Endzone

Cooking lesson

Inspired by Donna saying travis "can't cook" " but might be getting a bit of help now" learning to cook. Also a bit of a sequel to prev even tho I wrote  this first and didn't post 😭. I'm sorry this is kinda filler and I suck at editing down. 

" Are you serious? You can't even boil water? " Taylor asked incredulously and slightly amused

" I can boil water. Beyond that it's complicated " Travis said with a sheepish grin. Taylor couldn't help but laugh, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she playfully slapped his arm.

"Okay, okay, I might be exaggerating a bit. Only a bit. But I've never really had to cook for myself. I've always had someone to do it for me, most athletes have others taking care of their meal prep,  and other times I'm good with an uncrustable" He admitted, his voice a warm drawl that filled the spacious kitchen. Taylor just looked dumbfounded, her apron already tied around her waist, her hands currently covered in a thin layer of flour as she finished up a batch of cookies

"Well, it's time you learned then. Besides, I think it's kind of cute that you want to learn. And who knows, you might just be a natural chef in the making!" She teased, handing him an extra apron that was no doubt  a bit small, but it would tie fine

"Do I have to wear this?" He groaned. Not sure If  the frilly apron would even fit

she nods enthusiastically "My kitchen my rules"

"it's my house!" He exclaimed 

" Trav I have never once seen you use anything in this kitchen beyond the microwave and fridge, be for real"  she checked him real fast. 

" touché " Travis took the floral apron, tying it around his waist with a knot that looked more like a noose than a bow. ", but if the kitchen ends up on fire, remember, you're the one who convinced me to do this," he joked, though a hint of nerves was evident in his voice. Taylor just rolled her eyes and led him over to the counter where the ingredients were laid out in neat little rows. She explained the basics. 

They had joked about this a few times, cooking lessons. But it truthfully wasn't a bad idea. He was a bit useless in the kitchen. She loves cooking and is great at it, so who better to teach?  he mentioned wanting to learn skills beyond a microwave and sandwich for snacks, which again wasn't a bad idea because there's gonna be times when she or his chef kumar  might not be available. And she doesn't want him getting food poisoning or burning down the house. So far it was going okay.  No smoke alarms or cooking injuries . 

Taylor decided  to start him with something simple: her homemade spaghetti and meatballs. All from scratch. She makes the noodles herself with flour, egg and salt. He still remembers  His shock when he first saw her rolling dough for pasta. " it's worth the extra time, its so simple and taste way better than boxed " she explained at the time. 

  " this dish is fairly simple, and a good starting point. But if you ever want it make it yourself feel free to use boxed noodles. The sauce is really what makes it special. I just enjoy making the noodles myself.  " she adorably rambles 

Taylor walked him through each step, doing a mini demo, demonstrating with a grace that came from years of practice. She showed him how to brown the meat, the perfect amount of salt to add to the boiling water, olive oil to keep noodles from sticking, and even explaining the secret to getting the pasta al dente. And How to safely chop veggies quickly.  Travis watched intently, nodding along and occasionally asking questions . she found his desire to learn attractive and endearing. Now it was his turn to try . 

He tried his hand at mixing the ingredients for the meatballs, and forming them into the cirrect shape. He did his best to mimic her techniques but  his large hands struggling with the delicate task of combining the ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, and spices. Taylor watched, biting her lip to keep from laughing, as he ended up with a sticky mess on his fingers.