Foxy's Tale by Karen Cantwell & LB Gschwandtner

Author:Karen Cantwell & LB Gschwandtner [Cantwell, Karen & Gschwandtner, LB]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-03-06T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty

“The secret to a really good mousse,” Knot held a metal double boiler in his right hand, ”is a technique called bain marie. I’m very big on technique,” he added. “That’s a French term – of course it’s a French term; all really good cooking is essentially French. Didn’t Julia Child teach us all that decades ago? I mean, come on. California cuisine? It’s just poor man’s French if you ask me, but who asks me? Anyway this technique is a water bath.” He filled the bottom of the double boiler with about two inches of water and placed the pan on a stove burner. “I’d like to be soaking in a warm-water bath right now. I’ll bet your mother’s having fun at the show opening tonight. Those antique dealers know how to set a good table.”

Amanda watched intently as Knot dropped blocks of bittersweet chocolate into the top of the double boiler over the water bath.

“Do you know how to crack and separate eggs? Can’t get any yolk in the white, now.”

Amanda picked up an egg and snapped it expertly against a large mixing bowl, let the white slide out, and dropped the yolk into a smaller bowl.

“Good girl. Pretty soon you could open a restaurant. Just like in the movie with Audrey Hepburn when she’s making a soufflé out of crackers and eggs for Bogey. Wearing those black leggings and little flats. Adorable. But of course you probably don’t know who Audrey Hepburn and Bogey are, do you?”

“Humphrey Bogart. He and Audrey were in Sabrina. It’s a classic. The remake was lame. But I like Greg Kinnear, and, to be honest, Bogey was not all that hot. Anyway my favorite Bogey movie is Casablanca. Trite but true.”

Knot stopped and raised his eyebrows so high they looked like they’d pop off the top of his head. “Not trite AT ALL. It’s my favorite, too.” He put a hand to his heart. “I would just love to find a man who would do for me what Rick does for Ilsa.” He shook his head in mock sadness, then perked up a bit. “And aren’t you the smart young thing, knowing your classic movies so well. You’re quite the mature one, you are.”

“Foxy loves the classics. We used to watch them all the time when I was younger.”

“So you two have a little something in common after all,” Knot said with a smile.

Laughing, Amanda agreed. “I guess so. At least we used to.”

But the two of them needed to concentrate on the task at hand. Knot became animated again, stirring and pointing. “Look. You see? The chocolate is melting evenly in the double boiler. You get a smooth melt this way. That’s one of the secrets of a really good mousse. The word mousse means foam in French. Are you studying a language?”

Amanda nodded. “Spanish.”

“Oh God, these days it’s almost like you have to learn Spanish if you want to talk to anyone. Really, soon we’re going to be like those Canadians with their two-language system.

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