“I brought these for you to get started. These are the type of containers that most restaurants use for takeout when they’re doing soups and sauces. Mitch uses them at his shop, so I originally got some from him, but you can buy them online too. The most common sizes are a cup, a pint, and a quart. I think the pint ones are the perfect size for a single serving of soup, stew, or sauce. And the quart size comes in handy to freeze a larger batch for when you have company. Another option is to use Ziploc-type bags for the soup or sauce. You can prop them up in a mug or bowl to fill, and they take up less room in the freezer than the containers. Just remember to put a paper towel between each bag in the freezer so they don’t stick together when they freeze.”
“Thanks so much. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned already.” Ker’s voice bubbled over with excitement.
“I’m so happy I could help. Now let’s finish up this soup, then we can relax for a while.”
The chicken stock had been strained, and the rice and vegetables were quietly simmering in the pot. The meat sauce, or ragu as Ash had explained, was cooling a bit before they could package it up into single servings.
“I think we’ve earned a break,” Ash declared as he pulled a few bottles and a couple of limes from the crate. “Got some glasses and ice?” he asked.
“Sure.” Ker reached into a cupboard and retrieved two tall glasses, then filled them with ice.
“Raspberry syrup, fresh lime juice, and club soda,” Ash explained as he mixed their drinks. “It looks fancy and tastes great, and I definitely think we earned it.”
“Cool,” Ker agreed. “I’ve got some cheese and crackers that we can munch on too.”
Snacks assembled, they sat on the sofa in the living room, and Ash said, “After we’ve rested a bit, we can add the shredded chicken to the soup and divide it into the containers. We can also package the sauce into single-serve portions, but we’ll hold some of it aside to have over pasta for dinner tonight. After all, you should try what you just cooked.” He grinned at Ker.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this,” Ker said, raising his glass of sparkling pink liquid. “Cheers!”
“Cheers to you,” Ash said. “And let me just say that you were a great student.”
A blush colored Ker’s cheeks. “Well, I may have watched a video or two last night.”
“Really?” Ash grinned. “Why would you do that?”
“I was afraid I would look like a complete idiot today if I didn’t know anything at all. I just watched a couple of really basic things. Introductory lessons.”
“They seem to have helped because you did really well today.”
“Thanks,” Ker said, blushing once again. “The videos are okay, but I think I learned more from you. It was easier to stop and ask questions if I didn’t understand something. I hope we can do this again sometime.”
“Of course, we can. Plus, you can always call me if you decide to try something on your own and have any questions,” Ash said sincerely. No doubt about it, he really enjoyed spending time with Ker. “Now how ’bout we pack up all your food for the freezer, then boil some water and cook some pasta? It’s almost dinnertime.”
CHAPTER
TEN
Ker
As he settled into bed, Ker couldn’t believe how much he had learned. Ash had made it all seem so easy. And as Ash had pointed out to him over dinner, Ker had really done it all himself! Sure, Ash showed him the correct way to chop vegetables and walked him through all the steps, but Ker had actually done most of the work.
And dinner had been great. The pasta with meat sauce, or ragu as Ash had called it, was delicious. So much better than the stuff in jars he’d bought in the past. When he mentioned that to Ash, the man had just smiled and then went on to explain that if he was in a rush and didn’t have time to make a batch of sauce for the freezer, there were a couple of jarred brands that could be elevated with quick extra touches and be ready in just a few minutes.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that not only did he enjoy the time spent with Ash, he also really enjoyed cooking. Okay, maybe it was because he was cooking with a guy he found attractive, but he had never expected to enjoy it as much as he did. He had always thought that cooking was just away to prepare food for eating—a necessary task to stay alive, as it were, but as he was doing it all, he found it spoke to his creative side, and he could see how folks really got into it. He would have to talk to Ash about setting up another time for them to cook together. He wanted to learn as much as he could.
Ker drifted off to sleep with a contented smile on his face.
One of the things that Ker liked about his job was that every day was different. Today he needed to stop by the company office for a meeting, then do a bit of admin work and make a call or two. After that, he’d head out to one of the sites that he was overseeing for the construction of a new donut shop in a small strip mall.
When he got to the office, Colin Matthews, another project manager, was already at his desk.
“Morning, Colin,” he greeted his coworker. “What’s going on?”
“Not much, Ker. After the meeting, I’m going down to Sandwich to meet the guys who are starting on that new shopping center.”
Ker made himself a cup of coffee at the office Keurig machine as a few other folks walked into the office. They all slowly made their way to the conference room for their monthly managers’ meeting.
After the thankfully short meeting, Ker returned to his desk and powered up his laptop. Many of the folks who’d attended the meeting were heading out to various sites for the rest of the day. He made himself another cup of coffee and was just opening his email program when his phone rang. “Standish Construction, this is Ker,” he said.
