Page 34 of Cocky Cruiser

After cubing the venison and finishing the sauté, we added the garlic and cooked that down for about a minute before tossing in the mushrooms and stirring.

“Next, we’ll add in the venison and cook for about eight to ten minutes. Once that has finished, we will stir in the tomato paste for another minute or two, then pour in the wine and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half,” the chef explained.

Adele glanced over at me as she transferred her venison from the cutting board to the pan. “I wish my mom had taught me more about cooking like your grandma did. I know a few decent recipes, but nothing like this.”

I smiled as I did the same. “My grandma always said that each recipe was like a story. And the cook is the author of that story and decides how robust and layered it is. I don’t think many people recognize that cooking is an art just like painting or writing. A chef is an artist, and the ingredients are the medium.”

Adele gave me a quizzical look, her forehead slightly furrowed. “I never thought of cooking like that, but you’re absolutely right. What a unique way to look at your craft.”

Cooking had always been a passion of mine that was unmatched by anything else. But the way I felt with Adele was developing a similar intensity of my love of cooking, which kind of scared me.

Once the cooking liquid had been reduced, the chef instructed us to add the beef broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf, along with salt and pepper. “Now, stir, then let simmer for twenty to twenty-five minutes.”

“Smells amazing,” Adele commented as she stirred her ragu.

“Those aromatics really make a difference,” I said.

“As the ragu simmers, we will make the pasta,” the chef announced. “First, put a pot of salted water to boil. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and dust with flour. Starting in the middle, push away from you with a rolling pin, easing the pressure as you approach the edge. Continue rolling the dough into a sheet, occasionally turning, until you can see your fingers through the bottom. Then we will let it dry for about ten minutes.”

Pasta was one of my favorite things to make. It took finesse and patience, and I prided myself on having both.

Adele ended up with flour all over her apron and even on her nose and one cheek. She looked so adorable, her brow furrowing in concentration as she rolled out the dough.

Reaching over, I wiped the flour off her cheek. “You have flour on you.”

She froze, eyes widening as she glanced up at me. “Seriously?”

I chuckled. “Yes. On your cheek and nose.”

Adele wiped her hands on her apron, then frantically swiped at her face, trying to clean off the flour. “Is it gone?”

She still had a little on her nose, but I was afraid she was going to spontaneously combust from embarrassment, so I nodded. “Yeah, you got it.”

After everyone had rolled out their dough, we let the pasta sheet rest for ten minutes. Then the chef moved on to the next steps of the recipe. “Now, we will cut the pappardelle. Dust the top of the sheet of dough with flour and loosely roll it into a cylinder. Using a sharp knife, cut into slices three-quarters of an inch wide. Then unwrap the noodles, dust with semolina, and gently toss to separate.”

“This is super technical,” Adele said as she tried to roll her pasta. “It just keeps flopping over on itself. I think I’ll stick with the store-bought.”

I laughed. “You get the hang of it after a while.” I stopped what I was doing and went to help her, stepping up behind her and framing her arms with mine. “Here, let me help you.”

Linking our fingers together from behind, I helped her pick up the dough and carefully roll it into a cylinder. “Just takes a delicate touch.”

Adele pushed her ass back against my cock. “Is that so?” she asked coyly.

I inhaled sharply, a little shocked at her boldness. My dick started to get hard, and I leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Sweetheart, don’t start something you can’t finish. Unless you want me to take you right here on this counter.”

Adele stifled a moan, biting down on her lip. She was wearing a dress, so it was possible for me to hike it up and slip inside her from behind, but neither of us was very discreet when it came to sex. “I’m going to punish you later,” I said, gripping her hips and pressing my erection hard against her ass.

She gasped, and I almost lost control. All the sounds she made because of me drove me crazy, but I kept it together and went back to my station before we crossed the line.

Adele and I kept stealing glances at each other as we cut our pasta and dusted the strands. Then we placed the finished noodles in the boiling water and checked on the ragu.

“Keep an eye on both your pasta and the ragu. They should be done around the same time, and we don’t want to overcook anything. When you drain your pasta, reserve a cup of the pasta water to add to the ragu if needed.”

Once both parts of the dish had finished cooking, we added the drained pasta into the ragu with parsley, parmesan reggiano cheese, and a little bit of the pasta water to smooth out the sauce.

The chef clapped his hands. “Bravo! Now, you may take your completed dish to one of the dining room tables and enjoy your culinary masterpiece. Bon appetit!”

Adele and I took our plates to one of the tables and sat down to eat. “I can’t believe I made something like this. The fanciest thing I’ve made is my mum’s meat pie.”

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