Fiction: A Witch in the Kitchen
Oct. 18th, 2011 06:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
clare_dragonflyTitle: A Witch in the Kitchen
Word count: 415 (total: 2,149)
Rating: G
Prompt: Crowdfunding Creative Jam: A woman who gives up witchery to be a chef, but has a hard time not making magic in the kitchen.
Notes: Everything I know about commercial kitchens I learned from TV shows my sister was watching.
“Ms. London.” The restaurant owner, a salt-and-pepper-haired woman with copious laugh lines at the sides of her eyes, reached out and shook Louisa’s hand firmly. “Welcome. I’m so glad we could attract a chef of your caliber, after what happened with the last one.”
Louisa smiled. “Thank you, Ms. Lafayette. I will warn you again, I’m out of practice.”
Ms. Lafayette waved airily as she showed Louisa into the kitchen. “I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully. You had such a successful career before you took that break, and I’m sure you cooked for your family, didn’t you?”
Louisa couldn’t help laughing at that. “Yes, but it’s rather different cooking for an unfussy man and two very fussy children in a small kitchen with just me than it is working with several under-chefs and a demanding public.” Not to mention the fact that no one had cared if she’d done magic in the kitchen at home. In fact, she’d spent more time doing magic in that kitchen than cooking, considering all the times they’d had take-out and pizza because there were spells cooking on all four burners… maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
“Well, we’ll be informing our customers that we have a new head chef, but we won’t tell them your name, so there shouldn’t be any expectations. Now, is there anything in particular that you require? Any ingredients we might not have? There are still four hours before we open, so I have plenty of time to go shopping if you need me to.”
Louisa lifted the gleaming, freshly sterilized chef’s knives from the block and admired their sharp edges. Yes, this was a good idea. She was sure of it. She couldn’t work with tools of this caliber at home. She’d enjoyed finally learning magic from her mother, and she’d loved being home with her children, but cooking was her calling. “I’ll take a look around and let you know, but I’m sure I’ll be able to work with whatever is here on my first day. Thank you.”
—
The kitchen was well-stocked; the staff was thrilled to have her. (It actually made Louisa a little uncomfortable. There was some hero-worship going on. Well, they would get used to each other soon, she hoped.) She made a few experimental dishes to keep in the kitchen, so she and the under-chefs could learn to work with each other, and her hands could get used to the tools.
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Word count: 415 (total: 2,149)
Rating: G
Prompt: Crowdfunding Creative Jam: A woman who gives up witchery to be a chef, but has a hard time not making magic in the kitchen.
Notes: Everything I know about commercial kitchens I learned from TV shows my sister was watching.
“Ms. London.” The restaurant owner, a salt-and-pepper-haired woman with copious laugh lines at the sides of her eyes, reached out and shook Louisa’s hand firmly. “Welcome. I’m so glad we could attract a chef of your caliber, after what happened with the last one.”
Louisa smiled. “Thank you, Ms. Lafayette. I will warn you again, I’m out of practice.”
Ms. Lafayette waved airily as she showed Louisa into the kitchen. “I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully. You had such a successful career before you took that break, and I’m sure you cooked for your family, didn’t you?”
Louisa couldn’t help laughing at that. “Yes, but it’s rather different cooking for an unfussy man and two very fussy children in a small kitchen with just me than it is working with several under-chefs and a demanding public.” Not to mention the fact that no one had cared if she’d done magic in the kitchen at home. In fact, she’d spent more time doing magic in that kitchen than cooking, considering all the times they’d had take-out and pizza because there were spells cooking on all four burners… maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
“Well, we’ll be informing our customers that we have a new head chef, but we won’t tell them your name, so there shouldn’t be any expectations. Now, is there anything in particular that you require? Any ingredients we might not have? There are still four hours before we open, so I have plenty of time to go shopping if you need me to.”
Louisa lifted the gleaming, freshly sterilized chef’s knives from the block and admired their sharp edges. Yes, this was a good idea. She was sure of it. She couldn’t work with tools of this caliber at home. She’d enjoyed finally learning magic from her mother, and she’d loved being home with her children, but cooking was her calling. “I’ll take a look around and let you know, but I’m sure I’ll be able to work with whatever is here on my first day. Thank you.”
—
The kitchen was well-stocked; the staff was thrilled to have her. (It actually made Louisa a little uncomfortable. There was some hero-worship going on. Well, they would get used to each other soon, she hoped.) She made a few experimental dishes to keep in the kitchen, so she and the under-chefs could learn to work with each other, and her hands could get used to the tools.
Did you enjoy this story? You can read more stories in this world or see all my fiction posted at Dreamwidth!