[OTA Audience - Zoe] Pumpkin Bake-off challenge (Backdated)

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

He'd brought the left over pumpkins to the club kitchen, and had told a few of their friends about the challenge. It was a pumpkin pie vs pumpkin flan cook off, between Zoe and Juan Pedro.

They would hold the 'challenge' after dinner, in the mess hall, where they could cook and have people judge which dessert was better.

He had to admit, he was pretty excited about this, pumpkin pie had never been something his family was into, it wasn't a traditional spanish dish, and just not suited to their tastes. But flan, now THAT was something they could stand behind.

He wasn't as good as his mother at cooking, but he could hold his own, and he wasn't about to take this little friendly challenge lying down. So he started whisking cream and sugar, beating them together into a creamy consistency, glancing over to Zoe's half of the counter to see what she was doing.

[This is a JP/Zoe friendly challenge but friends and family are more than welcome to tag in, talk to them during the preparation, and test both dishes and give their votes as to which they like best.]

Comments

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

Zoe was carefully measuring out the spices and mixing them in a bowl - the cinnamon, the cloves, the nutmeg and the salt went in with the sugar, her aunt Maggie had told her when she'd asked for advice. The pie dough had been made the night before and she'd already pressed it into the pie pan, neatly fluting the edges.

"Worried?" She asked archly as she set the spices and sugar and started to work the cooked pumpkin into puree.

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

He grinned, shaking his head as his arm whisked quickly over the heating pot of milk and sugar, while he slowly poured in milk to the mixture. "Why do I look it?"

He already had a dozen ramekins coated with caramel (now hard) at the bottom, which he'd prepared the night before. Because melting and pouring sugar was a nightmare, and he didn't want to risk a burn because he was distracted by chatting.

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"You're peeking," she said with a shrug as she dumped the pumpkin into the food processor and pulsed it. "It was just a thought."

Pumpkin pie was, at least, easy to put together. Really, once she had the pumpkin pureed, it was a matter of mixing and pouring.

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

He set water to boil, and then started to puree his own batch of cooked pumpkin, grinning at her "I am curious, I have never seen anyone cook pumpkin pie."

Flan took time, like all good spanish food. Many steps, careful mixing of ingredients, temperatures and consistencies had to be just right.

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

[Talk to JP while he's cooking by commenting here]

[maskofhearts.livejournal.com]

Pardon him, really, if he gave both Zoe and JP an equally unimpressed look. It wasn't that he was capable of doing better (lord knew he was fairly hopeless when it came to anything more complicated that microwaves and sandwiches.)

It was that there was more sweets in this whole event than he knew what to do with it.

"Why are you doing this again?"

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

He grinned, glancing up at the question as he beat eggs, egg whites and sugar.

"It is a contest. I dislike pumpkin pie. Your sister, she dislikes flan. We want to each make fall pumpkin desserts and have people say which is the better one."

[maskofhearts.livejournal.com]

"I...and people talk about my weird sense of challenge." Though, at the moment, he doesn't look terribly impressed with Flan.

"I've never tried flan. I can't say it looked like something I wanted to try either."

[take2andcallme.livejournal.com]

Caleb had followed JP over from his place after dinner, and had now taken up residence in a chair nearby, long legs straddling the back of it while his chin rested along the top bar, only his eyes following his friend's quick movements.

"Don't think I've ever had pumpkin flan..."

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

He laughs, as he prepares the flan, shaking his head "This is a crime against nature. This will change tonight. You like flan yes? You eat it when I or mi mama make it, anyway..."

A soft chuckle "But you eat everything we make. Maybe you only spend time at her house because of the free food, huh?"

[take2andcallme.livejournal.com]

"I'm predicting a happy death by clogged arteries before I hit 40." He sounds not in the least troubled by this, his voice serene. "You and tía Ramos can argue over who gets the most blame. As long as you promise to bury me with some of her amazing paella."

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

[Final Voting here, once the other threads are finished I guess :P]

Zoe

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

[Any comments to Zoe here]

[maskofhearts.livejournal.com]

"Just...explain to me....what is the point of this again?" He's asked JP, it was only fair to hear Zoe's side of it too.

Even if he thought they'd both pretty much lost their minds when it came to this.

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

Zoe shrugged her shoulders. "All I said was I didn't like flan and I preferred pie," she said as she mixed the pumpkin and the evaporated milk in with the sugar and spice.

"And somehow it led to a challenge." It seemed like a good idea at the time, at least, and pie was absolutely going to win.

[maskofhearts.livejournal.com]

"You really need to learn to just let things be. Besides, you're both wrong- I think. I've never had flan. Aside from the point- Cookies. Portable and just sweet enough without being death to your taste buds."

That's right, he went there.

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

Honestly? She's only here for the free dessert. Even made the trek to Club Castle for it.

"Pie, flan... is there gonna be pumpkin ice cream too?"

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"Chives hasn't taught me that one yet. There wasn't time this summer."

It's surprising, really, that there was time for pie (though the pumpkin recipe actually belongs to Aunt Maggie) But maybe not so surprising, considering. In some ways, Zoe feels like she's been through Martha Stewart boot camp since she joined the Spades.

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure he'll get around to it," she assures Zoe, heaving herself up on an empty counter to watch the preparations. It also gets her far enough away to remove temptation of stealing a taste before the pie is properly baked. "Probably make time with a mortar and pestle and a couple of spare clocks."

[heartshy.livejournal.com]

There is no better taste-tester in all of the Deck and Jinx. And everyone would know it if she was willing to proclaim it from the rooftops.

She wasn't, however, so it was more of an open secret.

Which would be the reason she's seated in the kitchen, legs swinging from the stool she's perched on while watching preparations.

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

He reaches a finger into the sweetened fluff, and eyes the cute little Jinx with a pique of his eyebrows. He grabs a wooden mixing spoon, and dips the end into the mix, holding it out to her with a smile.

"Taste this for me querida? Tell me if it is sweet enough?"

[heartshy.livejournal.com]

She bounces in her seat (making an effort to calm herself when she takes the spoon. It would do no one any good if she dropped it everywhere, least of all herself).

She would love to taste, it's her favorite thing to do~!

Her delicate tongue pokes out and she savors the light, sweet flavor. That was magic. Delicious. An explosion of pumpkin perfection in her mouth!

The smile she gives him is so wide it might actually crack her face.

Killing time before food is ready - music - socializing - dancing

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

JP had gone to get music CDs, Hadyn to get a radio system.

They brought them back and set them up on one of the tables, as JP sorted until he found a mix CD of dancing music for all kinds. A little club, a little salsa, some popular music.

((OOC: Feel free to tag in if you want to socialize or dance etc :P ))

[maskofhearts.livejournal.com]

The Radio wasn't so hard to find, though he tried not to roll his eyes at the Salsa as came on. It was mostly the club music that he could really get behind dancing to- almost unconsciously at first as his started to dance a little where he was standing and not really paying any attention to conversations going on around him.

[tangodebaston.livejournal.com]

JP grabbed Caleb's elbow and was dragging him near the radio, "Come on, why you so afraid? The salsa is easy, I show you ok?"