Night 12: Specter, Caramel Brownie with Blueberry Parfait
The Late Night Diner is a part of Rhodes Island's canteen. That goes without saying – to whom had anyone ever heard of a diner in the boiler room?
As the name implies, it opens around midnight. There are only a handful of customers at a time.
Operators off their night shift could take an order and bring back to their quarters. Night owls could sit dining-in while leeching off the Diner's wi-fi. The Doctor would come for instant noodles from time to time.
Drinks are in the cooler. Anyone burdened by their own thoughts could take one and chug it down, anytime.
Menu? No such thing exists. What the Chef prepares is what you get. It all depends on his mood of the day.
Welcome to the Rhodes Island Late Night Diner. In here, you might even meet a familiar face or two.
"You know, brownies are the most unimaginative among cake pastries," Laurentina said, playfully twirling the silvery fork in her hand, " From how it's made to its shape, everything about it is just so mundane."
It was true. There was no elaborate skill involved in the making of brownies. Just add chocolate chunks into melted butter and mix thoroughly, then put in a tea spoon of coffee powder with eggs into the mix. Dump in loads of sugar – there must be lots of sugar – It's used to neutralise the bitter taste of coffee and chocolate. Afterwards add sifted flour, coca powder and a pinch of salt, mix well. Sprinkle some nuts, more chocolate, shredded orange rind or nothing at all based on personal preference, and it's ready for the oven.
Of course, that was a more refined recipe. For those who cared not for procedure they could just throw all the ingredients into a large mixer and wait till it was done, like the way of a concrete mixer in construction yard. Truly, brownies which lacked any sense of beauty and skills required was rather hard to garner any respect among the pastries. Even the caramel syrup that served as its dressing was harder to make in comparison. The syrup must be prepared in a precise manner. When sugar was just melted in the saucepan and bubbling, boiling water must be added into the pan. A moment too early it would not have the beautiful amber colour, but a moment too late it would be burnt and taste bitter.
"Look at this square. Just like a brick on the floor." Laurentina picked up a piece from the plate and scrutinized, "If this is the only type of colour I can work with in sculpting, I'd sooner throw away my tools. Though...it does smell delicious."
From time to time, Laurentina would come to the Diner after her memories recovered. She liked sharing stories bout Aegir with with other customers. She also liked to play critic with the Chef's cooking. Praise or ridicule, more often than not she would cast a harsh judgement on the dishes' presentation and taste with the eye of an artist. Coming either from ocean-born Aegir's contempt for the land-dwellers or her lofty standard for beauty, the reason for it was anyone's guess.
"Well I say, one can not possibly form a positive connection between the taste of this thing and its exterior." Laurentina said mockingly, taking on the tone of a supposed art critic. She pried off a small wedge from a corner and sent into her mouth and squinted. " I can taste the thick aroma of chocolate, and the hint of coffee hidden deep beneath, which effectively elevated the flavour of the chocolate, at the same time firmly set the overall baseline at 'slightly bitter'."
"But in the sense of being a pastry, it is indeed sweet enough to make one happy. The sweetness interlocking with the taste of chocolate, overcoming each other yet brings out each other's flavour, finally coming together in sweetness at the end of the tongue. The firm yet smooth texture makes one feel as if chewing a soft bubble, yet there are also the roughness of nuts. Truly a pastry with a diverse flavour. I am pleasantly surprised. Honestly I thought I would be chewing on a dish sponge soaked in ink. Ah, almost forget the caramel."
Dipping soft and porous brownie cake in amber caramel, what she tasted in the first bite was the sugary syrup with a trace of burnt bitterness. Then came the sweetness of the cake soaked through with caramel. Every single pore in the brownie was filled with the rich and heavy syrupy taste, making the already sugar-filled cake even sweeter. Sweet enough to instantly rot her teeth.
"Oof – too sweet. Boss, where's my blueberry parfait?" Laurentina said, raising her hand.
Fresh blueberry was blended with syrup, then chilled till the whole mixture took shape. Then clumps of shaved ice were cut into smaller portions and blended till the texture resembled soft slush. After a few minutes of cooling again, it could be shaped in to a ball and be served. Even though parfait and ice cream both had a similar creamy texture, the difference in ingredients made parfait carry a tinge of roughness from the broken ice. The absence of milk or cream also left more room for the fruity fragrance, making the parfait tasted like fresh fruit straight from the fridge.
The chill of the parfait toned down the overwhelming sweetness of the brownie cake and caramel. Laurentina paved some of the icy treat onto the brownie cake. Magenta fruit slush dripped down. It did taste better. The sweetness was softer on the palate, and the cake was much more moist, too.
She moved the half-eaten parfait closer to herself. With a tiny spoon she shaped it into the form of a figure delicately. Then she cut the left over brownies into a triangle, and carefully put it atop the parfait figure. Some minor fixes later, she pushed her work towards the other side of the table.
"Swordfish, it's Orca." Laurentina said with a smile, "Looks Just like her."
"Laurentina, I authorized your request for snacks in the middle of the night, and dragging me along too, is not for you to play with your food." the second squad commander of the Abyssal Hunters pinched between her furrowed brows.
"Don't you worry. I'll clear my plate. Do you want any land-dwellers' sweets, Swordfish?"
"No. Not interested. Finish your snack quickly and go to bed, we still have trainings in the morning." Gladiia fixed her hat. She was ready to leave once Laurentina finished.
"Disappointing. How about a song before bed?" Laurentina said, then picked up the brownie tricorne with her fork.