ANNOUNCER APRIL AUDIENCE BAY_CITY_CHEF CAFETERIA_LADY CAR_GPS CELEBRITY_JUDGE_1 CELEBRITY_JUDGE_2 CELEBRITY_JUDGE_3 COOKING_SHOW_HOST DENISE DETER DEXTER DEXTER_DURANT ERIK FRESH GINNY GIO KENNY KEVIN KIMBERLY LAUREN NAN PABLO PAOLO PRINCIPAL_HARRIS RHYS SAN_FRANCISCO SIZZLING SPICY STAGE_MANAGER WORLD_OF_LOVE_PLAYS YOUNG_LAUREN CAFETERIA LADY Next. CAFETERIA LADY Next. YOUNG LAUREN What's today's special, Mrs. Leslie? CAFETERIA LADY Mock-Suey… CAFETERIA LADY …in a brown sauce with soggy noodles. YOUNG LAUREN What's it really made out of? CAFETERIA LADY Honey, I have no idea. CAFETERIA LADY Next. PRINCIPAL HARRIS My office, Hennessey. PRINCIPAL HARRIS Now. PRINCIPAL HARRIS So, half the student body reads this drivel… PRINCIPAL HARRIS …in the school newspaper, and then they won't touch a thing. YOUNG LAUREN Hey, I'm just writing the truth. PRINCIPAL HARRIS Don't be insolent with me, young lady. PRINCIPAL HARRIS Don't… PRINCIPAL HARRIS …you have better things to do with your time? Casting by YOUNG LAUREN I'm preparing for… YOUNG LAUREN …culinary school in Paris, like Julia Child. PRINCIPAL HARRIS You have the brains… PRINCIPAL HARRIS …to go to medical school or law school someday. Why do you want to waste your time… PRINCIPAL HARRIS …slaving over a hot stove? YOUNG LAUREN Because it's what I love. PRINCIPAL HARRIS From this moment on, your column, "School Lunch… PRINCIPAL HARRIS …Confidential,” is shut down. YOUNG LAUREN But that's my access to free speech. PRINCIPAL HARRIS Maybe it will teach you not to abuse the privilege. Now go back to… PRINCIPAL HARRIS …class. A--a bit of advice. PRINCIPAL HARRIS Girls with smart mouths don't get far in life. They just get into trouble. PRINCIPAL HARRIS Good day. DENISE Now, Lauren… DENISE …how many days on prime rib? LAUREN 31. DENISE At two per day, that's-- LAUREN 496 pounds of standing rib roast… LAUREN …380 pounds of onions, 273 pounds of potatoes-- DENISE Okay, slow down. DENISE You were supposed to be off this recipe a week ago. LAUREN But I want it to be perfect. DENISE Perfection is a disease. DENISE It only exists in a climate-controlled lab, not… DENISE …in the home kitchen. DENISE Now, you have been… DENISE …crying every day for the past month. Is it the onions, or is it the job? LAUREN I'm happy here, Denise, really. It's giving me great experience, and I'm saving up for culinary school. DENISE Okay, good, then wipe away those… DENISE …tears, because I tasted yesterday's prime rib, and it was out-of-this-world. DENISE Come with me. Walk with me, talk with me. DENISE Dexter Durant, do you ever watch this guy? LAUREN I prefer shows that are about food. He's selling sex and hair product. DENISE Mm-hmm. DEXTER So let's jazz it out with my firehouse chili... DENISE This was Dexter's audition video for the… DENISE …Ultimate Star Chef Classic Competition. DEXTER Start with some ramps. LAUREN Ramps? What home chef has access to ramps? Just say "leeks." LAUREN This is exactly the type of overwrought, complicated-for-no-reason… LAUREN …cooking that I can't stand. DENISE But he does have a book deal with our corporate parent. DENISE Unfortunately… DENISE …we have not been able to get a page out of him. DEXTER Smells great. DENISE He has fired three ghostwriters, blown off… DENISE …two publication dates. LAUREN Sounds like a train wreck. DENISE I want to pair him with someone who knows how to write and test recipes. DENISE I have been reading your… DENISE …food blog, Lauren… DENISE …and I've been watching your work around here. DENISE I think you would make a wonderful ghost writer. LAUREN Denise, I'm… LAUREN …flattered, but-- DENISE We want social media… DEXTER Fresh leeks. DENISE …involved, and your blog is already… DENISE …plugged into that world. You are… DENISE …the perfect choice on so many levels. LAUREN Ghostwriting is a thankless job. LAUREN Besides… LAUREN …there are people far more experienced than me. LAUREN I really appreciate it… LAUREN …but I have to pass. DENISE If the book gets published, there is a $25,000 bonus. DENISE Last time I checked, that would pay for... DENISE …your first year at Cordon Bleu. LAUREN That is my dream. I've always wanted to study in Paris, just like Julia… DENISE Julia… DENISE & LAUREN …Child. DENISE I know. You remind me every morning. DENISE So… DENISE …is that a yes? AUDIENCE Let's! AUDIENCE Get! FRESH AUDIENCE Cooking! SPICY SIZZLING AUDIENCE Let's… AUDIENCE …get cooking! DEXTER Let's get cooking. ANNOUNCER Ladies and… ANNOUNCER …gentlemen, from Studio… ANNOUNCER …29 in the heart of San Francisco, California, put your hands together for your Bay City… ANNOUNCER …Chef, Dexter Durant! DEXTER Let's get cooking. DEXTER One more tip after all this food we've cooked, you want to glide your blade through whatever you're cutting. DEXTER Don't apply pressure, just let the knife do all the work. DEXTER Okay, when we come back, we're going to cure your fear of frying. KENNY Cut! KENNY And we're out. KENNY That was great, Dexter. DEXTER I know. Thank you. KEVIN I've booked you an aromatherapy session for this afternoon, and then your hydrotherapy session for tomorrow morning, and your organic cleanse-- DEXTER No cleanse. DEXTER No cleanse. APRIL Pages? Where are my pages? APRIL The network is breathing down my neck. DEXTER Look, I'm a little busy. I've got this show, the restaurant. APRIL The network wants to monetize your brand. They can't do that without a cookbook. APRIL So where are my pages? DEXTER It has to be perfect. KENNY Right, 30 seconds! KENNY Places, people. APRIL Okay, I’m speaking to you as your friend and agent. APRIL Don't play chicken with the suits downtown. Talent never wins. DEXTER I'll take my chances. KENNY And we're back! In five… KENNY …four, three, two… FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT’S DEXTER DURANT BAY CITY CHEF DEXTER And we're back with deconstructed fried chicken... DEXTER …that'll make the entire state of Kentucky weep with envy. KENNY Cut! And… FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT’S DEXTER DURANT BAY CITY CHEF KENNY …we're out! DENISE Kenny. I'd like you to meet Lauren Hennessey. She's going to be Dexter's new ghost. KENNY Did you bring your flak jacket? DEXTER Kevin! DEXTER Where's Kevin? DEXTER Here, smell this. DEXTER Breathe deeply, inhale. DEXTER Describe it. KEVIN Cilantro. DEXTER Yes, we all know it's cilantro. What's the aroma? KEVIN Mexican food? DEXTER I have taught you this a hundred times-- everything in my kitchen has a flavor profile. DEXTER Cilantro should evoke citrus… DEXTER …parsley, sage, even black pepper. This... DEXTER …smells like asphalt. DEXTER Thank you. KENNY Excuse me. DENISE Fasten your seatbelt, honey. We're going in. DENISE Dexter Durant, I'd like you to meet Lauren Hennessey, one of the best food testers we have on staff here at Food & Entertainment … DENISE …magazine. DEXTER I don't read Food & Entertainment magazine. No offense, it's a little Suzy Homemaker… DEXTER …for me. LAUREN Well, our magazine isn't for you, Chef. It's for the home cook. And I don't watch your show either, it's a little too alpha male for me. No offense. DENISE I have chosen Lauren to be your new ghostwriter. DEXTER No. No, no, no, I already told you, I don't need a ghost. Are you even a chef? LAUREN No, not yet, but-- DEXTER Then absolutely no. DEXTER Lauren, is it? DEXTER You do science fair projects in the test kitchen. I'm… DEXTER …cooking for real here. LAUREN We offer our readers a valuable service. DEXTER It was nice meeting you… DEXTER …but if you'll excuse me, my schedule is a little tight. DENISE You are my employee, Lauren, not his. DENISE I'm in charge of this project. DENISE You're staying. LAUREN It's going to be fine. DEXTER One of my secret ingredients is coffee, freshly brewed. I find it gives the chili a nice bracing backbone. LAUREN How much coffee do you add to a five-quart stock pot? DEXTER Kenny, I want you to get in nice and tight on this when we're filming, please-- LAUREN Sorry, I just didn't catch the measurement on the coffee? DEXTER Why are you still here? And where's Kevin with my replacement cilantro? DEXTER I don't like strangers in my kitchen. KEVIN Wow, incredible. Best chili ever. DEXTER Thanks, man. DEXTER Let's see what the ghost has to say. Ms. Hennessey? Are you still with us over there? LAUREN Uh... it's got amazing depth of flavor. LAUREN Hints of spice, without sacrificing subtlety. LAUREN The coffee, it's Italian roast… LAUREN …extra strong, probably reduced by half… LAUREN …then added at the end. Educated guess. LAUREN We wouldn't publish your recipe… LAUREN …Chef, because the home cook wouldn't be able to replicate it, not without missing or inaccurate ingredients. But then again, maybe that's your intent. LAUREN Gio Scapellini? GIO Lauren Hennessey. LAUREN How do you know my name? GIO I've seen you around the Test Kitchens… GIO …read your blog. LAUREN Thank you. GIO I think to myself… GIO …this young lady knows how to write. She understands that food is a celebration of life, a celebration of love. LAUREN Um, what are you doing here? GIO I came to watch… GIO …Dexter. I someday hope to have a show like him, perhaps a book deal, and possibly a ghostwriter like you. GIO Until we meet again. GIO Ciao. NAN So... NAN ...how bad was it? LAUREN He's not a horrible guy, per se…. LAUREN …he just expects everyone to live up to his near-impossible standards. NAN Hmm… NAN …sounds like somebody else I know… NAN …huh, sis? NAN Hmm. LAUREN I've dealt with temperamental chefs before. I have a feeling that ghostwriting is going to be 25% writing and 75% baby-sitting. LAUREN Oh, by the way, I ran into Gio Scapellini today. NAN Oh, is he gorgeous or what? We love him at the network, and he tests well across a broad demo. LAUREN Hmm. NAN Last week, you weren't dating anyone, and now… NAN …you have two handsome men in your life. NAN Can I switch bodies? LAUREN One of them is an incorrigible Italian, who will flirt with anyone, and the other won't even acknowledge my existence. LAUREN Switch bodies all you want. All I care about is getting that cookbook delivered on time. NAN Yeah, seriously, can you make this work? LAUREN I actually think that I can learn something from Dexter. LAUREN He cooks with such passion. Oh… LAUREN …you should have tasted that chili today. It was out of this world. NAN Well, these TV chefs… NAN …are not sound investments for us unless they perform on all platforms. LAUREN You sound so corporate, Nan. NAN He accepted… NAN …a lot of money from us for a book advance, and there's nothing to show for it. NAN He's… NAN …reckless. LAUREN I got it. I'll be careful. NAN Okay. I want you to get to Paris, I just don't want you… NAN …to get hurt in the process, okay? LAUREN I can take care of myself. LAUREN It's going to be fine. NAN Okay. DEXTER She's an amateur food writer who knows absolutely nothing about cooking. DEXTER Pork roast up on two. DEXTER I want more garnish on that before it goes out. ERIK Dj says she was really hot, man. DEXTER Ah, recipe testers are like trained monkeys, they keep doing the same thing over and over again… DEXTER …until eventually… DEXTER …they drop dead. She'll be gone in a week, trust me. LAUREN Hello? DEXTER Lauren, hey, it's Dexter Durant. I felt like we got off on the wrong foot today. I want to apologize. LAUREN Thank you. I wasn't expecting that. DEXTER Well, why don't you come by my restaurant before we open tomorrow? We'll have a drink, we'll start fresh. LAUREN I've always wanted to check out Vertigo, but reservations are impossible. DEXTER Well, that's not a problem anymore. I'll see you at 4:00. LAUREN Hmm. LAUREN I love that Julia Child… LAUREN …put herself through culinary school when it was mostly men. DEXTER Ah, the whole… DEXTER …Cordon Bleu experience… DEXTER …is overrated if you ask me. Culinary… DEXTER …schools produce nothing but generations… DEXTER …of glorified food chemists, slaves to the recipes. LAUREN Some of our greatest chefs went to… LAUREN ...cooking school. DEXTER Throw Caution To The Wind. LAUREN Excuse me? DEXTER That's my signature cocktail. It took me two years to perfect that. LAUREN Oh my, that's amazing. LAUREN It's refreshing… LAUREN …yet herbal. DEXTER You know… DEXTER …I've been thinking a lot about our collaboration. DEXTER One of the problems with being a ghostwriter is… DEXTER …you never get to work on your own stuff. LAUREN I'm used to working on other people's recipes in the test kitchen. In fact, we're not supposed to-- DEXTER Spread your wings? DEXTER Isn't that what you really want to do? LAUREN Yes, of course. When I'm ready. LAUREN When I've been to culinary school. LAUREN When I have some more experience. DEXTER When… DEXTER When… When... what? What are you waiting for? LAUREN I want to do this book, Dexter. DEXTER It could drag on… DEXTER …for months. Your spot in the test kitchens might not be waiting for you. LAUREN I appreciate your concern, Dexter, but your reverse… LAUREN …psychology is not going to work on me. LAUREN I'm staying. DEXTER Finish your tenure in the test kitchens. DEXTER Then get out and start cooking for yourself. All right? Cook your own recipes, cook… DEXTER …your own vision, your own future. LAUREN I'm tasting ginger… LAUREN …and some bitters, homemade maybe. If we're going to include this in the cookbook… LAUREN …I need to know everything about it. So tell me about these juniper berries. DEXTER It's not going to be in the cookbook, all right? DEXTER Those ingredients are proprietary… DEXTER …not going in the cookbook. The fact that we're talking about the cookbook makes me not want to have a cookbook. DEXTER No cookbook. I'm not-- I’m not… DEXTER …doing a cookbook. DEXTER No. DEXTER I'm done. Yup. LAUREN Good morning, everyone. LAUREN You soaked the juniper berries in gin… LAUREN …to intensify their flavor. DEXTER This is amateur hour. LAUREN I give you... LAUREN …Throw Caution to the Wind… LAUREN ...2.0. KENNY Come on, Dexter… KENNY …taste it. DEXTER Impossible. DEXTER You paid someone on my staff, you put Erik… DEXTER …up to this. LAUREN Chapter One, Page One. "Cocktails." DEXTER Shut it down, Kenny, I'm done. KENNY What? KENNY The crew's waiting. I can't blow the schedule! KENNY Dexter? KENNY You can't leave now. KENNY You've got to prep for Good Morning, San Francisco! KENNY Look, lady, there's a lot of us around here counting on Dexter Durant. Don't screw this up. LAUREN I thought I was doing the right thing. LAUREN How did I do? LAUREN Unbelievable. LAUREN Good Morning, San Francisco, and you're late? DEXTER Uh-huh. LAUREN They want us to start with appetizers as a preview of the cookbook. LAUREN I've got garlic and fresh tomatoes for Bruschetta. I've already typed up the recipe and given it to the hosts. DEXTER I hate this dog-and-pony stuff. APRIL Where have you been? APRIL You're on in five minutes. DEXTER Ugh, look at these bags under my eyes. APRIL You were at the restaurant late… APRIL …last night? You knew… APRIL …you had to be up early. DEXTER Thanks, Mom. APRIL Oh! Jeez... LAUREN It's a lot of work, being you. DEXTER You have no idea. DEXTER Just-- Okay… DEXTER Yeah-- DEXTER Okay, can you just... Can you-- DEXTER I need a moment. Can I-- A moment, please? STAGE MANAGER Okay, people, places, please! We're about to go live. DEXTER Showtime. RHYS Good morning… good morning SAN FRANCISCO RHYS …San Francisco. I'm Rhys Alexander. KIMBERLY And I'm Kimberly Caldwell. RHYS And today, we have Chef Dexter… RHYS …Durant on our show. good morning SAN FRANCISCO RHYS Welcome. DEXTER Thank you. KIMBERLY Looks like our celebrity chef isn't used to… KIMBERLY …getting up this early. RHYS Well, we all can't be morning people like us. good morning SAN FRANCISCO KIMBERLY Not like you and me, of course. RHYS So tell us, Chef Dexter… good morning SAN FRANCISCO RHYS …what is the first thing you say when you… RHYS …step into the kitchen? DEXTER Uh, "Let's get cooking!" KIMBERLY Whoo! KIMBERLY Yes! RHYS Okay. APRIL How's the manuscript coming? LAUREN I've basically been banished from the kitchen at Vertigo. He won't give me recipe proportions… LAUREN …for anything… LAUREN …and he treats me like his assistant, not his writer. It's like he doesn't even want to do the book. APRIL He has got… APRIL …a lot riding on this. LAUREN We both do. APRIL Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you had a TV show up for renewal. APRIL Forgive me. APRIL The network won't guarantee him another season… good morning SAN FRANCISCO APRIL …without that book. I expect to.… APRIL …see some pages soon. STAGE MANAGER Two, one-- and we're live! DEXTER All right… DEXTER …I've got some fun, fast… good morning SAN FRANCISCO DEXTER …easy recipes. Foolproof, too. DEXTER If you've got a big date coming up, and you want… DEXTER …to impress that special lady or dude, I've got… DEXTER …something for you right here. DEXTER Here we go. DEXTER All right. good morning SAN FRANCISCO DEXTER So you want to cut that basil… DEXTER …nice and fine, put that in. good morning SAN FRANCISCO DEXTER A little garlic… DEXTER …you want to smash that. DEXTER Smash! DEXTER Garlic smash. DEXTER Put that in. good morning SAN FRANCISCO DEXTER All right, good for the immune system. DEXTER You know what I'm saying. DEXTER Okay, so now a little help… good morning SAN FRANCISCO DEXTER …from a chef's best friend... good morning SAN FRANCISCO KIMBERLY Uh... Oh! Oh! KIMBERLY Uh, um, uh… KIMBERLY Uh, uh…oh. good morning SAN FRANCISCO KIMBERLY Ooh, um, we are just going to clean this up, and we'll be right back. LAUREN Hey, hey, hey… LAUREN …where are you going? DEXTER This is ridiculous. DEXTER I'm done. LAUREN No, you can't. This is… LAUREN …live, and we have to promote the book. LAUREN Look, just act natural, go with the… LAUREN …flow. It makes you seem sort of appealing. DEXTER Thanks? LAUREN Okay… LAUREN …look... LAUREN When the going gets… LAUREN …tough... LAUREN …the tough make bruschetta. STAGE MANAGER And we're back in five… STAGE MANAGER …four, three, two… STAGE MANAGER …one. good morning SAN FRANCISCO RHYS I guess professional chefs aren't immune to kitchen disasters. KIMBERLY Yup. DEXTER Well, mistakes are a part of life. KIMBERLY Yeah. DEXTER When life gets tough, the tough make bruschetta. good morning SAN FRANCISCO KIMBERLY So what are we doing next, Chef? DEXTER Well, next time I visit, I think I'll wear a hazmat… good morning SAN FRANCISCO DEXTER …suit. KIMBERLY That's a good one. Okay… good morning SAN FRANCISCO KIMBERLY …when we come back, we are going to taste this… KIMBERLY …delicious bruschetta… good morning SAN FRANCISCO KIMBERLY …but first, let's toss it over to Mary-Jo Olsen… KIMBERLY …who's with the man with the world's largest collection… good morning SAN FRANCISCO KIMBERLY …of stuffed cats. RHYS Wow. KIMBERLY I know. STAGE MANAGER And we're out! APRIL Yes! APRIL They… APRIL …loved you. How did you come up with that bruschetta line? APRIL You're brilliant. DEXTER Yeah, it just sort of came to me. LAUREN Nan, I'm telling you… LAUREN …you should see the routine he goes through to transform himself. LAUREN It's exhausting. I have a feeling there's another Dexter Durant beneath all that hair product. LAUREN Anyway, I'm… LAUREN …heading over to Vertigo tonight to get him to try to work with me. Wish me luck. LAUREN Smells great. DEXTER The dinner crowd was crazy, and I'm still not done with these appetizers. LAUREN Well, we need something for The Taste of San Francisco tomorrow. They're sending… LAUREN …a car at 8:00. DEXTER This is a new recipe, all right? It's giving me a little… DEXTER …trouble. There's an element that's missing. LAUREN Look, then… LAUREN …let me help. LAUREN You can say you don't need me all you want, but I'm not going anywhere… LAUREN …and I can help you. You saw what I did this morning. DEXTER Can you cut potatoes? LAUREN Absolutely. How many pounds? DEXTER Two handfuls. DEXTER And can you… DEXTER …just, like... DEXTER …back up? DEXTER Yeah, it's a little frustrating. DEXTER I can't concentrate. LAUREN 13.5 ounces. DEXTER How do you do that? LAUREN I just see everything in terms of weight and volume. It's like the numbers are floating around, waiting for me. DEXTER All right, well, two handfuls, not a two-page explanation. LAUREN So, that Good Morning, San Francisco video, it's already up to two million hits. You're a natural on camera. LAUREN You know, something struck me this morning. When the blender went crazy… LAUREN …and stuff went everywhere-- your reaction was very honest and vulnerable. LAUREN Then you went back to playing Dexter Durant. DEXTER Are we going to cook, or are we going to talk? LAUREN And you're obviously very good at it, because you're doing it again now. DEXTER Okay, you know what? I think we're done here. DEXTER It's time for you to go home. LAUREN Dexter, we have so much work to do. DEXTER I'm going to finish up on my own. Thank you for your help. LAUREN No-- DEXTER Out you get. I'm going to do it on my own. Thank you. LAUREN Dexter. LAUREN Dexter... DEXTER Okay, all right. DEXTER Okay... LAUREN Dexter? I hope you're ready. The car's going to be here soon. LAUREN Dexter? LAUREN Dexter? LAUREN “Four pounds of onions.” DEXTER What are you doing here? LAUREN Morning, sunshine. Do you have an extra change of clothes? The car will be here any minute. DEXTER Uh, no, we've got to cancel… DEXTER …Lauren, this was a disaster. I was up all night. DEXTER Just throw all this out. LAUREN I don't think so. DEXTER That's incredible. DEXTER What did you do? You, uh, you infused the cream with something? LAUREN I added saffron and cayenne. I thought the base notes could use a little reinforcing. DEXTER Huh... And you--you came up with this? LAUREN Necessity is the mother of invention. DEXTER Saffron. Why didn't I think of that? LAUREN So, we are going to do… LAUREN …this until we finish all eight chapters. LAUREN Come on. The Taste of San Francisco… LAUREN …awaits. DEXTER Brilliant. DEXTER Absolutely brilliant. CAR GPS Approaching Durant residence on your left. You have arrived at destination. LAUREN Dexter? LAUREN Dexter? LAUREN Hi. DEXTER Oh, hey. You're early. LAUREN This place is incredible. DEXTER Yeah, it's my little acre of heaven. Here, I got something for you. Here. LAUREN Mm, delicious. DEXTER Right? These will be on someone's dinner plate tonight. DEXTER Actually, most of the produce I use at the restaurant, I grow right here. You know, it's my secret… DEXTER …to success, use only the best ingredients. And thanks for coming all the way out here, by the way. I know it's a bit of a haul. LAUREN Oh, that's okay. I love the city, but it's nice to be able to come out here and escape. DEXTER And thanks for, you know, really stepping it up. LAUREN Excuse me? DEXTER Well, you saved the day during Good Morning, San Francisco… DEXTER …you rescued my baked-potato appetizer… DEXTER …and it really took guts. LAUREN Thank you. DEXTER Anyway, let's go get these cleaned up, what do you think? DEXTER All right. LAUREN Lavender. When I get to France someday, I'm going to smell the real thing. DEXTER That is the real thing. Come on. LAUREN This is not at all what I was expecting. DEXTER And what were you expecting? LAUREN Big architectural pieces, leather furniture, a lot of mirrors. DEXTER Yeah, well… I'm going to go jump in the shower, we'll get started. DEXTER Make yourself at home? Okay. LAUREN Hmm. DEXTER ...So after my folks split up… DEXTER …my mom, my sister, and I, we pretty much had to fend for ourselves. My mom got a second job at night. DEXTER We had a modest kitchen… DEXTER …no fancy bread-makers or forged-steel knife sets. DEXTER My sister, Diane, and I, when we got home from school, we'd go to the fridge to see what was there. DEXTER I knew my mom would be exhausted when she got home from work, so I decided to help. I'd invent dinner from whatever I could find… DEXTER …in the fridge. DEXTER I'd just cook from the heart. It was the only kind of cooking I knew. DEXTER Food is the love that kept my family together. DEXTER My name is Dexter Durant, this is my story. LAUREN Hey. DEXTER Hey. LAUREN So do you have a no-shoe policy? DEXTER Uh, I leave my work shoes at work. There's nothing better than walking through the garden barefoot. DEXTER I mean, we're in the country. Anything goes. There are no rules. LAUREN Hmm. I feel liberated already. DEXTER Right? LAUREN There's something I want to ask you about. DEXTER Later. Right? You want to talk recipes? You want to discuss the book? Then it's time to cook. DEXTER Have you eaten today? LAUREN Does a protein bar count? DEXTER No, it does not. DEXTER Let's go. DEXTER It's the simplicity of salad that most people miss. DEXTER They lard it up with so much stuff, and then pour all that bottled dressing all over it. We can do better. LAUREN You know, when I was a kid, my favorite thing was eating tomatoes right off the vine. DEXTER Yeah. DEXTER I like to cut these close to the base to, uh-- LAUREN Leave a little to encourage… LAUREN …new growth. DEXTER Yeah. DEXTER Oh, that's fresh. All right, let's get some other vegetables. We've got some green beans, some Persian cucumbers here. DEXTER Be careful not to bruise the greens… DEXTER …when you're submerging them. DEXTER You love... DEXTER …that little notebook, don't you? LAUREN Always have, ever since I was a kid. DEXTER Well, no more hiding… DEXTER …behind that keyboard. Come here, I could use a hand. DEXTER These leeks need a good… DEXTER …dunking. Don't be afraid to get a little wet. You're not going to melt. LAUREN Okay, uh... DEXTER Okay, here… DEXTER …sorry. DEXTER The reader's going to… LAUREN …want to know exactly how much salt. DEXTER Okay, you decide. You make the dressing. LAUREN Oh, no, I couldn't. DEXTER No, let's switch places. DEXTER You cook, I'll take notes. LAUREN I'm fine. Really. DEXTER Do I make you nervous? LAUREN No. Not at all. DEXTER All right. DEXTER The secret is in the ingredients, the technique is simple. DEXTER Grab that Spanish olive oil… DEXTER …right over there. DEXTER Now… DEXTER …what do you want to add to it? LAUREN Um... LAUREN You know, I really shouldn't be doing this, this is your recipe-- DEXTER Wrong answer. DEXTER You've got the whisk… DEXTER …you're the chef. DEXTER You're at home, what do you want to… DEXTER …make for yourself? LAUREN I would add some shallots, some chives-- DEXTER Okay, stop right there. Shallots? How much? DEXTER And chives, one tablespoon or two? LAUREN Half a medium shallot, and one tablespoon of chives. LAUREN We don't want to overpower the dressing. DEXTER Great. Keep going. DEXTER Oh, this bread smells incredible. DEXTER You hungry? LAUREN Always. DEXTER Let's go. LAUREN Cheers. LAUREN To Chapter Three. LAUREN "Salads." LAUREN We got a lot done today, 15 pages. LAUREN You know, seeing you out here… LAUREN …in this environment, it kind of shook loose some ideas… LAUREN …for the cookbook. You know… LAUREN …I think this approach has been all wrong… LAUREN …this tough guy you play on TV. LAUREN I have something else in mind. DEXTER Okay, if we're going to be collaborating like this... DEXTER …I owe you an apology. DEXTER I said some very... DEXTER …stupid and hurtful things… DEXTER …since we met… DEXTER …and I want to apologize. I'm sorry. LAUREN Thank you. I really appreciate that. LAUREN Since we're being so candid… LAUREN …I have something to confess. LAUREN While you were in the shower today, I found your video for the Ultimate Star Chef… LAUREN …Classic, and I watched it. DEXTER So you did make yourself at home. LAUREN I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, but I did. You know, it's totally different from the one that the network has. DEXTER Yeah. DEXTER That's a long story, Lauren. LAUREN We haven't even started dinner. DEXTER Okay. You want to know my big secret? DEXTER I hate him. DEXTER I hate him, "Dexter Durant, Celebrity Chef." LAUREN That's who the public thinks you are. DEXTER That video you saw… DEXTER …that was the first one I shot, and when I submitted it to the competition, they said that if I had any hope of winning… DEXTER …I needed more "edge." DEXTER My dad always said I was never going to amount to anything. DEXTER I always felt like I was never good enough… DEXTER …like I was always a disappointment. I was a busboy. DEXTER I had a lot of student loans. I had a food truck that needed a new engine. DEXTER You know, I'd--I'd seen James Dean in Rebel Without… DEXTER …a Cause. So I created this character, and… DEXTER …well, that's where "Dexter Durant" was born. DEXTER I re-shot the video the next day, sent it in… DEXTER …and the rest is history. LAUREN So it's all an invention? DEXTER Just a fake, fraud… DEXTER …and now, it's spun… DEXTER …wildly out of control. LAUREN Is that why you come to this place, to protect yourself? DEXTER To protect myself from the guy I created. DEXTER It's like I said, we're in the country, anything goes. DEXTER There are no rules. DETER Come on. DEXTER It's beautiful. LAUREN No way. You're crazy. DEXTER It's amazing! DEXTER Come on. LAUREN I included some photos that I shot on Dexter's farm. Did you know he lives on a farm? DENISE Really? LAUREN It made me realize that there's this whole side of him that we're missing, so I paired some of my photos with recipes as an example. I deviated from the original idea-- DENISE Yes, yes, Lauren, I do appreciate your efforts. Um, why don't you leave this with me, and I'll have a look at it. You know, we miss you… DENISE …in the test kitchen. We are keeping your spot warm just in case. Okay? Bye now. DEXTER ...I'm sorry to say this, but who's the one with the show here? Me or you? KENNY The audience won’t even know. LAUREN Uh-oh. What's wrong? GIO Ah, pazzo, he bought the wrong fish. DEXTER No… DEXTER I said wild Copper River Salmon. DEXTER That's farm-raised. KENNY It's all they could get. They won't have Copper River until next week. Besides… KENNY …no one outside the audience is going to know. DEXTER I will. It's my number-one rule. DEXTER "Always use the finest ingredients." I say it in every episode. DEXTER We have a responsibility to the viewers. LAUREN He's right, Kenny. KENNY I'm not going to bump the schedule for some fancy… KENNY …fish to fly in from Alaska. KENNY We've got an audience coming in at 3:00, and they're expecting salmon. LAUREN Okay, here's a thought. We're supposed to shoot bread tomorrow, but we've got the sourdough starters ready, so why not shoot… LAUREN …it today? KENNY We rehearsed salmon for this show. We need the overhead rig for bread, and it's not set up. KENNY It's salmon or nothing. DEXTER No, Lauren's right, why are we going to waste-- KENNY Salmon! DEXTER No. KENNY Somebody get the network on the phone. They're not going to like this… KENNY …Dexter. You're costing them money. DEXTER This is not my fault. If I ran my restaurant this way... GIO Hey, how's about a drink, huh? Take your mind off things. Besides, it's my turn to buy. DEXTER No, thank you, Gio. I'm a little… DEXTER …wound up. GIO Buonasera. GIO Lauren, very nice to see… GIO …you again. GIO Ciao, bella. LAUREN You know, he hangs out here an awful lot for someone who's not on the payroll. DEXTER He likes the vibe. He's learning the tricks of the trade. LAUREN He probably has a man crush on you. DEXTER Great, another day wasted. LAUREN Hey, I have a thought. Since we're already here, why don't we work on the cookbook? DEXTER Uh, no. LAUREN We could do bread. I've got my camera-- DEXTER I don't feel like going through make-up and wardrobe-- LAUREN You don't have to. That's actually what I was just talking to… LAUREN …Denise about. I want you unvarnished. DEXTER What does that even mean? LAUREN Candid. Barefoot. LAUREN Washing vegetables in the sink. DEXTER Nobody wants to see that. LAUREN I think you're wrong. DEXTER Well, it doesn't sound very appealing to me. LAUREN Okay, why don't you trust me to do my job? LAUREN No costumes. Just you. It'll be fun, I promise. DEXTER You put a lot of thought… DEXTER …into this. LAUREN Well, if you're going to push the envelope… LAUREN …might as well do it right. LAUREN Take off your shoes. DEXTER This feels… DEXTER …strange. DEXTER I don't know, doesn't it seem boring? LAUREN Mm-mm. LAUREN Looks great. Now, how… LAUREN …can I help? DEXTER Um, flour. LAUREN Okay. LAUREN Thank you. DEXTER W-w-what are you doing? LAUREN I'm measuring the flour. Oh, come on, measurements and temperatures are crucial to baking. You can't just throw in a couple handfuls of this and a dash of that. DEXTER I agree, but today, we're going to learn to cook from the soul, not from the scale. DEXTER Did you ever make mac and cheese as a kid? LAUREN Sure. DEXTER Mm-hmm, and I bet you made your first batch before you read the box. LAUREN Yes, that's true. DEXTER How did you navigate? You used your hands… DEXTER …used your eyes. You relied on your natural instinct for cooking, right? LAUREN I… LAUREN …suppose so. DEXTER Mm-hmm, okay, so today, we're going to re-instill that natural instinct. Culinary school can teach you everything about the science of cooking… DEXTER …but a real chef cooks from the heart. DEXTER Okay. LAUREN Dexter, you do realize I have to translate this all into a recipe at the end of the day? DEXTER And you will. Do you trust me? LAUREN Yes? DEXTER Close your eyes. LAUREN No way. LAUREN I still have to take pictures. DEXTER And you will. DEXTER Later. We'll take all the photos you need. Close your eyes. DEXTER You said we'd be having fun. I'm not having any fun yet. DEXTER Come over here. LAUREN Where are we? What are we doing? DEXTER Shh, no more questions. I want you to tell me what 80 degrees feels like. Here. DEXTER How's that? LAUREN Warmer. DEXTER And there? LAUREN It's almost there. DEXTER You are good. That's 79. DEXTER Come on back over. All right. Now, here we go. Ready? DEXTER Now, I'm just going to add a little salt. LAUREN Okay. DEXTER Okay. Now, I want you to make an indentation in the mound. DEXTER Mm-hmm. I'm going to pour a little water into that well, and I want you to mix it together with your hands. LAUREN Dexter, I can't see. It's going to make a huge mess. DEXTER Yes, the bigger the mess, the better. DEXTER It's time for you to get messy. Get in there. DEXTER Good. LAUREN I've never felt it come together like this. DEXTER That's the gluten fibers aligning. DEXTER Here, don't be afraid to get into it. Let me show you. LAUREN It feels incredible. DEXTER Yeah. We're getting there. DEXTER Okay, we're just going to let that rest for a minute. LAUREN Can I open my eyes? DEXTER No. Turn towards me. LAUREN Dexter, we shouldn't. DEXTER We should. NAN All the department heads… NAN ...were there, and Denise was talking about how Dexter has become a liability, and it's time to cut him loose. LAUREN I thought his ratings were huge? NAN Well, they were solid for the first three years, but they've been eroding… NAN …and Dexter's become… NAN …a pain to deal with, and we still have no cookbook. LAUREN We're making progress, Nan. NAN Gio's pushing really hard… NAN …for Dexter's time slot. We're putting him in a competition special against Dexter to test his numbers. NAN Okay, this cannot leave this room… NAN …but... NAN …they're talking about canceling Dexter's show. LAUREN I thought things were going so well for us. NAN You need to let go… NAN …of trying to control everything. Nothing's ever going to be perfect. LAUREN It's sort of complicated. NAN Oh, you've fallen… NAN …for him, haven't you? NAN Ugh! NAN Don't lose sight of… NAN …why you are doing this. Keep your eyes on the prize. And it is not him. DEXTER Now, there's something primal about our desire to cook meat over an open flame. DEXTER Maybe it reminds us of our primitive DNA. DEXTER Or maybe… DEXTER …it reminds us of Dad at the grill on Saturday afternoons. KENNY And… KENNY …cut! LAUREN You know I think we should-- KENNY Great idea. KENNY Let's get some new steaks on the grill. That was good. KENNY Perfect. DEXTER Yeah, I know. KENNY All right, let's set up the next shot! GIO Buongiorno, Durant Durant. How are you? DEXTER Good to see you. Good to see you, yeah. GIO You look good, you look good, yeah. DEXTER Yeah, thanks. GIO Ciao. DEXTER Huh? How amazing is this? It's so nice to be outside of the studio. LAUREN Can I talk to you about something? DEXTER Yeah. What's wrong? LAUREN I don't like Gio hanging around set. LAUREN He's been asking questions about… LAUREN …Kenny, and your art director. I think he's trying to poach… LAUREN …your crew. There's rumors… LAUREN …he's getting his own show. DEXTER Are you kidding me? DEXTER It's not going to happen. LAUREN You have no idea what they're talking about behind… LAUREN …the scenes. GIO Yes, yes, I like. I like. GIO I want the set to be like me-- fresh… GIO …exciting. GIO Okay? I like what you've done here, it's nice. DEXTER Three years ago, when I first got to the network… DEXTER …the top slot was occupied by Down Home Cooking With Peggy Sue. LAUREN I remember her. She was all fried chicken and grits, and then she just disappeared. DEXTER The network brass decided that she wasn't sexy enough… DEXTER …that her audience was graying too fast. DEXTER So they had me do a guest spot, and then another, and another. They knew all along. I'm the new Peggy Sue. LAUREN Don't say that. DEXTER April's been trying to warn me… DEXTER …forever, I've just been too headstrong. DEXTER This is hopeless. LAUREN Well, then, all the more reason to hunker down on the cookbook. We can get a couple more chapters written, and submit it-- DEXTER No, there's not going to be a cookbook, Lauren. DEXTER I mean, you have great ideas, you do, it's just... DEXTER …I need to go back to what I'm good at…. DEXTER …standing behind a stove at Vertigo. LAUREN Dexter... LAUREN Dex! DEXTER I'm going to the kitchen. LAUREN Are you okay? LAUREN I've been worried about you. DEXTER I just like to get in the kitchen and clear my head. LAUREN You're not cooking… LAUREN …your last meal, are you? DEXTER What does roast chicken mean to you? LAUREN Holiday dinners with my family. LAUREN My grandmother helping my mom in the kitchen. LAUREN The whole house smelling amazing. LAUREN Not a care in the world. DEXTER It's childhood, family and security. LAUREN Say that again. DEXTER Childhood, family and security? LAUREN That's the essence of your cookbook. LAUREN You, teaching us to connect to… LAUREN …childhood, family, security through food. That's it. So, what does roast chicken mean to you? DEXTER There's no special meaning. DEXTER It's just a dish that I rotate on my menu every Sunday night. LAUREN Oh, come on… LAUREN …it has to mean something. We connect to our families through food. What about you? DEXTER You do not want to go down that road. LAUREN Dex… LAUREN …we all have baggage from our pasts, but that stuff with your dad, that was ages ago. DEXTER And it's not that easy just to walk away from it. LAUREN I'm not saying walk away from it. I'm saying... LAUREN …embrace it. LAUREN I'll call you later! LAUREN Hi, my name's Lauren… LAUREN …Hennessey and I'm from Food & Entertainment magazine. We're doing a story… LAUREN …on Dexter Durant, and I wondered if I … LAUREN …could speak with his father? GINNY Wyatt died last year, very sudden. Heart attack. GINNY He would never go to the doctor. He always knew more than… GINNY …the experts. LAUREN I'm sorry, I didn't know. GINNY Dexter brought me flowers after… GINNY …the funeral. I barely knew him, but we sat on the sofa and he held my hand. Sweet boy. LAUREN He doesn't let the world see that side of him. GINNY Just like his father. Hard as nails. GINNY You know, Wyatt missed those kids every day. LAUREN Dexter… LAUREN …feels like he was a disappointment to him. GINNY A disappointment? GINNY Let me show you something. GINNY Wyatt loved… GINNY …his son so much. He kept everything… GINNY …that boy ever did. LAUREN Wyatt was so handsome. LAUREN He looks just like Dexter. GINNY And… GINNY …so damn proud of him. LAUREN I don't understand. LAUREN Wyatt went through a lot of effort here, so why didn't he stay in touch? GINNY I think his kids were a reminder… GINNY …of his own personal failures. He thought they were better off without him. LAUREN Has… LAUREN …Dexter ever seen this? GINNY No, I just found it… GINNY …last month out in Wyatt's workshop. GINNY Wyatt loved… GINNY …his Sunday dinners, always a chicken. LAUREN Dexter serves that at his restaurant every Sunday. GINNY Hmm. Who saves something like this? GINNY I mean, it must have been important. LAUREN "Firehouse Chili." It was. LAUREN Everything in here was. LAUREN Fathers and sons. Complicated. GINNY It didn't have to be. DEXTER Kale? Seriously? KEVIN Morning, Chef. DEXTER I've had it with these food fads. Last year, it was quinoa, Before that, it was chocolate and bacon. Kale is dead to me. KEVIN I'm with you, boss. He's on his way. APRIL Oh! Jeez... DEXTER Yeah, walk… DEXTER …over the talent, and you slay the goose that laid the golden egg. APRIL Well, the golden egg is kind of tarnished. DEXTER Yeah, so I've heard. APRIL Um, I was just in a meeting, and you are shooting Kitchen Knockout next week against Gio… APRIL …Scapellini. DEXTER And they're going to do everything they can to make sure he wins. DEXTER You know what, I'm going to show those network… DEXTER …suits that I'm not washed up. DEXTER We are going to do a fourth season. APRIL I'm sorry, Dexter, but they're talking about canceling your show… APRIL …at the end of the season. DEXTER W-what? No, they're--they’re going to move me to another day, give me another… DEXTER …time slot-- APRIL It's the ratings. DEXTER Cancelled? APRIL And this cookbook mess, it's everything. KENNY Dexter! KENNY Let's get cooking! DEXTER Yeah, one more minute. KENNY Okay. DEXTER Does Lauren know? APRIL She has to. Her sister is VP of… APRIL …Marketing. DEXTER I can't believe this. APRIL These people… APRIL …are snakes. APRIL I'm going to put out feelers to the Cooking Channel… APRIL …and PBS, and see if anybody is interested… APRIL …in picking up your option. LAUREN Hey, I'm so glad you haven't started cooking yet. I have something to tell you. DEXTER I'm sure that you do. LAUREN What's wrong? DEXTER Nothing, I just heard that the network is canceling my show. KENNY Dexter! KENNY We need you in hair and makeup. DEXTER Two more minutes. LAUREN I didn't want you to find out like this. It's not a done deal, it's complicated. DEXTER Complicated… DEXTER …how? The fact that you and Nan knew all along? LAUREN I just found out. DEXTER Yeah, I bet you did. LAUREN Look, it's not too late. Wait till you hear where I've been. I've got some ideas-- DEXTER Really? You have an idea? DEXTER What a big surprise. DEXTER You know, I've had enough of your ideas, and this whole cookbook, whatever… DEXTER …this relationship is, I'm done. LAUREN Dexter... I--I was trying to… LAUREN …protect you. I thought if we could get far enough… LAUREN …into the book-- DEXTER No, you were willing to do whatever you needed to… DEXTER …to get what you wanted. I'm--I’m your ticket to Cordon… DEXTER …Bleu? I get it. I don't mean anything. LAUREN That's not true. DEXTER Are we ready yet? DEXTER 'Cause I'm ready. Let's go. Please. KENNY Somebody had a late night. KENNY Look at those eyes. DEXTER I got slammed at the restaurant. Didn't get out of there till 2:00. DEXTER Showtime. AUDIENCE Let's! AUDIENCE Get! AUDIENCE Cooking! AUDIENCE Let's get cooking. DEXTER Let’s get cooking. DEXTER I'm going to plant some artichokes in here. DEXTER Something sturdy, something dependable… DEXTER …something I can count on. DEXTER Get rid of all these herbs and vegetables. DEXTER I'm going to have so much free time on my hands, why do I need these… DEXTER …vegetables? LAUREN Dexter, we need to talk. DEXTER We have nothing to talk about. DEXTER I already told you. DEXTER Why did you come up here? LAUREN Dexter... LAUREN Listen to me. I've finally figured it out, how we can capture the magic. DEXTER Magic? Where do you see any magic? LAUREN That… LAUREN …first night we cooked here was one of the most beautiful meals I've ever had. There was no shortage of magic. DEXTER Why do you care so much about this book? LAUREN Because I care about… LAUREN …you, and I'm not going to let them do this to you. LAUREN I want to show you something. LAUREN I've done a few sample chapters. LAUREN We preface each recipe with a story about your… LAUREN …family and your childhood. LAUREN Cooking from the heart. LAUREN This cookbook… LAUREN …is the essence of you, Dexter. DEXTER And who is that? Because I don't know anymore. DEXTER What's that? LAUREN Your father made it. DEXTER My father? How did you-- LAUREN I went and talked to your stepmother. She showed me this book… LAUREN …and let me borrow it. It's filled with pictures and stories… LAUREN …about your family. We can build the cookbook around this. This is the real you. DEXTER I can't believe he saved this. LAUREN You tell me the story. DEXTER Firehouse Chili and roast chicken… DEXTER …they were the only two things my Dad knew how to cook. DEXTER And I'd... DEXTER I'd stand there on the stepladder just watching him, next to the stove. DEXTER That was one of the... DEXTER …one of the few things that we actually shared. DEXTER You know? On those days… DEXTER …even for a moment… DEXTER …we were a family. DEXTER And this is all I have left of him. LAUREN Your father loved you very much. LAUREN Sometimes… LAUREN …people don't know how to show their love, so… LAUREN …they do it in secret, with scrapbooks, and pictures… LAUREN …and stories that they leave behind. DEXTER He really did care. LAUREN You were always good enough. LAUREN More than good enough. DEXTER I don't know if I can do this, Lauren. LAUREN We can do it together. LAUREN Trust me. COOKING SHOW HOST Ladies and gentlemen... COOKING SHOW HOST Ladies and gentlemen. Ladies… COOKING SHOW HOST …and gentlemen... welcome to a special edition of Kitchen Knockout! COOKING SHOW HOST Knockout! Knockout! LAUREN How are you feeling? DEXTER Nervous. Excited. Sick to my stomach. All of the above. LAUREN Do you want your jacket? DEXTER I think I'm going to take a pass. LAUREN Not even… LAUREN …for your entrance? DEXTER It's the unvarnished version of me or nothing… DEXTER …right? DEXTER Besides, I've got everything I want right here. NAN Knock, knock, knock! NAN They're ready for you… NAN …onstage. It's a great turnout. DEXTER All right. NAN Now, no matter what they throw at you out there, don't freak out. LAUREN Thanks, Nan, but I'm not the one who needs the pep talk. And where's… LAUREN …Erik? He should be dressed by now. DEXTER I told him to sit this one out. LAUREN Well, he's your best… LAUREN …sous. DEXTER And there's no one I want on my side more than you. COOKING SHOW HOST Ladies … COOKING SHOW HOST …and gentlemen, welcome to a special edition of Kitchen Knockout. COOKING SHOW HOST Today, we'll be raising money for the Mission Street Shelter. Teams… COOKING SHOW HOST …will be comprised of a TV chef and a sous chef. Ingredients… COOKING SHOW HOST …have been chosen by local chefs. COOKING SHOW HOST And now it's time… COOKING SHOW HOST …to meet our competitors. In blue, your favorite Bay City Chef… COOKING SHOW HOST …Dexter Durant! COOKING SHOW HOST And in red… COOKING SHOW HOST …his opponent, up-and-comer Gio Scapellini! COOKING SHOW HOST Gio will be… COOKING SHOW HOST …starring in his… COOKING SHOW HOST …own Food & Entertainment TV show this fall, Gio's Pasta al Dente. COOKING SHOW HOST Chefs... COOKING SHOW HOST ...it's time to open your boxes! COOKING SHOW HOST Tomatoes. COOKING SHOW HOST Rose water. GIO Pasta! COOKING SHOW HOST Buckwheat pasta. GIO Pasta! GIO & AUDIENCE Pasta! Pasta! GIO & AUDIENCE Pasta! Pasta! Pasta! COOKING SHOW HOST Pasta! Pasta! GIO & AUDIENCE Pasta! Pasta! COOKING SHOW HOST Pasta! Pasta! LAUREN They did this on purpose. COOKING SHOW HOST Pasta! COOKING SHOW HOST Japanese… COOKING SHOW HOST …maitake. COOKING SHOW HOST Escarole. COOKING SHOW HOST Sage. COOKING SHOW HOST Fava beans. LAUREN Gio was raised on… LAUREN …this stuff. He practically lives… LAUREN …and breathes pasta. DEXTER It's nothing we haven't… DEXTER …seen before. DEXTER This whole competition is to showcase Gio. We're supposed to lose. DEXTER You think pasta was a random choice? LAUREN Well, then, why aren't you… LAUREN …shaking in your boots? DEXTER Because I have you. DEXTER I believe in you. You are a chef. DEXTER And one thing you should know is Gio's accent is fake. DEXTER He's from Cincinnati… DEXTER …not Sicily. LAUREN Really? DEXTER Yeah… DEXTER …we went out drinking one night, and he… DEXTER …totally forgot he had an accent. Gio… DEXTER …Scapellini is just a confection, the same way…. DEXTER Chefs… COOKING SHOW HOST …you have 60 minutes to… COOKING SHOW HOST …prepare a five-course… COOKING SHOW HOST …tasting menu. COOKING SHOW HOST Good luck. Start the clock... now! GIO You two think you really have time for pillow talk? Basil is basil, you silly girl. LAUREN If you say so. DEXTER And I've got… DEXTER …the mushrooms. DEXTER And I've got the salt here. COOKING SHOW HOST They're like… COOKING SHOW HOST …Fred and Ginger. COOKING SHOW HOST I like what I'm seeing over here. CELEBRITY JUDGE 1 Mm, looks… CELEBRITY JUDGE 1 …delicious. LAUREN No deconstructed anything, no towers of food… LAUREN …just simple, straightforward cooking, like you do at the farm. DEXTER Okay, you're right. GIO Pablo… GIO …I need you on the grill. The maitakes are burning. PABLO I'm draining the pasta. GIO This is why… GIO …God gave you two hands. Vai! Vai! LAUREN Dexter, they've already got… LAUREN …two courses plated. LAUREN We're not even done one. DEXTER Yeah, don't worry about it, just keep cooking. COOKING SHOW HOST Oh! AUDIENCE Oh! GIO What's wrong with you, huh? PAOLO PAOLO GIO COOKING SHOW HOST And…stop the clock! COOKING SHOW HOST Chefs, put down your knives. COOKING SHOW HOST It's time for... COOKING SHOW HOST …The Twist. GIO The Twist? COOKING SHOW HOST We have added… COOKING SHOW HOST …three ingredients… COOKING SHOW HOST …which you must include in your main… COOKING SHOW HOST …course-- air… COOKING SHOW HOST …chilled chicken, dulce de leche ice cream… COOKING SHOW HOST …and licorice vines. DEXTER This is insane. COOKING SHOW HOST Good luck. COOKING SHOW HOST Restart the clock... now! GIO The chicken... LAUREN Okay… LAUREN …what do you want to do? DEXTER No, I had the whole menu planned, and-- LAUREN We can do this. DEXTER How? LAUREN Okay, you're 11 years old, you're standing in front of your mom's refrigerator. What do you cook? LAUREN Come on, something. DEXTER Nothing's coming to me. I need your help on this… DEXTER …please. DEXTER What would you do? LAUREN Okay. What if we melt down the ice cream and add a dash… LAUREN …of rose water, then we'll puree the licorice, sauté some shallots and chives… LAUREN …and we'll make a sauce. It'll be the perfect complement to the chicken. DEXTER I love that. That's your first recipe. LAUREN Yes. DEXTER Great. COOKING SHOW HOST I like what I'm seeing over here. COOKING SHOW HOST At no time do her… COOKING SHOW HOST …fingers… COOKING SHOW HOST …leave her hand. COOKING SHOW HOST Do not… COOKING SHOW HOST …trifle with this woman. She knows her way around a chicken. COOKING SHOW HOST And... COOKING SHOW HOST …stop the clock! COOKING SHOW HOST And this... is my favorite part of the show. CELEBRITY JUDGE 1 Thank you. COOKING SHOW HOST What to eat first. Ooh. COOKING SHOW HOST Oh. CELEBRITY JUDGE 2 Team Dexter, your grissini was sublime. Pulling off a yeast bread in 60 minutes is… CELEBRITY JUDGE 2 …ambitious, but delicious. CELEBRITY JUDGE 2 Team Gio, your chicken under a brick was… CELEBRITY JUDGE 2 …rustic perfection. The… CELEBRITY JUDGE 2 …sage and garlic under the skin, I absolutely… CELEBRITY JUDGE 2 …adored it. CELEBRITY JUDGE 1 My chicken… CELEBRITY JUDGE 1 …was wonderfully charred on the outside… CELEBRITY JUDGE 1 …until I cut into it. CELEBRITY JUDGE 1 A little raw for me. CELEBRITY JUDGE 1 I was unaware this was a sushi competition, Chef. COOKING SHOW HOST Judges, have you made a decision? CELEBRITY JUDGE 2 Yes. COOKING SHOW HOST Team Dexter, Team Gio... COOKING SHOW HOST …for their extraordinary… COOKING SHOW HOST …yet honest use of… COOKING SHOW HOST …ingredients, and the best... COOKING SHOW HOST …meal I have had in months... COOKING SHOW HOST …we award the Kitchen Knockout... COOKING SHOW HOST …trophy to... COOKING SHOW HOST Team Dexter! DEXTER Amazing. COOKING SHOW HOST Chef Dexter, Chef Lauren, congratulations. DEXTER Thank you. DEXTER You know why we won, right? LAUREN Because we're the best chefs? DEXTER Because we worked as a team. I couldn't do this without you. CELEBRITY JUDGE 2 That's lovely. CELEBRITY JUDGE 3 That's sweet. DENISE Beautiful writing, beautiful thoughts on layout, beautiful images. DENISE Somehow, you got… DENISE …inside his head. DENISE You got inside his heart. Congratulations, Lauren. LAUREN You're publishing the book? DENISE Yeah. NAN Not only… NAN …are we publishing the book, but the network has decided to renew his show for another two seasons. LAUREN That's incredible! NAN The ratings for Kitchen Knockout were through the roof. Twitter blew… NAN …up about the chemistry between you two. DENISE Every woman I know wants the secret… DENISE …of how you tamed Dexter Durant. DENISE We are hoping to keep you on our... DENISE …team. We'd hate to lose you to Cordon Bleu. DENISE So we have big plans for you. LAUREN I still want to become a chef. DENISE With all due respect, why would you want to spend your life slaving over a hot stove? DENISE Opportunities like this don't come by very often. DENISE Think about it. Your future here is… DENISE …limitless. DENISE Wonderful. It's great. Hello, everyone! Okay, just go. DENISE Thank you for your patience. On behalf of Food & Entertainment… DENISE …Media, I would like to thank you for coming here today. DENISE We are here to witness the unveiling of the season's most hotly anticipated cookbook. DENISE Please welcome Dexter Durant. NAN You should be up there with him. LAUREN Oh, it's fine. DEXTER There are so many people that I'd like to thank, so many people involved in this. DEXTER I know it seemed like it took forever… DEXTER …but I think you'll agree that it was worth it. DEXTER And of course… DEXTER …none of this would have been possible… DEXTER …without the help of one very special person… DEXTER …Lauren Hennessey. DEXTER Not only did Lauren take this photo, but she also… DEXTER …tested and wrote the text for each recipe. DEXTER She isn't just a ghostwriter… DEXTER …she's an angel. DEXTER She saved my life. NAN Don't miss a second of this. Who said fiction is better than life? DEXTER There's just, um, one more change that I'd like to make… DEXTER …before we go to print. DEXTER I think the world needs to know who really wrote this book. LAUREN Dexter... LAUREN Can I talk to you for a sec? DEXTER So Denise offered me a deal on a second cookbook. LAUREN That's fantastic. DEXTER I thought you'd be smiling more. LAUREN We've both been avoiding it, but we need to talk about Cordon Bleu. DEXTER It's been on my mind, too. LAUREN Look, tonight is a celebration of you, and everything you wanted. We pulled it off, and brilliantly, I might add. But now it's my turn. I start classes in September. I leave for Paris next week. DEXTER I knew all along. LAUREN Really? DEXTER You're going to be amazing, and maybe one day, you'll let me cook in your kitchen, Chef. LAUREN Thank you. NAN Who would have thought Dexter would turn you into such a gardener? NAN I'm going… NAN …to miss you. DEXTER Did you save all the heavy stuff for me? LAUREN It's not easy packing for two years. DEXTER Well, it'll go by in the blink of an eye. DEXTER Right? Holidays, summer break. LAUREN We'll Skype all the time. Am I making the biggest mistake of my life? I can always defer admission for a year. DEXTER This is your dream, Lauren. You now know you have the heart and soul to be a chef. LAUREN Thanks to you. LAUREN I'm scared, Dex. DEXTER You'll be fine. School is just the beginning. DEXTER You're going somewhere. LAUREN I want to be here with you. DEXTER I'm not going to stand in the way, Lauren, all right? The whole world's waiting for you. DEXTER You ready? WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS Once a kiss Twice like this And the third’s a chance… WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS …worth taking Single look All it took For the magic… WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS …that we’re making LAUREN Oh… LAUREN …merci. Uh… LAUREN …mon cafe? Excusez... Cafe? LAUREN Please? WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS Where we are won’t vex us Whether Paris… WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS …Prague… WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS …or Texas For we’ve found… WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS …the thing that lets us Live… WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS …our lives in a world of love DEXTER Your coffee, miss? LAUREN What are you doing here? DEXTER I missed you… DEXTER …and I took a sabbatical. I want to do some traveling, brush up on my French cuisine. I missed you. LAUREN I missed you so much. LAUREN Oh, you have… LAUREN …to try this. DEXTER Mm! LAUREN Pretty incredible. DEXTER Mm-hmm. WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS One more kiss Two makes bliss And the… WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS …third's the charm they speak of WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS Only you Only me But we're more than just the sum… LAUREN No. DEXTER No? LAUREN Mm-mm. DEXTER Okay. WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS …of What we are When… WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS …afar From each other, sadly missing The touch, the smile, the beat of our hearts WORLD OF LOVE PLAYS A country unmapped on anyone's charts Somewhere in between life stops and it starts We live in a world of love