42
DANIELA
Chef smiles,the corners of his mouth twitching.Is it nervousness?Apprehension?Reprehension?
Is he having second thoughts?
Apparently not, because he sets the fourth course in front of me with a flourish and another venomous smile.
“Queso frescoand abocadillotrilogy,” he says, his voice bordering on rancorous.“A celebration of innocence and sweetness.”
Sweetness.
Right.
He doesn’t know the meaning of that word outside of the kitchen.
“Three little jewels,” he continues.“Goat cheese mousse with guava, a tiny yucca crisp with cream, and a quenelle of queso fresco ice cream.”
I swallow.
Goat cheese?Really?
I may love the culinary arts, but there are a few things I never developed a taste for.Goat cheese is one.Most chefs love it and put it anywhere from a simple cheese plate to the most elaborate dessert.It’s supposed to be bright, tangy, slightly acidic—the perfect ingredient.
To me, it tastes like milk that’s been sitting out just long enough to make you suspicious, with an unmistakable barnyard note underneath—animal funk.The texture is wet and chalky and disgusting.
I eat the yucca.
I eat the ice cream.
I leave the goat cheese mousse untouched on my plate.
Goat cheese can go to hell.
He watches me leave it and smirks, like he remembers.
Of course he does.
He served it on purpose.He wants to see if I’ll actually eat it, attempt to savor it to prolong the inevitable.
He’ll be sorely disappointed.
If I’m going to die tonight, I’m not doing it with goat cheese on my tongue.
He watches me.Studies me.Drinks slowly from his wine glass.This one is a dry rosé.Chefs love to pair a dry rosé from the Rhône region of France with any kind of goat cheese dish.
“Are you finished?”he asks.
I smile as sweetly as I can.“What do you think?”
“Still won’t eat it?”he asks.“Even when I prepared everything especially for you?”
I draw in a breath quietly.Measure my words.“The braise was lovely, Chef.Truly.The ceviche flawless.The arepa was the perfect amuse-bouche.You prepared them all with my pleasure in mind.But you know how I feel about goat cheese.”
“You think you can be a successful chef without one of the most universal ingredients in fine cuisine?”
I smirk.“If Guy Fieri can be a success while hating bell peppers, I can certainly be the chef who refuses to use anything associated with a goat.”
