Baking with Love in Paris

Chapter 1: Enter Corinne

Corinne's P.O.V

'If you put a touch of turmeric in that lasagne, it will make a huge difference!' I said to the little students. 

We were in my kitchen, and I, Corinne Chaucèr, was teaching them how to make a quick and simple lasagne, but with a bit of magic in it. 

I always say turmeric and lemon juice will transform the simplest and boring dish into a 5-star hotel meal. Also with a dash of paprika and coriander. 

I was looking at each and every one of them. Sarah was struggling with mixing the lasagne white sauce. She was basically digging a hole into the bowl. 

I sat next to her, 'try to be light with that,' I advised her.

She groaned in annoyance, 'I can't, Corinne. If I do it lightly it won't mix properly!' she argued. 

I chuckled, 'sweetie, you're digging the core of the Earth with that spoon,' I then put my hand above hers, and slowly helped her, 'lightly but efficiently. Lightly and not too hard,' I said.

The whole class went on without any trouble, except some spillage here and there. It had been the 4th time I did this especially after I graduated from college. 

I love cooking so much so why shouldn't I make money out of it by teaching kids who have the same culinary passion as I do to cook? 

I waved goodbye at Sarah, David, Liza and Todd as they each were picked up by their parents. 

After they were gone, I sighed and went inside the house to find my mom. Mom was in her room, sitting at her working table, looking and examining some documents.

'Hey mom, what's that?' I asked as I leaned against the doorframe. Her glasses dropped to her nose when she noticed me. 

She looked exasperated. 'Hey sweetie, it's just the things I need to think about regarding the restaurant.'

Ahh...the restaurant, Chaucèr.

My dad, before he passed away 2 years ago, had created a successful restaurant called Chaucèr and he was famous for blending his own touch to famous French cuisine. 

As I was growing up, he recognized my love for culinary, and taught me some basics of the French cuisine. It peaked my interest and I googled recipes to try out, and he was always there to assist me. 

He passed away when I was 18, in a car accident. He was a pedestrian who fell victim to a drunk driver's careless and intoxicated mistake.

Dad and I were best friends together. 

After he was gone, I became determined to protect my father's legacy, and tried to make my cooking into the same perfection as him. And after 2 years of trying, I haven't made it there yet. 

Every time I've tried my cooking never comes as close to his perfection. 

I get disappointed but eventually, I always hear his voice in my head saying '1 mistake is a step closer to perfection' and that has been my mantra ever since. 

My dad loved Chaucèr more than anything, and everyday, he was eager to come back to work because other than me, it was his baby too. 

After his death, it was revealed in his will that he left the place to me if he was to die before I did. 

After finding that out, I pulled all-nighter most nights and scouted many supermarkets for the perfect ingredients to equalized my culinary skills that of his. Until now, I am still trying.

'Mom, in a year, I can finally work at the restaurant, then you don't have to worry about it,' I assured her, and I sat down next to her, holding her hand. My mom stared at it, and I could see the sadness in her eyes. 

She was still grieven by dad's death, and I understood why, they've been together for a strong 30 years, ever since they were teenagers. My Mom is a Malay, and my dad was a French-American, and Dad wooed her by cooking her Malaysian cuisine from time to time when they were dating. 

They weathered the storm of long distance relationship when my dad moved to Paris for a good 4 years to train at Lè Cordon Blèu to get a degree at French Culinary. They wrote letters to support each other. 

My mother had to give up her legal practice after my dad's death, and tried to maintain the restaurant, because it is the one thing that made her be reminded of him. 

It broke my heart when she first stepped into the restaurant a month after his death, and she told me she needed to be strong for the restaurant to flourish again.

She sighed, and I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it. 'What's wrong, mom? Is something going on with the restaurant?' I asked, did the bills pile up? Were there any customers dissatisfied with our food? 

After dad's death, the other chefs were able to sustain the restaurant, but we knew the magic was gone, because when Dad was the head chef; there was a distinctness in the food that couldn't be described. 

Now with him gone, everything just changed. The other chefs weren't horrible, in fact, they were amazing, more amazing than my skills right now. But they didn't know how to perform the same magic that my dad did.

'Sweetheart, I don't know how to tell you this but... Vince called me just now,' she said. My heart dropped. Despite my dad being the sole owner of the restaurant, Vince Sawyer is my dad's best friend, and his financial supporter. 

Vince was an apt businessman, and through it all, he helped my dad to make the restaurant flourish. Vince created a board full of other financiers, who in a way were also loyal to both him and dad. 

The whole thing was complicated and confusing, but if it made dad happy, why go against it? Vince was there to make sure Dad's dream came true. They have been best friends since childhood and they both had a dream to make a successful business together. 

Chaucèr was their baby.

'What does he want?' I asked, from her tone, there seemed to be bad news. She sighed again, 'nothing's wrong with Chaucèr, baby. But it is your inheritance he wants to talk to you about,' she said. 

I looked confused, because I thought there would not be any problem, 'is he taking it away from me? Because that is illegal. Dad specifically said in his will that I would be the owner to it by the time I turned into a legal adult. He can't do that, Mom. I won't allow that,' I argued.

'No, no, nothing like that, Corinne. You know Vince only wants what's the best for the restaurant. It is what your dad would want too,' she said. 'Then what is it? What is so bad that it gets you worried now?' I asked. 

She bit her lips, 'he's coming tomorrow to tell you himself.'