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

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… suppressed (22) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

He watched Navale as she sampled, enjoying seeing her reactions. “Yeah, the olives have a briny taste as well as being rich with oil. They’re quite the sensory experienceIt’s too much to do in one bite, but as you eat them, you can experiment with bites of different things. What you eat before will affect the taste of each item.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Hmmmm, alright.” Navale slid everything off the skewers and started creating patterns with the food. Cutting up some of the pieces smaller so she could try as many possible combinations as she could manage. It was all very methodically thought out. Then she started sampling everything in her range of possibilities. She enjoyed them all, even if she wouldn’t eat someone them again. She commented on the different results as she tried them.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam grinned. “You know, the biggest joy for me these days is seeing someone really enjoy themselves. It’s the biggest compliment someone can give me. It’s what makes this not work at all, but a bit of fun I get to do each day. Though I will say that there are days I do miss crawling about a ship with you all, and being stuck in the systems.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale’s eyes widened slightly, “You’re an engineer, Sam? I didn’t know that. I tell you, after this last one, we could have used an extra pair of hands.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He gave her a smaller smile. “I used to be. Left Starfleet eight years ago. I originally enlisted during the war. The job itself became too much to manage but I still liked being on ships so I asked for permission to work on them in a civilian capacity. I feel like this is a better way for me to contribute now.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale grinned, “I bet you still tinker though, don’t you?” She glanced down the bar and around the lounge, “I think you fit in just fine here. And everyone certainly enjoys the atmosphere you’ve created in here. So why a lounge host?”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He grinned. “Yes, I do tinker. At least I can fix my own replicators when I need to. Save you the trouble of coming down. But don’t worry, I log everything.”

“I won’t tell if you don’t,” Navale laughed, “checking the logs is above my paygrade, unless ordered.”

Sam folded his arms on the bartop. “As for why I chose this fine occupation… I like people. I like being on ships too. Space agrees with me. And every ship needs someone outside of the chain of command to talk to. I’m a firm believer in mental health care, but I also know that sometimes you just need a casual place to vent or seek advice. I found people in my department used to do that a lot with me, so I consider it a free service for all who visit Florence’s. I’ll help however I can, even if in the end I gently suggest they talk to someone in Psychiatry.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Sometimes, that’s all people need. Just someone to talk with, a chance to not feel isolated. I think that’s what stops most people from seeking out help. They feel alone and like no one cares.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam nodded. “Exactly. And there can be a lot of fear about one’s career, even if, especially on the Ogawa, there is so much more understanding about mental health needs. If I can bridge the gap until they get the help they really need, I’m glad to do so.” He lifted a finger. “Though I should be clear that I’ve done some very rudimentary training before I came here knowing that it would be useful. I couldn’t be sure who would walk through those doors.”

She took the time to glance around at the people in the lounge. “It’s beautiful isn’t it? All the different people in once place. Not just the different species, but the differences between individuals.”

“It’s an extraordinary thing. Living in the Federation is not something I take for granted, though I’ve seen microcosms of this even back in my grandparents villages, or on Betazed when I was young,” Sam said. “But I will say that a hospital ship like the Ogawa is truly unique. People are here because they can offer help, are the ones that need the help, or are here to make sure everything runs well enough for people to be able to dispense the help. It’s a truly noble purpose, even if you ar the one that needs help. I can’t think of a better place you could be, and I’ve been more than my share of places.”

“That is exactly why I asked for a transfer to the Ogawa. I loved work with the corp of engineers. It was exciting and fun to experiment with new designs, but I wanted to do something where my work was making a daily impact. I saw the Ogawa had an opening and I applied.”

He flashed her a grin. “Once you’re done with those, it’ll be time for dessert. You’ll have to tell me whether you’d like something light, or rich.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Oh that’s tough. Everything tonight has been light, so something rich would be nice. However, I’m interested to see what you can do with a light dessert. Can’t I have both?” She laughed and then finished the last bites of the current dish.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam leaned forward and met her gaze, his eyes sparkling. “Both? Hmmm. Well, it is your special meal and I fully believe we should indulge ourselves whenever we can. But do you think you can wait for one of them? It takes time to make it perfect.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale leaned toward him as well. “With a descriptor like ‘perfect’ who could say no. I have no other plans, so I’m all yours for the evening, Sam.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He flashed her a grin. “Then I’ll be right back.” He slipped away to the storage/prep area.

A few minutes later, he returned but with no food in hand… yet. He did have a bottle of something yellow in his hands though. “Do you like lemon-flavoured things, Navale?”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale grinned back as he walked away and when he returned. “I had lemonade when I was at the academy, but never had anything else. I liked it, as long as there wasn’t too much sugar in it,” she said as she eyed the yellow filled bottle in his hand.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“Hmmm, this will be an interesting experience then,” Sam said as set the bottle down behind the bar. He grabbed a cocktail shaker and tossed in some ice, and then poured in a small amount of the vibrant yellow liquor and then squeezed in some lime juice. Giving it a thorough shake, he emptied it into a small delicate footed glass, and set a slice of lime on the side. He slid it over to Navale.

“Now, this is something you sip slowly. It’s limoncello. It’s an apéritif, but it will complement both the desserts, I think. It is sweet, but it’s quite strong and the acidity of the lime will cut through some of the sweetness. Limoncello always reminded him of a lemon sucker, but when you added the lime it morphed into something else entirely.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale picked up the glass and turned it, watching the color in the glass for a moment. Then she lifted it to her lips and took a cautious small sip from the rim. Her eyes squinted and her nose wrinkled. Then she took another ship and sighed. “Oh, that’s divine. Absolutely strange, but I would definitely sabotage a computer console for this.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He laughed openly, his tenor voice echoing in the lounge. “That’s a new one, but I appreciate your commitment. And I agree, it’s pretty special. And so you know, I always keep a bottle around. It’s surprisingly handy to have around.” He loved seeing that flicker of delight as the taste of something that agreed with a person finally settled into their mind. It was always such a beautiful moment.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale’s eyes glittered with amusement. “Oh no. Oh Sam did you just tell me you keep this ambrosia in stock? That’s dangerous. You’ll never get rid of me.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Still grinning, he gave her a sideways glance as he stepped backwards through the bar. “Hmmm, not sure that’s the problem you think it is.”

He disappeared for a minute.

Navale grinned, but it was delighted rather than amused.

When he returned, he carried a silver dome covered dish. Setting it down, he rested his hands on top. “Okay, do you want the rich dessert first, or the light one. The order will affect your final overall impression of the meal.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Now now Sam. You told me to put my trust in you and let you take care of the evening. So I am all in. How do you want me to experience the end of my meal? Hmmm?”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam gave this great thought and lifted the dome, but only enough for him to pull something out from underneath the dome and slide it to Navale. It was a cleear parfait glass with layers of cookie crumb and a pale green creamy substance like a pudding, with toasted coconut on top.

While the concoction was creamy, it came off the tongue as being much lighter, as if it was half foam. The cookie crumbs in the base were crunchy, but also light.

“You could end on a light note, and this would certainly ensure you didn’t leave feeling like it was all too much. But I think the second dessert you’ll appreciate when it’s time. It’s something very satisfying.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale picked up her spoon and took a delicate scoop out of the cup. The warm toasted bite of the coconut was a stark contrast to the foamy pudding and the playful crunch of the cookies. Her eyes closed as she focused on the flavor and textures. “Hmmmm,” she sighed out. “That appearance is deceptive to the actual texture. What is it?” She scooped another bite, slightly more this time.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He watched her taste the treat with an intense gaze, waiting for that one moment of surprise and delight. She had a very expressive face and it was something Sam always gravitated towards. He liked being able to see people’s emotions in some way.

“Riqiin foam. They use a standard injection process to add air to something like a custard but they take molecular gastronomy to whole new levels. Riqiin has an added chemical compound that will change the foam as it sits. In fact, if you let it be for a minute you’ll notice it’ll split into evenly into a pudding layer and a foam. Sort of like topping something with whipped cream.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Really?” Navale glanced back down at her dish and watched it expectantly so she could watch the change. “That’s a whole lot of complex chemistry, but with a really delicious result. Chemistry was never my strong suit. Which is funny since I’m actually decent with math.” She laughed softly, bending down to peer into the glass as the desert began to separate out.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

As she watched, she could see that the upper part became paler and the lower half of the foam darkened, almost gelling together.

Sam leaned on the bar, bracing his elbows on top with his fingers laced. He watched her eye the dessert so intently that he couldn’t help but smile. “There’s a lot to be said for chemistry. It’s very highly underrated.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s