fandomhigh | Camp Shenanigans, Wednesday, June 5, 2019

"Good morning!" Anakin blared through the microphone. "An essential skill of a camper is the ability to feed yourself over a campfire--BEAKER, GET AWAY FROM THE CAMPFIRES."

There was slightly charred sounding apologetic meeping as Beaker moved away from one of the two campfires that had been carefully set up in the park. There were rickety looking folding tables arranged nearby the fires with cutting boards, knives, bowls, and other ~~moddable~~ kitchen items nearby. There was, however, no power. Everything would have to be chopped and grated and opened from a can by hand.

"Today, you will be paired up and asked to feature one of two different sets of menu items," Anakin continued. "And then you will present them to our esteemed panel of judges: Summer, Hannibal, Peebee, and Vette." He pointed to the judges. "Your meal must be cooked over the campfire. We have an array of other ingredients--" he pointed to a pantry and set of mini fridges that Beaker was now standing near, so expect that to spontaneously fall over any minute now, "--for you to use to supplement your original ingredients, but you must use the three ingredients we give you." He took a deep breath. "Please don't give the judges food poisoning, and remember that presentation matters. Listen for your names!"

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"I like to think I'm a decent cook," Miguel said. "But I'm not sure even I can do much with that. Do they have to be together?"

"They didn't say, did they?" Seivarden replied. "I can't say I have much experience with cooking either way, but I can't see anyone succeeding with mixing them."

She was terrible at cooking, but at least she knew how to tell good food from bad.

"Okay, right." Miguel nodded. "So...tuna tacos - we can make a peanut sauce on them and add some lime, and that should be good. And..."

He eyed the gelatin. "Okay, I have no idea what to do with that. Add fruit and condensed milk and hope for the best?"

"Fruit and condensed milk? Is that what you usually do?"

Seivarden looked at Miguel, then shrugged.

"You're better at this than I am. Let's go for that. What should I do?"

"Usually it's a bit fancier, but yeah."

Miguel looked around and found a mortar and pestle. "Okay, looks like we're going old school on this." He handed it to Seivarden. "Grind up the peanuts; they don't have to be paste, just really small bits. I'll get started on the rest of the sauce."

Seivarden did as she was told. Miguel definitely knew more than she did, so it might even be edible. While grinding, she asked:

"Where did you learn cooking?"

"From my ma, mostly," Miguel answered as he got started. "Some recipe books and living on my own. Had an old girlfriend who loved I could cook. Can you not, or just not with local equipment and food?"

"I never had a reason to learn," Seivarden said, by now almost amused that she had to explain that. "It's useful here though, but..." She shrugged.

"And my roommate doesn't cook either."

"So you just order in a lot?" Miguel asked. He went looking for a pan they could put on the fire.

"It's easiest," Seivarden said, looking into the mortar. "Is this enough?"

Miguel looked in. "A little more; we'll need enough for four.

"When I'm not cooking at the house, Mitsutada usually is. We don't have to order in much."

If it wasn't for the fact that a) Miguel was dating someone Seivarden didn't want to run into, and b) it would be a bit rude to ask, she would have asked if they needed another roommate.

"Sounds practical. I suppose I should learn."

That wasn't going to happen.

"Definitely a useful skill." Miguel left the sauce to sit a bit and started on the jello. "Dump the peanuts in there when you're done, and see what kinds of fruit you can find?"

Seivarden did as she was told, she wasn't going to argue about the cooking. A short while later she returned with a bowl of raspberries.

"These look good," she said, tasting one. "They are good."

"They'll be good," Miguel agreed. "Maybe find some strawberries, too?" He stirred the peanuts into the sauce and added it to the fish, then went back to the gelatin, making sure it all mixed up well.

"I wasn't sure I should bother signing up for this," Seivarden said. "Last year there were all sorts of stupid things, and that fucking fish. At least this might be edible."

And Miguel did most of the work.

"It better be," Miguel said, grinning. "I'd hate to have to turn in my stove."

Camp Shenanigans, Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!

Re: Come on Down, Contestants of Group A!