LJ Idol, Prompt 16: “Soup’s On!”
Aug. 24th, 2022 01:01 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
roina_arwenZarina tried very hard to moderate her pace down the long hallway, but she was so excited for her long-desired apprenticeship that she arrived at the huge Citadel kitchen extra early. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, but the chefs and their assistants had been hard at work for hours. The heady smell of freshly baked bread and sugary cinnamon buns tickled her nose and tantalized her taste buds.
“Greetings, Tantine Leona,” she said politely to the plump woman, adding a small curtsey of respect along with the honorary title of Auntie, often used with older women as a measure of respect.
Her stomach rumbled as a tray of warm almond pastries wafted by, bound for the dining hall breakfast rush. Zarina had broken her fast of course, but as with most adolescents, her appetite knew no bounds.
Leona was pleased with her new apprentice’s eagerness. She led Zarina back to the prep station and handed her a grey apron. “Put this on, wash your hands, and then we shall see what your knife skills look like,” she stated, motioning towards the sturdy cutting board and the overflowing crate of vegetables and purple tubers that awaited her.
Zarina tied on the apron, spotted the washing station by the windows and made her way over. The staff were bustling briskly about, and she was careful not to get in anyone’s way.
Leona doubted any of the Matriarchs would pay attention to the uniformity of the knife cuts as long as the food was properly cooked and seasoned, so she wasn’t worried about setting Zarina to this task, especially since Sovann had spoken highly of her daughter’s cooking skills, as well as her desire to enter the culinary field. Leona hoped that the vibrant youth lived up to her budding reputation.
It wasn’t long before Zarina returned. Leona handed her a chef’s knife and laid out a variety of the vegetables. “Let’s see how well you handle these. Be sure to keep your fingers out of the way, and don’t rush. Small dice for the onions, large dice on everything else, please.”
Zarina carefully took the knife with a smile. “Yes, chef.”
Leona watched the youngster like a hawk. Other than a minor correction to the way Zarina held the knife, with her forefinger on top of the blade instead of flat against the side and curled towards the handle - a common issue with novices - her cuts were consistent, and her skill above average.
Leona pulled a deep rectangular pan and a smaller bowl out from the storage shelf underneath the station and put them on the tabletop. “Put the tubers, peppers, and tomatoes in here, and the onions in this bowl,” Leona advised. “You can bring them to me at the soup station in the back when you’re done.”
Zarina didn’t stop chopping. She merely answered “Yes, chef” as expected.
An hour later, Zarina took the heavy pan back to Tantine Leona, who had been busily breaking down a side of beef and prepping it for a huge pot of stew.
“You’re just in time to help cube the beef,” Leona said, placing a trimmed flank in front of her apprentice. “Once you’re done, put the meat in the pot, add enough water to cover it, toss in about one fourth of the onions, a few handfuls of salt, put on the lid, bring to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer for an hour or until the beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Got it?”
Zarina smiled. She had made stews before, just not in this large a quantity. “Yes, chef.”
Leona nodded and left to check on her sous chefs. When she returned she placed a plate of bread and cheeses and two pastries on the shelf above Zarina’s work station. “Once everything is in the pot, this is for you. I’m sure you must be hungry, and you’ve more than earned it.”
“Thank you, Tantine Leona!”
Zarina enjoyed her snack while the stew simmered. The almond pastries were heavenly. Afterwards, she helped Leona process the peppers, tomatoes, and some garlic into a smooth paste.
The cooked beef was removed from the broth to a large skillet and browned in hot oil, then the remaining onions and the garlicky tomato paste were added in, along with some of the stock, curry powder and a bemusing variety of spices. Everything simmered together, and Zarina inhaled the warm and inviting scent.
Leona placed a bit of the stew into a small bowl for them to taste. It was a bright, inviting red. “Let me know what you think.”
Zarina took a spoonful and blew on it a few times. As she chewed, she tried to discern some of the flavors. “Ooh, it’s lovely,” she replied. “The curry is quite nice, and it’s got just enough spice to be pleasant… but I’m not sure if it needs a little something else.”
Leona took a spoonful from the bowl, and chewed thoughtfully. “Ah, yes. It needs just a soupçon more black pepper.”
“A what?”
“Soupçon. It means ‘a little more.’ My great grandmother taught me the word,” Leona added, as she ground more black pepper into the stew, then took another taste. “It comes from our roots on Old Terra, back in the Before Times.”
Zarina nodded. She had learned about the Before Times in her history classes, and now she had a new word in her vocabulary. “I’ll remember that in the future,” she replied. “Soupçon.”
It was amazing how a word which meant “a little” could truly mean so much.
“Greetings, Tantine Leona,” she said politely to the plump woman, adding a small curtsey of respect along with the honorary title of Auntie, often used with older women as a measure of respect.
Her stomach rumbled as a tray of warm almond pastries wafted by, bound for the dining hall breakfast rush. Zarina had broken her fast of course, but as with most adolescents, her appetite knew no bounds.
Leona was pleased with her new apprentice’s eagerness. She led Zarina back to the prep station and handed her a grey apron. “Put this on, wash your hands, and then we shall see what your knife skills look like,” she stated, motioning towards the sturdy cutting board and the overflowing crate of vegetables and purple tubers that awaited her.
Zarina tied on the apron, spotted the washing station by the windows and made her way over. The staff were bustling briskly about, and she was careful not to get in anyone’s way.
Leona doubted any of the Matriarchs would pay attention to the uniformity of the knife cuts as long as the food was properly cooked and seasoned, so she wasn’t worried about setting Zarina to this task, especially since Sovann had spoken highly of her daughter’s cooking skills, as well as her desire to enter the culinary field. Leona hoped that the vibrant youth lived up to her budding reputation.
It wasn’t long before Zarina returned. Leona handed her a chef’s knife and laid out a variety of the vegetables. “Let’s see how well you handle these. Be sure to keep your fingers out of the way, and don’t rush. Small dice for the onions, large dice on everything else, please.”
Zarina carefully took the knife with a smile. “Yes, chef.”
Leona watched the youngster like a hawk. Other than a minor correction to the way Zarina held the knife, with her forefinger on top of the blade instead of flat against the side and curled towards the handle - a common issue with novices - her cuts were consistent, and her skill above average.
Leona pulled a deep rectangular pan and a smaller bowl out from the storage shelf underneath the station and put them on the tabletop. “Put the tubers, peppers, and tomatoes in here, and the onions in this bowl,” Leona advised. “You can bring them to me at the soup station in the back when you’re done.”
Zarina didn’t stop chopping. She merely answered “Yes, chef” as expected.
An hour later, Zarina took the heavy pan back to Tantine Leona, who had been busily breaking down a side of beef and prepping it for a huge pot of stew.
“You’re just in time to help cube the beef,” Leona said, placing a trimmed flank in front of her apprentice. “Once you’re done, put the meat in the pot, add enough water to cover it, toss in about one fourth of the onions, a few handfuls of salt, put on the lid, bring to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer for an hour or until the beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Got it?”
Zarina smiled. She had made stews before, just not in this large a quantity. “Yes, chef.”
Leona nodded and left to check on her sous chefs. When she returned she placed a plate of bread and cheeses and two pastries on the shelf above Zarina’s work station. “Once everything is in the pot, this is for you. I’m sure you must be hungry, and you’ve more than earned it.”
“Thank you, Tantine Leona!”
Zarina enjoyed her snack while the stew simmered. The almond pastries were heavenly. Afterwards, she helped Leona process the peppers, tomatoes, and some garlic into a smooth paste.
The cooked beef was removed from the broth to a large skillet and browned in hot oil, then the remaining onions and the garlicky tomato paste were added in, along with some of the stock, curry powder and a bemusing variety of spices. Everything simmered together, and Zarina inhaled the warm and inviting scent.
Leona placed a bit of the stew into a small bowl for them to taste. It was a bright, inviting red. “Let me know what you think.”
Zarina took a spoonful and blew on it a few times. As she chewed, she tried to discern some of the flavors. “Ooh, it’s lovely,” she replied. “The curry is quite nice, and it’s got just enough spice to be pleasant… but I’m not sure if it needs a little something else.”
Leona took a spoonful from the bowl, and chewed thoughtfully. “Ah, yes. It needs just a soupçon more black pepper.”
“A what?”
“Soupçon. It means ‘a little more.’ My great grandmother taught me the word,” Leona added, as she ground more black pepper into the stew, then took another taste. “It comes from our roots on Old Terra, back in the Before Times.”
Zarina nodded. She had learned about the Before Times in her history classes, and now she had a new word in her vocabulary. “I’ll remember that in the future,” she replied. “Soupçon.”
It was amazing how a word which meant “a little” could truly mean so much.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-24 10:22 pm (UTC)And what a great touch, to find such a word that fits the prompt so well.
I also really like your phrase "bemusing variety of spices."
Your entry is a sensory delight. You are making me hungry! Great job!
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Date: 2022-08-24 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-08-24 11:07 pm (UTC)I'm also enjoying seeing how you build out this world more, and your descriptions of the aromas and flavours give a nice sensory touch to the read.
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Date: 2022-08-24 11:47 pm (UTC)I’m working on world building The Matriarch series when the prompts seem to fit, and this one definitely did. Thanks for reading!
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Date: 2022-08-25 01:56 pm (UTC)- Erulisse (one L)
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