OOM: Cooking with Moist

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart leads the way upstairs, to his room, and opens the door.

There are books stacked beside the divan now, and a long table with bowls and knives and fruit in basket.

"Bath first, or cooking first?"

Comments

[morethanprops]

"Yes, she probably can make it better than I can."

[scots_wolf]

"I suppose so," Urquhart says, putting the water on the burner to boil. "Otherwise, you wouldn't need to learn, would you?"

[morethanprops]

"No, and I never paid much attention to exactly how the pastries were made. I enjoyed shaping them more."

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart is getting out a wide, mid-high pan, puts it on a burner as well, and liberally adds olive oil.

"Water and oil must be hot before you add what you're going to fry or cook," he says. "That's an important part."

[morethanprops]

"Just like nibs must be sharp for good detail work,"

Moist leans against the counter and looks over all the spices.

[scots_wolf]

"That is curcuma," Urquhart says. "It mainly turns things yellow, without being as expensive as saffron, which is probably the most costly spice there is, as it's the pollen of one certain kind of crocus, and you need thousands of them for an ounce, all hand-plucked and hand-stripped. I have some of that, but will just add a spot to the rice. Our dear friend chose well when she picked that name."

The oil starts sizzling softly, and Urquhart adds the onions, and a pinch of salt.

[morethanprops]

"I see. Most of the spices I know come from Klatch and I don't know it quite well enough to try and sell them. She's good at choosing things."

[scots_wolf]

"Most spices come from the east, the orient or further away, India or beyond," Urquhart says. "Klatch, in your world, seems to have all that we know from those countries in my world. I suppose if I went there, I'd know my way around right away. What religion do they have there?"

[morethanprops]

"Quite a lot of them, Omnnian is large but not as much as it used to be."

[scots_wolf]

"It seems your world doesn't have those extreme one-god religions that my world sports," Urquhart says, a bit flippantly. "Good for it."

[morethanprops]

"Omnian is probably the closest you'd get, they started a lot of wars to try and convince people to convert. They've stopped that now, there was something involving a turtle I think."

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart puts some salt into the now-boiling water, stirs the onions in the oil, then measures rice into the salt water, stirs, puts the lid on, and turns down the burner.

"A turtle," he says. "And that made them stop how?"

His world might learn from it.

[morethanprops]

"I'm not exactly sure, but they're much more peaceful now. Though I won't recommend arguing theology with them, you'll get a headache."

[scots_wolf]

"I never argue theology with anyone any more," Urquhart says. "Can you stir the onions as they are frying?"

[morethanprops]

"I rarely argue it, but I've learned enough to seem like I'm a member of a few religions,"

Moist moves over to stir the onions.

[scots_wolf]

Urquhart laughs, and kisses Moist's cheek, leaning over from where he is standing.

"That is the best use for any religion," he says.

[morethanprops]

"People are quite trusting when they think you believe what they do."

[scots_wolf]

"Yes, they are very silly that way," Urquhart says. "The people in the orient never tried to convert me because they all assumed I already had, living among them as I did. I could fake Christianity and Islam both very well, depending on which I needed."

[morethanprops]

"If you know the right phrases and have the right props, people will believe almost anything as long as you look like you belong."

[scots_wolf]

"I didn't," Urquhart says. "I was tall and blond among mostly short and dark people. But that served to reinforce their trust. If I lived among them, I had to have converted. It was natural to them. Religions make people stupid. All religions. All people."

[morethanprops]

"They do, since it all comes down to everyone wants to belong to something,"

Moist has used that so often, if you fit, you don't get questioned.

[scots_wolf]

"And they can't understand people who don't," Urquhart agrees.

[morethanprops]

"No, so its that much simpler to make them think you belong."

[scots_wolf]

"They are practically asking for it," Urquhart agrees. "Now, add the eggplant to the pan."

[morethanprops]

Moist nods and puts it in, being careful of the oil.