Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
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Post by Christine Daaé on May 15, 2012 2:52:43 GMT -5
Christine was beaming. She had always had a love for learning new languages, but unfortunately did not really have much of an opportunity to do so after the late Professor Valérius' death. She nodded. “Thank you so much, Monsieur” And she began to get out the bowls and pans and such which they would need in order to make this 'strawberry cheesecake.'
“Well, a bit of help would definitely be appreciated, seeing as I've never attempted to make such a cake before. And if you really want to, I suppose it is not my place to deny you of such on your birthday,” she said with a bit of a laugh. “That is quite all right, Monsieur. Not all hobbies coincide with what one does for a living. For instance, I rather enjoy writing and story-telling, and yet I am no novelist. But yes, I suppose we should probably start on this birthday cheesecake of yours...”
Christine tilted her head a bit when he told her about this curious ingredient called cream cheese and looked at it in fascination as he brought it before her. It appeared much like butter, but a less yellowish color and seemed to have a slightly different consistency. “It is rather strange... You say that you tried it? What, pray tell, did it taste like?” she asked, examining the strange white cheese product with curiosity. It seemed that all of the cheeses in this place were quite strange. First the melted cheese in the bag and now this?
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Raoul Christophe de Chagny
I?m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.
Love me, that's all I ask of you
Posts: 414
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Post by Raoul Christophe de Chagny on May 17, 2012 16:20:47 GMT -5
“Of course, I wouldn’t mind helping at all.” Raoul answered with a nod, standing up and walking over to the cookbook. “Besides with two sets of hands the work will go much faster.” he added as he skimmed the directions again. “Let’s see—eggs, sugar, strawberries, lemon juice…” He put down the book and started to gather the ingredients. He had never made a cheesecake before, but he did enjoy eating them. They were probably his favorite dessert aside from chocolate.
“Pecans, cracker crumbs, and butter—we have to melt the butter first it says…” he stated as he measured out the three tablespoons the recipe required and put them in a pot, turning on the stove and waiting for the butter to melt. He looked up when she asked him what the cheesecake tasted like and smiled. “It’s very sweet…kind of like um…yoghurt in a way? Here, go on, try it…” He took the container, opening it and scooping out a little with a spoon and handing the spoon to her.
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Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
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Post by Christine Daaé on May 20, 2012 13:54:41 GMT -5
Christine nodded. “Quite true. We should be able to cut the preparation time in half that way. And if you're familiar with the cake, then you would know better than I if it is turning out to look the way it is supposed to.” Christine honestly had no idea what she was doing with the cake. The English translated to French for the recipe helped a little, but there were still a few things that she had never heard of in it such as this 'cream cheese' substance it seemed to be based from.
He handed her a spoon with the cream cheese stuff on it and she looked at it, then looked back up at him a bit questionably. He said that it was sweet, like yoghurt... “if you're certain...” she said, hesitantly raising the spoon to her mouth and giving it a little sniff before placing it in her moth and tasting. It had a slightly creamy, slightly sour taste with a hint of sweetness at the back of it. The texture was similar to that of a soft, spreadable goat's cheese. “Mmm... it's not bad.”
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Raoul Christophe de Chagny
I?m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.
Love me, that's all I ask of you
Posts: 414
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Post by Raoul Christophe de Chagny on May 23, 2012 22:18:37 GMT -5
“It’ll be my first time making it too, but yes, I can do that.” he replied with a nod when she suggested that his having seen the cake before would point them in the right direction. “It really is very delicious, I am certain that you’ll like it.” He did not know of anyone who didn’t like cheesecake, aside from those who had never tried it. And if there were any people he knew who had not tried it, he usually pressured them to do so and in every case they loved it. He supposed there was some crazy exception out there who didn’t, but he doubted that she would not.
He watched in silent amusement and nodded Christine on to try the cream cheese. When she indicated that it wasn’t bad, he nodded. “Yes, it’s really very good—honestly it’s one of the two things that I think Americans have done well, cream cheese and maple syrup. Have you ever had maple syrup, Miss?”
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Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
|
Post by Christine Daaé on May 24, 2012 2:34:16 GMT -5
Christine chuckled a little. “Well, I wouldn't quite say that it's certain I would like it, but more likely that I would. Though it doesn't really matter much what I think of it; it's you cake, Monsieur. I'm only here to help prepare it.” She set the translated recipe down on the counter and began reading through, carefully following the preparation instructions.
“No, I can't say that I have ever had maple syrup. Isn't a maple a type of a tree though? Is it a sort of sap that they take from the tree?” She could tell from the man's choice in words that he didn't exactly have the warmest feelings for Americans. Christine had never actually met an American herself, so she could not make an accurate judgment of them, but she had heard mixed opinions of the people.
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Raoul Christophe de Chagny
I?m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.
Love me, that's all I ask of you
Posts: 414
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Post by Raoul Christophe de Chagny on Jun 9, 2012 13:15:12 GMT -5
“But it’s so good…” Raoul replied confusedly. “It’s almost impossible not to like.” It was indeed his favorite. In fact he was pretty sure that if given the chance he could eat the cake every day. He wasn’t sure if it was worth moving to America though. Apparently it was quite popular there now. “I can’t thank you enough, miss. I haven’t had this cake in the longest time—I can’t wait to try it again.” he added thankfully.
“Oh, it’s wonderful!” Granted he had a few bad memories surrounding maple syrup and his cousin Ralph, they had not diminished his love for the substance. “You can have it on flapjacks—which are kind of like crêpes— and waffles. It’s heavenly, really. We used to get it imported to our chateau. Pretty much, yes—my cousin…an American…” He paused to make a face. “His father used to have a lot of maple trees up in the forests surrounding their home where they made syrup from the sap.”
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Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
|
Post by Christine Daaé on Jun 15, 2012 2:49:45 GMT -5
Christine chuckled. “If you insist so, Monsieur, but I'd still like to be the judge of that myself. And there is noting to thank, Really. It's the least that I can do, considering how kind you were to me when I was worried for my fiancé's safety. The two of you really must meet sometime. I think that you would both get along just smashing.ly”
Christine listened to the story about the trees and the syrup, and about the man' American cousin, 'Ralph'.' She laughed a little to herself at the name. Raoul and Ralph, cousins! A bit ironic, don't you think? It must have been a family name...
She continues adding and mixing ingredients in the bowl until finally they were all well-blended. “All right, the. You're the expert on this 'cheesecake' – what is it that we are supposed to do next. My hands are a bit sticky to check the recipe card. I should probably wash them...”
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Raoul Christophe de Chagny
I?m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.
Love me, that's all I ask of you
Posts: 414
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Post by Raoul Christophe de Chagny on Jun 17, 2012 0:57:38 GMT -5
“Suit yourself, mademoiselle.” Raoul answered with a shrug. “Oh, it seemed like the right thing to do. I’m glad he’s alright.” he replied honestly. He nodded when she suggested that they meet. “I would be delighted, mademoiselle. Always nice to have a chat with a fellow sailor…perhaps over some tea?” he wondered. He did hope the other man enjoyed tea. To be honest, it was his favorite drink. He couldn’t stand coffee and he had sworn off liquor ever since the incident on his ship.
“Well, we need to make the crust. And to do that we need three quarters of a cup of pecans, three quarters of a cup of graham cracker crumbs, and three tablespoons of butter. We mix those together and then put them at the bottom of a ten inch pan…” He read over the recipe one more time and began getting out said items and mixing them together.
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Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
|
Post by Christine Daaé on Jun 18, 2012 14:38:46 GMT -5
“Me too,” she said with a light nod. “Oh, I'm sure he would like that. I generally see him with a cup of coffee, though he drinks tea as well, I believe. I'm sure that he would enjoy chatting with another sailor as well. He was scheduled to sail to the North Pole, you know. I don't recall whether or not I told you. It was to search for the remains of a previous expedition, I believe...”
Christine got out the ingredients needed and began to make the crust. A cake with a crust! Why, that was very odd indeed. It almost sounded like a pie. “Monsieur de Chagny, this is a very strange cake, having a crust. It almost reminds me of a tart. Are the two similar at all?”
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Raoul Christophe de Chagny
I?m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.
Love me, that's all I ask of you
Posts: 414
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Post by Raoul Christophe de Chagny on Jun 25, 2012 14:00:02 GMT -5
“I’m glad to hear it. I’m not much of a coffee person…I just never really liked the taste.” he stated truthfully. And of course he loved tea—like any good Englishman. Of course he knew he wasn’t English but he had quite a few English tendencies, and his love for tea was certainly one of them. He remembered even wanting to join the Royal Navy when he was sixteen, but his brother had threatened to disown him if he did. “Yes, I believe you did…the North Pole? I can’t say I’ve been there. Mostly parts of Asia and other areas of Europe, as well as a trip to North Africa.”
“Yes, it’s very different—I’d say it’s sort of like a strawberry tart…I’d say more like a pie though—as far as how it’s made— since it does have a sort of filling.” he explained. “It’s definitely not a traditional sort of cake. But I do think a strawberry tart is a fair enough comparison. I like to have those with my tea sometimes.”
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Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
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Post by Christine Daaé on Jun 26, 2012 15:30:47 GMT -5
(( “n'est-ce pas?” means “isn't that right?” in French. ))
“Oh?” Christine said, with a bit of surprise. “I actually quite like coffee as long as it stands alone. I don't take it with milk or sugar, and it can't be too weak; then it just tastes awful! I suppose you are not much of one for bitter tastes then, are you? I do recall you putting sugar into your tea... And yes, not that you mention that, I believe I recall as well. I told you and then you mentioned to me a trip to Morocco where you were introduced to mint tea, n'est-ce pas?”
She popped the cake, or pie, or whatever it was, into the oven which had been heating, and then glanced at the clock. “All right. It says nine thirthy-six right now. How long does it say we need to bake it in the recipe?”
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Raoul Christophe de Chagny
I?m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.
Love me, that's all I ask of you
Posts: 414
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Post by Raoul Christophe de Chagny on Jun 27, 2012 11:51:10 GMT -5
“No…I was given coffee all the time in the Navy, with every meal pretty much, and after a while I got sick of it.” he answered. That was probably partially why he didn’t like coffee—because the cook gave it to them all the time, but in all honesty he wasn’t fond of the taste at all. Tea was much better. “I drink tea with all of my meals now. I prefer the taste over that of coffee…it just seems to have more flavor to it, I suppose. And I must have at least a little sugar with my tea.” He nodded when she mentioned the trip to Morocco. “Oui, mademoiselle. Yes, mint tea is fantastic.”
Raoul slid the cookbook across the counter to look at the instructions again. “Well, it says ‘bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. So it should be done at 10:26.” he said. He couldn’t wait to try the cheesecake, as just thinking about it was making him hungry.
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Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
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Post by Christine Daaé on Jun 28, 2012 14:13:37 GMT -5
Christine nodded to the man when he confirmed her recollection of him telling her about Morocco. “Yes, I know. We had mint tea with out pasta dish if I do recall correctly. As for myself, I've never been much of one for sugar in teas. If the tea is made properly, it should not require any sugar.”
She smiled and nodded at the man for telling her the correct time to take it out. Maths had always given her some difficulty back when professor Valérius had tried to teach them to her. She was much better at reading and writing and languages and etiquette (though the etiquette didn't show on occasion). “What do you propose we do in the mean time, Monsieur? It would seem we have nearly an hour before the cake will be ready...”
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Raoul Christophe de Chagny
I?m here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you.
Love me, that's all I ask of you
Posts: 414
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Post by Raoul Christophe de Chagny on Jul 1, 2012 18:26:40 GMT -5
Raoul nodded. “That’s right, we did.” As she gave her opinion on sugar and tea, he replied, “Well, I certainly don’t like putting too much sugar in my tea. It ruins the flavor. However with just a bit of sugar it does add a little extra sweetness to it. I think that was partially my problem with coffee—to get it to taste half-decent I had to dump lumps and lumps of sugar in it and quite a bit of milk. At that point I was just drinking milk and sugar so I gave up on it.”
The Vicomte rubbed his chin in thought for a few moments before snapping his fingers. “We could watch television!” he exclaimed, enunciating so that he was sure he got the word right. He had discovered the newfangled device not long after arriving here, and after researching it in the library and some conversations with his coworkers, he considered himself a bit of an expert. “It’s what those talking boxes I told you about are—they’re wonderful really, you can watch all sorts of things…like football! We should watch football! Come on, mademoiselle…” He headed to the door and pointed to the room across the hallway. Inside was a couch and a television resting on a cabinet. Between the cabinet and the couch was a coffee table. “There’s one.” He sat down and picked up the remote control resting on the table and then turned on the television, quickly flipping his way to the sports channel and watching the football game in progress. “Oh look at this, England versus America. The Yanks are going to get crushed—again.” he predicted haughtily with a grin.
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Christine Daaé
The Swedish Nightingale and Fairy of the North
If when the time comes, I refuse to go with you, well then, Raoul, you must carry me off by force!
Posts: 1,592
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Post by Christine Daaé on Jul 4, 2012 12:54:54 GMT -5
((are they going to pause the movie to take the cheesecake out? XD ))
Christine shrugged a little when the man spoke of sugar in tea and sugar and milk in coffee. “Everyone to themselves, I suppose Perhaps I am merely not as fond of sweets as father sometimes claimed that I was.”
She waited for an answer in response to her question, then quirked her brow when she finally received one. “Television, Monsieur? What is television?” she asked, saying the word slowly. It tasted so odd on her tongue... The man replied that television was the talking boxes that he told her about previously. She followed him into the other room as he rambled on about something called 'football'...
The man plopped himself down on a sofa and grabbed a small long silver contraption covered in black and red buttons. Suddenly, the screen of the large black box sitting across from the sofa flickered with lights and people started moving. There were little people kicking a ball back and forth to one another while running.
The man seemed to be taking some pleasure in the meaningless sport of kicking a ball back and forth between one another, but Christine honestly could not see the thrill behind it. She stared for some time before wincing. “Aha.... and what exactly is the purpose of such an activity, Monsieur?[/b]”
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