Well, that wasn’t exactly an commendation, but at least she was honest.Not that he could brag about his cooking skills.He didn’t burn things, and it was edible.
“Well, there’s a first time for everything.”
June gasped in fake horror before bumping him with her hip into his side.It had been light, so it hadn’t moved him.
“Kidding.”
“You’ll be eating those words soon enough,” she said, sticking her nose in the air and looking miffed before losing her stern look and laughing as she put the onions in a pan.
“We’ll see.I’m going to start the grill, then get started on the asparagus.”The steaks would need time to rest.
He ran out to heat it up then went back inside.Rob reached into the lower cabinet for a pot to start boiling them.“No,” June called out.“Just a pan.We’ll cook them on the stovetop, not boil them.”
“I’ve never had them that way,” he admitted.He had always boiled them before eating them.
“Rosa taught me to just cook them instead of boiling them.Boiling them gets them flimsy and loses their vitamins.”
Rob wasn’t an asparagus connoisseur, so he would just have to take her word on it.He was willing to try it this way.“Your mom didn’t teach you?”
He seasoned the asparagus and put it in the oil-covered pan.The house started smelling great between the garlic and parmesan in the oven and the seasonings on the asparagus and cooking onions.He didn’t think his kitchen had ever smelled this great.
“Mom wasn’t the best cook.She tried, but she burned a lot of food.Not exactly the role model you wanted to learn from.”
“Definitely not.It smells amazing.”
“It’s going to taste even better,” she said confidently.He didn’t doubt it.If it tasted half as good as it smelled, he’d be happy.
“I don’t doubt it.I’ll get started on the steaks.How do you like yours cooked?”He really hoped she was not a well-done girl.That was no better than eating a hockey puck in his opinion.
“Medium rare,” she answered, not looking up from the pan.
A girl after his own heart.He preferred rare, but it was close enough.Plus, the steaks wouldn’t take long to cook.
He felt bad abandoning the rest to June, but they needed the steaks to be ready to rest before they finished cooking everything else.That was the main star of the dish.
He stayed outside to wait on the steaks since they wouldn’t take long.Rob was bringing the plate of steaks back in when June was removing the potatoes from the oven.They were golden brown with a light caramelization from the cheese.He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until now.
“Steaks just need a few minutes to rest, then we’ll eat.”
“Sounds good.This stuff needs a few minutes to cool down,” June responded as she scooped sour cream over the onions.
“What would you like to drink?I have water and juice.I also have a couple beers.”Rob set down the steaks and turned to her.
“Water is just fine.Thank you.”She spun from the pan and rummaged through the fridge.He had no idea what she was doing, but she seemed to have it under control.
Rob got the water on the table and came back to carve up the steaks as June served up the asparagus and potatoes.The pan she placed the onions in was covered in a white cream sauce.“Do you want any sauce for your steak?I have some A1.”
“I’ll use this onion sauce for my steak.”She pointed to the pan he had been wondering about.“I made enough if you want to try.I’ve never cared for steak sauces.”
Nor did he, but some of the guys liked it, so he kept it around for them.He preferred the steak on its own, but he was curious about this onion sauce and was willing to try it.“What’s in it?”
“Just onion and sour cream.”
Interesting combo.“Sure, I’ll try it.”He took a small spoonful and dabbed it on his plate.
Chapter 13
June sat down at the table.There was a place setting at the head of the table and to the right.She took the seat on the right.Her stomach was growling, reminding her how long it had been since she’d last eaten.
