For my father who knew his way around a box of mac and cheese
Chapter One Baking pans clatter in the Food Science 9 classroom as people finish today’s assignment We’ve made chocolate chip cookies Mielle’s cookies are already cooled and in a box ready to take home All her dishes are washed and put away I survey the mess at my workstation My cookies are still on the pan and I haven’t even started to clean up With a 1
Diane Tullson (cid:83)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:73)(cid:72)(cid:70)(cid:87)(cid:79)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:82)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:48)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:82)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3) at an untouched cup of chocolate chips in front of me She says Taz the recipe works better if you use all of the ingredients No I forgot the chocolate chips Mielle shrugs They’re called choc olate chip cookies for a reason Why does Mielle always choose to work next to me Because I make her look even more perfect (cid:48)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:46)(cid:82)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:15)(cid:3) checking people’s work Her voice lifts in pitch and volume as the clock inches toward the bell Quickly please clean your stations She pauses at a group of guys Counters too Cal Food safety begins with clean work habits She breaks off a crumb from one of their cookies and tastes it mentally measuring all the ingredients She checks the clock Five minutes students Marks (cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:88)(cid:70)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:182)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:180) 2
Taz’s Recipe I grab a handful of chocolate chips Maybe I can scatter some on top of the cookies so it looks like I didn’t forget them I strew the cookies with the choc olate chips But the cookies have cooled and the chocolate chips roll off I try to press some chips onto a cookie but the cookie breaks apart Maybe if I melt the chocolate chips slightly they’ll stick I head to the microwave with the cup of chocolate chips How long does it take to soften chocolate Ms Koe’s voice is at screech level now No one leaves until this class room is clean Several people groan I slam the door on the microwave crank the timer and run back to my station I shovel dirty dishes into the sink Soap bubbles (cid:86)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:48)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:78)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:83)(cid:3) away protecting her sweater from the spray with a notebook I don’t have 3
