Topic: Cooking Lessons

Johnny Smith

Date: 2008-02-04 00:26 EST
The tomatoes on the counter gleamed threateningly. Bundles of green herbs and a pair of onions were an ominous sign. Johnny even thought he spotted a squash somewhere in the assortment of vegetables lined up neatly. Emerald green eyes regarded the kitchen counter and the various items there with considerable trepidation before he looked over his shoulder at Sianna.

?Yer jokin?, righ?? Ya ain? serious abou? this?? His voice was layered with humor and underneath it an undeniable apprehension. Johnny limited himself to sandwiches with good reason ? he would never forget the time that he had managed, against all reason, to set a pot of boiling water aflame. Granted, that had been a series of unfortunate coincidences, but still. The pot had boiled dry without his noticing and the char on the burners had lit, sparks catching on the wooden handle. By the time the fire was caught and extinguished, the pot had been reduced to a twisted, distorted shell of itself.

He turned back to eyeing the assorted ingredients warily. There was no meat apparent on the counter, but that was probably in the icebox. Or maybe not. He had no idea what Sianna intended to start the lessons with. Despite his questions, he knew she was quite serious that he learn to cook, at least a few things. He reached behind himself without looking to pull her forward by the waist, letting his arm remain around her as they contemplated the counter together.

?Ya know I?ll do anythin? fer ya, m?love, bu? ya go? ta know there ain? no way I can think of that this?s goin? ta end well.?

SiannaFraiser

Date: 2008-02-04 00:28 EST
?So which is it ye dinna trust, leannan, your abilities tae learn or mine tae teach, hmmm?? A dark brow arched with inquiry as she turned her head to regard his profile. A glimmer of mirth at such a loaded question shone in her eyes. With the marked progression of her students surely she could teach him to cook, couldn?t she? Even Aurelia, or ?Squeaky Reely? as the other students often called her, had improved to the point that Johnny no longer ran for the studio at the sight of her name on the day?s schedule. ?Or do ye think perhaps that I?ll just toss ye in th? thick of it and expect ye tae manage one way or t?other??

His silent shrug made her curious. While he had never told her all the specifics of his attempts in the culinary realms, she couldn?t imagine anything so severe as to create such reticence. Sliding her arm across the expanse of his back, she ran her fingertips along his shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

?Besides, ye ken full well that that ye canna determine how things will end if ye dinna give it a wee try in th? first place. And ?tis no? like I expect ye tae handle the kitchen by yerself? but tae manage something other than a sandwich if I canna see ya properly fed.? Bouncing up on tiptoe, she placed a kiss to his cheek before nudging him towards the counter.

Smiling sweetly, she chuckled a bit. "Now, mo chridhe.... pick a vegetable, any vegetable...."

Johnny Smith

Date: 2008-02-04 00:29 EST
He really couldn?t resist her ? it was that simple. If Sianna asked him to do something, he would do his utmost best to meet her request. Even if that thing was learning to cook. So when her laughter-filled voice directed him to pick a vegetable, he heaved a sigh and approached the counter.

His hand reached out, hovered for a moment over the assorted vegetables, and finally settled on one of the threatening tomatoes. Really, there was no reason for his apprehension. He knew it, logically ? after all, he sliced tomatoes all the time for his sandwiches. Silver mesh on his fingers slid rough over the smooth surface of the ruby-red vegetable while he turned it in his hand.

Why did knowing the purpose change this from an innocent edible to a threatening object? He shook his head, covering unease with a grin. ?So ya go? any ideas fer this l?il bit?a nothin?, m?love? Maybe a spaghe?i sauce. Yeah, think I could han?le somethin? like tha?.? Of course, he was clueless about where to begin. So he did what he usually did in such situations.

He kissed her. It was a good way to put off the inevitable, and even the possibility he might distract her enough to get this delayed for another day. Besides that, he enjoyed kissing her, and his free hand swept up her back to cradle the back of her neck. His other hand, unfortunately, tightened a little bit too much on the tomato.

Mulched tomato went everywhere. Johnny broke the kiss and closed his eyes, tilting his forehead down against her head, and laughed. ?Ya sure abou? this? There?s still time ta back ou?.?

SiannaFraiser

Date: 2008-02-04 00:29 EST
He was distracting indeed, and had been from the moment she met him. How many times a day did the image of his face or the memory of his voice compete for her focus, and that was while he was not before her. The addition of his presence only made it that much harder to resist, and his kisses were intoxicating.

A bit of tomato pulp slid down his cheek as she chuckled. ?Aye, I?m sure. I?ll just have tae no? let ye choose such a delicate ingredient.? Reaching for the towel on the counter, she gently wiped the fruit?s viscera from his face. ?Perhaps I should keep ye tae just th? root vegetables that are a bit more sturdy? or not raise yer blood pressure when ye?re handling tomatoes.?

She grinned coyly as he offered her a beseaching look, his gaze darkening by the second. Tossing the towel over her shoulder, she wrapped her arms around him all the tighter, the remaining bits of tomato and lesson be damned for now, and kissed him again in earnest.

Because, if truth be told, her intentions behind the lessons were more complex than she had originally let on. Having recovered somewhat from the commotion of the holidays and with their busy schedules with the Lark and wedding planning looming before them, she was hungry to have him all to herself where neither would be pulled away by very loving and well-intentioned friends or family.

Johnny Smith

Date: 2008-02-04 00:30 EST
Pause. Interlude.

The vegetables were still on the counter that evening, and now the matter was a bit more pressing ? since those vegetables needed to be dinner. If there was one thing that would consistently prod Johnny to action it was the prospect of missing a meal. Of course, his usual solution was to make a sandwich. Not a solution that was going to work tonight.

So with the lights shining from the kitchen window merrily into the darkening sky, Johnny listened intently as Sianna described what she was doing. She was browning meat so it could be added to the stewpot, and he watched the deft flips of her wrist as she turned the beef chunks with something approaching awe. He did not, however, reach for the pan to give it a try for himself.

?Could ye set tae chopping the potatoes, mo chridhe?? Sianna?s voice was as lilting and musical as ever, and she had flowed from explanation to request so smoothly that it took a few moments for the words to actually register. Johnny blinked, silver flashing over his eyes for a bare moment, and looked over his shoulder at the counter. With a smile he lifted the hair from the back of her neck for a moment to place a kiss there, and then turned to confront the vegetables.

?Sure thin?. I can do tha? fer ya.? His voice was more confident than he actually felt, and he pulled over a cutting board and the knife before grabbing the potatoes on the counter ? all the potatoes on the counter. Eight of them, to be precise. Which was overkill for a stew intended for two (or six), but he also didn?t know any better. So with a good will, he set to chopping potatoes.

Unsure of how small to cut them, he started by simply dividing them into quarters. That didn?t seem right ? the pieces seemed much too large ? so he cut the quarters in half. Hmm. They were kind of large potatoes. So the chunks got further cut in half, and half again. And now the cutting board was full of diced potatoes? what did? bowl!

In a flash of inspired brilliance, Johnny grabbed a large bowl from one of the cupboards and emptied the potatoes into the bowl. Of course, now the pile seemed much too small in the belly of the large bowl. By the time Sianna turned around again to check on his progress, he had chopped all eight potatoes into dime-sized chunks and entirely filled the salad serving bowl.

?How are ye? oh?? The words trailed off as Sianna looked from the bowl to the hopeful smile on Johnny?s face.

SiannaFraiser

Date: 2008-02-04 00:30 EST
Her gaze wandered from his face to the bowl in repeated succession. Biting her lip to keep from chuckling, she flashed him a quirked grin and placed her hands on her hips. ?Johnny Smith, ye would have tae go and read a girl?s mind, wouldn?t ye. Here I had just been thinking that I was hungry for something a bit faster than the vegetable stew I?d been planning? and ye chop enough taters so that I can leave it tae simmer all night and still make us something piping hot and tasty just th? same.? Crossing the kitchen, she popped up on tiptoe to place a kiss in the cleft of one of his dimples. ?Ye?re quite certainly th? most darling lad, and ?tis no wonder I love ye so.?

Was he blushing? It certainly seemed that way as he shrugged and offered her an innocent grin that made her suddenly picture what he must have been like as a young boy. He was generously helpful and never hesitated in anything asked of him, traits which made him a part of a select few in Rhy?din these days, and Sianna offered up silent thanks that the fates had seen fit to cross her paths with his. Then they strayed a bit to include the fact that she?d never have to chop a potato again, because if truth be told, she had never seen such meticulous knife skills in all her days.

Moving back to the stove, she transferred the meat she had been browning to the large stew pot hanging on the hearth?s cooking arm in one easy motion. Carrying the cast-iron skillet to the counter, she placed three heaping handfuls of the minced tubers and then set them back to the stove to begin browning. ?Would ye mind fetching me another skillet and then some things from th? icebox, my Jo?? Another winsome smile was sent his way as she emptied a crock of fresh spring water into the stew pot and pushed it into position over the flames.

Johnny nodded his head and removed another skillet from the pot rack over the kitchen island and tucked it under his arm. ?What do ya need from th? icebox, m?own?? His long stride had him there with the door open before the question was finished reaching Sianna?s ears. Without breaking a stride, she delivered the list while sorting the remaining vegetables into two piles: tonight and tomorrow. ?Mmmm, th? thick strips of bacon, some butter, five eggs, the milk and that lovely wedge of cheddar cheese I picked up yesterday.?

Using the skillet like a tray, Johnny loaded up all she had requested and brought it to the countertop. Resting his head on her shoulder, he investigated the mandolin blade she was balancing across the span of the deep salad bowl. ?What?s tha? crazy looking thin??? he muttered before placing another kiss to the side of her neck.

Sianna giggled as the shivers raced down her spine. ?The gadget shop calls it a mandolin, and says it tae be a wonder tae slice things quickly.? Taking a stalk of celery in hand and running it across the blade several times, perfectly sliced crescents dropped into the bowl effortlessly. ?Aha, and th? peddler was no? lying in the least. This?ll make it easy for ye tae finish th? carrots and celery for the stew whilst I finish up dinner.?

Johnny Smith

Date: 2008-02-05 02:10 EST
Sure enough, once he caught the trick of it, the mandolin was as easy to use as promised. Since Sianna had been careful to only put out the correct amount of vegetables, the carrots and celery were soon done and added to the pot over the fire. He didn?t touch the bundles of herbs or cans of spices ? actually, he gave the herbs a fairly wide berth as he went to investigate Sianna?s current venture.

She was doing something esoteric to the bacon and the eggs. Actually, anyone who knew anything about cooking would recognize the construction of a frittata. That didn?t in any way describe Johnny, so he just peered over her shoulder in mystification and bafflement. ?So I see yer doin? somethin? ta th? eggs? an? tha?s abou? wha? I can tell. Ya wan? me ta grate th? cheese ?r somethin? fer ya??

?Mmm? aye, just enough tae cup in th? palm of yer hand, mo cridhe, thank ye.? The sweet smile on Sianna?s face was more than reward enough for Johnny, and he rummaged for the cheese grater before he set to working on the wedge of cheddar cheese. It didn?t take long to get the indicated amount, and Johnny added the cheese under Sianna?s careful direction.

By this point the frittata was starting to come together into something that looked like food, and Johnny grinned and gave a light squeeze to Sianna?s shoulder. ?I?m goin? ta get th? table set up, m?love. ?S smellin? like dinner?s abou? ready.? Johnny suited actions to words and set out plates and silverware, and then added glasses of cider as Sianna divided the food onto the plates.

?Well?n, th? first roun? of th? lessons din? end in utter disaster. I?m goin? ta count this as a victory an? keep th? memory of it against th? next lesson.? Johnny grinned across the table to Sianna as they sat down to eat, and her merry laughter bubbled out to be joined by his own.