P7: Intense Talking (2)

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*Theresa and Patrick went into the kitchen together to cook the soup and bake a cake.*

Patrick: Alright, what kind of cake and soup do you have in mind?
Theresa: Why not your favorites?
Patrick: Potato soup?
Theresa: What about the cake?
Patrick: I don't have a favorite cake. Lets do Mias instead.
Theresa: Alright what is it?
Patrick: Classical chocolate cake.
Theresa: Ah cool. Lets do the soup first, then the cake.
Patrick: Yea fine.

*Patrick and Theresa prepared all the ingredients for the soup, cutting the vegetables into tiny pieces.*

Theresa: Wow this is fun.
Patrick: My second passion after helping people in the hospital is cooking and baking. The 100 Euros you give me, are for example for when i cook food for all of us and for your part of the rent.
Theresa: What do we do with the vegetables now?
Patrick: Put them into a pot and put water into it that its 3/4 full. Then let it boil for some minutes and add spices. Or add spices and then boil it.
Theresa: This is all?
Patrick: No but first do that, then i'll tell you more.

*Theresa did what Patrick told her. She put the vegetables into a pot and filled it with water, then seasoned it and put it on the stove to let it boil.*

Theresa: Naw it doesn't boil.
Patrick: you have to wait a few minutes.
Theresa: I gotta wait till it boils and then wait again while it boils?
Patrick: Yep. Do you wanna bake the cake in the meantime, so we get things faster?
Theresa: No, i think thats too overwhelming.
Patrick: Alright, then we just gotta wait.

*A few more minutes later, the water was already boiling.*

Theresa: Ouh its boiling! Its boiling!
Patrick: Easy Theresa. Now take a spoon and get a little piece of vegetable. Then press a fork onto it to see if its soft. If its soft, we can start mixing the soup.

*Theresa did what Patrick said and the vegetable was mashed like butter under the pressure of the fork.*

Theresa: Yay.
Patrick: Now do the same with every other vegetable.

*Theresa did as he said and all the vegetables were soft.*

Patrick: Great. Now take the hand blender and press its button. Hold it pressed and maybe also hold the pot.

*Theresa put the hand blender into the vegetables and started mixing, the vegetables slowly turning into soup. After the potato soup was created, they ate it.*

Theresa: And what do you say? I say its great.
Patrick: Could be a little more seasoning.
Theresa: Hey! You told me when to stop with each spice!
Patrick: Still.
Theresa: Ugh. Now lets go for the cake.

*This time they did all the work together. As Patrick took out the cake from the oven, it was still hot.*

Theresa: Lets eat.
Patrick: Its too hot. Wait a few minutes.
Theresa: What? We can eat hot soup but not hot cake?
Patrick: I know but thats something else. And if the cake gets cooler, the taste changes.
Theresa: Wow. Can you tell me more about cooking?
Patrick: Well. People have been cooking and preparing food for over two million years. Starting with cave people cooking meat on fires to improve the taste or texture, as well as making it safer to eat. People have been improving their cooking techniques constantly since then.
Theresa: Wow and are there different kinds?
Patrick: Sure there are skills, for example knife skills, sautéing, roasting, blanching and emulsification. Should i explain these too?
Theresa: Yes please.
Patrick: Fine. Knife skills are Whether you are chopping a carrot or fresh herbs, a basic understanding of culinary knife skills should be the first thing you master in the kitchen. Efficient and accurate skills, such as how to dice or julienne, will be the difference between making your time in the kitchen a chore or a joyful breeze. Learning proper knife skills will help to make your dishes cook evenly, your flavors develop in a consistent manner, and your time in the kitchen much more relaxed. Learning proper knife skills should be the number one skill every growing chef should learn. Sautéing is a method of cooking proteins with direct, very high heat. It's extremely efficient, uses a minimal amount of oil or fat, and achieves absolutely delicious results. Some kind of sautéing includes creating a delectable chicken breast or scallop in only a few minutes flat. Learning to sauté will help you make absolutely tasty proteins in those few seconds available between getting home from work and needing to get a meal on the table.
Theresa: Wow, why didn't you become a cook?
Patrick: I rather help people. Should i explain the other three?

*Theresa nodded.*

Patrick: Roasting is Learning how to properly roast will instantly make it your preferred method for cooking larger proteins. Roasting uses the heat in the air inside the oven to evenly and thoroughly cook meats without burning the skin or drying out the meat. This method allows the fats to gently break down to infuse the meat with incredible flavor and the perfect amount of moisture. Now to blanching. Most people are familiar with blanching from their history of cooking spaghetti or quickly cooking up something else in a pot of boiling water. While there are a variety of different ways to blanch based on if your ingredient is a root vegetable, grain, or green vegetable, there are a few consistencies. Salted water is brought to a boil or simmer, which is when your cooking time begins, not before. Once your ingredient is cooked through, you have the option to serve it immediately or to transfer it to a container of ice water to stop the cooking process and maintain the color.
Theresa: So that kind of what we did with the potato soup?
Patrick: Yea. We blanched all the vegetables.
Theresa: Cool.
Patrick: Emulsification is what happens when you are able to combine two or more liquids that usually don't mix well together. Picture oil and water. As much as you shake them and try to combine them, they'll just fall back apart once you let them sit still for a bit. So to "emulsify" is to blend or to whisk the ingredients together so that their atoms actually combine into one, delicious creation.
Theresa: Awesome! Anything about baking?
Patrick: You could count this as basic baking rules. The first one is about the right measurement of ingredients. Baking is a precise discipline, requiring meticulous measurement of dry, liquid, and leavening ingredients. Even a slight variation can have a significant impact on the final outcome of your baked goods. by using measuring cups, spoons, and an electronic scale for optimal results. Second rule is the control of the temperature. One of the crucial factors for successful baking is maintaining the proper temperature for both ingredients and the oven. Ideally, all ingredients should be at room temperature unless the recipe specifies otherwise. Pay attention to the recommended baking temperature and time for each recipe to ensure your baked goods are evenly cooked without burning or uneven texture.
Theresa: Wow. Just wow.
Patrick: Third rule is The method of stirring, blending, and kneading. It significantly influences the texture and appearance of the final baked goods. Overmixing or inadequate mixing can lead to failed results, such as a sunken in cake, cracking during baking, or cookies turning out too tough. The fourth rule is about cooling and storaging what you baked. Properly cooling and storing baked goods is essential to prevent the accumulation of moisture, which can result in sogginess and spoilage. Ensure thorough cooling before storage, and when storing, use airtight containers to maintain freshness for an extended period.
Theresa: Is there anything you can't do?
Patrick: I have no idea, but probably yes.

*Theresa pretended to be shocked.*

Theresa: IMPOSSIBLE!

*Both of them were bursting into laughter and Patrick cut the cake.*

Patrick: It should be ready now.
Theresa: Yay!

*They both started eating, keeping on talking.*

Theresa: And? How did we do?
Patrick: Perfect..
Theresa: Absolutely. Whats wrong? You seem saddened?
Patrick: Its just that Mia is not here and we're eating her favorite cake. She would've been so happy.
Theresa: Don't worry, we can do it again when shes back.
Patrick: Really?
Theresa: Yea! If i should be back at Sapphire, you can just text me and i'll see if i can come over.
Patrick: Maybe, yea. Thank you for today. It kind of made me feel less down, kind of brightened my day. But only a bit.
Theresa: Of course! Thats what friends are there for!

*Theresa smiled and she and Patrick did the dishes together. After some more time of the day went by, which they also spent together, they both went to sleep.*

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Posted: 14th August 2024

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⏰ Last updated: Aug 14 ⏰

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