Gabi wiped her tears. “I love you guys.” She sat back and heaved a huge sigh. She’d fill them in when they got here. She loved having her own business, but she was missing her friends like crazy. Gabi was grateful she had Stephanie, but no one could ever come close to being Jamie or Cassie.
Gabi’s “It’s Greek to Me” Stuffed Eggplant
2 large eggplants
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
20-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup raisins
12 Greek black olives, chopped
¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Figuring out love is like learning Greek. You know a few letters from your college sorority, but not much beyond that. At least this recipe is in English. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush each half with olive oil. Place on a sheet pan, cut side down, and bake in the hot oven for 15 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Use a paring knife to cut the slightly cooked pulp out of the eggplant. Make sure you leave a ¼-inch wall around the eggplant. Chop the pulp into bite-size pieces. Now add the remaining olive oil to a large frying pan. When the pan is hot, add the onions, garlic, and eggplant pulp to the pan and sauté approximately 10 minutes or until tender, like your heart. Transfer ingredients to a large bowl and add everything else except the Parmesan cheese. Stir until thoroughly combined. Fill the four halves with the mixture and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake for 40 minutes. Makes 4 dinner servings or 8 side-dish servings.
Gabi hardly slept a wink all night, excited about having her two best friends spend the day with her. Up early, she showered, then added a light spritz of spray to her hair and took one last look in the mirror. Dark circles puffed underneath her eyes. At least Cassie and Jamie were well aware of what it took to run a restaurant, not to mention an entire inn. Racing down the stairs, she made her way into the dining room to pick up the tray of dishes she’d set aside last night and carried them outside to the patio to set the table.
She’d chosen one of the tables closest to the babbling brook, knowing they’d appreciate hearing the sound of water rushing over the rocks much more than the usual piercing wail of sirens and honking horns in Midtown. Now that the weather was warmer, it was a perfect day to sit outside by the brook. A warm breeze filled the air with the scent of lilacs and azaleas in bloom. Stepping back to admire the setting, her heart warmed knowing they’d be arriving soon. She took one glance at the clock just as she heard Jamie’s voice calling her name. She rushed to the door and couldn’t open it fast enough. One look at each other and the tears gushed down their cheeks. The girls pulled her into a group hug.
“Oh, sweetie,” Cassie said, “Do you know how much we miss you?”
“Probably as much as I’m missing you.” She hugged them again.
“It’s so beautiful here,” Cassie said.
“Let me show you around first,” Gabi gestured.
“After I use the restroom,” Jamie said. Gabi pointed in its general direction. “Boy,” Jamie inhaled on her way down the hall, “I hope that smell is something you made for us.”
“It is.”
Cassie hugged her again. “Gabi.” She stared at her for a few minutes, her mouth in a pout. “We need to do this more often, because letting a month pass by without contacting each other is ridiculous.” She held her at arm’s length. “You’re looking so tired. It’s hard work, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but it’ll be worth it. Are you ready for a mimosa?”
“I know I am,” Jamie said, reentering the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”
“We have a half hour before breakfast is ready, so let me make the drinks and then show you guys my suite.”
“Sounds good.” Cassie sniffed the air. “Ooh, are you making hot cross buns?”
Gabi grinned. “And what else do you smell?”
“Oh God, you made Italian cheesecake, didn’t you?”
Gabi didn’t respond. She just handed them each a drink and led them to the stairway.
Mounting the steps, the women commented about everything along the way. “The place looks wonderful, Gab, and so do you,” Jamie said.
“Thanks. I’m trying.”
“Well, you’re doing a terrific job. So tell me about Coffee Boy. How are things working out between you?”
Gabi snickered and made a twisted face. “I’ll fill you in during breakfast. But as a precursor, every day is a new adventure with him.”
“Hmm. Sounds interesting!”
“Oh yeah, big-time.” Shoving the key into the lock, she opened the door to her suite.
“This is really nice,” Cassie said, “and just the right size for you. Not too small and not too big.”
“Yeah, it does fit me well. Besides, I’m only up here when I’m sleeping, and I’m not doing too much of that lately. So it really doesn’t matter,” she said, locking the door after the girls had finished checking out her humble abode.
“But it might not be big enough if you were married.”
“I am married,” Gabi said, grinning mischievously.
Both women stopped talking and just stared, their eyes as big as saucers. “What do you mean?”
“To Carters’.”
Cassie slapped her hand against her heart. “Whoa, you had me going there for a minute. Because if you did something like that without telling us, you know we’d smack the crap right out of you. Right?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll both be the first people I tell. In fact, that’s what part of why I’m glad you’re here. But let’s do it over some hot cross buns.”
The trio entered the kitchen, each pitching in to help. “Man, these smell too good to pass up,” Cassie said.
“Why would you pass them up?”
“Because I’ve been eating more than tasting the food at the Widget.”
“Yeah. I know what you mean. I have to be careful too, but sometimes, especially now because we’re getting ready to revise the menu, I’ll be tasting more.” Gabi made a face. “Does it show?”
“Do your clothes fit differently?” Jamie asked.
“Yeah, that darned dry cleaners keeps shrinking my stuff.” She chuckled and motioned for the others to follow her outside.
“Aww, will you look at this patio,” Cassie said, scanning the area with her mouth open. “Oh, Gab, this is so beautiful.” She inhaled deeply. “I don’t know which smells better, the food or the flowers.”
“I second that,” Jamie said, picking a lilac cluster off the tree and holding it up to her nose.
Cassie held her hand behind her ear. “Do you hear that, Jamie?”
“Hear what?”
“Nothing. The sweet sounds of nothing but a babbling brook and chirping birds. No horns, no cursing, no sirens. I feel like I’m at a spa. I may never go back home again.”
“And that would be a good thing,” Gabi said, just before putting a fork full of food into her mouth. “Tell me, how is Bailey doing?”
“I’m glad you reminded me,” Jamie said, picking up her purse. “She drew a picture for Auntie Gabi.”
“Aww, I’ll bet she’s growing like a weed.”
“She is. And she’s doing very well in her preschool. She loves being with the other kids.”
“I’ll bet. So tell me, how is she handling you being at the restaurant?” Gabi asked.
“How do you think?” Jamie said, chuckling. “Lucy watches her.”
Gabi turned to Cassie. “Killed two birds with one stone on that one, Cass.”
Cassie grinned. “Yes, Mama Pirelli has her pseudo-grandchild and she’s not hounding me. She takes Bailey with her everywhere she goes. They’re like two peas in a pod.
”
“And that slows down her nagging?”
“It does,” Cassie said. “What my mother doesn’t know, though, is that Josh and I have been trying, but I’ve just recently learned the chances of me getting pregnant are slim to none.”
“Oh, no.” Gabi reached for her hand. “I’m sorry, Cass. You haven’t told her yet?” Gabi asked.
“No, and I don’t want to say anything to her yet. Not until we’ve tried every avenue.”
“Aww, I’m so sorry to hear your news. Have you thought about a surrogate?”
“Josh and I have talked about it, but that’s a ways down the road. And we don’t really have that kind of money to be spending.”
“I can understand that. But I’ll bet Lucy would pay for it.”
“Yeah, think about that for a minute.” The two girls watched Gabi’s face crack into a smile.
“Okay. Bad idea. She’d feel like she owned the kid.”
“Exactly.” Cassie shrugged. “Whatever will be, will be. But I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks.” Cassie reached for a hot cross bun, pulled it apart and put a piece in her mouth. “Oh God, these have to be my absolute favorite.”
“Mine too. But don’t you always say the same thing about the coffee cake I make too?”
She laughed. “Yeah, I guess I do. Okay, so tell us what’s going on with you, Gabi. What’s going on with Coffee Boy?”
Gabi sighed. “Oh… a lot.”
“Okay.” They laughed. “Spill your beans.”
Gabi gave them the details of how things were between them professionally. “He really is trying. And at least, now, he’s catching himself and apologizing.”
“Wow. It takes a big man to do that.”
“But his biggest problem is me not allowing him to be in complete control of the kitchen. I can tell he still wants to be the boss.”
“Of course he does. But you set him straight, didn’t you?”
“I did right from the beginning. I want to be doing my shtick in the kitchen because I’ve missed it so much.”
“And that’s your right,” Jamie said. “But as the executive chef and owner, you should just be overseeing what’s going on and putting the final touches on the food… hurrying the staff along when there’s too much lag time between orders and service. It frees your time up to make sure those dishes are going out to your customers exactly the way you want them to.”
“I knew that. I guess I just needed you to remind me. So you’re thinking I should do this right away?” She looked at Cassie.
“I can’t comment. The only experience I have is my internship working for Charlie.”
“I would, Gab,” Jamie said, tilting her head to the side. “You can still do your thing during the slow times—if you think he’s good enough. Let’s face it. You probably confused him by allowing him to keep his title when you bought the place. But right now that’s all it is to him—a title. You’re not letting him do the things that title gives him. I think you need to sit him down and discuss that you’re allowing him to be second in command—that’s so long as he realizes he answers to you. The fact that he owned his own restaurant gives him a slightly different mentality from the customary sous-chef. Think about what you’re willing to allow him to do before you meet, and then lay out the ground rules. I believe he’ll appreciate it and stop being such a buster.” She nodded her head in the affirmative. “I think you’ll find it’s much more efficient that way.”
“Okay.” Gabi sighed. “You’re probably right.
“You’re really crazy about him, aren’t you?” Cassie asked.
“What makes you say that?” She grinned and winked.
“Because you’re a no-nonsense kind of woman. If he didn’t mean something to you, he would have been long gone.”
Gabi’s face flushed. “Well, maybe just a little. We had a thing after the open house.”
“A thing? What kind of thing?” Cassie asked with a laugh.
“Well, you know.”
“No, I don’t, but I’ll take your word for it. So what’s the problem?”
“Up until now, he’s been so temperamental. I don’t know. It’s never a good idea to get involved with an employee.”
“That’s what they say, but let’s just take a look at history here. Josh worked for me. Jamie worked for Chase.”
“Hmm. I hadn’t thought about it that way.” She shrugged. “I don’t know though. Seriously, I just don’t know what to do about him. Some days he has my heart dancing, and other days, I feel like a witch tied to a stake and about to be sacrificed to the wolves.” Gabi looked at her two friends and gave them a pouty face. “I wish you guys would move here.”
“Let’s see, if Josh and I did that, he wouldn’t be able to apply for his chance to work at Daniel Boulud’s restaurant, and I’d have to move my business.” She tilted her head to the side. “Geez, that would mean Lucy would have to move here too, because she’s going to want to be around to make sure she has grandchildren.”
“Yeah, and I can’t move here for obvious reasons. Carlucci’s is like owning my own restaurant. I’d love to buy it, but until Mama says it’s okay, Vito’s not about to sell it.”
“Okay. So it was a pipe dream.”
“But it was a good pipe dream.”
“What’s happening with Chase?”
“He still visits, but knowing I won’t move to Baltimore, he’s back to being a playboy. He views my refusal as not loving him enough. And if that’s his meter for gauging our love, then I guess I don’t. But that’s water over the dam.”
“What about Bailey, though?”
“Honestly, Lucy and I keep her so busy, she rarely mentions him.”
“Well, that’s good. So, what time do you guys need to head back tomorrow?”
After lunch ought to be good,” Jamie said. “Right, Cass?”
“Sure. Let’s get as much time as we can with Gabi.”
Gabi smiled. “I’d also like you guys to look at the notes I’ve made on the new menu items and tell me what you think.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, I need to go to the farmer’s market tomorrow morning. Want to go?”
“How awesome is that?” Jamie said. “You’re on. I might find some real good stuff for Carlucci’s.”
“Oh, Jamie, there’s one more thing.” Two sets of eyes stared expectantly, “I did make an Italian cheesecake for dessert.” They both groaned.
“Yeah, tell that to my waistline,” Cassie said, pinching the small amount of fat around her waist.
Gabi’s “Outta My Head” Italian Cheesecake Piecrust
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into ½ cubes
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
4–6 tablespoons ice water
2 tablespoons red currant jelly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, mix the flour, sugar, and salt together. Using the pulse feature on the food processor, add the cold butter cubes until the mixture resembles crumbs. If you forget which feature on the food processor to use, remember fine men and fine cheesecake make your pulse race.
Add cold water a tablespoon at a time to avoid making the dough too soft. Divide the dough in half, flatten each round into a disc, and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Daydream while refrigerating. Roll out the piecrust to bring you back to earth. Place two sheets of plastic wrap on the counter crosswise, put the dough disc in the center and cover with two more pieces of plastic wrap, then roll dough out to fit in a springform pan. Drape the dough inside the cheesecake pan and fiddle with it until it fits, making sure dough goes all the way up the sides.
Using a dinner fork, poke holes in the bottom of the piecrust. Yep, steamroll right over that idea. Do not prebake this crust.
Filling
1–1½ pounds ricotta cheese, drained
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons
flour
3 eggs
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons candied fruit
2 tablespoons almonds, blanched and chopped
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
In a large mixer bowl, add the ricotta cheese, sugar, flour, eggs, orange zest, vanilla, and salt, and beat until smooth and creamy, like Corey’s smile. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add in the raisins, candied fruit, and almonds. Using a spatula, mix by hand until the fruit and nuts are completely immersed in the batter. Pour the batter into the springform cheesecake pan and bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Approximately 90 minutes. Refrigerate overnight, as anyone should do before making a move. Combine the sugar and cinnamon together and set aside until ready for service. When serving, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and sprinkle sugar-cinnamon mixture over each slice. Depending upon size, 16–18 servings. Maybe eating yourself into oblivion is the way to stop thinking about him. This might solve your issues with him. I mean, if you eat too much, your waistline will get thicker, he might just head for the hills, and you won’t have to make any decisions.
Corey shuffled into the kitchen and noticed Cassie and Jamie. He wasn’t sure who they were. Gabi heard his footsteps and turned.
“Corey, good morning.” She pulled the two women closer. “Guys, this is Corey, my sous-chef. Corey, this is Cassie Benson and Jamie Burke, my very best friends in the entire world. They surprised me with a visit yesterday and spent the night so we could catch up.”
“Nice meeting you.” He nodded, then turned to Gabi. “Is there anything special you want me to work on today?”
Catering to Love Page 13