I went to the kitchen and stopped to look around. The smells were familiar and welcome. The scent of well-seasoned cast iron pans. Dried herbs provided earthy scents. The faint smell of wood smoke never quite left the stone walls.
This kitchen had been my domain for months, and I had missed it even though I'd been gone for only a few days.
I moved around, taking stock. The large prep area in the middle of the kitchen, as well as the counters and stove, were at least clean. A pile of something was on one counter, covered in a large cloth.
Kieran must have gone back upstairs to bed, or maybe chased after Frostfire into the portal. I hoped it was the former.
Jessara followed me in. I turned to her and said, "I'm sorry I was gone. I should have been more specific with Lady Churl and told her not to investigate any strange portals."
"I'm sorry, too, Mr. V. We tried hard to make all the food and keep up with the bar, but it was just Milo back here."
I patted Jessara on the shoulder and said. "You did your best. This was my fault, and I'll make sure this doesn't happen again. You and Milo didn't give up, and that means a lot to me. Some would have just shuttered the place up and gone home. You two, and Grondak, are wonderful employees."
Jessara blushed from the praise.
A moment later, she said, "Oh. We made a mistake with the bakery order. We have too many loaves of bread." She pointed at the pile on the counter.
I pulled the cloth off and found what she meant. There were at least a dozen large loaves.
"They were supposed to be smaller for the stew. You know how they loved crusty bread with stew."
"Who doesn't?" I laughed. Then I looked at the bread again, which gave me an idea. The kitchen wasn't in terrible shape, but our food supplies needed attention. Opening the pantry door, I spotted rows of tomatoes—at least four dozen ripe ones. That was promising.
My fingers traced over the spice rack. We had plenty of everything I needed. The garlic bin revealed dozens of full heads. I glanced back at the bread pile, then at the tomatoes, and suddenly it clicked. What I had in mind would be a novelty here.
I checked on the supply of chicken wings and was pleased to find several large trays stacked in the lower cooler with bare chicken wings on each. I did a quick estimated count and found we had over a hundred.
"Whoever prepped the chicken wings, thank you!" I shouted.
"No problem, Mr. V," Milo yelled back.
He dropped off the last of the dishes and stopped in the kitchen. "Do you need any supplies?" he asked.
"I could use some fresh oregano. A big bunch should do it. I also need some mild white cheese. Get something smooth. How's our petty cash?"
"We have plenty. Is there anything else?"
"Not right now, Milo."
"I'll be right back," Milo said, heading for the side door.
I returned to the stove and began clearing the grates. The fire needed to be started and stoked up quickly. Lady Churl typically did this every morning before I got up. I missed her, not because of the fire but because her wry humor and deadpan delivery always kept me chuckling. Plus, she had saved my ass when I had first arrived here.
I grabbed kindling and stacked it carefully inside the firebox.
Doan's heavy footsteps approached from behind. "Need any help in here, Varix?"
"I need this fire blazing as quickly as possible."
Doan chuckled and gently pushed me aside. "One thing a blacksmith knows is fire. Please go on. I'll handle this. You've got enough to worry about."
"Thanks, Doan. I appreciate it."
I headed back to the main room, where tables still needed attention. Grabbing a stack of dirty plates, I carried them to the kitchen, where Grondak stood elbow-deep in soapy water.
"Many dishes!" he exclaimed, his tusks jutting forward as he grinned.
"Grondak, you're a lifesaver."
I turned to Jessara, who hovered nearby. "Can you boil a large pan of water as soon as possible?"
"How large?" she asked.
"Large enough to dunk a few dozen tomatoes in for a few seconds so we can peel them. We may not use them all today. Better to have extra on hand, just in case."
"What are we making?"
"Hopefully, a rich tomato sauce."
She nodded and moved to fill a heavy pot with water.
The scrape of chair legs against the floor caught my attention. Caden examined one of the chairs, frowning at a loose armrest. He moved it back and forth, then, without a word, he darted out the front door, probably to get his tools.
I grabbed a rag and moved through the tavern, wiping down tables and straightening chairs. The place wasn't filthy, but it needed attention. I flipped chairs right-side up and arranged them neatly around each table.
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Caden returned minutes later, toolbox in hand. He knelt beside the wobbly chair and pulled out a screwdriver.
"You don't have to do that," I said.
He shook his head. "It'll need fixing sooner or later. Might as well be now before we open."
I thanked him and walked back to the kitchen. Doan hadn't been kidding about being able to stoke a fire. It blazed in the stove, and flames flicked through the grates. He adjusted the damper and stood.
"Perfect," I said. "Perfect."
"Glad to help. I should get back to the shop. I have a lot of work to get to today."
I clasped his hand and gave it a shake. "Stop by later. Dinner's on me."
Doan grinned. "I'll do that."
Doan walked out of the kitchen and talked to Caden for a moment. They both waved and then headed out the door.
Jessara already had a big pot with water in it. I helped her dump out most of it until there were only about eight inches in the bottom. I placed the pot over the burner and opened it all the way.
"Good. Now we need to prep the tomatoes." I grabbed a ripe tomato and a small paring knife. "Take about two dozen of these. Remove the stems, then flip them over."
I demonstrated, turning the tomato bottom-side up. "Cut a small slit here, about half an inch." The knife sliced easily through the skin. "Then make another cut, forming a cross. Like this."
Jessara nodded and took the knife, mimicking my technique perfectly.
"Once the water boils, we'll dunk them in for about ten or fifteen seconds, then they go straight in an ice bath."
"An ice bath?"
"Yes. Reminds me. I'll need some help, and I know who can assist."
While Jessara worked on the tomatoes, I returned to the cooler. The ice supply looked good—several blocks remained. I grabbed a partially melted one and carried it to the sink area.
"Grondak," I called. "Can you break this ice into smaller pieces? I need a bowl full."
Grondak's face lit up as he stuck it into the kitchen. "Grondak like break things!" He grabbed an ice pick with enthusiasm.
I showed him what needed to be done and put a large bowl beside the sink.
I walked out the side door and was greeted by the sun riding nice and high in the sky. A breeze kicked up and rustled some of the large sheets that covered the food wagon.
My eyes were pulled to the portal. It coalesced into a view of the city, then swirled away again into an indistinct pattern that rippled like water under a soft wind.
"Come on, Lady Churl. Where are you?" I muttered, then went back inside to get ready to cook.
After the tomatoes had been blanched, dumped in the ice bath, and taken back out, I taught Jessara how to peel them. The skin came off quickly. She cut the cores out, and dropped the tomatoes into the clean bowl.
While she worked, I put a large pan on the stove, filled it with about a quarter of an inch of oil, and placed it over the burner. Next, I focused on smashing enough garlic to start this sauce party.
A light layer of sweat coated Milo's face as he raced back from the market with the fresh oregano and cheese. He dropped the herbs on my prep station. I picked them up, smelled it, and sighed.
"Perfect, Milo. Good work. Did you run the entire way?"
He leaned over, hands on knees, and took deep breaths. "Yes."
I grabbed a clean glass, pulled a water pitcher out of the cooler, poured it to the rim, and then handed it to Milo. He thanked me between gulps.
Jessara leaned in and sniffed the oregano as well and nodded. "I've always liked this herb."
"Good. Because the entire kitchen is about to smell like it. Someone crack some windows. Let's get some free advertising in here."
We didn't have anchovies, but that gave me an idea. I rummaged in the cooler and found a small packet of bacon shoved in the back. Once it was out, my eyes gave it a once over and found it still looked good, but more importantly, it didn't smell bad. Rotten bacon has a very distinct odor.
"Milo. If you've recovered, can you chop a few slices of bacon? They're going to add a lot of flavor. Trim off most of the fat and make the pieces small."
"You got it, Mr. V."
I plucked the oregano from its stems, my fingers working methodically down each branch. The leaves piled up on the cutting board. Once I had a decent pile, I grabbed my knife and roughly chopped them into pieces.
"Jessara," I said, turning to her. “It's time to get your hands dirty. Crush the tomatoes in the bowl until you have a puree.”
She raised an eyebrow but plunged her hands into the bowl of peeled tomatoes, and her fingers squeezed and twisted through the soft fruit. A smile spread across her face as the tomatoes yielded between her fingers and broke apart into a chunky pulp.
"This is fun." She laughed as red juice sluiced up her wrists.
The oil in the pan had been heating for several minutes. I tore off a small piece of oregano leaf and dropped it in. It sizzled and crisped up almost immediately.
"See that?" I pointed to the leaf dancing in the oil. "You don't want the oil too hot, but it needs to be hot enough to cook the leaf. It's a little too hot right now." I used a rag to grasp the pan's edge and move it off the burner.
Milo leaned in, studying the pan with interest. "How do you know when it's just right?"
"Experience," I said with a shrug. "And a bit of luck."
With all my ingredients ready and the oil having slightly cooled, I added the minced garlic, stirring it constantly to distribute it throughout the oil.
"Keep it moving," I explained, working the wooden spoon through the mixture. "The garlic needs to cook but not burn."
After about thirty seconds, I tossed in the pile of chopped oregano. The kitchen was immediately filled with an aromatic cloud that made both Jessara and Milo grin in surprise.
Jessara inhaled deeply. "It smells wonderful!"
"Just wait." I smiled.
I sprinkled in a small handful of red chili flakes. They sizzled softly in the hot oil and released their spicy aroma.
A few pieces of chopped bacon were used to test the temperature. The oil bubbled gently around the meat without violent popping.
"Good," I nodded to Milo. "Slowly add the rest of the bacon."
Milo carefully sprinkled in the remaining bacon bits while I stirred continuously. The bacon began to cook. Fat melted into the oil and created a rich base for our sauce. The mixture took on a thick and textured consistency.
"Jessara, bring the tomatoes over here," I said.
She picked up the bowl and carried it to the stove.
"Now pour them in slowly, especially at first," I instructed. "Slow and steady does it."
She tipped the bowl, and the tomato pulp slid into the pan with a loud sizzle. The mixture bubbled vigorously at first but quickly settled down as the tomatoes dropped the oil's temperature. Once all the tomatoes were in, I returned the pan to the burner.
"Now," I said, adjusting the flame, "we wait for this to return to a low boil. Then I'll lower the heat and let it simmer and thicken for at least an hour."
While the sauce warmed, I sprinkled in salt, pepper, and a small pinch of sugar.
"The sugar helps balance the acidity," I explained. "Takes away some of that sharp tomato bite."
"Mr. V., what is this dish called?"
I'd been thinking about this while the sauce was coming together and had come up with something that would sound enticing to the residents of Everspring.
I looked up, grinned, and said, "How does Saucy Tomato Trenchers sound?"
"It sounds like no one's going to buy bread covered in tomato sauce no matter how good it smells," Milo said matter of factly.
"Ah, but I haven't mentioned the rest. The bread will be covered in the sauce, a layer of cheese, and chunks of sausage. Then placed in the oven until everything sizzles."
Milo blinked a couple of times. "I'd buy that."
"I know." I laughed.
A rich sauce perfect for Saucy Tomato Trenchers or any dish needing a flavorful base.
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Prepare the tomatoes:
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Prepare the sauce base:
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Add the bacon (or a few anchovies! Yum. This won't taste like anchovies, promise)
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Combine and simmer:
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Serve:
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