Brew & Bake

Posted on Sat Oct 5th, 2024 @ 3:17am by Lieutenant Didrea Zade & Rynlan Nemari

Mission: Character Development
Location: USS Athena: Mess Hall
1604 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

There was something about the smell of fresh baked goods that lifted Ryn’s mood. The heat of the oven radiated through the room, some clever temperature adjustments allowed him to continue working without melting his creations. Stacked in neat cooling sheets were a series of bakes, though he preferred sweet, muffins and fresh bread always went down well with the crew.

The Orion had been up for some time to ensure there was a spread out from breakfast, elephant ear pastries had almost finished and he needed to keep a close on them. The seeds were prone to burning if left unattended. He leaned forward to peer through the narrow window, he could risk a little longer.

Stacking the cooled loaves into a basket, he carried them out to the counter. Baguettes, whole loaves and soft pretzel rolls for those who preferred a more solid bread. Andorian Gourd and cheddar scones with the seasame, simple cornbread muffins and the elephant ear would be the savoury bakes of the day. The more decadent lemon thyme drizzle loaf, rosemary and walnut shortbreads and a rich cinnamon roll would be the sweet offering.

Another peer through the window determined there was enough time to refill the coffee pot before taking the ears out of the oven. With a tray of muffins in one hand and a pot of coffee in the other, he quick stepped out of the kitchen into the mess hall.

It was common to have the occasional sweet scent in the mess hall during breakfast. Zade wasn't expecting it to be the dominant smell, however, and her nose crinkled in response. Curiosity got the better of her and she approached the kitchen, only to see someone hastily exiting with full hands. Stopping abruptly, the Trill made sure she was out of the way to avoid a collision. The last thing she wanted to do was visit sickbay with coffee burns. "Whoa, there! Need a hand?"

“If you’ve got some, I’ll most certainly take them.” Ryn answered not yet able to complete a full turn to see who it was that had offered assistance. “There’s a few more trays in the kitchen, if you could bring them through I’d be very grateful.”

His sleeves were rolled up and apron dusty with icing sugar and flour, stark contrast to the brilliant green of his skin, “Thank you for your assistance Leiutenant. Was there something particular you were looking for this morning?” He set down the pot and carefully shook the muffins out into the display.

"Just coffee," the Trill responded, glancing at the display. There was more?? Walking curiously into the kitchen, her eyes widened slightly at the "few" more trays. "What's the occasion?" She asked, grabbing two trays to bring out.

“I can do just coffee.” He spun back around on his heels into the kitchen squinting onto the oven. “I’ll risk it.” Ryn murmured blindly reaching for a towel and opening the door, he leaned back to void the blast of steam before reaching in to retrieve the freshly baked goods.

The Orion gave a satisfied click of his teeth. It wasn’t a sweet smell that filled the air with the opening of the oven it was a rich savoury scent, cured fish with a tang of cheese and sprinkled with tiny black seeds curled into Elephant Ears or palmiers.

“Today, just felt like a baking day. I got that urge in the early morning hours that just wouldn’t let me rest.” He grinned and carefully carried the tray toward the cooling racks. “Do you ever get a feeling like that?” He watched the Lieutenant with interest hoping to catch some insight into what made her tick.

It had been a while since the Trill had baked anything. Now that Zade thought about it, she hadn't even touched her skills since being on the Athena. As much as she wanted to blame it on a lack of time due to missions and... Nayisa, it was simply that she lacked the urge to make something. "Sometimes," she answered, stepping out of the way of the hot pan. "Though not for a while."

“Well you know, my kitchen is your kitchen.” Ryn beamed at the woman as he shimmed the tray upward to let the pastries slid off with baking paper onto the rack. “If you’ve got a recipe you can show me and we can cook it together, or if you want just a batch for you under your own steam.”

He pushed the empty tray onto the empty rack below to let it cool off. “Now for that coffee. Black? Milk? Half and half or cream?” The Orion tucked the end of the towel into the belt of his apron and moved back out toward the Mess Hall to accommodate the Lieutenant’s original request.

"Oh, I just cook for fun, it's hardly anything noteworthy," Zade said with an undertone of bashfulness. While it was an occasional hobby of hers, she didn't really cook for others, or in public. "With milk is fine."

He chuckled slightly and picked up a mug before he started to pour out a fresh coffee. “Cooking for fun is the best kind of cooking. If you want, I can make sure you get some time in private to cook or bake if it takes your fancy. I can prep ahead so I won’t disturb you.” He returned the pot to the warmer and offered Zade the milk as he pushed the cup toward her.

This person was insistent, if anything. With a nod of thanks, the Trill accepted the coffee and milk. "During my last posting, I would sneak into the mess hall in the middle of the night to do a little baking." She smiled slightly at the memory. "There's nothing saying the mess hall has closed hours, but I'm really not that good at it and I didn't want to risk having someone catch me and want to try whatever I was making."

He was indeed persistent, especially when it came to encouraging people to do what they enjoy. Ryn let slip a sly grin, “That sounds like a challenge. Technically there is no closing but I can always have the kitchen ‘closed for maintenance’.” He gave a wink and moved back into the kitchen to turn off the ovens and see if the ears would budge from their paper. “Would you like one?”

Coffee in hand, Zade followed the 'chef-of-the-day' back to the kitchen, where he was messing with a tray of some kind of bread. "What are they?" She asked.

“They are a smoked salon and poppy seed palmiers, they have a soft cheese and a flaky layered pastry.” With a click of some tongs, he started piling the pastries onto a platter. “Palmier is a french style of pastry, palm heart like the tree, but I like the elephant ear better. It suits it more.” He resisted holding up a pair beside his ears to demonstrate but decided against it, she wasn’t under 10 years old and probably wouldn’t get the laugh he’d hoped for.

The savory ingredients intrigued Zade. Initially, she was expecting more sweet stuff, to which she would have declined, but if it was savory then it wouldn't be aggressive on her tongue. "Sure, I'll try one if you're offering," she agreed.

The grin spread to an inner fist pump of success. “I hope you won’t regret it.” Ryn click-clacked the tongs before serving one of his creations on a side plate and placing it on the counter before the Lieutenant, quickly looking away on realising the pressure he was potentially applying whilst waiting for a verdict. He returned to piling the rest of the palmiers on the platter ready to take out with his sweet treats.

Giving him a polite smile, Zade accepted the plate and inspected the pastry for a few seconds. Deciding it would be better to try it before having her coffee, she picked it up, blowing gently on it before taking a bite. She took a few seconds to munch on the bite --and perhaps to also let it cool down slightly-- before swallowing. "It's good," she commented, returning the pastry to the plate. "I could have let it cool a little longer, but it's nice."

“I’ll take nice, I’m just glad I don’t have to call medical to deal with burns or eradicated tastebuds.” Ryn smiled and carefully laid out the pastries beside the other creations. “Do you think there’d be enough willing participants for an anonymous bake-off? I remember setting down bakes all from the same guidelines but a few of the crew tailored it more to their liking.”

The Orion glanced back at Zade. “I’m not sure how many biscuits the Captain managed before it gave in and picked one randomly, but it was fun—even the disasters.”

Zade shrugged, taking another bite of the pastry. "I don't think there would be any objections to handmade food for once," she commented.

“Well then, I hope to see you soon. More treats or, perhaps a friendly bake-off with the Commodore’s blessing?” Ryn offered a warm smile, “I’ll be sure to make the fresh menu available.”

"Sounds good. I have work to get to, but thanks for the pastry," Zade replied, holding up the pastry. As she left the mess hall, that itch to try her hand at baking again lingered. Maybe, just maybe, she'd take him up on his offer.