"I hope you don't mind me comin' here," she said, all syrupy. "You know, I have nothin' to do until you put me on the payroll, so I thought I'd come see the buildin', never expectin' to see progress in the works" She slapped her hand against her thigh. "And then I met your mama and papa, and since I'd already met Josh before, I thought I'd come hang out here. Don't worry, I'm not expectin' you to pay me until I'm official. Since I don't have anyone here, I just wanted to help hurry things along before I wind up getting into trouble" She twirled the ends of her long hair nervously. "Is that okay with you?"
"Sure, so long as you don't interfere with Josh's progress."
"I won't interfere" She held up her hand. "I swear. And if I see he's not getting his work done, you can be sure I'll let him know."
I smiled-until I noticed the loving way she was looking at him. He smiled back at her. Resentment began blasting away pieces of my heart like an explosion of TNT. I was remembering the advice she'd given me about "time's a-wastin"' a few nights ago. She sure hadn't wasted any time.
She winked at Josh. I grimaced, watching her put the moves on him. Josh clipped me a nod acknowledging my presence, but he didn't look directly at me. He continued to work, when all I wanted to do was have him hold me in his arms. I shook my head to stop the thoughts. I was beating myself up, but it was what I did with my future that would determine my success with him.
From the scowl on his face, it was obvious he really was finished flirting with me. Then I watched as Josh gave Allie a wink. What little confidence I had regarding winning his heart wilted like a dying flower.
"Did my parents go home?" I asked.
"No, they left to fetch us dinner," she said. "You have really great parents. I like them a lot"
"Thanks," I said, as I removed my jacket and walked around the kitchen to avoid looking directly at Josh.
Allie walked over to Josh. "You need me to do anything, darlin'?" she asked. I bit my lower lip and tried not to bawl. I wasn't sure how much longer I could take it before bursting into tears.
"Yeah, Al, can you get me a bottle of water?" he said.
The jealousy speared my heart like a spike, hitting dead center. And then I remembered him saying he had a date; I figured it had to have been Allie. But why would she do this to me?
No longer able to control the waterworks, I made my way to the bathroom and closed the door, barely able to breathe. The tears spilled readily. I wanted to punch him, scratch his eyes out, and fire Allie, but I couldn't fault either of them for complying with my wishes. That I'd changed my mind was of no consequence to them. "You don't get to change the rules midway and expect everyone to march to your drummer" was something Megan had told me over the years. In fact, I hadn't told Allie the truth. How could I blame her for going after him? The pain of missing my window of opportunity was back to haunt me.
"Cassie," Mom called out as she and Dad entered the store, their arms filled with bags of food, "we're here with dinner." She gave me an odd look and shot Allie the evil eye. Placing the bags down on the workbench, she shouted, "Dig in, guys," and turned toward me. She latched on to my arm and pulled me toward the end of the shop. "I want to talk to you."
"Oka"Y•
"What's with this Allie girl?" she asked.
"I hired her last week to be the clerk."
"That's fine, but she's hanging all over Josh.'-'
"Not much I can do about it. If he likes her, then it's none of my business."
"If she prevents him from doing his job it's your business," she said matter-of-factly.
"Of course it is, but I've already had that discussion with her. She's twenty-two and full of excitement."
"But I thought you liked him."
I sighed. "I do" I listened to Allie babble on about North Carolina while she ate the sandwich Mom had brought. "But she's cute as a button, and he's obviously enthralled with her."
"Are you sad? Yes, you are. I see the pain in your eyes."
"There's no pain, Mother."
She released a heavy sigh. "Oh dear. Your father and I had such high hopes"
"Mother, please stop. Now let's go eat before there's nothing left"
I'd always complained about Mom's ability to dramatize, saying she could win an Academy Award for her performance, but while hiding my own sadness, I realized she wasn't the only one capable of pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. I was my mother's daughter.
Eating crow had become a moot issue. Keeping my distance was my new objective.
IT'S-TOO-LATE-TO-EAT-CROW EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA
Here you are again, a day late and a dollar short, a missed opportunityall those things, because nothing ever changes with you. Just because Sammy Scarliotti pursued you for a year doesn't mean other guys have that kind of patience. Too late to cry over spilled milk.
While this dish won't change the outcome, it will help soothe your disappointment-temporarily, that is, until you do the same thing all over again.
Lay the eggplant slices on a paper towel and sprinkle salt over them to remove the bitterness-let sit for approximately a half hour. In the meantime, think about how you can improve your attitude toward romance. It might even help you stop this foolishness and find a soul mate-no kidding. And, seriously, it's time to stop blaming Mom now for your attitude toward marriage. That excuse is worn out.
Pat the slices dry with paper towel. Now dip individual slices into the eggs, then in flour, back into the eggs, back into the flour, and right into the heated frying pan with the oil and butter just waiting to brown them on both sides. Place the fried eggplant slices on a brown paper bag to blot the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large baking dish, ladle a thin coat of tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Arrange a layer of eggplant; cover it with another ladle of sauce, and sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, repeating until slices are gone, gone, gone just like he is. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Forget the diet and indulge! Makes 8-10 servings.
I hummed as I sauteed the shallots in butter over a very low flame. Charlie was planning the new spring menu and had given every station in the kitchen the challenge of preparing a special dish. The winner would have theirs listed on the menu.
Despite working in a kitchen full of professionals who'd been cooking a long time, I was hopeful mine might be selected.
The restaurant was closed, and even though it was our day off, the atmosphere was fun-loving and jovial as we buzzed around the kitchen preparing our offerings.
Charlie winked at me as he walked through the kitchen checking on our progress. "How's my tournant today?" he asked.
"I'm good. Thanks for asking" This was my new title in the kitchen, because I'd now filled in at each station due to a virus that had gone through the staff like a hurricane. The French word meant roundsman, or swing cook. It was a big deal and a terrific experience for me to have worked each station.
Ever since Pascal was fired, the mood in the kitchen was more relaxed. Pascal's replacement, also a Frenchman, had no trouble with women being in the kitchen, and the prep and line cooks no longer feared for their jobs. After the first-ever staff meeting with Charlie, we had developed a strong camaraderie. The fact that Charlie had admitted to being derelict in his duties as a boss seemed to help everyone too. He'd even apologized for listening to Pascal's complaints about our lack of cooperation. Soothing elevator music played overhead, and the aromas of pork roasting, pies baking, and bread in the oven permeated the air. Soon we would have our lunchtime feast and the announcement of two winners.
I looked around the kitchen fondly. After all my years working in a corporate environment, it was a major accomplishment to feel comfortable and at home in a kitchen. My aunts and uncles never thought they'd see the day that I, Cassie Pirelli, would join forces with the tools-and-utensils brigade.
My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I saw it was Mom, so I answered. "Your appliances just arrived. They're so beautiful."
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"I can't wait to see them. I'm excited."
"When are you coming over here?"
"Later. After everyone is gone. I don't want to interfere with Josh getting his work done."
"Yeah," she said, "tell that to Allie."
"She promised me she wouldn't interfere. What is she doing?"
"She doesn't have to do anything but stand there. Halter tops on a voluptuous body and that Southern charm would squelch any man's resolve."
My pulse quickened. Though resigned to the situation, I was jealous. Mom, on the other hand, was determined to nip this fiasco in the bud.
"She's cutting into your territory."
"I didn't know I had a territory."
"Of course you do. Get with the program. Josh is your territory."
"Mother, stop. They make a cute couple." Just acknowledging a relationship between them stirred the apprehension coiled in my stomach, but constant self-talking was helping me-at least on the surface.
Mom knew me too well. "Who are you kidding? You don't believe that any more than I do"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Playing dumb works sometimes.
"Yeah, right," she said. "You can't hide from him forever, you know."
"I have to go now, Mom. I'm in a contest with the other cooks here for a spot on the new spring menu. Thanks for letting me know. Oh-" One more item came to mind. "Were the cabinets delivered?"
She groaned. "You're a hopeless cause."
"Thank you, so maybe now you'll stop frustrating yourself." She'd really set herself up for that one. I grinned at the speed with which I'd picked up on it. But then, this wasn't a game, and she did mean well. Funny, how I kept coming back to that. Maybe that was the only thing keeping me sane. "Cabinets? Yes, no?" I repeated.
"No, not yet. But we did get a delivery of boxes from some kitchen supply headquarters"
I was glad I'd changed the subject. "Oh wow. Those are the supplies Megan ordered. If the shelves are done, why don't you tell Allie to start stocking them?"
"Yeah, Josh finished the shelves. They're not ready to start stocking yet because with all the dust, she'd only have to do it again." Mom paused momentarily. "Hmm" She released a sinister laugh. "On second thought, I think I will tell her to stock the shelves"
I smiled. Oh Lord, I was my mother after all.
"Hey, one more thing I almost forgot. Jamie stopped here this morning looking for you. She didn't look any too happy"
"Okay, I'll call her in a little while."
I walked to the station and prepared the remaining ingredients. Today's lunch would be an extravaganza. My mouth salivated just thinking about it. I turned to watch the other line cooks, to see what they were doing. Some were conferring with one another, but most were hiding their ingredients from view so the rest of us would not see them. These guys were so competitive.
My thoughts turned to Jamie, curious about why she'd stopped in to see me. I walked outside and keyed in her number.
"Cassie? Is that you?" Jamie's distressed voice cracked as she spoke; it sounded like she was crying.
"What's wrong?"
"I know I shouldn't be telling this to my new boss, but I don't have anyone to talk to. Ryan ran off with another woman" She sobbed. "I don't know what to do, where to go-I just don't know."
I was having a hard time hearing her above the traffic noise in the background. I plugged my other ear with my finger. "Oh, no. I'm so sorry," I found myself shouting. Then, when Becky appeared in the doorway and waved her arms at me, I acknowledged her warning and lowered my voice. "Where are you now?"
"I don't know-some park I found. I have nowhere to go"
"What do you mean?"
"My parents live in Detroit. Ryan changed the locks on our apartment, and I've been walking around since last night."
"Oh, my God" My heart ached for her. True, we didn't know each other well, but what I did know was we liked each other. "Look, you come to the restaurant, and I'll give you the key to my apartment"
"I can't do that"
"Oh, yes, you can. Take a taxi over here. I don't want you spending any more time walking around."
"Thank y"
Her voice lowered to a whisper, and I could hear her sobbing gently.
"Jamie. Listen to me. Hail a cab right now while I'm on the phone." Horns honked from impatient drivers, drowning out her sobs, but I knew she hadn't stopped crying. I heard her talking to someone.
"Taxi's here"
"Good. Put him on the phone" I gave the driver the address of the restaurant.
Fifteen minutes later, the crunch of gravel in the parking lot behind the restaurant alerted me to a yellow cab that was pulling up to the back door. Grabbing my keys from my pocket, I rushed outside.
Jamie was fast asleep on the backseat. I tapped her shoulder. "Hey, wake up" I held out my keys. "Listen, you're only ten minutes away from the apartment. Go inside and sleep in one of the bedrooms. We'll figure this out later, after you've rested. Okay?" Jamie nodded and pulled herself up to a sitting position. She was pale and disheveled. Her eyes blinked sleepily. "C'mon, stay awake for a little while longer." I shut the car door and leaned down by the driver's side to give the cabbie the address, and pressed a twenty-dollar bill into his palm. He thanked me and drove away.
Inside, the line chefs and prep cooks were carrying their dishes to the table set up in the dining room. The display of food for lunch was incredible. I rushed into the kitchen to get my dish and placed it on the table, next to the fish dish.
The contest was about to begin. This was on our menu: roasted pork tenderloin with green peppercorns and pineapple, red snapper with pecan butter sauce, chicken tortellini with ginger sauce, my butternut squash cheese ravioli with shallot sauce, crusty French baguettes, shortbread fingers, cherry buckle, and apple-ginger ice cream.
After dessert, Charlie rose from his seat. "You all did such a wonderful job with your recipes, but as you know, I only have two slots-one for the lunch menu and one on the dinner menu" He turned to Adam. "This red snapper with pecan butter sauce is incredible, Adam. Consider it a winner." Everyone clapped. "Okay, lunch menu. Drumroll, please ... the butternut squash cheese ravioli with the shallot sauce."
My jaw dropped. "I can't believe you chose mine." I stood up and did a jig, right there in front of everyone.
Charlie continued. "I know some of you will think I picked Cassie because we happen to be family friends. Let me assure you," he said, looking directly at Chris, "that has nothing to do with it." Chris shifted uneasily in his seat, as all eyes were on him. "When Cassie came to do her externship four months ago, she made so many mistakes, I wondered whether she would actually be able to make it in this business." I hid my face behind my hands. "Today, I have to say, you've come a long way, tournant."
WINNER-TAKES-ALL SQUASH BUTTERNUT CHEESE
RAVIOLI WITH SHALLOT SAUCE
It's all about competition. The cooks at the restaurant need to show each other they're better than their peers. For the women, it's that man who got away because of another woman. All competing for a different reason-but all the same. The guy. And me? I lost the war and didn't even win the battle.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Split the squash down the middle lengthwise and remove the seeds. That's just what you did. So how does it feel, knowing you played with his mind? Coat the bottom of a baking sheet with olive oil spray and place squash in it, cut side up. Brush with melted butter, salt, and pepper, and roast for 50 minutes, or until softened.
Sure, he worked hard to melt your heart, but you're high maintenance, and he gave up. He's a good-looking guy who's used to getting the girl the first time around. So what's your excuse? Allow the squash to cool.
Scoop the cooled squash out of the shells into a medium-sized bowl, making sure not to include any of the outer skin. And that's just what you should do. Save the stronger part of your heart for another chance with him. Add the Boursin cheese, salt and pepper to taste; stir to combine.
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br /> Place a damp towel over the opened package of wontons to prevent them from drying during use. And that's what you're real good atdampening spirits and his attempt to lure you into his arms; and now you're singing "Who's Sorry Now?"
Place the wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Using a pastry brush, wet the outer edges of each wonton. Spoon a large teaspoon of the squash mixture onto one side of the wonton, near the center, and fold over. Seal the edges with your fingers, pressing to be sure the ravioli is secure. Poke a hole in the center of each ravioli with a straight pin to prevent it from opening when placed in boiling water. Now, prick yourself with that pin, baby. Give your mind a shock treatment-and fast. Continue making the ravioli until all the mixture is used. Refrigerate until ready for use. (Can be made a day in advance)
Place the chicken stock in a saucepan and reduce its volume by half. While it is cooking, cut the bacon into small squares and fry over medium-low heat until it renders its fat. Try getting him to see your softer side, but do it on a low heat. Take it one baby step at a time. Add the shallots to the bacon and saute until translucent. Add the bacon and shallots to the reduced chicken stock. Taste before adding more salt.
Boil water in a 5-quart pot and add the ravioli. When they float to the top, remove with a slotted spoon and place on each plate. Now say a prayer that you can convince him. Spoon the shallot sauce over the ravioli, sprinkle parsley over top, and serve. Bon appetit! Makes 6 servings, 3 ravioli per serving.
The apartment was very quiet when I entered. I dropped my things on the table and got myself a glass of ice water, then called Mom's number.
"Hi," I whispered. "I just wanted to let you know I got in touch with Jamie." In the background, I could hear the sounds of Josh's hammering and Allie's shrill giggle.
"That's good" Mom released an exasperated groan. "Hold on a minute, Cassie. One more day of that cackle," she mumbled, "and I think I'll lose my mind. Allie, please be quiet," she said. "I'm on an important call." I heard Allie apologize. "So, what's wrong with Jamie?"
Dishing Up Romance Page 12