Marie Devers
Levi grated lemon zest into the whipped cream cheese and jabbed his pinky in the sweet icing for a sample. He suspected his latest creation required powdered sugar, so he located the canister and sprinkled raw sugar into his concoction. His second taste test revealed that his lemon cream pies were developing perfectly. The recipe had appeared in a simpler form on a teen cooking Web site, but Levi contemplated the recipe for days before attempting it. When he was satisfied that he could make it unique with final touches like lemon zest, he proceeded to the kitchen.
After his family finished Levi's supper—chicken and vegetable stir-fry— Levi placed a miniature pastry before each family member and enjoyed their praise. Levi knew that everyone loved having a creative chef in the family, especially one who volunteered for dinner duty almost every night of the week.
As his relatives dipped their spoons into the cool cream, Levi's grandma spoke up about a flyer she’d noticed in the grocery store. A local gourmet restaurant sought student interns. Before Levi could add his thoughts on the opportunity, his family buzzed with excitement—they unanimously agreed that Levi was the perfect person for the job. Levi's family wouldn't let him neglect the chance to be a chef in an esteemed restaurant.
His sister drove him to the audition—an obstacle course of cooking tests to help the owners of the restaurant select an assistant. At the audition, the head chef explained that an intern's job was to mimic the head chef's menu—not to create a new one; therefore, the students must recreate the restaurant's dishes to earn the job. Levi looked around at the other candidates. He didn't know about them, but trying not to be creative would be difficult for him.
First, the potential chefs had to make an appetizer that consisted of a hardboiled egg drizzled with cheese and herbs. As soon as Levi smelled the finished dish, he knew some salsa would add kick, but he held back—he assembled the dish as the chef had ordered. Next, Levi prepared the main dish—zucchini pasta. Levi wanted to add sausage. His mother made this exact recipe, but with sausage, and it was Levi's favorite meal; however, he held back again. This time he noticed that other applicants jazzed up their recipes, and the chef even complimented them on their creative takes!
When the chef explained the final dish, Levi created it just as the chef directed—a simple whipped cream with strawberries. Levi knew that adding lemon zest and sugar could make the cream phenomenal, but he prepared the dessert and sat silently while the chef tasted his dish. After the final taste test, the chef announced a bonus round where the candidates could create whatever dish they wanted.
"Now," chef said, "is your chance to be inventive."
Levi made the egg appetizer with salsa, the zucchini pasta with sausage, and the strawberries with lemon cream. When the chef arrived at Levi's workstation, he smiled at the buffet of choices.
"Seems like you have innovative ideas about everything," the chef said.
Finally, the chef announced his decision.
"For knowing when to be creative and when to follow my lead, I nominate Levi for the position."
The rest of the owners' comments were a blur. Levi had impressed the chef with his dishes and his creativity! He was on his way to becoming a real chef!
Question
Which of these topics provides the basis for a warranted theme in the passage?
Responses
A competitioncompetition
B achieving big dreamsachieving big dreams
C family relationshipsfamily relationships
D employment opportunities
1 answer
B achieving big dreamsachieving big dreams
This theme is evident as Levi pursues his passion for cooking, goes through the audition process, and ultimately earns a position as an intern at a gourmet restaurant, demonstrating his journey toward fulfilling his dream of becoming a chef.
