I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Side Dishes
3rd Course – A Day in the Big Apple
Takes place a couple of weeks after the last chapter, the Market Central Incident.
Harry opened his eyes slowly, enjoying that feeling of weightlessness between being fully awake and fully asleep. The morning sunlight was peeking in through the blinds on his window, and he yawned, contemplating if he wanted to try and go back to sleep or not.
New York lived up to the title of "The City that Never Sleeps". No matter the time of day, there were always people doing something. The sounds of the city were ever prevalent, lights a plenty. At first it took a lot getting used to, especially with how generally calm and peaceful Hogsmeade was at night. Even where Grimmauld was in London tended to be a bit slower and quieter, but perhaps that was the area and the magic around Grimmauld.
Harry had come to like it. It made the city feel alive and it always struck him with wonder with just how many people there were in the city. Market Central felt bigger than Diagon since it was more open but it was also even more densely packed than Diagon and its side streets and alleys. It was definitely louder and that added to the ambiance.
"Oof!"
Hedwig had woken up too and decided to come over from her bed that was on the nightstand beside his bed. She waddled to the end and hopped, landing on his chest with a cheery bark.
"Good morning," he smiled, rubbing her belly. She cheeped and fluffed up, enjoying the attention. He put on his glasses and looked at the voiceless vase he put on the nightstand, happy to see the top glowing a little. That meant a message was waiting for him.
It turned out that the distance was a bit too great for the mirrors to work well, though Nicolas and Perenelle were working on a longer distance version. The vases worked just fine however and he regularly sent messages with the Tonkses, Sirius, the Dumbledores, and Lavender. Britain was about four hours ahead of where he was so the time difference was manageable.
He read the notes from Dora and Lavender, smiling as he read. After finishing, he pulled his tablet to him and wrote a reply on them and then used the charm he learned from the Patils so long ago, the one where the words transferred easily to parchment. Rolling the letters up, he put them in the vase and tapped it with his wand. The vase rattled a bit then stilled; the messages sent.
"What time is it?" He looked over at the clock. "We got a little under two hours before my start. Let's go get some breakfast, shall we?"
Hedwig nodded eagerly, nipping his nose gently and then taking a swift pre-breakfast nap as Harry got ready. He did the usual morning cleaning routine, put the last of the dishes away, dressed, packed his bag, and left the apartment with her sitting on his head. He walked down the stairs and made his way to the main floor. "Morning Vinny!"
Vinny looked up and smiled. "Mornin' Harry! Mornin' Hedwig!" The security man offered them the box of doughnuts he had behind his desk. "Fresh this mornin'."
"Thanks!" Harry took one and split it in half, giving one half to Hedwig who chomped on it happily.
"I get one for the both of you, you know," Vinny smiled.
"We're going to get breakfast now and I'm watching her weight because she won't," Harry joked, wincing a little when she tugged on his hair with her talons.
"Fair enough," Vinny laughed. "Might rain later, smells like it."
"Good to know. Anywhere I should avoid?"
The man shook his head. "Everything feels right to me today. Shouldn't have any troubles."
"Thanks. See you later!"
"See you later. You stay outta trouble now Hedwig!" He laughed as she cheeped thickly at him, still eating her doughnut.
Harry walked down the steps and into the street, enjoying the warm air. The tang of the streets was less strong on this side of the city. The smell of rubber and gasoline and smoke was a lot less strong in the magical districts but still prevalent. By now, Hedwig was a more familiar sight, especially riding on Harry's head. Some still turned to stare at first but others waved companionably or nodded, the ones that knew of Harry and Hedwig anyways. The majority of people moved on with their own agendas and directions, oblivious and uncaring of others.
Harry and Hedwig walked into their favorite breakfast spot that they found. It was a bagel shop on the corner of the street that their apartment was on. Like most mornings, it was busy and full but by now, they were recognized as regulars.
"Hey you two!" An older woman greeted them warmly, wiping her hands clean on her apron.
"Hi Lita!" Harry smiled and Hedwig barked an equally cheery greeting. "How are you?"
"Got up this morning so I'm doing fine," she smiled. "What'll you two have today?"
"Sesame seed bagel with butter and some bacon for Hedwig," Harry ordered with Hedwig nodding eagerly. "And an everything bagel with plain cream cheese for me."
"The usual then! Coffee too?"
"Yes please."
Lita laughed. The boisterous sound filled the small bakery with ease and was as invigorating as the black liquid she poured into a cup. "I knew we'd switch you over from tea!"
"Well I still have to teach you how to make a proper cup of tea," Harry smiled.
"What, plop a bag in a mug and pour some hot water on it, right?" someone else behind the counter asked, winking at Harry.
"That's not proper apparently," Lita smiled as she cut still warm bagels in half and daubed them with butter and cream cheese. "Poor Harry had the most polite horrified expression when he saw me make him one the first time he visited."
"We have tea bags in Britain," Harry protested to good-natured laughter. "It's just better loose leaf."
"I believe it and I'll get it one day," Lita said honestly as she wrapped the bagels up in wax paper and put them in a bag, handing them over the counter and smiling when Hedwig took the bag from her.
Harry paid for their food and coffee. "Oh and I tried bagels from that place on the other side of the restaurant and it doesn't compare."
"I told you," Lita smiled proudly. "No one makes bagels like us in New York and Baggies Bagels are the best in the city!" She and the other workers waved as Harry and Hedwig left. Harry walked into the Central Park side of Market Central and settled on a bench comfortably. Hedwig fluttered off his head and plopped down beside him on the bench, licking her beak as Harry opened both bagels and cut them in half with his knife. He smiled as she noisily enjoyed her bacon bagel butty and bit into half of his cream cheese bagel. He enjoyed the creamy smoothness of the cheese and all the different textures of the spices and seeds that were pressed into his bagel, and how the filling brought all the flavors together.
"The bagels really are different here," he said as he chewed and Hedwig hooted in agreement. Finished with her half of the bacon bagel, she munched on her half of the cream cheese one while Harry ate the other bacon half, sipping his coffee. They watched the various residents of the magical borough within a borough walk around, enjoying the food and the company.
He checked his watch. "Better head to the Brasserie," he said, finishing his coffee. He smiled as Hedwig put the wrappers into the bag and carried the trash to a trash can, throwing it away before returning and settling on his head as he walked. It was a short walk to the restaurant and she nuzzled him, hooting encouragement, before she flew away and he walked into the building.
"Morning," he said, greeting the other workers in the front, cleaning the tables and getting the front ready for the day. They greeted him warmly back. As a whole, the front staff had been very friendly to him and much faster than the kitchen staff. They were surprised with how nice he was to them and it endeared him to them very swiftly. Leslie had liked him from the moment she met him and the front of house staff followed suit.
"Morning Callie," he greeted, walking into the kitchen and going to the locker room.
"Morning Harry," Callie smiled. Out of the crew, she had been the first to become friends with Harry, though the rest had not been too far behind to differing degrees. Adam no longer tried to prank him or say or do anything unprofessional and the others acted the same. He was not especially close, but his begrudging acceptance became neutral appreciation for Harry's skills and work ethic. "Got your usual?"
"I always think about trying something else but it really does taste great and I feel like I'd miss it," Harry laughed, putting his things away and changing into his chef coat.
"Baggies is the best bagel in the Central," Callie nodded.
"I still think Mason's is better," Peters said, squeezing past them to get to his locker.
"They have more fillings and toppings at Mason's," Callie disagreed. "But they're more of a deli than a bagel place. Baggies bagels are better. Chewier."
"Naw, the bagels are definitely better," Peters said. "I'll bring you one tomorrow Harry and you can tell me I'm right."
"Only if you are right," Harry smiled, making the other two laugh.
"Fair enough," Peters chuckled.
"Alright, this is what we need to get started," Callie said, taking down the clipboard off the wall. "Have to get the shanks going. We used up way more of the demi-glace yesterday so we need to do that too. And we have to feed the starters."
"Ugh," Peters groaned. "I hate feeding the starters."
"You get started on the shanks then and start the inventory," Callie said. "Harry and I'll feed the starters and Chef wants him to learn how to make demi. So I'll do that."
"Better you than me," Peters said, patting Harry on the shoulder as he walked past.
"Drama queen," Callie said, flipping Peters off. "Come on Harry." She led him into the back and they hauled large wooden containers to the patisserie area of the kitchen. "You know what a starter is?"
"I've read about it," Harry said, putting the large heavy container down. "For bread, right?"
Callie nodded. "Sourdough, specifically. Sourdough is a culture of live bacteria and like all living things, needs food to live. So every now and then you need to feed it with fresh water and flour and mix it up some. If you're careful, you can keep a starter going for years and years and the flavor deepens and matures in time."
Harry gasped when she lifted the lid off one of the containers, revealing a large mound of dough. The scent that came off of it was definitely sour, but pleasant and less acrid or rancid. "Wow, that's amazing!"
"So we take some off," Callie explained, showing him how to portion some off and set aside to be used soon. "Then we add flour and water by weight and knead it in. No magic with this. Chef and Andres says it messes with the flavor."
"I believe it," Harry nodded.
"And Andres said if we ruin her starters, she'll stab us," Callie said seriously. "If the starters die, we die."
"I believe it," Harry repeated with a smile. Andres was the pastry chef and the petite woman was not someone you disrespected. She was foul-mouthed, hard-headed, and never backed down from a fight, verbal or physical. She also had some tattoos that fascinated Harry. To everyone's surprise, save for Anthony and Leslie, the fearsome woman had taken a shine to Harry and treated him very well almost immediately after meeting him.
He and Callie eventually finished feeding the starters and put the bins back into storage to eat and mature. They were covered in bits of sticky dough and the surface of the table was in a similar state. "That's not so bad," Harry said, regaining his breath.
"Peters hates it because he doesn't like getting messy because he's a drama queen," Callie said loudly.
"I know what I am and I won't apologize for it!" Peters shouted from the back.
Harry and Callie wiped the surfaces down and changed aprons before moving on. "Now demi-glace," Callie said. "It's an important part of a lot of sauces we use here. Adds body and flavor and color. That's why we have a lot of it on hand. We make it with beef stock instead of veal typically." She and Harry pulled out large containers full of jiggly beef stock that had cooled in the walk-ins. "You know how to make an espagnole?"
"Yes Chef," Harry said. "You should double-check me though."
Callie smiled. "You know you don't have to call me that, right?"
"How else do I show respect though?" Harry asked honestly.
"You shouldn't show her any!" Peters shouted.
"Shut your drama hole!" Callie shouted back. "Well, can't say I don't like hearing it so you can keep it up, but if I get confused when Chef is here, it's your fault."
"Heard," Harry grinned.
She chuckled. "Alright, make the espagnole to this recipe." She gave him a laminated sheet. "I'll come check it when it's ready."
Harry took the recipe from her and read it from beginning to end before he got to work. He finely diced onion, celery, and carrot and sweated them in a large heavy-bottomed pan with butter. He then added flour and cooked it all together until the roux became deep golden brown. He then slowly whisked in beef stock and made sure it was lump-free before stirring in tomato puree, salt, peppercorns, bay leaves, and other herbs. He smiled a little, thinking of Gwendolyn. He carefully watched the pot as he worked on other tasks. Once it had reduced by half, he strained it through a chinois and cheesecloth and called Callie over.
She dipped a spoon in and examined the consistency before tasting it. "Mmm, good," she praised. "You could salt it a little more if you are using as is, but this is plenty good and since we're seasoning the demi-glace, you don't want to oversalt any step. But always season every step. You miss out on some depth if you wait to season everything at the end."
"That makes sense," Harry said, taking notes in his personal notebook.
"Here's the recipe for the demi-glace, give it a shot," she said.
Harry took some of the sauce espagnole and combined it with more beef stock and other spices. He kept a close eye on it while it simmered and after checking the consistency a few times, strained it like he did the espagnole. When he finished, he brought it to Callie who tasted it.
"Good," she said, licking her lips. "Taste it."
He tasted some from a spoon and appreciated the rich body of the sauce. He frowned a little. "It's very light in flavor," he said slowly. "Like, not overly flavored. Oh! Because you use it to round out other sauces and things, right?"
"Exactly," Callie said with approval. "When you use it as a sauce on its own, you add more to it at the end but if it's too flavored at start, it'll clash with the end sauce and make it taste like too much. So you want richness and body with a hint of its own seasoning, but not so much where it'll be too much on top of the final product. Otherwise you'd just pour in water or stock but then you wouldn't have the depth of flavor."
"That makes a lot of sense," Harry said, scribbling in his book.
"Now do it again with the same measurements. We tried doubling it out before and it felt off, so we just make the same portions multiple times." She shrugged. "Food's weird that way sometimes."
"But it's wonderful," Harry smiled.
"You're one of us alright," Peters laughed as he passed.
-0-
"Hello Chef," Harry said.
Adam nodded as he finished buttoning his chef coat. "Potter," he greeted. He looked around at the kitchen, noticing what was done. "Where are we at?"
"The third batch of demi-glace is done," Harry reported. "We fed the starters. All veg prep for lunch is done. Shanks are done. Beef stock is simmering. And we started the evening service prep."
"All that? Nice." Adam dipped a spoon into the pot of demi-glace and tasted it. "Hmm, that's good. Good job." He took the clipboard from Callie when she offered it. "Okay. Looks good. Let's get ready for lunch. Ramirez is coming and so is Hanks. Chef is coming in after lunch, he has a meeting to go to."
When the other two arrived, they helped finish setup and the lunch service started. Lunch at the La Brasserie was a steady thing. Not quite as mad as Gringotts, but over a longer period. The food they offered was also a little more involved and more menu options than the bank's kitchen. Harry liked both services and absorbed the experiences hungrily and thirstily, always watching. He had graduated from commis and prep work only, now doing a lot of the cold dishes and some of the oven work.
The system the restaurant used for orders was similar to a goblin repeating tool and what many Muggle restaurants did. Servers wrote orders down on special wax tablets and then used a charm to replicate the order on a large one in the front. It was linked to one in the back that used the transcribing charm to print it out onto paper slips that Anthony or the chef in charge would tear off and pin up. It was a smooth system that worked well for them.
Lunch finished and Leslie walked into the kitchen. "Bonjour everyone," she called out. "Bonjour Harry."
"Bonjour," Adam replied, looking up from the pass. "We clear?"
"Last customer just left and we are closing down for reset and dinner," Leslie confirmed.
"Good. We're already started on dinner prep," Adam said.
"How does pizza sound for family meal?" she asked.
"We ordering out?" Adam asked in reply.
"We have to make sure Harry gets to taste the best the city has to offer," Leslie said.
"So we're ordering from Panucci's?" Callie asked.
"No, she said the best," Peters sniffed. "So Mikey's."
"Mikey's is terrible," Callie said with deep disapproval.
"No it isn't!" Peters gasped.
"It's grease on grease with ketchup," she said scathingly.
"You take that back!"
"I crap better dough than what they make at Mikey's," Andres said, walking into the kitchen and the argument. "Move your ass. Not you Harry, how's it going?"
"Hi Andres," Harry grinned, moving out of her way and returning her fist bump.
"I don't care where we order from, just not Tito's," Adam said.
"Why not?" Peters asked.
"His ex works there," Ramirez grinned.
"Which one?" Callie asked innocently, making everyone but Harry and Adam laugh who glowered at them. "The crazy one or the crazy one?"
"Don't talk about my personal life," Adam growled.
"We can't talk about what doesn't exist," Andres said with a sharp smile.
"Just because there isn't proof of it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Harry said. He flushed when the others looked at him. "A friend of mine says that a lot and I think it's true."
"I'm not sure if you're helping me or not when you say that," Adam sighed.
"He is," Leslie said, winking at Harry. "Also Chef is coming back and will be stopping at Panucci's so there."
"So is your friend a little crazy too?" Hanks asked.
Harry frowned a little and shook his head. "I don't think so. She just likes to give everything a chance to exist and likes to believe in a lot unless there isn't a reason to."
"Eh, nothing wrong with that I guess," Adam said as they worked.
"Your girlfriend?" Andres asked.
"No, she's a really good friend and kind of like a little sister," Harry said, smiling fondly.
"Oh you have a girlfriend?" Rameriz asked. "Wait, how did Andres know before us?"
"Because we're friends," Andres said smugly.
"I have seen pictures, she is very pretty," Leslie smiled.
"Well share with the rest of us," Peters said eagerly.
Blushing, Harry took out a slim silver case he had in his chest pocket. He opened it and showed the clustered people pictures of his friends and loved ones.
"Oh she is pretty," Callie admired, smiling at a picture of Lavender and Harry, the former kissing the latter enthusiastically and looking very happy.
"And that's Luna, the one that likes to believe in things that may or may not be there," Harry said, pointing out a dreamy looking Luna that was hugging a photographic Harry.
"See? She hasn't met you and still believes in your private life," Hanks said to an irritated Adam. "There's hope for you yet."
"I hate all of you," Adam said as they laughed. "Not you Potter."
"You're just saying that so you don't get stabbed by Hedwig," Callie snorted.
"And? What's wrong with that?" Adam asked seriously.
-0-
The dinner service was in full swing. Anthony had come back bearing many boxes of New York Style pizza and they all ate hungrily, with Harry being educated on the finer parts of New York pizza and why some places were better than others. He agreed that Panucci's was very good though.
Pleased with all the prep work, Anthony had spent some time with Harry, teaching him some techniques involving butchery before the dinner service started. Harry worked between cold meal preparation and the ovens, taking the time to some quick supply refill if he had a moment.
"Bite," Andres said, holding a slice of bread to him as she passed. She smiled as he bit into it. "Good, right?"
"So good," Harry said, voice muffled.
"My personal sourdough," Andres said proudly. "You fed her starter today. Thank you, by the way."
Dinner service finished late at night with most of the ones that started the day working having left earlier than others. Harry remained to help start the clean up before he was shooed away by the night manager. Hedwig met him at the door and she hooted lovingly as she sat on his head, wiggling happily. He left the restaurant, waving goodbye to the others and made his way back home. As he walked, the sky rumbled and rain began to fall as he hurried into the building.
"You were right," he said with a tired smile.
"Usually am when it comes to rain," Vinny said, nodding warmly at him. "Good day?"
"Good day," Harry said, yawning a little.
"You get on up then and get to bed," Vinny said kindly. "Hurry on now."
After climbing the stairs and showering and changing, Harry sat down on the small couch and looked out the windows. The rain fell, splattering against the windows, making a comforting sound. The lights of the city shone on through the rain, making the drops dance and shimmer as they fell. Harry smiled as Hedwig preened his hair, tugging on it gently and playfully.
"Good day," he repeated and Hedwig hooted in agreement.
-0-0-0-
Arnie1701 - He's on her beaten list for sure.
AshokaTheGreat - It's funny, I'm usually leery of a lot of OCs too but I like to think that the OCs in Taste and Side are all necessaryy in their way. I like to think that they are full characters in their own right and aren't there to just make things happen or aren't there to fill in the blanks, they exist for a reason and are there to add to the setting along with the canon characters. At least I like to think so. I think I hit a nice vibe with the vampires too and Hedwig beating people that deserve it is always nice.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Bleeze got his power readjusted I like to think. He will learn his lesson for future situations. Life isn't boring around Harry at all. Thanks for reading.
HoneyBear84 - Glad you enjoy it and it whets your appetite for food and more.
poka - Abuse? Nooooo. Rightfully dispensed justice I would say.
61394 - I like to imagine that a lot of magical creatures are created from non-magical animals being exposed to magic and growing from there. Also, weren't messenger pigeons smart? Or carrier ones?
odonnellzoo99 - Where I live currently is also devoid of a good variety of food. I'm originally from Florida and it was easier to find. I had a rant for what people consider a Cuban and Chicken Pot Pie here. HArry and Hedwig causing chaos is always the best. Especially since they aren't trying to.
alix33 - Hedwig has many moods and is a mood.
Wentley - Hedwig handled it herself in fine fashion.
Shroudy9 - She got her justice. She beat the shite out of him and his reputation and character will never recover.