fandomhigh | Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques

Hannibal eyed the students as they sat down. Class was meeting in the Danger Shop today, which he’d been thrilled to learn of, since it meant being able to supply enough adequate cookware and appliances for everyone. (He had no intention of trusting it to supply food, but still.) “I see some familiar faces,” he nodded to the ones he knew, “and some unfamiliar ones. I am Doctor Hannibal Lecter, and this is Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques, so if you are here for anything else, you are in the wrong place.” He paused to let anyone leave who needed to.

“This semester, we will be learning a number of things about cooking that I hope you will all find useful." He passed out a syllabus. "We do have a lesson for today, but first, introductions, please. For those of you who haven’t taken a class with me already, this consists not only of your name and class, but also any allergies you may have — food or not — and any objections or restrictions to eating or working with any foods.”

Once those were over, he continued. “Our first lesson will be something simple, but more complicated than it sounds. Today we learn to boil water.” He turned to the main setup. “If you will gather around?” He gestured for them to come closer. “First, you should always begin with cold water. It will take longer, but it will taste less like pipes and water heater. Filtered is best, if you can get it. Now, the difference between a simmer, a slow boil, and a rolling boil, and the best way to achieve each, which will depend upon your tools and what you are using them for.”

He explained the differences, plus the relative sizes of pot that should be used, how to adequately work a gas stove (and how to make do with electric if necessary), and the benefits of boiling before simmering versus not.

“To apply this lesson, we will be making pasta today. It’s a simple food that can be made much more complex depending upon what you do with it. And how you boil it does make a difference.” He showed them overcooked, doughy pasta; undercooked, crunchy pasta; pasta that had been stuck together from not enough room in the pot; and pasta cooked correctly. “I prefer fresh myself, but you will most likely be cooking from dried, so that is what you’ll find at your stations. When you’re done, we’ll discuss what you've learned, and eat what I’ve made from mine.” He smiled and waved them toward the individual stove set-ups.

"If you have questions, please ask me or have one of my assistants do so." He pointed them out.

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"We'll have to try you on different noodles next, then. For a challenge." Hannibal grinned.

"I also know my way around the corkscrew ones, and the ones that are shaped like seashells," Sparkle replied, puffing out his chest a little, because, you know, seashells were a challenge.

... They kept sticking inside of one another and not cooking evenly. It was horrible, okay?

Those were definitely a challenge. "You're ahead of many, then. Have you ever cooked with fresh pasta?" Hannibal doubted it, but you never knew. "It's a bit different, and it cooks for much less time."

"Fresh, nah. I mean, you see it sometimes in like the vacuum-sealed bags at the grocery store, but it's not really something I've ever used."

Sparkle shrugged.

"I'm guessing it doesn't all taste the same in the end, huh?"

"Not really, no." Hannibal waved in the direction of his station at the front. "I've made fresh for the food today; you may be able to taste the difference. But it tends to be more expensive, and I do know that most students are on a restricted budget." He smiled. "And I don't expect most of them to have the attention span to make their own from scratch."

Sparkle peered up toward Hannibal's station curiously. And then kind of fidgeted a little before just shrugging and deciding, to hell with it, he might as well ask.

"We going to learn how to make that this semester at all?"

Hannibal smiled, genuinely pleased. "It's a bit more advanced than I'd planned, but if you're interested, I could show you." He nodded at the other TA. "I've already told Zhari that my kitchen is always open; the same holds true for you."

"Well... you know. I mean, it just makes sense, if I'm gonna be a TA for you this semester and everything, I should learn some of this stuff, right? I mean. So I can, like, TA better."

Yeah. Yeah, that was totally the reason, sure.

"... Right?"

He probably didn't need to be quantifying this with Hannibal, of all people. He was pretty sure the man already got what he had been getting at, here.

"Of course," Hannibal answered gravely. "Whenever you like, then. Call or e-mail me and make sure I'm not with a patient," or out killing someone, "but most of my evenings are free."

"Evenings," Sparkle echoed, and then smiled and threw off a lazy salute. "Sounds like a plan."

And then, after a pause.

"Thanks."

For the extra time, yeah. And the trust. And for just giving a damn.

"You're very welcome." Hannibal smiled back and moved on.

Hannibal's trust was more along the lines of "betray me and I'll have a wonderful dinner", but he'd learned to be good at giving a damn.

Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques | Tuesday, 1st Period

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own

Re: Cook your pasta on your own