Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques | Tuesday, 1st Period

[sharp_as_knives]

This week, the class met at Portalocity, where Hannibal handed out a list of fruits and vegetables. "The first lesson to buying good produce is whenever possible to buy things which are local, organic, and in season. It's healthier and tastes much better. That said, there are some foods it's more important for than others. Also please note that if and when you move elsewhere, you'll need to compile your own list, as growing seasons change."

He held up one of the lists, drawing a line down it with one finger. "This will tell you what we can expect to find here in September. I've also listed some simple reminders about choosing each, and will go into more detail once we arrive. Instead of cooking today, you will each be choosing your own produce to purchase and bring back." Which did not involve heat, and hopefully some of the more hopeless students — Isabelle — would manage without too much difficulty.

He frowned faintly at them all. "I expect you to stay close and pay attention while I'm speaking. If you have questions, please see me, Sparkle, or Zhari."

He waved them toward the portal and hung back with Anna. "If you're unable to come, I'll use the video so you can do your best to choose; it goes directly to the classroom." He smiled gently. "I won't hold against you what you have no control over."

Comments

Sign in!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

Veggie veggie fruit fruit!

Re: Sign in!

[shippedtomaine]

Emma Swan

Re: Sign in!

[flickofthewrist]

Flick

Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

He’ll mostly be going over the things in the handout, but will also answer questions.

Feel free to not listen and/or to bug the farmers, but only if you want to get in trouble!

Pick out one head of spinach, one bunch of grapes, one eggplant, several tomatoes, a few onions, several apples, a couple parsnips, and one other of your choice. (You’re not paying for your own.)

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[flickofthewrist]

After his run in with Dr. Lecter yesterday, Flick was doing his level best to avoid the man today. That didn't mean he was off acting out but he wasn't going out of his way to noticeable (as if he ever did).

He wandered around, looking for fruits and vegetables that looked ripe and not rotted. He wasn't a great judge but he figured looking for something colorful without bruising would be the best bet.

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[shippedtomaine]

Emma started poking through the fruit and vegetables, trying to remember what a parsnip was actually supposed to look like.

Her fingers mightn't have been as sticky as those of some people in the class, but she still knew opportunity when she saw it, and a couple of stray items began to migrate towards her pockets instead of her basket while a farmer was otherwise occupied.

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

The farmer might not have been looking, but the teacher was.

Hannibal stepped casually next to her. "You do know we can afford whatever you like?" he asked curiously.

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla's mother was an obsessive gardener who had on more than one occasion vocalised the dream to sleep outside among the pansies (but only where family could hear, of course. It wouldn't do for the neighbours to talk), and that was before the war had caused the front lawn to be plowed under to grow food. Rilla was quite at home out here and was filling her basket with the freshest vegetables and fruits she could find. She'd be happy to help out any Yankees city folk Yankified city folk who couldn't tell an eggplant from a parsnip.

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[not_a_moonie]

This was the first time Alana had been off the island, and the farmer's market was overwhelming at first. Sure, they had farmer's markets on Landfall, but the vegetables were a little different. Plus it was weird that the crowd was entirely human.

The fact people kept eying her wings and snorting about "Renn faire girls" didn't help, either.

She squared her shoulders and filled her basket with vegetables nonetheless, using the signs to pick out the things she wasn't familiar with. For her free choice, she went with kale. It was selling a lot, so it was probably okay, right?

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

Hannibal jonied Alana when he noticed her discomfort. "Those who don't live on the island have never seen non-human sentient beings before," he explained. "Most don't believe they exist." He leaned in conspiratorially. "Fortunately, they are also very good at denying the evidence of their eyes. Try not to take it personally," he advised.

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[myownface]

Sparkle wasn't even sure what parsnips were, but after some wandering, he figured it out, and spent five minutes just poking through them to find the smallest, most ivory-looking ones he could find.

And then he grabbed some swiss chard, just because 'chard' was fun to say.

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

Hannibal chuckled at Sparkle eyeing the chard. "When it's young, you can eat it in a salad," he explained. "Otherwise, it's best to sautée, like spinach."

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[seveninchmotto]

Isabelle was not going to manage to mess this task up. The narrative was just as surprised as you were. Guess she only had trouble executing recipes, not so much with picking up ingredients.

She also looked content enough to be doing just that, but then again, she also always looked like she enjoyed herself while she was cooking, so that wasn't saying much about the end result.

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

"Much better." Hannibal nodded at her, just as surprised as the narrative.

Maybe last week had been a fluke. He could hope.

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[selfhelphero]

Billy had been to enough farmers markets to have a good idea of what made decent produce, and if he used his choice to get a variety of apples, well, it was almost autumn, right?

Re: Listen to the lecture (or not) and choose your fruits and veggies!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

"A fan of apples?" Hannibal nodded at Billy's selection.

Discuss things in the shop!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

When you get back to the classroom, he’ll grade you on your choices, and let you taste what you chose, what he chose, and some of the same produce he picked at random from the non-organic, non-local supermarket. (Feel free to not taste a difference and make him feel sorry for you!)

Re: Discuss things in the shop!

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

Rilla really enjoyed her time in the sunshine out among the crops and it showed on her (slightly freckled now) face as she came back in with her basket of food. "Here!"

Re: Discuss things in the shop!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

"I take it you enjoyed today's class?" Hannibal asked with a chuckle. He nodded at her food as he looked it over. "Very good."

Re: Discuss things in the shop!

[flickofthewrist]

Flick didn't think he'd done too badly with his choices this time around. Everything looked like it was the right color, nothing was squishy that shouldn't be squishy and he had to admit, some of the fruits and vegetables actually looked pretty good.

He presented his spread without a word and picked up an apple since he hadn't had breakfast.

Talk to Hannibal!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

Lament the fact there's no food this week! Ask him if he's a - gasp! - vegetarian!

Talk to the TAs!

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

Maybe they're less intimidating?

Re: Talk to the TAs!

[myownface]

Sparkle certainly didn't try to be intimidating. Except when he did.

Mostly he was just wondering what to do with the swiss chard, now that he'd grabbed some.

OOC

[never-dull.livejournal.com]

I spent way too damn much time on that spreadsheet. LOL OCD FTW?

Re: OOC

[rilla-myrilla.livejournal.com]

It's awesome! I wish I had one for my area--I'm so used to North American food choices that I still get confused down here.