While Love Stirs by Lorna Seilstad Page A

bass with sauce allemande, asparagus spears, and chocolate bread pudding with meringue. “And you’ll all be taking home a small recipe booklet compiled by the gas company as a token of our thanks for your attendance, so don’t fret if you miss something.”
    This seemed to please her guests. Since the lima bean soup was made in a Dutch oven on the stove top and would take the most time, she started with that. After draining the beans, she had an audience member help her chop the celery and ham while she added salt, pepper, and water to the pot. Once it came to a boil, she covered it and explained she was letting it simmer.
    “Simmering is a cooking technique that uses very little gas. The very low flame will cook the food slowly and is perfect to keep your food warm.”
    She moved on to the chocolate bread pudding because it would take the most baking time. The ladies seemed delighted to know she used a day-old loaf from the local bakery, and she soon had it ready to go in the oven. She opened the oven door and struck a match. It didn’t light. She struck another, but it too wouldn’t light. She glanced at the wood. Why did it feel damp?
    She swallowed hard. Kathleen! A wide grin split the woman’s round face. Somehow she’d found a way to sabotage Charlotte’s matches. Had she touched anything else?
    “Here you go.” The hardware store owner handed Charlotte a fresh box of matches. The sun glinted off his bald head as he turned to the audience. “Our store always has plenty of matches on hand.”
    The ladies twittered as if the advertisement had been donepurposefully. Charlotte struck another match and released the breath she was holding when the flame caught. “When lighting the oven, always open the oven door. Have the match ready and apply it at once to the pilot light.” She touched the match flame to the pilot light and a tiny blue flame appeared. “Then turn on the oven burner.”
    She turned the lever beneath the oven door. “The perfect gas flame will be a blue flame with a purple tip. Too little air makes a yellow tip. This kind of flame will not be hot and will smudge your utensils. Too much air will make the burners pop and blow.” She pointed to a cap on the end of the burner. “This cap allows you a perfect adjustment of air in the burner. Once you get it set, you’ll seldom have to adjust it again.”
    She demonstrated how to determine the oven’s temperature using a teaspoon of flour in a pie tin, then inserted her chocolate bread pudding. “Since we can make the fish in the broiler at the same time we are baking the muffins, we’ll do that last. Now we’re going to make our sauce and asparagus on the top of the stove.”
    “And exactly how do you think we can get that all done at once?” Kathleen didn’t bother to raise her hand this time.
    “That’s a good question. As you know, timing a meal is one of the most difficult parts.” Charlotte lit the pilot light on the stove top and turned on the burner. “It takes practice, but with a gas stove you have the option of using the warmer.” She pointed to the small bread-warming oven on top. “And you can keep other items simmering on the burners until everything is ready.”
    When the chocolate bread pudding was done, she pulled it from the oven. The ladies moaned at the delicious scent that began to fill the room. “Would any of you lovely ladies like to join me in preparing the rest of the meal?”
    Kathleen’s hand shot up first. A couple of others also raised their hands but then lowered them when Kathleen shot each of them a glare.
    Should Charlotte pick one of the other ladies? If she did, wouldMr. Johnson believe she still couldn’t get along with Kathleen? Reluctantly, she motioned Kathleen forward.
    To her surprise, Kathleen followed her directions to the letter in preparing the bass. Maybe this would turn out all right after all. She lifted a piece of paper on which she’d carefully written a recipe and handed it to