fandomhigh | Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques

Hannibal smiled at the students as they settled in. The Danger Shop today had been arranged into separate cooking stations for each student. "Hello. This is how I will typically have the place arranged when we are cooking. Since some of you may not be familiar with the sorts of equipment in use in this time and place, please feel free to ask if you have questions. For today, we will start with the stove."

He turned on the one at the front of the room. "You may find electrical ones as well, but I prefer gas, like this. It means more immediate heat, a finer control over the degree of heat, and more even heating." He smiled. "And fire translates better to other times and places than electricity, I find."

He held up a pot. “To begin the class's theme of simple yet complex tasks, we'll start with something deceptively complex. Boiling water.” He motioned them toward his cooking station. “Gather around, please. 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, both for taste and for exactness of temperature." He filled it from the filtered faucet nearby. "Now, there are several types of cooking you may see referred to, and it's important you know the difference: a simmer, a slow boil, and a rolling boil. The best way to achieve and maintain each depends 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.

“Today we will be making pasta. It’s a simple food that can be made 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 dried is easier to find these days for most people, so that's what you're most likely to use and what you’ll find at your stations." He nodded to them.

"You will also find a number of simple recipes to try, or you may invent your own. Please ask for help if you like. When you’ve all finished, we’ll discuss what you've learned.” He smiled and waved them toward their individual setups. "Whatever you make, you may take with you. Meanwhile, you may eat what I've made using these same techniques. Please do concentrate on your cooking, however."

He raised a hand. "Also, I have no teaching assistant, so if you would be interested, please let me know."

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If you have questions or want to be his TA.

"Um, Dr. Lecter?" Summer approached him when there was a good pasta-free moment. "I can be your TA if you'd like."

It was probably her last chance at something like that, so she figured she'd better seize it, especially with a teacher and class she liked.

Hannibal beamed at her. "Wonderful; thank you. I don't imagine it will entail much this semester, but I'm pleased to have the help."

And more pleased if he'd known her diet while he taught her robot counterpart, but that was beside the point.

"Cool," said Summer. "Not entailing much is completely fine by me!" Surprising no one. She threw in a thumbs-up. "But you just let me know if you need anything, and I got your back."

And it was also very unlikely she'd actually burn anything down, too, which had to be a bonus.

That was a decided bonus, yes.

"I will let you know," he promised.

Alluka was not here to be his TA. (She was pretty sure she had to know how to cook for that.)

But she did wait until the end of the class and after most of the other students were gone before bouncing over hopefully for a hug.

Hannibal smiled and held out his arms. "How have you been?"

Hugging came first! She flung her arms around him.

"I've been doing well," she said earnestly. "I've been reading books on sewing, lately, and I got a new bag, but it's not very useful for weather this cold."

But it had been super, super cute.

"That simply means you need another bag for colder weather," Hannibal said seriously. "Would you like to go shopping some time?"

Ooooh, Papa Hannibal was going to steal Papa Jono's title of best papa ever if he kept that up.

She beamed up at him. "I'd love to go shopping sometime! It's important to accessorize well."

"It is," Hannibal agreed. These were the things that her other papa simply didn't understand. "I know some lovely places we can look."

"I'd like that," Alluka admitted. "If, if it wouldn't be a bother."

She thought about that for a moment.

"Is there anything you need to look for as well?"

"My dear," Hannibal said, "I always enjoy finding new things for my wardrobe. And spending time with you is hardly a bother - I enjoy that, too."

"I know," Alluka said, bouncing on her feet just a little. "But, I just..."

She didn't really know. Maybe they'd get tired of her eventually.

It could happen, right?

Hannibal smiled again and tugged on the ends of her hair. "I appreciate you asking, but you are not a bother. I promise, if you ever are, I will let you know. So, when would you like to shop?"

"Oh!" Um. Hm. Alluka thought about that. "I'm only really busy on Mondays?"

So... any day really worked. Even Monday! Sparkle would understand ditching work for shopping.

Hannibal thought about it. "Would you prefer something later this week, such as Friday, or next week - Tuesday perhaps?"

Beginning Gourmet Cooking Techniques | Tuesday, per. 2

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