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]

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.