A Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle Read Free Book Online Page B

Spanish
     Rioja that managed to perfectly complement the multitude of strong flavors on the
     plate.
    As we dined, I told Derek the whole silly story of my Paris adventure. He’d already
     heard about Baxter trying to invade my sleeping bag, so I continued from there. At
     first, Savannah had blamed me for luring Baxter to my bed. I was appalled! We had
     a big fight and I was so mad at her and her beastly boyfriend that I almost left Paris.
    Derek and I were interrupted by the waiter, who brought us tender cannellini beans
     in a mild tomato stew, served with orecchiette pasta, sautéed spinach, and garlic.
    My main course was wild mushroom raviolis in an amazing green garlic butter sauce
     and dusted with
Grana Padano
. Our thoughtful waiter, whom I had begun to refer to as the Enabler, brought me an
     extra serving of the aged cheese and explained that it was less salty and more delicate
     than Parmigiano-Reggiano. Good to know when one was bulking up on cheese, right?
    My new best friend, the Enabler, also snuck me a second glass of the Russian River
     Valley Pinot Noir that had been paired with the ravioli. A good thing, because besides
     its well-known medicinal qualities, the wine helped soak up all that extra cheese.
    In between bites, I related how Kevin and Peter had convinced me to stay in Paris.
     Baxter had made himself scarce, so I finally agreed. Peter and Kevin took me under
     their wing and gave me their own private chefs’ tour. It was a whirlwind of tastesand sensations and flavors. When we weren’t dining in some hole-in-the-wall bistro
     in the Marais or stopping to try the French version of a hot dog and French fries
     at an outdoor counter in the Latin Quarter, we would eat at home with one of the fledgling
     chefs whipping up their latest creation. They were my new best friends forever.
    By the end of that first week, Savannah had come out of her snit and admitted that
     her now ex-boyfriend was a loathsome bloodsucker. The four of us celebrated her return
     to sanity by hopping a train to the Champagne region for a weekend of overindulgent
     fun. I was in heaven. While playing tourist, staring up at the dazzling Chagall windows
     in the cathedral in Reims, I fell a little bit in love with Peter.
    After watching me moon over Peter all weekend, Kevin was sweet enough to pull me aside
     and quietly inform me that she and Peter were a couple. They’d been so discreet that
     I hadn’t even realized it! Of course, I’d been too self-involved in my own problems
     to notice. Kevin was so kind to me despite my lame attempt to steal her boyfriend.
     Honestly, I was so utterly dim-witted; it still made me cringe to think of it.
    After relishing my last bite of buttery ravioli, I shook my head. “The consensus after
     that was that the Wainwright women weren’t exactly reliable when it came to picking
     appropriate men.”
    “But then you met me,” Derek said easily.
    “And you accused me of murder.”
    He smiled wolfishly. “Got your attention, didn’t I?”
    “Oh, definitely,” I said, laughing.
    For dessert, Derek and I had both chosen the
bignolès
, an Italian version of the French profiterole, those small round pastry puffs that
     were deep fried and usually stuffed with ice cream and dipped in chocolate sauce.
     But Savannah had filled her
bignolès
with an ultra-fluffy custard, then drizzled them liberally with warm, salted caramel
     sauce.
    I almost passed out. “Oh, my God. I love my sister.” Maybe it was the caramel sauce
     talking, but damn, this stuff was orgasmic. I wondered if it would be too tacky to
     lick the bowl.
    It was after eleven o’clock when the kitchen finally stopped production. Baxter and
     Savannah came out to take their bows to our enthusiastic applause.
    “Isn’t she marvelous?” Baxter gushed. He grabbed Savannah’s hand and thrust it into
     the air as though they were two politicians onstage. I saw Savannah’s eyes widen as
     he pulled her arm up higher