Two pups, two muns

[cook_the_rude]

Today, Dr. Hannibal Lecter and a ten-year-old redhead known to be a younger version of Milliways' favourite baker are busy in the kitchen, making ice cream.

It's a slightly unusual kind, and involves grinding up gingerbread.

Comments

[cook_the_rude]

"Well, if your dinner included asparagus, it would be the early summer in your world?" Dr. Lecter says. "After June, the asparagus has to be allowed to grow out, or there won't be any the next year."

[sunbaked_baker]

"It's April, back home, so it's nice outside," she smiles, "but not summer yet."

Prime time for asparagus, though early for zucchini's real season.

"Still in school," Rae adds, making a slight face.

[cook_the_rude]

"I am sorry to hear that," Dr. Lecter says, smiling. "But at least you're no longer grounded, I take it?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Successfully un-grounded," she affirms, smiling back. "And now occasionally allowed to cook things in the kitchen without too-overt adult supervision."

[cook_the_rude]

"That is excellent," Dr. Lecter says. "So it was ultimately worth it."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Mm-hmm," Rae nods, with an air of I guess so. "It turned out okay. Still wish it wasn't so difficult to get her to..."

She knows what she means - to get her mother to not cling so tightly, not keep so close, or worry so much. But she also knows part of why her mother does it, and fears what might happen if things swing too far in the other direction. It is a delicate balance to find.

The girl shakes her head, looking at the bowl of thoroughly mixed sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. "I think this is ready, Dr. Lecter."

[cook_the_rude]

"Then let us combine this with the whipped cream," Dr. Lecter says, waving at her to come over with her bowl.

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae steps down from her step-stool and brings the large bowl over to him.

"I never knew there was whipped cream in ice cream. I mean, that the cream in ice cream was whipped."

Of course there is cream in ice cream, or else it didn't deserve the name. She just didn't know it was whipped first.

[cook_the_rude]

"We need to get in some air," Dr. Lecter says, "to keep the ice cream from turning into a solid frozen block."

He takes her bowl, then picks up a wooden spoon and gently spoons some whipped cream into the bowl, and starts stirring it in.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Oh!" she says, watching the ingredients be mixed. "That makes sense."

[cook_the_rude]

Dr. Lecter mixes in some more whipped cream. "There are even methods of stirring ice cream while it is freezing to keep it nice and soft," he says.

[sunbaked_baker]

"I think that's the method I've heard about? Charlie had talked about getting an ice-cream maker for the coffeehouse."

[cook_the_rude]

"Ideally, it's conched, just like chocolate," Dr. Lecter says.

[sunbaked_baker]

"'Conched'?" the ten-year-old echoes, unfamiliar with the term but curious.

[cook_the_rude]

"That's a machine in which you slowly mix, scrape and roll your ingredients, agitating them for hours to make the flavour bearing particles and the grease combine ideally, bringing out all the flavours," Dr. Lecter explains. "If you do something like that to ice cream as it is slowly freezing, you get superior flavour and smooth texture as well."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Oh," Rae says, considering this. "I'm not all that familiar with how chocolate's made -"

Yet.

"- I just know I like it. It makes sense, though, that slowly mixing all the ingredients over a long time would make it smoother and taste better. It's not the same with baking. If you over-mix, you end up with bricks. The ripening of the flavor happens afterwards, while the dough rises, and while the bread cools."

[cook_the_rude]

"The heat brings out the flavour," Dr. Lecter says, "and where there is no heat needed, the friction in conching can replace it."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Heat in ice-cream would be counter-productive," the girl grins. "So conching it is. Or whipped cream."

[cook_the_rude]

"Exactly," Dr. Lecter says, stirring in more of it.