Home of the Braised (27 page)

“WHAT YOU’RE TELLING ME, PETER,” I SAID TO
Sargeant the next morning, “is that Virgil is definitely coming back? There’s no way around it?”

We were seated across from one another in Sargeant’s office. The fussy chief usher seemed particularly vexed by the news of Virgil’s return. Either that or he was sitting on another big concern that he wasn’t sharing with me.

“The First Lady has it in her mind that if Virgil apologizes to you and to the team, we can start fresh. She also insisted on him seeking help for his anger management issues. We don’t know Virgil’s reaction to her demands, however. He’s incommunicado at the moment.”

I scratched my head. “I take it that means Bucky is still in limbo where the promotion is concerned? I certainly hope the First Lady doesn’t expect Virgil will make an instantaneous turnaround and become an exemplary employee just like that.” I snapped my fingers.

“As a matter of fact, based on your recommendation and with the knowledge that he managed the dinner so well during your . . . er . . . absence, she’s given me the green light to promote Bucky.”

I sat up. “Really? You’re not joking?”

“I do not joke, Olivia. How many times must I tell you that?”

“My mistake,” I said with a smile. “Incidentally, Margaret was a very big help to me the other night.” I’d discovered, after the fact, that Margaret had, indeed, tried to find Tom MacKenzie as I’d asked her to. It just happened that while she was looking for him, he’d been behind closed doors, at first talking with Gav and then with the president.

He sniffed. “So I’ve heard.”

“I’ve thanked her personally, but I thought it was worth me mentioning it to you as well.”

“Did you really threaten her with dismissal if she didn’t cooperate?”

I felt my face flush. “I didn’t believe she would appreciate the gravity of the situation otherwise.”

“I realize how difficult it is for you to keep out of trouble. Do you think it’s possible to exercise restraint and avoid dragging my employees into these little escapades in the future?”

“I’ll do my best.”

• • •

“YOU’RE BACK,” BUCKY SAID WHEN I RETURNED
to the kitchen.

I’d donned a white smock when I’d first arrived this morning. Now I pulled on an apron. “Yep, I’m back.”

As I tied the apron behind my waist, he asked, “What’s up with Sargeant?”

“Well,” I said drawing out the word, “I have good news and bad news.”

Cyan came around the corner looking harried, her eyes bright green today.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Oh yeah. Just a busy morning here.”

I looked from one to the other. “Anything wrong? Should I have come in earlier?”

“Oh no,” she said with a bit too much levity. “Bucky and I managed breakfast with no problem. I’ve got a few other things on my mind, that’s all.”

Bucky glared at her then returned his attention to me. “You mentioned something about good news and bad news?”

“Bad news first. Virgil is probably coming back.”

Bucky and Cyan let out twin groans. “I’d hoped he was gone for good,” Bucky said, rubbing his face. “So much for that.”

“Want to hear the good news?” I asked.

“It had better be pretty good to run up against this Virgil news flash,” he said.

“I’ll let you decide whether it is or not.” I stood directly in front of him and held out my hand. Instinctively, he shook it. Smiling, I said, “Buckminster Reed, congratulations. You have been promoted and you are now the first assistant chef in the White House kitchen.”

His face transformed from a grousing frown to a bright, wide smile. “Are you kidding me?” he asked. “Of course you’re not. You wouldn’t kid about that.” Grabbing me in a bear hug, he said, “Thank you, Ollie. Thank you.”

When he released me I laughed. That had been one of the most emotional displays I’d ever seen from the man. “Thank yourself. It’s your talent and hard work that got you here. I’m simply the messenger.”

Agent Rosenow appeared in the doorway. “Ms. Paras?” she said. “Your presence is requested in the China Room.”

We went from cheerful glee to unsettled silence in the space of a heartbeat.

I looked at Bucky and Cyan, silently communicating my “Not the China Room” fear before asking the agent, “Who wants to see me?”

“President Hyden.”

I felt my jaw drop. My knee-jerk response was to ask, “Am I in trouble?” but I thought better of it and shut my mouth. “Yes, okay. Right away.” I untied my apron, tossed it on the countertop and smoothed the front of my chef’s whites as I followed her out. When I got to the doorway, I turned back to Bucky and Cyan and mouthed, “What’s up?”

Cyan shook her head, then turned to Bucky, who held up both hands in a helpless gesture.

Rosenow led me into the corridor and across the hall. Tours were finished for the day so the area was quiet. The China Room door was open. As we got closer I could see the president pacing inside. He was alone.

“You can go right in,” she said.

I blew out a breath of fear. “Are you coming, too?”

“No, my orders are to leave you here. I have duties elsewhere,” she said. “Good luck.”

Good luck. Was I going to need it?

“President Hyden?” I said as I entered the room. “You wanted to see me?”

He turned. “I did, Ollie.” He didn’t offer me a seat, even though there were several choices in the room. He didn’t look relaxed, either. I had no idea what was coming next.

“As you’re aware,” he began, “there was a plan to undermine the Durasi peace initiatives and, more personally, to undermine me.”

I didn’t say anything.

“Although the circumstances have been explained to some extent, I’m still receiving reports. What I do know is that the guilty parties—trusted members of one of our mercenary teams—followed a peculiar, twisted logic in order to further their own interests, despite the fact that doing so involved killing innocent people.”

I didn’t think he was asking me a question, so I waited for him to continue.

“The reason I’ve called you in here today is, frankly, because I want to discuss your involvement in exposing this conspiracy. I’m shocked that the White House executive chef could so often be involved in situations that compromise the security of this country.”

“I assure you, I never intended—”

“Ollie,” he said, his voice a little softer than it had been a moment earlier. “I’m not here to berate you. I’m here to thank you. By sending me those papers when you did, the way you did, you helped avoid a major catastrophe, one that could have set back peace negotiations with Durasi for another fifty years.”

My breath caught in my throat. “I don’t know what to say.”

“There’s nothing for you to say. All I want you to know is that I’m grateful and your country is, too.”

I had no words. “Thank you,” was all I could manage.

“You have done us all a great favor, and I want you to know that if there’s ever anything I can do for you, please allow me to be of service.”

I smiled. Like I’d ever do that. “Thank you, that’s very generous.”

“I’m serious, Ollie. Is there anything on your mind that I could help you with? Anything at all?”

I was tempted for a split second to ask him to use his influence with the courts to allow me and Gav to get married sooner, but when I opened my mouth, I found I couldn’t do it.

“Thank you,” I said again, “but no.”

Clasping his hands in front of his waist, he tilted his head. “You’re absolutely sure there’s nothing?”

The look in his eyes gave me the oddest impression that he could read my mind. Still, there was no way I was going to ask the president of the United States to get on the phone with the Moultrie Courthouse so that his executive chef could move her wedding date up by a couple of weeks.

“I’m sure.”

“Hmm,” he said, massaging his chin. “Then perhaps you won’t mind if we come up with an idea of our own?”

That was the moment I knew something was off.

From behind me, I heard, “Ollie?”

Cyan and Bucky were the first ones through the door, Bucky holding a bouquet of flowers. He crossed the room in five quick strides. “Here you go, Ace,” he said handing the flowers to me and giving me a quick peck on the cheek.

“What’s this for?” I asked.

Cyan held a chef’s toque in her hands. When she pulled it up to place it on my head, I noticed that she’d affixed a veil to the back of it. “Blushing bride,” she said.

“Wait. What’s going on?”

They didn’t answer.

I turned to glance back at the president, but his gaze was firmly on the door. I turned back and my heart skipped when Gav strode in, wearing his dark dress suit with a white rose on his lapel. He joined me, taking my free hand in his. “Nicely done, Mr. President.” To me he said, “Don’t worry. It’s legal. I picked up the license this morning.”

I was beginning to understand, yet I couldn’t believe. “How can we—” I turned to President Hyden. “Did you pull in a favor at the courthouse?”

“No,” he said, “another of your friends helped out.” He pointed to the doorway, where more people spilled in. This time Sargeant and Thora, accompanied by Margaret and a dark-haired, smartly dressed, bearded man I didn’t recognize.

“Olivia,” Sargeant said, as he joined our little group. “Allow me to introduce Frank Designa. He’s authorized to perform wedding ceremonies here in Washington, D.C., and he’s a personal friend of mine.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. As soon as we shook, my hands flew to my face. “I can’t believe all this.”

Gav pointed to Cyan and Bucky, who were rearranging the China Room’s regular furniture to make way for staffers, who were now setting up folding chairs. “It was Bucky and Cyan’s idea,” he said, “and Peter’s.” He nodded to Sargeant, who looked as though he was working very hard not to beam.

“You are a nosy person, Olivia,” Sargeant said. “All those questions about why Bucky and Cyan were meeting with me.
Tsk.
”

“I didn’t know.”

“And I suppose you didn’t notice that they were coming in earlier each morning, so that we could work on plans before you arrived.”

I smacked my forehead. “That’s what’s been going on.”

Sargeant sniffed delicately. “And you call yourself an amateur sleuth.” He placed a hand on Thora’s back and led her away. “We’ll take our seats now.”

Gav was watching me closely. “As soon as Bucky and Cyan brought me in on the plans, I knew this was right.” He squeezed my hand as more and more people began shouldering their way into the China Room. “This
is
right, isn’t it?”

My heart was as full as it had ever been. I was about to answer him, to say, “Of course it’s right,” when I caught sight of two people in the doorway, escorted by Agent Rosenow.

I flew across the room, barely choking out, “Mom!” as I grabbed her and hugged. “How did you know?”

She hugged back, patting me and smoothing the back of my head, veil and all. “You think we’d miss seeing our girl get married?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t. Not for the world,” Nana said.

I hugged Nana, my throat thick with emotion. I couldn’t trust myself to speak.

Gav had come up to greet my family. When he turned to me, he said, “Why do you think I left your apartment before midnight last night? It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride on her wedding day.”

Mrs. Wentworth and Stanley were there. My heart skipped a beat when my former boss and mentor, Henry, strode in. It was too much to take in at once and I found myself breathless and grateful. Oh so grateful.

Josh came up to me, holding a little satin pillow. “My dad says that I can be the ring bearer if it’s okay with you, Ollie.”

“I am the luckiest person in the world today,” I said. Crouching down to his level, I gave him a big hug. “There’s nothing I’d like better.”

Gav nudged me to look closer. “We have rings,” he said. “I picked them out, but if there’s a style you’d prefer . . .”

I shook my head. “I love them.”

“I know it’s the China Room,” he said apologetically. “But due to other events going on today, it’s the only room available.”

I laughed. “You know what? This is perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

Someone had remembered music. Soft, classical. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from, but I didn’t care. I took a look around the room and saw the faces of the people in this world I loved the most. As they got themselves settled, I struggled to get my emotions under control. I was rarely at a loss for words, but this time I had nothing but love in my heart, and no words were big enough or grand enough.

As Frank Designa called for the room to quiet down, Gav whispered, “Last chance, Ollie. Are you sure you want to marry me?”

I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “Oh, I do,” I said. “I most definitely do.”

RECIPES

BRAISED CHUCK ROAST

Serves 6

2 medium onions (optional)

2 pounds carrots

1 (3–4 lb.) beef chuck roast

3–4 tablespoons canola oil

4 cups beef broth

Preheat oven to 325F.

Cut onion into quarters, if using. Peel carrots and rough chop on the bias, leaving pieces 1 to 1
¹
/
₂
inches long.

In braising pan or heavy Dutch oven, heat oil until hot over medium-high heat, then brown roast on all sides. Add onion and carrots. Pour in beef broth (liquid should come at least halfway up the roast, but should not cover it completely). Cover, and transfer pan to oven.

Roast for 2
¹
/
₂
to 3 hours, or until meat is fork-tender.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

HERB-ROASTED PHEASANT WITH WILD RICE STUFFING

SERVED AT THE INAUGURAL LUNCHEON, 2009

Serves 10

8 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth

1 pound long-grain wild rice

10 boneless pheasant breasts, boneless, tenders removed and reserved for stuffing, and a small pocket cut into side of breast for stuffing

¹
/
₂
cup olive oil mixed with chopped rosemary, thyme, and sage

¹
/
₂
onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 tablespoons garlic, roasted

¹
/
₂
cup dried apricot, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add rice, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until rice is tender and most of the liquid is gone, approximately 15 minutes.

Add onion, carrot, garlic, and apricot. Cook until vegetables are soft and all liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Refrigerate rice mixture until cold.

In a food processor, puree pheasant tenders to a paste consistency to use as a binder for rice mix.

When rice is cool, add the pheasant puree to the rice until well mixed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return to refrigerator until ready to stuff.

Preheat oven to 400F.

Divide rice into 10 portions, and shape each one into a football. Stuff each pheasant breast with one portion of rice, being careful not to overstuff the pheasant. Rub oil mixture on top and bottom of each pheasant breast, and season with salt and pepper. Place pheasant on a heavy-gauge roasting pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with lid or foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve over sautéed spinach.

Notes

Pheasant can be substituted with chicken.

SAUTÉED SPINACH

SERVED AT THE INAUGURAL LUNCHEON, 2013

Serves 1

¹
/
₄
cup shallot, minced

¹
/
₂
tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces baby spinach

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch cracked black pepper

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on high heat. Sauté shallot in oil until tender.

Add baby spinach and season with salt and pepper, cooking only until spinach leaves are wilted. Remove from pan and keep warm.

MOLASSES WHIPPED SWEET POTATOES

SERVED AT THE INAUGURAL LUNCHEON, 2009

Makes 2 quarts

3 large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¹
/
₄
cup orange juice

¹
/
₂
tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon molasses

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.

Peel the skin off of the sweet potatoes while still hot. By hand or mixer, smash potatoes until all large chunks are gone. Combine potatoes, butter, salt, orange juice, brown sugar, ground cumin, molasses, and maple syrup in a large bowl. Continue to mix all together until all lumps are gone. Adjust seasonings to your specific tastes.

Notes

Can be made 1 day before; keep refrigerated and reheat just before serving.

BABY GOLDEN BEETS AND GREEN BEANS

SERVED AT THE INAUGURAL LUNCHEON, 2013

Serves 4

8 cups water

Kosher salt

8 baby golden beets, peeled and cut in half

4 ounces green beans, ends snipped, cut on bias into 1-inch pieces

¹
/
₂
tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

¹
/
₂
tablespoon shallot, minced

1 pinch white pepper

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add
¹
/
₂
tablespoon kosher salt.

Place beets into water gently and allow to cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove using a strainer, and set aside in a bowl.

Allow water to return to a boil and gently add the green beans for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Drain, and add to the bowl with the beets.

Place olive oil in a sauté pan on medium heat, add the shallots, and cook until tender. Add the beets and beans, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

LEMON STEAMED PUDDING

SERVED AT THE INAUGURAL LUNCHEON, 2005

Serves 8–10

7
¹
/
₂
ounces patent flour

¹
/
₂
ounce baking powder

Salt

1 each lemon, zested

9 ounces butter

9 ounces white sugar

4 whole eggs

1 each egg yolk

2
¹
/
₂
ounces lemon juice

Sift dry ingredients together.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and little flour to keep mix from splitting. Add sifted dry ingredients. Slowly add liquid, and mix batter until smooth.

Divide batter among prepared pans, and cover each timbale with foil. Steam in water bath for 30 to 35 minutes.

Puddings are best removed from molds when completely cool.

Notes

Equipment:
timbale pans