4th Floor Common Room [Tuesday afternoon]

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

Proto had an actual cookbook out. He was staring at it dubiously, and with a mild expression of confusion, but he had it out, dang it! Of course he didn't recognize a number of ingredients listed on the page he had open, and he wasn't entirely clear on how one properly 'sautéed' things, but he was going to try.

Though... any help would probably be appreciated.

[Open and all that stuff.]

Comments

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

Alexander figured something to eat might be a good idea before heading to his club that involved climbing all over things, and so he was striding into the common room with exactly that intent. Seeing the boy with the book and the uncertain expression on his face, though, he tilted his head and asked, "Facing a bit of a dilemma, if I may ask?"

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"These instructions are nonsensical," Proto complained, picking up the book and waving it in frustration.

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

Despite himself, Alexander had to chuckle good-naturedly at the response. "What in particular are you having trouble with?" he wondered, tilting his head for a better look at the book. "And have you cooked much before?"

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Well, first of all, what does 'sautee' mean? I've cooked a lot, and it doesn't make any sense!"

Of course Proto's 'cooking' mostly involved campfires and field rations.

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

Alexander's amusement could only continue to grow as he stepped forward into the kitchen to see how he might be able to help. "It's French," he said, proud of being able to recognize its origin (like a dork), "and, basically, it means to lightly brown or cook something in a pan with some sort of butter, oil, or other fat, in a pan, like...." He opened a cupboard, reaching for the right equipment, "this one."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Then why don't they just say that?" Proto griped as he eyed the pan. That, at least, he was familiar with.

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"Because saute is only one word?" Alexander suggested. "And they must suppose that, if you're about to cook, you would likely already know it, which is admittedly an unfair assumption."

He smiled as he held the pan over to the other boy. "And now you'll know from here on in. What is it asking us to saute?"

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Mushrooms," Proto answered as he took the pan and looked over it. Yeah, he could use this.

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

It wasn't like it was unusual for Dolf to go poking around the various common rooms. Certain friends of his would have actually called it typical.

He poked his head into the room accordingly. "Hi," he said, easily, and slipped into the room properly. "What are you doing?"

Guy, book, food. It deserved clarification.

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Attempting to follow a recipe," Proto scowled. It apparently wasn't going all that well.

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

William was probably going to be of no help whatsoever when it came to cooking anything. But that wasn't going to stop him from wandering in to the common room, nose buried in a French textbook.

"Ah, good afternoon," he greeted when he spotted others in the room.

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Proto waved back distractedly. He took a moment to glance at the book, but upon confirming that it wasn't a cook book (which might make the newcomer an expert in the field), he turned back to his own task.

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

"Are you having some trouble?" William felt compelled to ask. He wasn't sure what assistance he could provide, were that the case, but it seemed only polite to ask.

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

"Those shouldn't be too difficult, then," Alexander said, nodding in approval because something with mushrooms did sound tasty at the moment. "Have you already got them prepared?"

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Prepared?"

Apparently not.

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Other than these instructions not making any sense? No."

So, yes.

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

William opened his mouth to say that that did rather sound like trouble, actually. "...I don't suppose this recipe you're attempting involves onions?" he asked as glanced over at the other boy's book to see what the instructions in question were.

[daventryprince.livejournal.com]

Eventually, Alexander might stop grinning during this conversation, but it wasn't happening yet.

"Here, I'll show you," he offered. "Where are they? You always want to prepare the things first, so that you don't accidentally burn anything while trying to get something ready. What else does the recipe call for that might need some clarification?"

It wasn't that he had meant to sort of take over things; it was just that he was going into a bit of auto-pilot mode.

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

Proto blinked. "It does." Did that change things?

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

Not especially, aside from the fact that he was feeling particularly fond of the idea of cutting that particular vegetable up. "I'm afraid my own culinary skills are limited to chopping and peeling, but I'd be pleased to offer my assistance all the same."

[swordsandsoccer.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't look like a recipe yet," said Dolf, because unsolicited opinions were his thing. He walked closer, peering over at the book.

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Chopping and peeling what?" Proto asked. Someone didn't work with a whole lot of fresh ingredients.

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

"The vegetables?" William said with a raised eyebrow. "Like the aformentioned onions."

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"Most of it?" Proto admitted wryly, holding the book out with the appropriate page (http://www.grouprecipes.com/45645/tenderloin-with-sauteed-mushrooms.html) open.

[make-the-shot.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't?" Proto leaned over the book to examine the page more closely (http://www.grouprecipes.com/45645/tenderloin-with-sauteed-mushrooms.html). "What is a recipe supposed to look like?"