Read Online Berry Flavours by Darry Fraser - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Darry Fraser
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she could add fresh fruit and slide it spoonfuls over the thick slices of the dessert.
A little garnish of lemon myrtle liqueur (apparently from the distillery down the road according to Heidi) to add zing, a dollop of cream and—
“Whatever’s in there, it must be pretty good.”
Clancy jumped and the coolroom door slammed shut as she spun around.
“You’re looking at it as if you could love it.” Berry stood with his hands thrust in his pockets.
Her hand went to her throat as she took a breath. “Berry. Crept up on me.”
“You were engrossed.”
“It’s my dessert for tomorrow night. Heidi wanted me to come up with something special.”
“What is it?” He opened the coolroom door and peered in. “Wow. Panna cotta?”
“Yes. My own recipe.”
“Can’t wait.” He looked around inside the coolroom. “And what else have you been doing?” There were shelves of Heidi’s handy work, her house-made sauces and savoury marmalades, which he skimmed over.
But a section of shelf caught his eye. He didn’t recognise the work.
Clancy stepped in behind him. “I looked at Heidi’s menus and thought a marron mousse might be something different as a starter, or maybe as a teaser.” She moved past him and lifted a linen cloth. “And I found some chicken livers and the wattle-seed and I thought a pâté might work as well. You know, coming up Christmas.” She looked back at him. “Not that there’s anything missing from Heidi’s menus. She asked me to add a few bits...”
“Where is Heidi?”
“She left hours ago.” Clancy was getting cold in the room so she brushed past him on her way out. He followed and closed the door.
She went back to the prep bench and lifted a cloth there as well. “I’ve got savoury breads rising and as soon as they’re ready I can bake them and freeze—” She looked up. “Is something wrong?” Clancy had hardly noticed the time disappearing. She just wanted to keep cooking until her nerves settled and her thoughts were ordered.
“Not a thing. I just came down looking for a feed for dinner. I thought Heidi must still have been here showing you around.”
Clancy checked over the dough rising obediently under the linen. “You want me to cook something?”
“No, I didn’t mean that. Heidi usually has staff meals frozen. I was going to grab one of those.” He stared at her.
“You want me to—?”
“I’ll get them.” He still had his hands in his pockets as he turned away, then back again. “Have you eaten? I’ll grab two packs and we can sit here if you like.”
“Great.” She’d just about finished clearing everything away so she shook a few stainless bowls free of rinse water and stacked them on shelves above the sink.
Berry had his head in the freezer. “A chicken thingy or a beef thingy?”
“Beef, thanks.”
He came back with two deep square boxes each labelled ‘Beef Thingy’ and headed for the microwave. “Your shout for the red.”
Clancy poured two glasses from the bar and brought them back to the kitchen bench. Found the kitchen cutlery and two simple plates. She dragged two bar stools over and sat waiting for the microwave to ding.
This felt extremely weird, as if something great was happening but all in slow motion, something she couldn’t grasp and hold on to. Not even three days in the Row Hill area, hardly a full day in Berry’s company and the very thing she was wary of was happening.
As soon as the aroma from the microwave hit her, her stomach rumbled. For a moment she couldn’t remember if she’d had lunch then recalled very clearly she’d eaten with Berry. And now dinner as well. Hopefully this meal wouldn’t end the way lunch had.
He lifted the lids and Clancy almost saw the curl of flavour waft across to her. Chilli and spice and something sweet tucked in behind it. He turned the first bowl out and Clancy could see fluffy white rice as well.
He turned out the second bowl, and carried them both to the
A little garnish of lemon myrtle liqueur (apparently from the distillery down the road according to Heidi) to add zing, a dollop of cream and—
“Whatever’s in there, it must be pretty good.”
Clancy jumped and the coolroom door slammed shut as she spun around.
“You’re looking at it as if you could love it.” Berry stood with his hands thrust in his pockets.
Her hand went to her throat as she took a breath. “Berry. Crept up on me.”
“You were engrossed.”
“It’s my dessert for tomorrow night. Heidi wanted me to come up with something special.”
“What is it?” He opened the coolroom door and peered in. “Wow. Panna cotta?”
“Yes. My own recipe.”
“Can’t wait.” He looked around inside the coolroom. “And what else have you been doing?” There were shelves of Heidi’s handy work, her house-made sauces and savoury marmalades, which he skimmed over.
But a section of shelf caught his eye. He didn’t recognise the work.
Clancy stepped in behind him. “I looked at Heidi’s menus and thought a marron mousse might be something different as a starter, or maybe as a teaser.” She moved past him and lifted a linen cloth. “And I found some chicken livers and the wattle-seed and I thought a pâté might work as well. You know, coming up Christmas.” She looked back at him. “Not that there’s anything missing from Heidi’s menus. She asked me to add a few bits...”
“Where is Heidi?”
“She left hours ago.” Clancy was getting cold in the room so she brushed past him on her way out. He followed and closed the door.
She went back to the prep bench and lifted a cloth there as well. “I’ve got savoury breads rising and as soon as they’re ready I can bake them and freeze—” She looked up. “Is something wrong?” Clancy had hardly noticed the time disappearing. She just wanted to keep cooking until her nerves settled and her thoughts were ordered.
“Not a thing. I just came down looking for a feed for dinner. I thought Heidi must still have been here showing you around.”
Clancy checked over the dough rising obediently under the linen. “You want me to cook something?”
“No, I didn’t mean that. Heidi usually has staff meals frozen. I was going to grab one of those.” He stared at her.
“You want me to—?”
“I’ll get them.” He still had his hands in his pockets as he turned away, then back again. “Have you eaten? I’ll grab two packs and we can sit here if you like.”
“Great.” She’d just about finished clearing everything away so she shook a few stainless bowls free of rinse water and stacked them on shelves above the sink.
Berry had his head in the freezer. “A chicken thingy or a beef thingy?”
“Beef, thanks.”
He came back with two deep square boxes each labelled ‘Beef Thingy’ and headed for the microwave. “Your shout for the red.”
Clancy poured two glasses from the bar and brought them back to the kitchen bench. Found the kitchen cutlery and two simple plates. She dragged two bar stools over and sat waiting for the microwave to ding.
This felt extremely weird, as if something great was happening but all in slow motion, something she couldn’t grasp and hold on to. Not even three days in the Row Hill area, hardly a full day in Berry’s company and the very thing she was wary of was happening.
As soon as the aroma from the microwave hit her, her stomach rumbled. For a moment she couldn’t remember if she’d had lunch then recalled very clearly she’d eaten with Berry. And now dinner as well. Hopefully this meal wouldn’t end the way lunch had.
He lifted the lids and Clancy almost saw the curl of flavour waft across to her. Chilli and spice and something sweet tucked in behind it. He turned the first bowl out and Clancy could see fluffy white rice as well.
He turned out the second bowl, and carried them both to the
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