Cooking with Matt

[piwakawaka]

Tiwa is discussing where she and Matt can take over the kitchen and the rats are moving out of the way. Her plan is fairly simple, everything they'll have will be baked in the end as that gives more time for cleaning afterwards.

Everything isn't prepped but a lot of things are as that means more time for the good parts of cooking. When she's sure that everything's set then she goes to the door to see if she can spot him.

Comments

[semicharmed]

He grins.

"Getting to eat my cooking: temptation or deterrent?"

A few years ago, he'd have found the idea of people gathering around him ludicrous and kind of sad (in the sense that it clearly wasn't happening). But now ...

Yeah.

Touche.

[piwakawaka]

"If you cook like I show you how to cook, it'll be temptation, promise. Once you've finished the cheese. I need you to get the pans ready. They're over there,"

The pans are pretty simple, just some ramekins on top of a cookie sheet.

[semicharmed]

"I'm almost done," he says, nodding.

"What does getting the pans ready entail?"

[piwakawaka]

"Do you see the pastry? Take that and cut round pieces to go in each one of the pans. We'll use the leftover for the tops."

[semicharmed]

Cheese down, pastry to go!

The first thing Matt learns about pastry dough is that cutting round pieces is more difficult than one might imagine.

The second thing he learns is that lifting and transporting those demi-round pieces is way more difficult than one might imagine.

[piwakawaka]

Tiwa giggles unhelpfully and after covering the various meats, comes over to show him some tricks,

"It doesn't have to be too neat as it's going to bake anyway."

[semicharmed]

"But it droops," Matt protests.

[piwakawaka]

"It will puff when it bakes, I promise and you'll tuck that in with the top part and then we won't lose any pie filling."

[semicharmed]

Matt does his best to spread the pastry dough around in a more-or-less-even array.

"As long as I really haven't destroyed these pies."

[piwakawaka]

"No, you haven't and they don't have to be terribly neat,"

Pies for home eating don't need the same elegance as ones that get sold.

[semicharmed]

"Oh aces," Matt says cheerfully.

"Because they definitely aren't."

Still, with a little poking and prodding and pushing, they nearly look presentable.

[piwakawaka]

"Good as I'm bringing over the fillings. We'll have four of each kind."

[semicharmed]

Matt steps back chivalrously ... or at least decisively ... to allow Tiwa access to the crusts.

[piwakawaka]

Tiwa grins at him and puts a pan into his hands,

"Spoon equal amounts of that into each one and then put the cheese over them, be generous."

[semicharmed]

Matt looks momentarily panicked, but then it registers that those are very easy directions.

"Equal amounts," he notes, "generosity. Got it."

[piwakawaka]

She laughs at the moment of panic and starts on putting the other fillings in the pies.

Soon they're all full and she starts rolling out the leftover pastry for the tops, "They're looking good."

[semicharmed]

Matt has a bit more of a spring in his step at the pronouncement.

"How much did you cook the meat, by the way? Or, I guess the recipe'll say that."

[piwakawaka]

"Chicken most of the way as that helps it soak up all the curry flavors, beef browned and mainly cooked, it's mince so cooks fast. Lamb not quite as much since you want it to still be a little tender,"

As she looks over the pies, she points out as the meat's fairly obvious to see though the chicken's a bit hidden by curry.

[semicharmed]

"But now we're going to bake it, so it'll cook more."

This is sllllightly a question.

[piwakawaka]

"Yes, but first we put the rest of the pastry on top and make designs."

[semicharmed]

Matt eyes a perfidious bit of leftover pastry dough.

"Are you picky about the type of design?"

His will be ... impressionistic.

[piwakawaka]

"It depends what you do," She's curious so won't say no just wants to see.

[semicharmed]

Matt's effort ...


Looks a lot like a very sad half-pie-crust.

It doesn't quite reach all the way across.

[piwakawaka]

Tiwa carefully adds another half and hands him a knife,

"Cut or prick out a design with that."

[semicharmed]

Matt considers the knife.

And the already-lopsided pie.


With a bit of tugging, he shifts the crust to the center of the pie, with a bit of space all around, and starts poking holes in it with the knife.

The end result is reminiscent of a pentagram or magical circle, though it doesn't contain any actionable magic symbols.