Becoming the Talbot Sisters by Rachel Linden

Author:Rachel Linden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2018-03-28T00:00:00+00:00

“How rustic,” Waverly declared a few hours later, surveying the traditional Hungarian restaurant with satisfaction. She and Charlie were sitting in uncomfortably large carved wooden chairs at a table made from a slice of tree trunk. The restaurant had white stucco walls and heavy wooden beams and was packed with diners. Waverly had reserved the last available table for the evening.

When the waiter brought their meals, she took a bite of hers. “This is absolutely delicious,” she said in surprise. She nibbled the forkful of grilled chicken breast topped with goose liver, mushrooms, and ewe’s cheese, analyzing the flavors. The cheese was unique, earthy and slightly tangy. She tried to think where she’d encountered the flavor before. It was reminiscent of a sheep cheese she’d tried last summer from an artisan cheesemaker in Vermont. Andrew had not cared for it, but Waverly had bought a chunk of it anyway and served it with a brandy fig jam.

“Mine is great too. Good choice of restaurant,” Charlie said, her mouth full of savory chicken paprikash.

“What is in this?” Waverly shut her eyes and tasted another forkful of her dinner, trying to separate the individual components. She had an uncanny ability to pinpoint flavors and ingredients and then replicate the dish. When they were in high school she’d managed to recreate the distinctive flavors of KFC’s secret fried chicken recipe, Aunt Mae’s favorite, and then made it for every Sunday dinner for an entire year.

“Can I try yours?” Waverly reached her fork over without waiting for her sister’s assent. She tasted the chicken paprikash and made a sound of approval. The classic Hungarian dish consisted of savory chunks of chicken swimming in a hearty paprika and sour cream sauce over homemade noodles. The sauce was rich and creamy, and the noodles had a pleasantly chewy texture. She savored the flavor for a moment. “Oh, this is decadent.” She helped herself to another bite and said, “Why isn’t Hungarian cooking more well known?”

Charlie shrugged. “I don’t know. Most Hungarians know how to make these dishes. Any decent home cook can recreate them. Even I know how to make goulash.” She sat back, adjusting the band of her maternity jeans.

Waverly eyed her sister with a twinge of jealousy. Charlie looked as toned and fit as ever. She seemed to be sailing through pregnancy the way she sailed through life, with a pragmatism and ease that made Waverly feel high maintenance and fussy. Had she been sitting there six months pregnant she probably would have been as big as a balloon with cankles and acid reflux. But she still would have traded places with Charlie in a heartbeat.

With a sigh she turned her attention back to the food. She shouldn’t regret what she could not have. Better to celebrate the fulfillment of a long-held dream, even if the child was coming to her in a way she had never imagined.

“Someone should introduce the world to this food. It’s too good to be a secret.” No sooner

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.