New Plan, Step One: Provide For My Community [open]

[summerdude]

Magnus needs something to change, so when a Mansion calendar helpfully informs him that it's International Falafel Day back on Earth, he goes to the library for some cookbooks, and then to the kitchen.

He lays out ten different falafel recipes. He gathers the ingredients they list, as best as he can understand them. He has canned chickpeas and fresh chickpeas and dried chickpeas and chickpea flour and box mixes of falafel that say 'just add water!'

Cripes.

"I can do this," he says, peering at the assorted recipes intently for a good ten minutes, and then takes the dried chickpeas over to the sink to rinse and soak.

Comments

[summerdude]

"That's what I keep saying!"

[sporesprouter]

"Because you have a good head on your shoulders."

[summerdude]

"Coming from you, Tress, that's a huge compliment," Magnus says. He squints at the oil. "How do we tell when it's hot enough?"

[sporesprouter]

She grabs a wooden spoon and sticks the end in the oil, looking at the bubbles. "It's ready."

[summerdude]

"Whoa." Magnus peers into the pan. "What did the spoon tell you?"

[sporesprouter]

"If bubbles form around it when you stick it in, it's ready. If it's bubbling really hard, though, you need to lower the temperature."

[summerdude]

"Cooking magic," Magnus breathes. "Okay. Now we put the stuff in the thing?"

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "Now we put the stuff in the thing."

[summerdude]

"In balls, right?" Magnus peers at their mixture and tries to shape some of it into a ball.

[sporesprouter]

"The recipe just says spoonfuls and then flatten them with a spatula."

[summerdude]

"Right." Magnus has read so many falafel recipes that they're all blurring together.

[sporesprouter]

"Would you like me to do one or two and then you can watch me and do the next?"

[summerdude]

"Yeah, let's try it."

[sporesprouter]

Tress nods and scoops up a spoonful of the mixture, putting it in the oil and flattening it quickly with a spatula. "Oh, could you set out a few paper towels that I can put this on when it's done?"

[summerdude]

"Sure thing, boss," Magnus says, relieved to have clear tasks to complete.

[sporesprouter]

"Thank you. You can put them on a plate if you want. It will probably make it easier later." She watches it cook for a while, flipping it over when the bottom is sufficiently golden-brown.

[summerdude]

Magnus puts the paper towels on a plate and comes to lean over the pan, watching.

[sporesprouter]

She lifts the bottom a little to peek at it then lets it go a little bit longer, eventually fishing it out and popping it on the plate. "There it is."

[summerdude]

It looks nothing like the falafel Magnus is used to. "Huh," he says, poking it. "Wild."

[sporesprouter]

"Not good?"

[summerdude]

"It looks different," Magnus says, "but I don't know why?"

[sporesprouter]

"I'm not as familiar with falafel as you are, unfortunately, so I couldn't say. I've only had it at Wanderers Gather."

[summerdude]

"Well, let's finish making them," Magnus says. "I bet they're great. You're really good at this stuff."

[sporesprouter]

"It's just a lot of practice." She dollops another spoonful in.

[summerdude]

Magnus sighs. "You're being reasonable again."