Story 4
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
The pastry chef looked distraught. The convection oven died. She checked the outlet and fuse box but could not get the oven to work.
“Can anything else go wrong?” said the pastry chef to nobody in particuliar.
For a moment, the kitchen crew laughed. The chef looked at his watch and then at that tray of creme Brule sitting in the oven.
“You’re not going to get that finished in time for lunch. Are you?”
The pastry chef shook her head. She tapped her foot on the floor.
“You got anything in the freezer?” asked the chef.
Both walked to the freezer box.
“We’ve got sorbets leftover from last night’s dinner service,” said the pastry chef.
The chef scratched his head.
“More than three types?”
The pastry chef lifted the freezer box cover. Along one side were conatiners of sorbet.
“Five types,” she said, smiling for the first time all morning.
“What do you have?” asked the chef.
The pastry chef flipped the freezer cover back open. She placed each container on a table.
“Kiwi. Raspberry. Mango.Lemon. Grapefruit.”
The chef looked back at his watch.
“Give me an idea for a sauce to serve with your sorbets.”
The pastry chef looked confused.
“A sauce with my sorbets?”
The chef glared at ther pastry chef. Suddenly he started tapping his foot on the floor. He tapped three times and might have continued if not for the restaurant manager calling his name. The manager stood at the kitchen door.
“Can I see you for a minute,” said the manager to the chef.
The chef turned back to the pastry chef.
“You’ve got two minutes to come up with something.”
The chef followed the manager into the dining room.
“They’re thinking of shutting us down,” said the manager.
The chef took a step backward.
“What are you talking about?”
“The cases are cliombing. Everyone’s worried.”
“Shut us down?”
The pastry chef pushed through the kitchen door. She had one foot in the dining room and one in the kitchen.
“Praline sauce,” said the pastry chef.
The chef and manager stared at each other.
“That’ll work,” said the chef. “At least for today,” he added flatly.
Recipe for Praline Sauce:
WhereToDrinkInQueens .com 