Page 37 of Holiday Cheese and Capers
“Without what?” Bayard’s voice was quiet.
“Nothing. Never mind. Let’s just... let’s do sweet and savory. You keep your honey and pears. I’m keeping the prosciutto and red onions.”
They worked in tense silence, both reaching for ingredients at the same time, bumping elbows, murmuring apologies. Bayard grabbed the prosciutto and wrapped it around a slice of pear. When he laid it on top of the lumpy mound of cheese and dough it tumbled right off.
“Here, let me—” Exandra tried to help, but their hands collided and honey spilled across the workspace.
“Sorry—”
“No, my fault?—”
“I wasn’t watching?—”
“Neither was I?—”
They eventually got the Brie wrapped—sort of. Half of the pear slices were too thick, half too thin. The spilled honey had soaked into one side, making the dough look slimy. The onions on the other side refused to stay put. It looked like something an ambitious yet untalented toddler might concoct.
“It’sfine,” Exandra said, staring at their disaster.
“It’s terrible.” Bayard shook his head.
“Well, it’s the best we could do.”
“Is it? I feel like if we’d just?—”
“What? Communicated better? Actually told each other what we wanted?” Exandra’s voice had an edge.
Bayard flinched. “Exandra?—”
“Let’s just bake the cheese.”
They shoved their creation into the oven, both carefully not looking at the other.
Thirty minutes later,the smells coming from Claire’s kitchen were divine. Cheese and pastry and all manner of herbs and sweetness filled the air as the cruiser proudly pulled their creations from the oven.
Claire called them to attention. “Let us see what you have created! Who would like to present first?”
Jasper and Wren shyly brought their masterpiece forward. The golden pastry nest with its perfect arrangement of ingredients was a thing of beauty, as was the toasted pastry Fred sitting atop it like a proud parent. The only issue was the paper chef’s hat which had curled and discolored in the oven.
“C’est magnifique!” Claire exclaimed. “Such a beautiful presentation. I think this is art! He just needs a new hat.” She handed them one of the stuffed mascots, removing the chef’s hat and placing it on the pastry duck. “I think this deserves a prize. With my compliments!”
Other passengers presented their creations to similar praise. There were floral motifs and an ocean inspired round that reminded Minerva of her dear friend Hildegarde Fish back home. Minerva was proud of her and Zephyr’s half-and-half Brie en croute. It came out so elegant and thoughtful, each side perfectly executed and baked. They had embellished it with a yin and yang symbol on top.
Reluctantly, Bayard and Exandra brought their creation forward.
It looked even worse coming out of the oven than it had looked going in. The pastry had puffed unevenly. One side was charred, the other pale and undercooked. The spilled honey had caramelized into dark patches like a rash. A puddle of cheese had oozed out from the stab wounds. It engulfed the sliced red onions that had landed in a soggy pink pile on the baking sheet.
“Ah,” Claire said diplomatically. “An... interesting interpretation.”
“We killed it,” Exandra said flatly. “It’s a disaster.”
“Well, appearances aren’t everything.” Claire cut into it, releasing a cloud of steam. “Let us taste.”
She took a bite, and her expression changed. “Oh, my! You know what? This is actually... quite good?”
It was true. Despite its appearance, the flavors had somehow melded beautifully. The honey and prosciutto, which shouldn’t have worked together, had created a strange but delicious sweet-savory combination along with the cheese and pears. The pastry, while broken and uneven, was still perfectly flaky and buttery.
“Appearances can be deceiving.” Margot beamed. “Sometimes the most delicious things come from imperfection. From two different visions finding an unexpected harmony.”
