William Earth And His First Recipe

    I ran out of the school like a bat outta heck as soon as the bell rang! I kicked the door open cause I was so excited! I jumped on my bike and pedaled as fast as I could. I was a little too big for the bike but I didn’t care. I was going to get to my family’s restaurant as fast as I could. Oh, to catch you up; over the years through small jobs and many loans from different banks, my dad reopened the family business known as “Earth’s Place!” I’ve been working there since I could walk and today was a very special day. Today was the first day that I was to invent a dish! 

    A little context for those of you who need it since it’s been a long time:

    My name is William Earth, Son of Johnathan and Samantha Earth, and I LOVE to cook. I firmly believe that there is a sixth love language: art. You can express and receive love through art whether that be music, painting, or especially cooking. And this is a belief that has been in my family for centuries. I am descended from every culture and race in history, which is why my family is called the Earths. We are also the guardians of a basically infinite land where all the world's mythical creatures live called the Wonder Woods. That’s part of why our food is so good! We use magical ingredients. Now, that may sound like cheating, but actually it only works and tastes good if you know how to use it right, just like any other ingredient; magical or otherwise. 

    And as for me inventing a dish, it’s actually a really smart business idea. On the menu, there’s an option for the customer to describe the kind of tastes they want to have, the kind of feelings they want to experience, plus any and all dietary restrictions that they have. Then the waiter, who is also usually the person who is cooking the meal, goes into the kitchen and creates a meal specifically to their descriptions. 

    This was the day. I could feel it in my bones. Dad said that I was old enough and skilled enough to invent a dish on my own and that as soon as one of my customers orders it, I can do it myself. It had been a week since he said that and no one had given me the order. But I just knew it was going to be today. 

    I locked my bike up in front of the restaurant and went in through the front door. Our restaurant is very much an extension of the family. Tables are divided into different sections of the restaurant, each section decorated to represent a different culture that we come from. And in each section hang pictures of my ancestors that come from those different cultures. Our restaurant is the biggest one in town and by far the most successful. We make everyone feel like family and we let them eat like it too hehe. I like to walk through the seating areas of the restaurant before I go into the kitchen. I can’t describe the feeling, but it just makes going into the kitchen that much more magical. 

    My mom caught me wandering through the different sections and told me to go and get to work. So, with great enthusiasm, I burst through the doors to the kitchen with a big smile on my face. 

Walking through that door is like walking through a portal to another dimension. In the kitchen there are numerous different work stations manned by humans and mythicals alike. As soon as you walk through those doors you’ll always be greeted by my Abia and her friend Ivan working the finances and paperwork for the business. Ivan’s a Leprechaun so he knows a thing or two about currency and legality. After that you’ll see a few Kappa making soup, various chefs preparing various meals, and near the back you’ll find some of my younger cousins helping wash the dishes. I ran past them to the coat rack, grabbed my chef’s coat, and washed my hands in a nearby sink. 

An hour or so passed and suddenly we are in the dinner rush. Every Earth was either in the dining room taking orders or in the kitchen making them. That was when my best friend, Tony, walked up to me. Tony was a werewolf who also worked there. We allow some of the “human looking” mythicals to work as waiters and cooks cause we need the help and they won’t make people go crazy. 

“Hey, Earth!” He said to me, “I was just taking orders from this weird couple from New Jersey. One of em had this really weird ring…”

“Tony,” I said, “how does this apply to me?” 

“Oh right! Well, I’m on my way to the kitchen to start cooking, but guess who I just saw sit at one of your tables?!”

“Who?” I asked.

“Katherine Fisher!”

My heart stopped. Katherine Fisher was the most amazing girl I had ever met. She was drop dead gorgeous, funny, liked comic books, was one of the best students in our cooking class at school, and first chair saxophone in the school’s band, and she was sitting at one of my tables! 

“What should I do?” I asked.

“Take her order!”

“But what if I mess it up?”

“Then you play it off.”

“Easier said than done.” 

With that, he wished me good luck, we did our secret handshake, and I went off to go and do my job. 

I can’t remember being more frightened of a table and its orders then I was at that moment. I walked up to Katherine’s table and froze where I stood. Her father was so big and strong, he must have been some sort of body builder, and all three of her older brothers were there, I heard they were Jr. Heavyweight Boxing Champions! If I messed this up, not only would everyone at school hear about how I utterly failed in front of Katherine Fisher, but they would also hear about how I died four times over. 

“Um, hello!” Mr. Fisher said. 

I snapped back into reality and apologized. 

“Sorry about that, could I take your order?” 

Mr. Fisher ordered the BBQ tacos with extra sour cream, the three brothers the jumbo spaghetti and meatballs, the captain crunch breaded chicken, and a pineapple salad (not what you think it is) with the green bean bacon wraps. I was in the clear so far, but then Katherine opened her mouth. 

“What’s the ‘invent a dish thing’?” 

Of course she asked about that. I told her what it meant and she seemed interested. 

“So, you’ll make a dish solely from my descriptions?”

“Yeah. I’ll do my best to make it something that’s never been made before or at least something you’ve never had before hahaha.”

“Ok, so I’ll have that. I have no dietary restrictions but I would like an Italian and French fusion and if you can include some apples in the dish that would be great.”

Nervous beyond description, I asked what drinks they’d want and then I ran to the kitchen and straight to my work station. Dad and Tony weren’t busy so they helped make the other four orders while I focused on the custom dish. I ran and told Stephan, the only centaur in the kitchen, to start up his pizza oven. I grabbed Marcus, a Gorgon who grew up in France, and he helped me make his signature dish with a few twists. 

When I brought out the food, every member of my family and every “human looking” mythic was there with me to watch as I gave my first custom dish.  I presented the Fisher men with their food, and I put my dish in front of Katherine and explained it to her with a smile on my face. 

“This is a French bread pizza with a mix of American Jack, Mozzarella, Parmejaun, and goat cheese. Under the cheese, where one would usually find marinara sauce, you will find a thin layer of ratatouille with apple chips among the squash and the peppers to add a sweetness to the spice.” 

You could feel the tension rise as she grabbed a slice. Me and my associates all held our breath as she lifted it to her mouth. With that first bite, you could hear nerve racking violin music come to a crescendo. 

“RALPHY CUT IT OUT!” My Abia yelled, stopping my uncle Ralphy who was playing the violin as the live entertainment. 

She chewed for a moment, her eyes went wide, then she took a few more bites. 

“This is one of the greatest things I’ve ever tasted!”

We all let out a shout of victory as Uncle Ralphy and his band play “Time Warp” in celebration. as

“Oh man, I thought that I was gonna crash and burn in front of the most beautiful and amazing girl in existence and her humongous family members!” 

That’s when I realized I had said that out loud. 

Not only had Katherine heard, but her dad, her brothers, and my entire family heard as well. My cousins pointed and laughed at me while Katherine’s dad and brothers gave me a death stare. I was so embarrassed that I ran out of the restaurant with tears in my eyes. 

I hid behind the “Earth’s Place” sign and cried for about a half an hour. Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. 

“You know,” said Katherine as she sat down next to me, “the things you said were really nice.”

“Thanks. I’m sorry I embarrassed you in front of your family.”

“It’s fine, they’re used to being public ally embarrassed by me.”

There was a brief pause.

“You know” she said, “we’re almost in high school.”

“So?”

“So, after the summer, ask me out. We’ll see what happens.”

That’s when she grabbed my head and kissed me on the cheek. 

“Katherine!” Her dad called. 

“Gotta go” she said, “I’ll see you later.”

After she left, I walked into the restaurant like a conquering hero! Middle school folklore would be made from that night. That I took down Katherin’s brothers single handedly or something like that.  But I know what really happened, and even still, it was one of the greatest nights of my life!