Posted by Lieutenant Navale Huzzen (Engineer) in Florence’s Lounge- Expanding Tastebuds

Posted by Chief Petty Officer Sam Nazarian (Host of Florence’s) in Florence’s Lounge- Expanding Tastebuds

Posted by Lieutenant Navale Huzzen (Engineer) in Florence’s Lounge- Expanding Tastebuds
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“This is česneková polévka, or garlic soup. It comes from a place called the Czech Republic, where I was born. It’s chicken, potatoes, garlic and you’ll taste an aromatic herb called marjoram. It’s a very common soup, especially if you are unwell, but it’s not bland, so I think it’s a nice palate cleanser before the next course.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“So a little peek into you, Sam? Is it something you enjoy?” Navale leaned over the bowl slightly and inhaled the aroma. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t exactly appetizing either. She was willing to try anything. She took the spoon and carefully gathered the soup and brought it to her mouth. She blew across it gently, just incase, and watched the steam dance before she tried it.

“I do. I figure everyone should have access to a comfort food and it’s always nice to share something like that, especially if you have fond memories attached to the dish.” Sam said.

“Out here, it’s nice to have a reminder of home. Maybe I can show you one from my home.”

“I’d really like that,” he said with a smile.

“We’ll plan on that then,” Navale agreed. She was a decent cook. Growing up they had to, most of the time the replicators were broken or the rations for it were depleted. Food was whatever you could grow or catch and prepare yourself.

It tasted much better than the aroma indicated. She nodded, it was interesting, but the moment she swallowed it she sneezed, several times. The garlic having a similar effect on her that pepper had on humans. She grabbed her napkin quickly and covered her face.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He smiled softly. “Ahh, so we’ve hit a limitation. They had established the last time in the lounge that she had no allergies, but sometimes ingredients could sneak up on you. “Do you know what part might be the issue? I can adjust the rest of the menu accordingly.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve never had garlic or marjoram. So ai don’t know which is which. But I like it. It just tickles my nose.” She ate some more, still sneezing every couple of bites. It made her laugh.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He just shook his head. At least she liked the dish. “Well, you let me know when you are ready for the next dish. It’s going to be something quite different.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale managed a couple more spoonfuls before the sneezing from her tickled nose got the better of her. “Alright,” she grinned, “let’s try your something quite different.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam let out a throaty chuckle and slid the bowl down the bar as he went to see about the next course.

When he returned, he had a small plate with a small round yellow tortilla. across the middle were layers of bright colour. He slid the plate to her and bent forward, leaning his arms on the edge of the bar top. “This is a taco. You fold up the sides and hold it steady, while biting from the side. ‘Bow to the taco’, as they say. They come in many versions depending on the region, but this one is a blend. It’s breaded and fried fish with a grilled pineapple salsa, thinly sliced red cabbage, and a lime crema. Balanced, but moderately spicy. Just the one taco, since we’re doing small bites. Enjoy.” The soup had been a bit of a wildcard, but he felt it echoed the coconut shripm he gave her the first time, and the crab cakes.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale folded it in half and lifted it. Then she paused and tried adjusting how she was holding it and tried again. Her eyebrows drew done, making her brow etching more prominent. “How do you eat it without the food falling out the other side?”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

His eyes glittered. “It’s a bit of a trick of biting while not squeeze the ingredients forward and then you can sort of pinch the back closed with your thumb and pinkie finger. Try holding it from above and then tilting your head to the side to bite.” He demonstrated the action with an invisible taco.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale mimicked Sam and took a bite. “Mmmm,” she nodded as she chewed. “I like the lime and pineapple. But the breading… I don’t know, it feels too much along with this,” she pointed at the tortilla. “The flavor is amazing though.” She took another bite.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam nodded. “I always thought the crunch was nice, but I will say it’s even better with a tender grilled meat of some kind. What sorts of foods did you have growing up?”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Mostly stews and soups. Anything that could be prepped and then left to cook all day. Or anything portable that didn’thave to be hot. Sandwiches, fruit, raw vegetables, and the like.” Navale ate the last of the taco, “What about you Sam?”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam paused as if caught off guard. “You know, it’s hard to describe. I was born in a place on Earth called Czechia and so I had a lot of stews and dumplings and really simple home cooked food, but then when I was ten we moved to Betazed. I didn’t live there too long but I had all sorts of foods. Then my father and I moved back to Earth and I was with my grandparents back in Czechia. But my father was with the Corps of Engineers and managed to somehow convince his parents to let him put in a replicator. We didn’t use it all the time, but I got to try different things that way.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“So you had a variety of things growing up.” Navale grinned, “When our replicator was working, I loved to try different things. I would pick the weirdest sounding thing in our database. Did your grandparents enjoy trying different things?”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam wobbled his head. “Yes and no. they were open to trying new things, but they didn’t go out of their way to seek them. When I enlisted and was in training, I took great joy in trying new stuff and then bringing it back to them to try,” he said with a chuckle.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“I take it that some things were too different for them?” Navale asked as she finished the last bite of the taco and pushed the plate to the side.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He leaned forward and folded his arms on the bar top. “Well, there was the one time I gave my grandmother oskoids to try and she really couldn’t quite get past the warm sap. But my grandfather came over, took a bite, chewed and nodded. He asked where they were from and I told him Betazed. He just nodded again and said ‘interesting’ and carried on.” Sam shrugged. “Oskoids aren’t my favourite thing but there are interesting ways to prepare them.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Had a colleague at the Corp of Engineers that was Betazoid. Refused to eat Oskoids because anything ‘not prepared at home is trash’. He was a hit snooty when it came to food. I tried them once - grilled with kozira sprinkled on them. It was quite good.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He nodded. “Yeah, I quite enjoy them, and that sounds like a great way to have them. I should try it myself.”

Sam pushed himself upright. “Okay, so you have food options from here: are you hungry enough for another savoury dish or would you like dessert now?”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s