Time for Pie!

[mylandmyrules]

Nell was determined not to mess this up the way she'd missed her training time with Marc today. She still couldn't believe she'd completely slept through her alarm! But now she had to get things ready to bake pies with the Detective. She had a couple of different options ready for them to try - all vegan, of course, since she assumed he was making them for Steven.

All that was necessary was for the Detective to arrive.

Comments

[pocketpretzels]

"All right, what next?" he asked, peering at the bowl full of ingredients.

[mylandmyrules]

"Cut the rest of the pumpkin into pieces and put it on this tray. We'll roast it while we make the pie crust." She was kind of interested to see how his peicevs turned out. She got the ingredients for the crust out of the refrigerator. "These all need to be refrigerated to make sure they're nice and cold before they're mixed up."

[pocketpretzels]

Not into nice even chunks, lets put it that way. "This'll be my first time using a modern oven," he admitted. Not that he'd used the ones back home all that often either.

[mylandmyrules]

"Back home I do all my cooking an baking with a wood stove," Nell said. "It took me quite some time to manage to figure out how to adjust what I did so I didn't ruin everything I cooked."

She had him set out the pieces on a baking tray. "Good. Into the oven for about an hour at 350 degreees. I had it all preheated. Now let's clean this mess up and wash our hands before we make the crust."

While Watts straightened his things and washed up, Nell set out all the pumpkin seeds for later baking.

"Okay, we're going to mix all of this flour sugar and salt up, and then we cut this vegan butter into chunks, good, and mix it up till it looks like coarse meal. Mix the vegan shortening in too."

[pocketpretzels]

Jack's building had had stoves with thermostats, a fairly new innovation. It was not something Watts had concerned himself overly with, as infrequently as he used it.

He followed along, mixing things in as directed. "Shortening?" he asked, not quite sure what that was, new to baking and all.

[mylandmyrules]

"It's a type of fat that's solid at room temperature. It will help give the pastry a crumbly and crisp texture. This one is vegan, of course. Good. Now we're going to add a couple of tablespoons of ice water until it starts to clump up."

When it looked to be the right consistency, she had him dump into the lightly floured counter. "Dip your hands in this ice water, then shape the dough into a ball. We don't want the dough getting too warm, so don't work it too much."

[pocketpretzels]

"Like this?" he asked, when he got it appropriately ball-shaped.

[mylandmyrules]

"Excellent. Now use this rolling pin and carefully roll it out, like so..." She demonstrated on the ball of dough she'd made herself. "Then we'll put it in the pie plate."

He was doing well enough, though occasionally Nell had to clasp her hands together to not just take over and do it herself.

[pocketpretzels]

Yeah, Watts noticed those points where Nell was very clearly tempted to take over, and he appreciated that she held back all the same.

"This seemed far more intimidating a project before we actually got started," he commented as he rolled out the dough. Now... it didn't seem so bad.

[mylandmyrules]

"It's always easier if there's someone to help you navigate," Nell said. "Now dip your hands in the ice water again so you can shape your pie crust a bit."

It... definitely needed some shaping. But, it would still taste just as good no matter how it looked.

"Good enough," she said. "Now we'll put these in the freezer for a bit while we clean up. Might have time for a cup of tea before the next step."

[pocketpretzels]

Oh yeah, this pie was not going to end up looking bakery-shelf perfect by any means. But as long as it was edible...

"Handy contraption, that," Watts commented as the crusts went into the freezer.

[mylandmyrules]

"Aren't they just," Nell said. "And this one is so big. We had a sma;; one back home, but this is a delight."

She washed up and put the water on. "Let's clean up our space and have a cup if tea. It's almost time to get the pumpkin out, but we have a few minutes."

[pocketpretzels]

"I- may have spent a good chunk of time after I learned the refrigerator can just dispense ice upon command doing just that," Watts commented as he went about doing the tidying-up. "I'd never seen anything quite like it."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell laughed. "I'm afraid mine doesn't do anything that fancy, but I can see the appeal." She assisted in the clean-up, then poured them each a cup of tea before sitting down at the table.

"Time for a short break."

[pocketpretzels]

You could put a tray full of water in it and have ice hours later, which was a step up from having to purchase it from an ice seller!

"It sounds like your shop opening was successful," Watts said as he sat down. He'd been there early on in the day, but listening to radio this morning there had been quite the extensive list of visitors.

[mylandmyrules]

"It was indeed," Nell said. "I'm very pleased with how many people showed up. I'm hoping it bodes well for the store's continued success. I'm afraid though that it was such a day that I stayed up later than I should and then slept right through my alarm this morning. I was supposed to start up my training with Marc again and I missed it entirely."

[pocketpretzels]

"Oh dear," Watts said sympathetically. "Was he at least- understanding about the matter?"

[mylandmyrules]

"He said it was fine," Nell said. "I'll make him a little something as an apology for next time."

[pocketpretzels]

"Sounds like the sort of thing he'd say," Watts said. It wasn't that Marc was easygoing, exactly, but he didn't seem to place a lot of value on his own time.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate that." Even as Watts was almost certain he'd say it wasn't necessary.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell was certain Marc would say that as well, but that wasn't the important thing, now was it?

"I feel bad because I'd bothered him into starting up the training again and then I let him down," Nell said. "But he's pretty understanding."

The timer went off and Nell rose. "No, no, I can take it out. It has to cool a little before we work with it." She pulled the pumpkin out and took the pie crusts from the refrigerator. "We can do this part sitting down." She handed him a sheet of wax paper and demonstrated how to put it over the crust and then fill it with uncooked rice.

"And now we'll just tuck these in the oven for about half an hour, same temperature, and then they'll be ready for filling once we've actually made the filling."

[pocketpretzels]

Nope, the important thing was stubbornly continuing to remind Marc that he (and his time) was valued, even if he tried to insist he wasn't worth the trouble.

"What's the rice for?" he couldn't help but ask.

[mylandmyrules]

And it - and he, himself - was valued. Greatly.

"Good question," Nell said warmly. "We freeze the crusts so that they don't shrink down so much when they bake and we weight the crusts down so they hold their shape as they cook. You can also use dried beans or pie weights if you have them."

She set the pumpkin pieces in front of him. "The skin should peel right off and then you'll put it in this bowl and mash it up before adding the other ingredients. Don't worry. I've written down all the ingredients and the directions for you."

[pocketpretzels]

"Oh, good," Watts said as he got to work peeling the skin off the roasted pumpkin pieces. "I've a fairly decent memory but I don't know that I'd be able to recall all of these steps without some assistance. And- I certainly don't have the ingredients on hand." Well. Barring the (vegan) butter, anyway. And the pumpkin.

[mylandmyrules]

"I can send you home with the spices and such that you'll need," Nell offered. "They're a bit pricey and you have to buy a whole container when you only need a small bit of each."

She handed him a whisk to start mixing together all of the ingredients. "Keep whisking until all of the cornstarch is incorporated."

[pocketpretzels]

"Oh!" Watts said, pleasantly surprised by the offer as he got started on the whisking. "If you're certain. I'd appreciate that."

[mylandmyrules]

"Of course," Nell said and proceeded to measure out, bag up, and label the various spices he would need. "You'll have to pick up the coconut cream, of course, and you might want to pick up a vegan whipped cream rather than trying to make that from scratch, but at least you won't need to spend a small fortune on spices."

When she was done she watched as he finished up. "Very good." She pulled the half-baked crusts out of the oven and took the rice and wax paper out of them. "Now, half the mixture goes in each of these and we'll pop them back in the oven for an hour."

[pocketpretzels]

"Modern prices still make my head spin on occasion," Watts admitted as he divvied the filling up between the two crusts.

[mylandmyrules]

"I'm used to making or growing most everything I need," Nell said, "But making vegan things has certainly been an adventure."

She nodded as he finished up. "Excellent. Now into the oven and then we'll clean it all up and have a bit of a break."

[pocketpretzels]

"I ascribed to a vegetarian diet- mostly-," Watts amended with a slight grimace, because yes, when he'd been seeing Jack, he'd fallen off that particular wagon, "- even before I started seeing Steven. But vegan was new to me. I don't mind it at all, even if sometimes the offerings at restaurants and the like are limited," he said as the pies went into the oven.

[mylandmyrules]

Nell shook her head. "I still find it hard to understand choosing not to eat meat." Especially bacon.

"I do know why people choose not to, yes, and I respect their decision, but, I must say... a good steak or even butter... Well, each to their own I suppose."

[pocketpretzels]

"I've had- a number of poor experiences with meat-based products over the last few years," Watts admitted. "I do not particularly miss it."

[mylandmyrules]

Nell nodded. "I can understand that."

She couldn't help but think, though, that if he'd been eating her meat based dishes that he might indeed be missing it now.

"When the pies are done in the oven they should be left to cool at room temperature for half an hour or so and then refrigerated for several hours, or better yet, overnight. You did a good job with them, Detective, and I think you'll do an even better job tomorrow."

[pocketpretzels]

Perhaps. But Jack had also been an excellent cook, and- well.

The less said about that, the better.

"It was thanks to your guidance," he pointed out. "I appreciate the confidence."

[mylandmyrules]

A story which Nell, no doubt, did not need to know in any case.

"I was happy to help," she said. "You have a fine attention to details, Detective." Except when entering a building and depositing his hat and picking on her plants without noticing, of course.