driftfleet | Yadrolla System Mingle

[Strange has no interest in joining a team; when he competes in trivia and quizzes, he does as an unaffiliated participant, if only to crush the competition completely. It's a nice stroke of the ego, but he gets tired of the many attempts of recruitment from all four teams. And so at times, he does back to the Goldstone, but even there, his crew mates seem fervent in having him join their team. That's how he finds himself on the Iskaulit, surveying the open kitchen's cupboards for something to make coffee with. He can't always live on tea after all.

He didn't really pay attention at the woman fervently cooking a few yards away, and only looks at her once she hails him, not having caught her question:]

I beg your pardon?

[ The man is handsome in an unapproachable sort of way. Carol is actually a little surprised that he responds at all, as she expects to be somewhat beneath his notice.

But a willing guinea pig is a willing guinea pig, and she's not going to let herself be intimidated. ]

Sweet or savory? I have some buttermilk biscuits, a peach pie, challah, and ladyfingers. I need to know how these things are turning out. I've never baked in space before.

[ God only knows how that affects things. ]

[In another life, she probably would have been beneath his notice, but becoming a master of the mystic arts has altered his way of viewing the world. He's still guarded and doesn't often approach people on his own, but he's grown out of ignoring those he might have in the past.

Stephen closes the cupboard before walking closer to the woman, shrugging lightly:]

Technically, the molecular integrity of the food shouldn't change with being in space, not with artificial gravity like we have here, but it's well known that you can't taste sweet or salty food in high altitude as well as on the ground. The difference in air pressure, the lack of humidity or renewed air...

[Strange stops himself, realizing he's gone on about technical facts when all she had asked was to know what he prefers. The faintest hint of sheepishness tainted his smile (as much as Stephen Strange could feel sheepish, which isn't that much truthfully):]

Sorry. Sweet.

[He gives a look to all the food she's mentioned, easily recognizing all of it and can't help to be a bit impressed:]

You made all of that from scratches you found here?

[Stephen didn't even know they have peaches on the Iskaulit]

Edited (hit the wrong button x_x) 2018-05-09 20:19 (UTC)

[ Her eyebrows slowly climb during his dissertation on molecular gastronomy, her lips tightening into the smile she uses whenever a man is talking at length about something irrelevant to her. ]

Some of the supplies were on the ship, the rest I got planetside. [ She serves him a slice of pie. ] I really should be using the test kitchens down there, but I'm trying to keep my cards close to my chest.

[ She thinks about what he said for a moment. He's not completely wrong, the gravity, air, humidity, it will all make a difference. ] I should probably at least bake a loaf of bread down there to get an idea about the conditions.

[Stephen takes the pie from her with a small smile, and in the small moment it transits from her hand to his, a spoon seemingly appears out of thin air, having been teleported from the ustensil drawer a few paces from them.]

It's not a bad strategy. And it's more likely harder to cook properly here on the ship than planetside, so training here might actually give you an edge too.

[He takes his first bite and chews for a few times before both of his eyebrows raise up in pure wonder. The pie is not only extremely delicious, but something in it pulls at that memory of home, of comfort, of family. It's been decades since Stephen has tasted something like this, and he swallows slowly:]

This is amazing. Best I've had in...well...in a long time. [It's no use trying to remember the last time he's had a proper home cooked meal, having lived on his own decent cooking or dining out for most of his life now.

Strange takes another bite form the pie, because it's that good, and tilts his head at her comment, remembering something he's read in the library about this system:]

If it helps, the physical and atmospheric stats for the urban set of competition are very close to those found on Earth. Gravity is about the same too, so you shouldn't be too out of your league if you choose that set.

[Actually, Stephen might believe that she's not going to be out of league in any of the competition site. She clearly knows how to cook.]

It might be an edge in terms of technique, but I do worry about adjusting recipes for these conditions and then finding out I really shouldn't have done that later.

[ She's been researching her opponents. The competition is a brutal six hour marathon of constant production. The Green Gliders haven't even placed in decades, and the favorites from the Waves and the Starstrikers are veteran competitors. She's got a lot to overcome. But at least she won't have to kill anybody.

Probably.

The flattery is nice, but she needs more of a critique than praise. ]

I'll keep that in mind. In the meantime, how about the pie? Is the crust flaky or are there doughy or crumbly parts? Peaches too sweet or soupy? I just need this to be better than good. I need it to be perfect.

Fair point. [He concedes.

They have that in common, then. Researching for their respective competitions, though Stephen hasn't even bat an eye toward his opponent. There's not time for him to read up on them when he could be reading up on material that might be tested in a quiz.

Stephen can't help but smile genuinely as she asks for a real critique. No non-sense, he likes that. And he can also deliver on what she wants. He cuts the pie piece he has into small er pieces, before eating another bite:]

The peaches are perfect, not too sweet nor too sour, but the bottom crust is slightly thicker at the edges of the pie plate, and it get a bit more doughy than flaky. Not uncooked though. I personally would have preferred a thicker layer of melted butter before cooking the top crust, but that might just be personal tastes.

[ She listens attentively as he goes through his critique, taking notes. ]

I think you're right about the butter. Get more of that lacquered effect. Though I might do that even better with an egg wash.

[ She taps her lip with the pen. ]

Now try it with the cardamom ice cream.

[ She pulls a bowl of ice cream out from the freezer and scoops some onto his plate. ]

Does that actually add anything or is it just a distraction?

Yadrolla System Mingle

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