of writing her first cookbook. Regular posts on the blog were helping build a fan base before the cookbook was even done. It was the most detailed and difficult cooking project she had ever attempted—and she was in heaven.

In the area around the contest's cooking space, tables were set up in rows to display the offerings from local businesses and artists. A large banner for a booth on the other side of the Knights of Columbus hall stood above all of the crowd, thanks to its aluminum pole frame, touting knives that would never need to be sharpened. While Amy knew the concept of ever-sharp knives wasn't true, the banner gave her an idea. "What about hanging a sign on the wall near that back entrance to let people know your truck is out there?"